Chapter 155 – 155 – Heirs of the Runaways
The contents of the cold can were truly a work of art. It is so fresh that it sparkles before your eyes and is as cool as ice. It doesn’t feel like food from a destroyed world.
I don’t know what that shiny box is for, but it seems to be a great storage device. If something like that were found in a magic cave, it might be treated as an artifact.
“It seems like the people of this world were sincere about making a living.”
“The closer we got to destruction, the more so it was. In the end, when everything fades away like a festive dream, all that remains are memories of good times.”
Erinak drank down the memories in the can. She sat gracefully, her long legs draped over the edge of her ruins.
And in the meantime, Garam squeaked. Soon I followed suit and cleared my throat. Wow, the aftertaste is suspiciously bitter.
“···Poison?”
“That makes sense. I drank it first, right?”
“Surely alcohol?”
“It’s a factory-made beer. We brew it our way, so it will taste different.”
Is it beer that tastes like this? There isn’t a single odor and the carbonic acid hits your throat so hard?
As she praised her drool, Erinak could not hide the corners of her mouth that were shaking. Maybe she wanted to share the memories rather than drink them away.
“Tell me more about your hometown.”
“Oh, damn it. You don’t know how much I’ve wanted to hear that story. I often tell stories to Thena, but she’s so blunt that I don’t even know if she’s listening or not.”
“Tena, don’t gossip.”
“It’s not gossip, it’s true, so what can I do? Oh, by the way, did you say you were twenty-four?”
“I did.”
“I’m twenty-four too, so don’t talk to me?”
··· Erinak, who had reestablished her relationship with grotesquely coolness, grinned, took a couple more cans from the machine and threw them at us.
And when Garam and I took each one, she clinked the cans and made a toast.
“First, let’s crack open another glass. Where should we start…”
—————
When the dark-eyed Asian guy said he needed to scout out the area, Adamantone thought he was crazy.
And when the Oriental bastard nominated him as his companion for a walk, Adamantone regretted that he should have stopped him from thinking he was crazy.
The whole time walking in the darkness between the eerie abandoned buildings, Shingyoju Yeongrak was surprisingly silent. Adamantone, who understood this as a silent scolding for the hospital check incident, was terrified. Maybe he will be silently stabbed and left in the ruins in retaliation for stealing a large sum of money. Wasn’t the Protestant church actually a group of contract workers?
All the gossip, pressure, and ridicule that the party leader had spat at the party members flashed like a flash in Adamantone’s mind. But none of those childish words could compare to the pressure that was now placed on Adamantone.
A bleak sky filled with red lightning and a skull hitting your feet. And the anger and murder that seemed to emanate from Shin Gyoju’s body like a haze. And even a growl that seemed to echo from somewhere.
Back in his temporary shelter, when the silent grind finally ended, Adamanthon took off his hazmat suit and fell to his knees, sweat pouring down his face.
“I’m sorry… I was wrong…!”
“Hmm?”
On the other hand, Shin Kyo-ju actually had no special thoughts about Adamantone. He had a lot to worry about, such as the fate of the world and his responsibility as the head of the family, so he just wanted to walk a little.
Of course, taking Adamantone was due to personal grudges. If he was a bastard, it seemed like even if he was bitten by the monsters here and died, they wouldn’t bother him in his dreams.
But remaining silent is not for scolding. It was an action that was conscious of the monsters hiding in the terrain around here. Judging by their camouflage techniques that were difficult to detect with the naked eye, they were clearly skilled human hunters. They weren’t actively moving because of the acid rain, but if they passed near it, it would definitely hit them.
Therefore, Shin Gyoju was actually looking at Adamantone again. He turned his back on the monsters and didn’t tell them not to run away. He didn’t even try to run away, and he didn’t even warn them not to make a sound, but he held on with his lips tightly bitten from beginning to end.
The fact that he was able to recognize the presence of such well-hidden monsters was proof that he was skilled in actual combat. It was a warrior-like attitude that could not be called immature.
But Tan’s voice interrupted his judgment.
