/
(athanasiafrost)
“Pushook!”
Instead of a bullet, holy power pierced through the heart of the demon at once. It was an instant. It wasn’t hit farther away, there was no way it couldn’t be hit this close. The highest-ranking evil spirit died in one fell swoop without even making a sound.
I ran frantically and picked up the strange stone that had fallen along with its heart. It really wasn’t a gem. It was a stone the size of a flat thumbnail studded with the number ’10’ shining in five colors.
“Eloise
 ?”
The highest-ranking demon has disappeared, but Johannes holding the sword did not disappear and remained close by. I had two thoughts in that short time. The first was that the demon could be defeated, but Johannes could not be defeated, and the second was that this ‘time stone’ could be taken away as a result.
I held onto the ‘Time Stone’ and looked straight into Johannes’ eyes. He looked like he couldn’t believe it all. His yellow eyes were full of embarrassment.
“Johannes Noavik.”
He looked at me and muttered in a whisper. A lot of emotion rushed across his face as if he was in a moment of panic.
“
 Blue Ruby?”
Nevertheless, Johannes was approaching me step by step without hesitation. I slowly took a step back. Because I already knew how fast and sharp his sword could move in the moonlight.
“Are
 Are you really the ‘Blue Ruby’?”
Johannes said to himself with a confused expression.
Even when he invited me to chat with him, he didn’t show this much emotional agitation. He seemed very perplexed. It was as if it didn’t make sense that I was the Blue Ruby. In an instant, I remembered exactly the question he had asked earlier.
“No way
 I can’t
”
“What’s your relationship with the Blue Ruby, Miss Eloise Renoir?”[1]
He didn’t exactly refer to me as the ‘Blue Ruby’. He was just asking what kind of relationship we had.
That’s why he wasn’t sure until the end that I was a ‘Blue Ruby’. I don’t know what the hell he was deducing all this time, but it was clear that something caught him off guard.
“Wait, I have something to ask
 .”
Instead, he quickly cut off his words, looking at the face that seemed urgent and the peace that seemed never to be broken was broken. Anyway, thanks to him, I didn’t get hit by the demon, so I thought I should say thank you.
However, Johannes’ situation was not important now. So I didn’t listen to him to the end.
“Hey.”
Of course, he didn’t just cut off his words to extend his thanks. I knew how to use the ‘Time Stone’. I had heard from Barbara before.
“You can swallow it.”
“
 what?”
“You can eat it. Just swallow it and you will be able to utilize the ‘Time Stone’.”
I couldn’t figure out what the number 10 meant. And beyond that, I didn’t know what to do. However, I had nothing to be afraid of, who had reached a dead end anyway.
“Wait, wait, let’s talk first 
 !”
The person who was caught by him after talking to him for a while was now me.
I swallowed the ‘Time Stone’ so I would not speak to him anymore. I don’t even know what the hell this ‘Time Stone’ does.
Since I was captured by Johannes anyway, this was the best choice. There was no other way for me to wish for an unknown miracle.
In an instant, my stomach started to groan and my vision began to blur.
I felt as if my body was floating, the time in the world went backwards. I feel like throwing up and struggled, but I couldn’t even feel my body.
Nevertheless, the face of Johannes, who was the person I last saw, was clearly remembered. It was only then that I realized that I felt a slight sense of triumph at the bewilderment reflected on Johannes’ tough face.
***
(athanasiafrost)
And when I awoke once again

“Two more beers here, please!”
“
Eloise?”
I blinked, attempting to clear my hazy vision.
Before me stood Vincent, donning a dark gray hoodie, his brow furrowed. With his brown hair loosely tied in a ponytail, he stared at me curiously and asked what was wrong.
“What’s the matter?”
“Huh?”
I glanced down at my attire. I was wearing the same gray hoodie as Vincent. I awkwardly smiled and shook my head slightly. I immediately grasped the current point in time.
“Oh, nothing
 nothing.”
How could I forget this day?
The pleasant sounds, the lively and warm atmosphere, and the refreshing scent of alcohol. I took a moment to scan my surroundings and acclimate myself to the ambiance.
The waitress winked at Zion before placing a beer mug in front of Vincent and me.
Zion glanced at me and extended his hand.
“In any case, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Blue Ruby.”
It was 10 months ago. So, it was the first day I met Zion after blowing up ‘Ace’. Zion spoke cheerfully.
