Chapter 133: Saving Thousands, Failing One

Chapter 133. Saving Thousands, Failing One

Behind us, the guards continued evacuating the other brides. Several had regained consciousness, although their legs could barely support them. Some cried in confusion, while others clung desperately to the soldiers helping them.

Two women had to be carried. Chief Marr, still visibly disoriented, insisted on assisting despite Lord Veymont ordering him to rest. The cave slowly emptied. The wounded were taken away. The rescued were guided toward safety.

Theo looked around the ruined chamber. "I’ll do it here. This place is enough." He gently adjusted Elena’s bridal gown, smoothing the fabric over her knees. "She’s already wearing her wedding dress." His voice trembled again. "And the moon is beautiful tonight."

I stood there without moving. I wondered whether this was what being a hero truly meant.

Saving thousands. Failing one. And remembering that one for the rest of your life.

Or perhaps the guilt ran deeper than that...

Because once upon a time, Rey Valen had been in Elena’s place. He’d been the helpless one, desperately begging someone to save his family. He’d cried, screamed, and reached out to anyone who might help. Soldiers. Magicians. Anyone. But no one had been able to save them. And that helplessness had stayed with him long after their deaths.

Perhaps that was why he’d become a hero in the first place. Not for glory, recognition, or the admiration of the people, but because he never wanted anyone else to experience the same despair. Yet when Elena had stretched her trembling hand toward him, begging for the very same salvation he’d once begged for, he’d been forced to walk away.

How cruel... He’d become a hero to make sure no one would ever suffer as he had. Only to become the very person who couldn’t save them. And in Elena’s disappointed eyes, he’d seen the reflection of the child he used to be.

Lord Veymont finally stepped closer to Theo. "Then I’ll officiate the ceremony myself."

Theo looked up, tears gathering in his eyes again. "Thank you, my lord."

The lord nodded solemnly.

For a while, neither of them spoke.

The only sounds came from the waves crashing against the cliffs and the distant footsteps of soldiers carrying the rescued brides toward safety. The cave still smelled of scorched stone and lingering dark mana, although the cold sea breeze was gradually clearing the dust.

Then another set of footsteps approached.

"My lord." A guard stopped beside Lord Veymont and bowed. "All the victims have been evacuated. Chief Marr is accompanying them, and the injured are being taken to the town’s medical facilities."

"Good," Lord Veymont replied. "And the others?"

"All accounted for, my lord. Except..." The guard hesitated. His gaze shifted toward Theo and Elena.

Theo was still sitting beside her, gently holding her hand.

The guard’s expression changed. He didn’t ask what had happened. Even someone without medical knowledge could recognize death when it was lying so peacefully before them.

"Leave us," I said.

The guard turned toward me.

"I’ll escort them back once we’re finished here. There’s no need for anyone else to be here."

The guard glanced at Lord Veymont, who gave a small nod. "Understood." He bowed and left. His footsteps gradually faded into the distance, leaving only the three of us and the bride who would never return home.

Lord Veymont watched the entrance for a moment before turning toward me. "Lord Valen..."

"Call me Rey." I continued looking toward the sea. "The mission is already over. There’s no need for formalities anymore."

For a moment, he seemed uncertain how to respond. Perhaps because I had a rather unpleasant reputation. Still, he eventually nodded. "Very well... Rey. You may call me by my name too."

I nodded.

"So, what about the culprit? Did you find out who’s behind all this?" he continued.

I shifted my gaze toward Elena. "Abyssal Corpse Parasite. An undead creature capable of possessing corpses and controlling them. It occupied Elena’s body and used her identity to move freely around Lumenford."

His expression slowly darkened. "Then... Elena was..."

"She died a long time ago." I let the words settle before continuing. "The parasite was responsible for the ritual. It used the missing brides as sacrifices and Chief Marr as the intended vessel. I’ve destroyed the parasite." I glanced toward the ruined floor. "The immediate threat is gone. The case is solved."

