Liberation of The Slaves

Chapter 77 – Her Final Hope And Legacy

I started to wonder what was taking Selena so long. I’d only asked for a glass of water.

But a few minutes later, a warm, pleasant aroma drifted into the room—soft spices, vegetables simmering—and then the door creaked open.

“I made some food,” she said, stepping in. “And here—wear this.”

She handed me something.

“…Clothes?”

“Yes. Your current ones are too tattered,” she said casually. “It’s better to throw them out. This set’s something I wore when I was younger. Sorry—I don’t have anything specifically for boys.”

I glanced at the outfit. A simple green shirt and white shorts. The fabric felt soft but sturdy. Honestly, there wasn’t anything particularly ‘girly’ about it.

I didn’t really understand why she was going out of her way for this—just for a glass of water—but I accepted it with a small nod.

“Thanks. I’ll change and come out soon.”

She nodded, then walked to the wardrobe, pulled out her own change of clothes, and left the room—probably to change elsewhere.

I changed into the clean set, then stepped out of the room.

A square wooden table waited in the center of the dining room, a pot of steaming soup set beside a bowl of cut vegetables. Selena sat opposite me, already in a new set of clothes, sipping calmly from a wooden cup.

It was the same comforting scent I remembered from three days ago—right before I’d passed out.

“Hey… is it true elves only eat vegetables?”

She tilted her head. “Hmm? Not really. We can eat meat too. I just don’t have any right now. I rarely go out hunting. It’s easier to gather herbs and berries.”

“I see… Wait, you gathered those? You didn’t buy them from a store?”

“Huh? Oh! Hahaha!”

Her laughter resonated as I tilted my head in puzzlement.

I sipped water from the wooden cup while awaiting her response.

“Oh! That’s right—I never told you where we are.” She wiped a tear from the corner of her eye, still chuckling. “I live alone in the northern forest. Quite far from any town.”

She provided the information with casual ease, like she was just naming a street in town.

“I live on the northwest side of the Amazon Forest. Not the deepest part, but pretty far in.”

“PFFFFTT—!!”

I sprayed water across the floor, my body jerking as I nearly choked.

“W-Wait—did you just say the Amazon Forest!?”

She tilted her head with a small, innocent smile. “Yup.”

I froze.

My thoughts stopped.

I stared at her as the words sank deeper.

Amazon Forest?

That Amazon Forest?

The kind of place people whispered about in hushed tones around fires. The kind of place maps didn’t bother to chart past a certain point because no one ever came back, not adventurers, not even armies.

I could feel my heart thudding harder, pounding in my ears like a war drum. My throat dried instantly.

No one lives in the Amazon Forest. No one survives.

It was the largest stretch of uncharted land in the entire northern continent—spanning from Zieghart Kingdom to the Rosenwood Kingdom, crossing even the Herrschaft Empire. A green void on the map.

I remembered stories of soldiers eaten alive by beasts that didn’t even exist in monster logs. Some said the forest had no end. Others claimed it was cursed—alive.

And she was telling me she lived there? Casually? Near the deepest part? Like it was just the edge of some peaceful town?

My stomach churned. My back was already damp with cold sweat.

I slept here…? I’m still alive?

Somehow, that scared me even more.

Was she insanely powerful… or just completely insane?

But if there is a house… it should be safe, right?

There is no way she would live in a place where her life might be in danger every second.

Yup, it should be safe.

I tried to convince and calm myself.

“I… Uh… sorry,” I stammered, glancing at the wet floor. “I-I made a mess. Is there a mop or something? I can clean it.”

She chuckled. “It’s fine. Let’s eat first.”

I blinked at her again. She was serious.

How could anyone just live here?

Not just survive—but live alone, cook soup, gather herbs, smile like nothing was strange.

Was this what it meant to be strong?

To treat the unknown and the terrifying as just another day?

“If you say so. Thanks for the meal.”

I began eating—trying to erase the chaos inside my mind. The soup was simple, but comforting—familiar. As the warmth spread through my chest, I decided to bring up what really mattered.

“So, Selena… about your curse.”

She didn’t look up from her bowl. “It’s alright. I’m fine. No need to bring it up.”

“Huh?”

I tilted my head. Her tone was too casual—like she’d already dismissed the topic entirely.

She spoke again before taking a sip of water.

“I know. You sent me out because you didn’t know how to explain it, right? Don’t worry. I didn’t expect anything.”

Ah… she misunderstood.

“No,” I said calmly. “I finished analyzing it. And I know how to cure it.”

PFFFFT!

This time, she sprayed water across the floor and leaned in, eyes wide.

“W-What did you just say!?”

H-Her face was way too close!

I gently pushed her forehead back. “I said I’ve analyzed your curse. And I know several ways to remove it.”

She blinked a few times, then slowly sat back down.

“R-Really…?”

“Yes. Why would I lie to the person who saved my life?”

Over the course of our meal, I carefully explained everything I’d learned about her curse.

her brows drew together in silent disbelief.

