Chapter 40
40
‘Gunter Paisley.’
Maria spoke his name precisely and fell into the dark abyss. Her last gaze was undoubtedly that of the girl he had seen ten years ago. This cruel spectacle seemed to unfold slowly, mocking him. His desperate cry for Maria, her expression of serene resignation as if she had relinquished all will. He still flailed in the air, desperately trying to save Maria. But just as she seemed within reach, she slipped away like sand through his fingers.
“No! Maria!”
Gunter called out her name and regained consciousness. He was reaching out as if to grab her, his entire body drenched in cold sweat.
“Great King!”
Solskjaer exclaimed with surprise. But Gunter, as if deaf and blind, rose from the bed and left the room. He still seemed like a man whose soul was tethered to the cliff.
“Where are you going?”
Solskjaer hurriedly followed him, asking, but he did not answer. However, he already knew where Gunter was headed.
“It’s not possible. We have never awakened Stone from his slumber.”
The Spirit's time is sacred, and disturbing it carelessly could cause great harm. Moreover, Stone is the Spirit that protects Helland, so it could potentially affect the very existence of the nation. Solskjaer stepped forward, blocking Gunter's path.
“Let’s ask the Pope.”
“It’s too late. Maria will die while we’re going to the Vatican.”
“Then, we must at least find the body… Ugh!”
Gunter grabbed Solskjaer by the collar roughly.
“Shut your mouth before I kill you. Maria is not dead.”
Having lost his reason, Gunter shook Solskjaer violently and threw him aside. However, Gunter's tone was calmer than expected. It was as if he had abandoned his mind at the bottom of the cliff. He could understand the desire to believe that Maria was alive, but the moment she fell from that cliff, Maria's body would have been shattered. Even if she miraculously survived, all sorts of hideous Magical Creatures infested the bottom of the cliff.
Gunter knew better than anyone that it was a place more hellish than hell itself. Even knowing all this, he could not be stopped. He arrived at the door where Stone slept and unhesitatingly pulled the handle. Thump—an enormous vibration and flash erupted, sending Gunter flying into the air.
“Ugh… Ugh!”
“Great King!”
Gunter, who had fallen a full twenty paces from the door, felt a severe ringing in his ears. Soon, he heard Stone's voice. It must be a sound only he could hear.
‘Why are humans so ignorant of limits? Such a weak race.’
It was Stone, but not the one he knew. There was a deep anger from the Spirit for breaking the taboo.
‘Do not rely on me any longer. Find the answer yourself.’
“Kugh!”
Perhaps due to the impact of falling from the air to the floor, a rough groan escaped from between Gunter's teeth.
“I must find Maria.”
He responded to Stone's words as well. He wasn't trying to rely on him unconditionally, but he wanted to know where she was, and if she was in danger, he wanted to shorten that time, so he was just trying to borrow a little of Stone's power as before. Stone was the only one he could lean on.
‘So that’s what you call love.’
“What?”
‘A coward can do nothing.’
“You son of a bitch! Should I tear that mouth of yours!”
Gunter shouted at Stone, who was mocking him. At that, everyone, including Solskjaer, looked at Gunter with bewildered faces. Who was he talking to, muttering to himself? They were even afraid that Maria had died and Gunter had gone mad.
‘Who decides Maria’s death?’
Stone's tone, which had been criticizing Gunter until now, became quite serious. And Gunter was momentarily speechless at his question. Originally, he knew that human death was determined by God. That's why some people have everything but die young, while others have nothing but live stubbornly, gilding the walls. But Maria was an exception. Because he didn't even want to entrust her life and death to God.
“I decide.”
Gunter muttered to himself. Only then did he realize that he had been arguing with Stone because he himself had thought that Maria was dead, just like Solskjaer. He was afraid to confirm and accept that fact. Strong love only in words, but in reality, he was too scared to do anything and only tried to borrow the power of others.
‘Trust your belief. Sometimes human belief can exert power.’
“!?”
‘Start over from there.’
“What do you mean, start over?”
‘…….’
Stone no longer spoke. Was he supposed to figure it out himself? But Gunter quickly found the answer.
“Solskjaer! Summon the army!”
“Yes? Where are you going? Don’t tell me…?”
At that moment, small footsteps echoed loudly on the marble floor.
“Great King! Please take me with you.”
A boy ran up to Gunter and bowed his head.
“Hmph! Who are you?”
“Jamie… I am Jamie.”
Jamie was embarrassed that Gunter had completely forgotten about him. He had been brought to the palace to be raised as a Heland Warrior. It had been quite a while since he had been working as a servant, running errands for the soldiers in the Royal Palace training ground.
The child seemed a little frightened by his annoyed question.
