123
Brotherhood
‘···What is this.’
Five touched his cheek with trembling hands, feeling the pain he had not felt in a long time.
Cursed black blood running down his hands.
Although the wound healed through clenching my teeth because it wasn’t a deep wound, the shock from the pain still remained.
Five frowned and turned their heads.
There was a guy in front of me.
A guy who was so badly injured by his own teeth that his bones were visible.
Even though he was seriously injured and would have collapsed by a long time if it had been another guy, he didn’t stop.
No, rather, he threatened himself by adding a sword to it.
‘Come on···.’
Even with his bones exposed, he hid his strength until the very end.
Even the word clever is not enough to describe it.
Yeah, he was vicious.
If that bastard’s aura hadn’t disappeared, it could have been dangerous.
Five stared at the bastard, rubbing his neck.
The bastard was still glaring at him, still not losing consciousness. He kept mumbling something with his mouth and wiggling his wrists, showing that he hadn’t given up yet.
An obsession and speculation beyond comprehension.
‘···Are you really his descendant?’
My head was in disarray.
When I first saw him, I was sure he was five and three.
A look that reminds me of his younger days, along with the scent that only his brothers give off.
The moment I saw him, the guilt that had been buried deep inside came rushing back to me.
It wasn’t for nothing that Roxit went to the trouble of throwing a banquet to invite him. If he was the third son, it was clear that just by bringing him in as a brother, his status would rise immediately.
‘But there are not three of them.’
There was no way that the three of them could remain silent when they spoke of him. To them, he was their father, their hero, and their god.
However, the obsession and speculation he showed was bothering me.
‘What is Auror?’
It wasn’t impossible.
The first and second ones also deal with auras.
It wasn’t easy, though. It was the first time I’d heard of someone who wasn’t the first or second son, or a hypocrite of the Empire, using Auror.
‘······Did you know about the sixth one when you spoke about it?’
There was no way that could happen. That was a story that was kept secret even among the elders.
It was very confusing because it was all mixed together.
Talk.
Five’s thoughts were broken by the sword striking my cheek.
‘You still haven’t given up.’
Even though he had bled so much that a red puddle formed on the floor, the eyes of the man looking at him remained clear and unwavering.
Even seeing him moving busily, it seems that even now, at this moment, he is not giving up and is trying to find a way.
Five belatedly noticed that their hands were shaking.
‘···Am I afraid of a guy who can’t even stop his teeth?’
I burst out laughing because it was so absurd.
Talk.
If you leave him alone, he’ll strike you with his sword again.
Originally I was planning to kill him.
You dare to claim to be his descendant.
However, the bastard’s speculation reminded him of him.
‘What difference would it make if I just close my eyes to this one thing…’
It was a guy whose stomach was split open because he couldn’t even close his own teeth properly.
It may have been guilt over old memories, or it may have been an expression of the resentment that had built up towards their brothers since that incident, but the five made a decision.
I will plant this unknown evil in my brothers.
“Are you okay? Who dares to say that to this guy…”
At the sound of his subordinate’s voice, Five waved his hand lightly.
“······why?”
Crunch. There was a very small sound as the meat hit the ground.
“Phew···.”
As soon as the shackles were released, the bastard tried to swing his sword. He quickly lost his balance and fell forward, but the tip of the sword ended up stabbing the five in the chest.
Five did not deliberately avoid him.
The sword dug into the five’s chest and it was a terrible pain, but it felt refreshing.
Because it felt like I was being punished.
Even though the bastard had fallen, his hand still did not let go of the sword. Furthermore, his eyes, visible through his hair, were staring at the five.
Five clicked their tongues and said that they saw an opportunity even in the midst of this.
“Don’t look away. Get up.”
“Whew-.”
Then the guy spits and gets up quietly.
‘He must have fallen forward and his wounds would have opened, but he endured it and waited for an opportunity.’
I also felt sick and tired of that vicious speculation.
The bastard took a look and took a potion out of his bosom.
There were also many scars next to the bastard’s gaping wound, and there was a strange black object near his heart, so there was no visible evidence.