“I see…” she murmured, placing her spoon down and staring into her bowl like it could somehow help her process the truth. “So… their experiment wasn’t just twisted madness. They almost succeeded?”

I nodded. “Yes. If they had used pure dark mana—untainted by malice—they could’ve stabilized it. You wouldn’t be cursed. You’d probably possess both light and dark elements right now, and also an additional long-lost element that combines between the two.”

She leaned back in her chair slowly, as if trying to put distance between herself and the weight of that revelation.

“Haa…” she exhaled, her voice quieter. “I can’t believe it… My master and I spent over a hundred years chasing answers. Ran ourselves into dead ends, chasing rumors, deciphering relics. And you…” She looked at me, a sad, tired smile forming. “You figured it out over lunch.”

“Well, you could say I have a skill that can analyze it.”

I didn’t reveal Azadia’s identity to her.

“You don’t need to tell me more,” she said with a soft wave of her hand. “I’m grateful either way.”

I nodded.

Then she looked at me again, her voice steadier.

“So… how do we remove it?”

“There are three ways.”

“Three?” Her eyes widened. “There’s more than one?”

I nodded. “Let me explain.”

I lifted a finger. “First option—replicate the original plan. Introduce pure dark mana into your body to overwrite the curse.”

Her lips pressed into a line. “Pure dark mana is a myth. You said it yourself—it’s impossible.”

I nodded. “Exactly. That’s why we’re not counting on it.”

She leaned forward slightly. “Second?”

“A pure holy element can purify it as well.”

Her expression soured. “Even the saint from the Holy Kingdom couldn’t do it. He was said to be blessed by the gods. Though I haven’t tried to ask the saint of this generation.”

I shook my head. “Even they weren't pure enough. A true holy element only exists in people who are completely untainted by hate or darkness. And those are... rare. Nearly nonexistent. In history so far, only a few saints had a pure holy element.”

Basically, it’s a myth too.

She looked away, folding her arms.

“I guess that one’s out too…”

Selena leaned forward, the faintest tremble in her voice.

“So… what is the last method?”

I hesitated.

“It’s the most realistic option,” I began. “But it comes with risk.”

She didn’t flinch. Just waited, as if she would never care about the risk.

“It involves your unique element—Heavenfire.”

Her brows drew together. “My heavenfire?”

Even if she doesn’t care about the risk, I should tell her about it.

“You’ll definitely lose your strength.”

Her expression didn’t change—but I saw the faint catch in her breath.

“Not might. Will,” I emphasized. “Your stats will drop. Your mana and aura capacity, magic power… everything.”

I continued. “Well, you might be able to gain your power again by training as usual.”

She waved her hand casually. “It’s fine. I don’t care about the risk. I have saved quite a lot of slaves anyway, so it’s time to retire. Developing magic and magic tools doesn’t require much mana. And I don’t need to fight if I stay here. Nobody approaches my house after all.”

She answered without any hesitation. It seems she really didn’t care about the risk.

She exhaled. “So, what’s the method?”

“We can use it to burn the curse out of your body—from the internal and external. It has the purification strength to destroy what’s lodged in your heart.”

“Burning myself with heavenfire?” She contemplated a bit. “Well, I can control the temperature, so it should be fine. I can also control both internal and external at the same time.” She nodded and was about to stand up. “Let’s do it right a—”

“You can’t,” I said firmly, shook my head as I cut her off. “Not alone.”

Her brows drew together slightly. “What do you mean?”

“To destroy the curse, you have to burn it with Heavenfire from both the inside and the outside—at the same time. That means internally through your heart, and externally, focused on the chest from the surface.”

Her lips parted slightly and she sat back.

“The process is delicate but powerful,” I continued. “The internal burning has to be executed with absolute precision—directed with the full force of your mind. And at the exact same time, the external fire has to match it—equal force, equal control.”

Selena went quiet.

“If you try to split your focus… your brain won’t be able to handle it. Not because you’ll make a mistake—but because it’s impossible. Each side demands your full mental capacity. If you divide that, even for a second…”

I let the words hang.

“…Your brain will rupture. Your heart too. You’ll die instantly.”

Silence stretched between us.

Then, her voice came out low and steady.

“…So you’re saying it’s a guaranteed failure if I do it alone.”

I nodded. “Yes. It’s not a matter of skill. It’s a matter of mortal limits. That’s why…”

I looked her in the eyes.

“It requires two people. Two minds. Working in perfect sync.”

She stilled for a moment.

“…But,” she muttered, brows tightening, “I don’t know anyone else who has Heavenfire.”

Her fingers curled on the edge of the table. And then—she froze. Her eyes slowly widened as a realization sparked behind them.

She looked up at me, voice sharpening like a blade.

“Wait—”

She leaned in.

“You wouldn’t…” she said slowly, eyes narrowing, “you wouldn’t give me hope just to push me off the cliff again, would you?”

“What?” I blinked. “No! I’d never do that. Why would I—?”

Her chair scraped forward. She leaned closer across the table, golden eyes locked on me with burning intensity.

