It's Not Night

Chapter 103

Does that mean he wants to go on a date? Andra was momentarily at a loss for words at Dustin’s answer. She couldn’t figure out what to say to his attitude of wanting to increase the number of times they meet alone, when it would be a difficult situation if they were to get caught. At the same time, it’s absurd the way he was looking at her anxiously.

“…I’ll think about it. More than that, Morgennis. I have something to say. I found it through the scroll…”

Andra blatantly changed the topic. Knowing the meaning, Dustin said no more.

“The place mentioned in the scroll seems to be in Morgennis. To be precise, the Mezei Mountains.”

Andra said, unfolding and showing the scrolls and interpretations she had brought. Dustin’s face stiffened slightly as he read the last phrase she pointed to. The Dragon Mountains? According to the interpretation, it means that she has to enter the Mezei Mountains.

“…You want to enter the Mezei Mountains?”

“If I have no choice but to go in, then I have to go in.”

“Andra.”

Dustin called Andra in a determined voice. He was telling her never to go. Of course, it wasn’t completely incomprehensible why he was doing this.

Rumors about the Mezei Mountains are common among people living on this continent. Andra had a lot of worries too herself. Whether to go to the Mezei Mountains or not. But nothing could be solved just by sitting and worrying.

“I know about the Mezei Mountains. But it can’t be helped. After all, if the clue is there, I surely have to go. Do you want to keep living with this spell forever?”

“But you can’t take such a risk. What if you enter the Mezei Mountains and go missing? If I lose you…”

“The risk is still the same. Don’t you know why we meet secretly in the middle of the night? And there may be exceptions. You and I have become Awakened through the spell. It has an advantage over others. And just my guess… It seems that the magic is leading us there.”

The phrase “God is asleep” could have been closely related to Hezel, the Magic Kingdom. Hezel, seen through Anat’s memories, was the Magic Kingdom that was developed with Anat’s wisdom. As Anat disappeared, it may be that Hezel, the Magic Kingdom, also disappeared with her. Therefore, the magic cast on her and Dustin was pointing there.

“When we fell into the dungeon of Aslan Ruins. There was a phrase like this: The eighth task has already begun. And here on the scroll is this phrase.”

Dustin looked at the other phrase Andra pointed to. There it was written, “’Awakening will be possible only in the eighth task.” Andra said, emphasizing the words.

“Can’t you see this? Maybe we’re the eighth. Or we are getting that task. In any case, it’s clearly related. According to my interpretation so far, yes.”

“You’re going to enter the Mezei Mountains with just that guess? What exactly does the eighth task have to do with us?”

“The primordial god ordered the nine gods to make a bridle. But excluding the God of wisdom and ideals, only eight gods remain. Do you remember the original order back then? The last one was Nera, the God of greed and conflict. So, the owner of that dungeon was also Nera.”

“Is Nera the god in charge of the eighth task? Then Nera must be leading us to the Mezei Mountains. No. You can’t go in even more.”

She’s the god who tried to kill us in the dungeon. You’re going to enter the Mezei Mountains as that God wants? Dustin hastily grabbed Andra’s hand. Then he began to beg desperately.

“My life doesn’t matter. But not you, Andra. I can’t lose you. What if something unexpected happens after you go in there?”

“Then will you continue to live like this? And it’s already too late. Don’t you know it started as soon as we solved the riddle and came out of the dungeon? It’s no coincidence. As expected, everything is leading us to Morgennis. It is not something we can avoid forever.”

Looking at the time of the two counts’ fight that broke out in Morgennis, it was similar to the time they fell out of the dungeon. So as soon as they thought they might have to go to Morgennis to solve the riddle, something happened in Morgennis that led them to it. As proof of that, aren’t Andra and Dustin heading to Morgennis right now?

At first Andra thought it was a coincidence. Things were just happening together. However, the more she devoted her time to interpreting the scrolls, the more she could not shake off the fact that this was not an accident but a necessity.

Even the text Professor Jackalik told her at the beginning of the dungeon was the first text found in Morgennis. She was now able to interpret it herself.

From the moment they were under the magic, everything was pulling them in. In the end, they headed to Morgennis. Like the time when they almost drowned if they didn’t solve the riddle by turning the disk, the two had few options.

For some reason, Andra felt that there was no escape this time. Either die, or solve the mystery and move forward. It was either one of those choices.

