Declared Dead, Exiled, and Betrayed— Now I Walk Away, but I'll Save One Who Cared - Chapter 46

“Perhaps we have been guided all along.”

The voice of the guardian deity was gentle yet instructive.

At this point, I couldn’t help but think the same.

Why did I leave my homeland?

Why did I come here?

Why did I willingly allow myself to fall into the depths?

When I considered the possibility that everything had been leading me to this moment, far too many things began to make sense.

My family’s magical research must have advanced significantly.

Disemna’s power was to divert perception.

No matter how carefully one planned against it, they would inevitably be led astray before ever reaching their goal.

Most likely, every choice I had made—whether it seemed like I was simply doing my best in each situation or following my whims—had actually been steering me toward my greatest enemy, Disemna.

I discovered and wielded forbidden magic. As a result, I gained extensive knowledge of high-level spells.

The royal family, though they forgave me, banished me from the kingdom as a warning for using forbidden magic. In exile, I learned how to survive.

Together with Michelle, I ventured toward the dungeon, halted the stampede, and cleared the dungeon itself. I became stronger, purely through experience.

I allowed myself to sink into the depths, acquiring an unimaginable wealth of experience and power—far beyond what any ordinary adventurer could ever hope to achieve.

Every event strengthened me. Every step led me toward my confrontation with Disemna.

Almost disturbingly so.

Had Eranda been deliberately used as bait—by me, by us?

If that were the case, I would owe an apology to Riofendarl…

“That cannot be,” Sifa said firmly.

She met my eyes directly.

“Even before you arrived, my sister was already deep in debt, with no way out. We have no idea where this Disemna had been hiding. Perhaps Duke Horneld had been possessed from the very beginning. But if you had never come, wouldn’t we all have been wiped out?”

Sifa spoke with conviction.

She held my gaze unwaveringly.

“Indeed. That demon was sealed away, yet still managed to escape Minerva’s grasp. If you sense its presence, you must inform me at once. That I, too, have been swept along in this tide… truly, you are Minerva’s descendant.”

So, in the end, confrontation was inevitable. But was that truly enough?

Was Disemna really possessing Eranda? Had it taken his place?

It seemed to be using its power quite openly, which didn’t align with the legends.

Disemna was supposed to be an incredibly cautious being—one that erased all traces of itself before stepping into the open.

It was nothing like the ruin demon I fought before… No. Wait.

Why did that demon appear in the first place?

Could it be…?

“By now, they must already know about me. I’ve been making a name for myself in Riofendarl’s domain—stopping the stampede, even slaying a dragon. There’s no way a cautious entity like Disemna wouldn’t have noticed. In fact… what if the ruin demon was merely testing my strength? If that’s the case, that would mean it’s controlling the dungeon itself.”

“Hmm…”

And if that were true, then how should I proceed?

Return to Riofendarl, slaughter Eranda, his child, and all of Duke Horneld’s subordinates? Then storm Horneld’s domain and purge anyone suspicious there as well?

That wasn’t realistic.

The real problem was that we couldn’t sense Disemna’s magic directly.

If our attention was diverted, it could slip away.

What should we do…?

“You must consult the royal family. They should remember the past disaster.”

“This might not even be a mere family dispute. If that’s the case, they may be willing to listen.”

“Let’s go… to the capital.”

Michelle, who had been silently listening until now, finally spoke up in agreement.

She, too, carried Minerva’s bl00d.

Neither of the old royal house nor the current one, but still my kin.

She would surely lend her strength.

She was a seasoned warrior in her own right.

Though, considering how young she still was, I would probably get scolded for saying so.

And so, we set off for the royal capital.

…Wait.

Wasn’t I forgetting something?

“Mmm… Finally, you’re done talking? That took forever. I was getting bored. The vines kept wrapping around me, and all you did was ramble on about nonsense.”

Damn it. I forgot about the depraved, insufferable wench.

Why the hell was she lying on the ground, lazily gnawing on the guardian deity’s vines?

“…”

Even the guardian deity was speechless.

Impressive. How many people in the world could manage to disturb a god to this extent?

“Guardian deity. I apologize, but could you tie this fool up for me?”

“Apologies, but I refuse.”

Incredible. Even a god was rejecting her outright.

Could it be…? Was she actually a demon in disguise?

There was no time to waste on such foolishness, so I pulled out a rope from my item box and tied her up before dragging her along.

“Aghhhhhh…!” she let out a dreadful wail, but… well, I was sure she’d be fine.

In fact, she wore an expression of bliss—so now she had developed a masochistic streak as well?

If I was the one who awakened this in her… could it be that having a masochist was actually necessary for countering Disemna?

First a god, and now even demons were recoiling in horror…

Never mind that. We needed to get moving.