#254
254. What you can’t have (1)
top floor of the temple.
I walked out onto the terrace.
Deafening cheers erupted.
The mercenaries in downtown Delhive were chanting the name of the princess.
The forces of both sides were similar, but the result ended in a landslide victory for the princess army. There could be several causes. The ability of the commander, the morale of the soldiers, and even the existence of our heroes.
‘anyway… … .’
I also cleared the 60th floor safely.
After occupying the Chengdu, the stronghold of the religious forces, all that was left was the imperial capital where the prince was staying.
Yoshu said that the siege of the capital had already ended, and that the prince’s army would not be able to hold out for long. From the beginning, the cause of the war belonged to the princess. The fact that the prince summoned the existence of another world in the forest spread all over the continent.
“…”
I was sitting on a chair on the terrace and looking down.
Tboob. I turned around at the slight sound of footsteps.
“Hwiyu, somehow we won.”
Jenna ran to me, wiping the blood from her cheek with her sleeve.
After a fierce battle, the leather armor was covered in blood and dust.
“I heard that the civil war is almost over. Can we go home now?”
Jenna put her ass on the table next to me.
“We have to get to the 100th floor. It’s still a long way.”
“But… I did pretty well at this level. I’ve become very strong, and it goes without saying to my brother. If I keep working hard like this, I think I’ll reach the 100th floor. Oppa, please take good care of me in the future!”
Jenna bowed her head at me in a cheerful gesture.
Why are you like this? I chuckled.
“Ahem, I was recognized a lot by the other mercenaries too. I was a kid from the countryside when I first came. After I finish my mission, can’t I be treated like a hero? It’s annoying to work, I want to play all day.”
muttered Jenna.
Are you saying you want to live on a pension or savings?
It wasn’t a bad future.
“How is your brother? He said he was a farmer… Oops.”
Jenna tapped her forehead.
Then he looked behind the terrace and smiled strangely.
“I interrupted again without noticing. See you in the waiting room!”
Jenna jumped out onto the terrace and disappeared through a downstairs window.
“It’s not a hindrance.”
I sighed.
Irene is also dead, and the occupation of the castle is almost over, but the mission is not cleared.
It must be because there are remnants of troops all over the city. It meant that I had some time to spare before going back.
‘Come to think of it… … .’
Did you make an appointment with him?
I scratched my cheek. Someone was walking from the hall leading to the terrace.
You can tell without looking back. Small, hesitant footsteps.
“Are you okay now?”
“It’s okay. There’s nothing to do.”
I answered while sitting in a chair.
Freea slowly entered the terrace and put her arm on the railing.
The height difference between this place and the ground is more than 100m. The mercenaries below will look far away.
“It’s great. Now we have one step left until the emperor.”
“I am…….”
Freea opened her pink lips.
“You don’t deserve it.”
“No qualifications for such a thing. If you can do it, if you want to do it, do it.”
“I have a different bowl than my older brother.”
“Your brother should know what he did.”
“Something is wrong. The older brother I know is someone who can sacrifice himself for both the empire and the people. Unlike me, who is selfish.”
“Selfish?”
Freea closed her eyes.
“I have a younger brother with a different stomach.”
“…”
“We broke up at a very young age, but he was truly an angelic child. In the impassable imperial palace, that child was a great source of strength for me. Without that child, I might have had a bad heart.”
“so?”
“The reason I fight is not for all people like my older brother. It’s for just one person. I want to create a world where that child can live in peace. I’m ready to give up anything for that. Truly selfish. can’t you?”
Freea laughed lightly.
and saw me
“However, one thing has changed.”
Freea put her hand on her chest.
The silver bells adorned the silver-white dress swayed.
“I want to be extravagant. That’s why I want to become emperor.”
“I’m sure you can get tired of luxury. Money will overflow…”
“I want to have what I can’t have.”
Freea’s golden eyes illuminated me.
“I don’t need a splendid imperial palace, expensive jewelry, or pretty clothes. It means nothing to me. Han, do you know what I really want?”
“…”
“I know that you live in a different dimension from me. It’s a place I can’t reach even if I stretch out my hand. But, if I become the emperor of an empire, wouldn’t it be possible?”
I swallowed a bitter laugh.
It wasn’t something I wasn’t expecting.
But to come out so straightforwardly.
“You’re probably thinking of returning to where you were when the fight here is over.”
“…”
“I don’t like it. I still need you. I’m tired of wearing a mask in front of everyone. I need someone with whom I can open my heart. Without such a person… I might collapse one day.”
“Yosh is…”
“It’s not Yoshu.”
Freea cut off her words like a knife.
I had no choice but to keep my mouth shut.
“You must be carrying more burdens than I do. I know very well that you don’t have the peace of mind. I know that you need time. I just wanted to tell you.”
It was not wrong.
I can’t afford that.
Although you have broken through the 60th floor, you do not know when and what kind of mission will come out. Also, I didn’t know what was going to happen outside. When I was a Master, I thought that this would be fine, and whenever I was careless, I drank bitter water several times.
“I didn’t have any income. It’s the first time I’ve seen your embarrassed face.”
Fria smiled mischievously at me.
I dropped my pretense and said.
“So what’s the conclusion?”
“…”
Freea inflated her cheeks.
“Contract for life. Sign a contract with me for life, Han.”
“Lifetime… what?”
Freea came to me.
And he said it with an extremely serious expression.
“Stay by my side until I die. If you want, as the Emperor of the Empire, I’ll give you anything. A mountain of gold coins, a river of jewels, a high title and fiefdom.”