“Even though you don’t know me, it’s nice to meet you. Breathe easily. Vincent feels at ease conversing with me.”
For a moment, I was staring blankly at Zion’s outstretched hand.
Then I smiled and took his hand.
“Yes, I will.”
Because now I knew what a handshake was.
I no longer questioned why the women laughed at Zion in the past. After spending ten months together, I had come to know them well.
My attention swiftly shifted. The number 10 engraved on the ‘Time Stone’ appeared to signify turning back time by ten months. The pain in my heart had diminished to the same extent it had ten months ago.
Johannes had mentioned that it could only turn back time by a few months, and I was lost in my thoughts when Vincent spoke up.
“Anyway, why don’t you take Eloise to the South too? After all, she has no ID and nowhere to go.”
“Ah, I can fake your ID. And getting you to the South is not difficult. But there is not enough money to prepare both titles.”
Zion wiped the smile off his face and spoke seriously.
“Although the situation is challenging, it’s not entirely hopeless. Eloise, you can pose as my sister. A single document should suffice. In reality, even that is somewhat challenging, so be prepared to face some difficulties if you decide to journey to the South.”
Ten months ago, I had received the same offer. Yet, I had chosen not to go south.
Being Zion’s younger sister was merely a fabricated identity for the purpose of forging an ID; it wasn’t officially documented.
Instead, I had decided to remain in the capital and eliminate high-level demons. I had resolved to find a way to survive and, well, I believed that I would be able to turn back time with the ‘Time Stone’. Going south would eliminate even the slightest possibility.
Now that trust had been shattered, I had a different goal. Although the method was different, my determination to fully live my life remained unchanged. I rolled my eyes and muttered.
“ah
 South
 .”
Now, my focus was not on finding a supreme demon that could appear anywhere, but on a different matter.
When Johannes Noavik was eight years old, he obtained the ‘Time Stone’ by defeating the highest demon. It allowed him to reverse certain parts of his body to a desired point in time.
Using that ‘Time Stone’, I would turn back time to erase the magical mark engraved on my heart. If I simply turned back time to before the age of seven, it would naturally disappear.
“It’s is useless.”
Since Johannes himself had never used it, the ‘Time Stone’ was likely in the ‘Treasure Room’ of the Noavik Duchy. Everything Barbara had said about Johannes had been accurate.
So, what was the best way to reach the northern duchy where the ‘Treasure Room’ was located?
“Johannes was instructed by Prince Diego to wed a non-Northern woman. Johannes then set the bride’s requirement. 
  Oh, did he just create it so that nobody would agree?”[2]
Now I knew the future. It meant I could also manipulate future events.
Soon, Johannes Noavik would face pressure to marry. And he had stipulated an absurd condition that appeared to make it impossible for him to marry anyone.
Shortly thereafter, Leo Noavik would be attacked and killed by an evil spirit in the duchy.
“Okay, let’s all go to the South together.”
Zion wore a slightly surprised expression at my immediate response, then sighed, seemingly embarrassed, and said,
“But
 Eloise, you
”
I swiftly cut off Zion’s exasperated words. Both Vincent and Zion looked at me, visibly taken aback.
“I’m going to die soon? I know.”
Zion, expecting me to be shocked, muttered in astonishment himself. With a smile, I asked a question.
“Regardless, please take care of me for now. I don’t intend to stay in the South for long. But please watch over my identity.”
Recalling how they had treated me so kindly, I quickly added, driven by a sense of reciprocation.
“Let’s spend a few days in the capital, slay some demons, and then find the best mansion. We’ll live a leisurely life in the South.”
This way, both the temple and Johannes would learn that ‘Blue Ruby’ survived the downfall of ‘Ace’. But before I returned, I wanted to do something for those who had stood by my side until the end.
“Uh
 hmm
 okay.”
Zion appeared flustered by my unexpectedly resolute stance. Nonetheless, I disregarded his reaction and downed the beer in front of me.
“Hey! It’s probably your first time drinking. If you drink like that
”
Vincent furrowed his brow and grabbed my wrist, but I shrugged and adopted a no-nonsense expression. In truth, not even a single beer could make me drunk. But Vincent was unaware of that fact.
(athanasiafrost)
[1] Refer back to Chapter 22
[2] Refer back to Chapter 18