194
Filial son
‘Oh my god···.’
Brighton looked for God as he saw a monster in the distance.
With every step he took, the surroundings crumbled.
It was as if my very existence was being erased.
It was clear that this was the great demon the imperial knights were looking for.
No, that wasn’t some great devil or something.
‘······Evil spirit.’
It was a presence that could not be expressed with the word ‘broad day devil’. It was clearly the evil spirit from the Bible.
Brighton quickly went back to the Bible. The story of the mean-looking man and the similar evil spirit······.
‘Predation.’
At the thought of its presence, a breath escaped Brighton’s parted lips.
The predator, who had an endless hunger, was an evil spirit that ate everything in sight. That was why he was the first evil spirit to fall.
It’s clear that I fell into the deepest part.
Creepy. Every movement of the thing made all my hair stand on end. My body couldn’t move due to the oppressive fear, and the air was as if frozen, so I couldn’t even breathe.
At that moment, someone stepped forward. As always, it was Aaron. Brighton’s spirit returned to Aaron’s broad back.
Aaron glared at the guy and waved his right hand. Brighton was slightly shocked. How could he not give up on such a presence?
“···It must be a prey. It’s a demon from the Bible. It’s said that he eats everything he sees because of his insatiable hunger.”
Brighton tried to suppress his trembling voice as he spoke about what he knew.
“···So what is the strategy?”
Brighton was taken aback by Aaron’s calm question.
He clearly explained that it was an evil spirit. Moreover, even though the opponent was just sitting still, he was spreading despair that could not be resisted.
But, asking as simply as asking for a method to hunt monsters…
It was truly Aaron-like.
Brighton chuckled at that. The tension from before seemed ridiculous.
“It is said that he was thrown to the ends of the earth by his wrath.”
“That’s useless.”
The mean-looking man grumbled. Brighton bit his lip.
That was true. It wasn’t helpful information.
No, the opponent was an evil spirit to begin with. How could it help? Of course, there was no way an actual evil spirit would have descended.
But how can you deal with an opponent who spreads such deep despair?
“As expected, the Bible is useless.”
Aaron raised his right hand while grumbling. His voice was mixed with irritation as if nothing had happened, but his right hand was shaking slightly.
“···I’m sorry.”
Brighton sincerely apologized to him. If it weren’t for him, Aaron wouldn’t have encountered that being.
It was purely his own stubbornness. As Aaron said, he couldn’t fight, and the only thing he knew how to do was pray and nag, so how could he be of any help by being stubborn?
Maybe I was arrogant, thinking I had gotten his answer.
Brighton’s split lip burst and bled. The falling rain pounded on his head.
“If you’re sorry, pray five hundred times.”
Brighton looked up at Aaron’s playful voice. Aaron’s broad back was blocking him out.
“······Five hundred times is too many. Is this a symbol of the honorary vice-abbot not attending a single service?”
Brighton tried to suppress his fear as he argued back. Then Aaron chuckled. His laughter was full of tremors.
At that moment, the bastard’s presence grew stronger. Rising despair and fear ate away at Brighton.
“What on earth should I do···.”
Brighton asked for an answer without a target. Then Aaron took a step forward. It was much easier to breathe.
Aaron twisted his right hand. A long black blade, like the dark night, was pulled out between his palms. The blood dripping down from it was of an ambiguous color.
“I’ll do what I’m good at···.”
Knock knock. Aaron let out a long breath as he tapped the blade.
The back swelled even more.
“Abbot, please do what you do best.”
At Aaron’s firm voice, Brighton held the Bible tightly.
***
‘···The wounds are deep. There are also many small scars.’
I muttered as I looked at the old man.
Looking at his empty eyes, he seemed to be unconscious.
The biggest wound was a sword stuck near the heart. It was clear that the black sword, engraved with the imperial emblem, belonged to the master.
‘Is the master of the sword dead?’
The sword’s owner, who seemed so proud, couldn’t possibly leave the sword with the royal seal engraved on it behind. However, he couldn’t be sure.
Black blood was pouring out in a torrent centered around the sword. There was so much blood that it formed a puddle below.
Whatever the identity of the bastard, the injury was clearly fatal.
And even apart from the sword that was stuck in there, there were many scars here and there. They seemed to be traces of an imperial knight or a knight of the Holy War.
