Carb Sears (R) 294

Chapter 294 – Suspension.

-Sabujak Saabjak

In the forest, someone’s footsteps overflow to the floor and step on the dry leaves, leaving a sound. A woman with her blue hair loose in the wind was walking in a forest where even human footsteps are hard to find. Her armor glistens in the sunlight that breaks through the sharp leaves, and her thin black sheath sways aimlessly with every step she takes. The woman herself was making her way through the fallen leaves and shadows of the forest, whether or not she knew where she was going.

Finally, the place where her steps stopped was an empty lot. A space where the sunlight that is not affected by the leaves permeates into the ground and warm air embraces the skin.

“You’re here too, Master.”

There stood a man with strangely thick iron armor.

“Um, is it Rahil?”

He answers her woman, but without looking back at her, he just looks at her clearing. In an empty space that makes it hard to believe it is deep in the forest, numerous stone pillars are lined up in place of the stumps of trees whose trunks have been cut off. Stone pillars full of scratches, shattered by rain and wind, as if they had been hit by the passing years. Even so, it remains standing in the middle of the years as precisely as the heart of the person who built the stone pillar. The names engraved on the scuffed pillars were also still there.

Listening to the chirping and chirping of the birds, Rachel could realize that a lot of grass, which should have grown high, was cut and lying between the stone pillars. Also, the stone pillar now standing in front of Krikaliev and the wine and cup in front of it.

“I heard that someone who doesn’t drink well bought alcohol, so that’s what it ended up like.”

She bit her lip as she checked the name Leah engraved on the stone pillar.

“Has her master still not forgotten her?”

Rachel wanted to pretend to be as calm as possible, but her voice was savage and always made her heart transparent.

“Well, if I forgot, I wouldn’t have come here.”

Rachel couldn’t help her sorrow at the sight of Krikaliev shrugging her shoulders calmly.

“…I haven’t forgotten either.”

She knew that her own voice was trembling terribly. She’s a little more confident She wants to speak her mind to him, but she doesn’t like her voice. Why doesn’t she allow it?

“No matter how much time passed, I couldn’t forget Master.”

She knew he was dead, but she couldn’t forget him. During her 20 years, she kept recalling memories with him and wiping away the dust of memories that were trying to build up in his empty seat.

“I finally met Master again.”

She finally met him again, whom she had longed for.

“Has her master still not forgotten her?”

Why is there still no vacancy in his heart?

“Even though you must have been in Parz for a while… It’s been such a long time.”

Even though it’s been so long

“How come you can’t forget her?!!”

Rachel hated the name Leah engraved on that stone pillar. Even after so many years had passed, she couldn’t help but resent her name, which haunted her and lingered in her master’s heart like that stone pillar. Because of this, even though she knew the existence of this place, she did not set foot here. I didn’t tell anyone, hoping to be forgotten here like this. How is it that his name is still on that pillar of stone? Why did she still remain in his heart? Why don’t you still give her a seat?

“Will you follow me for a moment?”

Despite her question, he leaves her drink and goes somewhere. Rachel hoped he would answer her own words, but she was forced to follow him as he walked away. How far did you go?

“Mister?”
“Oh, kid. Did you sleep well?”

Rachel found the girl who had been with him in Parz where he arrived. She was worried that she might have been misled by some knight and suffered a nasty thing. She felt a sudden heat well up in her head, wondering if it was because of the girl at the familiar sight of her teacher, but it was only for a moment. Right next to her, she felt Rachel blush as she stood with another girl and looked at herself in the golden light. Because that girl was none other than the witch she brought here. Rachel didn’t find it strange at all.

She had no doubt that his teacher would save that girl. But what caught her was her Rachel, her own self. Although she vaguely expected what the girl would do, she turned away from his teachings because of her own greed. Maybe he knows her and rejects her? When she was trembling at her heart, the golden light that had been staring at Rachel calmly closed and looked away from her. As she questioned her, Rachel could see.

“Now, kid. What do you think I brought?”
“Isn’t that a pitch?”

In the place where the girl’s gaze was directed, the figure of Krikaliev and Usher, who had pulled out her helmet at some point.

“So, what do you think the helmet is for?”
“You’re protecting your face and head, right?”

Rachel couldn’t help but stare blankly at the scene.

“That’s true, but among the many armors of many knights, the helmet has a more important meaning because it covers the face.”

Because that was her and him in her past.

“Kid, what do you think a knight is?”
“Isn’t he the keeper?”

Usher’s voice and her voice from the past overlap in this moment. Because in the past she also remembered telling him that she wanted to be a knight. She was originally one of the many useless parts that were dumped downstairs even in the basement. At least, being pretty compared to other girls was a pride of her own, but that kind of common girl who could have given herself to the people upstairs because of that. But she was able to survive without selling her own body.

She was fortunate enough to stay upstairs with her other children, who had been found early by Master, who often came downstairs, and had been picked up first. Then one day.

“Sniff, sniff. Black, Master.”
“Hi-go. What else is our little girl crying for today?”

When she was young, her tears were so many that she was always hugged and comforted by him, but that day her teacher was troubled by her unstoppable tears.

“Can’t I become a knight like Master?”
“Huh? No, I don’t think I’m a proper knight either. Who said you can’t be a knight?”
“Huh, Boas and Arun.”

