Advent of the Three Calamities

Chapter 695: Return to Empire [3]

‘Okay, it’s not too tall.’

Taking a step back, I looked behind me. I was currently standing by the edge of a cliff, the sound of the waves splashing behind me as I carefully analyzed the distance between me and the water.

It was about thirty meters.

That was… pretty tall.

‘I’ll still survive. I can just slow down my fall, and once I enter the water, it won’t really matter since I can now breathe underwater thanks to Anne’s teachings.’

The plan was set, and I was ready to go through with it.

But there was only one problem.

Staring at the woman who stood opposite me, and feeling just how powerful she was, I knew that even if I followed through with my actions, it was impossible for me to run away from her.

She’d just snap her finger, and I’d appear before her again.

‘In that case, should I use the eye of Oracleus?’

I inwardly shook my head. That was a bit too dangerous. Furthermore, things weren’t that bad.

Then…?

“Are you thinking of jumping?”

“Considering i—”

I stopped mid-sentence, turning my head in Delilah’s direction.

She can talk?

Her brow slowly raised upon seeing my expression.

“Keum.”

I coughed, trying my best to ease my expression.

“…I’m not.”

I took a step forward for good measure.

“See?”

“…..”

Delilah just stared at me quietly, her expression the same as it was before. The more I was subjected to her stare, the more uncomfortable I grew.

Questions started to flood my mind.

‘What does she want? Why did she suddenly stop me and not bring the others? I thought we had already talked. Did she have something else to say? …Or is she going to ask me why I did everything that I did? If that’s the case, how should I answer?’

My thoughts swam in all sorts of directions. They consumed my mind so much that I didn’t notice Delilah slowly approach me.

By the time I did, she was already before me.

“…Ah.”

Her eyes were now leveled to mine. Something that I only just recently noticed.

Before, I used to have to look up to her.

But now, we were practically the same height. I had grown a little since the first time that I met her, and as I looked at her, I felt unable to tear my eyes away from her.

She was just so…

“Beatifu…”

By the time I realized I had muttered the words out loud, it was already too late, as I brought my hand to my mouth.

Realizing my mistake, I looked at Delilah, only to see her look completely unfazed.

The atmosphere turned awkward from that point.

At the very least, until she spoke again,

“Finish your word.”

“Hm?”

Wait, what?

Delilah was now staring at me with a frown, a clear look of dissatisfaction marring her features.

She looked… Kind of angry.

“Finish it.”

“Finish wha—”

“Say it.”

I pursed my lips, looking at Delilah in confusion.

However, feeling her gaze and looking deeply into her eyes, I could only sigh before saying,

“Beautiful.”

“What is?”

“….???”

The hel—

I stopped the moment I noticed the subtle shift in her expression. Thinking back, this wasn’t the first time she had made me do something like this.

Recalling the old times, a smile unconsciously formed on my lips as I relented.

“You.”

“You what?”

“You’re really needy, aren’t you?”

“….? Say it.”

“You’re beautiful.”

“Again.”

“…Ser—You’re beautiful.”

“Again.”

“You’re beautiful.”

“Again.”

“You’re beautiful.”

I didn’t know how many times I was forced to say the same thing over and over again. I was also sure that Delilah had heard the same two words many times in the past. There was no denying her beauty.

And yet, even though she had probably heard those same two words more times than I could count, she kept insisting that I say them.

And so I did.

“Again.”

“You’re beautiful.”

The fact that she wanted me to say them meant something.

I liked that.

I… liked her.

So, I was fine with saying it.

“You—”

“Enough.”

Delilah eventually stopped me, her face looking as indifferent as usual. However, I knew that behind that indifferent expression was a satisfied one.

The subtle curve in her lips told me all that I needed to know.

“I take it that you’re satisfied, right?”

“Hm, a little.”

Delilah replied slowly.

“A little?”

“A little.”

She reaffirmed, prompting me to laugh a little.

This…

What was I supposed to do with this woman? The more time I spent with her, the more I struggled to understand her.

But…

It wasn’t like I didn’t like it.

“Alright, in that case, if you need me to say it again, I’ll be there.”

“Of course.”

Delilah nodded as if it was a given that I’d do this again. I could only smile helplessly at her.

‘Of course. Yes… Of course.’

Seemingly satisfied, Delilah turned back, her black hair fluttering slightly under the light breeze as she brought her hand up to stop it.

I lost myself in the sight.

But that was only for a brief moment as Delilah’s voice reached my ears again.

“I recently got engaged.”

“Eh…?”

