213
Funky
I had a few things to be proud of.
I was good at things like cleanly decapitating people, drawing sixes at dice, and effectively rehabilitating uncivilized medieval bastards.
Enduring pain was one of them.
I thought I had become quite numb to pain because I had rolled around so much and had had my arms cut off repeatedly recently.
Until I picked up this skewer.
“eww······.”
I screamed so hard that no more sound came out of my throat.
Because I wasn’t even allowed to lose consciousness due to the excruciating pain, I just held on and endured.
The field of vision was completely burnt out, so there was nothing to see or hear. Not even a smell.
It felt like I was being punished by being thrown into hell.
– ha ha ha!
The tenant’s laughter could be heard from far away.
His laughter was a mixture of genuine desire and pure admiration.
I never knew the tenant would be this happy.
– Arrogance! Yes, truly arrogance!
I wanted to swear at that nagging guy, but I didn’t have the presence of mind to do so.
– That’s why I liked it.
The huge flow that had been swaying the body was disrupted by the tenant’s earnest voice.
– It’s going to hurt quite a bit.
It was ridiculous. How could it hurt more here? The pain I was going through right now was clearly the most severe, and now there was something above it.
A weak emotion called fear raised its head.
– So what’s the answer?
His question was full of mischief.
It was clear that the bastard was the devil.
‘What are you doing if you don’t do it?’
As I answered, the tenant’s laughter grew louder. The bastard’s laughter filled my head and shook it. He really was a good-voiced bastard.
The tenant, laughing so hard he felt like he was out of breath, whispered.
– Stinging.
At the same time, a different kind of excruciating pain struck me.
If before it felt like I was sticking chopsticks into a power pole and licking it with my tongue-.
Now, the electricity that came in like that seemed to dance inside my body.
It was pain beyond pain, just as the bastard warned.
There was only one thing I could do.
Just grit your teeth and endure it.
Unfortunately, it was what I was best at.
Time seemed endlessly drawn out in that indescribable agony.
It felt like a hundred years had passed. Einspanner was right. Time was relative. The guy was a genius.
After about a hundred and fifty years, the pain had subsided. Now all that remained was the excruciating pain of when I first held the skewer.
After enduring the pain beyond his reach for so long, he was now somewhat bearable.
– That’s amazing.
The tenant’s sincerity came over me. He was truly impressed with me. However, it wasn’t much of a consolation.
At that moment, my vision returned. The surrounding scenery slowly came into view.
Kwobarou, who was drenched in sweat, Kanna, who was still crying while teaching diligently, and Park Daegari, who had his mouth swollen as if he was going to vomit. It felt like it had been a long time since I had seen all of them.
At that moment, Kua Bao Rou’s hand stopped.
I thought it was over now-.
“Kanna, you do the last one.”
Kuobarou held out a stick to Kanna with the look of a master who had attained enlightenment.
Kanna nodded with a moved expression on her face.
‘This crazy kid-.’
The swear word was rising to the top of my throat, but I swallowed it as I saw Kanna’s eyes that seemed to say, ‘Just watch! I’ll do it!’
Kanna took hold of the stick. The two, with a pious look on their faces, made the final point.
Then the stirring air suddenly calmed down.
The hellish pain that came with the iron skewer disappeared as if it had been washed away.
Then the excruciating pain I had been experiencing for so long seemed like a distant memory.
However, my body felt strangely strange.
please···.
‘It’s like I have one more heart.’
He frowned and examined his body. Fortunately, there was nothing wrong with his appearance. His clothes were also intact. There was no sign of pain anywhere.
Still, there must have been at least some trace left… I felt bad that I was the only one who caused trouble.
I shook my body a little. It was really refreshing to have the feeling I had after a long time. I never knew it was so thankful to not have pain.
“Aaron-!!”
Kanna jumped up and body-slammed. She was already weak, so she was momentarily shaken, but she gritted her teeth and held on.
Kanna, who was clinging to my waist, confirmed it with her large purple eyes. Her eyes were filled with worry, so I forced myself to raise the corners of my mouth.
Then, the corners of Kanna’s mouth twitched. Her eyes, which were already burdensome, sparkled even more. They became even heavier.
The eyes that Kanna looked at me were similar to the eyes that the abbot had when he prayed. Or maybe even worse.