‘I think it’ll work out if I just buy some time…’
Plus, the weasel said that he was slow, so if he just stalled for time somehow, he would probably collapse from exhaustion.
At that moment, the old man moved his mouth.
The mouth, which was pursed as if chewing something, was very unclean. It reminded me of the words of the weasel.
When an old man keeps his mouth shut, the person is crushed.
Without thinking much, I just jumped to the side.
“older brother!!”
The weasel’s cry followed.
I thought I reacted pretty quickly, but my center of gravity shifted for a moment.
My body tilted. I quickly turned my gaze and saw that my left shoulder was no longer visible. It was completely gone, as if it had been erased with an eraser.
‘···This is really fucking annoying.’
My feet gave out and I rolled around in the mud. Bam. Blood spurted out from the torn area. The sharp pain came belatedly.
The pain of losing my arm was excruciating, but I was able to endure it because I had trained myself while facing the master of the sword. I hurriedly looked at the old man while muttering curses.
The old man was mumbling without any emotion.
‘···Are you eating up space?’
It was absurd that he could swallow up space itself by just mumbling.
The sword master I had encountered before was also absurd, but even so, the sword master swung the sword.
But, to clear the space by keeping your mouth shut-.
There wasn’t even a hint. If I hadn’t listened to the weasel, I would have had my head ripped off. I could have turned around in an instant and slapped him with my shoulder. It was an unsatisfactory deal.
‘···The technology is so shabby.’
I missed the days when we could swing our fists at each other fairly. I spat out the mud in my mouth and took stock of the situation.
‘The range is small. Berman said that the Imperial Knights and the Knights of the Holy War were quickly annihilated···.’
The pain continued to pound in my head. If it had been this extensive, I wouldn’t have been able to deal with all the imperial knights and the holy knights in a short period of time.
‘Is your strength weakening?’
It was highly probable. No, it had to be that way to have even a slight chance.
Pitter-patter. The cold rain ran down my forehead.
At that moment, the old man’s mouth stopped.
‘About 3 seconds.’
He squinted his eyes. The old man chewed exactly four times and opened his mouth again.
The moment he was about to shout that he had to chew his food thoroughly so that it wouldn’t swell, the old man’s mouth opened again.
Because the old man’s eyes were empty, it was impossible to tell where he was aiming. It was not even clear whether he was even looking at the intended target.
Once I did, I rolled to the side. The sticky mud greeted me.
Knock. The sound of teeth clenching. The excruciating pain came late. When I looked into the excruciating pain, I saw that my left waist was torn.
‘I can’t avoid this.’
I clicked my tongue and pressed the back of my hand against the wound. I groaned in excruciating pain, but the bleeding stopped.
A soft prayer sound was heard.
The white light pouring from behind pushed away the darkness.
The abbot was kneeling and praying. The weasel was hiding behind him, and Berman and Kell were standing guard on either side of the abbot.
Berman and Kel were holding their swords, trembling. Their swords were constantly shaking.
‘···I told you to run away. Anyway, you really won’t listen.’
I clicked my tongue at the pitiful sight.
How can you still be acting like that when I told you to run away? You guys were useless anyway.
‘···2 seconds, 3 seconds. F*ck.’
I quickly turned my gaze. The old man was still chewing on the food. I muttered to myself, “Chew it well,” but the old man seemed confident in his digestive abilities.
The old man’s mouth opens wide again.
There was only one place to place hope.
The abbot called them evil spirits, but they were also called erosion spirits. To me, they were just like the devil’s children.
Considering that the connection with the tenants had been lost during the service, the abbot’s prayers had some sort of demonic power.
I jumped back at him.
Exactly. When the old man’s mouth closed, I was able to enter the realm of light.
Kuung-.
The space shook violently with a heavy sound.
‘It works···.’
Before I could finish speaking, the light dimmed.
The abbot staggered and spat out a long stream of blood from his mouth. Even in the midst of all this, he did not stop praying. His tightly shut eyes trembled.
“Nimral! Religious idiot! Come to your senses!! Come on!”
The weasel next to the abbot screamed loudly. As if that wasn’t enough, he took a sloppy stance and muttered a prayer.
