I Regressed and the Genre Changed

Chapter 70 – Asven (1)

[Translator – Peptobismol]

Chapter 70 – Asven (1)

Diana ran.

She ran, squeezing out the last drop of her magic.

Her legs were numb, her heart pounded wildly, but she had to endure.

There was no time to dawdle.

If she missed this chance, there might never be another.

‘Just a bit faster.’

Diana, carrying Kyle on her back, ran through the forest path, having exited through the mansion’s back door.

Finding the route wasn’t difficult since she had already mapped out her escape route.

Then, it happened.

Boom—

A heavy vibration echoed faintly.

Diana briefly turned her head, then looked forward indifferently and continued running.

No doubt, it was some trouble among them.

There was no time to be distracted by their nonsense.

By now, they must have noticed that Kyle was gone.

Maybe they had already begun their pursuit.

‘Almost there.’

Soon, she would reach a small carriage waiting for her, big enough for just a couple of people.

It was a carriage she had prepared in advance with money given to her by her master, with a driver she had already hired.

She would take that carriage and escape to the Kingdom of Asven, not the Empire.

Asven was located at the easternmost end of the Eastern Continent, making it more desolate and quieter than any other region.

Practically an outland, it had a small population and few visitors, making it an ideal place to hide.

She had already made arrangements and prepared a place to stay.

She would take the carriage to the capital of the Eastern Continent, Dakar, then transfer to another carriage to Asven.

Diana planned to revive Kyle there.

She would hide in Asven until the situation calmed down and the vigilance weakened.

She would plan to steal the Relic then.

Everything was perfect.

Everything was going smoothly without any hindrance.

As long as she didn’t miss the prepared carriage.

She was almost there…

“…!”

Ah, there it was.

In the distance, she saw a carriage parked by the roadside with a driver looking around.

Diana ran faster, urgency in her steps.

She ran with the strength she squeezed out by clenching her teeth.

Her muscles screamed from the overuse of magic, and her legs trembled from the terrible exhaustion, but she ignored it and ran.

“Huff… huff…”

Finally, she arrived.

Diana staggered out of the bushes and approached the carriage.

The driver, startled by her sudden appearance from the forest, took a step back.

“Why are you coming out of the forest when there’s a proper road?!”

Diana had no energy to respond. She dragged her trembling legs to the carriage and opened the door.

She laid Kyle on the seat and then half collapsed onto the open carriage.

“What? Who is that man? He looks terribly unwell…”

“Stop talking and start moving… it’s urgent…”

“Huh? Should we depart immediately?”

Diana nodded, panting, and the carriage began to move.

Using her last bit of strength, she scanned outside through the window.

She heightened her senses, but there was no sign of pursuit yet.

Ah, she did it.

It was a bit rushed, but she had accomplished her mission.

Her heart pounded so hard it felt like it would burst through her ribs.

After running without thinking about the consequences, her body refused to move.

She felt a brief wave of relief before dizziness set in and her vision blurred.

Breathing was as difficult as if a stone had lodged in her chest.

“Hey, are you alright?”

“……”

Diana lay on the floor, unmoving, opening and closing her eyes.

The scenery outside the window passed by quickly.

Slowly.

Very slowly.

Diana managed to pull herself up and carefully sat on the seat.

She saw her master lying opposite her.

Finally, Diana breathed deeply, leaning back and closing her eyes.

‘I did it.’

She had finally rescued her master.

They had escaped from Winfred, and from the Empire.

Most importantly, they were closer.

Closer to her master’s long-desired return to his original world.

For the first time, a smile crept onto Diana’s lips.

And at that moment, the accumulated fatigue overwhelmed her.

“……”

Just a little.

Just a little nap.

Her smile faded.

Her eyelids grew heavy, and she lost consciousness.

The carriage’s jolting became a soothing rhythm.

Diana fell asleep like that.

****

Clatter—

The carriage shook continuously.

At that moment, Diana’s body, deeply asleep, shuddered.

Shortly after, she awoke in excruciating pain.