However, since the aura was visible, it was certain that there was evidence.
‘Red blood and signs···.’
Although they were curious about the appearance of the sign, Five did not bother to ask. After all, they were just survivors who survived on their own whims.
The bastard took out several potions and poured them on his wounds. Applying potions to deep wounds would be excruciating, but the bastard didn’t even groan.
‘In the meantime, we narrowed the distance.’
Five frowned and pointed at the guy in the narrowed distance. Then the guy raised his sword askew and glared at them.
‘You noticed my teeth?’
He was dumbfounded at how the sword strangely blocked his own teeth’s path.
“You cannot defeat me. Even if you do, there will be only destruction afterward. My brothers know that you came out with me.”
The bastard clicked his tongue at his own words and put his sword away.
“How did you know?”
A guy who asks questions confidently even after his identity has been revealed.
“If you were really the third brother, you would have swung your fist when his story came up.”
“I see. Who is that person?”
The five frowned for a moment at the increasingly shameless guy.
Five thought for a moment and then opened their mouths.
“He was the third eldest son.”
Just by saying it, a stale feeling of guilt rose up and the five faces crumpled involuntarily.
“I see. Was there anything else that was strange?”
Meanwhile, a guy approached them stealthily. Five clicked their tongues and kept their distance.
“None. You were a great third child.”
If it weren’t for the bastard’s reaction to him, he would have been a great third child, even five would admit.
Since the fifth was closer to the third than anyone else, he could be sure of it.
‘···Is this acting?’
Five muttered as he watched the man tearing at the clothes of the torn subordinate.
He tore off my severed breastplate with his bare hands and wrapped the cloth he had taken from my subordinate around his body.
However, since he did not take off his shoulder armor or leg armor, he looked very horrible.
‘Maybe I made a mistake.’
Five turned their gaze and muttered.
It could be just a small awl, or a small spark that sets everything on fire.
Since I had already made my decision, I had no intention of changing it.
***
‘It’s hot.’
I looked at the guy in front of me while wrapping the cloth around me.
A guy who pretends not to care but doesn’t give you any distance.
He was a rough guy, but the skirmish just now showed some signs of succumbing to his temper.
‘If you take one step closer, you can catch it.’
The bastard wielded something intangible. Its sharpness was weaker than that of an aura, but it could not be stopped by iron. Also, its invisibility was fatal.
‘If it’s one step away, I can catch it.’
I was so confused because I had lost so much blood. I felt like I would collapse if I let my guard down even for a little bit, but I survived in the end.
‘Why did you save me?’
The face of the man, painted in black blood, showed no expression.
‘I was complacent.’
He seemed to have been at ease because he was wearing thick armor.
I overlooked the aura that cut through iron like tofu.
‘The devil comes and deals with similar things.’
The sense of uneasiness that I had felt before has become more severe.
Moreover, it was strange that he spared her life even though he had seen her handling Aura.
He was surprised, but not as surprised as he had been when he saw the demon handling Aura.
‘···There’s another demon that controls Aura.’
I nodded, trying to calm my mind as it grew increasingly hazy.
What he just showed me was also something similar to an aura. It could have been a special aura that obscured the appearance but had reduced cutting power.
Otherwise, the strangely peaceful reaction of the guy would not be explained.
– What is the devil?
A random question from a tenant.
‘Chorus. This time, completely···.’
– If I had applied force in that state, every joint in your body would have been severed.
‘I think it would be better to have each joint cut off than to have the neck cut off.’
A power I couldn’t handle was worse than nothing. I didn’t need any unknowns in my calculations.
‘Next time, don’t take away your power as you please.’
– ···.
The tenant was silent, but his affirmation was felt.
“Get up.”
I got up from my seat at the sound of his emotionless voice.
It wasn’t something the guy who just ripped open his stomach should say, but I cut open his face and stabbed him in the stomach with my sword, so you could say we traded blows.
Plus, I was able to clearly gauge the bastard, and I managed to get away with it cheaply, avoiding the risk of my identity being revealed.
