Find the One Who Abandoned Me - Chapter 109

“Escort the Saintess to the drawing room. And bring Isaac.”

“Yes, Lord Erben.”

“This way, please. I’m a busy man, so I must take my leave.”

Erben walked off, making sure it looked like he wasn’t offended, just genuinely occupied. Still, his footsteps echoed a little too loudly as he went upstairs.

The Saintess smiled gently and glanced upward at the thudding sounds. Then, guided by a servant, she made her way to the drawing room. Behind her, Wolfgang, her escort knight, followed in silence.

They arrived and sat down, but even after waiting a long while, Isaac didn’t show. Eventually, Wolfgang frowned and stood up.

“I’ll go speak to another servant.”

“No need. Let’s wait just a little longer.”

And just then, the doors opened. Isaac walked in with a servant trailing behind him. He opened the door and turned to the servant with a cold voice.

“Leave.”

“Pardon? I brought some tea—”

“I don’t need it. Get out.”

When Isaac stared at him with those stark white eyes, the servant dropped his gaze and backed out of the room without another word.

The Saintess watched quietly. Wolfgang’s brow furrowed even deeper. It was bad manners not to offer refreshments to a guest—especially when that guest was the Saintess of the Empire.

But before he could say anything, Isaac spoke as he sat down.

“All the servants in this house serve my brother. I dismissed him because I heard you had something to say only to me.”

“I see. Thank you, Sir Isaac.”

“No need to thank me. I debated for quite a while whether to come at all.”

He crossed one leg over the other. The sharp crease in his dark uniform trousers remained perfect.

The Saintess asked gently,

“May I ask why?”

“I doubt my fiancée wants you people to see me.”

“You mean the young lady with white hair we saw before?”

Isaac nodded and replied,

“In the past, I would’ve honored her wishes and stayed away. But… let’s just say my thoughts have changed.”

“What kind of change?”

“You don’t need to know that.”

His tone was sharp and cold—just like his appearance. No one would have guessed how quiet and reserved he used to be.

“So, what exactly brings you here?”

Wolfgang glared at Isaac for his rudeness, but Isaac didn’t even glance his way. His focus remained on the Saintess.

She folded her hands neatly in her lap, blinked slowly, and let out a soft breath before speaking.

“The Knight of White Snow.”

Isaac raised an eyebrow in confusion.

“That’s you. One of the heroes chosen to defeat the Demon King.”

Isaac gave a small, almost mocking smile. Coming from the Saintess, he couldn’t laugh it off entirely, but still—the Demon King? That sounded like something from an old temple legend.

“You didn’t come here to joke with me, did you?”

“I understand if it’s hard to believe. But the Demon King’s return is real. It’s winter now, so there’s just one year and one month left. I’m sure you’ve heard that monster sightings have been increasing.”

“I’ve heard they’ve become more common in mountainous regions.”

“Starting next year, their numbers will grow rapidly. And one year from now, the Demon King will awaken. This isn’t a rumor—it’s from ancient records kept by the Temple. That’s why we’ve come to the kingdom. To warn you.”

Isaac’s expression tightened. His brow furrowed.

“Did you tell my fiancée all this, too?”

The Saintess hesitated, her face growing troubled.

“This may sound strange, but…”

She paused, struggling with her words, then spoke carefully.

“She already knew. That we came here to find the heroes chosen to defeat the Demon King.”

Isaac went silent.

“We were surprised too. But… we have our suspicions.”

“What kind of suspicions?”

The Saintess shook her head.

“Nothing I can say for sure. But there is something I must tell you.”

Her expression darkened. It was clear she wasn’t sure how to begin. Isaac said nothing, simply waiting, detached but patient. It was his own quiet way of offering her space.

At last, after a long silence, the Saintess spoke again.

“There are supposed to be five heroes chosen to defeat the Demon King.”

“And?”

“We’ve only found four.”

“So, you’re looking for the fifth.”

“And so…”

The Saintess nervously fidgeted with her hands, her voice thin as she pushed the words out.