“Jamie? Who is that?”
“He is the child that Maria found in the forest some time ago.”
Gunter barely listened to Solskjaer's explanation.
“This is not a place for a child.”
“I want to go save Maria too.”
“Goodness…!”
Gunter was about to burst out in anger, but he saw his former self in the boy's eyes, which were looking at him desperately.
“There will be no one to take care of you.”
“You don’t have to worry about me.”
“If you become a hindrance, I will abandon you.”
“Yes, Great King.”
Just then, Solskjaer approached him, wanting to ask about his doubts.
“Great King, are you going to the bottom of the cliff?”
“Whether it’s the cliff or anywhere else, if there’s a gate to hell, I will destroy it.”
Because that's how he would find Maria.
* * *
Maria fell into an endless abyss. So her end was so miserable. Still, her parents were alive, and that was enough. But she would never forget the image of Gunter, who had thrown himself to save her until the very end, as it warmed her heart so much.
‘It’s all over.’
The memories she had lost had returned, but that was both the beginning and the end. Maria closed her eyes tightly, waiting for death. Her body would be shattered when it hit the ground. It was then. Her heart was truly warm. She thought it was the warmth that came from being moved by Gunter's last appearance, but in reality, her skin was turning red.
‘The Magic Stone is shining.’
The red light grew larger and enveloped Maria in a circle.
‘Barrier?’
From that moment on, she floated leisurely in the air without any resistance from the wind. Passing through rugged forests and crossing rivers, a landscape she had never seen before unfolded before her eyes.
‘Where is this?’
Maria saw a golden desert. It seemed she had floated quite far from the cliff. She had survived thanks to the Magic Stone that Stone had given her! Just as she was relieved, the Barrier broke, and Maria fell toward the sandy ground.
“Kya!”
The golden dunes formed a magnificent sight, like large and small hills. A human who had fallen somewhere in the vast desert was so insignificant that it didn't even leave a mark. Once again, a distant darkness washed over her consciousness.
[Number 44!]
[Yes.]
When Maria called out the number, a red-haired boy reflexively answered and turned around.
[Why are you answering!]
She sternly advised him not to react to the numbers.
[What's your name?]
Did he know? How great the name she had given him was. Moreover, it was also the name of the person she admired the most.
[Gunter Paisley.]
[He was a war hero of the continent. He is a legendary figure. And he is a brave and righteous person. He is also my favorite person.]
[Your favorite person?]
She gave me such a name. Only then did Gunter reveal his white teeth and smile brightly.
‘Gunter.’
Why were the memories of that time rushing in like a storm? Even the small things she had forgotten until now came back to her without exception. Among them, she could not forget Gunter, who had appeared before her when she was at her most miserable. The door of the dark room opened, and a huge figure was reflected.
[Maria.]
At the time, she was out of her mind and couldn't recognize him, but it was definitely Gunter's voice.
[She can't speak. Because of the shock.]
[!]
At Nancy's answer, Gunter stiffened and remained silent for a while. Soon, Gunter took off the mask he was wearing, and his bare face was revealed. A smooth, sculpted face, jewel-like turquoise eyes, and a serious mouth. He had returned after 10 years.
[Let's go, Maria.]
Gunter picked up Maria, who was sitting curled up on the bed. Why hadn't she recognized him? He was the one who had come to save her from that hellish Lastonia Imperial Palace.
[Gunter, no, Great King! Where are you going?]
[Helland.]
Gunter held Maria and left her dark bedroom. White light shone as if erasing her mind. She was buried in the sand, waiting for him, as if she had been buried in a pile of stones. Like then, Maria began to dig out the sand with her hands.
[Hold on! You must not die without my permission!]
Tears welled up as she recalled Gunter's voice shouting at her.
‘I don’t want to die like this. I want to meet Gunter again.’
She had so much to say to him. That she remembered everything. That she was sorry for misunderstanding him, that she was grateful for saving her. She definitely wanted to say it accurately with her own mouth.
* * *
Gunter chased the light of the Magic Stone. He believed that as long as Maria had the Magic Stone necklace around her neck, it would emit light. It floated in the air like a red dot, so it was subtle to recognize, but his intuition found the answer first and led the way.
“It’s not the cliff.”
“She fell off the cliff, but you’re saying it’s not there?”
“Yes.”
As Stone had said, he was going to follow his belief from now on. At that moment, he saw Maria's red light, however faint, in his eyes. Seeing that it was constantly moving away, it was in the opposite direction.
“Let’s go to the desert.”
Gunter turned his horse's head toward the desert. He would rather it had been the cliff, because one-third of Helland was desert. Finding her in the vast desert, like the sea, might be impossible.
“I will dig up all the sand and find her.”