“Chief! This is···”
At that moment, Berman threw something. It was a low-grade potion with the lid open. He caught it and poured it on his waist. A dizzying pain brought him back to his senses.
Kuung-. The light flickered again. The weasel grabbed the abbot by the collar as he was about to fall.
It seemed as if the abbot would fall before the old man, who was bleeding profusely with a sword in his heart. They had to decide the outcome before the abbot fainted.
I squinted my eyes and estimated the distance to the old man. If I ran hard, it was about eight steps.
‘······About twice.’
I had to get through at least two Agjak while running. I could hold on with my body once, but twice was too much. If I could just shorten the distance a little, I think I could do it…
The moving mouth of an old man.
I had to make a quick decision.
“No matter how dark it is, debt will arise again···.”
The abbot’s cracked voice broke my thoughts. A long stream of red blood flowed from the corner of his lips.
There were a few times when I felt like I couldn’t hold out any longer.
“Back…back! Back!”
At that moment, the weasel gently pulled the abbot. It was an action intended to escape, but the abbot’s prayer did not cease.
What a truly remarkable concentration and what a truly remarkable weasel pup.
‘······Go!’
The moment I first saw the abbot’s prayer function, a clever plan came to mind.
There was no sack to carry on his back, but he had three sacks of similar value.
“Come in, abbot!”
“······yes?”
“Nimiral?”
The three of them questioned the short order at the same time. However, thanks to having been beaten up before, they moved briskly without needing to be told twice.
“This… this is crazy!”
Kel, with a sad face, was the first to grab the abbot’s foot, while Berman, with a stern face, grabbed the other foot.
“Yeah, whatever! Let’s go! I told you it was hot!”
Finally, the weasel with a mean face grabbed the abbot’s buttocks.
The two held each other’s legs and lifted them, and the weasel lifted its buttocks, making it look like it was offering the abbot up to the devil.
It was ugly to look at, but appearance didn’t matter.
The key was the abbot’s concentration. His voice wavered for a moment, but he continued to pray, sweating profusely.
It was a tremendous, tiresome concentration.
‘I never thought the day would come when I would feel secure in the abbot’s prayers.’
I stood in front of them with a small sigh.
The old man felt nothing.
Just empty eyes and mechanical lips.
“let’s go.”
I bit my lip and took the first step.
“The real leader is crazy. He’s really crazy. Our Aaron shouldn’t be like that-.”
I took Kel’s cries as a signal and started moving.
The old man’s face, visible beyond the light, looked strangely dazed.
The old man opened his mouth wide again and-.
thud!!
The light flickered violently. Red blood sprayed from Brighton’s mouth and soaked Berman.
“I have always admired the great Abbot of Buraliten. Taming us wild bastards – this is definitely an achievement worthy of being recorded in history books.”
The weasel kept chattering. It seemed like he was cheering me on, but the content was extremely annoying. The abbot was focused and did not waver.
Kwung-. The shock was greater than before. This time, the light dimmed slightly.
‘···Five steps.’
It was a distance I had estimated. If I just took two more steps, I could somehow close the distance and show my respect.
As always, things didn’t go as planned.
Kuung-.
With an unusually heavy sound, the abbot collapsed, spitting blood from his mouth.
“Nimiral! Abbot of Buraliton!”
The weasel seemed rather slow to slap the abbot’s cheek.
It was clear that the abbot had done his best.
I was expecting the worst, so I ran forward without hesitation.
Ah-. The old man’s open mouth looked like an emptiness that was sucking everything in.
As the distance narrowed, the old man’s presence became stronger. The space was solid, as if compressed. His body felt heavy, as if he was moving in water.
That was one of the assumptions. He kicked the ground roughly and closed the distance in one go.
At that moment, the old man’s mouth closed.
I thought I could react because I expected it, but-.
‘···This kid was hiding it.’
The scope was wider than before.
To the point where everything about me is disappearing-.
It was a very big bite.
Bam.
– Gluttony! Whose things do you dare······.
The voice of a very angry tenant could be heard from far away.
***
hmm···.
When I opened my eyes, I was in emptiness.
It was a space with nothing. It was quiet, empty, and boring.
‘Am I finally dead?’
I sighed softly.
“hmm.”
At that moment, a soft voice was heard from ahead.
