A Letter from the Fortress
He remained lost in thought for a long moment before rising.
Tomorrow was a high-rank dungeon raid.
That day would prove far more grueling than usual.
All the other knights would enter the dungeon with their paired purifiers.
The mere thought sent Michael shooting upright.
Without hesitation he strode to his desk and scribbled a quick letter on the rough paper.
Minutes later he strode toward the purifiers’ dormitory with the envelope in hand.
The guards stationed at the entrance startled at the sudden night-time arrival.
“Sir Michael? What brings you here?”
“Deliver this letter to my pair, Irene Rodiam.”
“Of course, sir.”
Another knight would have entered the dormitory straight away.
He could not.
Turning his back on the Temple, Michael gazed at the large building.
Dozens of rooms, yet it felt grand and imposing.
He had never ventured deep inside, but the guest quarters where he had once stayed were exquisite.
Irene’s own quarters must be equally magnificent.
With slow steps he returned to his own room and continued his thoughts.
I must invite her to my chamber next time we meet.
***
The guard who received the letter excused himself to a colleague and headed to the dormitory.
At the entrance he noticed Cecilia deep in conversation with another purifier.
He bowed his head.
Ordinary Cecilia would have ignored the greeting and continued her task.
But the envelope in his hand bore the Temple’s insignia, narrowing her eyes.
She ended the conversation and addressed the guard.
“Who is this letter meant for?”
“It is for Lady Irene Rodiam, the pair of Sir Michael.”
The words made Cecilia’s expression stiffen for an instant.
She masked it at once, flashing a bright smile.
“How fortunate. I was about to visit Lady Irene anyway. I will deliver it personally.”
Normally the dormitory was off-limits to men, as only maids worked inside.
Yet Cecilia, the princess herself, would bring it.
She was the most reliable person here.
The guard handed over the letter without suspicion and left.
Cecilia pocketed it carelessly and resumed her conversation.
Deep into the night she retired to her room, retrieved the letter, and read it.
The contents were simple.
Although I may not accompany you on tomorrow’s raid, I hope you will wait at the entrance in case something happens.
How very Michael.
Others feared death and demonic corruption and would drag their purifiers into the dungeon.
He worried only for their safety and asked them to wait at the entrance.
Cecilia’s lips twisted.
…Why do you suddenly care about her?
Especially now.
One week earlier, the day Irene had held Michael’s hand and tried to purify him.
Cecilia summoned Irene and hurled the harshest words disguised as advice.
“Lady Irene, it is time you acted your age.”
“W-what do you mean…?”
“Have you truly not noticed how Sir Michael avoids you even today? How much he dreads you!”
Irene flinched and could not meet her eyes.
Cecilia pressed on.
“He is the pillar of this entire fortress. Yet you seize his hand without hesitation. Are you not concerned about his displeasure? You have been watching him for months; you know how much it affects him.”
The words were childish.
Yet the image of Michael rejecting Irene’s hand in front of everyone had struck her hard.
From the next day Irene vanished.
When Cecilia sent Wilhelmina—who claimed to be Irene’s friend—to investigate, she learned Irene remained locked in her quarters.
She has a high fever. She cannot even eat properly.
Wilhelmina’s smile was triumphant.
Thanks to you, Sir Michael no longer needs to follow her around. What a relief. Now he can raid the dungeon without worry. Honestly, how inconvenient it must have been to wait for her every time…
Wilhelmina criticized Irene as though waiting were a sin.
Cecilia listened as if the words were sweet music.
Days later she learned Irene was recovering, yet she still refused to leave her room.
Satisfied with the result she had worked toward.
How dare she become Michael’s pair.
She had poured her heart into him. Her own was supposed to be the first.
Yet a worthless newcomer had stolen him away.
Maybe she will break the pair contract herself.
She had pressed her so far; surely she might.
If only that arrogance could be crushed once and for all.
Cecilia bit her lip hard.
Why did Michael choose her first? It could only bring trouble.
She stared at the letter for a long time, then hurled it into the fireplace.
It flared instantly, consumed itself, and vanished without a trace.
Irene had not received the letter and would not come.
Moreover, Michael would never question him.
If she searched for the letter, she would only discover that Cecilia herself had thrown it away.
***
The next day Michael walked the perimeter of the dungeon.
He had lost count of how many times he had done this.
At some point a fellow knight had asked who he was waiting for.
She must have received the letter.
Yet she did not appear…
Michael paced anxiously, glancing at the entrance again and again.
Even as the raid departed, she had not shown up.
He swallowed the bitterness and stepped into the dungeon.
After the raid ends I will go find her.
The sight of her pale face still haunted him.
Why had she avoided his gaze so desperately, even though she was in pain?
He wanted to know the reason.
After the raid he had entered with that thought…
Kh!
A horrific pain seized his abdomen, yet he swung his sword anyway.
The grotesque creature’s blade was severed in half, spraying foul ichor.
The spot where the fluid splattered burned with an unnatural agony.
He could not stop.
Many knights lay fallen beside him.
If he did not defeat this monster, they would all die.
Engaging endlessly with the relentless creature, Michael finally felt death closing in.
He had never feared death before.
Born by divine will and living according to it, returning to the gods was only natural.
But if he died here…
Irene’s trembling plea—please pair with me—flashed in his mind.
At the time he had been too lost in regret to hear her words clearly.
Even now the same held true.
Michael had deliberately avoided Irene.
In other words, he had forced himself to suppress every thought of her.
She is my pair.
At the very least, a greeting would have been possible.
He could have learned why she had come to the fortress, why she had gathered so much money.
He could have met her eyes.
Trivial, meaningless thoughts crowded his mind.
At that moment a colossal monster appeared before him.
Even now, in his current state, victory seemed impossible.
Standing before it, he recalled death approaching fast.
Ha…
Michael saw the deepest desire he had ever hidden.
In the final moments of his life he had been with Irene.
Without any clothes between them.