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At that moment, when Hadad was crossing through the gate.
Set leapt beyond the maximum distance he could move, Apophis used blink magic, Shango crawled on the ground, and even Chronos, who had always maintained his composure, hurriedly tried to follow Hadad.
However, when Set’s fingertips belatedly touched the raised letters of the gate, it stopped its spinning motion. Then, the brightly shining gate suddenly lost its light.
What followed was darkness, despair, and a hint of fear.
“…Your Excellency.”
Seeing the gate close before his eyes, Set closed his eyes deeply and then opened them. Apophis, who had hurriedly approached, called out to him, but Set gave no response.
He raised his trembling fingers and placed them on the darkened gate. But the gate, having consumed most of its mana for dimensional travel, would not light up again.
The gate that had swallowed Yeon Ji-ho and Hadad did not accept Set. As if it was not permitted for him alone.
“Apophis. Infuse mana into the gate.”
“Your Excellency.”
“Now!”
Apophis’s face contorted as if crumbling. There was no way Apophis, who had already exhausted all his mana, could infuse enough to activate this massive gate. Besides, even if he could infuse mana…
“Your Excellency, even if we use the gate right now… we don’t have coordinates. Ji-ho was our coordinate, wasn’t he…”
BANG!
Before Apophis could finish speaking, the wall beside Set collapsed with a loud noise. Apophis’s eyes widened in surprise as he saw Set barely breathing, his lips trembling.
“We need to create a gate. Apophis, you once created a one-time gate by engraving on my arm.”
Set lightly tore the sleeve of his tattered arm. This revealed the blackened, dead letters that had served their purpose. Set extended that arm to Apophis.
“I don’t care if you have to cut off my arm, create a gate right now.”
At those words, Apophis’s face turned pale. He knew better than anyone how absurd Set’s words were.
Set surely knew this fact as well. He was as knowledgeable about gates as Apophis, and he should have known that creating a gate without coordinates would be useless. However, he now seemed incapable of rational thought.
“…Your Excellency, you know. It takes at least 6 months to create a proper gate, and even if we make one…”
“Are you saying to leave Ji-ho alone in that world for 6 months? With Hadad?”
The corners of Set’s mouth twisted upwards. Apophis could clearly feel his intense anger.
“You might as well tell me to die.”
With those final words, Set turned away. The hall was filled with disoriented knights who had lost their emperor to lead them, but Set didn’t even glance at them.
Then one of the gathered knights stepped forward to block Set’s path.
“Ah, destroy the demon…!”
He perished before finishing his sentence. Set summoned his sword without hesitation and cut off the knight’s head. The blue sword dripping with blood dissipated with a hiss as Set took another step.
After that, no one dared to block Set’s path as he walked through the knights. His aura was too menacing, and he was clearly displaying his anger.
***
Several weeks had passed since Yeon Ji-ho’s departure. During this short time, everyone, including Apophis, had been working tirelessly.
Apophis scoured for traces of the previously created gate, trying desperately to find coordinates. Chronos left for the Village of Time to see if they could use the gate there.
Isquis, who had belatedly come to his senses, was shocked to hear what had happened. However, with his wings gone, he could no longer be Gorgon’s fastest informant and had to focus on recovery along with Shango.
For these busy individuals, the only intersection was the caravan. That day too, everyone had gathered at the caravan after a long time to share the information they had gathered.
“Your Excellency, you need to… get some sleep, even if just for a moment.”
Set hadn’t rested for a moment since Ji-ho’s departure. With bloodshot eyes, Set had been seeking out not only Apophis but all renowned magicians, demanding ways to move to another world. However, no one in this world was capable of such a feat.
He was aware that he was gradually going mad. One day, he lay on the caravan bed, blankly staring at the ceiling. In those moments, he felt he could still faintly smell Ji-ho’s acacia scent, now almost faded.
“Apophis.”
“…Yes.”
“Ji-ho… was too good for someone like me, wasn’t he?”