When I turned my head to him, I saw a familiar old man. However, unlike what I knew, his face was clean and his eyes were bright.
The swordsman Daiso blinked at me for a long time. Then he smiled really brightly.
It was a very intense and burdensome welcome.
“···Who are you?”
However, the old man’s subsequent question did not match his bright expression.
It seemed as if he didn’t remember me, perhaps because his dementia had worsened. And he even gave me such a welcoming smile and asked me who I was. It was clear that he was very seriously ill.
“Oh my… Are you old?”
“Ah, it was you. … Did you get eaten?”
The old man nodded and clicked his tongue. I was dumbfounded by his monotonous response.
“You ate it, didn’t you?”
I answered with a deep frown.
“Hmm. I guess that’s what it looks like to you.”
“Please apologize. Don’t you feel bad about chewing on someone else’s head?”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I was already eaten. It wasn’t intentional.”
The old man apologized lightly. It was strangely awkward for him to be so warm and kind.
Originally, he would have been an ignorant old man who would swing his sword at a short answer, but now he was laughing as if he was going to play Go.
“I don’t know what will happen. Oh, now that I have some time on my hands, why don’t we give it a try?”
The old man asked, thrusting a large wooden sword into his hand. How dare you come all this way and still hold out a sword…
Still, I nodded quickly, thinking it would be better than talking to an old man who had become gentle as if he had attained enlightenment.
“Good. It was quite fun to share swords with you.”
The old man who had casually blurted out such embarrassing words aimed a wooden sword at me.
“I didn’t find it very fun.”
I spoke in a sharp voice for no reason and rushed at him.
Thump. My sword was blocked more easily than I thought. It’s not my problem…
‘···What made it so soft?’
The old man’s sword had changed drastically. Considering that it had only been a few days since he last cut the sword, the transformation was unbelievable.
“The problem is that your dark murderous intent is too deep.”
The old man spoke, turning his sword. I tried to resist him with all my strength, but I was dragged away to the point where my strength was in vain.
The old man opened his face naturally, bracing himself for the shock that would follow, but he just let it flow.
“Since it’s swordsmanship, it’s obviously deep, right?”
I answered while adjusting my grip on the sword. The old man’s clear eyes were very burdensome.
“That’s true. But if your murderous intent is that deep, wouldn’t it be obvious where your opponent is aiming? That’s what I mean.”
The old man swung his sword slightly. There was a clear killing intent in the sword, like that of a hungry beast.
Wild beasts usually aim for the neck.
Tak. My sword blocked the old man’s sword.
“That’s what I’m saying.”
The old man smiled softly when he saw him.
“hmm···.”
The warmth was so uncomfortable that I scratched my cheek.
“Then shall we try again?”
I’ve already lost, so what use is swordsmanship?
The old man looked so happy that I couldn’t refuse him.
And I had quite a bit of fun.
“Close your arms. Put more strength into your knees. Right. You’re good.”
However, it was more friendly than I expected and I felt very uncomfortable.
***
“You have no talent with a sword.”
“Don’t be so angry. If I gather all the men who died by my sword, I can fill up the castle.”
“It’s okay. You can learn slowly from now on.”
“I won’t learn. I’m hurt.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you. And aside from your talent, your sword skills aren’t bad. You’ll be able to show off where you are.”
I chuckled at the old man’s sincere apology. I don’t know how many times I’ve cut the sword, but I’ve gotten used to the kind old man to some extent.
“Okay, is there anything fun to do?”
“Oh, yeah. There was this. Take a good look.”
The old man nodded, aimed his sword at me, and lowered his stance.
A posture where the sword is held in the right hand and pulled back, and the left hand is placed on the sword’s face and aimed like a sight. Even I, who has met all sorts of guys, have never seen this posture before.
It was a funny pose, but the atmosphere it gave off was real. It felt like the world was being sucked into the old man’s surroundings. It was getting thicker and thicker, as if it was becoming more concentrated.
How long had it been like that? The old man flicked his wrist. At that moment, something brushed my ear.
“Whew, it works.”
The old man who finished him off laughed as he wiped his forehead. He shouldn’t have sweated, but he was so shameless.
I replayed in my head what I had just seen. I saw it clearly, but I didn’t understand it. How could a sword shoot out like a bullet?
