MTM 168

While staying in the Grunde with Harto, Zed replenished his strength with the food the Rizos provided and listened attentively to the stories they told him. These small, diligent spirits saw right through the hidden aspects and truths of history that even Zed had never known before.

They knew precisely not only about the Demon King’s heart that was eating away at Harto’s body, but also about the Fragments of the Demon God scattered throughout the continent. All of this information was from stories passed down by Elquir, the guardian of the river.

At first, the Rizos were proud just to bring up the story, but as Zed’s questioning became more persistent, they exchanged wary glances until they finally confessed that Elquir had told them everything.

Having lived for hundreds, no, thousands of years, Elquir’s memories were bound to be vast. This was not simply because he had lived a long time, but because he had been granted the power by the primordial god to read the flow of the world. The continent flowed along the rivers known as its veins, and those waters held the history and tragedies of humanity intact.

Therefore, it was a blessing that Elquir resided in the River of Life. It was entirely due to this that the Eastern Kingdom, bordering Silpirnoa and the Forest of Life, came to prosper. The river where Elquir lived was the source of life and an immortal sanctuary.

Except for a single time, when a terrible drought caused the River of Life to dry up, extinguishing all life on the earth.

[Lord Hartia saved Lord Elquir!]

It was ‘Hartia’ who restored the flow of the river amidst the sudden disaster and breathed life into the dying land. For this reason, the entire land accepted [Read on]Hartia as a sacred guardian, revering him just as much as the guardian spirit Elquir.

Zed, who had been listening attentively to the story of the Rizos, was lost in thought. When piecing together what they had said about Harto, his essence was closer to a great spirit or a guardian protecting this land. No, perhaps he was a being far more transcendent than Elquir, the guardian spirit who had lived for thousands of years.

If so, what exactly was the image of him that the River of Life had reflected not long ago?

The young man in his arms, dressed in unfamiliar clothes. Zed could not understand why Harto had been projected in human form in the river that reflected one’s true nature.

“Then, perhaps….”

Zed cautiously began to speak to the Rizos. He asked if they knew about the name ‘Hartiros,’ which humans had branded like a stigma. No sooner had he finished speaking than the Rizos’ clear amber eyes burned with rage.

[I really don’t know which human gave him that name! He already has such a beautiful name, it’s Hartia!]

[We should have sung more songs! Songs that bear Hartia’s name!]

[That’s right! We were just too lazy! Let’s start singing right away, today!]

The Rizos, one after another, started singing. Their boisterous lyrics included a story about the burnt Forest of Life, which they interpreted as Hartia’s flames serving to protect the forest from a threat.

‘The Forest of Life was already dying. An unidentified rot was continuing, polluting the surrounding land.’

The Rizos’ song, juxtaposing the words Archpriest Edmund had said, left Zed’s mind in disarray.

That was the extent of the Rizos’ story. They said that it was time to go to work and handed Zed a significant amount of food. Dozens of Rizos moved in perfect unison and vanished into the darkness.

“Zed…”

At that moment, Harto’s voice came from behind him.

“Harto, are you awake? How are you feeling?”

“Yes, I feel a little better…”

Harto slowly blinked his blind eyes and gave a smile. Although his vision was still shrouded in pitch-black darkness, the mere sound of Zed’s warm voice brought him great relief.

“Everyone left?”

“Yes, they chatted away to their hearts’ content again today and just left. Did you hear the song?”

Zed asked while stroking Harto’s head. Harto nodded slightly, recalling the events of last night.

[Lord Hartia has woken up!]

Last night, when Harto first regained consciousness, the Rizos went wild as if a festival were taking place. Filled with joy, they floated high enough to touch the ceiling of the Grunde. Resounding with the clear and pure harmonies characteristic of spirits, the song was a hymn welcoming Hartia’s return.

Although Harto could not see them, the joy directed toward him was conveyed through the sound of their singing. Grateful for their welcome, Harto wore a happy smile the entire time.

