102
Captain Cassadick
“Do you know what magic is?”
Kanna turned her head at Swallows’ unexpected question.
A thin film spread around the swallows, repelling the falling raindrops.
Kanna, who saw him for a moment, also briefly took a breath.
Although it was small in size, it was enough to stop Kanna.
“There are countless speculations about magic. Nothing has been directly proven yet. Do you know what the most famous saying about magic is?”
Kanna shook her head slightly and stared behind her.
The wall he had carved was far away and hidden by the rain.
It seemed like it would go further than expected.
“Magic is God’s final arrangement for the oppressed. It is not exactly clear, but it is said that the story comes from the individual’s earnest desire being the decisive factor in the manifestation of magic.”
Kanna pretended to concentrate on the story and shook her right hand. A very hard ice fell.
The sound was quite loud and startled him, but the louder sound of the rain covered him.
“It comes from earnestness, so it is not often expressed among the commoners and those below the nobility. When the empire banned slavery, they talked about the Bible, but the prevailing opinion was that it was actually to restrain magicians. It is also true that the frequency of magicians decreased after slavery was abolished.”
The story reminded Kanna of when she first discovered her magic.
When I was abandoned, starving, and my life was in danger, I thought I had nowhere else to go.
When I desperately wished for everyone to die, the magic happened.
“So, in a way, it’s true that it was God’s plan for those at the bottom. Because of that, the lives of the lower class improved.”
Swallows waved his hand lightly.
A light came on and illuminated the way ahead.
The light that rose in the darkness and rain guided the path ahead without being dimmed at all even when hit by rain.
“Then what does it mean to advance magic?”
This time, it was a question, so I couldn’t just pass it over.
Kanna looked at the guy and shook her right hand.
A solid block of ice was deeply embedded in the ground.
The answer he wanted was obvious.
“Equality in the world.”
“That’s right. All humans are inherently evil. You know that.”
Kanna nodded at the bastard’s question, then stopped.
Kanna used to think so too, but…
It wasn’t all bad.
“Humans are inherently evil, and cannot be purified on their own. A means to restrain them is needed. The magic that emerges from those who suffer is most suitable for this. If a weak person can become strong, can you treat them carelessly?”
Kanna thought for a moment at the voice that seemed to be madness beyond heat.
However, before Kanna could answer, Swallows continued.
As expected, it was a formal question.
“If you advance that kind of magic, even the emperor will not be able to ignore the feelings of those at the bottom.”
Damn it.
The pool of water beneath the Swallows created small waves, but they were blocked by a transparent membrane and scattered to the side.
Kanna took a moment to look down at Swallows’ shoes, which were not even wet in the rain.
“You will see the end. You will advance magic. And because of you, equality will be established in the world.”
Contrary to his enthusiastic words, Swallows’ gaze was somewhat misaligned, similar to the gazes of the men who had sold Kanna before.
widely.
A very small sound.
Kanna flinched, but Swallows looked forward again.
In front of him lay a mountain whose end was not in sight.
“From here on out, watch carefully and follow me. It’s dangerous if you step on the wrong side.”
Even without Swallows’ warning, Kanna noticed the presence of magic circles everywhere.
This time I added a little more mana and made it bigger.
I walked in like that for a while.
Although her breath was sweet and her legs were shaking from walking for so long, Kanna did not utter a single word.
Because it seemed like it showed weakness.
The place they arrived at was an incredibly large cave that looked like it could be home to a legendary dragon.
Kanna was purely amazed.
If it’s Aaron, he might be able to find a use for it.
Kanna imagined something like that and the corners of her lips twitched for a moment.
“Come in.”
Kanna nodded and followed after putting one more piece of ice in it.
I added more ice to the places where the magic jin was buried, the places where I had to step.
“Ahh… You’re here…. Since you were late, I was wondering if something was wrong….”
“It’s a mistake. I’m late because I’m busy with work. Where’s the item?”
“Ahhh··· here···.”
A woman wearing a gray cloak.
Kanna instinctively felt the mana around the woman.
On par with Swallows···.
No, rather, an even greater mana was sleeping beneath it. It seemed to be hidden, but Kanna could feel it.
“Ahhh… The child that Swallows-nim was talking about….”
“Yes. Kanna, say hello. I am the Gray Tower Wizard.”
