Chapter 173 – 173 – Work Becomes Complicated on Its Own
Something feels wrong.
My limbs feel heavy, as if submerged in deep water. The front foot, which seemed not to belong to me, blocked the back foot and I almost fell.
Is it because I overexerted my body? Or is my sixth sense, sensing an ominous future, holding me back, telling me not to go that way?
I visited the mouth of a Pastafarian and almost got cooked into shit like a 3-minute instant food. However, in just a few seconds, Erina and Adamantone rushed in and pulled him out in time.
Those monsters chewed through the ship’s balance system and almost caused us all to crash to death, but wasn’t Lord who appeared at the right time to take them safely away?
When I ask myself what’s wrong with running with gratitude if I’m alive, the answer comes back to me that I almost died. Nerves thrilled by a sense of crisis are unable to keep up with reality.
I remembered. It was just like now when I left the dying Thena at the temple.
“Damn it.”
“···Tan, you don’t look good. I heard that Villena and Torpedo are planning to evacuate the demon world refugees who got off the airship, but if it’s too difficult, then-“
Hey, I wasn’t that tired. I feel happy and strong because you care about me. If you do Tan Banthai, wouldn’t that mean you have physical strength?
At any other time, such jokes would have come out first. Not now. Strangely, even when I think of amicable words, something harsh comes out first.
Is it because I can’t afford to be considerate of anyone just as much as I can’t afford to whine?
“That’s it. I have to go to Thena.”
“Tan is a non-combatant.”
When will we stop hearing that damn non-combatant rhyme? This is a world that doesn’t give porters a place, so does that mean they shouldn’t even stand on the way to rescue their friends?
I feel like my sense of inferiority, which I never had before, has been dug out from within me. I barely suppressed the anger that was about to go somewhere else.
“Sister, you are also a non-combatant, but you are following us.”
“···I am a healer, Tan. If Thena has been tortured like Tan said, you will definitely need me-“
“And I’m the porter. Treat the sister. I’ll carry her and run. That’s fine.”
“How many people are here and are you nervous? Sit down and rest. I’ll bring you back in good condition.”
Erina, who was walking down her stairs earlier, stopped and she smiled. She tried to put her hand on my back. I can see the good intentions of people caring about me.
So, the moment I inadvertently shook it off, a faint feeling of regret passed through my mind. Erina stepped back, looking at her with wide eyes.
“Are you saying we shouldn’t do anything that makes us feel distant from each other?”
“I did. But I never asked you to interfere in my business.”
“No matter what, is it something to be angry about? No, it’s not something to be angry about. I heard that a friend from back home got hurt. Let’s go quickly, go!”
Erina understood and pushed my back. Sister Monica massaged her own hands and pursed her lips as if hesitating.
I passed them both and jumped down. There will be plenty of time to apologize even after saving Thena.
In the distance, Eshen and Nidroga, who had gone down the stairs ahead, can be heard whispering desperately.
“Hey, what should I do…!”
“···You are the one who decided to do that. Don’t ask me. Take responsibility for yourself!”
“How can I take responsibility for holding a dagger to my boyfriend’s father’s testicles? How can I handle the fact that he yelled at me for cutting them off! I can still feel that feeling clearly in my hand!”
“Is there any evidence that they are related by blood in the first place? It is true that King Danar is the child of a porter and a wizard, but simply saying that Than is a porter and his younger brother is a wizard is not enough to explain it. A thousand years have passed since the generation of the first aptitudes. As things go by, it would be rare to find a person whose family tree does not have more than five aptitudes!”
“I don’t know, you idiot! What if it’s true?”
“How would I know? You always treat me like an idiot under you every time you have an excuse to begin with, so why do you only ask me for advice in these cases? I don’t know, so ask the smart guys!”
“Now that I think about it, that’s right. Damn it, how can I apologize to Tan?”
“···Apologise to me too, you damn cat!”
There is one thing more annoying than being told to leave because I am a porter. Danar, that bastard could be my father.
The blood is pouring out, but it’s nothing to worry about now. I shouted as loud as I could at the bottom of the circular stairs.
Eshen and Nidroga, each holding a handful of each other’s hair, flinched.
“I don’t care!”
“Ouch, what a surprise!”
“I don’t know what you did when you took Danar hostage, but even if you had cut off his balls, I wouldn’t have felt the slightest bit of regret. He was either just a stranger or a bastard who ran away after abandoning his child!”
“···Really?”
“Is this something you’ll enjoy, idiot!”
“Who says this is stupid…”
As Eshen and Nidrogar, relieved, began to speed up while massaging their chests, someone following grabbed my shoulder.
I tried to shake it off this time too, but it wasn’t easy. Lenny had tremendous grip strength.