Had she pushed her body to its limit?

Every muscle ached and screamed in agony.

She swallowed a groan and turned her creaking body to look outside the window.

Diana was amazed.

Everywhere she looked, there were people.

Only people.

Neatly maintained stone roads, houses, and shops crowded together.

It was the scenery of a proper city, unlike the dreary green landscape she had left behind.

Indeed, the Eastern Continent, unlike the Empire’s capital, had a rustic charm.

Looking up, she saw the sky tinged red.

Then, she heard a man’s voice.

“Oh, you’ve finally woken up.”

Diana whipped her head to the side.

Right in front of her, the driver was leading the carriage, smiling kindly.

“How long has it been?”

“Hoho, it’s been a full day already. I’m glad you’re awake. You were sleeping so soundly, I thought you might be dead!”

[Translator – Peptobismol]

A whole day had passed.

That meant she had been unconscious for an entire day.

Diana sighed and rubbed her forehead.

She reached out and checked her bag.

Everything was intact.

Her wallet, the currency inside, and the Elixir.

“But your companion still hasn’t woken up. Is there a problem?”

“There’s no problem.”

Diana coldly dismissed the driver’s question.

The driver, taken aback, stammered on.

He mentioned that the man had been lying motionless all day, looking as pale as a corpse.

Diana didn’t respond.

She looked out the window, throwing a question to cut off the driver’s incessant chatter.

“How much further to our destination?”

“Oh, if you’re talking about Dakar, we’re almost there.”

Dakar, the capital of the Eastern Continent.

They would rest there for a day, and at dawn, they would head to the Asven territory.

Diana stared blankly out the window, lost in thought.

When her master revived, and when they obtained the Relic to open the dimensional gate, her master would return to his original world.

The world without her master.

A half-mad Saintess probably couldn’t properly fend off disasters, and neither the Royal Family nor the Papal See was stable.

The world might end.

A world engulfed in black mist would be truly horrific.

It would be a lie to say she wasn’t afraid, but it was fine.

The day she met her master at the Knighting Ceremony, she had vowed to devote everything to him.

The face of her master, tormented by terrible nightmares, flashed before her eyes.

Her master did not belong to this world.

He had a family and friends waiting for him.

So she had to help him.

To reclaim his rightful place.

Diana looked down at Kyle cautiously.

She reached out and gently touched his fingertips.

As she did, her eyelids fluttered slightly.

“……”

She had no expectation of leaving this world with her master.

She had erased that thought.

She didn’t want to be a burden.

She didn’t want to remind him of the terrible memories from this place every time he saw her.

She had no attachment to this world, and even less to life itself.

So it was fine.

She had always been alone.

Then, the driver’s voice came.

“You said you were heading to the central district, right?”

“Yes.”

“Then we’re almost there. Get ready.”

Diana nodded.

She gathered her belongings and slowly raised her magic.

She expanded her senses.

There might still be a pursuit.

The irregular footsteps, whispered conversations, sudden coughs…

Her extremely heightened senses reacted to her magic, surpassing their limits.

As her perception expanded, waves of information flooded her mind.

Then.

A familiar, yet unpleasant sensation.

An indescribable feeling that made her skin crawl.

“Stop.”

“Huh? We’re not quite at the central district yet.”

“It’s fine. Stop.”

The driver, bewildered by her firm tone, halted the carriage.

Diana got out, carrying Kyle on her back.

She rummaged through her belongings and handed the driver his fare.

“Oh my, thank you.”

The driver bowed with a cheerful smile and left.

Diana raised her magic, erasing her presence.

She looked around cautiously and began walking towards a less crowded area.

Then, someone entered Diana’s highly sensitive field of vision.

A dark brown robe covering their entire body.

Purple hair peeking out from under the hood.

Bright green eyes shining brilliantly.

“Merlin… Trivia…”

The fallen priest, Merlin Trivia.

She was looking around, waiting for someone.

As if…

She knew Diana would be here in advance.

[Translator – Peptobismol]