00736 Meadow of Screams. ————————————————– ———————-=
– A human from the kingdom dares to wander around here carelessly. It’s like their liver is swollen.
– If you want to kill, kill. Anyway, I have no regrets in life anymore.
– huh? haha! Are you pretending to be brave, or have you really given up? He’s a fun kid.
– Don’t call me a brat! I am… !
– okay. What about you?
– … That’s it. I’m destined to die soon, so is it that important? I would be grateful if you could let me go right away without any pain.
New Continent Atlanta (North City Secret Library), ‘Annals of the Victorian Dynasty – 18th Emperor (147~147)’, ‘First meeting between Prince Lung and the barbarian warrior king.’
*
I slowly looked at the ground, but there was nothing strange. No, if you look closely, you can see some cracks. The place where we are standing is clearly a grassland, but the ground is cracked like a rough wasteland. However, the cracks are extremely slight, and other than that, it is just an ordinary grassland.
“I don’t think there’s anything special?”
“That’s strange… .”
“Is there anything wrong with it?”
“Yes… . I can’t pinpoint it… . So it looks like someone deliberately covered the ground. No, did the land sink? Anyway, I don’t know if it’s my first time, but I saw similar traces earlier.”
Im Hanna did not withdraw her suspicions. I thought about it for a while, but this is it! I can’t recall any memories of her. I don’t come here often, but I don’t think there’s any information about the underground monster… .
Should I investigate it properly, or should I ignore it and continue marching? Countless thoughts pass through my mind. At that moment, Ansol, standing quietly in the center of the formation, caught my eye. Ah, a good idea occurred to me. I immediately walked up to Ansol, grabbed his waist with both hands, and lifted him up.
“to?”
Ansol flinched in surprise and then stared at me with blank eyes. She then blinked her eyes as if asking why. cute. It almost makes me want to bite that plump cheek. Then you’ll probably burst into tears, right? … While thinking foolish thoughts about her, I placed Ansol quietly next to Im Hanna. And he pointed to the land he had seen earlier.
“Come on, Ansol. “Look at that land.”
“to… ?”
“I need your luck. “Tell me what you see and feel.”
“Eh~?”
Ansol said, ‘What are you asking me to do?’ He gave a look as if he was saying, but then he obediently looked at the ground. And she stared quietly for a while, and then she suddenly got a serious look on her face. Then, Im Hanna’s complexion also became serious. Did she really feel something?
After a while.
“?”
As Ansol’s head tilts, a golden question mark flashes on the top of his head. The serious-looking eyes were still glaring at the ground, but the body’s reaction was honest.
“Wh, question mark?”
I sighed inwardly as I heard Han So-young’s bewildered voice. Children just say they don’t know if they don’t know.
“It would be better to go first.”
“Oh, brother. wait a minute.”
“are you okay. “It’s because I don’t have time.”
“Oh, no! You might really find out something!”
No, I don’t think you can figure it out. What kind of outrageous honesty is this? She tried to force herself to leave, but Ansol, as if she wanted to be a mole, was already lying down and burying her face in the ground. And then she purses her mouth and says, “Shhh.” Even giving a signal to be quiet. I don’t think she’ll feel anything like that. Suddenly, I hear the sound of Seonyul laughing under his breath, and my face gets hot. I crossed my arms and shook my head. It was then.
“Beep!”
Ansol, who was observing the ground, suddenly let out a loud scream and fell into a ball. Even though Im Hanna was startled, she quickly pulled Ansol out, and I reflexively pulled out my sword and aimed it at the ground. Everyone except Ansol quickly steps back carefully, aiming their weapons. And I waited for a while, but no sign was detected. The meadow was still peaceful.
“Ansol?”
“Eh, eh?”
“Ansol?”
“Rain, scream! Ta, suddenly a scream came from the ground… !”
When I called his name twice, Ansol made an incomprehensible sound. I kept aiming my sword, rolled my eyes and looked around.
“Has anyone heard a sound similar to screaming?”
But everyone shakes their heads. Of course, I didn’t hear it either. So does that mean Ansol lied?
“Detect says there is no problem?”
“There is nothing wrong with detecting magic power.”
Seonyul and Shin Jae-ryong spoke in turn. Ansol turned her head alternately to look at her embarrassed face, and then she showed bright eyes. Her eyes are like surprised rabbit eyes, and seeing as her chest is still heaving, I don’t think she’s lying… .
“Merchantry Lord. “It would be best to get out of this meadow first.”
At that time, Han So-young took off her hood and quietly looked around in all directions and said. I nodded my head in agreement. Because I kept feeling something strange. Above all, I cannot rely solely on my memory. I’ve experienced until now that my bones are numb to how stupid that is.
