Chapter 142

Edmond paced around the room a couple of times, then stopped by the bedside. He wouldn't allow himself a moment to consider it, because if he thought about it carefully, his resolve might waver.

He bent down to the bag, cut it open with the knife Faria had made, dragged Faria out of the bag, carried him to his Dungeon, placed him on his bed, put his usual hat on his head, kissed his cold forehead one last time, tried several times in vain to close his still open eyes, and turned his face toward the wall.

That way, when the jailer brings dinner, he will assume that the prison guard is already asleep.

Then he returned to the tunnel, dragged the bed over and leaned it against the wall, crawled into the bag, lay down in the body's original position, and sewed the bag closed from the inside.

Indeed, the thought that arose in the Sailors's mind at that moment was to escape Château d'If in place of Priest Faria's corpse.

Soon, when night fell, the unsuspecting jailers threw him into the sea near the Château d'If.

Edmond had been thrown into the sea, quickly cut open his pocket with a knife and swam forward desperately to avoid being discovered.

While diving, Edmond listened intently, as if he could hear the sound of the waves every moment.

He didn't know how much time had passed, but he finally arrived at a Small Island. Exhausted, he leaned against a rock, wanting to rest for a while. He missed the Château d'If, but not because he loved the place; rather, he missed Priest Faria there.

When the young man saw the long-awaited moon, he felt like crying.

Why is it so blinding? Even with my eyes closed, the light hasn't diminished at all, although it's still brighter than darkness.

They finally escaped from that Hell called the Château d'If.

The young man clearly wanted to take a closer look at the starry sky; it must be dazzling and incredibly beautiful.

I really love the sea because it is so vast and deep. I wish the Priest could see it too. I don't think the Priest will die.

Really, he was the last person who should have died...

Whether it remains a dream or not, that's what I think right now.

Whether it remains a dream or not, that's how I see it now.

Finally, Edmond burst into tears.

I don't want the Priest to die. I want to see him alive. I really don't want this to happen. Even if I can't get out myself, I would be happy as long as the Priest is still here. I did something crazy, but I have no way to apologize.

I won't ask for anything else, I just want the Priest to live, that's all I want.

At least the Priest clearly wanted to point to this star-studded night.

Edmond continued to weep, but the tears he couldn't stop soaking his face.

"... He wants to burn brightly in this era where darkness reigns supreme, so--"

The youth whispered.

"I must become a person worthy of that honor; I must prove the Priest's judgment correct."

His words are still imprinted on my eardrums, no, they are etched into my soul.

"... He wants me to live."

The young man whispered again.

A golden light emanated from the still-weeping youth.

That is a vow that will never fade, a light that will never dissipate.

"But even so... Ahahahahahaha! Only I came out! Only me! Only... me!"

The Sailors, who had been weeping, burst into laughter. At that moment, a bolt of lightning ripped through the sky, dispelling the darkness.

"I used the body of Priest who was like a father to escape from Hell at all costs! Hahahahahaha! I, I, hahahahaha--"

The Château d'If, Prison Tower from which no one has ever escaped alive, exists in the world and is known as 'Hell'.

Death row is used to imprison those who have committed unforgivable Original Sin.

It is said that all the suffering in the world is gathered here.

People say that voices of Wrath, lamentation, and sorrow are heard everywhere.

It is said that once imprisoned, there is no way to escape.

Therefore, if anyone manages to leave this place alive, that person must be someone burdened with boundless resentment.

It must be a being who, though born a human, is no longer human.

It must be something that transcends and overcomes all of humanity, manifesting itself like a dark demon.

"That's right! I am someone who fell into Hell and survived by devouring Hell!"

No one else, no one else, only... me! Only I... will appear on the other side of grudges and hatred!

I will personally Revenge myself and my father Faria —hahahahahaha!

Château d'If, in Edmond's original Dungeon, Favia's body lies facing the wall.

At that moment, Abigail was holding his clothes in a daze, wanting to say something but feeling powerless to do so.

In fact, Favia had already told Edmond beforehand that he was going to die; it had taken the silver-haired young man a lot of effort to persuade her. But unfortunately, when faced with the reality, who can truly remain calm?

I'm leaving.

Earlier, Favia said softly, "Looks like it's today."

"You're leaving? Are you going out? Have you lifted the curse on that brother?"

Abigail asked in astonishment.

"No, I'm the one who's going to die."

"Stop joking, okay? This will really scare Abi..."

Favia kept her head down and didn't look at her.

"Really?" she asked.

"Yes, I won't lie to you," Favia replied. "It's uncontrollable... I have to die... After I die, please, Abi, make Edmond think of this substitution, otherwise he might really do something irrational..."

The blonde girl listened blankly, unsure of what to say, staring at him in a daze.

After a long pause, I couldn't help but ask, "Will he act irrationally? And will I be very rational?"

Favia remained silent, turning her back without saying a word.

But Abi couldn't help but laugh.

"Brother, you'll die." She whispered, "Whatever it takes, I'll do it, at all costs..."