“As expected, it’s Aaron! Aaron is the best!”
Kanna kept spewing out words like ‘strongest’ and ‘best’.
Behind him, Kuabarou was looking at me with eyes as if he had seen a ghost.
“You endured that-. Are you really alive?”
Judging from the stupid things he said, he seemed to be in good shape.
And Park’s head is-.
“ah.”
The usual bright smile had disappeared… and she was looking up at me with a blank face.
The masked man was nowhere to be seen.
I looked at Kua Ba Rou and pointed to the door with my chin.
‘Bring the abbot to me.’
Aside from the strange sensation of having an extra heart, I wasn’t feeling well.
I needed to get treatment from the abbot as soon as possible.
“Are you really… alive?”
The clueless guy kept saying weird things. Kanna was still saying ‘strongest, best’ over and over again.
If I kept going like this and fell down for no reason, it was clear that today’s schedule would be disrupted. There were no external injuries, but it was also not pretty to fall down.
The moment I was about to nod again, the door opened and a weasel came in.
The corners of the weasel’s eyes, which had been raised to begin with, were raised even higher. It had a face that looked somewhat uncomfortable.
It was exactly like the face I had when I heard that Kanna and Hanna were sleeping together.
The weasel, whose eyes had been fluttering open for a moment, moved to the side.
“I brought you here because I thought you might need it. Please go and look after my brother. He was screaming and causing a scene earlier.”
The abbot came in next to the weasel. His face looked tired, as if he had been dragged out of his sleep.
“Abbot Emeritus Aaron, I clearly stated that we must hold evening prayer.”
The abbot approached, holding the Bible like a weapon.
“hmm···.”
The abbot, who had come right up to me, let out a low, sobbing voice.
The abbot, who had treated some pretty horrible wounds without saying anything, had such a reaction. I felt uneasy for no reason.
“······What’s wrong with your hair?”
I frowned at the abbot’s unexpected remark.
‘Why is my head-.’
As if he had read my expression, the abbot held out a round pendant. It was a strangely luxurious-looking pendant.
Its surface was worn down and shiny from being touched so much.
It was just like a mirror.
My reflection there is-.
Her hair was in a weird perm, as if it had been fried.
‘It got funky.’
I clicked my tongue at that ugly sight.
“This is totally cool!!”
Park Dae-gari, who had returned to his usual expression, shouted powerfully.
The abbot clicked his tongue and held out the Bible, summoning divine power.
“Oh······.”
Kanna, who was looking up at me and handling my bucket, seemed a little uneasy.
“Kkiiiiiik···. Ahem, kiiiiiik···.”
The weasel that had come up next to me started screaming quietly.
***
“···It feels like I have an extra heart?”
“uh.”
When he answered like that, Kua Baorou’s eyes, nostrils, and mouth widened at the same time.
Behind the stillness, Kanna jumped. She jumped so high that she looked like a grasshopper.
“Magic…! Aaron! I’m now the wizard Aaron! It feels like there’s something here?!”
An excited Kanna jumped up and down and pointed at her forehead. She was running so fast that her voluminous purple hair seemed to hang in midair.
‘wizard?’
I was taken aback by the sudden story about a second job advancement.
“It’s called the Mana Heart. It’s where mana is filtered and purified. It doesn’t have a physical body.”
Kuo Baorou, who still had a strange look on his face, explained in a trembling voice. His eyes were still full of distrust.
“Let me just take a look!”
Kanna quickly grabbed my wrist and closed her eyes. It felt like a loach was swimming inside her body.
After a while, Kanna’s eyes, which were already large, grew twice as large.
“Aaron is a wizard! A wizard! A wizard like me!”
Kanna jumped up and down again. It was amazing where such energy came from despite her haggard appearance.
“Oh, my God-.”
Kwan-na let out a small exclamation of admiration at Kanna’s words.
Kanna kept jumping around, and Park Daegari avoided my gaze subtly, unlike before.
After a while, Kuabarou came to his senses and opened his mouth.
“It seems like Vivian’s mana was stored while flowing. Is it the same principle that Kanna’s mana increased when she used magic with Vivian’s mana? This is a first time for me to see something like this.”
Kuobarou’s eyes held a strange light. It was similar to the eyes he had when he had tried to give Park Daegari’s heart to Kanna.
