Chapter 374: Time to Wake from the Dream (6K — Please Subscribe)

"You need someone to share this burden with you."

The deeply affectionate man (self-proclaimed) whose heart had been wounded by a scummy woman took a deep breath, his expression resolute, his eyes full of determination.

"Perhaps in your eyes, this is a responsibility you must bear, but you don't actually need to carry all of this alone."

Herbert leaned against Ofidia affectionately and said in a deep voice: "Ofidia, let me be with you!"

"As long as I also become a Keeper of Secrets, then I can share this burden with you."

Simple — isn't it just becoming a Sovereign for me?. JPG

He looked at the somewhat bewildered Ofidia, stepped forward once more, almost pressing right up against her.

"No matter what this will mean, no matter what I will face, no matter what this will cost, I will accept it gladly."

"I am willing to stand beside you and face it together."

One more thing to emphasize — Herbert did not actually know what had happened to Ofidia, nor did he know what burden she carried.

But this did not stop him from uttering such empty, formulaic words — he spoke them without any psychological burden at all.

Even without knowing the specific details, this kind of "concern" for others is eternally universal.

Being misunderstood is the fate of the one who expresses.

What one "intends to express" and what "others understand" will, in all likelihood, differ to some degree.

Some people rush to supplement and explain, wanting to clarify their own viewpoint and stance, to shrink this difference — or even make it disappear.

But some people are quite skilled at exploiting this "rule" in reverse — through hidden meanings in their words, deliberately magnifying this difference, even making the other party understand something entirely different.

When ambiguous words fall upon another's ears, they naturally become whatever that other person understands them to be.

Ofidia fell silent, looking with complicated eyes at the young holy knight before her who had decided to share this burden with her.

He wants to become a Keeper of Secrets for her sake…

The two of them don't even know each other!

Although Herbert claimed to know her, and claimed to have been hurt by her, as far as Ofidia was concerned, he was a complete stranger.

And now, a stranger was so resolutely determined to share this pain with her.

At such a moment, was there truly not even the slightest stirring in her heart?

Humans are not grass or trees — who can be without feeling?

To say there was not even the slightest stirring or touch of emotion in her heart would be a lie.

When a person is willing to shoulder pressure, to sacrifice everything, simply to stand beside you — even someone forged of steel could not remain unmoved.

However, even though her heart was stirred, Ofidia would not so lightly change her own thoughts.

"You… I'm sorry, I cannot let you become a Keeper of Secrets."

Because of Herbert's resolute declaration, Ofidia's attitude softened somewhat — much better than before — and her voice sounded considerably gentler.

"Herbert, I am very grateful for your thoughts, and I accept this intention of yours to share my burden, but I still cannot sit by and watch you walk down the wrong path."

"Besides, although you are excellent, when it comes to guarding secrets, you still lack a certain qualification."

Ofidia's manner was gentle, but the idea she expressed remained unchanged — still keeping people a thousand miles away.

You're very good, but I cannot accept.

Moved ten times over, yet still refused.

Handing out a "good person" card.

And after being handed the card, Herbert's performance was also very textbook.

His expression shifted slightly, he wanted to speak up and argue, but in the end he held himself back.

He looked at Ofidia with a wounded, complicated gaze, bit hard on his lip, clenched his fists, and only calmed down after quite a while.

"Haa…"

Herbert frowned and let out a long breath, then said in a deep voice: "I'm not qualified? Ofidia, are you doubting my loyalty? Doubting that I would leak the secrets?"

At this moment Herbert performed exactly like an honest man who felt angry at being doubted.

You actually question my loyalty!!?

How dare you!

Isn't this just bullying an honest man!?

Seeing that Herbert had not exploded on the spot, Ofidia became even gentler. She shook her head and said softly: "No, Herbert, you possess everything a holy knight should have — I do not doubt your honesty."

Although she did not know Herbert and had never had any contact with him, there was one thing she could be certain of — Herbert was an outstanding holy knight.

Words can deceive others, past experiences can be concealed, but the holy power within one's body cannot be faked.

This young man's body carried a purity of holy power she had never seen before — truly the ideal image held in the hearts of all holy knights.

Such pure, dense holy power meant that Herbert had taken extremely strict holy vows, and perfectly kept them.

Only by putting one's vows into practice through real action would one be favored by the gods.

For a holy knight so favored by the gods — what was there to doubt about his loyalty?

Nothing.

No one would doubt Herbert's loyalty.

Nor did anyone have the standing to question his qualifications as a holy knight.