“Please pay special attention to the march, and we will leave immediately.”
Deciding to keep several possibilities in mind first, I immediately resumed my march.
*
We marched in a tense atmosphere until evening, leaving the beginning of the meadow. No one opened their mouth, and they marched silently, keeping a watchful eye on their surroundings. However, no abnormal signs were found after that, and in the end, it was decided to camp in a suitable place. In fact, there was no need to choose a place because it was open on all sides.
While we diligently prepared for camp, including making a bonfire and organizing sleeping bags, dinner was prepared. Of course, it was Lee Yu-jeong’s responsibility to prepare meals throughout this expedition.
“huh? “It’s pretty good, isn’t it?”
Jegal Haesol opened his eyes round with a spoon in his mouth. Then Heo Jun-young, who wasn’t even looking at the food bowl, looked skeptical and carefully shoved a spoonful of stew into his mouth. And he looks at Lee Yu-jeong with equally surprised eyes.
“I can’t believe it. It still doesn’t taste good, but it’s still worth eating with your eyes closed. Did Lim Hanna help you?”
“Ah, ahaha.”
Lee Yu-jeong just smiled awkwardly.
I’m only saying this now, but on the first day of the march, Lee Yu-jeong’s cooking skills were at a level that was unbelievable. It was just extremely, extremely tasteless. Im Hannah, who was worse off than me, said she would take responsibility for her meals, but I strictly controlled that. Because I can’t go back on my promise. (Thanks to this, I had to look at them with resentment the whole day.)
Still, I guess I tried my best, but tonight’s dinner was pretty decent. At least there was no situation where Ansol was crying loudly and throwing up like on the first day.
Seon-yul, who was licking her lips as if savoring semen, moved her neck and smiled.
“There’s definitely been a lot of improvement. “You learned it quickly?”
“Okay, thank you. … “But was it that strange at first?”
“yes. “It was a dish that I thought would be okay to serve to someone who didn’t like it.”
“… … .”
Seonyul’s words were bitter, and Yujeong Lee lowered her head helplessly.
At that moment, the melody that had been eating loudly suddenly made eye contact with me, and suddenly opened its mouth wide and quietly stuck out its tongue. Her tongue is covered in thick stew. Immediately, draw a V with both hands and act out your eyes with dilated pupils.
“Ahegao double piece!”
… Crazy bitch. What an asshole bitch. What if there is someone who understands?
Feeling somewhat embarrassed, I turn my gaze and see Han So-young, who has just finished eating, catches my eye. As she stared, she felt that her eyes were being purified. Every movement she makes when she puts down her bowl is done with care, and she is full of grace.
“Did you enjoy your meal?”
I spoke softly.
“… yes. “It’s definitely better than the first day.”
Han So-young glanced at me, licked her mouth slightly with her tongue, and said. She just said it was okay, she didn’t say it was ok. However, Lee Yu-jeong seemed happy that she ate the food without leaving anything behind, and asked, “Would you like some more stew? “There are still a lot.” She said she committed the atrocity.
“Oops. Come to think of it.”
Han So-young calmly covered the bowl with both hands and said something new. It’s a very natural change of topic.
“Do you remember what happened this morning?”
“Breakfast?”
“It’s about user Ansol.”
“Oh, yes.”
Ansol, who was complaining about his food next to Im Hanna, seemed to have heard his name mentioned, and his ears pricked up. No, everyone is paying attention to Han So-young. She barely opened her mouth during the entire march to begin with, so she wondered what she would say.
“I can’t take it lightly, but it still bothers me.”
“Continue? if.”
“no. I didn’t feel anything strange either. But when I was in the city, I remember hearing something similar to the situation I experienced today.”
“Could you please explain in more detail?”
Han So-young nodded lightly, as if she was going to do that anyway.
“Was it a month ago…? . My affiliated clan has asked me to find a missing comrade. The place of disappearance is this meadow. “I went to sleep and woke up in the morning to find that one of my colleagues had suddenly disappeared.”
“I woke up and it was gone?”
When I thought it was strange and questioned it, Han So-young’s small shoulders were lifted.
“yes. No one, not even the watchdog, noticed. He just suddenly disappeared by himself. but… .”
“… but?”
“He said he heard strange screams every now and then before he went to sleep that night.”
“If it’s a strange scream… .”
“Screaming from the ground. “It’s the same situation as before.”
“… “Have you found the missing user?”
“no. “I couldn’t find it.”
“… … .”
Han Soyoung spoke so coldly that it felt a bit cruel.