She paused for a moment and asked, "Didn't you teach me this principle? This world shouldn't be one where you have to fight tooth and nail for someone to care about another person."

Favia didn't speak; he pursed his lips and remained silent.

After that, neither of them spoke, and the silence lingered. It wasn't so much that they had nothing to say as they were seeing who would lose patience first.

Soon, caught off guard by a sudden impulse, the blonde girl couldn't help but open her mouth and make a sound.

"Brother, you won't die--"

"Feel sorry."

The girl's words were interrupted by the young man's voice.

So gentle, yet so resolute.

His words were so resolute, unlike the brother she remembered who always responded with a smile, yet they were undeniably his.

He said, "Abi, go with Edmond and leave this place. This place is nothing but a cage that binds you."

The blonde girl remained silent for a long time before whispering, "Even if... it's a cage of restraint, it doesn't matter, as long as my brother is here."

"But I do care," he said, stroking the girl's hair. "So, please keep smiling until the very end."

Abigail paused for a moment, almost forgetting how to express herself, forgetting what she had just said, and forgetting what answer she had heard.

Let's return to the present, to this long silence as the blonde girl clutches the hem of her dress alone.

Before the girl, who was in immense pain, a departed figure leaned against her.

It was as if they had noticed her distress, so gently.

When Abigail saw Favia's face appear before her eyes, she couldn't help but kiss those cold lips.

"... I won't let you die, brother."

Subsequently, something fundamental within the girl was shaken, and she transformed into something else entirely.

"I absolutely will not allow it, even if it means becoming a bad child."

A cracking sound came from inside.

For her, it was as if she were seeing the mist rising from her body from a third-person perspective somewhere in the world; it was unclear, but felt both very real and unreal.

A thick purple fog quickly enveloped Favia, and the girl, whose skin had turned pale, murmured weakly:

"Abi, I am also a 'Silver Key'."

The purple mist engulfed consciousness, enduring immense pressure that arose from an unknown source in order to welcome that door of the past.

The girl, whose hair had already turned white, could no longer maintain her balance. Her consciousness began to dissipate. When she could no longer bear it, she clung tightly to Favia, as if that would make her feel a little better.

After an unknown amount of time, when the Great Gate finally appeared before the girl, she trembled all over and broke out in a cold sweat. Without hesitation, she hugged Favia and walked step by step toward the Door with difficulty.

"I must..."

Abigail staggered forward, though only a few steps away, it seemed so far.

"Open it for me, Abi!"

She shouted with all her might, and just like in her memory, the slightly damaged Door opened. Then, the empty Door enveloped Favia, and at that moment, the Door itself suddenly trembled, and golden light appeared on the terrible scratches.

Then, it disappeared.

The seawater wasn't particularly cold; it was just that Favia vaguely heard the rising and falling of the waves until, without realizing it, she was swept away by the turbulent current and drifted to an unknown shore.

In her dazed state, Favia heard the sound of waves and a familiar voice.

"Let me see what this is... Oh, so you're not dead? Favia."

As always, the Uomo Universale, standing late at night outside Rome, looked at the strange object that was carried by the turbulent current and went forward to take a look out of curiosity.

It turned out to be his friend who had been missing for almost three years.

225: Under the Principle of the Star, crossing the ocean (4k5)

Favia opened her eyes and stiffly turned her gaze.

This is a room that looks somewhat familiar.

Looking up slightly, you can see a large wooden desk in the center, with various drawing tools, manuscripts, and Book scattered on the table. The manuscripts are densely covered with unique notes and sketches, some depicting complex mechanical structures, and others being anatomical diagrams of the human body.

At this moment, he felt the Od he had been away from for many years surging into his body; in other words, he could finally use Magecraft again.

"You're finally awake."

The silver-haired youth looked toward the source of the sound and saw Da Vinci, whom he hadn't seen in a long time, standing at the Great Gate observing him.

"It's Da Vinci! I never expected it to be you."

"That's a strange thing to say. What do you mean by 'it was actually you'?" Da Vinci frowned, but then sighed. "Never mind, were you comfortable sleeping?"

"It's great, your bed is very comfortable."

"Of course, after all, I'm Uomo Universale. Although I'm old, this kind of thing is still very easy for me." Da Vinci nodded to himself, then continued as if he had suddenly realized something, "I just made this thing called Coffee. I tasted it and it was pretty good. How about you have a cup?"

The Coffee that Da Vinci handed over emitted a fragrant aroma.

In fact, before the 15th century, Coffee was monopolized by the Arab world. It was not until the Sixteenth Century that Coffee was introduced to Europe through trade by Venetian merchants and the Dutchman, and it was even once known as "black gold".

For Da Vinci, this new drink would naturally attract his attention.

Thanks.

Favia took the cup, took a sip, and the bitter liquid covered her tongue before transforming into a refreshing aroma that stimulated her nasal cavity from her throat.

Although the taste was very different from what it would taste like in the world hundreds of years later, it was already quite good for him after nineteen years in the Château d'If.