Afterward, concerned for Harto’s eyesight, the stolen content Rizos carefully planted flowers emitting a delicate fragrance in every corner of the cave and shared various pieces of information with Zed.

“Aren’t you cold? Shall I hold you?”

“…Yes.”

Although the cold earth felt much more pleasant, Harto wanted to be held in Zed’s arms. At first, he felt apologetic for burdening him because of his frailty. However, moved by Zed’s sincerity that he couldn’t bear the anxiety of not holding him in his arms, he entrusted himself to him.

Without hesitation, Zed enveloped his entire body in holy power and embraced Harto. Perhaps because he had lost his sight, the sound of Zed’s heartbeat, transmitted through their chests, resonated in his eardrums much more clearly than usual. Once his fever subsided, the scent of Zed’s body, which he could finally sense, also stimulated his senses.

Although it was an underground tunnel filled with the damp smell of earth rather than warm sunlight, to Harto, this embrace was a cozier nest than anywhere else in the world.

‘Now… I think everything is fine.’

No more anxiety remained in Harto’s heart. Perhaps it was because Zed had confessed everything to him without hiding anything.

From the sincere feelings he absolutely wanted to convey once he arrived in Carseon, to the stories surrounding the Demon King’s heart and the ​stolen content​Fragments of the Demon God. The secrets of Hartiros’s past heard from Archpriest Edmund, and the prophecies he saw in his dreams. And even the identity of the Seeker, revealed to be a prophet, and the proposal from the witch Cynthia…

‘So, Sleepy has returned safely to his master. That’s such a relief…’

When he heard the news about Sleepy, Harto felt relieved. Knowing Harto’s good heart better than anyone, Zed felt heartbroken wondering why such a pure soul had to bear the weight of such immense suffering all alone. Even so, Harto himself had comforted him, telling him it was alright.

“Harto.”

As they embraced each other, feeling the energy of the holy power spreading through their bodies. Zed hesitated for a moment, then cautiously posed a question.

“Harto…how much do you know about yourself?”

“About me…?”

Harto blinked in surprise. Zed gazed into his blind eyes and continued speaking.

“Actually… before we came here, we crossed the bridge over the River of Life.”

Harto’s body went rigid as he sensed the tremor in Zed’s voice. He could feel that Zed had been in deep anguish.

“There is an old story about the River of Life. That when you cross the bridge, it reflects your true form on the water…”

“… True form?”

“Yes.”

What aspect of himself had Zed seen? When he saw Harto’s surprised expression, Zed hesitated for a long time before finally saying the words that had been weighing on his mind.

“Harto… by any chance, were you once human?”

“……!”

At that moment, Harto’s body stiffened slightly. He parted his lips to say something, but stopped abruptly.

‘… Did Zed see my past life?’

Above all else, Harto never confessed to Zed about his previous life. It wasn’t simply a matter of trust. He could not bear to watch the despair and sorrow Zed would have to endure the moment he spoke aloud that this world was within a fictional novel written by someone else, and that even the ending Zed would face was a predetermined fate. Rather than watching him suffer from the truth, it was better to keep his mouth shut forever.

When Harto remained silent, Zed smiled.

“…I think I said something unnecessary. Your reflection appeared in the river, and it had a human form. Perhaps the river reflected your essence or your inner state at the time. After all, I looked like an unidentified being too.”

“How did you look?”

“Hmm… Light was radiating from me. But I’m a perfectly normal human.”

“Light….”

Harto nodded. He was certain that Zed was indeed such a being. He could [stolen content]effortlessly picture Zed shining brilliantly, enveloped in holy power, in the sanctuary of the Bellancia Cathedral.

Suddenly, Harto desperately wanted to see Zed’s face.

“Zed…”

Ssssss…

Harto squeezed out every last ounce of strength he had left and began to transform into his human form. Startled by the sudden change, Zed flinched and urgently tried to stop him.

“Harto, don’t push yourself! Turn back…”

“But I also wanted to properly hug you…”

As Harto reached out his hand in a tearful voice, Zed, unable to bring himself to push away his desperate plea, pulled Harto into his arms even tighter.