Of course, I’ll have to get my money’s worth of 10 gold armor someday.
‘One step.’
The bastard still maintained a distance of three steps.
I nodded, putting the devil candy I had hidden in my hand into my mouth.
‘···Is this where we came from?’
The direction he was heading was towards the banquet hall we had been in before.
My legs gave out and I swayed slightly. I grabbed my legs and made me walk properly.
The pain somehow caught up with my increasingly clouded mind. As if that wasn’t enough, I deliberately pressed my finger hard around the wound.
In that moment, I cursed and came to my senses.
“···Why did you save me?”
My throat was parched and hoarse, but I had nothing to drink because that guy had taken my water bottle with him.
The pouch I received as a gift from Kua Bao Rou was okay because I put it on the opposite side.
“I don’t know.”
My hands itch at the bastard’s absurd answer, but I try to hold it back. The distance is still three steps.
After that, I asked him a few questions, but he didn’t answer.
As I got closer, the bastard quickly widened the distance again.
In such a subtle company, we arrived at the banquet hall where we had been earlier.
However, the appearance of the banquet hall was completely different from when it first appeared.
All the guys who were making so much noise earlier had fallen down.
The nobles, knights, and ladies were all lying on the ground as if dead.
Judging from the slight movements, it seemed like it was not dead but rather sleeping deeply.
And between them sat the brothers.
They walked over the nobles and giggled.
‘···What is this.’
It would have been easy to plan things since he was Count Behart, but it was annoying that he had put all the knights to sleep.
‘It’s not food. The knights couldn’t have eaten all the food.’
As I was looking at him, my eyes met with those of my younger brother who was at the very top of the banquet hall.
Awoo was sitting there with the same look as before. His face was filled with anxiety, but when our eyes met, his face brightened.
“Oh, you’re here. I was a little worried because you were late.”
Awoo’s eyes searched behind us. It seemed like he was looking for the girl who had gone out with him, but he quickly looked away.
The five elders went up to one side without answering.
His younger brother stepped aside and the rest nodded their heads.
My brother, who had come down, waved at me.
“What happened? You too···”
My brother pointed to my red-flecked cloth and asked the five eldest sons. The five eldest sons also looked to have been dealt a severe blow.
I thought about it for a moment and then shook my head.
“Nothing happened.”
Ironically, in this situation, the five elders who cut open my stomach were the most trustworthy. They actually turned a blind eye to me.
Awoo, who was slightly frowning and trying to ask something, quickly went up at Five’s gesture.
Then I looked at the seat I had been sitting in before.
Park Dae-ga-ri, who should have been in a place full of men, was nowhere to be seen. Bori was sleeping there, oblivious to the world.
‘Tsk···.’
I clicked my tongue and stroked my sword out of habit.
The sweetness of the devil candies everywhere was even stronger than yesterday. The number had almost doubled in one day.
‘Not good.’
Knock knock.
From somewhere, sharp music was heard again.
Naked candies entered and danced.
I continued my thoughts as I watched the naked candies swaying around me.
‘They fear the royal family. They won’t do anything big.’
Maybe they just didn’t want to bother with two banquet halls. There was no reason for them to make things worse by picking on nobles or knights.
‘Just do it like you did yesterday.’
I looked around and collected my thoughts. To calm my mind, I pressed my finger on the wound that had not yet healed. My mind suddenly came to me.
The younger brother was talking to the five eldest sons, while the rest of the brothers continued their conversation among themselves.
I stuffed some meat into my mouth to cheer myself up a little more. It stung like swallowing an awl, so I chewed it thoroughly.
‘···Where did Park’s head go?’
At that moment, the music stopped and Awoo jumped up from his seat.
My vision was slightly blurry, perhaps because I had lost too much blood, but through it I could see my brother’s sparkling eyes.
“Today is a meaningful day. The eldest son of the fifth generation is here, and it is the day when the forgotten third brother returns to us. Brother.”
Auga gestured somewhere. The devil candy on one side of him brought something.
‘Have you prepared a three-tiered cake?’
As I was pulling myself together with the useless joke, the identity of the cake he had brought was revealed.
