Chapter 92 – Chapter 23. The Devil’s Den.
Team Jihyeok left the castle after preparing for an early start. The manager, who had been waiting for the news in advance, bowed deeply towards Jihyeok.
“The owner said it was sincerity. He didn’t give for anything in return, so he asked me to accept it without hesitation.”
Then he took out a leather pouch and handed it to Jihyeok. The hero stared at it for a while and then took it. Since he’s a nobleman with a mountain of money, he wouldn’t be condescending just because he got this much.
“Thank you. Tell him that he will put it to good use.”
“I will be sure to deliver that.”
I was just about to leave the castle after saying goodbye, when someone stopped Ji-hyeok from afar. It was Hero Catherine.
“Catherine’s warrior.”
She seemed to have rushed to this place, but when she arrived in front of Ji-hyeok, she gasped for breath. The warrior’s expression has improved a lot, unlike yesterday. She seemed to have regained her composure.
“… I was too busy yesterday, so I couldn’t thank you properly. Thank you for yesterday’s work. Help me find my precious colleague. I will never forget this favor.”
Jihyuk smiled slightly.
“Is the young man all right?”
“Yes, I am fine.”
“You’re welcome.”
“It’s all thanks to Hero.”
Jihyo’s smile grew wider. He took another step towards Hero Catherine and grabbed both of her shoulders with both hands. Her eyes widened slightly.
“Don’t forget your righteous heart to the end. That’s it. And remember, I am your eternal ally. … I will always support you.”
He tightened his grip on his shoulder slightly, then released it. Then, he lightly bowed his head, then turned around and gestured to the waiting teammates, saying, “Let’s go.”
Catherine continued to look at Ji-hyeok’s back as he left standing tall. … All the way until it disappears from sight.
The wagon carrying Jihyeok’s team ran through the twilight morning air. The captain was immersed in deep thought while looking at the underground city of Horompel.
Most of the team dexterously dozed off in the rocking wagon. Ludwigne was sleeping happily, leaning on Grendal’s arm, her mouth wide open. The orc smiled happily as if he were looking at her little sister and took care not to let her hair slip.
The smoker healer had already been smoking a cigarette since dawn, exhaling long, gray smoke. She thought of the young man who had been lying there yesterday evening, in a terrible shape.
Anxiety, which had been quiet until now, suddenly flared up. Ah. Her hands trembled. She put her hand on the thigh of the captain sitting next to her and squeezed it tightly.
Whoops, whoops, whoops.
Grace’s breathing became rough. Jihyeok quickly squeezed her hand.
“Everything has recovered. Thanks to you … You don’t have to worry anymore.”
The tremors soon subsided. However, compared to before, the symptoms are very weak. It wasn’t that I had seizures every day, and that the occasional anxiety attack was fine.
Even among mercenaries, this often happened. Originally, mental illness doesn’t come off easily once it settles in your head.
After calming down, Grace looked at the captain with moist eyes.
“Sorry.”
“No. This is a fairly common occurrence. Don’t be too burdened. … If it’s hard, don’t worry and lean on me. Understand?”
“… Yes.”
Jihyeok showed a good smile. Grace couldn’t quite settle his mind. Grendal, who was sitting across from him and watching, also smiled heartily.
It was a good team. And he was a reliable teammate, a respectable captain.
Captain…
Every time Grace thought of the captain, his heart warmed. When he saw the captain, he felt better.
… I can’t do this…
The smoker healer smoked whenever he did. Even though she knew she shouldn’t, her heart wasn’t going the way she thought. If so, her anxiety would have been overcome long ago.
The more I depended on the captain, the deeper my feelings became. He got better and better … It was an undeniable love.
He said it bothered her. She remembered her dead comrades, her dead lover. The crunching sound and tearing screams were still vivid in my memory.
Ah…
It would not be enough to atone for having survived by living alone for the rest of my life, but playing with love without knowing my subject.
The blade of guilt pierced Grace’s chest sharply. He had a bad mouth. She treated it with cigarette smoke.
… However,
The dead lover in her chest had almost faded. In fact, the more she thought of him, the more pain she suffered.
Had to forget It was right to forget. I couldn’t hold on to the soul of a dead person forever.
Then, another person slowly tried to enter the vacant seat where her former lover was.
Captain.
Our esteemed captain.
He avenged her.
He took care of her pain without the slightest selfishness.
He was a better and more righteous warrior than anyone else in the world.
It was strange that my heart wasn’t shaken. Because it was so hard, the feeling of wanting to rely on someone was too strong.
Ah…
The cigarette is burnt out.
Grace banged her pipe upside down on the wagon tread to shake off the ashes, then filled it with fresh powdered leaves.
Swoouuuuu.
Acrid smoke filled her rotten stomach again.
The dead lover fades more and more,
The captain became more and more clear.
· · ·
The road to the Catacombs felt somewhat dreary. The roads, fields, and villages were all like that. The air grew colder and colder.
After leaving the city, the warrior team passed through two villages for 15 days and finally entered the land of demons.
Even though it was a land of demons, animals and plants were growing well. However, something was different from the ordinary field. It felt as if the demonic energy that was faintly spreading in the air was gently touching their flesh with the eye of a blunt needle.
Funny enough, unlike his colleagues, Ruud Binet, who had the blood of a witch, seemed to be full of energy.
“Here, the air is better than I thought, isn’t it?”
She seemed to simply feel that the air was good. So Jihyeok told me.
“It’s faintly mixed, Maggie. The energy that flowed from the Devil’s Den spread all the way here.”
