Chapter 188 – 188 – Reunion Beyond
But Yerek’s crisis did not end there.
When Evenna grinned and stabbed her in the side with her staff, Jerek snarled and pretended to run away.
“Do you want to carve a magic circle on your heart too, Yerek? To give the blessing of being a porter to people who don’t have the aptitude for it? Would you like some help?”
“… When she says that, it doesn’t sound like a joke. You need to practice speaking like a joke more, right?”
“Are you serious? If you want to experience the experience of widening your ribs, there’s nothing I can’t do. When I turned Edin into a living scroll, I was nervous because I thought I’d end up killing my boyfriend with my own hands. But in your case, it’s a little less scary. It seems like it is.”
“You’ve already succeeded once, right? Just because he’s a guy who doesn’t mind dying doesn’t mean you can cut him with peace of mind, right?”
“Which one, Mr. Jerek Pallandale?”
“Oh, damn it. Everyone is on the captain’s side.”
‘Jerek Pallandale’ giggled with Evenna without showing any signs of being intimidated. It seems that everyone has always enjoyed telling bloody jokes as much as I do.
Even Edin, who was soaking the baby’s lips with blood, her face frozen with responsibility, couldn’t help but burst into laughter at the conversation coming from behind her.
The self-esteem of a porter among the giants of his time seems to be very strong compared to the words he spits out. There are people who are not hateful even if they complain and show signs of jealousy like that. It’s like being born in a position close to a joke.
That is also a rare talent. It will be even more precious in a world where there are many tragedies that are difficult to laugh off.
On the other hand, I almost bit my lip when I heard the full name of porter Jerek. Jerek Pallandale. Nenya’s words run through my head.
‘You told me about your memories of Farlandale as often as your memories of Edin.’
That’s the porter. The first warrior party porter.
Danar’s father. Evenna’s second husband, and the one who contributed to the birth of the Demon King by putting Edin through her grief. The planned catastrophe suddenly seems to be overlaid on their simple appearance.
Edin, who has been corrupted by the influence of the Demon God within the World Temple, will find Even Na in the arms of Jerek Palan Dale and draw her sword. Evenna declines in sorrow, and the Demon King burns the world.
Would it make any difference if we warned about that future now? Will the tragedies of our time stop happening?
“You will only be treated like a madman. Can you afford to help every unfortunate person you come across?”
…It’s not just anyone, goddess. Wouldn’t what happened to those heroes cause great sorrow in the future?
“Is there any guarantee that your intervention in their relationship will improve anything? Edin will somehow inhale the ashes of the broken god and go crazy. Otherwise, the world will be destroyed for sure. The comfort of Pallandale would have been taken away from Evenna. “Can you be sure that her downfall will be delayed?”
The goddess’s whispers are harsh. But Edin and his companions don’t seem to hear it.
“In addition, Evenna and Jerek Palendain had several more children besides Danar. They are the ancestors of hundreds of thousands of today’s porters. If we tear them apart now, they will all be gone. “Is it still okay?”
That’s… Damn it.
At that time, Yerek, who had been laughing heartily, frowned. And he came up to me and said,
“Are you, by any chance, my relative?”
“Yes?”
“Are you from the Pallandale family of the Checheny Vineyard drinking family?”
“···Yes?”
“What is the example? I was familiar with the way his eyes opened in displeasure. He also looked like someone from my family. Otherwise, it was okay.”
“It’s one thing to make trouble for someone you’ve met for the first time, but Yerek. The baby is going to cry.”
Baby Athena, who hated drops of blood as if she didn’t like it as much as baby food, burst into tears because she was afraid of Edin’s harsh words compared to Edin’s. Embarrassed, Yerek made an excuse by pretending to console and comfort her.
“I’m sorry, Captain. My family is so energetic. We have so many babies that we often don’t recognize each other.”
“···Okay. The more I listen, the more I think about how unique your family tradition is. So I think it will be fun. I want to meet you all together sometime.”
It sounds like ominous foreshadowing for someone who would later become the Demon Lord to say something like that.
About a thousand years later, I often stopped by Chechenyi, but I never saw or heard of anyone with the surname Farlandale. Has he moved his hometown? Otherwise… Let’s stop making terrible guesses for now. I am already close to my mental limit.
