The Price of Breaching the Contract - Chapter 81

In that instant, Devil shuddered and writhed.

Santia didn’t miss the sign. It was the first clear opening he’d found.

He instantly adjusted his grip on his sword, seizing the opportunity.

The sword, quick as lightning, sliced through the air, aiming for Devil’s chest. Devil hastily twisted his body, but Santia’s sword pierced him nonetheless.

Kkyaaaaa!

Black blood splattered in all directions, followed by a scream that seemed to tear the sky.

The horrific wail was so powerful that the entire knight order took a step back. Amidst the noise, Devil began to blur like black smoke, soon becoming a heat haze and scattering into the air.

“Haa, haa! Yulania!”

Santia gasped for breath, taking out the pendant and kissing it. The holy stone, touching his parched lips, glowed quietly as if to say, “Well done.”

And as if that one act had shattered all balance, the remaining demons instantly screamed and vanished. The demons the knights were fighting let out ear-piercing shrieks one by one, turning into black mist and scattering into the air. In just a few seconds, the entire massive demon army had disappeared into thin air.

Before they could revel in their victory, everyone held their breath at the bizarre sight and watched the situation unfold. And when the black energy finally disappeared from the plains, only then did the knights breathe a sigh of relief.

“Lord! Look over there!”

In the empty plains, a knight shouted with his mouth agape, pointing at something.

Santia turned his head. Beyond the distant horizon, something faintly revealed itself after the darkness had lifted. From the center of the ground, subtle golden rays of light were gently spreading.

Early in the morning, a warm spring sun settled on Makari Castle after the north wind had subsided. However, the castle gates were already bustling with activity even before the carriage arrived. The men squinted, gazing at the fields, and the children craned their necks through the gaps in the castle gates. Soon, the standard-bearer of the knight order, riding a horse and kicking up mud, appeared.

It was Santia.

He led the way in his full armor, covered in dust, followed by the knights of Makari, who had safely completed the battle. Everyone’s faces were etched with fatigue, but above all, there was a sense of liberation and faint joy. Most striking of all was Santia’s firm gaze and the red bloodstains on his horse.

Once again, he had slain the demons, and Devil at their center, and returned.

“It’s the Duke!”

“The Duke is back!”

The cheers of the territory’s people erupted. Children threw flowers, and women waved handkerchiefs, clasping their hands together as if in prayer. An old man in the crowd said, as if sobbing,

“Now, truly, this land has become our land.”

Santia didn’t answer. He simply rode his horse at a slow pace towards the castle. His gaze was fixed on one place only, where Yulania was waiting. As if not taking a single step in vain, he passed through the castle gates and slowly entered.

With his return, another piece of news was delivered to Makari Castle. The expedition that had defeated Devil had discovered an unexpected result in the demon-infested area where Devil had appeared. In the underground cave where traces of medium-sized demons remained, a vein of ore emitting a faint light was discovered. At first, it was thought to be residual traces of mana, but upon closer inspection, it turned out to be holy stone itself. A whopping tens of tons of holy stone were intertwined in a fixed pattern within the solidified strata.

“Demons nesting on holy stone.”

Santia, sitting in the meeting, clicked his tongue with a look of incomprehension. Diego nodded heavily.

“That’s right. We can’t know for sure, but it’s certain that they didn’t avoid the holy stone, but were rather at its center.”

“Strange.”

“Some scholars have already arrived. This may not be a simple resource issue. There has been a change in the nature of the holy stone itself.”

The report was soon delivered to Yulania as well. The infested area, located a few hours away from Makari Castle, was also within the range of the massive light that Yulania had emitted. The holy stone seemed to have interacted with the power she wielded, forming an organization in a fixed form, and in the process, it was emitting a signal different from its original properties.

“Is the holy stone remembering?”

At Yulania’s cautious question, Santia nodded.

“Based on the circumstances so far, the holy stone that has been in direct contact with your emotions emits a much stronger light than other holy stones.”

Santia said those words and then quietly looked at Yulania.

“It seems you have conquered the land of demons.”

