Her name, ‘Erina’, was more precious to her than anything else.
A precious name bestowed directly by her master.
A word that proved his affection.
It was nothing less than a blessing, proving the meaning of her existence.
Erina received many things. Body, voice, equipment.
All bestowed upon her by her master. There was nothing among them that was not precious.
But if she had to choose only one thing among them, she would choose her name without hesitation.
Even if everything else were taken away, she swore to cherish her name forever.
To Erina, her name held a significance beyond measure.
‘I am Erina. The name given to me by my master. Evidence that he has bestowed blessings upon me.’
Only she had the qualification to receive blessings.
She believed that she was the only one chosen in this world.
But her belief crumbled.
Her master bestowed a name upon the nameless dragon.
‘Kayla.’
The name Seo-Hyun gave to the nameless dragon.
Just like Erina, it meant that she too was chosen.
Upon realizing this fact, Erina could not maintain her composure.
A part of her heart, which had always been strong, collapsed.
She felt a tearing pain in her chest.
Her precious name was taken away before her eyes.
It was a reality she never wanted to imagine.
“Why… why would you do such a thing?!”
Did her master no longer love her?
Had his affection waned? Had he grown tired of her altogether?
Erina couldn’t fathom the reason no matter how much she thought about it.
She believed that everything she had done so far was for her master.
Her life was solely for her master.
She had lived every day without forgetting that thought.
She believed that she would be loved as much as she worked hard.
But instead, her actions were undermining trust.
As this thought became ingrained in her mind, she could do nothing.
She had nothing to do but collapse on the floor and wail.
***
“Erina.”
Approaching her as she cried on the floor, having lost everything, made my head ache.
Erina had clearly done wrong.
Not only had she fought with the inn’s guests, she had also trashed the room and almost killed Kayla.
She ignored my request and harmed others.
But she cried in sorrow as if she had done something wrong.
Like a 5-year-old throwing a tantrum.
The problem was, Erina wasn’t a child, she was an adult.
“I understand, so stop crying now.”
I tried to soothe her with a calm tone.
When she didn’t show signs of calming down, I held her hand and patted her back.
“I really like you! So I just wanted to protect you…!”
“Yes. I know.”
Yes, in a radical way, she liked me.
But this method was wrong.
“I really believe in you! I’ve never doubted you or been suspicious of you…!”
“I know.”
“But why did you make such a strange contract with that woman and give her a name…!”
“It was necessary.”
“No! There was no need for it at all! I could have protected you forever!”
“That’s impossible.”
When we first met Kayla, I fell off a cliff and almost died.
At that moment, she couldn’t help me either.
Such situations are likely to occur frequently in the future.
I might even separate from Erina someday.
“You know it too. Last time, I almost died without Kayla.”
“That’s…!”
For Erina, it was nothing short of a huge mistake.
It was also a reason for me to become stronger.
“I want to become stronger.”
The reason I became a Dragon Knight was clear.
To make Kayla my companion and become stronger.
“I want to protect myself rather than relying on you. It doesn’t mean I don’t trust you.”
“…”
“I simply want to do my part as one person.”
And I had to prevent Erina from ever committing such acts again.
She had committed murder without my noticing.
Furthermore, when left alone, she fought with people at the inn.
She even tried to kill Kayla, who should have been welcomed as a companion.
I couldn’t just let Erina go on recklessly.
Erina had to be restrained from running wild.
That’s why I had to become stronger.
“I’ll continue to be with Kayla in the future.”
Erina stubbornly shook her head as if she absolutely hated that.
But I didn’t back down.
In times like these, I had to be even more firm.
“Remember what you promised me at the fountain?”
“Yes…”
She always promised to trust me.
Erina also promised to stand by my side.
In the end, she was a character I created.
And she harbored endless affection for me.
Who else would be with her in such situations if not me?
“I want to continue being with you.”
“Me too…”
“You’re more special than Kayla. You’re my first companion.”
I firmly grasped her hand. Erina looked at me with desperate eyes.
I felt her earnestness in her trembling eyes.
