Boom!
Prache’s body trembled at the blow. But that was all to it.
Prache shrugged as if he were merely tickled, “That’s it? You have so much divine power and you don’t even know how to use it. With this level of skill, you can’t even scratch me. You should have given up on that kid and defended yourself. Perhaps that way you might have lived.. hahaha.”
It was a failure of an attempt.
‘I don’t think I can hold out much longer.’
I directed the last bit of my strength to Brantley. I hoped Brantley was the ‘brave one’ in the test. Then my sacrifice can save him.
‘After all, I didn’t manage to complete the fourth condition.’
Am I going to die now?
But something went wrong. Clear and warm power seeped into my body, filling the emptiness.
“No, this is..!”
Prache exclaimed, sensing the anomaly.
The power that had filled my body flowed out and created large wings behind my back. They flapped gracefully.
“Ugh!”
Prache, who was directly hit by the wind, shuddered in pain. His body was torn apart as if it had been struck by countless swords. Brantley, on the other hand, remained unscathed.
“This is impossible!” Prache cried out.
But it was no use. The more he was hit by the wind from the flapping wings, the more Prache’s body was torn and shrunken.
Prache screamed in agony.
In that moment, I realized again, that the source of this cascading power was divine.
“How could such a strong power, ah…!” Prache wailed like an injured beast.
Despite his desperate struggles, his form finally began to disperse like powder.
“N-No!” Prache cried out in despair and disappeared.
Brantley was without a scratch. Not a single hair on his head was harmed.
“Thank God!”
I smiled and closed my eyes.
As my consciousness faded, an unknown presence in the darkness whispered, “You have passed the test.”
***
I was standing on a cliff. The wind was blowing fiercely.
I could hear Brantley’s voice in the distance, “Then I shall die as the next Duke.”
He was standing precariously at the edge of the cliff.
“At least you’ll retain your honor!”
The man who stood facing Brantley said sarcastically. He looked like he could push Brantley off the cliff at any moment.
“He’s in danger. I have to save Brantley!”
But I couldn’t do anything. I could only watch that scene unfold before me.
“What will you do? Will you be executed as a witch’s accomplice, or will you die with honor as a successor?”
“I will defend my honor.”
I doubted my ears.
‘Brantley.. What was he talking about? What do you mean by dying?”
I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs. But all I could hear was the man’s grim chuckle, “Good thinking.”
Brantley looked up. To my surprise, he was smiling weakly. It was a cold, provoking smile that showed no sign of fear.
“Let’s meet soon, I’ll be sure to…”
With those words, Brantley leaped off the cliff without hesitation.
“No!”
My vision turned pitch black, then I heard a familiar voice.
– “It’s time to wake up.”
Was everything I saw a nightmare?
“Brantley should be fine, right?”
Instead of a response, the other party spoke with relief.
– “At least the raging divinity has calmed down.”
A young, sweet male voice. The one who had protected me in the basement of the Great Temple.
“Uncle Rabbit?”
– “Yes, it’s me.”
“Is it you for real? How?”
As I stared in bewilderment, another man’s laughter rang out. It was a clearer and more cheerful voice than Uncle Rabbit’s.
– “She’s too cute. Did she pass the test because of her cuteness?”
Did I pass the test? I opened my eyes wide in surprise. But soon I understood what that meant.
I remembered what had happened to me.
‘I lost my consciousness while fighting Prache. To save Brantley, I sacrificed myself.’
I thought I was dead, but how did this happen?
Suddenly, I remembered the words of the unknown before I lost consciousness.
“You have passed the test.”
I had taken the unknown entity’s test to be reunited with Uncle Rabbit and Miss Butterfly.
He said there were four conditions for passing the test.
First, to sacrifice for those who love me. Second, sacrifice for the weak. Third, to sacrifice for the courageous. And finally, fourth, to sacrifice for those I don’t know.
‘If I didn’t pass the test, the price would be my life,’ they said.
But I failed to make the fourth sacrifice.