It was a chair with wheels attached to the bottom, similar to a wheelchair, but because it was made entirely of silver, it looked like a throne or a pseudo-religious altar.
A familiar face sat there, seemingly asleep.
‘···Park’s head.’
Park Daegari was sleeping very deeply, even snoring slightly. He was wearing something like a cloth, but the front was open so it was completely visible.
Park Head stopped in front of me. The guy who had dragged him looked at me as if he was really jealous, and a long stream of saliva fell from his mouth and soaked Park Head’s forehead.
I looked at the long, drawn-out needle and pressed hard on the wound again. My clouded mind came back.
Clap clap.
“Each of them has a secret, and it would be impolite to ask him, but you probably don’t need to ask why the third brother is in an insignificant castle in the outback.”
“Au said, lifting up a glass filled with red liquid.
Judging by the way the people around me were nodding their heads, it seemed like they had come to their own conclusion.
I clenched my molars to hold on to my fading mind. In an instant, the surrounding noise faded away and only the saliva-stained crown of Park’s head was visible.
“······The seeds are important. But if it’s the third one! If it’s the third one who is worthy of being called a vessel! There’s no need to leave the seeds in someone else’s hands. We can handle the seeds ourselves and germinate them among our brothers!”
‘Seed?’
I looked at the head of the park and thought back to my brother’s words. In context, it was clear that the head of the park was the seed they were talking about.
There I was referred to as a vessel, and it was clear that he was related to the third.
‘Now you’re being devilish.’
A series of most demonic words poured out.
I rolled my eyes and examined the situation, putting strength into my unsteady legs.
‘···This is the worst.’
Not only was my physical condition not good, but there were too many devil candies cheering and making strange noises around me.
“If the heart of the seed is consumed, the third will surely surpass the previous eldest son in one go! If the third, who is the center of our five brothers, rises again, it is like obtaining the loin to accomplish a great undertaking! How can this be surpassed? Brothers! Absorb the seed! Become the teeth that will destroy the empire of hypocrites!”
As if he was talking to himself, Awoo got excited and showed off his energy fiercely.
‘He’s stronger than I thought.’
That clearly visible momentum was not easy to see.
Even if my physical condition is good, it’s hard to guarantee anything, but right now…
The pressure grew stronger as the surrounding guys got excited and started making weird noises.
The loud noise and pressure added to my confusion for a moment. This time, I stabbed my finger deeper, and the wound burst open, soaking my hand with hot blood.
I shook my head, my mind suddenly snapping back to a state of excruciating pain.
It hurt so much that tears welled up in my eyes.
“If the third one, who has a mighty spirit, is added with a seed! And if the brothers have him! The devil king who will tear apart the empire of the hypocrite, as prophesied, will come from among the brothers!”
‘To an honorary monk, the king of demons…’
It was a scout offer that would have terrified the abbot if he had heard it.
I focused on the word prophecy. These guys don’t use the word prophecy for obvious things.
The words that those who lost their eyes sometimes uttered were called prophecies. And the prophecies they uttered always came true.
If the prophecy that Awu spoke of was truly a prophecy, then it was clear that one day a demon king who would tear the empire apart would emerge.
It was good news for me, who was not on good terms with the Empire, but I felt uneasy because it happened to be the Demon King.
‘Joan of Arc or revolutionary. Why did you choose such a good name… Tsk.’
I clicked my tongue and looked around.
Their expectations were rising and putting pressure on me.
The atmosphere was such that they needed to pick a song right away, but what they wanted was not a song, but a mukbang.
‘Eat the heart raw… You should at least boil or fry it. You uncivilized bastards who don’t even know about heartworm.’
My head was heavy and my thinking was slow.
To buy some time, I put my hand on Park’s head and put it in his heart.
Park’s head was still snoring, but it flinched slightly when my hand touched it.
‘You’re awake.’
I forced my head to roll because I was tired.
I had to come up with a plan to get out of this place without having to eat heart food somehow.
“Eat the seeds and germinate! King of demons!!”
‘Why is he having a rash?’