“Then shall I show you some magic?”
Even though I was treated by the abbot, I was still somewhat tired due to accumulated fatigue, but I was definitely curious.
Magic was very convenient if you knew it. You could create water where there was no water, and make fire when you needed it.
It wasn’t for nothing that wizards were treated so well. Of course, the wizards’ crazy personalities also played a part in that.
‘Mana is the corpse of the god?’
Suddenly, I remembered what I had heard from the masked man.
That wasn’t my concern right now.
“Try it. Try the easy one three times.”
I gestured to Kuabarou.
“Me! I’ll show you! Me! I’ll teach you!”
Then Kanna jumped around and made a fuss. When I nodded my head in response to the strange heat, Kanna twirled her fingers and said.
“You can put the spells however you want. Something that is easy to think of. The easiest light magic is something like a bright candle…”
Kanna snapped her fingers while muttering a strange explanation. Light appeared above her tiny fingers.
When I saw him, I felt completely different from when I saw him before.
It feels like I’m looking at something that was completely unknown and gaining a new foundation.
It was as if I had obtained a mouse, as I was watching the mouse cursor move on the monitor.
‘I see.’
I nodded, muttering a small ‘one.’
“How about it? Aaron can do it right away! Aaron is the best wizard!”
Kanna continued to shower her with praise in a confident voice. Her eyes were filled with great anticipation.
It was a bit hard to lump him together, but I shook my head lightly. Two more times were not enough.
They all had different expressions on their faces.
Kanna hesitated for a moment, but instead her eyes sparkled and she nodded repeatedly.
Park Dae-gari looked strangely relieved, but with a slightly smug expression.
Kuo Bao Rou’s reaction was similar to Park Dae Gari’s, but strangely different.
“As expected, mana has been created, but it doesn’t work. There’s nothing we can do. Mana isn’t everything in magic. For example, Vivian has more mana than anyone else, but in the end, she’s still Vivian.”
Kuo Bao Rou explained at length. Even if everything else were overlooked, he couldn’t stand putting Vivian and me on the same level.
“Two more times.”
He said to Kanna, looking at her.
Then, Kanna nodded vigorously with a tearful face. For some reason, her face was moved.
“It’s not something you can do just by seeing it, you have to have the ability to understand the principle. Ahem.”
Kuobarou shook his head and thumped his chest as if he was frustrated.
I don’t know about you, but I was a genius who got a B in college math.
I focused on the light on Kanna’s fingers.
‘two.’
It definitely looked better than before. A strange feeling lingered in my head.
“One more time.”
When I said that, Kanna smiled brightly. It seemed like she really liked what I was asking her to do.
“You can unfold it as much as you want! More than a thousand times because Vivian is here-.”
Kanna, who was very excited, had her fingers light up again-.
I closed my eyes tightly at the new sensation.
“I told you, it won’t work if you keep repeating it like that. If it was going to happen like that, Vivian would have used magic a long time ago. Magic requires intelligence···.”
I snapped my fingers at the grumbling Quobarou.
“It can’t be done···.”
Guobarou’s eyes widened as he muttered.
A light appeared on my finger pointing at the guy.
When Kuo Bao Rou saw him, his words trailed off.
I found the reaction quite amusing, so I wiggled my finger at the bastard’s eyes.
With each jolt, the look of astonishment on Kkwobarou’s face grew.
“Wow! Aaron is truly a genius! He can do it after seeing it three times! Now Aaron is a wizard! He’s a wizard like me!”
As the excited Kanna started jumping around again, Kuabarou came to his senses.
“This is definitely real magic. It looks like the mana heart was formed using Vivian’s mana. This is a state I’ve never seen before.”
Kuobarou coughed with an embarrassed expression. The guy who had been avoiding eye contact opened his mouth. I waved my finger in front of him.
Then, Kuabarou, whose face was wrinkled, opened his mouth.
“···But isn’t the size a bit too small?”
His voice was full of rebellion, but it was as he said.
Even Kanna, who had such a small amount of mana, was only the size of a fist, while mine was as small as a firefly.
“Should I call that magic? It doesn’t seem to work at all···.”
“Light magic.”
“Ugh···. That’s not magic, it’s just something I squeezed with my fingers······.”
As I twiddled my fingers, Kuobarou quickly closed his mouth.