I passed the first and second tests by saving Sherry and her sibling. And I passed the third test by sacrificing myself for Brantley, who bravely tried to protect me. But I couldn’t sacrifice for someone I didn’t know.
But how did you pass the test? Did he sense my curiosity? I heard Uncle Rabbit’s voice.
– “You don’t know who we are.”
“I know you are Uncle Rabbit, aren’t you?”
– “That’s my nickname. You don’t know our real names.”
– “You gave us nicknames, talked to us, helped us, and risked your life for us, even though you didn’t know us. At that moment, you had already passed the fourth test.”
The man followed, his tone higher than Uncle Rabbit’s.
“Ah…”
That’s how it was! Now I could talk to Uncle Rabbit without a linker.
‘But who is this other guy?’
Logically, it should have been Miss Butterfly. But they sounded like a man. A vague feeling of unease passed through me.
Then I heard his laugh.
– “That guy has a bad temper. He’s the type to find some loophole and disqualify. I’ve never met anyone more irritating. “
– “What is it?”
– “He must have taken a liking to my sweet Hanelope.”
– “But why are you pretending to be friendly with my bunny again?”
Seeing Uncle Rabbit ask sharply, the man sneered.
– “Pretending? Are you talking about yourself?”
The familiar bickering. It became clear who the man was.
“Are you Miss Butterfly..?
The man replied happily, “Finally, you recognized me. I was feeling hurt when you didn’t.”
“But why does your voice sound different?
His voice was fit for a man, and it sounded too rough to be a woman’s.
“Could it be that you’re deceiving me? Even though you’re not Miss Butterfly!”
My voice trembled with betrayal.
He exclaimed urgently, “A-Actually, God has no gender…”
“Metamorphosis?!”
– “Anyway! I-It’s time to go back now!”
“I want to know more!”
– “I’d love to stay with you, but your grandfather is crying!”
Grandfather?! I was shocked. But I quickly regained my composure.
‘They’re making fun of me again. It would‘ve been understandable if it was Dad, but grandfather..’
I was about to argue, but my eyelids fluttered open.
“!”
Suddenly, a bright light flooded in, hurting my eyes. I groaned and squinted. The shadow nearby hurriedly approached upon hearing my groan.
“Ha-Hanelope?”
A trembling voice was heard from the hazy vision.
“Dad?”
“Hanelope!”
I rubbed my eyes with the back of my hand and looked again, seeing my dad with an expression of disbelief.
Soon, waves of joy and relief spread across his face.
My heart pounded with joy.
‘I haven’t seen him since Asta kidnapped me.’
But it felt like a long time had passed.
I grinned with delight and reached out my hand, “Dad!”
His touch was so desperate, full of fatherly affection, “Does it hurt? Do you feel any pain?”
“It’s okay. I’m fine.”
I sat up and hugged him gently.
“Dad, I missed you.”
He chuckled at my words, then hugged me, “It’s all over now, Hanelope. You won’t have to worry anymore. I’ll always be here for you.”
I could feel the relief in his voice.
I could feel his heartache in his desperate embrace.
I patted his broad back with my small hand. Then, somewhere, I heard a wet breathing.
“?”
Behind my dad’s shoulder, I saw deeply wet, red eyes.
‘G-Grandfather?’
Grandpa was trembling as if he would burst into tears at any moment.
‘Is Grandpa really crying?’
“Grandfather!”
Startled, I deliberately shouted cheerfully.
I hoped Grandfather would feel relieved seeing me so spirited.
But it had the opposite effect.
When he saw my small, chubby fingertips pointing at him, he couldn’t take it anymore and turned around and walked away. My shoulders drooped.
Noticing, Dad said, “Ignore him. His Majesty hasn’t eaten or slept for a week because he’s worried about you.. that’s why.”
I was stunned to hear that.
“A week? I was asleep for a week?”
Dad nodded.
Now I noticed that his handsome, smooth cheeks were hollow.
‘I’m the reason you were tormented for so long…’
Grandfather wiped a tear away with the back of his hand.
