Chapter 196 – One Step.
Krikaliev knew it even if he didn’t say it.
“I know. I know.”
He knows better than anyone how pitiful he is for not being able to stand up for the girl right away and run away. The sound of footsteps, which he had become accustomed to, approached him.
“I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with what you’re doing. It’s natural to run away when you’re scared.”
Krikaliev, who knew he was going to bruise himself, soon slumped down next to Usher.
“Well, what can I do? The opponent is a royal family who controls a country, and you’re an insignificant little boy from a distant land. It can’t be helped.”
It was as it was said. There’s really nothing he can do. Why? The more I hear those words, the more I feel about this feeling.
“There’s an old saying, right? Accept yourself.”
Like the displeasure boiling inside, it was disgusting and hot, so I felt like I was going to be eaten.
“Then can you accept you now?”
That feeling that is about to explode.
“No, I do not want.”
He was saying that The girl’s shoes caught my eye. Shoes that still have a polished feel to them. Even now, he was a pitiful little boy who could do nothing but shed tears while holding the shoes he had gifted her in her arms. I feel like I’m going crazy because I’m disgusted with myself, but do I have to accept myself as it is? Suddenly, his hand was clenched into a fist. Her teeth snapped. Are you just going to watch Belka get fucked by them?
“Even if I die, never. I don’t want to die like this.”
“Yes?”
Yeah, I couldn’t wait to see it. He had to find a way, even if it was impossible. He got up from his seat. He couldn’t help but cry like this.
“Mister, I don’t know what that man was doing.”
The more I looked at a man named Krikaliev, the more strange he was. He always wrapped his whole body in an old cloth, and never even showed his face, let alone his bare skin. The cloth he wrapped around his bare body like a bandage was unusually large, but it was meticulously covering his body. He was wearing the bandages himself, so he could feel the difference even more. Moreover, his skill and strength with his weapons were even more strange. He is a hunter who is good with weapons, so even so, Usher could tell when he briefly touched his sword.
That this person is very used to dealing with the same person.
“I really appreciate your help, though.”
But that was pretty good. If it hadn’t been for him, Usher wouldn’t have had the chance to think about it now. Wherever he came from, what he did. Because he didn’t change the fact that he helped himself.
“I don’t mind, but can I ask you one last thing?”
“What are you drawing?”
“Please lend me a knife.”
Nothing else. The only thing left for him now was the swordsmanship he had been working on, which might have meaning, and Krikaliev seemed to have at least one sword.
“Are you going to die?”
“…I’m going to get it.”
If he doesn’t do that, he’ll just be a little kid who can’t do anything but cry. He knew at least that it would be impossible to fight head-on. So he’ll sneak in and get Belka out. The sword was only a last resort.
“You don’t even know the structure of the castle, do you?”
“It can’t be helped.”
Because this is the only way left for him.
“What if I get caught?”
“Even if I die, I want to take Belka out.”
“No, it’s a relief as long as you die. Ugh.”
Krikaliev raised his forehead and shook his head. Do you also think it’s impossible? Still, Usher didn’t want to give up. I wanted to get Belkaman out of there at all costs. Krikaliev said to him.
“Then, what should you do, starting with the guys who gathered around you while risking their lives?”
“Nearby.”
-Kirrrr!
As he was puzzled by his words, Usher realized it belatedly by the sound he heard. The things that tried to hunt him a month ago are now all around them. The ghastly cry invariably pierced my ears. There was a clattering sound coming from the bushes all around.
“I’ve seen these guys before.”
“It wasn’t even like that before. You were good at carrying these whole roasted ones.”
“What does that mean…”
But Usher was speechless. Krikaliev threw a sword at his feet. It wasn’t as long as Usher’s long sword, but it was quite long.
“First of all, survive and think.”
He was at the same time Hearing the sound of sand kicking behind his back, he hurriedly bent down and rolled over, barely grabbing his sword and avoiding his seat.
-Kiruk!
When he checked where he was, he saw the same guy with white feathers standing up and glaring at him with sharp reptilian eyes.
-Kirrrr.
-Kirrr.
-Kirrurruk.
Let the sharp mane feathers around its head quiver annoyingly. He wonders if it’s a signal, and the same sound echoes from all over the place. And the guys who slowly start to show themselves in the bush. They were five, fewer than Usher had been chased before, but they were a threat to Usher nonetheless. But unlike back then, he had a sword. Although he was unfamiliar with the one-handed sword, he was not unable to use what he had learned.
Usher placed his hand under his sword body in place of the short handle and gripped the sword like a hug. He couldn’t help but feel a little awkward, but this sword was quite long compared to the long sword he was using.
– Kirik?
-Kirreuk
Still, such minor differences could be ignored to some extent. But it was a car that bothered me about the signals they kept sending and receiving. Hearing the sound of sand crunching behind him again, Usher immediately turned around and put his sword in front.
– Kiyiik!