“What is this······?”
I asked back, trembling, recalling what I had just seen.
“I’ve been here longer than I thought. This must be his favorite sword technique.”
The old man flicked the tip of his sword. Then he pointed at me and said.
“This is a dot. Do you know what it means to beat a dot?”
The old man asked, taking a stance. I scratched my cheek at the unexpected question.
“I don’t know.”
“A strong body and mind.”
The old man smiled brightly, but this time it didn’t seem gentle at all.
“What kind of ignorant······.”
The moment I objected, the old man’s eyes lit up.
“Okay, then let’s begin.”
Plague-.
I took a stance, muttering a curse.
It didn’t hurt to have a hole drilled into my body, but it felt really dirty.
I think I know why they were so obedient the third time.
***
How much time did you spend?
“Now, take a rest.”
“I’m not even sweating, so how can it be easy? Try again.”
“Haven’t you done enough?”
The old man shook his head and sat down with a thud.
How much time have you spent resting?
I clicked my tongue and lay down roughly.
“Would you mind telling me your story?”
I scratched my cheek at the old man’s indifferent question. Most of my stories were about killing someone. There was nothing I could tell others with a smile.
“Let me tell you the story before I came here.”
I turned my head in surprise at the old man’s question. The old man was smiling gently as before.
“Your face is different. You’re uglier.”
I touched his face at the old man’s words. Although their bodies were the same, their faces were subtly different.
“I wasn’t ugly. I was popular.”
“Really? That’s an interesting story.”
I stared at the old man’s calm face for a moment. I didn’t know I would get caught, but I did. And of all people, the two of them ended up locked up.
“···I’m sorry.”
“Hmm? What do you mean?”
“It was an impersonation.”
I scratched my cheek feeling awkward for no reason.
“Oh, it’s okay. I didn’t even know he existed anyway. I just felt weak because I saw my daughter’s face. And you were the one who met me in the first place.”
The old man waved his hand nonchalantly. It was as if he had just attained enlightenment.
I looked at him for a moment and smiled bitterly. I usually don’t talk about the past, but what could I hide now?
We were in a situation where we had to spend time together anyway.
It was the first time I came here and brought up an old story.
“I’m not originally from here. I came from a world far away. Or another dimension.”
“Hmm… I see.”
I explained a little more to the lukewarm response I had expected, but the old man just nodded.
“Anyway, he was just an ordinary guy. An average guy.”
The old man nodded his head while staring straight ahead.
I looked through my old memories. They were hazy and blurry, as if they were filled with noise, but quite a few fragments remained.
“I graduated from college… no, even the academy. … Of course, I failed twice and passed on the third try.”
It was a rather interesting part, but the old man just nodded.
“There’s a story behind that. The first time, I failed because I pushed the answer too far. The second time······what was it?”
I scratched my head, but I couldn’t remember. All I remembered was that I fell.
“Anyway, I worked part-time and lived diligently.”
“What is Alba?”
The old man asked me all sorts of questions, wondering what I was so interested in. Still, the conversation was interesting, so I recalled my memories and answered sincerely.
I kept going back like that. As I answered questions, I started remembering more and more things.
“So I followed the advice my friends gave me and made a heart with candles in the club room and waited, but I got cursed at and even got slapped······.”
As he was talking about the important part, the old man suddenly raised his head.
“I don’t know, but I think that’s your fault.”
“No, I really did give you a signal. I was popular.”
The old man chuckled. He was laughing so annoyingly that I couldn’t help but reach for my wooden sword.
“You said it wouldn’t be fun, but it’s more fun than any story I’ve ever heard. A society where people don’t kill each other…”
The old man really liked my story.
As soon as I finished telling my story, the old man began to mumble and tell his own story.
Most of them were happy stories. How strong and beautiful my wife was, how cute and lovely my daughter was – and how brave my next son was······.
“···How many children did you have?”
When asked about the never-ending story, the old man began to engrave using his fingers.
“Thirty-six.”
I squinted my eyes to see if he was bluffing, but his eyes showed no shame whatsoever. He was an old man with great stamina as well as size.
We spent quite a bit of time talking about the old man’s children. It was never-ending as we even added stories about grandchildren.