Boom!
Prache’s body trembled at the blow. But that was all to it.
Prache shrugged as if he were merely tickled, “That’s it? You have so much divine power and you don’t even know how to use it. With this level of skill, you can’t even scratch me. You should have given up on that kid and defended yourself. Perhaps that way you might have lived.. hahaha.”
It was a failure of an attempt.
‘I don’t think I can hold out much longer.’
I directed the last bit of my strength to Brantley. I hoped Brantley was the ‘brave one’ in the test. Then my sacrifice can save him.
‘After all, I didn’t manage to complete the fourth condition.’
Am I going to die now?
But something went wrong. Clear and warm power seeped into my body, filling the emptiness.
“No, this is..!”
Prache exclaimed, sensing the anomaly.
The power that had filled my body flowed out and created large wings behind my back. They flapped gracefully.
“Ugh!”
Prache, who was directly hit by the wind, shuddered in pain. His body was torn apart as if it had been struck by countless swords. Brantley, on the other hand, remained unscathed.
“This is impossible!” Prache cried out.
But it was no use. The more he was hit by the wind from the flapping wings, the more Prache’s body was torn and shrunken.
Prache screamed in agony.
In that moment, I realized again, that the source of this cascading power was divine.
“How could such a strong power, ah…!” Prache wailed like an injured beast.
Despite his desperate struggles, his form finally began to disperse like powder.
“N-No!” Prache cried out in despair and disappeared.
Brantley was without a scratch. Not a single hair on his head was harmed.
“Thank God!”
I smiled and closed my eyes.
As my consciousness faded, an unknown presence in the darkness whispered, “You have passed the test.”
***
I was standing on a cliff. The wind was blowing fiercely.
I could hear Brantley’s voice in the distance, “Then I shall die as the next Duke.”
He was standing precariously at the edge of the cliff.
“At least you’ll retain your honor!”
The man who stood facing Brantley said sarcastically. He looked like he could push Brantley off the cliff at any moment.
“He’s in danger. I have to save Brantley!”
But I couldn’t do anything. I could only watch that scene unfold before me.
“What will you do? Will you be executed as a witch’s accomplice, or will you die with honor as a successor?”
“I will defend my honor.”
I doubted my ears.
‘Brantley.. What was he talking about? What do you mean by dying?”
I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs. But all I could hear was the man’s grim chuckle, “Good thinking.”
Brantley looked up. To my surprise, he was smiling weakly. It was a cold, provoking smile that showed no sign of fear.
“Let’s meet soon, I’ll be sure to…”
With those words, Brantley leaped off the cliff without hesitation.
“No!”
My vision turned pitch black, then I heard a familiar voice.
– “It’s time to wake up.”
Was everything I saw a nightmare?
“Brantley should be fine, right?”
Instead of a response, the other party spoke with relief.
– “At least the raging divinity has calmed down.”
A young, sweet male voice. The one who had protected me in the basement of the Great Temple.
“Uncle Rabbit?”
– “Yes, it’s me.”
“Is it you for real? How?”
As I stared in bewilderment, another man’s laughter rang out. It was a clearer and more cheerful voice than Uncle Rabbit’s.
– “She’s too cute. Did she pass the test because of her cuteness?”
Did I pass the test? I opened my eyes wide in surprise. But soon I understood what that meant.
I remembered what had happened to me.
‘I lost my consciousness while fighting Prache. To save Brantley, I sacrificed myself.’
I thought I was dead, but how did this happen?
Suddenly, I remembered the words of the unknown before I lost consciousness.
“You have passed the test.”
I had taken the unknown entity’s test to be reunited with Uncle Rabbit and Miss Butterfly.
He said there were four conditions for passing the test.
First, to sacrifice for those who love me. Second, sacrifice for the weak. Third, to sacrifice for the courageous. And finally, fourth, to sacrifice for those I don’t know.
‘If I didn’t pass the test, the price would be my life,’ they said.
But I failed to make the fourth sacrifice.