Then, with his mouth open, roaring, and menacingly shaking his spiky mane feathers, Usher’s behavior seemed quite annoying. Then, as he slowly backed away, he noticed that they had a hard time dealing with them head-on. It’s scary to do that, even in the surroundings! And the voices of menacing men are heard. Usher was on his nerves, nervous at the thought of them coming again, when he heard sand brushing to his right and behind him. Usher immediately twisted his sword in reverse and stabbed it diagonally from behind his right to his left.
– Key profit!
As soon as he felt something touch the sword and put weight on his hand, he heard one of them scream, and Usher swung his sword as if threatening the guy on the right who was hesitant as if to cut it down. The guy on the right also dropped some feathers and backed away. It seems that Normally, it would be correct to fight while covering one’s head, but no matter how tall they were, they could reach his waist. In that case, it would be better to fight with the sword slightly lowered. Fortunately, it didn’t seem like a bad choice.
-Kiriririk!
Turning his body around to check the guy behind him, the wound wasn’t too big. It was as if he had brought the sword with the feeling that he was blocking the way he attacked his body without looking at it, so the wound near his neck was wide open. Still, seeing the blood flowing, it didn’t seem like a light wound. If it was a little deeper, it could have given a fatal wound, but their scales and white feathers covering their outer surface interfered with the sword more than I thought.
The guys continued to hiss and aim at him with menacing noises, but Usher used his sword to cut off the guys who were aiming at him as best he could. Because Donard had taught him that he had to prevent himself from being hurt as much as possible. They had no choice but to use their bodies as weapons, but the sword Usher was holding was an arsenal and shield. It is important for him to stop them, but how long must he have been confronting them while blocking their movements with his sword and constantly hurting them?
– Kiyiik!
One of them shouted, and they flinched away from him, and then they started running away. Usher managed to relax, let out a rough breath, and sat down in his seat when Krikaliev approached just in time.
Haha, did you kick him out?”
Come to think of it, they acted as if he wasn’t there, aiming only for Usher. He wondered if he was cheating, but Krikaliev shook his head.
“I didn’t do anything. I just tried to hunt you because you seemed easygoing. You can’t be easily caught and only hurt them. I decided that the benefits were small.”
His words made Usher feel uncomfortable. He thought it was going to bite him all the way, but was that all an illusion? What’s more curious than anything.
“…Wasn’t it a monster?”
That was far from the behavior of monsters. Because of his strange appearance and menacing appearance, he definitely thought he was a monster and prepared for death.
“Even though they look a bit mean, they are definitely wild animals. It’s not unreasonable to be mistaken.”
He picked up a rock from the ground and tossed it towards the brush where they had fled. A stone flew away with a terrifying force and burrowed into the bush, and the bush trembled with the sound of something banging and hitting. As Usher watched the sounds disappear as if they were running away in a hurry, Krikaliev put his hand into the bush and, unable to scream, abruptly pulled out one with a broken neck.
“Gusakraptor. They’re a nuisance in Parz. Even now, they pretended to run away and saw an opportunity.”
It is said that each of them is a cunning and sadistic hunter, so if you are not a skilled hunter, you are rather busy running away. It’s always a headache in Parzu because of the large number of objects, but it’s famous for being an expensive ingredient because it tastes amazing.
“Gusakraptor… I guess it’s called Gusak.”
Usher looked blankly at the guy he was holding by his neck. I couldn’t believe it because of the familiar words.
“You’re right. These guys are among the ones you’ve served all along.”
It would have been fortunate if it was just that, but he had memories of eating that gusak with them. It was obviously delicious, but the fact that I learned later was shocking, so I put my head on his head, and I heard Krikaliev’s words.
“It’s not bad anyway.”
“Yes? Not bad?”
Usher stared blankly at him.
“Yes, now the opponents are cunning and cunning wild animals, so if they were simple conscripts, they could have dealt with them lightly.”
He was just acting based on what he had learned so far.
“I don’t think I’ve been learning it for a long time, but it’s useful for that much. If I had more time, I could have become a great article, but it’s a pity.”
Upon hearing that, Usher sat down. Because that was what he wanted to hear so much. It was a word that was tantamount to salvation, but now it is a word that is tantamount to despair.
“Why, why? Me, why!!!”
Then why is he Why did Belka have to suffer? Usher collapsed and sat down. Despair, worse than ever, weighed on him. The sandy floor, shining white, was distorted in the blurry vision of tears. I couldn’t get up, as if I was about to fall and be buried. The white sand that seemed distorted as if someone was standing in front of him collapsed like that was covered by the shadows. When he raised his head, all he could see was Krikaliev, hiding from the blazing sun.
“Little boy. It’s good to try anything. What did the person who looked after you say?”
Usher remembered Donnar in his words and in his appearance. He, along with Medea, Lyudmilla, and Sif, was the one who always came to mind. Donnar always told him he was overdoing it.
“Don’t be too impatient. Sif and I are there, too.”
I could see the image of him who had been watching him from the side and awkwardly talking to him, who always ran forward. His tears seemed to spill out, so he bit his lip and hit his head on the floor. The rough sand rubbed against my forehead and stung it, but that was okay.
“Please help! I want to save Belka!”
I just wanted to save the girl. I wanted to protect you. However, it was impossible with his power alone. So I had no choice but to ask. That was his limit and his best.
