Lord Baby Runs A Romance Fantasy With Cash [EN]: Chapter 190

☆ 190 ☆

Grand Spirit Aktrakhen was silent for a moment, as if studying Ruatisha’s face.

– Good. Then–

“No.”

Sidrihan’s words cut off the Grand Spirit.

“Absolutely not.”

He gripped Ruatisha’s arm tightly.

Just a moment ago, he was losing consciousness, but he was holding on with surprising strength.

“Sid…….”

“A price? Who knows what it will demand.”

Sparks flew from his purple eyes.

Sidrihan glared into the air, holding Ruatisha as if to protect her from the Grand Spirit.

More precisely, at the connection circuit that was clearly visible to him.

– Ha…….

– Have I lived too long? I’m seeing all sorts of things.

The Grand Spirit said in a sarcastic tone.

Ruatisha didn’t care what the Grand Spirit said and grabbed Sidrihan’s sleeve.

It was heartbreaking to see him holding on like this when he was already struggling.

“Sid, if we want to get out of here–”

“I’ll get you out.”

“…….”

“So don’t accept power that demands a price.”

Ruatisha couldn’t say anything.

Sidrihan’s eyes were so earnest as he looked at her, his expression so pained.

“Please.”

A trembling voice brushed against her ear.

Ruatisha felt Sidrihan’s body shaking.

He hadn’t wavered even when he was in so much pain that he was losing consciousness, but now he was trembling like a frightened person, holding Ruatisha tightly.

“Now I’ll take it instead…….”

I can’t accept it.

Sidrihan barely swallowed the last words.

Back then, he had done it on his own because he couldn’t bear to see Ruatisha groaning in pain.

But he knew how much it would hurt Ruatisha if she found out.

‘So I must never tell her.’

– That’s all well and good. But how do you plan to get out?

– With that body, just getting back to the gate will be a problem. And you’re going to protect that child?

Sidrihan’s eyes flashed.

“Mind your own business.”

– Haa, this is a more sensitive reaction than a Grand Spirit who’s just given birth.

– If you’re going to talk so big, why don’t you control the Keyas Edel stigma [a magical mark or curse] first?

“Are you talking about the Geas [a magical compulsion]? Can you control it?”

Ruatisha asked, her face brightening.

– Normally, it would be impossible. But that kid has a special Aether [a mystical energy] flowing through him.

Special Aether?

‘Is he talking about the Aether I evoked using the ability?’

– It would be easier if you used it, but for some reason, he deliberately disrupted it. Why…….

– Aha, it was to get in here?

Unlike the Grand Spirit’s carefree words, Ruatisha’s face hardened.

What he just said meant…….

‘He deliberately put himself under the Geas again to save me?’

The image of young Sidrihan flashed before Ruatisha’s eyes.

The child who couldn’t even come to his senses properly because of the raging heat, pain, and nightmares.

‘In that state, he risked having his soul torn apart to come to me?’

His soul wasn’t torn apart, but wouldn’t there be other side effects?

Ruatisha’s face turned pale.

– He’s too weak now to move the Aether again.

– It’s only natural that he hasn’t lost consciousness yet.

– Well, it’s already too much for a human to move Aether–

“Please lend me your strength quickly.”

“Ruatisha!”

Sidrihan grabbed Ruatisha’s shoulder and called out to her.

His gaze was so painful it made her heart ache.

“Don’t stop me.”

“No. What price the Grand Spirit will demand–”

“Whatever the price.”

Ruatisha looked straight into Sidrihan’s eyes and continued.

“I’ll pay it.”

“……Ruatisha.”

Ruatisha looked at Sidrihan’s wounded face and took his hand.

“Sid, you’ve already saved me. Since coming here, there have been so many moments when I thought, ‘This is the end.’ But among them, the moment right before you showed up was really… a difficult moment for me.”

“…….”

“But you came.”

Ruatisha smiled.

Sidrihan opened his lips, but no words came out.

What could he say in the face of such a smile?

“You’ve already saved me. So now it’s my turn to save you.”

There’s no such turn.

And if there is such a turn, I have to save you thousands more times.

How many times had Ruatisha saved him?

Six years ago, when he first met her at the Paeraton County, Sidrihan was looking for a place to die.

But she saved him.

She made him live, made him want to live.

Even in moments when they couldn’t meet, even in moments when they met again, only her existence made him breathe.

A yearning gaze touched Ruatisha’s face.

A strong and firm face.

He knew best how strong Ruatisha was.

He didn’t doubt how firm her resolve was to bear the price.

Ruatisha will definitely do it.

‘But still, I want to protect you.’

I don’t want you to bear anything.

Not a single strand of hair, not even a speck of dust on your fingernails.

– The remnants of my power from the contact are about to disappear.

The Grand Spirit warned.

When this light disappears, the monsters will attack again.

Sidrihan staggered and pulled himself away.

“……I, I can do it. So.”

Ruatisha shouted at his stubbornness.

“Don’t sacrifice yourself alone and force me to accept it!”

Sidrihan turned to look at Ruatisha with surprised eyes.

With tears in her eyes, Ruatisha burst out as if she was really angry.

“I can’t accept things like that! This is my choice, my fight!”

Ruatisha grabbed Sidrihan’s collar tightly and pulled him toward her.

Their faces were close.

“So let’s do it together.”

Sidrihan’s lips parted.