After hearing this explanation, Herbert's expression eased slightly. He pondered for a moment, then continued to ask: "Then, is it strength that I lack?"

Strength — a question that can never be avoided.

No matter what kind of strength Herbert could secretly bring to bear through the special skills obtained from the monster girls, on the surface he was nothing more than an ordinary holy knight with high-tier strength.

Such strength could not be called weak in most situations — enough to handle most troubles in the mortal world.

But it absolutely could not be called strong, either.

What holy knights truly had to face was not merely mortal enemies, but very likely terrifying shadows from a higher plane.

Before a true powerhouse, high-tier strength was still somewhat insufficient.

When facing those lofty beings, Legendary was merely the entry ticket, Epic held a certain voice, and only Saints could truly sit as equals with Them.

However, Herbert felt no inferiority about this.

"If you doubt that my current strength is insufficient, you can rest easy."

Herbert's expression was not joking as he said matter-of-factly: "Although I only have high-tier strength now, I will soon be able to step into Legendary."

Loan!

This Legendary seat, I'll just take it on loan!

Of course, after hearing this, Ofidia gently nodded, expressing her agreement with his words.

"Mm."

Although Herbert spoke somewhat arrogantly, treating the Legendary realm as something in his pocket, Ofidia chose to believe his wild words.

She did not doubt that the youth before her could become a Legendary Holy Knight.

Herbert had the capital to be arrogant—no, in fact, everything he said wasn't much of an exaggeration, but rather a rather humble statement of fact.

In her view—no, in the eyes of any powerhouse above Legendary—Herbert had already reached the very peak that a high-tier Holy Knight could reach.

Others might not see the clues, but in their eyes, Herbert looked entirely different.

He had almost become light itself.

The holy power emanating from his entire body, moment by moment, had almost wrapped his whole person, as if forming solid battle armor.

Just standing there doing nothing, he could give people a very strong sense of oppression.

That silently radiating aura of authority could almost be regarded as that of a true Legendary Holy Knight.

In their eyes, Herbert was not at the level of "already half a foot into Legendary," but rather most of his body had already stepped in, with only the last heel not yet lifted.

Taking this last little step, Herbert could easily step into the Legendary realm.

But for some unknown reason, it was precisely this last bit that he could advance no further.

As if grabbed by the ankle by an invisible hand reaching out from the shadows on the ground, locked in place, unable to move forward.

What exactly was binding him?

This question flashed through Ofidia's mind but was not pursued further.

Her contact with Herbert was still too brief; she didn't know what had happened to him.

"Herbert, I have never doubted that you could become Legendary; this is not difficult for you."

"Besides, the Secret-Keeper itself doesn't have particularly high requirements for strength; not everyone needs to be Legendary or above."

After hearing her words, Herbert's expression improved again. He nodded slightly and asked in confusion: "Then what am I still lacking? What qualification am I missing exactly?"

This isn't a problem, that isn't a problem, then where exactly is the problem?

"You... currently don't have the qualification—the qualification to guard secrets."

Ofidia slowly began: "Herbert, this isn't contempt, because only a Secret-Keeper can guard these secrets."

"This has nothing to do with the loyalty in your heart, nothing to do with your strength; it lies solely in the constraints the Secret-Keeper Code places on us."

Hm?

Upon hearing this explanation, Herbert's heart stirred, and he almost failed to maintain his surface persona of a devoted lover.

"The Code's constraints?"

"Mm."

Ofidia hesitated for a moment, but ultimately decided to let Herbert see it firsthand.

"Forget it, I'll let you see it with your own eyes."

She shifted her hood slightly, letting the shadow shrouding her face dissipate a little, revealing a smooth, delicate, somewhat pointed lower half of her face.

Just as Herbert wondered what Ofidia was about to do, she gently opened her mouth and stuck out a somewhat slender tongue that vaguely resembled a snake's forked tongue.

!!?

"What!?" Herbert's eyes widened, and he couldn't help exclaiming.

Wait, bro?

Why suddenly escalate things this much?

Out of nowhere sticking out your tongue?

We don't seem to have reached that step yet, have we?

You this is... wait, that is!

On that pink tongue, Herbert finally ignored the tongue itself and noticed some strange runes inscribed on it, constantly shifting and flickering with various lights.

"This is..."

Looking at these runes, Herbert felt they seemed somewhat familiar. After thinking for a moment, he quickly recalled where he had last seen them.

On the snake tail!

Those runes were similar to those inscribed on Ofidia's snake tail, emanating invisible power.