“To defeat the Demon King, we must seal the dark power that emerges from his body. And during that ritual, if all five heroes are not present, one of us will… die.”

Isaac remained silent.

“And that person…”

The Saintess moved her lips several times, hesitating. When she finally managed to speak, her eyes shut tightly.

“…is you.”

A heavy silence filled the drawing room. The Saintess lowered her head, unable to lift it. Even Wolfgang turned to her in disbelief, hearing this for the first time. Isaac sat still, his expression completely unreadable.

Clementia looked like someone awaiting judgment, her head bowed like she had done something unforgivable. But to Isaac, it looked like she was avoiding him, refusing to take responsibility. He scoffed.

“You say all this and can’t even look me in the eye?”

She slowly raised her head.

“How could I possibly look at you after saying that?”

“Why are you so certain it’s me?”

“I have the power to see things far beyond the present. Ever since the prophecy about the Demon King’s return, I’ve started seeing visions… as if glimpsing the future. And in one of those visions…”

“You saw me die.”

“…Yes. That’s right. I don’t even know what to say. I truly don’t.”

Isaac stood up, as if the conversation wasn’t worth any more of his time.

“And if I refuse to go?”

Clementia quickly rose, alarmed.

“Three heroes won’t be enough. The Demon King will take the world, and humanity will fall.”

Isaac didn’t answer. He reached for the door. Desperate, the Saintess finally said the one thing she hadn’t wanted to.

“Your fiancée will die too.”

His hand froze on the door handle.

“When I say the world will fall, I mean exactly that. The monsters will flood across the land, and humanity won’t last long. Even if some survive, they’ll live like animals. Brutal, miserable, broken. If you don’t fight…”

Clementia knew how cruel her words were. She hated saying them. But her duty to the world left her no choice. She needed the heroes. She needed him.

“Will you really ignore it? Don’t you want to protect the world she lives in?”

Isaac let out a slow breath.

“You don’t miss the mark, do you?”

He walked back and sat down.

“Alright. Let’s hear the rest.”

“…I’m sorry.”

“Sorry isn’t what you say in a moment like this.”

His voice was ice.

“It means nothing now.”

Clementia sat down, her fists clenched tight in her lap. She wasn’t angry with him. She was angry with herself. Angry that she had to do this. That she had no better way. But as he said, even her regret sounded hollow.

She took a moment to calm her thoughts, then began to speak. She explained what lay ahead. What they would need to do. What this path would cost. Isaac said nothing the entire time. He listened with the same still expression, his pale eyes blank and unreadable.

Back at the estate, Calliope had no idea the Saintess had gone to see Isaac. She was still deep into translating the book. It was more work than she expected, but with Jack and Susan helping, it wasn’t impossible.

At least, that’s what she believed. Jack and Susan, on the other hand, looked like they were barely holding it together. The dark circles under their eyes spoke for themselves.

“It’s done!”

“Finally!”

“Ugh…”

Susan collapsed onto the floor while Jack stood up, threw his arms in the air, and then collapsed face-first onto the desk. Calliope, who also looked completely exhausted, picked up the thick stack of translated pages. During the translation process, she’d been too focused on the script to absorb the content. Now, she could finally read it properly.

Without taking a break, she opened the book and the translated notes side by side. After all that effort, she was too eager to wait.

The book began with the following line:

“The One God and His Two Daughters: The Tragedy of Melpomene and Thalia.”

“The One God had daughters?” Calliope muttered, frowning.

Even though the kingdom wasn’t deeply religious, it still had temples and a shared mythology. According to what she had learned, the One God created the world by tearing His own body apart and then formed humans in His image. It was a creation myth she had heard many times.

She started reading.

“The One God granted the world to His first daughter, Melpomene. She was brilliant, bold, and capable of ruling in His place. But his second daughter, Thalia, was gentle and kind, and so the world was not entrusted to her.”

Out of compassion, Melpomene began to share her rule with her younger sister. Together, they looked after the world. But the world still belonged to Melpomene and when Thalia saw her older sister punish humankind without hesitation, she wept.

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