Anyway, in that man’s eyes, I seem to be from the same family. Maybe I would be one of the hundreds of thousands of porters who would end up as someone who never existed if Evenna and the porter had not become connected due to my warning. In that case, this catastrophe that I cannot prevent becomes even more far from my capabilities.
Although I feel bitter and angry, there is one thing that gives me comfort. The reason Danar and I resemble each other is not because he is my father.
“Enough with the small talk. Where are you going?”
“It is a place far from here. It is a place that even solar fanatics would find difficult to find, and there is someone who would protect this child more than his own life.”
“I understand. Share the food and water, Jerek.”
“I politely decline. The goddess will watch over our journey, so we will be safe.”
Jerek looked suspicious when he saw our light clothing, but what he said was true. Because the speaker is the goddess herself.
“Moreover, aren’t they people who are about to embark on a great mission? I’m worried that they might get in the way because of us.”
“You’re right, Captain. It’s a pity, but we don’t have anything to throw away. We barely have one meal tonight, and we’ll have to go to any lord the next day to resupply.”
Even as he says that, Yerek is taking out a water bottle and food from his chin. Then he handed me something that looked like a pound cake and grumbled.
“Take it. But don’t you have to feed the baby on the way? Oops! Where!”
The words he uttered at the end of his words were directed at the person behind him. Khargon flinched his outstretched hand and looked with faint eyes at the blood-like food falling out of Yerek’s bag. Yerek urged again.
“Even if you’re immature, there’s a limit to it! Are you planning on taking my baby’s food away?”
“That bread… Is my favorite…”
“If you carry around a pig like that, you’ll always run out of supplies. Eyu, sir.”
···The more I look at these people, the more I feel like the illusion is shattering. It seems like we have a lot in common with our party.
Edin finally laughed again and stood up, dusting off her knees. And she carefully wiped away Thena’s eyes, who were crying because of her shouting.
“Then I understand. The sun is setting, so I guess we should part ways at this point. I hope your journey is safe and comfortable.”
“Thank you, warrior. May good luck come to you too.”
“I don’t think you need to wish me any special luck. Thanks to this kid.”
“What do you mean?”
Just before Edin turned and left, he looked back at us with a faint smile.
“Like my colleague said, I have a feeling we will meet again someday.”
It will be as it says. However, it may not be because he returns safely and has a happy ending.
Unable to say anything carelessly, I just remained as a witness to the incident and nodded and let them go.
The sun, which was fiercely beating on the world, is being swallowed up by the darkness of the tooth-like mountain range. The shadows of the world’s first warrior party members, who quietly return to their journey’s orbit, gradually become longer.
I watched them for a long time as they walked away toward their inevitable fate. The goddess, who had given me some time to wallow in my sorrow, snapped her fingers the moment her sunset glow darkened.
—————-
When I closed and opened my eyelids, the scenery changed again.
A little more comfortable this time. There are no daydreams beyond reality that drive people crazy, no giant gods causing chaos, and no cities collapsing.
To begin with, it is very familiar to the eye. I remember the Frisian Finn alley between the blacksmith shop and the butcher shop. I also remember the village bulletin board made out of sheepskin.
This place, where everything is familiar to me… Is my hometown. Borvais of the mountain estuary.
Because I was so distracted by that fact, I realized a little late that it was raining coldly. I quickly covered myself with the swaddle and jumped under a nearby roof.
The goddess was waiting there in advance. On the wall behind her is a large horse bridle and a plow.
Stall. Where Thena was discovered.
Without even having time to close her eyes in her remoteness, the goddess points to her manger in front of her.
“Put it down.”
“Why me?”
“Because it’s what it deserves. Put it down.”
“You told Edin a little while ago that you are going to a place where it is difficult for even solar fanatics to find this child, and where there is someone who will protect this child more than his own life. Who is that guardian? Tan Bantai?”
“Who cares? Put it down.”
I pushed the warm swaddle deep into my arms.
Thena was found alone. There was no evidence that she found an unknown man and woman leaving their baby and disappearing, so perhaps we should disappear before we are found. The hero who becomes the world’s second hope is robbed of his family love from the very beginning and left in the cold moisture of the rain.
Put it down. Thena is found. It comes to the present. Tena wants to enter the world temple and claim herself as the demon god’s lock. Mithra swallows her Thena and takes over her body, as if such a tragic sacrifice was not worth it.
If we disappear like this, taking baby Thena with us, that future may not happen. Meaningless and vain delusions continue to tickle her mind.
