Crown of Thorns

When a boy as bright as the sun appeared in a dark gray-colored world, it felt as if a heavenly ray of light had lit up the dark recesses.

It was such a mysterious and foreign feeling that put me under the illusion of having briefly escaped the world stained with blood.

But that peace didn’t last long. Until now, the monsters had been obsessed with the food in front of them. They had not noticed Evan quietly digging through their ranks. But when he came closer to the front, his unique appearance stood out. All eyes were pinned on him, not just the eyes of the people, but also the eyes of the monsters.

Naturally, the monsters would prefer to hunt the closest pray to them. So they all rushed at Evan and even engaged in fights with each other in order to get to him first. But eventually, only one succeeded in getting out of the narrow area cramped with monsters. Then, without hesitation, it threw itself at Evan with its mouth wide open. Evan just stood still and looked at it, even as the sharp, large teeth came close to him, ready to penetrate his skin and tear at his bones.

I hurriedly grabbed the monster’s leg just in case Evan got hurt, but I didn’t have to. It was because the man named the leader had not hesitated to block the monster’s attack. But thanks to that, the rest of the knights were in danger, so he shouted at Evan without taking the sword that blocked the monster’s teeth.

“Hurry and get away from here!”

The monster roared its head, angry for being denied its meal. No matter how many battles he had fought, they were not enough to make him face so many monsters head-on, which were several times bigger and stronger than he was. He tried to hold out, but he gradually began to be pushed back, so much so that his feet left trails that stretched long on the ground as he was shoved.

However, Evan stood still behind the man’s back, blinking his eyes innocently. From Evan’s point of view, the leader’s interference in the scene and shouting at him was uncalled for.

“What are you doing, not running away?”

Evan looked at the man and the monster alternately and closed his eyes completely. The scene stirred up a sense of bewilderment in the man’s face, previously crumpled from pain and tiredness. The same went for the rest of the knights who had narrowly blocked the monsters upon their leader’s absence.

But soon, their eyes opened wide. Some looked blankly at one place, slowly putting down the swords that were blocking the monster’s fangs. The monsters, who were rushing at them, also turned their heads to the light that could be felt somewhere.

Evan stood in the middle of the light pack. His body was shining white, to be exact.

At first, the light, which was dim enough to be ignored, gradually brightened. And soon, Evan was shining dazzlingly enough to seem invisible. The light lit up not only the leader who stood directly in front of Evan, but also the monsters with their open mouths, and then burst out in a flash to brighten up the area where the knights and monsters stood.

At the moment, the witch’s forest was enveloped in silence.

As the white light spread through the black mist, the trees and plants that entered the sphere of its influence revealed their decaying bodies. Then it became more and more widespread, slowly driving out the darkness out of the witch’s forest. As if the sun had risen and enveloped it in silence.

Those who looked around at the unbelievable sight looked at Evan again with shocked eyes. The dazzling white light surrounding Evan had faded, but a swarm of white rays, so bright in the dark witch’s forest, hovered around him, clearly revealing his appearance. Evan’s perplexed expression was not hidden.

A roar began to reverberate in the witch’s forest, which had been so calm for a short moment. It was the sound of monsters burning under the glistening light. The swarm of white lights scorched the monsters’ bodies, turning them into ashes. The monsters that were not reached by it were running away in fear.

Evan’s light was driving away monsters as well as the darkness of the witch’s forest.

It all happened so quickly that not only the knights, but also Evan were all in a state of dazed stupor. The situation continued until all the monsters scattered and disappeared.

Before long, the light slowly faded away and dissipated. Then the black mist, which had been lifted by the light, gathered again around them. The knights sank as if their legs had been loosened and took a deep breath. It was a bloodbath all around, but no one cared. Their eyes were still fixed on Evan.

The leader, who looked down at Evan with a shocked look no different from his knights’ asked.

“What was that just now?”

Evan took something out of his sleeves instead of answering. It was the very thing I gave him. Evan was also embarrassed, so he seemed to be gawking at the ornament that clearly created this situation. The object was sprinkled with light powder and soon turned as subtle as it was when Evan first took it. The light powder scattered into the air and disappeared without a trace. Similar to the remnants of the monsters.

“Nyx…”

Evan seemed to have noticed what the light powder was. But he didn’t have time to think of it deeply because the leader opened his mouth again.

“Th, that’s…”

The leader stretched out his trembling hand. Evan, who had a skeptical look for a moment, handed it to him. He brought it to his face inspecting it, and muttered with a look of surprise.

“Without a doubt.”

