# 66
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While carrying the unconscious Elinor on his back, his heart trembled violently.
He wasn't just a teenage boy going through puberty for the first time, but his heart was pounding just a little bit of touching her body.
He felt kind of foolish about himf.
'After Miss Elinor solves the territory's pollution problem...'
How could he keep her then?
The option of letting her go had already been eliminated from his mind.
He desperately wanted to keep her by his side by any means possible.
'If it was in the form of marriage, it would be better...'
The problem is that Elinor doesn't seem to like him at all.
In fact, Elinor was like that with everyone, not just him.
She was kind and friendly, but when someone tried to get too close to a certain level, she would put up a barrier.
The only person to whom Elinor revealed her true feelings was the child.
Seeing her like this, she seemed to be saying that the child was the only person in the world she could trust.
'But the child will eventually have to return to his real mother, right?'
What will happen to Elinor when she is separated from the only person she can depend on in the world?
Suddenly, Matthias felt like he was hit on the head with a hammer.
He had never thought about this problem before.
Since Elinor wishes to find Charlotte quickly, he believes that the future of the child meeting his mother is natural.
But for Elinor, it was a parting.
For some reason, Matthias could not imagine Elinor after this separation.
Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
Elinor's golden bird twittered softly at his ear.
Mathias was so deep in his thoughts that he did not hear the little bird's voice.
Then the golden bird began pecking Matthias' head.
“Go away.”
Matthias frowned, waving his hand.
But the golden bird did not give up and continued to peck its head.
In the end, he raised his head in annoyance and suddenly stopped.
“Eleanor…?”
His eyes widened.
His heart was beating like crazy.
Before his eyes, Elinor's body was collapsing towards the valley.
It was a high place with strong winds.
Falling down from here will make finding the body impossible.
But why Eleanor?
"no!"
Matthias rushed towards Elinor.
'Why couldn't I imagine Elinor after being separated from the child?'
Because it seemed like she would disappear without a trace.
His instinct whispered to him.
Catch Elinor at all costs.
If he wanted to keep her by his side, he had to make her want to stay in this world, on this earth.
* * *
The moment Elinor drew the final line to complete the array, she realized.
This plan has failed.
According to her calculations, the valley should have started reacting by now.
The spreading black magic should have gradually stopped, and a faint light should have appeared when the array was completed.
But the valley was quiet. No change occurred.
'Did I miss something?'
Over the course of ten years, the valley was slowly tainted by black magic.
The valley, which was matrix in nature, was definitely using the Earth's life force as an energy source.
But as the soil became polluted, plants and animals died one by one.
Now, all that remains is dry, heavily polluted soil.
'Even if the array exists, the energy needed to activate it is insufficient.'
After determining the reason, Elinor quickly threw a few mana stones through the transfer array.
But a few duplicate mana stones were not enough to revive the valley.
A stronger force was needed.
For example, the sacred power possessed by Charlotte, a world-recognized saint.
“Ha…”
Frustration overwhelmed her.
No matter how hard she tried, Charlotte was needed to solve the problem.
'Although I decided from the beginning to do what I could…'
It was as if there was absolutely nothing I could do.
She thought hard, but saw no other solution.
With the Matrix complete, Matthias will not be satisfied with delaying time.
So, in the end, she has to reveal that she has no holy power.
Matthias will discover that the person who demonstrated the holy power in the dueling tournament was not her, but the child.
Then the child will be in this dangerous place...
'No.'
Elinor shuddered.
'Think some way, Elinor.'
Even if I don't have any power, there must be some way...
[Why do you think there is nothing?]
At that moment, a faint sound was heard in her ears.
Elinor raised her head in astonishment.
Charlotte's voice was coming from the black barren valley.
[There is still life force.]
The polluted and dry earth whispered.
[The power that every living being possesses. Primordial power surpasses holy power for a single moment.]
'But that moment...'
End of life.
It means death, right?
Elinor hesitated, a faint laugh was heard, and then a cold voice returned.
[You were planning to use my sacred power against my will, but you hesitate to sacrifice your life?]
'No, it's not...'
[You just want to pretend to be nice. That's why you ran away with my child and planted false hope in the poor Duke.]
Charlotte's voice was cold and harsh.
Elinor's hands clasped together in fear.
‘The child possesses sacred power. The Duke covets that power. I tried to protect the child.'
[Lie. In fact, you just wanted to protect yourf by being sympathetic to the child.]
A cold voice that penetrates the desires buried in the subconscious.
Elinor shuddered, and Charlotte's voice laughed mockingly.
[Let's be honest, you don't care about the child's future. You just want to console yourf for your painful life of not getting love from your mother.]
Elinor felt as if her breath had stopped from the harsh criticism.
She shook her head no.
'Not true. 'I'm really worried about the baby.'
[Really? So why didn't you name the baby? Because it doesn't mean anything to you, right?]
‘That… because I wanted you, mother, to name him…’
[Do you think if I name the baby, you will feel loved?]
Elinor's eyelashes twitched.
She had such thoughts in the past.
Because her sister's son is in a similar situation to her previous situation.
She thought that if the child met Charlotte, his real mother, the wound in her heart would be healed.
But after the fire swallowed up her shelter with the child, and after Gilbert threatened the child, the meaning of the child changed for Elinor.
'The child is my family.'
Her only nephew, her beloved relative.
‘As a family, I will protect my nephew.’
[Then, prove it.]
Charlotte's voice whispered.
[Prove your honesty with your life. Revive the valley and save the child.]
'In my life...'
[Don't be too afraid.]
Charlotte whispered gently in her ear.
[If you take one step, we can all be together. A real happy family.]
Elinor glanced at the valley.
The deep valley filled with sharp rocks made her feel dizzy just looking at it.
But for some reason, she couldn't take her eyes off the black swamp.
The valley was calling to her.
He gently opens his arms, like a saint embracing everything.
'Okay.'
If I die, I can meet Charles and protect the child.
This was the best choice I could make.
Elinor stirred.
Her steps headed towards the edge of the cliff.
At the moment her body, which lost its balance, almost collapsed towards the polluted ground.
“Eleanor!”
A desperate hand grabbed her body.