The goddess points firmly to the manger. Instead of obediently following orders, I became angry and shouted at something vague.
“Were me and Thena chess pieces created for you from the beginning? Were we born to be mobilized for the unfavorable war you were waging against Mithras?”
The last words come out almost like a shout. Thena in her arms started to cry, probably from surprise, but I couldn’t even think of comforting her and just glared at the goddess.
The goddess just looks at me with a face that resembles many others.
“Damn it, don’t just stare at me, answer me something-“
At that time, I hear the sound of a door opening from somewhere. When I turned around, I saw a house about six meters away with an oak tree doorplate hanging on it.
It’s a little less shabby than I remember, but it’s not hard to spot. Because the name plate says ‘Bantai’.
It’s our house. I feel like I’m going out of my mind.
“What did you hear? Are you saying I made the sound of rain? What can I do if I don’t trust people so much?”
Without realizing it, I gathered the loose straw, filled it in the manger, and then carefully placed Thena’s swaddling clothes down.
Then he ran and hid behind the wooden partition where materials were separated and stored. I stuck my finger in her mouth to prevent any screams that might come out.
The stable door opens violently, as if being kicked. The single-edged sword, which is thick and useful for chopping firewood, sticks its head out first.
It is my mother’s warrior sword ‘Hope of Dawn’. There’s no way I wouldn’t recognize you, even in a dream.
Following the mother’s shadow walking cautiously into the darkness, a man follows her and enters the stable.
Although he certainly resembles the elf king Danar, he is not the elf king. It’s a little shorter than that guy. In fact, my mother is slightly taller.
The hair is short and black, and the ears are round rather than pointed. And best of all, he has a magic wand.
The crystal of the staff infused with mana shines brightly. Holding it like a lantern stick, the man looks around the dark stable.
The moment the light penetrated between the wooden panels, Goddess Ishtar and I quickly lowered our heads. The wizard was startled and took a step back.
“Ugh, damn it!”
“Why? Why, Wintemyr!”
“No, Calle. I think I saw a rat. I won. I almost got sick.”
“…Can’t you fix that bird’s chest, honey? Every time I go on an adventure, I scream ten times, and Barragand, who has sensitive ears, loses his temper every time.”
“That’s because the fairy porter is needlessly sensitive. He’s jealous of us.”
The man, who was grumbling and flicking his cane, soon screamed in surprise once more.
It was because he hit the manger with his cane. The baby, who had calmed down just before the two came in, started crying energetically again. Hero Kalevantai was frightened, dropped her sword and rushed towards her child.
“Really! Go get some towels warmed up, Wintemyr! No. Isn’t there some kind of magic that can warm you up?”
“Calm down. His body temperature is normal. His complexion is healthy. Plus, looking at the moisture seeping into the floor… I don’t know who abandoned this guy, but he left not long ago.”
“Oh my god. They are such bastards that they will never return to the arms of any god.”
The mother carefully held Thena in her arms as she hurled abuse at her son from three meters away.
Thunder rumbles and flashes of light flash. The silhouettes of the mother and the man, which had been hidden in the darkness, are now clearly visible.
Her mother’s belly is a little swollen. Is it me or is she my sister?
And the man wearing glasses, probably due to poor eyesight… To my eyes, it’s like looking in a mirror.
The man, who discovered something thanks to a flash of lightning, clicks his tongue and rummages around in the baby’s swaddle, making his child scream.
He then takes out the sheet music written by Meti, the high priest of Ishtar. Unfortunately, the ancient artist’s work has been erased in places by raindrops.
“What is this? Is it a password?”
“Well, it looks like sheet music to me. There’s something like a signature written at the top. Can you see it? I can’t tell because my eyesight is blurry at night…”
“I may have brighter eyes than you, but I don’t know much, so I can’t read it. It’s like an ancient language used by elves. It’s the letters written on the strange artifacts that Barragand often brings out.”
Baragand was an alias used by King Danar while with his mother’s party.
That lying bastard. It seems like he pretended it was nothing special and showed off a rare artifact to gain favor.
“Can you read the ancient language, Wintemyr? You’re from Lesser Elan.”
“What are you talking about, Kale Bantai? I am as patriotic a citizen of the Armatam Empire as you are.”
“What are you talking about? I’m from Borvais, a country where tax collectors don’t come to visit me. I’ve never received any benefits as a citizen of the empire, so I’ve told you several times that I don’t feel like I belong to the same country.”
