Episode 117 Awkward Relationship (2)
Abel recalled a piece of memory. A past when his parents were still alive. The smell of rusty cheese added to the vividness of the memory.
⎯ Hee-ing- I know how to use a knife now! I’ll cut mine and eat it.
Abel’s father smiled gently at his complaint. He said with an infinitely warm smile.
‘Hahaha. Our Abel is already all grown up. But still, not yet. It is said that we Nibelungs do not hold a sword until we are seven years old.’
⎯ Huh, according to Grandpa, Dad has been holding a knife since he was a little boy?
‘Father too… … .’
⎯ He also said this: ‘Your father, Abel, is a talent whose name will be remembered in Nibelungen history.’
Abel’s parents chuckled at his imitation of the sword. A proud smile spread across her small lips.
His father was a giraffe. He showed his prowess in swordsmanship even before he could walk.
His talents were so great that he deserved to be included in the genealogy of the Nibelungs. Nevertheless, he was far from being arrogant. He was naturally humble.
‘Ahem – it seems Grandpa misremembered. Oh, anyway, Abel, put down the knife and hand me the plate. I’ll cut it up so it’s easier for Daddy to eat.’
⎯ I’m all grown up now… … but my dad always treats me like a kid!
Abel pushed the plate away, his lips pursed. That gentle smile was cheating.
My father smiled and cut the meat into bite-sized pieces for the child to eat.
Abel’s mother whispered softly to him as he whined for a long time.
‘Isn’t that right, Abel? Leaving food to someone is an expression of how much you trust and like that person. Dad does that because he wants to be loved by Abel.’
⎯ Huh, why?
‘The most important thing in life is food. That’s why you can only entrust it to someone you can trust.’
⎯ Ah… … !
The innocent Abel was immediately convinced.
‘Abel will know what I mean when she grows up. So let’s give in to Daddy just once today.’
Mother winked one eye and put a finger to her lips. Abel nodded in return.
‘If you ask someone to do something like this, that person… … .’
Now that I’m seventeen, I know that it was out of concern that my daughter might get hurt.
But now, the parents who had given me those warm words were no longer by my side.
* * *
“… … ?”
Abel’s eyes sparkled.
I asked them to cut some meat for me, and this is their response.
‘…Was that really that shocking?’
I asked him to avoid the manifestation of the Sword God’s protection, but Abel looked like he was on the verge of tears. There was no way I could know what triggered it.
I feel so embarrassed.
When I tried to pull out the plate that I had held out like that.
Thud.
Abel grabbed my wrist, then my arm. She said, rubbing the tears in her eyes.
“Sorry. I was just thinking about the old days.”
“… … .”
“I’ll cut it for you. Just wait a minute.”
Abel began to cut with all his heart. I was taken aback by her sudden change in behavior.
Even though he reached out and said it was okay, Abel slapped it away with his fork. She looked like she was going to slice the plate too.
“Here, eat. I cut it into bite-sized pieces.”
“… … .”
I looked back and forth between the food cut into bite-size pieces and Abel’s face. When our eyes met, she averted her gaze and continued eating.
Mumbling. Abel moved her lips without saying a word. The tip of her nose and the corners of her eyes were still flushed.
The meal was almost over in an awkward silence. I wanted to take this opportunity to suggest to Abel that he join the party…
The atmosphere is like this, so I can’t say anything. It’s surprising that I didn’t hear a sound.
“…Why don’t you ask?”
Abel was the first to open his lips. She kept her eyes on the food and only moved her fork and knife. Abel’s voice was still wet.
“You must be wondering why I cried.”
To be honest, I was curious. Abel suddenly burst into tears. At first, I was confused. But I intuitively noticed.
It was clearly a cry with a story behind it. That’s why I didn’t ask any further questions.
Those emotions in my eyes. Longing and loss.
After eating rice with a knife for 20 years, the amount of rice I eat has increased proportionally.
I could vaguely infer emotions just by looking at their eyes.
I stabbed the meat with my fork without showing any change in expression. Abel’s eyebrows furrowed at the lack of response.
“Sword Demon, don’t you care about others at all? Even if your way of thinking is different from that of ordinary people like me.”
It’s too weak to be called a bruise, but too serious to be called a slap.
Abel’s eyes turned a little redder. She appealed in a tearful tone.
“You get along so well with other kids… Why do you only act like this when you’re with me? And while I’m at it, when I first met you, you hid the fact that you were a top student, right? You were saying this right in front of me, complaining.”
“… … .”
“At that time, I thought you weren’t talking because of something. But the more I looked into it, the more I realized I was wrong. At that time, you were just annoying, right?”
“… … .”
“Do you think everyone is a genius like you? No, not at all. Isn’t that right? Ordinary people like me live by relying on and empathizing with each other mentally.”
I put the finely chopped piece of meat into my mouth and chewed it in silence.
Abel poured out her words. She took a few deep breaths. Then, as if she was entering a state of calm, she covered her face with both hands.
Silence settled once more. I chewed the meat and moistened my mouth with water. Then I spoke in a cool voice.
“Enough with the tantrums.”
“…what?”
Abel’s eyes widened. The only emotion left on her face was confusion.
Abel is now swayed by the emotions that have been triggered. Of course, he also has the option of listening quietly. He can ignore whatever she says and just console her.
But that is not the right way to behave for Abel. Even if you call it a meddling matter, there is nothing to say. It is also not something you should meddle in.
‘but.’
