Chapter 174
I surreptitiously took a look inside the mansion.
The building, which had burned and collapsed, is currently under active reconstruction. Moreover, in the center of the courtyard stands an unfamiliar, colossal cylindrical passage piercing toward the sky.
“Hmm.”
When I raised my head to peek at the end of the passage, it connects to the aerial fortress Leviathan.
I pointed at it and asked Adrang.
“Can I take that?”
It is the framework of a direct orbital elevator to Leviathan, which Knightrea and Adrang explained to me yesterday.
Knightrea nodded and gave me a chin flick.
“Well, this is convenient. If you’re going to ride, let’s go together. It’ll make procedures easier.”
“Yes. Let’s go right away.”
I awkwardly smiled as I waited for the elevator with Knightrea. Kurrurrr, the cylinder lit up and emitted a heavy sound of activation.
Adrang cautiously approached me and asked.
“Are you sure this is okay? Leaving everything behind like this, without a word?”
When I glanced at him, I saw a worried face.
I’m also at a loss as to how to explain that I’ve silently decided to run away. More importantly, his expression clearly shows that he’s concerned about the state of my mind after this sudden decision.
“There’s no way I’ll be fine, obviously. Of course, when we meet again, I’ll get beaten up.”
I chuckled and shrugged.
“Anyway, you’re also going to retire from Cavalier once the situation here is settled, right? Then you’ll get yourself a mechanical arm in Unterland.”
“That is true, but…”
I heard that Unterland possess the remarkable technology of using magic engineering to create artificial bodies.
The first thought that came to my mind was naturally, ‘Wow! Automail!’
Alchemy nonsense.
‘The Filebunker will soon pop out from my palm.’
Of course, in actuality, most of this technology is for military use and the cost is astronomical.
But Adrang doesn’t look like someone who worries about money. Besides, with the reliable connection to Knightrea, it shouldn’t be an issue to worry about.
‘… Should I ask them to attach something to me?’
When I thought about it, it’d be pretty cool.
Beams coming out from the hands, grappling hooks like in that ninja game allowing three-dimensional movement, or something like the Filebunker coming out.
‘Just with this much, I should be able to offer one of my arms to machinery…’
No, what am I thinking?
I hastily shook my head and replied to Adrang.
“At that point, feel free to bring or not bring other people, it’ll take a few months.”
“That’s how it will be. As a general of at least one nation, I plan to finish off cleanly before I leave.”
“Understood. Before then… I will finish what I have to do.”
“Hmm.”
What I have to do in Unterland.
The Demon King Zadkiel hidden in the deep part of the Valley of the Dead. My task is to kill him and proceed with the second ritual of Witch Killing.
I don’t know if what I am doing now is right, but there is something I’ve become certain of in the process.
‘I was not a hero. Neither was I a knight.’
When I came into this alternative world, the title changed, but my essence remained the same.
I am still nothing more than an utterly powerless laborer.
That’s why I decided to go alone, leaving my companions behind.
‘What I am trying to do now is a matter of vengeance.’
Regardless of whether the outcome ends up saving the world, my intent is extremely selfish.
I don’t want anyone around me to be dragged into my personal affairs any longer.
I truly, absolutely despise it.
“At the place where I used to live, there’s a saying: ‘Know what you lie upon before stretching your legs.'”
Know your place, choose carefully where to lean, and step on it.
Seop Baek, who was mercilessly torn apart by a monster. Seseona, who died bloodied with her limbs severed. Gena, whose corpse was pinned to an inn wall like a specimen. Yeonon, whose upper body was eradicated without a trace in my hands. And Ruci, who turned into ashes and vanished. Through them, I realized deeply.
“Once I tried lying down, I realized how damn small my blanket was.”
If I don’t go down in flames, what am I doing? There’s only so much I can protect.
I am only an ordinary mortal, struggling to even hold onto what I have in my hands.
Throat feels parched.
“If I can’t protect it, then I shouldn’t desire it either.”
I answered decisively and turned my gaze away from Adrang.
I gently stared at the back of Knightrea’s head. It seemed like Knightrea sighed meaningfully.
“You’ve handed me an annoying role. I try to avoid getting entangled in romantic melodramas.”
Adrang silently laughed in bitterness and murmured.
Once again, those words. I awkwardly laughed along and replied.
“What melodrama? Kern said similar things, why do you keep bringing up meaningless topics?”
“… I worry about my daughter’s future. Given how many competitors there are, and her current mental state being this bad, her love life will be tough.”
“Where is this going with Kar suddenly? Some trashy bastard took away the documents of your house?”
“Hmm?”
“Hmm?”
Something feels off.
The pitch of our conversations subtly misses its mark.
Adrang also arched an eyebrow around then, and looked at me lazily.
“Are you pretending to not know, or do you really not know?”
“Uh, either way, I truly don’t know, right?”
To Adrang’s question, I gave a witty answer.
And Ting—. A bright chime resonated as the elevator arrived. A transparent capsule-like elevator emitted a radiant light.
Knightrea entered the elevator first and gestured to me. I nodded and stepped onto the elevator.
“You’re right. Although… it remains true that my involvement is none of my concern.”
Adrang looked at me and smiled with a complicated expression. Though I didn’t know its meaning, I smiled back.
Then suddenly, dust-like particles settled on the empty right arm of Adrang. Adrang and I looked skyward simultaneously.
It was snow.
“Hey.”
On the day of Hector’s attack, it rained, but today the weather seems much colder, hence the snow.
In another previous life when it didn’t rain that time, would it have snowed today, too? A frivolous thought crossed my mind.
“This winter has come quite late.”
Adrang scratched the wound while speaking. Perhaps it itches from the snow.
