Chapter 257

“……!” Yelena abruptly rose from the bed where she had been sitting and Aendydn uncrossed his arms with a bewildered expression.

“What’s going on?”

“We need to check something.” Before leaving the room with a determined expression, Yelena reflexively reached out her hand toward an artifact but stopped midway. Upon seeing Yelena’s conflicted gaze, Aendydn bypassed her and took the artifact into his own hands. “I’ll take it. It’s light enough for me to carry, even if it becomes a burden. Let’s go.”

“Alright.” Soon, the two of them stepped into the corridor. The corridor was filled with people who had come out after hearing an indistinguishable commotion. Among them were three knights who had just finished a battle and were resting in their quarters.

“My lady!”

“My lady, are you safe?”

“As you can see, I’m fine. But do any of you know what that sound was just now?”n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

The knights shook their heads. Not just them, but everyone gathered in the corridor couldn’t figure out the source of the sound either.

“Shouldn’t we go to the source of the sound?”

“It’s dangerous. Let’s all go together.”

“No, is it really necessary? Only the knights should move, and we can stay here.”

Opinions varied. However, there was no need to make a decision. Before they could organize their thoughts, the loud noise rang out again, this time much closer.

*BANG*

“Kyaaah!” A maid screamed, followed by someone shouting in astonishment.

“T-the ceiling!”

One side of the ceiling collapsed completely. Thick dust settled in the corridor, obscuring their vision for a while. As the dust slowly settled, a faint silhouette of a person became visible.

*CRUNCH*

Stepping on the debris of the collapsed ceiling, a man slowly descended. No one present saw him as a human. There was no way to describe the wings protruding from his back as anything else.

Trezef smiled slightly. “It seems quite a crowd has gathered here.”

The moment Yelena heard the man’s voice, her spine chilled. Her heart pounded, but her body froze. She felt an overwhelming power capable of destroying a castle coming from him. And those wings, could it be———- As one despairing assumption brushed through Yelena’s mind, Trezef looked around the crowd and spoke. “Over here.”

The corridor fell silent. No one made a sound, and it was difficult to imagine so many people were present. In the midst of the silence, Trezef’s voice echoed clearly. “Is there a woman here who could bring a dead man back to life?”

A commotion erupted. His words broke the silence and stirred up confusion. The woman who could save a dying person… Everyone present at this moment knew exactly who the man referred to.

“Step back behind me, my lady,” Colin whispered as he reached for the hilt of his sword. The other two knights did the same. Aendydn also put down the artifact and closed the gap between him and Yelena, his face tense. Then, a woman stepped forward. “Have you come for me?”

Yelena’s eyes widened. “Dina.”

She was none other than Dina, the maid Yelena had rescued at the courtyard. As Yelena moved, Aendydn firmly grabbed her wrist, holding her back. Then, he shook his head at her. In the meantime, Trezef’s bright red eyes were fixed on Dina. “Wow. You saved a dying person?”

“Yes, that’s what I did.”

“It’s hard to believe that someone like you has such extraordinary skills.” Trezef’s gaze scanned Dina’s attire. “You know nothing. The power to save lives is undoubtedly a divine grace.” Dina didn’t step back. Upon closer inspection, her voice trembled, and her legs were wobbly, but she stood firm and spoke. “God humbles himself from the lowest position. It’s only natural for mercy to be given to the humble.”

“Ah!” Trezef exclaimed, clapping his palms together as if impressed. “Indeed, what you say is right. You make a point. Moreover, seeing that you don’t cower even in front of me, you must possess an exceptional skill in saving lives.” However, as he spoke, the corner of Trezef’s lips tilted to one side. It was an unmistakable sneer. After seeing that smile, Yelena had a realization as if a pot of cold water was poured over her head. He knew e