No matter how desperately he searched for a method, no one knew anything about Ji-ho or another world. Set finally recalled Hadad’s words.
‘Have you ever suddenly thought…’
‘The thought that everything you want fails.’
‘The thought that you can’t have anything you desire.’
He had never particularly desired anything in life. Before the fire, he had craved someone’s affection, but even that wasn’t tangible. Set had lived such an empty life until he met Ji-ho.
Then one day, he met Ji-ho. Only after standing at death’s door and letting go of everything.
‘Wow… this is really amazing.’
‘Using chopsticks is difficult, right? Learn slowly. I’ll pick everything up for you today.’
Ji-ho taught affection to a man who had lived knowing nothing, infused love, and made him look forward to tomorrow. Every day was new for Set when he was with Ji-ho.
When he opened his eyes, he thought about what he would do with Ji-ho that day, and there were days when he didn’t even notice time passing when he was with him. And every night before closing his eyes, he always thought: Ah, I can’t wait for tomorrow.
‘And even if those eyes are truly a symbol of misfortune…’
‘Then I’ll love even Set’s misfortune.’
When he was with Ji-ho, Set sometimes felt as if his misfortune was nothing. His two eyes, said to spread misfortune, felt like rare jewels that no one else could possess when he listened to Ji-ho’s words.
Because he liked it, because it made him happy, because it brought him joy.
Set was desperate to hold onto it and protect it. Like someone who had obtained a treasure for the first time, there were nights when he couldn’t sleep out of anxiety even after holding Ji-ho in his arms. Ji-ho was lovable and beautiful not just to him but to everyone, and Set felt that if he closed his eyes, someone might steal Ji-ho away.
He had never had something so precious in his life. So, when the thought of never seeing Ji-ho again crossed his mind, he felt like tearing open his own heart. But at the same time, he wanted to escape this endless pain.
“Maybe Hadad would be better than me.”
Yes, come to think of it, he had thought that too. That things might be different if it were Hadad who had fallen into another world instead of him. If it were Hadad, who was loved by everyone…
“…Your Excellency.”
Apophis, watching Set lying powerlessly on the bed in a mess, closed his eyes deeply. Seeing his superior who wasn’t properly taking care of his meals, sleep, or even water, Apophis felt that Set was both desperately yearning and at the same time wanting to give up everything.
Having met every magician in this world, Set had nothing left to do. Urging Apophis was futile as the gate creation was stagnant, and even if they made one, crossing over was impossible without coordinates.
Apophis barely opened his eyes again. He didn’t fully understand all of Set’s feelings about losing Ji-ho. However…
Didn’t he have something he absolutely had to tell him?
“Ji-ho… Ji-ho wanted to tell you something.”
“…What is it?”
Set asked this without moving, like someone submerged in water. He too remembered that Ji-ho had something he wanted to say to him.
If possible, he wanted to hear it directly from Ji-ho. So Set blankly stared at the ceiling without any thought. He had no expectations for Apophis’s words.
“He said… he was pregnant.”
“…”
“He said he was carrying Your Excellency’s child.”
Set’s mouth, which had been listening without expectation, opened slightly. Breathing heavily, his lips trembled, and suddenly he got up. Then he ended up rushing out of the caravan.
“Your Excellency, where are you going…!”
Surprised, Apophis ran after Set to catch him, but he couldn’t possibly keep up with the Sword Master. Into the dark night, Set ran into the vast field spread out in front of the caravan, chasing after an invisible illusion.
At some point, he fell to his knees and groped the air with both arms. Under the starry night sky, Set, unable to bear the anguish and pain, exhaled rough breaths.
He missed Ji-ho, Ji-ho so much…
Was it because of this desperate wish? Ji-ho was standing in front of Set. Looking at him with a dazed mind, Set couldn’t control his trembling hand and reached out. It’s Ji-ho. Ji-ho was standing right in front of him.
“Set.”
With that brief call, Ji-ho vanished like smoke. Set’s empty palm, which had grasped at the air, sank to the ground. Set, overwhelmed even by breathing, collapsed.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