“That’s right. So, I’m just like that. I grew up in the Magic Tower, an extraterritorial jurisdiction where no kingdom’s influence can penetrate, so would I have a sense of belonging in Elan, where I’ve never been?
When her mother glared at her, Win Temir shrugged and spoke reluctantly.
“Just like you said, my parents were illegal immigrants from Little Elan. They also had elven blood.”
“That’s what I’m saying. Did you learn ancient language from mom and dad or not?”
“But just because I have 1/1024th elven blood doesn’t mean I’m automatically versed in the ancient language.”
“Ai. Did she learn? If she didn’t learn, just say so.”
“It is natural that elves are well-versed in ancient languages, as they have been using them extensively since they were young. In the case of humans, grammar changes after just a couple of generations, so how unfamiliar and complex would a language spoken a thousand years ago be?”
“Oh, really. It’s already cold, so if you don’t know, let’s quickly say you don’t know. Eh-chwi!”
“But I know it very well because I took it as a liberal arts course. Interpreting ancient languages is also a qualification requirement for appointment as an academy professor.”
“···You’re really obnoxious. Do you know that?”
Her mother says it’s cold so she gives her a fleece coat to wear, but the wizard Win Temaer doesn’t stop playing with her and telling her off.
It’s a mischievousness reminiscent of Jerek Pallandale. They are also similar in that they are trembling and are punished for their mischief.
“It’s hard to see because the rain is smearing. Her name is… Tena…? Remembering Tena’s first cry. Someone…’S youngest daughter?
The two most important names appear to have been damaged. I gritted my teeth, thinking that I should have swaddled her better a long time ago.
It’s a shame that he wasn’t a newborn baby. If he had just been born, his life might have been in danger just from the swaddle getting wet in the rain.
“What do you mean by the youngest daughter?”
“You, the professor, should think about it yourself. I’ll have to take him in first.”
“I’m going crazy. I’m going to make her a big sister before her daughter is even born safely.”
“What should I do when I don’t have enough milk to feed my son? Should I go around asking for milk from neighbors? Should people give milk to children they don’t know?”
“I have a good idea. Give it to me.”
“You’re noisy, you pervert.”
“That’s not what you’re saying, Calle. Give me a few drops. I’ll artificially synthesize human breast milk.”
“···Oh, that’s right. There are so many different excuses.”
“Why do you think it won’t work? The milk of all animals is nothing more than deteriorated blood. Sebum containing the magic of a mother’s love.”
“This is confirmed. I’m going in. The kids are probably crying because of the thunder, so what am I doing here? I’m just sitting there listening to my immature husband’s nonsense.”
“Oh, wait and see. A wizard with talent in alchemy can make anything. Go in first.”
“First? What are you planning to do?”
At the moment when I overheard her parents’ conversation and was filled with vague emotions.
Wintemyr’s eyes turn in this direction. Wee.
“We have to look for the people who left this child behind.”
My hair feels sore.
“···It’s dangerous. You might not know it during the day, but it’s night. Don’t do that.”
“If you want to put a Magus-level wizard in danger, you should at least bring in the king of a country. Or at least bring in a grassroots guardian from that land of Elan that you mentioned.”
Her mother seems to have faith in Win Tamar’s skills. Her mother sheathed her champion’s sword in her belt and gave the wizard a kiss.
Then she runs back home, covering her head with a waterproof cloth. Perhaps convinced that her mother would not hear, Win Temar suddenly changed her expression.
“Come out. I won’t tell you again.”
I looked at the goddess. Maybe it’s good, right?
The Goddess speaks with the shape of her mouth. Do as you wish.
As Wintemyr requested, we went out.
She was taken to the back of the stable with her hands raised in surrender. The goddess did as he asked and removed the cloth from her face.
First, Wintemyr raised the brim of his long wizard hat. And then the output of the wand light was increased.
She even gave her glasses a hard wipe one last time. As if I couldn’t believe what I saw.
“···I could have just run away, and it might have been less difficult for both of us, but I couldn’t let this opportunity pass by.”
I bit my lip and then released it. Wintemyr consciously stopped trying to express his distress in the same way.
“I think I know, but let me ask first. Is the boy you have here now named Tannhäuser?
“You must faint. I can’t believe it, but is your name Tannhäuser?”