“···hi.”
Kanna nodded, hiding her sweaty fists behind her back.
There was a woman lying in a corner.
Even in a dark cave, her appearance shines brightly even with her eyes closed.
It was Youngae.
Looking at it this way, it felt different than when I saw it from afar.
Kanna was purely amazed by his appearance.
“You brought the right person. But why···.”
The Swallows standing in front of him muttered in a low voice.
“···Are you just pretending to sleep?”
The voice of Swallows was strangely irritated.
Yeong-ae stood up, flinching noticeably.
“Ah! I slept well! Huh? Swallows-sama! Where am I?! I was definitely in the room!”
Youngae smiled brightly and waved her hands.
Kanna was a little surprised because it was the first time she had seen such a bright person since she was born.
“I will give your heart to that child.”
Swallows declared in a voice devoid of emotion.
That statement was surprising to Kanna, so she narrowed her eyes.
“What? My heart?! But don’t we all have one heart?! Do I have two?!”
“You have one too.”
“Huh?! Then that’s difficult? If there were two, I could give one to such a cute child, but if there’s one, it’s too much!”
Kanna felt truly unfamiliar with Youngae’s pure white emotions.
The stupid conversation continued.
Swallows, who had openly called her stupid, turned around and ordered Kanna to stay next to Yeong-ae.
Although Kanna was a bit reluctant to stand next to Youngae, she went towards her obediently.
As Kanna approached, Yeong-ae immediately reached out and pulled her hand.
When Kanna, surprised by this, tried to cast her spell, Yeongae hid Kanna behind her back.
“Don’t worry. Your father will have noticed by now. The troops will arrive soon. No matter what happens, I will protect you. Don’t be afraid.”
A slightly different tone of speech than before.
A voice that drips with warmth to an unfamiliar degree.
If you listen to Swallows, it’s likely that it’s not him but Youngae who’s in danger.
But, looking at Young-ae trying to protect herself, Kanna thought to herself.
‘···Are you stupid?’
Kanna felt burdened by the warm gaze of Yeong-ae looking at her.
***
‘Ningiri… why aren’t you coming?’
Dylan checked behind him, clutching his paralyzed left hand.
Heavy rain.
I felt like I was left alone in the world, because I couldn’t see even an inch ahead of me.
‘Shit.’
I lost so much blood that I blacked out for a moment and then came back.
Dylan shook his head and collected himself, though his body shivered as he was hit directly by the cold rain.
Dylan spat and turned his gaze to the forest where the bastard and Bora had entered.
Dense forest.
The forest, filled with tall trees whose ends could only be seen by raising one’s head, looked like a murderous sight for a man-eating monster.
It was a forest that no one would ever enter even if someone pointed a knife at their neck.
Dylan was afraid.
I was so scared that tears welled up in my eyes.
The rainwater that entered my mouth was salty.
The hand holding the dagger trembled violently.
Dylan had lived his entire life as a mercenary, boasting of his cowardice.
He wasn’t the type of person to run into a forest like this with just a dagger.
‘···Purple.’
Dylan, remembering the cute little boy, dug his fingers into the tree beside him again.
‘Just follow me and wait for the ten pups.’
Dylan muttered softly and slowly walked into the forest.
It was dark outside, but the moonlight couldn’t penetrate the dense trees in the forest.
The sound of raindrops falling intermittently in the silence.
‘Who do you take after to make you so smart!’
Dylan looked at the ice stuck in the ground to get his bearings.
Even though Kanna had put ice on it, it was sure to melt quickly because it was raining.
Dylan moved, pulling the blood-soaked Cooper out of his pocket and shoving it against the tree.
Since I have a personality that doesn’t trust others, it was fortunate that I carried all my money with me.
And then at some point.
A dreary feeling came over him.
Dylan squinted his eyes and stared at the floor.
There was a lot of ice stuck in the ground.
It was clear that something was being warned.
‘···Is there a trap?’
Whatever it was, a smart Bora would have done it, so Dylan didn’t hesitate and just stepped on the icy part.
Jump jump jump.
Every time I ran, my mind became clouded.
When Dylan felt he couldn’t take it anymore, he took out the potion he had hidden in his bosom, sprayed it on his forearm, and drank it.
It was cheap because it was the lowest grade, but it felt lively.