Lord Veymont closed his eyes. For several seconds, he remained completely silent. I wondered what he was thinking. Eventually, he exhaled.

"I see." His voice sounded older. "Then I owe you my gratitude. You’ve saved the missing women, protected the town, and prevented something terrible from happening." He bowed his head. "Thank you, Rey."

I acknowledged him with a slight nod.

"You should take some rest," he continued. "You’ve been working since you arrived, and I can see that you’ve exhausted a considerable amount of mana." His gaze briefly fell on my hand. The black veins had already disappeared, but a faint ache still lingered beneath my skin. "I can take Theo back myself," he added. "You’ve done more than enough."

"Later." I walked toward the cave wall and leaned against it, folding my arms. "For now, I still want to gaze at the moon."

Lord Veymont followed my gaze. The full moon hung above the sea, casting a long silver reflection across the restless water. Of course, that wasn’t the real reason I was staying. I wanted to make sure the two of them returned safely.

The last thing I needed was another ridiculous rumor claiming that Rey Valen had murdered the Lord of Lumenford and his assistant inside an abandoned coastal cave. My reputation was already stained with enough blood. There was no need to add two innocent names to it.

Besides...

I was waiting for something.

"Then..." Theo spoke quietly.

Both of us turned toward him. He carefully brushed Elena’s hair away from her face. "Shall we begin?"

Lord Veymont straightened. "Right." He looked around the cave. "I suppose we’ll need something to serve as an altar." His gaze traveled across the devastated chamber.

The floor was covered in broken stones, deep trenches, and remnants of shattered magical inscriptions. Several pillars had collapsed, while the walls bore the scars of explosions and countless dark blades. It looked more like a battlefield than a place where two people should exchange wedding vows.

Lord Veymont sighed. "Perhaps we can arrange some stones near the entrance. Somewhere the ground is more stable."

I looked at the ruined chamber. No. That wouldn’t do.

[Obsidian Earth Manipulation]

The ground trembled.

Lord Veymont immediately turned toward me. "Rey?"

I didn’t move. Not even a finger. My Forbidden Energy spread through the stone beneath our feet, sinking into the cracks and shattered foundations of the cave. The broken rocks shifted aside, sliding toward the walls. Deep trenches closed, and the damaged floor slowly leveled itself.

Black crystal emerged from beneath the stone. Unlike the jagged formations I’d created earlier, these were smooth and carefully shaped. A wide platform rose near the opening overlooking the sea. Its surface was polished obsidian, dark enough to reflect the moonlight like still water. Three shallow steps formed along its front.

Behind the platform, two slender pillars grew upward, their surfaces twisting into curves that met overhead.

An arch.

I adjusted the structure. No sharp edges. Just a small altar beneath the open sky. A place where the sea could be heard and the moon could be seen.

The rumbling stopped. Silence returned.

Lord Veymont stared at the altar. Theo stared at it too. Then both of them turned toward me.

I raised an eyebrow. "What?"

Lord Veymont’s expression softened. A faint smile appeared on his face. "Nothing."

Theo lowered his head. "Thank you, my lord."

I looked away. "Don’t mention it."

There was no reason to make a spectacle of something so small. I could create a small fortress with my current power if I wished. But it would exhaust my mana. A wedding altar was hardly an impressive achievement.

Theo carefully lifted Elena. He struggled immediately. His legs trembled as he tried to stand, and his exhausted arms could barely support her weight. He’d spent the entire day following me around Lumenford, flying across the coastline, investigating abandoned ruins, and fighting for his life.

And that was only what I’d witnessed.

Judging by the shadows beneath his eyes, he’d probably been investigating the disappearances long before I arrived. And now, when he finally had her in his arms, he barely possessed enough strength to carry her.

He staggered toward the altar.

Lord Veymont stepped forward. "Theo, let me help."

"No..." Theo shook his head. "I can do it." His voice trembled. "I want to carry her myself."

He managed another step. Then his knees nearly buckled.

I sighed. This stubborn man. Even now, he refused to let go.