“Tan, about that matter. I have something to tell you about him.”
“I’ll listen after we rescue Thena.”
“I don’t know if you believe it, but it is true that the King of Elan approached your mother. It was while she was escaping from the King’s work and traveling the world under the assumed name of Baragand de Danann.”
“I know. I also saw him in my hometown. You said you would save Thena and then listen… Wait, you’re Baragand?”
It feels like lightning strikes in my head. Another unpleasant memory comes to mind.
Six days of the week of healing rituals. A day when Leni came unexpectedly at dawn and Florica was with us during the day.
Between those two visits, Hualien Taiga came and asked me something suspicious.
‘Maybe Baragand de DananHave you never talked to ?’
Did you already know? About my relationship with him?
What did it mean to say we’ve never had a conversation? Did you even suspect me of being a spy for the Elven royal family?
Or was his attempt to contact me detected by the wide and vast intelligence network of Shinkyo and Hyanghwagok?
‘You don’t even know who they are?
‘Is this someone I should know?’
‘Then it’s done. It’s not important anymore, so forget it.’
I feel jealous. Even though he knew my father might be the one, he passed it on without saying a word?
No, no. There is still no evidence that the King of Elan is my father, and it is unclear whether Lady Hualien had a reason to intentionally hide it. Maybe I was just asking because they looked similar at first glance.
···Fuck, they look alike at first glance···.
My heart, which was pounding and rattling, is throbbing with anger. I barely suppressed my random thoughts and spoke again.
“I don’t think it will be too late to hear about that after everyone leaves here safely. As I already said, Thena was tortured somewhere down there-“
“That’s because I have something to say about leaving safely alive. If my guess is correct, someone, some scary people, could be targeting you!”
“Who? Your organization? The rebels coming from Lesser Elan? If I am the king’s son, are you going to kill me even if I am not an elf?”
Lennie quickly stopped in front of me. Her face was as hard as ice.
Her hand instantly rested on the handle of her knife, but I could only raise her tired, heavy eyes and glare at Lennie.
I don’t know if what I’m feeling right now is the urge to tell me to cut myself with a belt, or if I just want that knife to cut me down quickly.
“…How did you know about the organization? You didn’t tell me anything about it?”
“Think about it yourself. But know one thing. I have no intention of carrying the burden that is in your heart for you. Being a damn porter is a temporary strike.”
“Tan, I-“
“I don’t know how many people the elves are planning to kill in the future. It’s none of my business how many elves your friends are planning to kill. Those friends, who probably hated King Danar and wanted to exploit his weaknesses, worked hard to find out about my past. “I’m not even interested!”
When I took three steps forward, Lennie took three steps back instead of moving out of the way. I said, pulling out her hair.
“The only thing that matters to me right now is Thena’s safety. You should think the same way now too! So, unless you’re planning on cutting me into pieces right now, remove your hand from the hilt of the sword and move to the side right now.”
It looks like you need some determination to get out of the way. I roughly pushed Lennie’s faltering shoulder with my body.
Lenny’s armor, pushed by the difference in her size, hit the wall and made a loud noise. Lennie had a somber expression.
“I’m sorry···.”
“Don’t complicate things.”
It is not difficult to guess why Lennie’s rebel friends are rushing towards him with their swords drawn.
It might have something to do with Lennie’s ear getting cut off.
Memories of Lennie passed from body to body that night flash through my mind. Screams, blood spraying on the wall, subdued.
While the rest of Astala, who are more loyal to the elves of Greater Elan than to their homeland, Lesser Elan, turn a blind eye, the elves capture the illegitimate son of the Astala family and cut off his ears.
Mom mom-!
Fairies should not emerge from human stomachs. Don’t you know that the laws of the land are strict?
Don’t feel unfair. This is not something that happens only to four years in a small Elan.
Now stick out your other ear too.
“···I’m sorry too.”
“Let’s finish apologizing to each other. Let’s figure out the whole story later. I think I was unable to distinguish between construction and construction for a while because of the guilt of keeping quiet even after receiving information that secretly investigated you. Of course, TENA comes first.”
Lennie quickly followed suit and said. This makes her feel guilty.
Lenny, who was conscious of the weight of her slats and evenly breathing as she ran, added softly in her determined voice:
“···Friends come first.”
————–
“This is the lowest level of the Amethyst Palace, the ‘Royal Capital of Aptitude.’ If all goes as planned, it will be the cradle of a new world.”
“···Why is the bottom of the tree so fucking wide? Is Tena here? When should I look for it?”
Nidroga, Eshen, Lenny, and I, who came down first, looked around in confusion.
The porter who played with Danar’s mother may have been a dwarf. Because these fucking bastards built a city by digging out the roots of trees.
