That’s Not What Kissing Means! - Chapter 123

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

That’s not what kissing means!
Episode 123

The Holy Knights fought with all their might, but they were no match for the Ashford Knight Order.
Colin, trembling with fear, glanced around in search of an escape, but it was futile.
Instead, he decided to try a different approach to sway the Duke.
“Please, just give me a moment! I wish to speak first!”
He intended to buy time and reexamine the incomplete dark incantation.
At that, one corner of Theo’s mouth lifted.
“You planned to set fire and use the knights as sacrifices. Trapping their souls in that box.”
The Envoy’s face hardened at words that pierced through his intentions so easily.
So Lionel’s disappearance was indeed connected to Duke Ashford.
In that moment, the Envoy clutched at his chest.
“Gasp…!”
A sharp pain erupted near his heart. His entire body began to stiffen gradually, growing cold.
But more unbearable than the physical agony was a devastating sense of loss.
A sensation as though the very center of his chest had been hollowed out. As if something were being torn away…
The Envoy’s eyes widened in shock.
His entire life flashed through his mind like fragmented shards.
“Ugh…!”
His breath caught, and his chest felt crushed.
An inexplicable sense of loss surged forward, consuming him entirely.
Watching the Envoy collapse in tears, Theo spoke without emotion.
“So you’re the caster this time.”
The moment he heard those words, the Envoy understood.
His soul and body were being separated right now.
The soul-severing spell he had just cast had returned upon me in full.
The Envoy grasped at what little reason remained.
Dark magic could only be overcome by purification magic and holy power.
The Envoy drew upon what little holy power he had left.
No matter how weakened his strength had become, he was still the Envoy. He possessed sufficient ability to command holy power.
The holy power he desperately gathered seized hold of his scattering soul.
Pushed to his limit, he could barely draw breath.
In that moment, the Ashford Knight Order broke through the Holy Knights and closed in on him.
Was he to be captured like this? Without completing his great work?
The world before his eyes began to fade.
“Envoy, where are you!”
A desperate cry rang out searching for him. I recognized the voice’s owner instantly.
It was the Marquis of Seril Kingdom, who had witnessed a miracle and become my follower.
We had arranged to meet at the Dock, but when no word came, he had apparently come searching for me directly.
“I’m here! Help me!”
As Colin cried out with trembling voice, heavy footsteps echoed through the Forest. They all seemed to be clad in armor.
But they could never stand against the Ashford Knight Order, composed solely of the continent’s finest swordsmen.
That was when it happened.
Boom!
With a thunderous explosion, thick smoke engulfed the Forest.
“Smoke bombs!”
The Marquis’s knights had detonated smoke bombs.
“Envoy, this way.”
A strong arm seized and pulled me forward. I smiled darkly at the reassuring protection.
Indeed, the world was on my side.
Meanwhile, Theo remained motionless, reading their movements.
“Pointless effort.”
Detecting their presence through the smoke was a simple matter.
He read the chaotic footsteps, the clash of blades, the flow of air as he approached the Envoy.
The Marquis’s knights began to panic at his relentless advance.
Then one of the enemies cried out urgently.
“We have explosives!”
In an instant, everything froze.
“If we detonate these… not only will this Forest be destroyed, but the nearby residents of Aila Territory will suffer greatly!”
Subduing and capturing them would not have been difficult.
But if they detonated the explosives in that moment… the residents of Aila Territory would indeed be gravely wounded, just as they said.
Seizing the moment Theo hesitated, the Marquis’s knights protected the Envoy. The Envoy was disappearing into the smoke.
As the Ashford Knight Order moved to pursue, they threatened again with the explosives.
Theo silently summoned one of his subordinates, a knight with exceptional tracking abilities.
“Follow them. Bring word to Aila Manor.”
“Understood.”
When the Ashford Knight Order made no move, they swiftly departed with the Envoy.
When the smoke cleared—
nothing remained.
The Envoy had vanished without a trace.
Colin, sitting collapsed on the ground, cried out with a vacant expression.
“I, I…”
Abandoned, Colin was promptly bound.

* * *

“Thank you. And… I apologize.”
The Lord of Aila bowed to the Duke with a look of deep remorse.
Theo had come to Aila Manor after dispatching the pursuit unit.
“If you’re moving personally under imperial decree, it must be a matter significant enough to shake the entire Empire. Yet you let the enemy escape for the sake of your people… As a lord, I truly appreciate that.”
“You’re right. But not a single citizen of the Empire should have been sacrificed.”
Theo replied calmly.
Evelyn, standing beside him, also reassured the lord.
“It was a choice made for your people. Please don’t burden yourself with guilt.”
At her words, the lord seemed to reach a decision and spoke.
“In exchange… I will cooperate fully with the investigation.”
He continued carefully.
“In truth… when I heard that dark magic was used at the Hunting Grounds, I suspected something.”
Does he know something?
Evelyn studied him intently.
The lord then struck at the heart of the matter.
“This is related to the God of Death, isn’t it?”
Evelyn’s eyes widened as she asked.
“We haven’t mentioned anything like that?”
They had only said there was something to investigate due to the imperial decree, without explaining the details.
The Lord of Aila explained with a clear voice.
“House of Aila has recorded the history of the gods since our ancestors’ time.”
His voice grew hushed.
“Several generations ago, we discovered that a part of Calimedes was buried in this place.”
That was why the Hunting Grounds had fallen into disuse and remained as an empty forest.
Fearing that any careless disturbance might resurrect Calimedes, they had forbidden anyone from entering.
“So our ancestors always kept watch over this place… and successive lords have gathered related records.”
At those words, Evelyn’s eyes gleamed with interest.
“Could I possibly see those records?”
The lord hesitated before answering.
“Much of it is written in ancient language, but would that be acceptable?”
At his question, Evelyn’s smile grew even brighter.

* * *

The Record Archive that the Lord of Aila guided me to was brimming with ancient texts.
Aged documents were arranged with meticulous care.
I quickly located records concerning Calimedes.
Just as the Lord had mentioned—that he had long collected histories of the gods—the materials were vast and comprehensive.
Among them, the records of Calimedes were more detailed than any other ancient tome.
I rapidly scanned through the documents.
My purpose was to uncover Calimedes’ weakness.
I would do everything in my power to thwart the Grand Cleric’s atrocities, but… if he truly summoned the god of death…
After examining the records and interpreting the ancient script for some time, my hands stilled.
“Why is this here?”
A familiar illustration had caught my eye.
White petals with a pink center—it was the Deia flower.
I recalled when Theo once looked at me and said I resembled it.
I translated the explanation written beside it.

[Goddess Yulia spread the Deia flower to weaken Calimedes’ power.]

[The Deia flower, a symbol of peace and life, is what can stabilize the world.]

So that’s why the Deia flower has become so common everywhere…
I swallowed quietly.
Once more, I traced the image of the Deia flower with my fingertip.
Had Goddess Yulia known of this atrocity long ago?
The Deia flower and Yulia’s Stone…
Perhaps she had foreseen this future war all along.
I examined the ancient texts once more. I had to find it, no matter what.
A way to end this battle using the Deia flower.
A way to put an end to the Grand Cleric’s wickedness.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————