“Then tell me,” she said, her voice rising with something close to exhilaration. “Who is it!?”

She was excited—frantic. Her breathing quickened. Her tone trembled—not with fear, but desperate hope.

“I’ll pay anything. I don’t care what they want. Gold, magic tools—even my body. Whatever price they ask for helping me remove this curse, I’ll pay it!”

She wasn’t joking. Not exaggerating.

I was startled.

“W-Wait! Y-You shouldn’t say something like th—”

She cut off my words.

“I’ve already been used many times,” she said. Her voice trembled, but she didn’t stop. “Broken. Raped. That doesn’t matter anymore,” she said with a sharp breath. “I’ll do it again if I have to. I just don’t want to die like this.”

I couldn’t answer right away.

Because at that moment… my heart dropped.

<“...How could she say it so easily?”>

How many times had she repeated those words in her own head—alone, in silence—until they no longer hurt her to say aloud?

How dark must her past have been… that offering her body, her dignity, was easier than hoping for freedom?

This wasn’t a woman bargaining.

This was a woman begging the world not to take one more thing from her.

“I… I don’t know anyone else,” I said quietly.

Her entire body tensed.

I could see her heart break just a little—again.

“But,” I added quickly, “I have light and fire attributes. And if you’re willing to teach me… I believe I can awaken Heavenfire myself.”

She didn’t speak at first.

She blinked.

Once.

Twice.

“You…?” she whispered.

I nodded.

“I want to help... No, I will help. And if learning heavenfire means saving your life,” I said, steady and certain, “then I’ll train until I can do it.”

For a moment, she didn’t respond.

She just stared at me.

Unblinking.

As if trying to see past my skin, into my soul, weighing whether I actually meant it—or if I was just naive.

Her lips parted slightly, as if a response was forming, but nothing came out.

Then, slowly, she let out a breathless laugh.

“…No.”

Her voice was soft, but final.

The word hit harder than I expected.

“Huh?” I blinked. “Why? You… don’t want to teach me?”

She shook her head—not harshly, but with a tired look in her eyes.

“It’s not that.” Her voice was quiet, thoughtful. “It’s just… we don’t have time.”

Her gaze drifted away, toward the table, toward the past.

“I took five years to master Heavenfire,” she murmured. “And I only have three years left.”

I understood the meaning behind her words.

She wasn’t doubting me out of spite.

She just… couldn’t believe in hope anymore.

I smiled gently. “Then it’s okay. We’ll still try. People in my hometown used to call me a genius, you know?”

She looked at me, blinking once.

“I might be able to do it faster than you expect. Actually, I’m sure of it.”

I wasn’t bluffing. With Elementalist and Learning Acceleration, I could probably do it in two years—maybe less. But I didn’t brag.

There was no point in giving more hope to someone who’d already stopped believing in hope itself.

I just held her gaze with quiet confidence.

For a moment, she watched me—carefully, as if part of her still wanted to believe, but another part feared being let down again.

And then… something shifted in her eyes.

“I see…” she said softly. “Then, as my thanks—”

She paused.

“No, not just thanks.”

Her hand curled slightly on her lap.

“If you’re really going to try… then I won’t just teach you heavenfire.”

Her voice grew firmer, steadier.

“I’ll train you. All of it. Magic theory. Combat. Crafting techniques. Everything I’ve learned in this life, and the last.”

I blinked. “Eh? N-No, that’s too much. I only want to help you because you saved my life once. You don’t need to give me anything in return—”

But she cut me off with a quiet shake of her head.

“No, Freed. You don’t understand.”

She looked away for a moment—just a moment—but her voice trembled with something too deep for words.

“Three years is just an estimated time. This curse might kill me faster. Even if you succeed in awakening heavenfire, we don’t know if it’ll work in time. But…”

Her golden eyes turned back to me, softer now.

“If I’m going to disappear from this world… I want to leave something behind.”

Her voice cracked slightly.

“A legacy. A student. Someone who can carry on dreams I couldn’t finish. Someone who can remember my name… Like how I carried and finished my master’s dream.”

I sat there, stunned for a heartbeat.

It wasn’t just a lesson she was offering.

It was everything she had left to give.

She was ready to pass her entire life to me—not just because she wanted to live, but because she wanted to be remembered.

I bowed my head slowly, sincerely.

“...If you say so, then I can’t refuse it.”

I stood from my chair.

Then, without hesitation, I dropped to one knee before her.

My hand clenched over my chest.

“Please,” I said, voice steady, “train me, Master.”

She stared at me—eyes wide, lips parted—caught between surprise and something deeper.

And then, slowly… she smiled.

A quiet, gentle smile.

Maybe the first one that wasn’t weighed down by sorrow.

It didn’t shine with pride.

It didn’t sparkle with joy.

It simply… was. Soft. Genuine.

And in that silence, something changed.

A new bond took root—not from duty or desperation, but from choice.

Between a woman cursed by the past…

And a boy determined to change her fate.

A flicker of purpose in a world that had taken everything from them both.

A master, burdened by centuries.

And an apprentice, rising from loss.