His words were not just a simple victory report. It was a declaration, a warning. It was the moment he proved to the world that no more invaders like demons could set foot in Makari.

This change breathed new life into the entire territory of Makari. The fact that holy stone had been found in abundance alone made the territory’s people rejoice as if treasure had sprung up from the ground, and some volunteered at the holy stone mining site to get new jobs. For the first time, the word “future of the kingdom” began to be naturally attached to this place, which had been called a cursed land for an unknown number of years.

Yulania walked among the overgrown flowers in the garden and lightly brushed past a piece of holy stone at her feet. Then, as if to greet her, the small stone trembled slightly and emitted a faint yellow light. The maid who saw the sight exclaimed in admiration.

“Princess, now it reacts like that even when you don’t touch it!”

At Vanessa’s words, Yulania smiled softly and nodded. It was an undeniable fact that her power was expanding day by day. The holy stone seemed to be reacting to her emotions, and it was now becoming not just a tool to protect her life, but a medium to change the world.

As scholars dispatched to study the holy stone began to gather at the castle, small laboratories and research centers were temporarily set up on one side of Makari Castle. Immediately after Santia’s return, some of them directly sought his permission and said this:

“Duke, this holy stone has more meaning than just a mineral. The reaction of purifying mana or resonating with specific emotions cannot be explained by existing physical laws. Perhaps would it be okay to study the Duchess’s involvement with the holy stone?”

Santia was silent for a while. It was not an easy matter to allow, as he prioritized Yulania’s safety above all else. However, Yulania stepped forward and said,

“If the holy stone can illuminate this land and protect the people, I want to help too.”

At those words, the scholars bowed their heads as if moved. The fact that Yulania no longer regarded herself solely as someone to be protected was probably a change that had arisen from this battle.

The fact that she had gone directly to the battlefield and defeated numerous demons with the light of the holy stone was not just a simple rumor, but had spread almost like a myth. The territory’s people began to call her the Princess of Light, and some even used the title of Saintess. Yulania blushed at the title, but did not deny it.

“Whatever a Saintess is defined as, it’s a fitting name for you.”

When Santia said that one day and kissed the back of her hand, Yulania looked into his eyes without saying anything. The trust and pride contained in those eyes were a stronger comfort than any words.

That night, the two went out to the quiet garden. The garden, with holy stones hung everywhere like lights, created a mysterious atmosphere as if stars had fallen. The flowers swayed in the spring breeze and nodded, and the couple strolling among them looked more peaceful than ever.

“This garden, this castle, it’s a miracle you created.”

At Santia’s words, Yulania shook her head.

“No, you and I protected it together. And we created a future for our child to grow up in.”

At those words, Santia was speechless for a while. Instead, he quietly held her hand. Warm body temperature was transmitted through the night air.

And even after that day, spring continued to come.

Research on the holy stone became more and more active as the days went by. The holy stone, which was initially regarded only as a tool to stop demons or as a medium for purification, was now being used in a completely different area.

It was a change that originated from Makari Castle. People who saw the small holy stones placed throughout the garden sparkling in the sunlight during the day and emitting a faint light at night, illuminating the surroundings like lights, began to follow suit one by one. In the village, houses already appeared with holy stones hung on the ceiling or hung in the windows to create a night view. The warm and soft light had a different kind of comfort than light bulbs, and was especially popular in homes with young children or those with frail health.

Scholars accepted this phenomenon as more than just lighting. They focused on the fact that the internal structure of the holy stone had wavelengths similar to mana, and that its properties were altered through specific emotions or personal contact. They began to regard the holy stone as a new source of power, and tried to explore more possibilities through various experiments.

However, not all holy stones showed the same reaction. The ability to put light into the holy stone, and the process of stabilizing the properties of that light, had to go through Yulania thoroughly. Holy stones that had not passed through her hands easily extinguished their light, and their purification power and lighting power were also unstable. Naturally, the Makari territory became the center of national attention.

“In the Makari territory now, light dwells.”

This saying was repeated like a fad among the noble families, and footsteps heading to Makari followed one after another. At the beginning of a new era, Yulania was at its center.

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