I put down my fork, crossed my arms, and added:
“Abel, I don’t care what you say to me, but what you just said was purely based on your own ego.”
“… … !”
Abel’s shoulders shook slightly. I deliberately hit the nail on the head. I hammered my words in like nails without stopping.
“And you say I’m different, you say things that completely ignore me. Do you know what I’ve tried and how I’ve lived?”
“… That, that.”
Abel licked her lips. I immediately cut off her opportunity to protest.
“And Abel, you’re belittling your own efforts by labeling me as ‘talented.’”
“… … .”
People around me call me a genius at swordsmanship.
It makes sense that he would say something like that, since in his previous life he reached the top of the industry in just 5 years.
But they don’t know the inside story. They only look at the results, ignoring the hardships of the process.
I held the knife handle so tightly that the blood stuck to my hand. I looked at the fish bones that had been cut and practiced the knife skills in my head.
The desire to reach the top. That was the driving force that made me the best swordsman in the country.
It is the same now.
The protection of the Sword God. It is clear that while it is manifested, it is a powerful force with few rivals. A protection that allows you to cut down enemies that you would not be able to fight.
Behind this comes enormous risks that eat away at your body and mind.
If you exceed the pain relief time, you will have to go to the hospital.
As the rate of assimilation increases, humanity dries up.
Others call it talent, but to me it’s a valuable asset.
It is a force of nature that requires my physical and mental strength to be exerted.
That is why I have been training my body and developing my natural strength.
Even the pursuit of obtaining the damn magic stone ultimately comes down to one goal.
‘Survival.’
At first, I didn’t have even the slightest sense of alertness. But eventually, I overturned that complacency.
I quit the game midway and only know up to the second half of the story. It’s a future shrouded in fog.
Also, the affairs are entangled. Everything is unknown.
There is a high possibility that it is because I was possessed by Kang Geum-ma, who was originally just a background character A.
But that doesn’t mean I can deny myself.
We must constantly prepare to block variables and prepare for the unpredictable future.
That’s why Abel’s words, “He’s a genius”, are remarks that erase all his hard work.
Moreover, Abel is a child of a prestigious family, but I am a special student. Whatever she confesses is just a lie to me.
So, I spoke to her coldly.
“sorry…….”
Abel apologized in a moist voice, wondering if the effect was significant.
I let out a big sigh. I guess I nagged at him.
“Okay, let’s go eat.”
“…huh.”
A small reply came back. Somehow, the tension was relieved and a faint smile appeared. Then, Abel looked at me with a start.
Abel, who was called the Ice Empress in Miracle Protection M.
Could it be because of that sense of disconnect? I found this human side of him quite cute.
But more than that, the flow of this conversation was absurd.
[Protection of the Sword God] I feel quite embarrassed that the request to avoid manifestation has continued this far.
‘Your body became like that of a child, and your mind became like that of a teenager too… … .’
Dangle, dangle. The only sound that lingered in silence was the sound of plates and utensils clashing together.
It was already a noisy dinner.
As the awkward silence fell, I desperately needed something tangy and spicy. The cup ramen that was sleeping soundly in my carrier floated before my eyes.
As my thoughts were wandering in a strange direction, I suddenly came to my senses.
Rather, the context of this meal has been reversed.
Rather than asking Abel if he wanted to join, it seemed like their relationship was only getting worse.
Then suddenly Abel began to mutter as if he was talking to himself.
“… My parents went missing in a dungeon. Today marks exactly 10 years since they disappeared.”
I was a little surprised by the heavy story without any warning, but I listened silently.
“I mean, I’ve been waiting for this vacation. The minimum requirement for entering the dungeon is to become a cadet at the academy.”
Abel sipped the water and moistened his lips. Then he carefully opened his mouth.
“… That’s why this vacation is so meaningful to me. I also feel a lot of pressure.”
“It seems like a very dangerous dungeon.”
Abel shook his head in response to my question.
“The dungeon difficulty itself isn’t that high. To be honest, I still can’t understand why my parents went missing. It’s a very low-level dungeon.”
“… … .”
As I quietly listened to her story, I felt a sense of kinship.
Even I, one day, suddenly lost my parents here. She and I had something in common about that.
Besides, I think I was a little too harsh on Abel a little while ago.
So, the thoughts that had been fleeting for a moment soon turned into words.
“Let’s go together.”
“!”
“It’s a good thing I had to do some dungeon runs during the vacation.”
Abel’s eyes grew wide.
Her golden irises flash brightly and tears well up in her eyes.
“But, but… it’s none of your business. I can’t be bothering others.”
“I owe you a favor by staying at your house during the vacation. I think I can repay you a little bit now.”
Actually, that’s what I said, but the moment I felt it was only a moment.
In the end, my decision was clearly the result of many calculations.
‘Mental level’ forces me to be strictly rational.
‘The rewards for helping Abel would be overwhelming.’
Cold reason said so. At the same time, I was filled with disappointment in myself. It was extremely unpleasant.
The place where emotions lingered feels empty.
Only a cold, machine-like image took hold inside me.
Of course, Abel’s heart was also felt as admirable, but the degree of it was very small.
‘As the assimilation rate rises, the human status falls.’
What will I become at the end? It’s creepy.
I shook my head and asked where the dungeon was located.
“Where are you going?”
Abel slowly raised his head and looked at me. The expression on her face that had been sobbing a moment ago was gone.
“Undead Dungeon.”
“… … !”
I almost heard a swear word at those words.
