Chapter 53: Selfdriven

Carrying her through the wasteland in the middle of the night, Merency Mana was still relaxed, as if she didn’t just come from a fight.

But he could feel it slowly naturally waking up. Which meant she was about to wake up too.

Finally escaping from the burning hell, he managed to bring her to a new patch of forest untouched by all the destruction and supervised by one of the marks from the fingers.

Staying out of their range for too long would only raise suspicion, and that was the last thing he wanted.

He needed them to accept him to get close to the rest of the fingers, even if that meant helping them out for some time.

Setting Merency next to a tree, Steven sat down not too far away, mindlessly playing with the diamond crystal in his pocket, waiting for her to wake up.

And he didn’t have to wait long, as just after a few moments, she opened her eyes, looking around for him calmly.

"What happened, Steven? Did we win?" She asked slowly, inspecting her own body for wounds.

’’They escaped after your last clash with Lumiel, if you can remember.’’ He answered, already thinking about his next lie.

She stared at him, embarrassment written all over her face. "I am so sorry, Steven. I could even handle someone from the second table."

He stayed quiet for a bit and then added. ’’Meanwhile, you had to fight those monsters, the statue and the number one student...’’

She nodded towards him apologetically, but he shook his head.

’’It wasn’t the real Edward; he only sent a clone. Only bothering to show up after Lumiel was defeated.’’ He spoke calmly, trying to motivate her again.

After all, her actions allowed him to find what he was searching for; with two altars done and the third location already done, he could finish this before the week even ends.

But Merency still held her head low, probably disappointed in herself for not even knowing what type of mass destruction she had caused.

But he wasn’t going to tell her, at least not until he knew what that thing was that controlled her body without possession.

He doubted even an exorcism spell would work on clearing it, nor did it seem to be inside her body while it wasn’t active.

I truly looked like it was just her own power acting by itself.

Shaking those thoughts off, he helped her up for them to return towards their basis.

It was important for her to calm down and relax; he also would like a minute of quietness. As much as he loved battles, those he thought of at the moment were only in his head.

Falling over a small stone on the ground, he landed face-first on the ground with a bang.

"Be careful," Merency spoke, staring at him, holding her laughter. "Well, not like your face can be ruined more."

’’What is that supposed to mean? I am very famous with the women," he countered while cleaning his face.

’’Ever thought about that they have pity for you?’’ She answered, falling into laughter.

Steven only looked at his own hands. Was he really that ugly? He had only one girlfriend until now, and that was years ago.

Why was he even caring about his looks? He’s a war veteran and professor at the most prestigious magic university in the world.

"Coming from the princess, that would be at the sapphire class because she was scared. And all this because of my convincing personality.’’

He only stared at her, her face glowing red. ’’I... I just couldn’t lose against somebody like you.’’

Bringing Steven to laughter too as the cave filled itself with the good mood of their jokes, they relaxed around the small device heating up their food.

’’Steven?’’

’’What’s up?’’

As her tone turned serious, "Just before this event started, the people were saying you were a coward for not following us to the killers’ hiding spot."

Steven nodded at her; Lucy had sent out that rumour to pay him back for sending her down there.

’’But I don’t believe that... I spoke to a nice waitress that was attacked before Lumiel saved her.’’

’’But how did he manage to do that when he got wounded so badly in the fight?’’

Steven hesitated to answer, unsure how much she actually knew or what Ami told her. ’’I heard the guards arrived just in time after his heroic sacrifice. ’’

Merency let out a sigh. "Steven, I know you were there, and I also know that you were in the grand hall barely a minute later. ’’

As she pulled out a sharp rock from her pocket, holding it against herself. ’’Steven... were you the killer? Her hand was shaking as tears formed in her eyes.

Grabbing the sharp edge with the palm of his hand. ’’I am not the killer, but I was the one to kill Franclin.’’

He watched her slowly relax, lowering her weapon but not completely. "It’s just that for some reason I always feel drawn close to you. At first I thought that I was just suspicious.

’’But I am not so sure anymore.’’ Her voice sounds fragile as she speaks about her own feelings so deeply.

Steven could only stare at the ground; he knew she had done some research on him with the help of her royal status.

But even then she had decided to go out in the wild with somebody as dangerous as him, completely cut off from any support.

As he could hear her tears drop to the ground as she wiped them away, ’’I am probably just overreacting, right?’’

Steven wanted to tell her no; he wanted to tell her all her worries were wrong, but he couldn’t.

After all, the man was standing in front of her.

Wasn’t even Steven Bright.

Only a man acting the role of somebody else.

Of a person that had never existed.

And will disappear after all of this ends.