“I’ve been talking too much. Before you came, I only had a sword. The sword is fun, but I got tired of holding it for so long.”
The old man’s muttering was full of joy.
thud-.
At that moment, a subtle noise was heard from a very distant place. It was the first time I had heard it since coming here.
Then, for the first time, the old man’s face hardened. He muttered in a small voice, ‘···How foolish.’
“It’s time for the guests to leave now.”
The old man got up, feeling strangely dizzy.
The old man, who had become completely sane, quickly adjusted his grip on the sword. The wooden sword had already been transformed into an old sword.
The sword’s handle was tattered and the blade had chips in places. The guard was broken and missing. Nevertheless, it gave off a formidable aura, making it a sword that suited the old man very well.
The old man took a deep breath and pointed upward with his sword.
‘What are you trying to do?’
The old man’s mood was very serious, so I just watched quietly for a while.
Soon, the old man’s sword began to move slowly.
The lines drawn by the old man’s sword were not consistent.
It was crooked and had many twists and turns. It even jumped to the side in the middle and came back again. However, the starting point and the end were vertical.
Bam. The sword came all the way down.
The air began to shake. The vibrations continued for a moment, and then all of a sudden, it began to collapse.
‘···It was more like it was broken rather than cut.’
It was a truly ignorant sword.
Familiar yellow eyes appeared through the collapsed gap in the space that was falling apart.
– Found it.
Was a tenant.
I had to search my memory for quite some time.
“It took a long time.”
As I grumbled, the tenant blinked.
A momentary blurry sensation-.
“···What is your name?”
Then I looked at the old man and shouted urgently.
“That’s a secret.”
The old man standing alone in the collapsing void smiled softly.
***
Suddenly-.
The pain brought me back to my senses. I was rolling on the floor. The watery mud greeted me.
How long has it been since I felt this sensation? I quickly put my hands on the ground and raised my head.
Right in front of me, an old man with empty eyes was looking at me and mumbling.
Yeah, I was fighting an old man.
‘···Did you spit it out of your mouth?’
I tried to figure out the situation somehow, but my head was spinning.
“You little shit-!!”
“Captain Aaron!!”
“Chief!!”
I saw guys running towards me, holding up the unconscious abbot as a shield.
‘It was just a moment.’
It felt like not even a second had passed since I was eaten. How could this short time feel like an eternity?
Cold raindrops pounded my head.
The passage of time was fully felt.
– He eats everything.
The voice of a very angry tenant.
The old man’s mouth was wide open. Time seemed to pass slowly due to the tension that filled his body.
Thump, the mouth closed. The right arm disappeared. Thanks to that, the center of gravity was completely balanced.
I kicked the ground with all my might. The old man’s weeping face came closer. The old man’s empty eyes were very annoying.
He bit the hilt of the sword embedded in the old man’s chest with his mouth. He twisted his neck with all his might, savoring the salty taste.
Perhaps because it was a good sword, there was no resistance. The old man’s left side near his heart was split open, and black blood covered my face.
The old man’s head dropped. His mouth opened again. The distance was close, so it wasn’t as threatening as before. He turned his neck with all his might.
The sword that had risen through his chest cut through his cheeks and lodged itself between them.
He couldn’t close his mouth. He blinked. A feeling of emptiness. My shoulders became a little shorter.
‘You could do it with your eyes too.’
I hastily pushed his chest with my head. He fell backwards, and black blood gushed out like a fountain.
I fell down and slammed my head into the bastard’s face. Thud! My mind was shaken by the heavy sound. The sense of foreboding became clear. Before I knew it, erosion had taken hold on my face.
The raindrops were falling. Time was still passing. I was filled with impatience.
“What’s the secret···.”
I put my head back in. It was more effective than before.
Black blood spurted out. My empty eyes shook. The belated pain whipped my mind.
He gritted his teeth and banged his head again. Bam. The old man’s eyes blinked. His face crumpled as if the pain was bewildering. The bastard struggled, but I didn’t miss.
Bang! My vision blurred, but I moved my neck again. Bang! For a moment, I staggered. I gritted my teeth and struck my head again. Bang! My mind was shaken. I braced myself and held on. Bang! Bang!
The moment I lost consciousness, someone grabbed my shoulder.
I strained my eyes and saw an old man covered in blood through my blurry vision.