He also seemed to recognize it—the pattern inscribed on the object.

If a man with an eye for the truth recognizes that symbol, the object, and the power that Evan possesses, he will certainly not let it go. I was relieved to think that my prediction was right. Even if he only knew the inscriptions on the object.

The leader, who had not been able to take his eyes off the object for a while, opened his mouth again.

“Who are you?”

Evan replied in his usual indifferent tone.

“I’m a forest keeper who was driven out of town and wandered through the woods.”

It didn’t matter whether the leader believed it or not. At least the leader flew to protect Evan from the monster rather than suspect and question him first, even though he was a boy who suddenly appeared in a dangerous place and had an unusual appearance. He had a keen sense of danger akin to an animal’s thanks to his countless battles, but he probably didn’t feel that Evan posed any threat to them.

He asked again.

“What kind of power was that just now?”

After hesitating for a moment, Evan answered.

“I was born in the light and I am loved by the light.”

Evan didn’t say he was a monster or cursed. It meant that he thought he was blessed with the power that he had.

It was fortunate that the time he spent in the witch’s tower was not so wasted.

And even though Evan’s words could be considered absurd, the leader’s expression became somewhat brighter. At first glance, it seemed like his emotions of joy were revealed. He said, stroking the pattern on the object he was holding with his thumb.

“Light, what a magnificent thing. Wasn’t the world full of despair?”

Perhaps the man knows the value of the object and the power of Evan. The man turned away and muttered in a low voice, looking at Evan’s eyes, which now looked dark gray to me and red to them.

“Maybe God didn’t abandon us after all.”

Simultaneously, the cogwheels of fate, which had been spinning, were interlocked with a clack. And slowly, slowly began to spin again.

The future everyone will face now will be different than before.

*

They immediately returned to the feudal castle and charged Baron Behemen with his sins. He turned pale when he faced the people, whom he thought would die, again, of course. And he was angry that only his son died. But he soon remembered what was about to happen to him and tried to fix it belatedly with a sheen white face. Of course, it was all useless.

“I will report every single thing I’ve ever experienced here. Very detailed, just as it is. Oh, of course, that includes to how you use the support of the palace and what the Witch’s Forest is like.”

They may want to kill Baron Behemen, who was restless in front of their eyes with a sword pointed at his neck, but he was still a nobleman. It was beyond their control. So they got ready to go back to the palace.

At that time, Evan was loading himself into the carriage they had traveled in when they came. It was because the leader asked him to come along with them. Evan nodded his head gently. I was worried he’d said he wouldn’t go, but it was a relief. Evan seemed to intend to follow my instructions. He seemed determined to walk the path of a warrior as given by his fate.

But Evan’s expression was lonely. His empty gaze broke my heart. Evan fidgeted with the thing I gave him and couldn’t lift his head up easily.

There was a charm in it. It was something that I had prepared in advance to protect Evan. By responding to his energy and creating a greater light. It reacted to Evan’s power and lost its purpose; once it had done its part, he no longer needed it.

Because it was the leader’s turn to act as Evan’s fence, not the charm, I only told Evan to go and use the object’s power, and then the monsters would retreat. I was embarrassed because I didn’t know he’d believe me to the point of doing everything I said blindly, but it was the result of my plan.

“Let’s hurry on along.”

The leader and the knights returned to the carriage. Some got on the wagon, and some left the village on horseback. Evan was asked about the witch’s tower, but he replied that there was no such thing just as I taught him, so they no longer cared. They also seemed to regard it as a fairy tale that would dazzle people. The witch’s tower and the witch trapped to die became such a folktale story.

Evan, leaning heavily on the chair, could not take his eyes off the window, as if he was feeling awkward inside the wobbly carriage. His eyes stopped on the witch’s forest longingly.

Evan muttered in a voice so small that he himself could not hear.

“I’ll do as you say. I’ll become the warrior you want me to be, so…”

His words didn’t go on till the end, but I knew. When Evan hugged me in the tower, I heard his infinitesimal mutter.

“Always stay here. You can’t go anywhere. So that I can come to see you anytime.”

I’d be perfectly happy if you would.

But Evan, you must leave me and live outside in the world. You must become someone who will end up meeting colleagues, find a woman to love, and eventually forget about the cursed witch. Become a man who will burry the witch in the fairy tale, along with his own childhood memories.

Nevertheless, I will always stay by your side.

I will be your shadow and protect you.

Until the very last moment.

After watching the warrior’s departing, the witch went back to the tower—to the place where no one is awaiting her return.

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T/N : 2 more chapters before we reach volume 3!