“Am I really more precious to you…?”
“Yes. I mean it.”
“You cherish me more, love me more, like me more, trust me more, and think more about me than that woman…?”
The words began to become increasingly rough.
Madness was flowing from her trembling eyes.
Still, I continued to nod.
“Yes. I like you more than Kayla.”
As the words continued, the trembling of her body gradually subsided.
Her rough breathing also calmed down.
The excitement faded, and she returned to her usual self.
Just like that, Erina approached me and embraced me.
She clung to me like a child seeking warmth.
She wrapped her arms around my waist and clasped her hands.
“I really like you…”
“I know.”
“I love you more than anyone else. I want to live only looking at you.”
“…”
“So for now, I’ll do whatever I can to hold back…”
Erina hadn’t shaken off her obsession yet.
But at least she didn’t ignore the presence of a companion.
She implicitly acknowledged Kayla as a companion.
For now, this was the best I could do.
“I need you to make peace with Kayla.”
“Yes…”
I could barely get a response out of her.
Though not a friendly attitude, I could still get Erina to respond somewhat.
“And never fight again.”
“Okay…”
“Never kill anyone. This is my final request.”
Though uncertain, she still nodded her head.
That was all I could say.
Perhaps this would be the last time I tried to soothe Erina with warm words.
If such a situation arose again, I vowed not to just let it pass.
Finally, the conversation ended.
I gently pushed Erina, who was cautiously embracing me, and sighed.
From dawn until now, there has been too much going on.
With a tired body, I barely managed to get up.
“After you’ve calmed down, come out. Understand?”
“Yes…”
We needed some time to think things over.
And there were things to discuss with Kayla as well.
So I decided to leave her alone for a while.
As I was about to open the door and leave, I heard Erina’s voice.
“I’m sorry. I was wrong…”
I didn’t bother to respond.
I hurriedly went outside and closed the door. I could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
But it wasn’t over yet. There were things left to do.
As soon as I stepped out of the room, I saw Kayla.
She was leaning against the wall of the hallway, wearing her robe.
She must have been waiting for me all this time, as she approached me and bowed her head when she saw me.
“Kayla.”
“Yes.”
She probably heard everything Erina and I said.
Given the distance, there was no way she couldn’t have heard.
Unlike Erina, Kayla showed no signs of being agitated.
Instead, she waited for me with a composed demeanor.
“Are you hurt?”
“I’m fine. Thanks to my master’s care, I’ve recovered.”
No matter how effective potions were, they couldn’t alleviate mental shock or fatigue.
But Kayla stood there with an indifferent expression.
Instead, she smiled faintly as if trying to reassure me.
“When Erina comes out, she’ll apologize to you.”
“Yes.”
“It’s shameless of me, but can you accept her apology?”
To reconcile with someone who had tried to kill her just moments ago.
It was a request that anyone would find hard to fulfill.
But Kayla nodded casually.
“Of course.”
She listened to my words with ease, as if understanding how sorry I felt.
Unlike Erina, Kayla didn’t seem to be worried.
Perhaps the conversation would end without any further friction.
“And there’s something I want to ask you.”
“Yes. Please, go ahead.”
“Tell me everything you and Erina talked about when you were alone.”
Without hesitation, Kayla began the conversation.
She recounted everything from last night, from the conversation that led to the fight to the reason behind it.
Among them, there was one thing that bothered her.
“She referred to me as ‘Master’.”
“Yes. Erina used that term to address you.”
When Erina tried to strangle Kayla, she called me her master.
It was now confirmed.
Erina perceived me as her master.
It perfectly matched the testimony of the Goddess.
There was no longer any doubt.
If Kayla’s words were true, then Erina had practically confessed herself.
Erina had known me from before.
And in her heart, she followed me as her master.
But just when it seemed like the tangle was unraveled, it started tangling up again.
What was the reason for wanting to subdue the Demon King with me?
And why was she trying to stop me from getting stronger?
And why did she spare the Goddess?
Rather than clarifying, more questions arose than before.