Of course, the space for building buildings is limited, so it is much smaller than a pioneer city in the countryside, but the marble buildings illuminated by amethyst roots definitely have an aesthetic edge.
The positive points end there. Houses that look like they were stamped in the same shape are spread out everywhere, and the winding roads are like a maze, so it would be perfect to get lost in.
Perhaps proud of his technical and financial power to do something like this, Danar smiled and opened the Aguji.
I hit it with my fist and closed it again. What is needed is not a guide but a confession.
“I told you at what time you were going to find it. Do you not understand when I tell you where it is?”
“···Seeing you being so harsh to the man who called you son, it seems like you really aren’t in a hurry to be a father.”
Eshen sensed this and held him tightly. Thanks to this, he was able to land his second blow more accurately. With a hot touch, a tooth popped out from Danar’s mouth.
“If a bastard who threatens to exterminate porters says, ‘Actually, I am your father,’ would you say that he is your father and bow to me first? I am a porter first, right?”
“Okay, I don’t know how you heard it… Hehe. You don’t even understand half of it. That’s not my intention. Why would I risk doing something that would put Calais’ son in danger? If you listen calmly, you’ll understand- “It’s a sniper! Up!”
“개새끼야! 억울한 척하지 말고 테나의 위치나 말-“
The moment Danar shouted with his pitiful eyes wide open, Lennie covered his mouth as he was about to shout and kicked him in the back.
Blocking the path in front of me, who had fallen flat, Lennie reflexively opened his folding shield wide, without even looking in the direction.
And then, through the iron plate, a pile of terrifying crystal arrows peeked out. Lenny was startled, but didn’t let go of his shield’s grip.
Eshen suddenly returned behind the shield and looked at Nidroga, who flinched and jumped behind the shield as well.
“Why are you coming in?”
“Because I don’t want to get hit by an arrow.”
“Does it get stuck in your body?”
“This time.”
With an angry look on his face, Nidro pointed to the arrow stuck in his forearm. He Eshen gaped.
His chest grows cold.
“Are you hurt?!”
“It wasn’t stuck deep. It doesn’t look like it was poisoned. Don’t worry, Tan. It’s a dragon.”
“How can you not be worried? There’s an arrow stuck in your body!”
“An arrow carved from amethyst wood is sharp, but it is not something that can kill a dragon with just one arrow. You are not hurt, are you, Tan?”
We all looked down at Danar. Eshen, with his ears perked up in disgust, shook Da Gnar at his side a few times.
Danar bit his tongue and glared at Eshen. Eshen said, slapping his head.
“What are you doing, you idiot? Why didn’t you tell me there were soldiers waiting here? Do you want to get ripped off?”
“You got hit when you were about to do it, right?”
“Do you have the energy to talk back? Then quickly order those bastards to fuck off.”
“They are not my people. The ‘Guardians of the Capital’ will listen to no one.”
“What are you talking about? I just looked out of the corner of my eye and they were all elves with long ears.”
“They are puppets without ego. Because they were brought back to life by the power to manipulate life unfairly, they are the ones who only perform the roles they are given without being able to die properly.”
“···You’re making up some kind of teenage delusion. You’re going to hit the floor with your face-“
“Then see for yourself. Hey! I am Danar Numen Evennarson. Your lord, the King of the Thorn Crowns of Greater Elan, is here! Don’t shoot!”
Instead of an answer, the crackling sound of a bowstring being pulled was heard. Lenny gritted his teeth and straightened his shield, and to his horror, the shots came pouring out again with the sound of metal clanging.
Lennie sighed at the ghostly accuracy of the arrowhead pushing the arrowhead that was stuck first. And then he looked back at us.
“I don’t know what it is, but hanging Danar in front of the shield won’t help. Where the hell is Lord?”
“He was lying down about 200 stairs away. It looks like his disc was bulging.”
“You may be able to hear because you have good ears, but he doesn’t really have a sense of danger. This tattered shield can only last one more time. We must quickly find a place to take refuge!”
“I think I can beat it to some extent.”
Florica, who had suddenly crawled behind the shield, said vaguely. Lennie turned around, frowning.
“Aren’t you the snitch who ignored our friendship and told Tan the truth? What do you mean, you can get rid of him?”
“It’s exactly what it sounds like. This weakling’s warrior sword is special, and can cut through a wide range of targets, even those that are far away.”
She said as Garam, who had suddenly crawled in behind the shield, poked his head out. Florica smiled slightly, as if she was happy that Garam had taken her side.
Lenny, who was skeptical, readily accepted it when I nodded. And she suddenly felt aggrieved, so she sighed.
“···Why don’t you each take a shield and carry it around? It’s not like the little kids are huddled together shoulder to shoulder because they don’t have umbrellas. Are you really confident that you can hit them? Your speed is not normal.”