“Khuu… As expected, the potion is good. Oh, Sun God!”
Dylan thought for a moment, then placed his left hand on his forehead.
And then I started walking again.
And then at some point···.
‘There’s no ice?’
The uneasy feeling remained, but there was no ice.
Dylan froze in place and looked around.
I checked with a water hammer just in case, but there was no ice anywhere.
‘···This is fucked.’
A chill ran down Dylan’s spine.
Now that I can’t see the road anymore.
It was clear that if I took one wrong step, something terrifying would happen.
Up until this point, Dylan’s premonitions about misfortune had never been wrong.
Dylan glanced behind him.
A safe road with coins kindly placed here and there.
I could go back now.
Even with all the blood on him, it was clear that no one would question Dylan’s cowardice.
It suited Dylan to go back and tell the kid that there was a bad guy in the woods.
Dylan turned his head and stared straight ahead again.
A forest full of uneasiness.
Even if they were just a few, it was clear that it would take a long time to find Bora in this large forest.
I don’t know what will happen in the meantime, but it’s certain that it won’t be good.
‘···Ningiri.’
I burst into tears because I felt so wronged.
What a fool I am, walking into a trap of my own!
However, the image of Bora waving her small hand and smiling brightly lingered in my mind.
Dylan looked around, tears streaming down his face.
‘The place I want to step on! The place I want to step on!’
I desperately looked left and right, but it was all the same.
Had to choose.
But Dylan was always lost in the wilderness.
This time, I had no choice but to walk.
Dylan jumped up and down, sobbing.
And then I quickly crouched down, covered my head, and looked for God.
“···Oh.”
Nothing happened.
Dylan then lifted his head, looked around, and shook his butt to express his joy.
But it’s not over yet.
‘I can do it. I’m Dylan.’
Dylan opened his eyes wide and stared straight ahead.
Of course, tears were still flowing from my eyes.
Find a place that feels good again.
“Ugh!!”
I jumped up and then crouched down.
My limbs trembled with fear.
For a moment I lost consciousness and then came back.
“Oh yeah!”
Nothing much happened.
Dylan again raised both hands and shook his hips in delight.
Whether it was the sun god, the moon god, or the Ningiri god, they expressed their gratitude by dancing to the hips.
How many times did I jump like that?
Suddenly, that thought occurred to me.
Now that the danger zone is over, isn’t Kanna’s ice gone?
“Haha… I’m lucky.”
Dylan pretended to be a squirrel, trying to ignore his warm lower body.
Next comes the huge cave.
It was a cave where a happy family of monsters might live together.
I absolutely did not want to go in, but there was ice stuck in front of me.
‘···Ningiri.’
I cried so much that no tears came out.
Phew···.
Dylan took a deep breath, slapped his cheek to pull himself together, and headed towards the cave.
My legs were shaking, but I had been walking like that for a while, so I was pretty good at it now.
The cave was large and deep.
Dylan walked close to the wall, taking deep breaths. He had to struggle to suppress his screams as he was impaled on the rocks that jutted out from time to time.
Let’s walk like that for a while…
‘Isn’t that Youngae?’
Several cold fires burned in the huge hollow at the end.
And there were four people gathered there, chatting away.
The lord’s daughter, the swallows, the gray sparrow, and the purple sparrow.
Dylan sighed in relief at the sight of her safe return.
‘The atmosphere isn’t bad, is it?’
But then, the Swallows beckoned.
“No! Don’t do this! Why are you doing this! Kanna! Don’t worry! I’ll protect you!”
Yeong-ae was lifted into the air as if caught by something and dragged away.
Even at that moment, the way she desperately called out to Kanna was as desperate as if she was calling out to her own younger sister.
‘Did you two know each other?’
Dylan readjusted his dagger as the atmosphere suddenly became tense.
Fortunately, Kanna was safe.
Yeongae, whatever happened, I didn’t care, so I just checked on Kanna.
‘Hey, you little brat, why aren’t you coming?’
Dylan stared anxiously at the cave entrance.
I was consumed by the darkness and couldn’t see anything.
But Dylan was sure that the pups were coming from beyond the darkness.
Because he was truly an amazing bastard.
***
‘The Kirton Mountains.’
I clicked my tongue as I looked at the huge mountain ahead.