“Are you Margi?”
It sounded like a thunderbolt to the redhead and freckles. Oddly enough, she had absolutely no objection to Magi. There, she suddenly sensed her own origin.
Witch lineage.
She didn’t feel much different from ordinary people, but now she realized that she was different. At least she was a mongrel, so the nature that ran in her blood didn’t seem to be happening too badly.
“Chief, you sure are spooky.”
“I haven’t even been near the devil’s den, but this is enough… , I don’t know if this will be okay.”
Already, the horses driving the wagon were showing symptoms of abnormalities. The carriage kept going and stopping over and over again. The coachman, who could not appease her, informed her that it would be unreasonable for her to go any further.
The Hero team got off the wagon without being able to do anything. From here, it seemed like we had to walk.
“How far do I have to go?”
“Even if I can’t, I’ll have to walk for two days.”
“Fortunately, it’s not that far.”
Everyone stretched out their aching bodies and relaxed. She had been sitting all this time, so she didn’t need to take a break.
Team Hero moved in two lines. The kobold Zepopo sniffed at him periodically, like a dog’s head. His scarred hulking Bruce stomped an iron shield half his height into the ground like a walking stick. He left a mark on the dirt floor like a stamp.
Ludbine strangely liked this slightly excited feeling. Her laugh came out and her body was excited. So, she naturally developed aegyo towards her boss.
“Did this bitch take the medicine?”
Bruce glanced at the redhead, smiling like a drugged bitch, and asked why.
Still, she didn’t care and acted like she was in a good mood. When Grendal saw that, she laughed.
Ruud Binet also felt that she was a little strange. Still, I couldn’t contain this excitement. She seemed to be able to use magic better.
“Captain, I think I can use magic better. Isn’t it wonderful?”
“Yeah, that’s wonderful.”
Jihyeok smiled and stroked Ludbine’s red hair. Hi-Hi. She strangely felt like she was going to fly.
Ah.
Her body tickled. It went all the way to the groin. It was sexual arousal.
After walking for a while, they took a short break. Ludwigne was still close to her captain, leaning on her arm, and she couldn’t take her eyes off his face.
It was only then that her teammates noticed that her condition was a bit odd. I know that Ludbigne likes the captain, but she’s acting a little too far now.
Jihyeok glanced at Grace. Quickly, she received the captain’s gaze and rose from her seat.
“Hey, Ludwig. Follow me for a second.”
“Why?”
“Oh, look out.”
“… Plaguy.”
Ludwigne swelled her cheeks, and then she looked at the captain with a vague gaze and said she would be back soon.
The two soon disappeared into the grass. Then Bruce, who was chewing on the dried meat, opened his mouth.
“Captain, he seems a bit strange.”
Kobold Zeppopo also noticed.
“It’s definitely gotten a little weird since coming here in Devil’s Land.”
Jihyeok explained.
“His mother is a witch. It’s probably the first time Magi like this is going to get excited. So take care of you too. Don’t say anything weird okay?”
Only then did they understand her situation and nodded her head.
“I see, chief.”
Soon the two women came back. Ludwig quickly ran to the captain and snuggled up next to him again. Seeing that, Grace said a word.
“Hey shit, boss, you’re bothering me, aren’t you falling off?!”
“Captain, I’m bothering you… ?”
Jihyeok smiled and stroked Ludbine’s hair.
“No, it’s okay. Never mind Grace.”
“… Yes, chief.”
Lol.
Ludwig seemed like she was going to die.
She thought of a novel.
A heartfelt love story between a wizard heroine and a hero heroine. Even the bad healer over there was exactly the same as in the novel.
I’m the captain…
The lips were tight. I wanted to kiss the captain. She also wanted to have sex. Really crazy … She realized she was in heat.
Why am I doing this
Ludwigne grabbed his clothes and shook them with a fever. Still, the fever did not subside. His breath was full.
“Let’s go.”
They got up again and walked a long way.
As the sun was about to set, the team set up camp and unpacked. Soon, a scarlet sunset spread across the sky.
They gathered a bunch of sticks from around them and made a bonfire. The smell of roasted meat wafted through the air. Except for the fact that this was the devil’s land, it was a beautiful sight indeed.
Jihyeok set a night watch one by one. Even if it was a devil’s land, only demons flowed a little, but it was no different from an ordinary meadow. Until he entered the devil’s den, he didn’t have to put two people together to add to the fatigue.
Everyone filled their stomachs and lay down in their seats. Soon the day got dark.
Woo woo woo woo.
A long cry of an animal spread out from somewhere.
The first order of the vigil was Grace. She set the hourglass and looked up at the beautiful night sky.
Woo woo.
A long puff of cigarette smoke disturbed the vision before disappearing.
… How did my life come to this?
She was born into a prestigious aristocratic family, but she was criticized for being the youngest daughter. It had already been 6 years since I followed her team of warriors because I hated her family and bloodlines. It’s a shame she’s fortunately talented, and if it weren’t for that, she’d have been taken as another noble’s concubine.
It was a hundred times better than suffering under a pig-like aristocrat. Although she left behind deep psychological scars, isn’t life originally so painful and difficult?
She remembered her dead lover, the warrior Reig. Strangely, her face was pale. I haven’t seen you in too long. … Instead, the captain’s face came to mind.
Ha-.
The heavyweight healer was self-help. I’m a mean woman who can’t do anything, I thought.
Grace stared at her face in the captain’s chair lying right next to her.
A smile flared up.
Dear Captain,
Have a good night’s sleep.
She kissed the air in the air.
