Chapter 187 – 187 – Hurting the Chest
I feel nauseous and my tinnitus is ringing.
It is vain to come to this point and hope that it is just a coincidence. There’s no way they’re different people with the same name. Of course, the reasoning on the other side is equally absurd. This baby, born over a thousand years ago, is my modern-day childhood friend?
But if you think about it, no one knows where Thena came from.
Not knowing one’s origins would not be a rare occurrence for an orphan. However, in the Borvais mountain village, it is a very unusual feature.
Children who are starving because they have no guardians tend to go to monasteries to take care of themselves, or flow into the city, hiding in the luggage compartments of transcontinental trains and peddlers.
If there is an orphan in a village that is difficult to find due to poor accessibility, it is usually bound to be from that village.
However, no one knew Tena’s parents. She said she appeared as if she had fallen from the sky. One day when there was thunder, a faint sound of crying was heard from inside the stable.
So, Tena was treated as a scoundrel and a scoundrel by her villagers. Unlike other orphans who recognize the faces of their parents and cannot bear to kick them out or turn away from them. The only people who took his side were his sister, who was four years older than him, and my Bantai siblings.
There was a theory that someone among the village adults abandoned him and pretended not to notice, but there was no one who looked even like him. There was also a hypothesis that he was an illegitimate child abandoned by a noble family, but this is unlikely. He may be the illegitimate son of a porter, but isn’t he apt for being a majestic warrior?
Who is the person who placed the baby warrior in a manger and then disappeared?
Chimi says fear.
Please don’t tell me nonsense about it being a burnt bantai.
“It will be so, and it has been done.”
The goddess moaned mercilessly, and I swallowed her moans. I wanted to rip my hair out, but I was afraid of lifting the baby with one hand and dropping it, so I stopped.
A miracle that crosses the time axis could not be…
“I will sacrifice this child to Ishtar. Watch over him. Protect him. Make him safe.”
And the next moment, I looked up, startled by the high priest’s words.
The woman, who has accepted her death and is satisfied with the survival of her flesh and blood, places her smile and her open mouth on her daughter’s forehead.
“That is enough.”
‘I wish I could see at least one of my parents. It would be better if you could ask me why you left me.’
Tena’s complaints come to mind. She said she envied my situation as a parent.
‘You know that the most useless thing in the world is worrying about your mom, right? She’s going to get you something delicious, so don’t cry.’
I also remember the laughter of a warrior who grabbed my sister and me by the cheeks and shook them.
Therefore, I cannot agree with the statement that it is sufficient.
“···So what about you? Are you saying it’s okay for you to be left behind and disappear like this? No, you can’t do that. Where is the law for that?”
Unorganized gibberish leaks out without my knowledge. My heart is pounding and I feel suffocated.
My mother never came back. She disappeared in a fire while fighting as a warrior, and even her body could not be returned. In some scars, the flesh does not reattach and only the excavated area remains.
However, if, by taking this child with me, Thena Everlight of Borva Mountain Village appears in history…
If we take this person now, wouldn’t Thena be able to meet her mother? Isn’t she meeting her healer who will fill the place where her flesh was torn apart?
If I were Tena, I wouldn’t forgive Tan for leaving this person behind.
“Are you satisfied with it as it is? Wouldn’t you feel lonely as Thena, who will be left alone? Even though you are an incomparable talent, shouldn’t you have regrets about life? Please ask the goddess. Please let me run away with you!”
“It’s only been a few minutes since we’ve known each other, and you’re already on Tena’s side. Thanks to you, I feel reassured.”
…It’s not that close. Do you know how many hairs your daughter pulled out when she was five?
There would be no end to the description of what kind of person your daughter will become. But the goddess is adamant. Before I can even figure out what to say, she nods and orders me to stand up.
“Tan. There’s no time. We have to leave.”
“Please tell me you’re taking this person with me. I can carry him, right?”
“If it were a normal trip, that would have been the case. But not now. Currently, there is only one person in this era who can twist fate and save me with my power.”
The goddess shook her head solemnly. And in the meantime, the temple was collapsing. Her shelf shakes and a vase falls and shatters.
The demon god’s mountain-like body seems to be getting closer. Even the space to fight will soon run out.