I passed the first and second tests by saving Sherry and her sibling. And I passed the third test by sacrificing myself for Brantley, who bravely tried to protect me. But I couldn’t sacrifice for someone I didn’t know.
But how did you pass the test? Did he sense my curiosity? I heard Uncle Rabbit’s voice.
– “You don’t know who we are.”
“I know you are Uncle Rabbit, aren’t you?”
– “That’s my nickname. You don’t know our real names.”
– “You gave us nicknames, talked to us, helped us, and risked your life for us, even though you didn’t know us. At that moment, you had already passed the fourth test.”
The man followed, his tone higher than Uncle Rabbit’s.
“Ah…”
That’s how it was! Now I could talk to Uncle Rabbit without a linker.
‘But who is this other guy?’
Logically, it should have been Miss Butterfly. But they sounded like a man. A vague feeling of unease passed through me.
Then I heard his laugh.
– “That guy has a bad temper. He’s the type to find some loophole and disqualify. I’ve never met anyone more irritating. “
– “What is it?”
– “He must have taken a liking to my sweet Hanelope.”
– “But why are you pretending to be friendly with my bunny again?”
Seeing Uncle Rabbit ask sharply, the man sneered.
– “Pretending? Are you talking about yourself?”
The familiar bickering. It became clear who the man was.
“Are you Miss Butterfly..?
The man replied happily, “Finally, you recognized me. I was feeling hurt when you didn’t.”
“But why does your voice sound different?
His voice was fit for a man, and it sounded too rough to be a woman’s.
“Could it be that you’re deceiving me? Even though you’re not Miss Butterfly!”
My voice trembled with betrayal.
He exclaimed urgently, “A-Actually, God has no gender…”
“Metamorphosis?!”
– “Anyway! I-It’s time to go back now!”
“I want to know more!”
– “I’d love to stay with you, but your grandfather is crying!”
Grandfather?! I was shocked. But I quickly regained my composure.
‘They’re making fun of me again. It would‘ve been understandable if it was Dad, but grandfather..’
I was about to argue, but my eyelids fluttered open.
“!”
Suddenly, a bright light flooded in, hurting my eyes. I groaned and squinted. The shadow nearby hurriedly approached upon hearing my groan.
“Ha-Hanelope?”
A trembling voice was heard from the hazy vision.
“Dad?”
“Hanelope!”
I rubbed my eyes with the back of my hand and looked again, seeing my dad with an expression of disbelief.
Soon, waves of joy and relief spread across his face.
My heart pounded with joy.
‘I haven’t seen him since Asta kidnapped me.’
But it felt like a long time had passed.
I grinned with delight and reached out my hand, “Dad!”
His touch was so desperate, full of fatherly affection, “Does it hurt? Do you feel any pain?”
“It’s okay. I’m fine.”
I sat up and hugged him gently.
“Dad, I missed you.”
He chuckled at my words, then hugged me, “It’s all over now, Hanelope. You won’t have to worry anymore. I’ll always be here for you.”
I could feel the relief in his voice.
I could feel his heartache in his desperate embrace.
I patted his broad back with my small hand. Then, somewhere, I heard a wet breathing.
“?”
Behind my dad’s shoulder, I saw deeply wet, red eyes.
‘G-Grandfather?’
Grandpa was trembling as if he would burst into tears at any moment.
‘Is Grandpa really crying?’
“Grandfather!”
Startled, I deliberately shouted cheerfully.
I hoped Grandfather would feel relieved seeing me so spirited.
But it had the opposite effect.
When he saw my small, chubby fingertips pointing at him, he couldn’t take it anymore and turned around and walked away. My shoulders drooped.
Noticing, Dad said, “Ignore him. His Majesty hasn’t eaten or slept for a week because he’s worried about you.. that’s why.”
I was stunned to hear that.
“A week? I was asleep for a week?”
Dad nodded.
Now I noticed that his handsome, smooth cheeks were hollow.
‘I’m the reason you were tormented for so long…’
Grandfather wiped a tear away with the back of his hand.