As the bastard said, it was a bit weak, but in very dark times, fireflies were a source of hope.
And more than that-.
‘The distance between tenants and tenants has widened again.’
After the last incident, the tenant who had become too close and burdensome felt distant. It felt like his body had found stability.
– Are you upset?
The tenant whispered. His voice was extremely sinister.
It was a bothersome feeling, as if the ground was dug in front of me and I was waiting.
‘I have to be careful.’
I clicked my tongue and snapped my fingers to turn off the light.
At that moment, the abbot approached with hardened eyes. The abbot’s eyes, which were usually serious, were now extremely sunken.
“How could you do that?”
The sudden rebuke made me think back on what I had done. There were too many to guess.
“What are you talking about?”
“The honorary abbot can’t handle any divine powers, yet he can use magic! Does that make sense?”
The abbot clicked his tongue and grumbled as if he was really upset. I was dumbfounded by his fresh grumbling.
“When I return this time, I will definitely awaken the divine power. You said that you can use magic by receiving overflowing mana? If so, feed it the Bible…”
The abbot’s face was very serious as he spoke like that.
“The next spell… It’s a bit… to be caught by Aaron.”
Park Daegari asked Kanna with an anxious look on his face.
“Squeak··· squeak···.”
The weasel was still making strange noises.
I looked around at him and waved.
“I’m hungry. Let’s eat.”
There wasn’t much time left.
***
Even though it was a meal, there wasn’t much to get because it was late at night.
The food on the rooftop all looked like high-nutrient energy bars, so I didn’t really want to eat them.
Fortunately, the weasel was able to get some ingredients from somewhere and make up the rest.
After roughly putting everything in the pot, I added the powder from the stove and brought it to a boil. It smelled quite delicious.
“Aaron. I’ll teach you all about magic! The most important thing is the elements first-.”
Kanna stayed by my side, chattering away about magic. She seemed happy to be able to teach me something.
He seemed more excited than ever, so I just left him alone.
I held out the empty bowl.
“Brother, you usually eat a lot, but are you eating more today?”
The weasel said as he served the stew.
I was going to be very busy today, so I had to fill my stomach up in advance.
“I can really do well now!”
“Okay. I’m too stupid to learn magic.”
“Aaron can do it too! Seriously! He can do it!”
On one side, Park Dae-gari was constantly urging Kwabarou. He had not seemed to have much interest in magic before, but now he was burning with determination.
“This is divine power. Do you feel it? First, even if you have to walk a dark path – follow me.”
The abbot was pouring his divine power into my back with his hand. He had been like that since a while ago, saying that he was making me awaken my divine power.
I just ate a bowlful of stew.
After about two more bowls were empty, Kanna fell into a deep sleep. It was clear that she wouldn’t wake up for a long time.
I pressed my round head hard and got up from my seat.
“Now, let’s all go.”
It was almost time to go to work.
***
“Can you really just let me go like that?”
I nodded to Kuobarou’s awkward question.
A suitable carriage was moving away from where the bastard’s finger was pointing. The exterior was somewhat shabby, but the interior was the best. It cost quite a bit of gold to get it.
The carriage was guarded by armored unemployed men. As expected of experienced men, they rode horses quite well.
They were certainly capable men with conviction, and could be considered the best escort force that could be formed in the capital.
Even if someone were to target it, they probably wouldn’t expect it to be sent this quickly.
At least he would have been able to see the coronation ceremony. Since the person who hosted it, Kua Bao Rou, was a white-haired matopju.
“The gates haven’t even opened yet, so why are you sending them off in such a hurry?”
I raised my head at Kuobarou’s awkward question.
The gloomy sky looked like it might rain at any moment.
As I said before, the gates will open.
I also tried to calculate the number through the five eldest sons.
It was the first step that I put my heart and soul into.
The capital was about to become chaotic, so it was best to get Kanna out as quickly as possible.
“It looks like it’s going to rain.”
I answered, stroking my fluffy hair. My funky hair felt quite nice to the touch.
“Something happens at the coronation.”
Kuobarou looked at me with sunken eyes and asked.
Looking at his eyes, it seemed like he didn’t have any good feelings toward the Empire. Well, who on the continent would like the Empire?
“no.”
I shook my head slightly.