I knew that my younger brother wanted to scout me enough to throw a banquet, but the sudden request for a heart-eating show was completely incomprehensible.
Maybe he thinks that the reason I’m tied to Cassidy is because of this seed-head, so he might be thinking of upgrading himself while eliminating that reason too…
‘How could an honorary monk understand demons?’
After stitching up the split stomach, I now had to take out Park Dae-gari’s heart and eat it.
‘···Fucking Middle Ages.’
First, I looked around as if I was pulling out my heart.
The most important thing was the attitude of the five elders.
It was uncertain whether he would be able to deal with the guys surrounding him in his current physical condition, but if he got involved, there was no hope at all.
The five eldest men, unlike the other excited men, simply leaned back in their chairs and watched me. They had no intention of interfering.
I moved my hand slightly as if pinching it.
Then Park Dae-gari narrowed his eyes in surprise.
I looked into those clear eyes and thought for a moment.
However, I was hesitant about eating the heart raw.
I leaned over and whispered.
“When I give you the signal, use your magic.”
“······Magic?”
A strangely calm voice, unlike his usual rough demeanor.
“yes.”
There was no need to explain.
How many magic tricks does Park Dae-gari know how to use?
“Even if you don’t do this······.”
A voice full of apology. I couldn’t understand what he was saying in a situation where my heart was being ripped out raw.
‘I wish something big would explode.’
Because my physical condition was not good, I felt that Park Dae-gari’s magic was not enough.
Something was needed to grab more attention or turn the situation around.
– If you eat what’s around you, you can increase it right away.
I nodded at the voice of the tenant who strangely reminded me of him. It felt like things were starting to come together, even if only a little.
at that time.
Squeak-.
It was a very small sound, but I knew immediately what it was.
It was an unforgettable sound. It was a siren of death that made you drop everything and run away when you heard it on the battlefield.
Even now, my body was shaking.
Because I want to run away right now.
‘Wyvern Knight? Why here?’
I had a moment of doubt, but it was a blessing in disguise for me.
The appearance of the Wyvern Knight was sure to be far beyond the level of chaos I was hoping for.
‘The sound of a wyvern is a blessing… You don’t know what’s going on in the world.’
I laughed bitterly and shook my heavy head.
“What’s the problem?”
A younger brother’s voice can be heard nearby.
The younger brother’s face was distorted, as if he was lacking patience. It seemed as if he was watching the five elders behind him.
The five eldest sons had their eyes tightly shut.
It seemed like he didn’t want to get involved.
I looked at him for a moment, then measured the distance between me and my brother and nodded. Only then did a small sense of relief appear on my brother’s face, but it didn’t seem like it would last long.
Squeak-.
A slightly louder sound.
The wyvern’s voice was so loud that wyvern knights would go deaf within a few years.
Sure, training could have reduced his whining, but the Empire had only made him grow.
It was a very cunning and effective tactic. If the enemy of the Empire heard the sound from a great distance, he would stop what he was doing and hide.
‘···Just a little more.’
I couldn’t help but put some strength into my hand at my brother’s urging.
The fingers digging into my skin, the red blood flowing between them, felt extremely warm and irritating.
“Ugh···.”
Park Dae-gari squeezed his eyes shut and let out a sound mixed with pain.
Cheers erupted all around.
The heightened tension and the warmth of the blood on my hands caught my hazy mind.
I glanced around and rethought the route in my head.
Squeak!!
A slightly louder sound.
Now a few people were looking around, as if the others could hear them too.
But he didn’t seem to know what that sound meant.
and.
Squeeze!!
The sound is heard again.
Considering the thickness of the surname, it was obvious that it would be closer.
Finally, I checked the route again.
It wasn’t bad.
Now was the right time.
It seemed unlikely, but there was still a slight chance.
Then unfortunately, you will probably survive.
“now.”
I said, covering my eyes with my left arm.
“Hiyat!!”
With a loud roar, a small sun rose in the banquet hall.
Kwaaaaang-!!
A loud noise suddenly erupts.
The castle shook violently as if an earthquake had occurred.
