Chapter 177. The choice made by His Majesty 2021.10.12.
“Never eat anything. Water, food, and even fruit. got it?”
To Mabel’s request for trust, the escort and servants responded resolutely.
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
“If you don’t even breathe, I won’t!”
“No, take a break…”
Mabel and the party headed to Lerial Pond, the source of the Videl River. I deliberately avoided the villages marked on the map in preparation for any unforeseen incidents. It was about a three-hour walk to Lerial Pond via the mobile magic tool.
“miss. It’s a big deal. All of the mobile magic tools are exhausted.”
“What do you have left to use when you return?”
“It’s been a long time since I wrote that.”
To make matters worse, the road became more and more difficult. It was unavoidable because Lerial Pond is located in an alpine area. The coachman stopped the carriage and reported in an apologetic voice.
“It’s a rugged mountain area for wagons to enter, Your Majesty.”
“I can’t help it. Return the wagon to the imperial castle and move the rest on horses!”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
At Mabel’s discretion, the coachman turned back the way he had brought the wagon. Looking at the back of the vanishing carriage, Casey examined my words.
“We’re going too, ma’am.”
“okay. Let’s hurry.”
One of the spare horses that drove the wagon was taken by Xavier, so Mabel and Larimar were left. Xavier stepped forward and pulled Larimar.
“I will burn Larimar, Your Majesty.”
“Ugh.”
Larimar pretended to vomit, but obediently climbed at Xavier’s words. Mabel showed consideration by ignoring Xavier’s reddened ears.
‘Cheer up, Xavier…!’
However, the problem was Mabel himself, not Xavier. Mabel felt the gaze of everyone except for Xavier, who was looking at her with excessively sparkling eyes, and laughed awkwardly, ‘Ahaha’. The so-called ‘battle for the glorious right to move with His Majesty!’ was held.
“Unwavering comfort, this Simonsh will serve you, Your Majesty.”
“Do not be ridiculous. You were the breadwinner of the equestrian test. It must be the discomfort that only shakes, Simonche. But, Your Majesty, I believe in you. One word from me is amazing!”
“what. As for equestrianism, I won first place in the knights’ competition, right? Your Majesty, right here is the first-class spot!”
At this time when the hour is busy, the knights began to fight all kinds of spirits to seduce Mabel. She furrowed her eyes slightly and tilted her head.
‘Wouldn’t it only slow me down if I got on it?’
Hmm. It was when Mabel was contemplating whether it would be a good idea to play rock-paper-scissors. Aidan approached and held out his hand to Mabel.
“…huh?”
While tilting her head, Mabel raised her hand, and Aidan lifted her up and immediately put her on the horse. Sparks flew in the eyes of the knights.
“Ah Count Aserad!”
“Despicable!”
“Are you hitting players like this?!”
“We have to fight fairly!”
Whether they clamored or not, Aidan didn’t care at all and mounted the horse. He watched Mabel carefully to make sure she didn’t fall, then grabbed the reins.
“If there is any inconvenience, please tell me, Your Majesty.”
“Oh no.”
Rather, it was strangely awkward to ride with Aidan for the first time in years.
‘Especially because your chest is too wide? You can feel the muscles in your back…!’
Did Aidan have such broad shoulders and a hard chest? As I tried to pull myself away, Aidan whispered quietly in my ear.
“It is dangerous.”
“Yes?”
Aidan lightly pressed Mabel’s shoulder and made her lean against him.
“Then please order us to leave immediately.”
“Okay, let’s go.”
The knights stared at the back of Aidan, who started riding first, with a blank expression. It was just ridiculous. I opened my eyes in an instant and cut my nose! Enrique, who wanted to put Mabel on his horse, also drove the horse with a regretful heart.
‘It can’t be helped.’
The knights also gained a great realization.
‘The one who acts is taking the back seat of His Majesty!’
***
The mountain was rugged, so I couldn’t speed up. At that time, a valley with a fairly strong current appeared. A mountain roe deer had fallen down near a ravine. A knight came closer.
“He is dead.”
“Don’t approach me just in case.”
“yes!”
At Mabel’s warning, the knight mounted his horse again. Casey said after checking the map once.
“If you follow this valley, you will find Lerial Pond.”
“How much is left?”
“On the map, it’s an hour away, but it’s a mountain, so it’s better to calculate the time generously.”
“Okay, let’s hurry. Just in case, be careful not to splash!”
“I will keep that in mind!”
The destination was right in front of us. Not knowing what might happen, Mabel held onto the essence in her pocket and waited for her divine power to rise. It was neither too little nor too much. Since it was unknown what was going on at the source of the river, it was better to recover as much strength as possible.
‘It’s a gamble to scout with Fairy Tale Power now.’
If you’re going anyway, saving your holy power would be the right choice. As the destination was not far from now, there was a subtle tension between the party. Right then. Brisket-! There was a slight swaying sound of distant bushes. Sureureung! The knights fired at him in unison. More than ten sword blades shone as the sharp reflections of sunlight cut through the leaves. Since all the animals in the mountain must have drank the water from the pond, it was correct to assume that they were slaughtered. So the source of that noise couldn’t have been an animal. rustle! Again the bushes swayed vigorously.
“Please save me!”
A shabby-looking man walked over and sat down helplessly. Dark skin around sunken eyes, body trembling like an aspen tree… someone shouted.
“I am infected!”
Before he could give the order, the knights blocked Mabel’s path.
“Help me. I don’t want to die… please…”
The man prayed endlessly as if he couldn’t even see who was in front of him.