“But if something happens at the coronation, don’t look back and run away.”
He patted Kuobarou on the shoulder and turned around.
Even in the darkest hour, the capital was bustling.
As if he knew what was going to happen today.
I patted my full belly and stepped forward.
It was time to get to work.
***
“You, you look like this…”
The five elders who saw me shed a sigh.
On the contrary, I clicked my tongue looking at the cake in front of him.
When you said you’d meet me at the bakery, I couldn’t believe it, but you really are eating cake at this early hour.
I started to feel uneasy about whether I should be working with this guy.
“Why is your hair like that?”
I touched my head in response to his question. It was soft, like touching a sheep.
“Isn’t it funky?”
I chuckled and patted my head. It was a natural helmet that could block a sword aimed at the neck once. The coolness was a side effect.
I kind of liked it.
“Pung… Can I use the helmet?”
“Just press it.”
I waved my hand lightly and sat down in front of him.
Since we got going early, there’s still some time left.
He clicked his tongue at the guy eating the cake and picked up the cloth placed next to him.
It was the armor and sword of an imperial knight.
The size was just right, as if it was custom-made.
“I heard that many royal knights died in the last incident, leaving a lot of vacancy.”
The fifth eldest son said, wiping his mouth with a handkerchief.
“After all, people have to work hard to live.”
When I threw in a joke, the five elders laughed lightly.
“What do you put on your face?”
The facial skin I received last time was gone.
“They said it wasn’t necessary.”
“It’s not that I couldn’t get it?”
“Maybe so.”
I clicked my tongue at the bastard’s answer and took off my armor. Now that it was the third time, I was able to change it quite easily.
At this point, it would be no exaggeration to call him an honorary imperial knight. He muttered a joke and put his sword back into his waistband.
“Are you nervous?”
The five elders stared at me with clear eyes. His hands were shaking slightly.
“no.”
I answered lightly and pressed down on my helmet. My hair was so frizzy that I had to press hard.
“The first time is difficult, the second time is easy.”
He spoke lightly and tapped the helmet.
Tung tung. I liked the full, thick sound.
The five elders pressed their helmets deeply into their mouths.
“My number is high.”
The fifth eldest son said, pointing to his shoulder. I laughed bitterly at the slightly trembling voice of the man.
“Okay, you take the lead.”
He left the bakery with that as the end.
“It’s raining.”
I clicked my tongue at the thick rain pouring down so hard that it blocked my vision.
It was a rare downpour even in Cassadic, where rain often falls.
I wondered what effect it would have on what would happen today. The palace was indoors, so it didn’t seem to matter.
“Do you hate rain?”
The five elders opened their umbrellas and asked.
It was an antique umbrella that I don’t know where I got it.
“greatly.”
I answered, holding out my hand.
The five elders looked over the helmet and I reached out my hand again.
“The king hates rain.”
The man who clicked his tongue obediently handed over the umbrella.
Then he took out another umbrella and opened it.
If you brought two, I’d give them to you before you asked for them.
I clicked my tongue and turned the umbrella around. It was definitely better quality than Berman’s, but it didn’t have the same flavor.
“Why do you hate rain?”
I pondered his question for a moment, but there was no particularly plausible reason.
“just.”
I waved my hand lightly and stepped forward.
Heavy raindrops pounded the umbrella.
A street crowded with filthy smelling medieval men. Beyond it was a magnificent palace, as huge as a mountain and seemingly built of gold.
The imperial knights running around the huge palace looked just like golden bugs.
‘Hide tight.’
Hair boiler-.
I smiled, stroking the hilt of the knife.
***
‘iced coffee······.’
Hans let out a ragged breath as he looked at the two imperial knights.
In the direction the two were heading, there was a palace.
‘also.’
Hans shivered as he recalled the scene from earlier.
Aaron, who jumped in without hesitation, was still good.
It was another unexpected decision. No, how could such a decision be made?
To jump into that clear death willingly-.
As if that wasn’t enough, he even received the overflowing mana directly into his body, feeling like it was going to burst.
Hans sighed softly at the fact that there had been not a single moment of hesitation in that series of actions.
Even a knight of high reputation would shed tears and pray before his death.
The future was once again awry. The ripples of prophecy felt like rage.
Finally, Hans laughed out loud as he watched Aaron grumbling without wearing boots.