“I’m confident. I’ve seen it twice.”
“I believe it. Those strange elf bastards are waiting with arrows attached to their bowstrings. If you hear the sound of the string being pulled, get ready and intercept them as much as possible. Where should we go? The stairs? Or the marble building nearby?”
“It’s not a marble building, it’s a prison. It’s a detention facility created for those who don’t have the right aptitude.”
Danar interrupted, saying something that sounded useless.
···That? It’s a prison, not a housing complex? What looks exactly like that square building covering half the city? What are you going to do by imprisoning people on a city scale?
I looked back in bewilderment, and Danar said something more useful this time. He pointed to one side of the building complex.
“Did you ask where he was locked up? He was locked up in the block over there. It’s the first building at the end of the row on the right.”
“···Who?”
“Thena Everlight. Wait, I recommend going back up the stairs for now. Move when the Dragon Lord joins you. Gunther Waldenhardt will be there talking to Everlight… I told you to wait!”
“Tan? TAN!”
“Damn it, hold on!”
My legs, which had always been disobedient, now move vigorously on their own. I looked to the side, thinking, “Fuck it.”
Crystal arrows fly like rain. Florica hastily draws her sword, and Nidro transforms into her dragon form and spreads her arms away.
Something felt wrong.
——————
“Te…Me.”
A voice like the smell of fragrant bread tickles my ears. Hunger comes from somewhere other than the body.
Thena woke up to the call. And she was relieved.
First of all, I was glad that my eyes were opened. It is clear that he is in critical condition, as he feels a burning pain rushing through his body, but it does not look like he will stop breathing any time soon.
And most of all, I clearly heard a voice I didn’t expect to be here. There was a buzzing in my ears and my five senses felt unreal, but there was no way Thena would mistake that voice, even if it was her dream.
Thena became angry and raised her head. And then her breathing stopped.
“Te…Me.”
“Tan! Are you okay? Tan-!”
“You damn bastard, I told you not to be so arrogant!”
“Damn it, I wish I lived. Lord is coming running with Monica! Let’s just hold out until then. Is there anyone chasing you?”
“Tan, tan! Open your eyes!”
It seemed difficult to fully enjoy the joy of reunion. Thena was astonished.
Tan, who seemed to have fallen down on the floor of her room while running towards Thena, was wheezing, spraying her blood all over her floor. And there is an arrow stuck deep in her shoulder.
Nidrogar, who came in after him, found Thena and ran to support her while screaming a single word. Eshen hastily unpacks her backpack and rummages through it. It looks like they are looking for supplies to provide first aid to Tan and Tena.
And Lennie throws the hedgehog-shaped shield with arrows across the hallway and locks the door.
Thena felt some relief at the quick action of her trustworthy colleagues. How blessed she is to have the people she needs in her time of need.
However, there was one girl whose face Tena seemed unfamiliar with.
An unusual energy could be felt from the sword that was tied and fixed to her back with a rope. It’s probably a enlightened warrior’s sword. Although her appearance is different, she is similar to Thena.
The aesthetic yet functional clothes look like they were taken straight from a shopping street in the demon world. Just like Thena often did when she roamed the Demon World with Erina.
The way her hair was tied up neatly resembled her Thena style. The sight of her holding Tan and shedding tears reminded Thena of her old past.
A strange feeling passed through my mind. Thoughts that could not reach the essence came to mind quickly and vaguely collided with each other and scattered.
A mirror image, a replacement, something taken away, something you never had in the first place. Among them, there was not a word that did not sharply pierce my heart.
Tan had her eyes closed and her cold sweat was dripping. Thena, who was in Nidroga’s arms, was so caught up in her fear that she reached out her hand to Tan in a half-asleep state.
I can’t reach it. However, her hero girl, who replaced Tena, wrapped her arms around Tan’s shoulders and hugged her with great ease. She shook and groped, and then she buried her face in his chest and let her tears dry. Tena felt a strange discomfort, as if someone had put ink on her heart.
Tan quietly says something. The girl, who opened her eyes wide at the whisper that was barely audible to her Thena’s ears, smiled in relief and kissed her tan’s forehead.
I kissed her. She slowly pushed in until her lips curled, then pulled away until she let out a sound. It does not contain light emotions such as greetings or consolation.
And the girl looked back at Thena as if she suddenly remembered something. Her eyes sparkling through the gap in the black hair that falls on her thin forehead…
Her thena was conscious of her presence as she stood with her clear intentionality.
Something in Thena’s intestines shifted and twisted.
Tena broke her arm that was heading towards her and passed it behind her shoulder, then reached out her hand into her darkness and grabbed a large amount.
In an instant, the warrior’s sword Despair Trap was pulled out with a chilling sound.