“No.”
“···What?”
“No matter what your father-in-law thinks of Adamantone right now, he is definitely not the person you think he is.”
“…How do you know what I’m thinking?”
“You’re looking like you’ve seen it again! That’s not true! You’re such a stupid bastard!”
“Eyes? Can you see this person’s eyes?”
Adamantone muttered as he wiped away his cold sweat. Shin Kyo-ju, who was thinking about those words, felt a little doubt.
As Adamantone’s complexion turned blue, Shin Gyoju’s suspicions became confirmed. The members of the Protestant church were mesmerized by the racial remarks that were as natural as breathing.
Shin Gyoju thought for a moment and kicked up dust on the floor just before Adamantone excused himself. Adamantone, with ash covering his eyes and throat, screamed and rolled on the floor.
“Eyes! My eyes are-!”
“You’re right. I see them squealing as if they didn’t even care about the group of ambushed monsters.”
Yeongrak sighed heavily and glared at Tan.
“And what are you?”
“Me? Why?”
“Why? For the whole 30 minutes, I was risking my safety and checking for dangers around the campsite, but…”
Dented cans rolled across the floor. Her face was already flushed, and Erinac, who had been pouring two cans of beer down her throat at once, froze, spilling her beer from her mouth.
Yongrak suppressed his murderous intent.
“Do you think it makes sense to have a drinking binge?”
Of course, there was something else that upset Yeongrak more than anything else. If it had been just Tan and Erinak’s sudden action, they could have just gotten away with it.
Garam, who was sitting next to two men like Seungnyang, looked back and giggled. Youngrak felt her heart break at the sight of her daughter with her eyes wide open.
“Dad, please be quiet, and Erinac, continue your story. What happened to the Man of Steel who wiped out all his enemies with a snap of her fingers?”
“Uh… Didn’t I already tell you that he died without being able to overcome the power of the mystical stones of the universe?”
“I know. Actually, I wanted to hear it again. Wow, so sad…!”
“···This is crazy. What did the agents do without stopping them?”
The Shingyo agents lowered their heads as if they were sorry. But Garam shouted triumphantly.
“Yaaah, think about it carefully! I think I’ll be seeing my old dad for a long time, and I think I’ll be seeing him for a long time with me!”
The Protestant agents were taken aback by Garam’s nonsense. It is true that the new religious leader has entered middle age, but Yeongrak, a warrior with deep experience, will easily maintain his position as the new religious leader for several decades to come. The two frightened porters also tried to cover Garam’s mouth.
Yeongrak decided not to ask what kind of guy Garam learned those kinds of words from. I decided not to delve too deeply into the rebellious behavior that my sweet and quiet daughter suddenly showed. Anyone could see that Garam was a drunkard, and thinking about the words of a drunkard would only make him angry.
While Youngrak was chanting in his mind, Adamantone muttered quietly.
“That’s not what I’m going to say, sir. Watch how you speak to your dad.”
“···I will scold you when you sober up. You must shut up.”
“I’m sorry. It reminds me of myself when I was young, behaving so recklessly, ruining the party management, and burying myself in the hearts of my parents.”
“I don’t know what you think, but I don’t think it’s necessarily your fault. Sunstorm’s family traditions are a bit too strict. Leading a group of armed forces is not something a fourteen-year-old should do.”
Adamantone frowned. Shin Gyo-ju, who turned his back on the drunk guests, let out an inaudible sigh.
“In fact, you should play like that when you are young. That way, you will know how to direct your heart to joy, whether golden or gray comes later in life.”
“···I guess your values are a little different from your wife? From what I heard, he was strict with his daughters.”
“My wife and I both think the same thing. It’s just that fate will inevitably call our children someday. Struggles are rampant in our daily lives, and many of them eat people. My wife believes that children who resent their mothers “I just thought it would be better than dead children.”
When the cackling sound was heard again, Shin Gyoju glanced back.