After a period of silence, Herbert asked in a slightly hoarse voice: "Is this... the Secret-Keeper's constraint?"

Rustle, rustle, rustle...

Ofidia gently nodded, withdrew her tongue, adjusted her hood, and once again hid her face beneath the shadows.

"That's right, this is the constraint that every Secret-Keeper must abide by."

Although Ofidia had just done something so "suggestive," she seemed to have no self-awareness of it and remained as calm as ever.

"The constraint is something we voluntarily inscribe upon our souls; it can never be shaken off."

"Once the oath is sworn, you will be unable to speak freely, unable to casually tell the secrets in your heart to others."

"You are destined to keep company with loneliness."

She seemed to be complaining, but in truth she was admonishing Herbert — don't try, don't act rashly.

"Herbert, you still have a path of retreat to choose right now, you don't need to get involved…"

"Ophidia."

Herbert cut off Ophidia's words without mincing words.

"You think this will make me back down? Just how lightly do you take my resolve?"

At this moment, his expression calmed down, no longer angry, and without any anxiety.

"Will you try trusting me for once?"

Herbert looked at Ophidia and said softly: "Set aside your doubts, choose to trust me, I absolutely will not disappoint you."

"What would it take for you to be willing to trust me?"

"Do you need me to sign a contract? Or to swear an oath? Or is it that you can only face my soul to know whether what I say is true or false?"

As he spoke the words he had once "said" before Ophidia, he once again revealed a bitter smile.

"Is there really no hope at all?"

And whether it was because she had heard these words before, Ophidia's heart gave a violent jolt after listening.

She felt… as though she had once heard these words somewhere!!?

It really did seem, just as Herbert had said, that she had once known him, had once heard these words, but in the end, she had, like a heartless one, forgotten them all on her own.

At first she was only doubtful, but as more and more "details" piled up, she gradually began to believe Herbert's account.

Could it be that I really did hurt him once?

Ophidia actually did not have that much confidence in her own memories.

After choosing to bear the secret, she had gone through a very long period of confusion, spending a long time before she finally managed to sort out the order of her memories.

Then… what exactly did he once mean in my heart?

Although it was only a faint feeling, when Ophidia saw Herbert, a trace of bashfulness would unconsciously well up in her heart.

As if there were some blushing, bashful memories between the two of them.

Meanwhile, on the other side, after asking with that bitter smile, Herbert lowered his head, his body radiating a thick air of dejection.

"…"

Ophidia could not bear to see Herbert so downcast, and after a period of silence, she let out a helpless long sigh.

"Sigh…"

She had hurt him once before — was she now to hurt him a second time?

She looked at the dejected white-haired boy with a complicated gaze and said softly:

"Herbert, I still stand by my thoughts. I hope you can give up this idea — it would be the best outcome for you."

"But, if you absolutely insist on asking for a method, it isn't entirely impossible."

The boy jerked his head up the moment he heard this sentence, his gaze burning as he looked at her, his eyes filled with agitation and anticipation.

Pricked by that scorching gaze and somewhat unused to it, Ophidia tilted her head slightly, her body silently sliding back a little.

She had grown accustomed to loneliness and cold, and was unaccustomed to this passion and heat.

But Ophidia miscalculated on one point — she wanted to flee, but Herbert would not allow it.

The moment Ophidia moved, Herbert immediately followed.

One move, one follow; one move, one follow.

Neither of them spoke, but they drifted farther and farther from where they had been.

"…"

After the two of them silently slid sideways for more than ten meters, Ophidia finally gave up on that idea for good and stopped moving.

She hesitated briefly, then said slowly: "As long as you can become a Keeper of Secrets, then you possess the qualification to share the burden for me."

"Then…"

Before Herbert could speak in his excitement, Ophidia cut in first: "But! To become a Keeper of Secrets, you must pass a stringent trial."

"In this regard, I will not offer you any help — you must rely entirely on yourself."

"Find the method of the trial yourself, prepare the ceremony yourself."

Ophidia's attitude was very firm — I will point out a path for you, but exactly how to walk it, and how to reach the end, that depends on you.

If you can do it, then I will accept you.

But if you cannot do it, then never mention this matter again.

Herbert's delighted expression slightly softened, and he pressed his lips together.

"…"

After a long silence, he let out a sigh and asked in a low voice: "So that means, as long as I pass the trial, you won't obstruct me?"