After the illegal palm tree hike, hiking on a rainy day…
It was clear that he was a bad teacher.
The pungent smell of blood.
He was so used to the smell of blood that he could smell it even among the fishy smell.
The direction it points is inside the forest.
As I looked into the gloomy forest with no end in sight, the advice of the wizard Torai came to mind.
[I don’t know about anything else, but never go to a place prepared by a wizard. Going to a place where a wizard has settled down is suicide. Never go in.]
‘If you tell me not to do it, I want to do it again.’
I knocked on the lid of the pot.
Thump thump-.
It seemed like something with good resonance would also have strong magic resistance.
– Do you need help?
The voice of a tenant full of laughter.
It was like watching a viewer watching the fun part of a drama.
‘You’re being premature. Save your strength.’
– I told you not to call me by that name.
Funny enough, I felt quite at ease hearing the tenant’s voice.
The forest was gloomy with rain pouring down.
So much so that it wouldn’t be strange no matter what happened.
A feeling of uneasiness slowly began to creep into him.
‘I guess I need to speed up.’
I covered myself with my shield and ran towards the forest.
***
“Whoa!”
Dylan held his breath at the woman’s screams.
The swallows and the gray cloth seemed to be doing something, and then the atmosphere suddenly changed drastically.
“What if you suddenly take off your clothes? I was surprised! And then you rip my clothes….”
‘Isn’t that the problem?’
Dylan slowly exhaled at the sight of Youngae screaming without any hesitation despite being naked.
“Shut up, you stupid bitch. Before I rip your mouth off.”
“Ahhh… If the condition isn’t optimal, the heart may stop during the transplant….”
“A transplant? I told you that the child doesn’t need a heart either! What kind of transplant? Don’t you know that trading human bodies is against imperial law and the Bible?!”
“Shut up! Stop talking nonsense and shut up!”
“No! It’s my heart, so you have to explain it to me! If you keep acting so rudely like this, I’ll be so embarrassed!”
‘This is a crisis, right?’
Dylan turned his gaze to check Kanna and readjusted his dagger.
Seeing all this talk about transplants and stuff, it didn’t seem like it would end easily.
‘Phew-.’
Dylan took a deep breath and moved slowly.
This is a trick I learned while hiding among zombies in the old days, and the effect was quite good after using it consistently.
“Or at least tie your mouth with a cloth! Do something! I’m preparing for the transplant right now!”
“Why do you keep yelling when I ask you to explain! When I teach you magic, you often say useless things! Why… Sob sob.”
As the person covering himself with a gray cloth waved his hand, the gray cloth split and covered Young-ae’s mouth.
The face was revealed, and Dylan swallowed.
‘It’s a witch! A witch!’
It was such a gloomy looking thing that I wanted to hang it on a tree and burn it right away.
At that moment, sweat dripped down Dylan’s forehead and clung to the bridge of his nose.
Dylan, his eyes wide, stuck out his tongue and took a bite. The salty taste was quite nice.
“Midnight is approaching. This is the time when mana is at its most active, so prepare yourself.”
The man who spoke briefly raised both hands so that his palms were visible.
“Take off your clothes and come here and lie down. Kanna.”
I was out of breath at the guy’s words.
‘That idiot right now···.’
Dylan squinted his eyes to gauge the distance.
A distance you can reach by jumping five times.
He approached me without me noticing because his mind was elsewhere.
Rising anxiety and instincts screaming warnings.
My feet felt heavy.
But I didn’t move, as if my body was rejecting it.
‘If you stick a dagger in the back of anyone’s head, it’s over. The end.’
Dylan licked the dagger, his eyes shining.
I didn’t suppress my fear.
I used him to find a way to survive as long as possible.
It wasn’t visible.
There were danger signs everywhere you looked.
“I changed my mind. I don’t want to do it.”
Kanna nodded and spread her hands.
Ice and fire rising around it.
Is it because the cave is big, or because the canna is small?
When I saw it in the bar, the things that had seemed so cool looked really weak.
“······What?”
The squinting Swallows turned around.
“iced coffee···.”
Then even the gray woman stared at Kanna.
A gap that occurred momentarily.
‘A once in a lifetime opportunity.’
Dylan quickly dropped to the floor and crawled slowly like a snake.
“It’s not fun anymore. I don’t want to do it.”
Kanna’s answer was broken.