“…”
For a while, I silently admired the first snow of the alternative world. Knightrea also didn’t urge me, quietly gazing at the sky.
Then Adrang naturally continued the conversation.
“I will try to explain in the least offensive way to the ladies. I’ll say it was my force.”
“Just keep me alive the next time we meet.”
“Don’t expect too much. Keep in mind a limb or two like me.”
“Ahoy.”
With the bone-chilling joke from Adrang for several reasons, I boarded the orbital elevator.
Swish swish. The door closed. Adrang’s bitter face slowly disappeared.
Wheeeng.
The elevator smoothly ascended inside the column. It’s much faster than expected. Outside the glass wall, the landscape rapidly receded.
I faintly let out a meaningless exclamation.
“If I had been in your party, probably I would have chased after you wherever you ran, to the ends of the Earth.”
As the two of us were the only ones left in the cramped elevator, Knightrea muttered to herself.
She had her eyes fixed on the transparent glass wall of the elevator and was twirling her blue hair with her fingertips.
“Ho.”
So, you now know better and interfere?
Did the emotional explosion from the first snow hit her? I smiled wryly.
While I looked at the falling snow, I said:
“I do have some kind of demonic charm, though.”
“I don’t know about demonic charm, but I think a bullet in your forehead would soothe my heart.”
“…”
“Everyone has their beliefs and chose, of their own will, to join your group. Did those women tearfully demand you to protect them? If your companions are precious, you should respect their choices.”
Unexpectedly focused on Seop Baek and Seseona, Knightrea glared coldly at me.
In a firm tone, she pressed me:
“You are not a god. You can’t save everyone. Why are you so fixated on other people’s death? Why are you escaping through self-flagellation alone and not embracing this pathetic male pride?”
“Haha.”
A derisive laugh reflexively escaped me.
Knightrea’s forehead wrinkled as if naturally.
“What’s so funny?”
“What’s the most useless thing a guy from South Korea needs when he’s born with nothing? Pride.”
“… What?”
“What the heck nonsense is this? Am I doing this because I care about them? I’m doing this because I’m scared.”
“…”
“Shut up and stop babbling nonsense.”
Knightrea obediently closed her mouth.
Not because she was overwhelmed by my aura, but because I used a charm that spread around.
Since words alone probably wouldn’t have swayed her, and she is relatively inexperienced, I forced her to seal her lips with a low-level charm.
‘Anything else to hide?’
I’m scared of not being able to protect the people who have grown precious to me.
More precisely, I’m afraid that I’m breaking down because I can’t protect them.
So, I shook off the heavy load, and hurriedly ran away. Who cares? Screw them.
“Who the hell asked you?”
Anyway, who cares? If things go sideways, I can simply die neatly and not retrieve my residual memory, right?
Sure. You will not remember anyway. That’s why I’ve tried it several times.
“If I were better, these ridiculous things would not have happened. Surely there would have been a better future, but I keep clinging to this torturous hope, unable to give up. No, not that.”
However, the powerlessness and despair that come when I fail to protect them are like sticky, black evil beasts, accumulating on my soul.
I’ve experienced this many times to make such a decision.
Literally.
Even after dying, I can never forget it.
“… Still, I can’t understand. The nonsense spoken by those who call themselves knights.”
Knightrea dismissed it like that, and turned her eyes back to the window.
Knightrea and I stayed quiet, leaning against the wall and waiting for the elevator to arrive.
Naturally, since the silence was by my wish, it wasn’t awkward.
“…”
I recollected the faces of those who passed and those who remain.
Frankly, everyone can take care of themselves, so I don’t have to worry. Except LuCi.
“I feel guilty about dumping LuCi.”
Well, those two women will take good care of her.
Difficult to rear because of their distinctiveness. However, a few strokes of love’s whip, and they’ll become immediately well-behaved. That’s what I hope they’ll quickly understand.
While thinking about this, how high have we ascended?
Suddenly, a warning buzz of the system rang.
[Warning ? Excessive Distance]
[Detail: The undead Demon King has exceeded 5km from Guardian Park Jeong-yong. The undead Demon King is being forced to teleport near the guardian.]
Unconsciously, a foolish exclamation slipped from my lips.
“Huh?”
Ppat!
The air distorted in a bluish hue, and then LuCi appeared with an utterly confused expression right before my eyes.
Looking at LuCi quietly, I managed to understand the situation.
“Ah.”
… Right. I was somewhat worried that something might go wrong when LuCi and I get too far apart, but now I found out like this.
I slapped my forehead loudly with my hand.
“Eeng?”
LuCi had something stuffed into her mouth.
She’s holding a lot of potato fries in her hands; it must be that.
She looked around to see what had happened, then saw my face and sighed loudly.
“Hey, Hero! Did you just find some fun fireworks spot and bring the both of us here?! What a terrible Guardian… You didn’t even give me a heads up! How dare you…!”
However, LuCi’s fiery outburst didn’t last long.
Piiing— Bang! A loud explosion thundered beneath our feet.
“Whoa.”
The orbital elevator had a transparent glass floor as well.
Thanks to that, the colorful fireworks twinkling beneath could be seen clearly through it.
“Aha! This is my first time seeing something like this! It’s beautiful.”
LuCi sat down there with a dazed look, chasing the retreating after-images of the fireworks with her eyes continuously.
A gentle smile played on her lips. Unknowingly, I started smiling as well.
“Haha.”
… Me too. This is the first time I see you wearing an expression like that.
Looks like we can’t outrun each other after all. This checkpoint with legs is probably destined to stick around, alive or dead.
Bang—! Boom boom!
The sound of fireworks echoed.
The world was covered in white by snow. LuCi’s dazed smile was painted in the colors of the fireworks.
And the elevator continued to ascend rapidly toward Leviathan.