Indeed, what will the result be?
Hans waited for a moment, savoring the thrill of the unknown. Soon, two imperial knights disappeared through the palace gates.
‘It’s started.’
I wanted to follow him and see Aaron, but I held back.
It was obvious Selena would hate it.
This side also had its own preparations.
Hans twirled his finger.
Then the color of the raindrops changed somewhat.
The once transparent raindrops have become slightly cloudy.
It’s almost like it’s mixed with bone meal.
No amount of holy water mixed with rain can stop an imperial knight or the master of the sword.
‘It might still be a little annoying though.’
Hans twirled his umbrella.
I was really looking forward to what would happen today.
It was an emotion I hadn’t felt in a long time.
***
Dylan bit his lip as the capital moved away.
It felt really bad. It was so bad that my hair stood on end.
It felt even more fucked up than when I followed the Swallows before. It was so clear that I could see it.
“But why?”
Dylan spat at Brighton’s question and grabbed the reins.
As he pulled the reins, the carriage slowly stopped. The surrounding juniors looked back at him.
They were fools who shed tears over a single loaf of bread. Moreover, the abbot of Brighton was trustworthy. He was the person the ten-year-old had entrusted Kanna to.
In that clear gaze, Dylan handed the reins to Brighton.
“I don’t think it’ll work. I don’t feel good about it. It’s annoying.”
Dylan grumbled, pushing his wet hair back. Five daggers were stuck in his waistband.
“You don’t feel good?”
“That’s right. It’s so hot it looks like it’s going to explode at any moment.”
Dylan pointed to the capital in the distance and cursed repeatedly. His instincts were telling him to run away, but the reins were heavy.
“Then you have to go even further. Are you, by any chance… worried about the Honorary Abbot Aaron?”
Dylan furrowed his eyebrows at Brighton’s question.
Are you worried about that brat? He shook his head lightly. There was no way. How many times had he been beaten by that brat?
And the cat was different from the beginning. How can you help that strong bastard?
“Then why are you frowning like that?”
Dylan blinked and shook his head at Brighton’s warm question.
“It’s a crying face. What the hell.”
Dylan muttered a curse and looked inside the carriage through the window.
Kanna was sleeping peacefully, oblivious to the world. The corners of her lips were twitching, as if she was having a good dream. It was truly a sight that made me laugh just by looking at it.
[Please take good care of Aaron, Dylan. You know, Aaron is very reckless.]
Hannah’s soft voice came to mind naturally. Hannah had asked me several times.
And when he went to the capital, he asked the captain to do something nice for him, and he even gave him a pouch of silver coins that his men had collected.
These were very unfamiliar things to Dylan.
“···Nimiral.”
Dylan scratched his head nervously. Something must have broken in him after getting hit in the head by the punk.
“I have to go with the ten-year-old. If I go first, I’m sure I’ll get into trouble later.”
Dylan grumbled and jumped out of the carriage. A thud, a long spur of loose mud.
Heavy raindrops kept pounding Dylan’s head. It seemed to whisper, “Are you crazy?” and “Get back on right away.”
It was a pretty cool ride, but Dylan regretted it as soon as his feet touched the ground. He held onto the carriage and pondered.
If it was just a joke, should I get on again? I repeatedly tapped the carriage with my fingers. I slowly lifted my left foot. I was about to slowly lift my right foot as well.
“Yes, please take good care of our honorary abbot.”
Brighton nodded and pulled the reins absentmindedly.
As the carriage started, Dylan, who had been putting his foot up, fell over in a very ugly way.
Dylan, who had fallen over, opened his mouth in disbelief.
Shouldn’t you have asked three times? How can there be such an immoral priest? He has no sense at all.
As I watched the carriage moving away, my heart pounded.
I wanted to catch the carriage, saying that I had changed my mind. But the carriage was already far away. It was too far to catch.
“Nimiral!”
Dylan turned away, muttering a curse.
The gloomy, massive outer walls of the capital city seen in the distance weighed heavily on Dylan’s heart.
However, there was no choice since the carriage had already disappeared.
“······I really fucking don’t want to go.”
Dylan walked with heavy steps, sobbing loudly.
To think that I would do such a stupid thing-.
After getting hit in the head by the pup so many times, it was clear that something was seriously wrong.