“Good. My wife is in a lot of pain…. My daughter has been sick since morning too. If you have any medicine, please give me some…”
Mabel turned to Aidan. He disapprovedly frowned slightly, but as Mabel intended, he dismounted. She broke through the knights and stood in front of the man with the plague.
“Is there a village nearby?”
“yes. It’s a small town. Coke…!”
“miss. It would be better to talk from a distance.”
Despite Casey’s dissuade, Mabel’s questions continued.
“How many people live there?”
“About thirty…”
“Thirty…”
Mabel’s face blurred. There was no divine power left to save that many people. Even if the physical time was retrograde and squeezed until they became babies, they could not save them all.
‘But I can save the person in front of me.’
I knew it in my head. Even if you heal this person, you will be infected again when you return to the village, so it is best not to waste your holy power. But… you mean leave the sick person alone?
‘That’s the right choice for a monarch, but still…’
My appetite was bitter. Soon, Mabel made a decision.
“From my point of view, there seems to be a problem with the valley water, so please do not procure drinking water or living water here. You should also inform the villagers about this. First of all, I will give you safe water and food, so you can bring it to your family.”
At Mabel’s glance, Xavier set down the food and water he had loaded on his horse.
“I will send people to rescue you as soon as possible.”
Mabel’s voice was more subdued than usual.
“yes. I’ll be waiting for you…!”
The man bowed his head several times and thanked me. Looking at his haggard face, Mabel’s heart was not good. Mabel mounted her horse again.
“Hold on until the aid team arrives.”
“Thank you thank you!”
Mabel passed the man lying on the floor and infused him with a small amount of divine power. Covertly so that even the person concerned does not notice.
‘Sorry. I can only do this.’
Contrary to her trembling heart, Mabel’s eyes looking forward were firm. He repeated to himself several times that it was the wisest choice as an emperor. After about ten minutes, Enrique’s horse followed Aidan’s horse.
“your majesty.”
“Yes, Enrique.”
“The choice Your Majesty made is the right one.”
Enrique, perhaps noticing the complicated mind, said what Mabel wanted to hear.
“You think so?”
“yes. For sure.”
It’s just someone’s words, but I never thought it would be such a big comfort. You needed someone to tell you that you weren’t wrong and that you made the right choice. Mabel smiled brightly at Enrique.
“Thank you Enrique.”
“no.”
Enrique also responded with a light smile.
***
Arrive at Lerial Pond, the source of the Videl River. muttered Xavier, looking around.
“…serious?”
The corpses of wild beasts that were decaying were lined up all over the place. He seemed to have died instantly after drinking the water. Mabel got off her horse and surveyed her surroundings. The pond gave off a cool atmosphere because it was not so depressing.
‘It’s spring, but it’s such a chill…’
There was no sign of people coming in and out recently. Mabel walked near the pond.
“Be careful, Your Majesty!”
An article approached me with a worried look.
“are you okay. Ah, Aidan, step back.”
Aidan held out for a moment, then Mabel’s gaze forced him to fall back a few steps. It was because if this energy was the black energy that resided in the essence of the tree of creation, there was a risk of being absorbed by Aidan and going out of control like before. Closer to the pond, Mabel found a black pebble sunken in the center. Black energy was flowing from that stone.
‘It’s not an integer.’
It wasn’t pure water, but it wasn’t something to just ignore that it could contaminate the water and spread the disease. Mabel poured some of her divine power into the pond. There was a faint halo of light on the surface of the water, and the color of the water changed to refreshing.
“It works!”
“Ah, but…”
But even that moment, the black energy from the stone swallowed up the divine power.
“Ah…”
The knights sighed in unison. But it didn’t take long for that sigh to turn to admiration.
“…!”
People’s eyes widened. Saaak-. The light that spread from Mabel’s fingertips quickly began to cover the pond, dispelling her energy.
“Oh oh!”
“Cheer up, Your Majesty!”
Mabel really poured her divine power right up to the point where she didn’t become a baby. As if in response to the effort, the pond began to regain its clear water color as if it were the original color.
‘Is it done now?’
When viewed from a distance, the energy of the black stone no longer flowed out. Mabel removed her hand and watched the condition of the pond. There was silence for a few minutes. But that’s for a while. Bubbly bubbling…! Black bubbles began to rise frantically in the pond. At the unusual sign, Mabel stretched out her arms and shouted.
“…! Everyone avoid!”
However, the black energy that shoots out was faster than that. The energy shot out like a whip flew across the crowd looking for a target to attack. Larimar’s screams hurt my ears. Eventually, the end of the attack was headed…
“Aidan!”
Aidan’s sword deflected the energy. But there was no bird to be relieved. The energy that lost its target began to wriggle in search of another target.
“Aww! Xavier!”
The energy that crawled on the floor began to climb through Larimar’s shoes.
“No Larimar! Wait, I’ll save you!”
Xavier gritted his teeth and stepped on his energy, but to no avail. The energy began to stain even Xavier’s shoes black.
“Larimar Xavier…!”
Mabel, grinning at this, held the core tightly with one hand and stretched out the other hand into the air. The spear of divinity, which was smaller than usual, was in my hand.
“No, Your Majesty!”
Ignoring Xavier’s shouts, Mabel plunged her spear into the middle of the black energy. Like a lie, the energy stopped moving. silence. And silence. Soon, the volume of the black energy slowly decreased…
“Your Majesty!!”
It quickly permeated into Mabel’s body.