“If only I could, Tan. I wouldn’t have let any believer die. But I don’t have the power to touch the stories of many. Even An-Anu couldn’t save everyone. The miracle you worked would have been in vain with your own hands. Don’t blow it away.”
“In vain? In vain? I heard he was your favorite believer!”
“I understand how you feel, but clearly distinguish between whether it is for your own comfort or for your own emotional satisfaction. Our stone is too small to kill two birds with one stone.”
“···What if I were to write my last wish here?”
“I knew it would turn out that way. But would you be okay if I were unable to save the Thena of your timeline because I used that wish? Wasn’t this an operation that required mobilizing all my resources, including the safety of all my colleagues? A waste of money on strangers. Is it okay if I do that?”
When I heard the words, ‘Save the Thena of our timeline,’ the high priest urgently grabbed my arm and shook his head.
The meaning is clear. ‘Abandon me’. It is even more painful to accept because it is a request filled with fearful determination.
“I can listen to you. If you want, do it even if it means burning my little remaining life. Then her fate will change. I can take her to the timeline where her Thena has grown.”
However, she may witness her daughter being eaten by Mithras. Because one of the opportunities we had for her to turn things around was wasted on her.
The omitted afterword is expressed with a tilted nod.
She is right Nevertheless, while I was desperately trying to find the best option, the high priest took something out of a drawer under the altar.
The high priest placed a piece of paper with an unidentified symbol inside the baby’s swaddle.
“What is this?”
“It’s music I wrote when I had that child. It contains the joy that came from that child, so I hope it helps the child soothe her sadness.”
“···Is it sheet music? Even the grammar for reading the notes is different where Tena will arrive. What she needs is not an unrecognizable work of art-“
“I have never pleaded or begged for life before. It’s the same this time too. If I wanted to live, I would have disguised myself as an old man or a sick person and climbed into the evacuation cart.”
The high priest smiled.
“It’s been a long time since I gave up even the hope of surviving. You have no idea how happy I am to hear that only Athena will survive. There will be no greater favor for me, so there is no need to try to give me more.”
“High priest.”
“If I were to be a little more greedy, I would like you to cherish that child. If he falls, pick him up, and if he wanders, hold his hand. If he feels sad about his life of lack, hug him and share his warmth like I would have done. That’s enough.”
“···Even if we can’t go together, shouldn’t we at least tell Thena what kind of person you were?”
“Hot sweat on the sand. Personal stains on the oak handles of carving knives and long swords. Bambi tickling the skin coolly. And the sweet fruits of Fragaria.”
I feel like I’m going to scream at the face that is filled with nothing but joy. How can you be so calm?
“And the woman who was very fond of her daughter who inherited my eyes. That is enough for the significance of Meti, the dancer who stayed in this universe and then left.”
The fact that a priest, who was supposed to preach about desire, said enough was a strange sentiment. The smile of the person who emptied his bowl was bright and flawless.
At that moment, the walls of the temple collapsed and lay flat against the inside. The Goddess quickly snapped her fingers, and we rose through the ruins of the collapsing temple in a flash of purple light.
Even as the high priest disappeared into the dust, he was smiling like a faint dream.
————
That time. Near Ishtaria.
A warrior party.
“We were too late. The route calculation was correct and the direction was correct.”
“Damn, the Demon God was too fast. It seems like he’s getting faster by the day.”
“Maybe they’re going crazy trying to avoid us. There’s no point in rushing and getting covered in dust.”
The city is torn apart and disappears beneath the demon’s massive body. The monsters that fall like fleas from the body will happily feast on the victim’s flesh. The tragedy was so horrific that it was even majestic.
But there was nothing that could be done. Dragon Lord Rezandartam concluded that even if he flew for an entire day to chase after him, the distance would be half a day longer.
The plan to lure the demon god and save Ishtaria was foiled. The group, who were talking about various things to calmly accept the tragedy that they could not prevent, eventually became exhausted from the futility and fell one by one onto the scaly backs of their colleagues. And then I lay down on the dirt floor of the wasteland.
It was only natural since I had been flying for dozens of days. Even Rezandartam returned to human form to save energy and collapsed.
However, only one person maintained a standing posture with iron-blooded mental strength. The man who brushed his blonde hair blankly watched the demon spirit walking away, leaving behind only a trail of carnage.
Is it because we live in a time of great anxiety? Compared to his young age, his eye wrinkles were deeper.