“But if it weren’t for that damned porter, Eshen and Garam might have ended up as dead children, blaming their mother. That’s why I didn’t break their bones when I found out that he had touched both of my daughters. Same goes for you.”
“Me?”
“If it weren’t for you, my wife might have been under the Demon Lord’s spell and what would have happened by now. If not for that, she might have crushed you somewhere in the ruins a while ago and left you behind. Damn you, what kind of thing is the long sword and bank check? “Did you touch it knowing it was?”
Adamantone thought he needed to urinate. Shin Kyo-ju snorted with an expressionless face.
“Anyway, your father must have felt the same way as my wife. I supported him and watched him under a false identity, so I know what kind of personality he had. It is clear that Mancellarion placed a heavy responsibility on you as a child, talking about ‘the duty of a warrior’. It probably wasn’t meant to be a torment. Mancellarion has forgiven you, so please understand that your father wanted to train you to be strong. If you want salvation, how about starting from there?”
Adamantone, taken aback by the advice from an unexpected person, slowly nodded his head. Young Nak, who sympathized with Mancellar Leone as his same father, was satisfied with the response.
And he soon frowned. This was because Bantai, who was riding behind him, groaned and fell to the side.
“I understand drinking in moderation, but I don’t understand why an experienced adventurer like you would get drunk in an enemy territory. Your self-control should be different from Garam, who doesn’t know how much to drink-“
“Hey, man. This isn’t that big of a problem. Why don’t we look at it and talk about it?”
Yeongrak, taken aback by the tickling beauty, looked back. A translucent female figure with her wings was emerging from within Tan’s body.
And Tan was sweating like he was suffering from a fever. Garam, looking pale as if the drunkenness had subsided, patted Tan’s cheek.
“Why, why are you like this? Come to your senses!”
“···Holy shit. My body…Is it because I couldn’t lie down in the hospital and was exposed to the cold air…”
“No.”
“···No? Then, I suffered muscle pain while helping with the rescue operation…”
“You, a porter, are mistaking this pain for muscle pain? This is a regurgitation of divine power. Your incomplete healing consciousness is eating away at your body. Since leaving Hwanhwagok, you have been forced to move your weakened body by borrowing my strength. “That too has now reached its limit.”
“…I should be okay for the next ten days…?”
“Of course it’ll be okay. Under ‘certain conditions’…”
Lilith, the guardian spirit who rose like an illusion from Tan’s body, shook her head coldly. The new leader, Yeongrak, who heard about Lilith’s existence, suppressed his surprise and approached Tan and the guardian spirit.
“Is there a way? I heard that the goddess has prepared some safety measures.”
“Of course, mother has a plan…But it’s not one that everyone will like.”
“Isn’t it too late to tell the truth? Speak quickly-“
“What do you think?”
Youngrak blinked as if asking why he was asking us that. And after a while he understood what he meant.
If you don’t add any further explanation to the secret plan of the sexual spirit, there was only one thing that naturally came to mind.
Garam looked at his father and slowly raised his hand. And when Shin Gyo-ju, who had veins protruding from his head, glared at him, he slowly lowered his hand.
Lilith, whose upper body was fully exposed, shook her head and sighed.
“If I could come out of this guy’s body and drain his vital energy, I wouldn’t need a volunteer… Can you see that half of my body is immersed in this guy? This is the best I can do for now. “You’re doing everything you can. If you’re separated when you’re weak like now, your weak porter will be ruined.”
“I will do it.”
Youngrak looked back. Garam, who was gritting his teeth, and Erinak, who had an extremely happy expression on their faces for some reason, also raised their heads.
The Shinkyo agent hesitated and then took off his mask. The beautiful face of a woman biting her lip with determination was revealed.
“If you don’t mind any woman, I will do it. It’s an awkward thing to do, but you can’t let the benefactor of the religion die, right?”
“…Just sleep… Don’t you need to ask my opinion before that…?”
“···Because I have lived as a religious agent for a long time, I have not been able to live my life looking like my peers. But isn’t the Bantai Grand Association in a position to discriminate against opponents?”