The moment he finished speaking like that, silence suddenly fell around the camp. The atmosphere cooled rapidly. Han So-young’s voice itself is cold and quiet, so it gives me goosebumps for some reason. I thought about it carefully, but no memories came to mind. It was my first time hearing this too. When I turn my gaze, I see Ansol holding on to Lim Hanna, trembling.
“I feel a little sorry for you guys, but we are doubling the number of security guards. And Ansol?”
“… … ?”
“Stay by my side tonight. got it?”
“Yes!”
Ansol nodded with a slightly relieved expression.
So, after the dull meal time, night came to the plains.
*
The morning dawned after dawn, when tight security continued.
Ansol crawled out of his sleeping bag and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the brilliant sun rising in the clear sky. I spent the early morning trembling in fear that someone might catch me, but I couldn’t be happier to be safely exposed to the warm morning sunlight. It was a really pleasant morning, except that the meal was still terrible.
Soon, starting from Kim Soo-hyun’s departure signal, the expedition’s march began. And just as yesterday, when we were steadily moving forward while being alert to our surroundings, Im Hanna suddenly raised her hand and gave her signal. She went on to say that she had found a girl in the front.
‘What girl?’
At that moment, I suddenly felt something strange. It would have been strange enough for a girl to be alone in a meadow, not even near a city.
But Ansol was not embarrassed. Kim Soo-hyun and Lim Hanna left for a moment and actually brought a girl. Her face and clothes were a little dirty, but she was still a cute resident girl with kind eyes.
“What happened?”
“I think he was brought here as a porter in a caravan, but he was probably abandoned. “He said he was coming back the way he remembered.”
Hearing the words being spoken, Ansol understood that this was so and at the same time felt a pity. It was certainly something that could actually happen, and it doesn’t seem like it would cause any harm. no. The fact that Kim Soo-hyun personally brought her in the first place made Ansol have no doubts. Afterwards, she went back and forth about this and that, but in the end, she came to the conclusion that she was being taken. Because the girl said she was confident in cooking, Ansol voted yes without hesitation.
And the march began again.
As he walked in formation, Ansol felt a strange feeling. Except for authorized positions, most residents find it difficult to use. However, the girl didn’t show any signs of such behavior, and was chatting happily with each person with a friendly smile on her face. She was jealous when she talked to Kim Soo-hyun, but she was also funny when Heo Jun-young was in trouble.
As they took turns one by one, the girls reached the back and turned their attention to Ansol, probably tired of Kim Han-byul showing off various jewels. When An Sol smiles as kindly as possible, she runs straight to her room, smiling. Then she held out her arms as if asking for a hug, and Ansol quickly picked up the girl. When she met her bright smile, she strangely felt at ease.
“Sister, sister!”
“Yes? why?”
“Who is your sister?”
“me? Well~.”
As the march was starting to feel boring, Ansol jokingly said,
Then the girl stares at Ansol.
“Who is your sister?”
“Who is it? Would you like to guess?”
“Who is your sister?”
“Whose~?”
“Who is your sister?”
“who… .”
Ansol, who had been talking without much thought, suddenly trailed off.
“Who is your sister?”
“… … .”
An unexpected chill suddenly runs down my spine. Ansol swallowed her saliva and gently lowered his gaze towards her.
How much time has passed?
“sister… .”
The girl called Ansol in a more subdued voice.
“Do you, by any chance, want to die?”
Ansol could barely hold back the scream he was reflexively trying to scream. She was a girl who was smiling brightly just a moment ago, but at some point, she was looking at herself with a straight face, with no trace of her expression at all. Her drooping eyes feel like they are glaring at me for no reason.
Ansol instinctively tried to abandon the girl. But her body doesn’t listen, as if she’s possessed by something. Now she couldn’t even tell if she was walking. She had this strange feeling that she was the only one left in this world, herself and her baby girl.
Did you like Ansol’s expression?
The girl grinned. She laughs, contorting her whole face. Her small mouth is torn from side to side, turning into a monster’s snout, and her eyes turn red as if her blood vessels have burst. Soon, her torn mouth moves softly. Ansol felt as if her entire hair was as if it were lifting into the sky.
“or not… . “Do you want to live?”
One word asking if you want to live. Ansol nodded her head more fiercely than ever.
“I see. “My sister wants to live.”
Hehe, hehe.
A gloomy sound that cannot be considered a child’s laughter comes out.
“You know, you know. Sister. then… .”
Whisper quietly.
As if she was about to tell him some great secret, the girl slowly lifted her body and whispered in Ansol’s ear.
and.
“Open your eyes.”
It was that moment.
—————————= Review of the work ——————– ——-=
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fantasy,