Ophidia nodded lightly and said softly: "If you truly can pass the trial, then you will naturally become a new Keeper of Secrets, and I have no reason or qualification to stop you."

However, although Ophidia said this, she had already made preparations in her heart.

She did not intend to give Herbert any chance at the trial.

This seemed to offer hope, but in truth had no possibility of being realized.

To become a Keeper of Secrets, one must first pass the trial, but the trial… cannot be entered just casually — it requires a great deal of preparation and necessary resources.

Because the core reagents required for those trials, she would absolutely never hand over to him.

Just as Ophidia had always said — this place no longer needs any more sacrifices.

But just when she felt everything was seamless, the boy opposite suddenly broke into a brilliant smile.

"Good, very good! You said it yourself!"

"Haha!"

The youth, who had been sulking moments ago, swept away his gloom the moment he received the promise, and burst into hearty laughter.

Ophidia:???

Has he gone completely mad because he knows he can't do it?

This...

While Ophidia was still bewildered, Herbert stopped laughing, winked at her, and said: "Don't worry, I will definitely pass the trial! When the time comes, you absolutely must not go back on your word."

He stepped forward, somewhat rudely wrapping an arm around Ophidia's waist, and whispered teasingly to her: "Alright, it's time to wake from the dream."

"My dear Bishop of Ashes."

Bishop?

"Ashes? What are you talking... about!?"

Ophidia was utterly confused by those words; she stared blankly at the youth right before her eyes.

Halfway through speaking, her eyes suddenly flew wide open as if waking from a dream.

"Mm!?"

Memories spanning over a thousand years surged into her heart like a tide — Ophidia remembered.

She remembered everything!

And after recalling everything, Ophidia also recalled what she had just been thinking about him.

I owe him?

I hurt him!!?

Ah???

"Herbert! You —"

But just before she could roar out, the phantom around her shattered first.

Just as Herbert had said.

The dream, woke.

Those who are awake should not keep sinking into dreams.

"Her dream has woken."

After making contact with Ophidia, Herbert finally gained complete mastery over his own dream.

He was the master of this dream.

Before a new phantom could appear, Herbert, who had never actually fallen asleep, closed his eyes and murmured: "My dream, too, should wake now."

Nothing around him changed, and there was no sensation of waking from a dream.

But when Herbert slowly opened his eyes, he had already left the Illusion of the spiritual world and returned to the real world.

And the very first thing he saw upon opening his eyes was a pair of big eyes right up in front of him.

The petite Mirror Fairy was currently staring at him curiously, examining him over and over, muttering to herself.

Mm?

"... What are you doing?" Herbert couldn't help but ask.

Buddy, what are you doing?

"Me? I'm observing you!"

Lyucaria looked at Herbert without the slightest fear, and even after discovering he was awake, she did not leave.

She rubbed her chin, tilted her head, and said: "You actually succeeded? You look like you passed really easily? That's strange — didn't you run into any trials?"

Lyucaria's mouth fired off five or six questions in quick succession like a machine gun, her face written all over with "I'm very curious."

Herbert shrugged and smiled: "Easy? It wasn't really that easy, and besides, isn't it only natural that I could pass the trial? What's so strange about that?"

"That's not the same thing!"

Lyucaria shook her head and insisted: "For a complicated mind like yours, there should be tons and tons of thoughts in your head! How could it let you get through so easily? Didn't you feel the Illusion eroding you?"

Was it really that easy?

I don't believe it!

"What exactly are you... huh? What's wrong?"

Lyucaria kept pressing with her rapid-fire questions, but the youth, who had been about to answer, suddenly fell silent.

"..."

Herbert's gaze passed over Lyucaria and landed on the ancient mirror behind her; he stared quietly at his own reflection.

"So, the real trial was waiting for me here..."

A bitter smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, and he shook his head.

"To guard my true secret?"

Lyucaria:?

She looked at Herbert strangely at his sudden shift in mood, tilted her head in confusion, and called out: "Hey! Say something! And what's that expression? Did you see a ghost?"

In a certain sense, Lyucaria's words really weren't wrong.

Herbert really had seen a ghost.

"Herbert, what did you see?" The Mirror Fairy also sensed something was off by now, and asked softly.

What did I see?

"I..."

What did Herbert see?

It was a familiar, yet somewhat unfamiliar face.

Black hair, black eyes, dark circles.

A face worn from overwork, the corners of his mouth curving into an arc of disdain, deep within his eyes a hidden longing for love.

A complex composite of the ordinary, the proud, and the humble.

That was…

His past life.

(End of chapter)