“Let’s go together, Sid.”

Ah.

This child.

Why always, like this–

Sidrihan’s face twisted and then formed a smile.

It was a clear, watery smile that reflected his heart more brightly than ever before.

–Was she saying the words that even he didn’t know, but still wanted the most?

“Okay.”

Sidrihan nodded.

“Let’s go together.”

– It seems like everything is settled.

– Pioneer, Ruatisha Paeraton.

– Do you contract with me, Aktrakhen, the ruler of the endless plains and the guardian of the first horn?

At the word ‘contract,’ Ruatisha’s face momentarily felt uneasy.

It was because she remembered the devil’s infamous fraudulent contract.

This isn’t a fraudulent contract, is it?

‘But at least he’s telling me from the beginning that there’s a price and that it’s a contract….’

More than anything, she couldn’t back out of the contract now.

“……I will.”

– I will lend you my power in exchange for a price.

At the same time, a storm-like, enormous power enveloped Ruatisha.

“Ugh…….”

Ruatisha closed her eyes in the storm of power. It was clearly as difficult to accept as it was powerful–

‘Warm?’

And there was a fresh and sweet scent.

‘A floral scent like… this is the scent of Shirene flowers.’

How could she not know that scent?

It was a subtle scent that also came from black gold.

‘Come to think of it, he said his name was Aktrakhen.’

She was so flustered when the notification window popped up that his name didn’t register in her head.

Only then did she understand the Grand Spirit’s words calling her a ‘flower thief.’

‘He must have been watching me and saw that the missing flowers were with me.’

She felt awkward.

– It would be good to help that kid first. That place is full of evil energy, so you’ll be inhaling it every time you breathe.

Ruatisha held Sidrihan’s hand tightly.

Then, the Grand Spirit’s power flowing from her enveloped Sidrihan.

– This will prevent more evil energy from being absorbed.

– Because evil energy doesn’t work on our Grand Spirit.

– That’s why I was able to contact you through the gate.”

His voice sounded somehow proud.

Ruatisha asked, her face brightening.

“Then can you get rid of the evil energy inside him?”

– …….

Ruatisha’s eyes shone like stars with anticipation.

Then wouldn’t she be able to undo the Geas again!

– ……That’s not it, but.

“Ah.”

Ruatisha nodded without any spirit and muttered softly.

“Even if you’re embarrassed for showing off a little while ago, just say you can’t if you can’t. It just makes you look worse when you act like that.”

– I can hear you!

Aktrakhen burst out.

Sidrihan smiled as he looked at the grumbling Ruatisha.

‘Strong.’

Ruatisha is Ruatisha in any situation.

Anxious, scared, trembling, and afraid, she always tries her best to maintain homeostasis [stability].

As if she instinctively knows how much strength that gives to the person next to her.

Ruatisha felt Sidrihan’s gaze, looked up, and stared at him.

And laughed.

– Ahem, the Grand Spirit doesn’t have the power to destroy evil energy, but that’s definitely not because the Grand Spirit is incomplete.

– Only you have that power now.

“Me?”

– Yes. You’re a descendant who received the last arrangement he left behind, so that must be it.

– I didn’t know there would come a day when I had to use even the last arrangement back then…….

Ruatisha was about to ask more.

– It’s coming.

With Aktrakhen’s quiet warning, the light that had been surrounding the two of them completely disappeared.

Crack!

A huge ice pillar that had soared up pierced through the monster, creating a huge wall between them.

“Kkuwoooo!”

The monster, not expecting such a counterattack, screamed.

The monster, rotting from the pain of being pierced, began to swing the iron mace it was holding wildly.

Clang, clang clang!

The ground shook every time the iron mace hit the ground.

Thud, shatter!

Sidrihan constantly repaired the defensive ice wall that was being shattered by the iron mace, continuing to pierce the monster with new pillars.

‘It’s sturdy.’

The monster didn’t die even though it was pierced through the left chest and the center of the abdomen.

Rather, it raged with even greater force, as if it would destroy everything.

A difficult opponent even if its body was intact.

Even if evil energy was no longer being absorbed, Sidrihan was still under the Geas.

Thanks to the Grand Spirit’s energy surrounding his body, the evil energy of the Geas had subsided a little, allowing him to move.

It was then.

Sidrihan turned his body at the chilling sensation that ran up his spine.

Sharply honed claws filled his vision.

A monster with spider legs that had approached stealthily from behind was attempting to attack.

‘Damn it.’

It was too late to dodge or create an ice wall to block it.

Sidrihan raised his arm.

He couldn’t die like this without sending Ruatisha back.

‘Just let my arm be cut off–’

Clang!

A spear of light that flew from somewhere pierced through the spider monster’s torso.

Kieeeeeek–!

The spider monster screamed and retracted its legs.

“Don’t try to do everything alone.”

Turning his head, Ruatisha was standing on top of an ice pillar, looking down at Sidrihan.

A spear made of clear light extended from her hand.

“We decided to do it together.”

Sidrihan stared blankly at the sight.

He had fought alongside dozens, hundreds of people as a mercenary.

But he had never relied on a member, a comrade.

Even in desperate situations where he was surrounded by monsters, even when he was about to lose his life to a sword that pierced through his body.

He had never relied on anyone.

But, at this moment.

“Yeah.”

Sidrihan nodded.

The only person he could rely on, the person he could trust, was by his side.