After entrusting the children to Allen upon Kalias request, Simon immediately took her and Gaia to the Lords Castle.
In the deep night when darkness settled in.
The place that should have been silent was still noisy with the sounds of people arguing.
Who, who touched my arm?
Shh, lets be quiet, Im sleeping!
Who does this bastard think hes giving orders to?
Do you want to be kicked out if you fight? Shut up, all of you!
Various curses leaked out of the massive warehouse.
Even though it was late at night, they showed no signs of calming down.
Kalia, standing in front of the massive wooden warehouse, looked at Gaia.
Its here.
Hmm, theyre all aggressive.
It seems like its because of the influence of black magic.
If its because of black magic, its possible.
Gaia nodded her head and reached out her hand to touch the door.
She spread her palm wide and felt the magic inside it, her eyes suddenly widening.
Definitely I can feel the magic. Its stronger than before. But its a bit strange. How should I put it, its not a clear magic, but a faint feeling like mist.
It might be because its not fully infused with magic yet, still in the stage of contamination.
Gaia nodded, seeming to understand.
Soon, she asked Kalia.
Then, should we test it?
Kalia nodded with a tense expression.
A warm hand touched her back as she took a deep breath.
Dont be nervous, Kalia. It will work out.
Simons voice, comforting her, was even soothing.
Whether her experiment succeeded or failed, Simon was determined to achieve their ultimate goal no matter what.
He was the youngest Archmage in the Empires history, determined to end the war as soon as possible.
He also had the determination to fulfill his unrequited love for Kalia, who was stubborn to the extreme for over ten years.
To Simon, how difficult and painful the process was didnt matter.
What mattered to him was only Kalia, and now, even Sasha added to their happiness.
Kalia held Simons hand that was tapping her back.
And just as Simon always did, she kissed the back of his hand and murmured.
Of course, Simon. It will work out. I will make sure it does.
She could never forgive Akan for brutally killing her mother and trampling on her homeland.
I will definitely destroy them with my own hands.
Kalia tightened her clenched fist. And in that state, she nodded her head towards Gaia.
Gaia.
I got it.
As Gaias body seemed to dissolve into light, it seeped into the bracelet.
Soon, a surge of power was felt emanating from Amuntias bracelet.
A tremendous power flowed through her wrist.
As the power concentrated in the palm of her hand, a brilliant blue gem turned into a magnificent sword in Kalias hand.
The sword was appropriately sturdy, stretched out elegantly, and the hilt fit perfectly in Kalias hand.
As if it was made just for her.
Amazing.
Simon, who had been watching, murmured in admiration.
Although Nuas ice sword also had an extraordinary aura and power, the sword of Amuntia that Kalia was holding right now felt like a completely different level of power.
Kalia lightly swung the sword to test its feel.
The sensation of the sword sticking to her hand as if it was born for her sent a thrill through Kalia.
She found herself smiling without realizing it, so perfect it felt to her.
The sickly pallor on the faces of the people trapped inside the warehouse had all vanished.
Simons golden eyes widened in astonishment, and he immediately turned to Kalia.
Kalia grinned at him.
But at that moment.
Kalias vision suddenly turned pitch black.
Through her blurred sight, she could see Simons face, now more surprised than before.
She wanted to tell him it was nothing, but Kalia couldnt continue her thoughts any longer.
Kalia!
Thud.
Just like that she collapsed.
* * *
Creak.
The sound of a carriage moving brought Kalia back to consciousness for a moment.
But it wasnt as if her heavy eyelids had suddenly opened.
She groped through the darkness in her retinas and barely grasped the edge of her thoughts.
What happened?
Her dazed mind sifted through the faded memories.
The dazzling flash, the grip of the sword in her hand, the people lying on the ground, and Simons astonished face.
Memories fell into place as if they were being reassembled.
Suddenly, all the energy drained from her body, and she lost her vision completely.
It wasnt unfamiliar to her since she had passed out a few times before.
Well, the previous instances of fainting were mostly due to excessive bleeding or shock-induced mental fatigue
It was when she struggled to open her heavy eyelids or moisten her dry lips.
Abu
Sashas adorable voice softly reached her ears.
It was a whining sound, tinged with a hint of dissatisfaction.
No, Sasha. Mommy is sleeping.
Hukya Hueng.
This little troublemaker, usually so well-behaved Looks like youre worried because your mom keeps falling asleep.
Simons gentle voice, accompanied by a playful chuckle, followed after.
The voice comforting and soothing the baby was sweet and pleasant.
From the sound of it, it seemed like he was holding the child in his arms.
Mom didnt get hurt, but she suddenly used her spirit power and seemed very surprised. Its okay. She just fell asleep, thats all. Although she slept a bit longer than expected.
Kalia sensed the concern underlying Simons fading words.
She wanted to assure him that she was fine and that she had woken up, but her eyelids felt heavy.
Her whole body felt sluggish, as if she had been struck.
There was a slight queasiness and a headache, but it wasnt unbearable.
Even though she didnt move, she could feel her entire body twitching.
It was as if her body was undergoing some kind of reconstruction.
Kalia mustered her strength and managed to flicker one finger.
But before she could hold onto that moment, drowsiness engulfed her again.
By the way, well reach Antik soon Youll wake up before we get there, right, Kalia?
She felt a gentle touch, brushing her forehead.
It was a warm and soft touch.
She felt the careful strokes of the eyelashes on her closed eyelids.
Kalia, since youre already asleep, sleep well and wake up. And if youre going to dream, dream of my dreams. Dont dream of anything else.
He hesitated for a moment as if comforting a child, then gently stroked her cheek and whispered without missing a beat.
I love you.
The simple words murmured grew longer.
I love you, I love you. I love you you troublemaker.