Dylan extended a hand.
“You still don’t understand. The great undertaking for equality between magic and the world… No, the word great undertaking is an understatement. And is it all because of this woman?”
Yeong-ae, who had been clenching her fists toward the Swallows, raised both hands in surprise at the pointing.
Swallows waved his hands with a frown.
The ground moved and tied up Young-ae.
“There are children who eat their own parents because they are hungry. But is it sad that a woman with such white skin is dying even though she is an adult?”
“Ugh, ugh!”
Yeong-ae tried to protest, but her voice was muffled and inaudible. Judging from her gestures, it seemed like she was saying that her skin was originally white.
Sweat trickled down Dylan’s forehead and soaked the ground.
“No. Hannah told me not to take my clothes off in front of other people. If someone tells you to take your clothes off, tell them Aaron’s name. Aaron will get in trouble for you.”
‘Right! Good job!’
Dylan raised the corners of his lips at Kanna’s straight answer and leaned forward slightly.
“Tsk.”
At Swallows’ gesture, the magic surrounding Kanna disappeared in an instant.
Kanna waved her hands frantically, but nothing happened.
Kanna’s face distorted.
“It’s too precious a heart to be given to a stupid woman. When you transplant it, you’ll know what I was after.”
When the Swallows raised their hands, Dylan felt as if time had slowed down.
Clear death.
The moment I moved, it was clear I was going to get fucked.
But Boradongi had a face she was seeing for the first time.
And that expression didn’t really suit the little boy.
Dylan just ran.
I even held my breath for this.
As my vision spun around with my breathing reaching its limit, the back of the bastard’s head came closer.
An empty chamber.
A few hairs sticking out from the empty crown of her head seemed to indicate that she was here.
Dylan held his breath until the last moment and extended the dagger.
Just before the dagger pierced the guy’s empty skull.
Ting-!
“···?”
The dagger bounced out with a crisp sound.
Something intangible blocked the dagger.
Dylan stopped in his stabbing position, as this wasn’t part of the calculation.
Next is the neck of the guy who is slowly turning.
“···You? How are you here? No.”
The annoyed look on his face changed to confusion, and soon he became filled with joy.
Dylan had never seen a person’s facial expression change so drastically before.
“This is a Catholic greeting! It’s so nice to see you here!”
Dylan smiled brightly and hid the dagger behind his back.
“You bastard… You even gave me a gift like this. It seems like heaven is with me.”
Ugh.
Dylan was startled by the bloodcurdling sound coming from Swallows’ mouth.
“Haha. This guy doesn’t know how to say hello in a Catholic manner. If you look so serious, you won’t be popular at Catholic!”
Dylan laughed, sweat dripping down his forehead.
The guy didn’t answer, just smiled coldly.
It wasn’t good.
It was very, very bad.
At that moment, his eyes met with Kanna’s, who was staggering behind him.
‘Now is the time. Jump out.’
Dylan forced the corners of his lips to turn up, raised his thumb and pointed in another direction.
“Yes, I think it would be a good idea to loosen up your hands before the transplant. I am also an expert on human suffering. It would be an honor to know.”
Dylan laughed along, sweating profusely.
Kanna wakes up slightly.
I needed to get his attention a little more.
No matter what pain comes…
“Eww! Wait! Wait!!”
Dylan threw up both his hands because he was in so much pain.
Then, a look of disillusionment filled his face, like seeing an insect.
A different operation was needed.
Dylan rolled his eyes for a moment and then looked confident.
“Friend Swallows! You’d better run away now. There’s a really scary ten-year-old… No, Brother Aaron is coming!”
Dylan pointed towards the cave entrance with a stern expression.
“···Aaron? I don’t know why everyone here keeps talking about Aaron. Yeah, he must be extraordinary. He’s done a lot of things that are incomprehensible. But I’ve already been preparing for weeks. Just the number of magic traps I set up on the way here···.”
“Ah! That? I marked it all! Can’t you see that I came in here in such good health? Your magic traps have already been destroyed! Are you scared? Are you afraid?!”
“······What?”
The guy’s face was subtly crumpled.
Dylan saw a sliver of life.
“My brother is a total brat. He tears apart demons! He beats up punks! He beats up people who just poop! He beats up and tears up anyone he doesn’t like. He’s a really scary brat! That brat is safely running along the path I made, so even now···.”