The words hit me like a lightning bolt, yanking me out of my thoughts. I snapped my gaze to Delilah, a sudden pang tightening in my chest.

What did she just say?

She got engaged? When? No, it probably happened during the time that I was missing.

Why?

Why did she get engaged?

All sorts of questions flooded my mind as I looked at Delilah, scanning her face. However, looking at her, I wasn’t able to spot a thing as her expression turned serious.

“My father insisted that I get married.”

“That’s…”

I thought back to the conversation that I had back in the Evenus Household with her father. He indeed wanted her to get married, but there was no way that he’d be able to force her to get married.

How did he convince her?

No, why did she agree?

“I—”

“He said that getting married would help me get rid of suitors.”

I felt breathless listening to her words. I understood what she was saying. Orson had most likely insisted that she get married, given how many households and people were trying to get married to her.

Given that I died, she most likely ended up accepting one of the offers.

This…

“I accepted.”

As expected.

My heart sank further into my stomach, and as I looked at her, I saw her slowly raise her hand to expose a ring that rested right on her finger.

“This is the ring of my fiancé.”

“…Oh.”

I didn’t even feel like looking at the ring. I could tell it was probably nice.

“Look at it.”

However, for some reason, Delilah insisted that I look at it, and I did.

As opposed to the fancy ring that I expected to see, the ring looked rather plain. It was entirely black and felt vaguely familiar.

“I told my father that I’m engaged, and showed him this as proof.”

The more I looked at the ring, the more familiar it felt to me.

It was really really familiar.

And then…

Slowly lowering my head to stare at my own hand, I saw it.

The ring that was on my finger.

It looked exactly the same.

‘Wha… What?’

Then, slowly lifting my head up to stare at her, I saw her lips slowly pull up into a really unfamiliar, teasing smile.

“Hello fiancé.”

My head exploded.

***

“Ugkh.”

“….If you’re going to puke, puke over there! Don’t puke close to me!”

As the cadets endured yet another round of teleportation, the weaker ones doubled over, vomiting where they stood. The disorientation stumbled around like some sort of drunkards. Thankfully, they had landed in what appeared to be a forest, and so there was plenty of space to vomit.

“Leon, make sure to stay alert!”

Of course, while the weaker ones were puking, the ones who were doing better immediately moved around the perimeter and carefully scanned the surroundings.

With all of their training, they understood just how dangerous the Mirror Dimension was.

They couldn’t afford to lower their guard for a single second, and so, Aoife got to work as she ordered the others to keep a check of their surroundings while the others recovered.

“If you spot anything, quickly report it. Do it as we’ve done before.”

Her words were met with several grunts as Leon scanned the surroundings, his eyes knit together tightly.

As he looked around, he couldn’t help but wonder something.

‘Where is Julien?’

They were all supposed to have arrived at the same time.

And yet, he appeared to be completely gone. Where could he have gone?

‘It’s not just him. The Chancellor is also not here. Did something happen?’

Leon’s eyes narrowed as his thoughts paused there. Could—

Swoosh!

His thoughts came to an abrupt halt as two figures eventually appeared in the middle of the group.

“Chancellor!”

“It’s the Chancellor!”

The moment Delilah appeared, everyone relaxed. With her present, there was no longer a need to be on guard.

On the other hand, Leon focused his gaze on Julien.

Something about him felt off. He looked to be in a daze.

‘No, it almost feels like he has lost all reason.’

His eyes and face were both blank, and he simply stared at the sky. Something was indeed off.

Looking around, Leon quietly approached Julien and pulled him to the side.

“…Is everything okay?”

Despite the question, Julien didn’t answer.

“Eh? Hm? What?”

He just made weird noises and looked completely out of it.

“Oy, hey!”

Leon shook him again, trying to get him to snap out of it, and it was only after a solid minute that Julien’s eyes regained some sort of clarity as he looked at Leon.

“Oh, it’s you.”

Julien’s voice was rather slurred.

“Yes, it’s me. What is wrong with you? Did something happen? Are you si—”

“No, nothing like that.”

Julien quietly dismissed him, raising his hand to show him his hand.

“Look at this.”

He pointed at the ring on his finger, prompting Leon to raise his brow. He felt that the ring was strangely familiar.

But the next words that came out of Julien’s mouth made him freeze.

“I’m engaged, apparently.”

Slowly blinking his eyes, Leon’s mind froze for a moment.

Then…

As if finally recalling where he had seen the ring before, his head slowly turned in the direction of the Chancellor.

That was when he saw it.

The same identical ring on her finger.

His face immediately grew stoic.