They hang out often now, but when they were young, they fought a lot. Of the children he had, Kayaba’s older sister and Rachel were only two girls, but that wasn’t the only reason. Because she wanted to be like his mentor and used to accompany them when they trained. Boas and Arun used to tease and harass her as if they didn’t like her.

“Huh. What did you tease me about? My lady, who is usually stubborn, is what I mean.”

It was as he said. Because as much as she had been with them, she was used to their teasing and she didn’t want to bother anymore.

“What are you a knight? A knight can only be done by men like us!”
“No! Master said I could become a knight too!”
“Ba-bo. Would Master say that to you outright? Isn’t that why we’re telling you to give up instead?”

But that day was the day they were particularly persistent.

“Master can’t do that! And why can’t I become a knight? Bring proof!”
“Now, look, aren’t all the knights in children’s books male?”
“Girls play with dolls like girls!”

I hated them back then as they handed over the children’s books Master had brought for them as if they had waited. She went through all the children’s books, wanting to deny it, but in the end she realized that no woman was really a knight.

“Are knights really unladylike?”

It’s true that she wants to be a knight, but she doesn’t like being told that she’s not girly, she thought. At the time, I didn’t know why. Master, who had been quietly listening to her, scratched her head.

“Rahil, don’t you suddenly become a man just because you heard something like that?”
“Ooh, yes.”

If her own body was changed because of her actions, it felt so scary. Then Master smiled and stroked her hair.

“Then what’s the point of worrying about that?”
“Yes?”
“Don’t mind being told that you’re not girly or that you don’t fit in. If it’s what you do, it’s what you are.”

Rachel couldn’t help but stare blankly at him.

“I just want to say this one thing. If you want to do that job, you have to be prepared to accept the responsibility you deserve.”

That day, Rachel realized. That the little heart of a girl who was still young is beating fast. She wondered why she was so sensitive to her teasing that she was not girly even though she wanted to be a knight. She dared to harbor immoral feelings for her master.

“He’s a keeper. It’s a little different from what I thought.”

She drags Rachel, who had fallen into the past, into the present with Krikaliev’s voice.

“Ugh, then what do you think?”

When Usher asked with a troubled face, he chuckled.

“Don’t be too upset. You’re already a decent article.”

Krikaliev held out his helmet to Usher and continued.

“A knight is a person who takes responsibility.”
“Responsibility, huh?”

Rachel finally burst into tears. Unknowingly, she was turning her steps. It was because she had realized why he was showing it that way. Her steps got faster and faster, and she was already running.

‘Ah, Master. After all, you want me to remain as a teacher.’

The truth has been known for a long time. To him, she was just a disciple like his daughter. He told her that he was fulfilling her responsibilities as her mentor. Because she loves him, his undeniable determination made her cry even more.

‘In the end, you’re leaving me with this heartbreaking heart. Even so, even though I can’t hate you, I hate you so much, and I hate you again and again.’

As Rachel left abruptly, Usher looked at Krikaliev, noticing the marks of her tears that overflowed.

“Mister…”
“I swore. I will live as a knight.”

Usher wanted to ask him if he didn’t mind chasing him, but he was speechless at the look of the pitch he held out. The helmet was cold, filled only with iron armor, except for the gaps where you could barely see outside. Like Krikaliev’s face, no matter what expression he makes.

“Little boy. Don’t you have it too? You have the responsibility you deserve.”

Usher looked back at Belka and Erica at his words.

“Okay, take it.”

As Krikaliev puts a helmet on him, it becomes dark all around, and the figure outside is dimly visible. A lovely light of gold and gray filtered through the helmet, shining warmly on him. The helmet was lighter than I thought, but for some reason it felt too heavy.

“A knight wearing a helmet means taking responsibility.”

But that’s for a while. Krikaliev thumped the helmet on him and it flew loose and whirled over Usher’s head.

“Ugh! What?!”

The moment I looked back at him, frowning at the unpleasant tinnitus ringing the helmet, the helmet came off and the bright world came into view again. Krikaliev was looking at Usher with the helmet in his hand.

“But you’re still too young to take on everything. Don’t you remember the words of that son of a wizard?”
“That.”

Suddenly, the image of Nausicaa came to mind. The appearance of them living together in Parz was like a family. Usher bit his lip. He must have been thinking of going to Jude with Belka. Otherwise, Jude would surely use his magic to kill or use Nausicaa as well as the people of Parz. So what was he supposed to do with himself? Usher ponders how he can get out of this situation with the girls.

“So kid. You stay here with the girls.”
“Yes?”

Usher couldn’t understand what he was saying.

“Wait a minute! Then what about Nausicaa?! What about the people of Parz?!”

Couldn’t they all die if Belka wasn’t taken? But why

“That’s my responsibility. Isn’t it your responsibility?”
“But that bastard has to take Belka…!”
“Don’t worry too much. It’s that bastard who’s in a hurry. I’m afraid something similar might happen in the first place. We’ve prepared something in advance. Nausicaa and those guys will be hiding on their own.”
“Nevertheless, though!”

Usher wanted to ask. Why do you even do that? Why did you do this to yourself? Usher couldn’t understand him, he wanted to say something, but he heard his words.

“Because you are my disciple.”

In Parz Krikaliev had spoken to him. He asked not to be his disciple.

“If it is too much for a disciple to take responsibility for, shouldn’t I, as a teacher, shoulder it?”

Usher could now see how heavy the words were.