The old man’s pupils shrank for a moment. He seemed to be wandering, as if recalling something very far away. After a while, his focus returned.
“···This is really disgusting.”
There was a hint of laughter in the old man’s voice.
I swallowed the blood flowing back at him.
I forced my lips open.
“Please tell me your name.”
He looked into the old man’s eyes and asked.
The old man’s eyes widened at that.
“······Hendrix.”
After a while, the old man answered with a grin.
“Yeah, Hendrix.”
I nodded in satisfaction at the answer.
The excitement that had been building up to the peak subsided and a sharp pain surged up. Nothing moved anymore.
I saw the magpies running towards me with anxious faces. All three were crying and shouting something, but I couldn’t hear them. The weasel slapped the abbot on the cheek and woke him up. The abbot was grabbed by the collar and woke up.
The abbot’s bright light enveloped me.
The weasel immediately swung his dagger at Hendrix.
“summer solstice···.”
The moment I muttered, my mind went blank.
The weasel made a noise, but it didn’t sound like he was drowning.
It was something like, ‘I’ll keep you alive so that you can take care of your brother!’
***
“···Are you awake?”
I opened my eyes to a soft voice.
The old man was smiling with his usual gentle smile.
I suspected that he had eaten me again. However, the sharp pain and the cold rain suggested otherwise.
As usual, I checked the body first. This time, both arms were clean. However, they were stiff and wouldn’t move. Still, it was better than a baby’s arms.
I turned my head at the sound of a cough mixed with a hoarse sound.
The old man was lying down and looking up at the sky.
Black blood continued to flow from the corner of his mouth.
A torn heart and a broken head.
There seemed to be no chance of survival.
Rather, it was a miracle that I was still alive.
“···Your lifeline is being squeezed.”
“Transcendence is such a bother.”
The old man laughed heartily. Every time he did, black blood would spurt out.
Even as death drew near, the old man was smiling.
The old man was hoping for and welcoming death.
“···How did it end up like that?”
The old man clicked his tongue at my question.
“I don’t know. No, I fell.”
“What are you falling for? Are you the master of the sword, that bastard?”
My voice became sharp without me realizing it.
The old man shook his head slightly.
“Okay. That’s the wrong way.”
The elderly said more.
“Try singing a song.”
The old man made an unexpected request.
“What song are you talking about?”
“That’s the song the kids sing… Rabbit-.”
The old man’s breathing was ragged. It seemed as if it would stop.
‘···It will go smoothly.’
I cleared my throat for a moment.
The most important thing before singing is to warm up your throat. Burur- I warmed up my lips and started singing.
“Rabbit-Rabbit-Go far away-So you can have a long and happy life-.”
“You really can’t sing. It’s hard work.”
“It looks hard. Will you end the suffering for me?”
The old man laughed loudly. Black blood spurted out of his mouth. I laughed awkwardly.
“Okay. It’s fun, so I’ll enjoy it some more. Just keep singing.”
I continued singing again. I couldn’t remember the lyrics here and there, so I just sang them roughly. The song that started with rabbits soon passed orcs and reached dragons.
As the heavy rain gradually thinned, the sun rose, and the darkness of the night faded, the old man’s smile hardened.
“Get some rest. Don’t come to that shitty place again.”
I muttered softly.
Perhaps because of the passage of time, his arm moved. He dug the ground with his hand. Since he had experience in the guard, he was able to dig it up quickly.
Then he approached the old man.
It smelled very sweet. No, the word sweet wasn’t even enough. It was a sweetness that made me think it was a nuclear candy made by melting all the candy and then condensing it again.
For a moment, I couldn’t come to my senses and staggered. My hands moved without me knowing. I bit my teeth and endured it.
– ···.
I could feel the tenant’s impulse, but he said nothing.
Just as I can sense his intentions, he will also sense my thoughts.
I carefully placed the old man in and covered him with soil. Just in case, I covered him in two layers, and a small bud appeared. I scraped the ground with the imperial sword that had fallen next to me.
He straightened his back and carved ‘Hendrix’ in very large letters.
It was a truly practical and stately tomb.
Even an old person would be satisfied with this.
‘You were filial.’
I turned around without any hesitation.
However, I didn’t eat it because it looked tasteless.