Kwaaaaang!!
Dylan, who was in the middle of a fight, gaped at the loud noise he heard from afar.
A hot wind follows the bright lights.
It was clear that something big had exploded.
And there was no way anything else could explode around here.
“I guess it was so dark that I couldn’t see your mark very well.”
The laughter of a man full of laughter.
‘Nimi! I clearly put the blood and coins in, so why are you stepping on it and making a fuss!!’
Even though he marked the path using his own blood-like Cooper and real blood!
Dylan bit his lip.
Even though he was the most ignorant bastard, that huge explosion just now…
at that time.
Kwaaaaang-!
I heard the exact same explosion as before.
A little closer than before.
The bastard’s expression became subtle.
Dylan’s face became ambiguous.
It was fortunate that everyone seemed to be safe, but I wondered why another explosion had occurred.
Kwaaaaang-!!
Explosions that keep coming.
The interval between sounds became shorter and the distance became closer.
The implications were clear.
A very scary bastard is coming.
The face of the guy who was smiling just now became distorted.
“You’re fucked now!”
On the contrary, Dylan smiled broadly.
Kwaaaaaaaang!!
There was silence after the explosion heard nearby.
Thud thud…
The sound of rain from afar echoed inside the cave.
Swallows, clenching his teeth, waved his hand as if it was annoyance.
Then an invisible force pushed Dylan away.
Then Dylan quickly ran towards Kanna, hugged her, and rolled around on the floor.
Soon, I hit the wall and the shock shattered my entire body.
When I hurriedly checked on Kanna, she bit my hand.
Thud thud.
Heavy footsteps were heard.
Swallows kept waving his hands while muttering something.
Every time that happened, light would burst out from strange paintings scattered throughout the cave.
Dylan watched the gray cloth recede and readjusted his dagger.
It just so happened to be behind the Swallows.
Damn it.
Then, the sound of footsteps approaching right in front of me.
A giant cub revealed its form.
The colorful armor was broken in many places and his whole body was covered in soot.
Additionally, smoke began to rise in puffs all around.
The sight looked just like a devil jumping out of hell.
And not just any demon, but a very bad one… a demon leader or demon king.
I swallowed my saliva in fear for no reason.
At that moment, the ten-year-old shook something from his hand.
That thing felt somehow familiar.
I squinted my eyes and looked…
‘···A pot lid?’
It was definitely a pot lid from the bar, as I could see a picture of Kanna’s Aaron on the front.
“Hey, Kkwobarou. The road here was rough.”
The cub spoke lightly, belying his miserable appearance.
“How did you···.”
The swallows emitted a blue light from their eyes.
The air became heavy in an instant.
A tremendous amount of pressure.
Dylan’s whole body trembled even though they weren’t directed at him.
“This is vibranium.”
The young punk who received him lifted the lid of the pot and grumbled.
An incomprehensible answer.
Even though his face was covered in soot and scars, Dylan felt the pup smiling.
Dylan, who was catching his breath and shaking off the pressure, saw the back of Swallows’ heads.
Dylan’s whole body ached, but he instinctively took a deep breath and laid down.
And slowly crawled into the darkness.
Kanna, who had been watching him, also bowed down and followed Dylan.
‘What are they doing?’
I clicked my tongue as I watched the two crawling side by side.
If you crawl around in a cave like that, your clothes will get covered in dust.
“It’s not Kuabarou, it’s Swallows. You idiot.”
The presence of Kuobarou and the colorful paintings behind it.
It seemed like it was going to be quite annoying.
There were quite a few speed bumps on the way here, so my body felt a little heavy.
As I took a deep breath and straightened my shoulders, some of the fatigue went away.
This was enough.
“No, you’re a liar.”
I smiled brightly and fixed the lid of the pot.
Ugh-.
A multitude of glowing paint boards with a sinister sound.
What Kanna drew was so extraordinary that it seemed like child’s play.
Plus, my mouth was watering at the sight of the magical spheres that filled the cave.
I felt like I had to do it now, so I thumped the lid of the vibranium pot and opened my mouth hurriedly.
floating!
“I can do it! All day long!”
“···What?”
When the guy frowned and asked back, there was a moment of opportunity.
I jumped forward, lifting the vibranium lid.