“It’s not because of my lack of aesthetics. You’re pretty enough. By the way, do you have a husband or boyfriend?”
“Yes?”
Tan pursed her lips. Instead of Shinkyo’s agent, who thought for a moment, another agent came forward and spoke.
“Mirim is a new bride who recently went on her honeymoon. Although she has a husband, it is inevitable for her to save her life, and it is her duty as a teacher, so please understand.”
“No.”
Tan shook her head resolutely. The religious agents were speechless.
“If that happens, you’ll end up dead. Good luck.”
“I’m just asking, didn’t you touch that married water dragon woman?”
“The one with the slug husband, leader? It was something her husband agreed to, and that husband over there isn’t here.”
“Obviously, extramarital affairs are undesirable. But it’s a pain in the ass. Where has your determination to rescue Everlight at all costs gone? Are you okay with your purpose being derailed?”
“Anyway… We’re still stuck here because of that rain. Whether it gets better or not, we have to stay the same… So we’ll just hang on until we find an alternative.”
Garam caught her father’s attention for just a moment. Gritting his teeth, Yeongrak looked back at the agents. The agents spoke quickly.
“···Mirim is the only woman among us.”
“Tan Bhan Thai, has the Goddess ever said that men should not be used to do certain things you need?”
“Of course you can’t, you crazy man!”
“Is that your personal preference or-“
“It’s official, Goddess. I’m a heterosexual. If I force blood of an unsuitable blood type into my veins, would I live or die? I just wanted to see my blood pressure go up, so I’m half-successful…!”
Even the agents who were accustomed to showing no emotion were greatly relieved by those words.
If so, it is obvious that there is an alternative. Shin Gyo-ju’s face turned red.
On the other hand, Lilith tilted her head.
“Well, it’s good one way or another, but it would be better if she were a virgin.”
“···As I told you, I have a lover, and Lady Garam has already experienced the night of catnip.”
“I know. I’m not talking about you guys. I feel deep emotions. Guilt for pretending not to know my friend’s plight. Relief that I’ll be safe as long as the trick works. At the same time, a secret satisfaction as if I’m sure no one will know if I keep it quiet. I’m hiding my scent and passing by. A flower that laughs at bees, the eroticism of that pure yet cunning psychology…”
“What is he saying now···?”
Lilith, who was sniffing as if savoring something, soon glared at one of her companions. Tan, who had been groaning in pain, grunted and shifted his gaze to the same place as Lilith. And his eyes widened.
The porter, Erinak Sophon, was sitting on the edge of his ruins, looking into the distance beyond the fog thickened by acid rain. Pretending like I didn’t hear anything.
However, when the new leader, Yeongrak, came closer, Erinak was startled and shuddered. And she almost fell because of it.
“Oh, uh! Whoaaaaa!”
Erinac screamed desperately and barely managed to hang on to the railing. She only had one hand, but since she was a porter, she didn’t look dangerous.
So instead of pulling Erinak up with her outstretched hand, her spirit grabbed a handful of her braided hair.
Erinak didn’t ask her what she was doing. She instead bit her lip with a look of frustration on her face.
“What are you?”
“Well, that’s not what I was trying to hide…”
Tan barely managed to get her body up, shaking with chills. And she saw something amazing.
Shingyoju Yeongrak let go of her headband with the artifact’s magic emblem engraved on it and dropped it. The braided wig attached to her headband was at first off-white like Erinak’s hair, then slowly turned black. It’s as if the color was matched to the wearer’s characteristics, and then when she peels it off, it regains her original color.
And it resembled Tan’s cross-dressing headband artifact as if it were a set.
Erinak, who slowly crawled up from behind her, turned his gaze to her miserable face.
“···What.”
“Was it a woman…?”
Her gray eyes, subtly tinged with intoxication, trembled.
“···What happened like that?”
“···Fuck. I don’t like this either… If you say that you can sleep together because the guy who was friends with a man just a little while ago is actually a woman, that’s too homo-like…”
“···What do I want, you crazy cross-dresser!”