“I told you. We have one option. We’re going to get into the Mezei Mountains somehow. I’m not denying that it’ll be dangerous, but I have to be fully prepared. Would I want to enter the Mezei Mountains? If I go in there and something happens, I wouldn’t be able to see my family forever, would I?”

“Should you really end the spell? Just like this…”

“I will end it. How many times have I told you. Because this is not something that can be avoided. This spell is just one of the elements that eventually make us move. Just as it suddenly gave us strength, it might suddenly take away our power at any moment. And… If we keep avoiding it, it might result in another incident.”

Andra murmured bitterly. She thought about it many times and she couldn’t accept it. She tried to ignore that fact. Andra’s head was so complicated that she kept saying ’no way’, the whole time she was interpreting the scrolls.

However, as things meshed together and headed towards Morgennis, she was left to accept it little by little. Now was the time to prepare her mind.

“Dustin. I’m not sure how I’m going to sound… Maybe that feeling that you like me is also created by this spell.”

“…It’s not.”

“No. Listen carefully. Nera is the god of greed and conflict. I kept thinking, but her dungeon chose us because she chose us. I thought she found us as a usable being in the eighth task. Greed and conflict. Can’t you make up anything?”

“Andra.”

“You and I were scared to enter the dungeon and continued to create conflict. That’s exactly what Nera wanted. But somehow, with the help of the dragon, we attacked the dungeon she didn’t want. And then we found out our next destination. And in the process, we continued to be in conflict.”

Hearing Andra’s calm voice, Dustin squeezed her hand tightly.

Andra was discrediting his feelings right now. She’s saying it’s only because of the spell. Loving her was the eighth task, and Nera made it that way. That means Andra was telling him that his feelings were false.

“Once the spell is removed, all of your feelings will disappear. Actually, it was nonsensical from the beginning. How could you like me? I can’t believe it either.”

“Does denying it like that… make you feel better?”

Dustin asked, interrupting Andra. Her blue eyes stared at Dustin. Dustin felt his throbbing heart tighten at the gaze. Every time he sees her, his whole body reacts to her like this. He could feel it to the bone, even the smallest things are painful.

But why did she keep denying his feelings like this?

It’s not the spell. It couldn’t have been the spell. He had always wanted to believe that this was caused by the spell, but that convinced Dustin more that this was not from it. Otherwise, every single word she uttered would not be like a dagger to him.

Since admitting his love for Andra, Dustin has kept an eye on everything about Andra. Her eyes looking at him, her gaze, her gestures, even her words. All the time he turned her attention towards Andra, his mood went up and down at every reaction. He even felt that he wanted to die when Andra rejected him.

But is all this simply happening because of the magic? He clenched his teeth.

“Do you really think I like you because I’m under the spell?”

“Dustin.”

“If I only liked you because of that, I wouldn’t feel pain from your words right now.”

Because he just has to love her. He will never seek her love like this.

This was a disaster. Like falling into an endless abyss. He had expected that Andra would not accept him easily. But whenever he faced Andra who didn’t believe his feelings like this, he felt like he had become nothing. Even though it was something he had made up his mind to do, even though he knew it would take a long time, he could still feel the pain of his heart being torn apart.

Dustin struggled to gulp down. He had to understand Andra. Wasn’t it all his fault that she wouldn’t believe in him?

Andra opened her mouth again as she saw Dustin suppressing something inside.

“Dustin, I’m thinking about it as objectively as possible. The spell brought us here. Do you really not feel anything with this?”

Dustin went silent for a long time. Then, as if he had made up his mind about something, he opened his mouth and started talking. Dustin looked, however, desperate.

“…You said we had to go into the Mezei Mountains. Okay, fine. Let’s go in. Andra, I’ll remove the spell as you say. I will end it and prove that my feelings for you are not false. If that is the answer you want, I will.”

Dustin tightened his grip, as if he would never let go of Andra’s hand this time. Andra’s hand was numb, but she couldn’t pull it out. Dustin was looking dangerously close to her. Even though it was Dustin, who will let go of her if he shows the slightest hint of her dislike.

“Until then, you can deny it as you want… If it could make you feel better, Andra… I can accept it. I told you, you can curse at me and hate me. Just let me stay by your side.”

“…….”

“That’s all I need.”

“Now…”

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