“That, that’s… an abuse of power.”
“Didn’t I say that I would spend extravagantly? So what should I do? Would you like to sign a contract with me for the rest of my life? If you wish, I’ll do anything for you. That’s my determination. It’s my heart.”
I opened my mouth.
‘This guy… … .’
Do you know what he is talking about?
I stood up from my chair and hesitated.
“Answering now…it’s a bit difficult.”
“When the fight is over, tell me your answer. I won’t wait.”
Fria whispered in my ear.
“I will try my best not to disappoint you.”
“…”
“Hehe, power is a good thing.”
Freea smiled and stepped back.
Then, humming, he left the terrace.
I stood there blankly.
‘A lifetime contract?’
If you do that… … Returning to Earth must be abandoned.
We don’t know the exact process, but if Taonier is revived, Freea will retain her imperial title there. The offer Fria had just made to me meant that he would lend his strength when he came to power.
‘Ha, that’s great.’
It was only then that I could feel the passage of time.
To think that a sniffling kid was big enough to say that to me.
[Stage cleared!]
[‘Han (★★★★★)’, ‘Jenna (★★★★★)’, ‘Belquist (★★★★★)’, ‘Kishasha (★★★★★)’, ‘Katio (★★★★★)’ Level up!]
[‘Roderick (★★★★★)’, ‘Benik (★★★★★)’… … .]
[Reward – 300,000G, cursed eyes, monster’s heart… … .]
[MVP – ‘Han(★★★★★)’]
Soon after, the stage clear message appeared, and the light began to wrap around me.
I stood motionless on the terrace. I was confident that I would not blink an eye at most things, but I never thought I would be shocked by this much.
Soon after, I returned to the waiting room.
In the plaza, the fighters who participated in this mission and the assistants who met them were talking loudly. A victory with few casualties. Amkenado also placed various dishes, drinks, and party tables in the plaza so that the heroes could celebrate their victory.
square corner table.
I sat down on a chair and drank a glass of wine.
Freea’s words lingered in my head.
‘Why didn’t you refuse?’
I scratched my head.
I couldn’t cut off Freea’s proposal with a single knife.
That hesitation remains in the heart
“Well, I’m going to die of envy.”
I looked away.
Next to the buffet table lined with various dishes, Jenna was chattering with chicken skewers in her hand.
“Ah~ Is there anyone else with me? My young and handsome noble brother has a lifetime contract with me…”
I reached out to Jenna.
Jigsaw Jigsaw! There was a flash of dark red lightning and Jenna glided towards me.
“Ughyaaagh!”
Tup.
I grabbed both of Jenna’s cheeks.
“Were you listening?”
“No, ahaha. Should I call it a coincidence…”
I tightened my grip.
“It’s steaming, steaming!”
“Don’t speak carelessly.”
“They say it’s broken…”
“Okay, didn’t you know?”
Jenna nodded absently.
When I let go of my hand, Jenna touched her swollen red cheek.
“Oh, it hurts.”
“You’ll know if this thing spreads, right? It’s a hundred fights with me in a row.”
“…I don’t want to die.”
Jenna shook her head with a pale face.
“Okay. Go back to your original seat.”
“Old write!”
After Jenna ran away, I drank again.
With his left hand, he turned over the bookshelf on the table.
[Book of Reverse Heaven]
Similar scenes appear in picture books.
It was the part where El Cid, the main character of the story, and Leltea, the princess of a foreign country, met. Well, the guys here don’t even know what the Book of Reverse Heaven is, so it doesn’t matter if you look at it openly. On the surface, it’s just a thick book.
‘This guy was also around the 60th floor.’
My flow was similar.
The part where all the powers of Dorado merge into one after overcoming difficulties.
‘But why… … .’
did it end like that?
The image of El Cid coughing up blood came to mind.
“…”
The reason El Cid died in front of me.
Was it to warn you?
‘Does the difficulty suddenly become difficult?’
no.
El Cid finally cleared all missions.
Even if the mission was difficult, it meant that I could overcome it with my own strength.
The same is true of Taone’s current situation.
Except for the capital, all areas of Taonier came under the banner of the princess’s army. The civil war only had an ending, so it could be said that it was practically over. In addition, Freea awakened the dimensional sword Rusrada, and obtained a means to fight the Fragment Series.
‘the problem is… … .’
Dorado and Taoni.
The details were different, but the main stem was similar.
‘I don’t know.’
I gulped down the glass.
Even though it was called alcohol, it had almost no alcohol content, so it was close to a beverage.
He was drinking moderately because he had a sparring with Halgion scheduled for today.
You can’t train while drunk.
The part about El Cid will be handled well by Yournet.
I heard that the investigation is also almost finished. The few remaining questions about El Cid will soon be revealed.
I set the empty glass down on the table.
<Master.>
A familiar voice rang in my ears.
I was just trying to contact you.
“Are you Yurnet?”
<Congratulations on clearing the 60th floor. It’s not long until the 80th floor. Unprecedented climbing speed.>
“Somehow it happened like this.”
<By the way… … .>
“however?”
Yurnet, who had been resting for a while, spoke.
<Why don’t you sign a lifetime contract with me?>
Yurnet continued in a calm voice.
<Please don’t be fooled. Pretending to drain your liver and gallbladder, you might have other plans behind your back.>
“It’s not going to be like that…”
<It is unknown. After you get hurt, it’s too late. I’m worried about Master. The current Master can be said to be defenseless. Next time you see the fox, be sure to say no. Then have a good time.>
Beep.
Communication was interrupted unilaterally.
“…”