Kargon Taiga, who respected him, internally revised his assessment. Even Tigris, who had Taiga blood flowing, was exhausted and the hero’s tenacity in maintaining an upright posture deserved extra points. Indeed, he deserves to be called the dawn of the world and the savior who will end the tragedy.
It was just sad. He had a strong sense of responsibility and was carrying on his mind even the burden he had already lost.
“Captain, calm down. I wish we had arrived before Ishtaria was destroyed, but we can’t save everyone.”
“Instead, you stopped the slayer dragon Angrakam. If you had left him alive, dozens of times the population of Ishtaria would have been burned to the ground. Let’s take comfort in that. Can’t we?”
When someone said that, everyone in the group who was lying down nodded.
But the man holding the blonde hair only shook his head.
“I couldn’t save you, but I saved the lives of twenty other people instead of you. That excuse won’t be any comfort to the people in Ishtaria. This is my responsibility as the expedition leader.”
The party members shouted in disgust as their leader fell into self-deprecation again.
“It’s like that again. I can’t live.”
“He can’t sleep because of the headwind, so he’s talking in his sleep with his eyes open. Someone scratch the back of that guy’s head and make him sleep. He’s the leader now and I can’t stand it anymore.”
“I should have dealt with Angrakam quickly. If I had, I might have been able to arrive in time. If only I had been stronger. If only I had chosen a simpler plan, even if it meant taking risks in the process of hunting down the evil dragon.”
“If you keep blaming yourself for everything like that, you will become crooked, Edin Eienard.”
The elf, barely able to sit up with his cane, grunted.
“Besides, you said you wouldn’t whine carelessly in front of others because you can’t disappoint the people who depend on you, right?”
“Why is that?”
“Someone is coming. So stop crying right now. You need to take care of your image, right?”
Edin, the one and only Hero aptitude, looked to the side in shock.
Across the dusty road, two people, leaning on each other, were trudging closer.
No, if you look closely, it’s only the man among the two who leans in and trembles. The steps of the woman being supported are steady, as if she could walk like that forever. The fact that her face was covered with the dancer’s facial covering made it even more bizarre.
Cargon and Lejandartam thought it was strange. No matter how tired my senses were, and my nose was dry and bruised, it was strange to finally notice someone getting so close to me.
“Survivors?”
Yajin, a skilled swordsman, muttered as he dusted off his scabbard. Because it was a plausible inference, several of the group jumped to their feet.
When Healer Invictiana tried to crawl towards the patients, Kargon quickly stopped his colleague. Since the sick don’t smell, she says she can let it come from the other side.
But the next moment, Cargon suspected that at least one of the two passersby was an emergency patient.
This was because the man wearing the strangely styled clothes was too pale.
“···This···Benna···?”
“Ha, this time they recognized me before you did. I guess I’ve become a celebrity too?”
Evenna giggled, raising her staff like a warrior’s sword. Then the man I met on the street got scared and fell backwards. Was he afraid of the magic he had only heard about?
However, it was comical because he was extremely careful even about falling, wondering if there were any valuables in the lump of cloth in his arms.
Edin smiled awkwardly to cover up her opponent’s embarrassment and held out her hand to the slumped man. The man widened his eyes and was shocked again.
“Eh, eh, Edin?”
“It’s Edin in two syllables. You’re a man of insight. It’s rare for people to notice our sloppy behavior at first glance… What is this?”
Edin was shocked when he saw the swaddled baby in the man’s arms. Then, one of the two passers-by, the woman, waved her hand and said.
“The child is healthy. There is no need to worry. We should introduce ourselves. I am Tara, a low priest, and this man is Hauser, a servant and guardian of the temple.”
“Nice to meet you, Tara and Heuser. Are you from Ishtaria?”
“There is only one city within a few kilometers of here. Now even that has disappeared. However, we were called from another branch of the church, so although we belong to the Ishtar church, we are not from Ishtaria.”
Edin expressed regret at the priest’s sadly calm words. The priest nodded his thanks and continued.
“This kid is from Ishtaria. He is the last survivor among those left in the city, and he is also a blood relative of the high priest.”
“The high priest’s child…?”
“He decided to share his fate with the city, so he entrusted his child to just a woman to nurse and a soldier to guard the child.”
