TFSAWE - Chapter 245: Safer Place (Patreon)

In response to his words, I slowly rose from my seat and approached the circular window. Through the open window, the scenery of this place came into view at a glance.

"Good heavens."

Low-lying clouds flowed leisurely beneath my line of sight. And amidst those clouds, I saw the distant sight of houses and moving figures. The panoramic view outside the window made me realize that the place I currently found myself in was astonishingly vast and towering.

Even the central building of Daesinjeon, which I had to tilt my head completely upward to behold, was grand and imposing, but this was on a different scale. No, I had my doubts as to whether this place I was in could even be called a building.

"Where is this?"

After arriving in this world, I had read stories about this place in books within the library of Daesinjeon. They had said it would take a month to reach this place by boat, sailing southwards to the continent. It seemed that those words were not untrue, as beyond the village, an endless expanse of ocean stretched out.

"You asked me to bring you here."

Suddenly, Aslan approached from behind and embraced me, whispering softly.

"So, I brought you here."

He spoke as if it were a matter of course and buried his face in my hair.

"I should have brought you here sooner. Don't you think the same?"

His hand, which had been fiddling with my hair, grasped my waist and turned me around. There was a satisfied smile on Aslan's face that I had never seen before.

"I have been preserving the tiresome rules of those humans for your sake all this time."

Indeed, that was the case. Aslan could have moved however he pleased and taken me away if he had desired. But as the keeper, he had restrained his pride and only visited me in the sanctuary at night, without revealing his presence within Daesinjeon. I remembered him saying once, during one of the nights we spent together, that such concessions were unprecedented since his birth.

"But now, there is no need for that anymore. I know that the things you sought to protect have abandoned you."

"Do you know that I have completely lost my powers?"

I hesitated for a moment before asking directly, not wanting to be caught by Aslan.

This was not a question but a confirmation.

Surely, Aslan must have heard about my role in Daesinjeon from someone else. If so, he would have also heard about my complete loss of powers. Until now, I had thought that as soon as Aslan learned about this fact, he would immediately reject me. No, I even considered it fortunate if he did.

The fear of his anger erupting immediately upon learning that the person he made a contract with had become useless, even to the point of discarding their artifact, had always weighed heavily on my chest.

"Naturally, I know. Why? Did you think I would abandon you just because you lost your powers?"

Aslan's crimson eyes beheld me, filled with a laughter that loosened the tension in my legs. He held onto me, catching my trembling form. Raising his hand, he gently brushed aside my hair before moving his hand to caress my face cautiously, tracing the outline of my ear with his fingertips. Then, he whispered softly.

"Here, you don’t need to worry about anything."

His words worked like magic, melting away the tension in my body. There was nothing to worry about. Neither the affairs of the kingdom nor Carl's absence nor my lost powers mattered anymore.

The impossible and yet unavoidable task seemed to vanish in an instant.

He doesn't rage at me. Nor does he abandon me.

Aslan embraced me, lifting me up and carrying me to the bed where I had been lying moments ago. Then, he placed his head on my lap as he settled himself at the edge of the bed. It resembled the endearing antics of a large dog, yet I couldn't even flinch. I knew exactly what his gaze, continuously fixed upon me, desired.

Aslan's large hand delved into the intricate folds of his garments. Slowly sweeping upward from my ankle, he grinned, a flicker in his eyes. It wasn't mere playfulness.

The sensation of his nails, gliding slowly and deliberately, sent a shiver down my spine. Along with the tickling sensation, the sensitivities beneath my delicate and tender skin awakened one by one.

Before long, his hand surpassed my knee.

"Hmm..."

Unable to suppress the sensations he evoked, I made a sound and attempted to retreat, but Aslan's other hand grasped my leg, preventing me from doing so. As his fingers wandered on my knee, I instinctively closed my legs tightly. In response, Aslan's lips curled upwards. When I considered how wickedly mischievous he appeared, he exerted force through his hand on mine, prying my knees apart.

"Aslan!"

Resistance was futile against such overwhelming strength, and I found myself immobilized, waiting for his next move. Nestled between my legs, he began moving his fingers again. Soon, his finger pressed firmly into the depths of my thigh.

"Ah..."

There, the mark remained vivid as ever.

"One of the reasons I wanted to bring you here is precisely because of this. It may not be written in the records of the Narnian civilization, but this island is a fragment of another world that perished long ago and found its way to this side. Therefore, even though it exists within this realm, it is fundamentally closer to a different world. Eventually, you'll be able to see it clearly, but even the animals and plants outside are completely distinct from those on the mainland."

As if displeased with the mark, Aslan slowly traced its edges. It seemed as if he wanted to dig in and tear it away if he could.

This sorcery is the reason I am unable to wield the same authority on this island that I do on the mainland. As you already know, here, I am the law, and everything is subject to me. And now."

Once again, Aslan's finger moved. His finger drew a circle on my abdomen, as if implying that he was about to reveal his intentions. In anticipation, I held my breath.

"Now, I hope you'll strive to fulfill the completion of our contract."

His narrowed eyes flickered, and he ascended upon me once more.