I quickly grabbed the park head and moved along the path I had memorized.
I closed my eyes, but I had already mapped out the optimal route in my head.
‘Two steps forward, then a stab and a right turn.’
“Kuaaaah-!!”
‘···no see.’
I opened my eyes and smiled.
My brother, who had a sword stuck in his stomach, was blinking and looking shocked.
The bastard was still staring into space, as if his vision hadn’t returned. I faced him and pulled out the sword stuck in his stomach.
“Wh··· What···.”
A voice that was choked with breath and betrayal. And in the midst of all that, the guy’s momentum changed in an instant.
Erosion and a rising presence starting from near the heart.
I looked at him emotionlessly and swung my sword again.
The first sword cut off his head, the second sword cut off his other arm, and the last sword pulled out his demon candy.
‘Oh my god, things never end well.’
I put him in my mouth and laughed bitterly.
The bastard’s cause of death was carelessness due to brotherly love.
***
“It’s late, why don’t you get some rest?”
Blossom was worried about Nova, who was working late at night, lighting candles.
“There’s a lot to do. We weren’t the only ones who thought Count Behar was strange.”
“He was originally known for being strange.”
“No, usually around this time of year, they would ask for canoe flowers from Castle Conhard, but this time they just passed.”
Blossom didn’t understand what Nova was saying, but she nodded anyway.
She’s probably right, since Nova is the smartest person she knows.
“Count Behart held a banquet, so surveillance was lax. During that time, I had a meeting with other castle officials, and many of them had similar thoughts to me. It was definitely strange.”
Nova continued talking even though I didn’t ask.
It seemed like he was sorting out the situation by speaking it out.
Blossom just helped around there, organizing papers and occasionally bringing him water.
Nova, who had been absorbed in her work for a long time, suddenly raised her head.
“But it’s so late?”
Blossom hesitated for a moment at Nova’s unexpected question, then nodded, realizing that the question was a response to something she had said a long time ago.
“It must be really late. The moon was just waning when I came in.”
“Oh no! I was so into it. Can you help me clean up? I need to wash up.”
“···Why are you washing up this late at night?”
Blossom asked back while helping to tidy up.
“Oh, Aaron is coming over later. He said he’d tie the handkerchief like Blossom told me to.”
Blossom let out a small scream at Nova’s calm answer.
“···Why, why?”
Nova seemed to sense something strange and asked back.
Blossom pondered for a moment with that tense face, then told the truth.
He explained in great detail, through gestures and body language, what the handkerchiefs worn at night between men and women meant.
“Kkuk-!”
Blossom had never seen Nova hiccup or make such a stupid face before.
at that time.
Kwaaaaaaaang-!!
The castle shook violently with a loud noise.
Blossom lost her balance and fell sideways, screaming. Her hands and feet flailed in terror at the sudden turn of events.
The papers next to me fluttered, the desk flipped over, and the candle rolled away, going out.
Kwaaaaang-!
The castle shook again. As Blossom was unable to come to her senses due to the shaking that seemed to be caused by the wrath of God, someone grabbed her and stopped her.
It was Nova who returned with his usual sharp face.
“Wake up. You have to move.”
“No··· Nova··· I···.”
Ta-aak!
“Come to your senses.”
Blossom barely came to her senses from the hot cheek and nodded.
“I have to get out of here. I’ll call everyone on the way.”
“But Vivian···”
Blossom instinctively looked for Vivian. Right now, if she ran away to save herself without Vivian, it was obvious what would happen to her family in Cassadick.
Kwaaaaaaaang-!!
There was another loud jolt and the wall collapsed, revealing a whole new view.
The sky was filled with giant monsters, and above them were golden knights, each holding something in his hand.
There were so many fireballs pouring down from there that it seemed like the sky was falling.
“···We are just a burden to anyone who exists.”
Contrary to what he said, Nova’s face was completely distorted.
Blossom nodded vigorously at Nova’s trembling hand that held her.
“···Even if I go, I’ll just be a burden.”
I tried hard not to hear Nova’s continued muttering.