The man introduced as a temple guard glared at the woman as if she were absurd.
Edin thought it might be a sign of one of two things. Either the woman was skillfully telling a non-consensual lie, or she was trying to hide the identity of her child.
Given the circumstances, Edin assumed it was the latter. Because sectarian conflict is not something that happened yesterday or today.
An extreme faction of the believers of the Sun and Discipline are waging an aggressive power struggle against the believers of the Moon and Irregularity. It was a truly pitiful thing that could not be embraced in an era nearing the end.
Nevertheless, Edin claimed to be a Mithra believer. Although their faith is not deep, it is advantageous for them due to the nature of the party’s mission to travel around the world. Mithraism is everywhere and it is easy to seek help.
The low-ranking priest carelessly revealed the information that he was the child of the high priest of the Ishtar Church in front of the Mithra believers. Edin thought he knew what the man was worried about.
“Relax your guard. High Priest Meti was also my teacher who taught me the sword. His daughter’s fate will not be heard by murderers calling themselves followers of the sun.”
“The teacher who taught me how to use a sword? Wouldn’t ‘one of hundreds of failed teachers who had little to learn and graduated quickly’ be an accurate expression?”
“That’s not true. High Priest Meti was a special person. If I wasn’t a warrior, I would never have been able to gain the upper hand.”
“Did you only teach us the sword? You taught us music, dancing, and partying, but you were a disappointment to us. You are a stubborn bastard who doesn’t know how to have fun.”
“···That’s right.”
Edin smiled bitterly. There was sadness in the voices of party members who added jokes to the atmosphere.
Ishtaria was a city where many joys coexisted. Although they sometimes went too far and received criticism from the public, the deep impression left by the high priest during their previous visit was enough to remove all preconceptions.
Edin, whose smile disappeared automatically, chewed his lips for a moment before speaking.
“Did he sleep comfortably?”
A man named Heuser, who hesitated at Edin’s question, soon nodded his ash-covered head. A junior priest added.
“You left a message saying that this was a life full of blessings. Where are you going now?”
“After we relieve our fatigue by camping nearby, we plan to go after the Demon God right away. He will cause another disaster soon. And if we see the opportunity someday.”
Edin pointed to the warrior sword behind his back.
“We will defeat the horrors of our time.”
—————
Same time. Across.
Tan Bhan Thai’s perspective.
I’m going crazy.
The other person’s face is familiar. That makes my spine feel numb.
But at the same time, I feel relieved. This warrior, who seems to have taken the parts that seemed to be okay from Adamantone and glued them to the size of Gunther Waldenhardt, has both his facial expression and body as hard and strong as an old tree in the desert.
And for some reason, it is very trustworthy. If a person like this says in a serious tone, ‘I need your house documents for a great cause,’ even I, who pride myself on being familiar with the world, would end up falling for the crime of fraud.
However, I cannot let my guard down. He is staring blankly at Thena, his rival from the distant future.
“Is this child by any chance an invincible saint?”
Invincible? No. I’m an apt hero. As I was about to answer without thinking, I was stopped by the goddess’s hand.
The goddess answered instead. A dancer’s mask taken from a temple, covering a face that changes depending on the angle.
“That’s right. Ironically, I was born without receiving God’s blessing that is given to all people.”
“···It must be fate.”
“Don’t waste your strength, Edin.”
“I have to do it.”
Just when I was confused because I couldn’t figure out where the conversation was going, Edin said, ‘I have to do it,’ and his eyes burned, and the old fear came flooding back to me again.
The man, who had his head shaved so hard and his handsome face looked like it could have been destroyed with just a few blows from a club, fortunately only took two steps back instead of ripping off his feet and revealing his true identity.
He then borrowed a dagger from his colleague and placed it on his forearm. This is more embarrassing than Gunther’s transformation.
“Since you are close to God, I will tell you openly. However, I would appreciate it if you would promise not to spread rumors.”
“I promise I won’t start a rumor. But what are you trying to say?”
“We may fail. Even if we succeed, we may no longer belong to this world. I know very well that many people call our trip a ‘great expedition’ and have high expectations for it, but if it were a world where all expectations were rewarded, the Demon God would also be It probably didn’t exist.”
“You were a more pessimistic person than I thought.”
