Chapter 263: I'm Not Going Anywhere
He turned his head, his eyes fixed on Serie's face so close to his. The image of her head being severed from her body in his dream once again crushed his heart, bringing a suffocating pain.
He considered hiding it, bearing it all alone, and nipping any possibility in the bud. However, if Serie's carelessness, due to his concealment, makes this future scenario a reality, then...
Kurtz could never forgive himself.
Without much hesitation, he decided to let Serie know all this, so that she would be on high alert.
Kurtz could not bear the slightest risk of losing her.
"Serie..." Kurtz's voice was hoarse. He released Orger, letting the holy sword clatter onto the carpet. He grabbed Serie's slender shoulders with both hands, his eyes more serious than ever before. But upon closer inspection, they were full of pleading.
"Look at me! Listen carefully! This is not a joke!"
He spoke as quickly and clearly as possible, laying out for Serie the fragments of the future he had seen through Org, the threat of the Demon Queen, the brutal civil war among humans, and the most cruel scene, without reservation.
After listening quietly, Serie's sleepiness and languor quickly faded, replaced by thoughtfulness. When she heard her part, she was quite surprised. But she didn't show any fear. Instead, she looked on with great interest, tilting her head slightly.
"I'm dead? In a state where I couldn't resist at all?" Her tone carried a bewilderment stemming from her own overwhelming power. "Of all the known beings, I can't think of anyone who could have done this. Unless..."
She paused, considering, her gaze distant. "Unless I am in an extremely special state, such as being completely unprepared, distracted, or having my magic completely depleted. I find it hard to imagine anyone being able to defeat me."
She turned back to him, a hint of amusement crossing her face. "Of course, if it were you, that would be a different story; you certainly have the ability to kill me. After all, you're stronger than anyone else in this world."
Even she cracked a little joke at the end, as if to lighten the mood.
"How could I possibly do such a thing?!" Kurtz's voice was loud, almost a shout. His hands gripped her shoulders more tightly, his entire frame shaking with the intensity of his denial.
"...I was just kidding." Serie pouted, looking a little aggrieved. She had wanted to make a joke to lighten the mood because Kurtz looked so nervous, but she didn't expect him to yell at her like that.
That's infuriating.
However, since Kurtz was in such a state, it seemed the other party really didn't want her to make such an assumption. She made a silent decision in her heart: no more such jokes.
"In short, there's absolutely no way I could do such a thing." Kurtz's voice trembled slightly with fear. He released one of her shoulders and reached up, as if to touch her face. "Your future self looked very sad, and you were touching your lower abdomen."
He struggled to recall the details of that heartbreaking scene, his jaw clenching. "In that state, you were probably completely focused on something, and that might...perhaps that was when you were most vulnerable, most easily taken advantage of."
The terrifying contrast between that maternal smile, radiating divine light, and the destruction that followed sent chills down his spine every time he recalled it. His hand trembled against her shoulder.
He almost gritted his teeth, his tone stern and near-obsessive, bordering on command. "Promise me, Serie! From this moment on, at any time, even in this tower, even beside me, we must not be careless in the slightest!"
He leaned forward, his forehead nearly touching hers. "The highest level of magical shield and 24/7 detection magic must be kept active at all times! Do you hear me? This is not negotiable!"
Serie looked at the fear and worry burning in his eyes and remained silent for a long moment. Rationally, she still felt that Kurtz's request was somewhat absurd, if not unrealistic. This is the heart of El capital, a magic association tower with countless layers of defense, a place she personally managed and arranged. How could there be anything that could break through all the defenses and threaten her life?
But the unprecedented tension etched into Kurtz's face, and the coercive look in his eyes, made her suppress all her logical rebuttals. Instead, a strange sense of warmth spread through her heart, the knowledge that he cared so deeply about her existence that he was willing to lose his mind over a mere possibility.
"....Alright." She finally nodded, reaching up to gently grasp his wrist. "I will always keep the highest level of defensive and detection magic active."
Constantly activating these two spells is quite taxing on Serie, but as long as it puts this man at ease, that's enough. At worst, she would just drink mana restoration potions like water.
The thought of that bitter taste made her frown slightly, but right now, nothing was more important than caring for him.
However, Kurtz seemed to feel that this was far from enough. His gaze swept to the weapon rack in the other corner of the room, where the Holy Sword Atos sat, resplendent with divine light. The sword possessed the world's strongest defensive magic.
"Take it with you, too." Kurtz pointed at Atos, his tone leaving no room for argument. "From today onwards, you must carry Atos with you at all times, in all places!"
Serie's brow furrowed completely. She straightened, crossing her arms. "I'm not a warrior, so what's the point of carrying a holy sword around my waist every day?"
"Kurtz, I don't think it's necessary- " she tried to reassure him, her tone measured.
"No!" Kurtz interrupted her abruptly, rising from the bed. His emotions rose again, his entire body radiating desperate urgency. "Either you promise me you'll always have Atos with you, or, I'm going north right now! I'll go straight to that Demon King! Even if it means we both perish, I'll eliminate every single possibility!"
Serie looked at the man before her, who had become obsessed and even frantic because of a dream about the future. The flames burned in his eyes because of his fear of losing her. All her rebuttals vanished without a trace.
She looked at him quietly for a moment, her golden eyes taking in every detail of his anguish. Then she suddenly sighed softly and reached out her cool and soft fingers to stroke his furrowed brow, as if trying to soothe his immense anxiety.
"I understand." Serie's voice held a reassuring strength, cutting through the darkness like a beacon. "I'll take Atos with me, is that alright? Calm down, Kurtz."
She stepped closer, her hand moving from his brow to his cheek. "I'm right here with you, I won't go anywhere!"
Only after receiving her solemn promise did Kurtz's tense nerves finally relax a little. But the fear and sense of urgency about the future were firmly imprinted in the depths of his soul and could never be dispelled.
He suddenly pulled Serie into a tight embrace, so tightly that the elf girl felt a little pain. But it seemed that only through this almost painful contact could her true existence be confirmed, and only then could one obtain that sliver of warmth from that future.
The night was still long, but Kurtz knew he had to act. At all costs. To investigate. To prevent. To fight, until that possibility was nipped in the bud.
He held her against him, feeling her heartbeat, steady, alive, real, and made a silent vow in the darkness.
[End of Chapter]
Want to read more than 30+ chapters right now!
patreon.com/cw/Mr_UmU
https://www.patreon.com/Mr_UmU