“That’s not to say we can’t succeed. I believe that my great comrades are more than capable of succeeding in the hunt for demons. However, the gravity of the matter is too great to guarantee that we will win. Even if we fail and die, the possibility must persist.”
“It would be nice to have someone like you and a warrior like you. But aren’t you the only one apt to be a Hero?”
At that time, Edin cut his arm. Although his arteries were barely touched, he was bleeding quite a bit.
As I look at him with concern for his insanity and self-harm, Edin smiles rationally as if that is not the case.
“So, we relied on the secret arts of ancient civilizations to devise a ‘magic method of aptitude distribution.'”
“···What did you make?”
I, who had been letting the goddess talk all along, could not hold back and opened my mouth.
“It’s the magic formula of aptitude distribution. And I engraved it into my marrow and heart.”
“······What did you make and where did you engrave it?”
What on earth am I listening to?
“It would not have been possible without the great healer Invictiana and colleagues who are knowledgeable in this field.”
Reszandartam and Evenna shook their heads as if they still couldn’t agree to such a bizarre act. However, judging from their horrified expressions, it seems that they helped complete the journey.
“In other words, I can share my potential little by little with those who do not have aptitude. The younger the better. It is more advantageous to plant a seed when the soul is as soft as soil. When that seed grows and becomes a tree, this child will become that soul. “You will have as much power as the weight you can bear. You will become a warrior.”
It’s shocking, but understandable. At this time, Edin was the one and only suitable Hero.
Even if he died, he needed the strength of the warrior, so he went around sharing a spark of hope.
If you think about it, Edin died without seeing Evenna and her children. If he didn’t enjoy a hot night with hundreds or thousands of people as compensation when he was reduced to a devil lord, wouldn’t there be a reasonable reason for tens of thousands of warriors to exist in the future?
“It is advantageous to plant seeds when the soul is as soft as soil… How do you plant seeds?”
Edin held out his arms. His blood was dripping from the wound he made with the dagger.
“Do you drink blood?”
“···There will be no adverse effects on the child. Archmage Evenna can guarantee this.”
“Agree. Were you fooled?”
Even I shrugged her shoulders. Unlike what I know, it is very lively and very awkward.
I took a few steps back and was wary, but Ishtar readily agreed.
“I wonder if the high priest will be happy too. An old friend leaves a precious gift for the child.”
“What I’m saying is, Cha-a-am, it’s a good gift. Why are you walking back without even knowing how grateful you are? You crazy bastard. Do you think it’s normal to share one’s only aptitude in the world?”
One of Edin’s warrior party members sarcastically shouted. Since I am the only one holding back out of caution, it is difficult to misunderstand who the target is.
I didn’t even have time to cry, so I decided to just remember the face of the guy who taunted me.
But this one is just as dizzying. That guy looks like me. He also resembled Danar.
And best of all, he’s wearing a huge backpack.
“I, who was born with common aptitude, am dying of envy for that child. Do you know? Feed him quickly, Captain. Let’s finish this quickly and quickly set up camp.”
“What’s your problem again, our porter, Yerek, whose lifelong dream is a golden return and a family with many children?”
“Well, isn’t our captain producing false stories again, Evena? It must be great because it’s a rare aptitude worth sharing. Someone is just using a common aptitude lying on the street and acting like a pack mule, look at what you’re doing. “
“Here we go again. Someone beat him up.”
“Maybe twenty years from now, that child will become a warlord or a swordsman who dominates a region, and he will come to see you and offer you delicacies from the mountains and seas and gold nuggets, calling you his lifelong benefactor. I will look after you with envy. Joohyun has many connections. Let’s make it.”
Even though it is ridicule and sarcasm, it does not sound hateful and is pleasant.
I didn’t immediately understand the meaning of the words, but Goddess Ishtar smiled and said.
“You are denying the words of your lord, who was truly prepared for death. That the man named Edin will return alive, and that you will even see the child express his gratitude. If that happens, your expedition to chase down and kill the demon will be completed. I guess it was a safe success.”
Aha.
“···When people say things differently, priest. It’s not necessary to explain the meaning. It’s no fun, right?”
“I guess I should do it. It looks like your immature colleague behind you misunderstood what you meant and got angry.”
Kargon Taiga, who was approaching with his fist raised, flinched as if he didn’t quite understand the joke. The porter took a few steps back from Kargon.
