230
Friend
“No, I am Gern.”
Berman looked to the side, scratching his cheek at the incomprehensible sound. Then Kel shrugged.
“No, bro. I told you to tell me your identity instead of your name.”
Kel said, stepping forward slightly.
“It’s Gern.”
Berman and Kel both let out a soft sigh at the big guy’s confident answer. The answer was so confident that they almost let him pass for a moment.
Berman and Kel exchanged glances.
If it were normal, I would have just yelled at him and kicked his butt to get him out, but the problem was the imperial emblem painted on the giant carriage behind him.
It was a sensitive time, as the troops brought by the nobles were already surrounding the castle.
The situation was extremely tricky, as it was not possible to let them in.
Berman and Kel stepped back and talked quietly.
“Have you ever heard of the name Gern? Judging by his confidence, he must be a great man.”
“None. It wasn’t on the guard list either. I’m sure of it.”
Berman shook his head at Kel’s question. Berman had memorized all the names and characteristics of the main characters. There was no one named Gern among them.
“Then what about that kid? His outfit is unusual.”
Berman turned his head at Kel’s trembling question and let out a low sigh.
The man who introduced himself as Gern was extremely large. He looked like a mercenary, but unlike him, he had no weapons on his body.
Instead, he was wearing clothes that looked fluffy. Even to Berman, who didn’t know him well, he thought they were classy.
“There’s definitely something going on here. Isn’t this their work?”
Berman nodded slightly at Kel’s question. That was highly likely. Ugh-. The two of them let out a low slur at the same time.
As the two were pondering, Inquisitor Joanna Ethan, who was standing next to them, stepped forward. Berman and Kel’s eyes turned to her confident steps.
Joanna, who was always useless and just slept, came forward on her own! Expectation filled their eyes.
‘Come to think of it, Inquisitor Joanna Ethan stood guard with the leader for quite some time.’
Thinking of him, Berman felt strangely uneasy.
Joanna, standing in front of Gern, looked up at the guy.
“I am Gern.”
Nod.
Although their conversation was incomprehensible, it seemed like something was happening between them.
However, that thought did not last long, because immediately Inquisitor Joanna Ethan clenched her fist.
As soon as he saw the posture similar to that of the leader, Berman quickly ran over.
However, Inquisitor Joanna Ethan only pretended to swing her fist, and did not actually swing a fist.
At that moment, the carriage door opened and someone came out hurriedly. It was a short young man wearing an administrator’s uniform.
He was a man of short stature, quite handsome, and possessed the qualities of an administrator. He was on the list of key figures in the guard unit.
‘···First-class manager, Showne!’
He was famous for having risen to the rank of first class at a very young age. I heard that he even conquered the underworld of Karzan.
Berman nudged Kel and straightened his posture.
I had been warned several times recently that the situation in Cassidy was precarious and that I should be careful. There was a garrison of nobles stationed a short distance away, so security was even stronger than before.
In that situation, the appearance of such a big shot-.
First-class manager Shone came running, having hurriedly gotten out of the carriage. He must have just woken up, because his mouth was covered in saliva and his eyes were slightly blurry.
Berman glanced at Kel. Kel nodded and stepped back slightly. For some reason, Inquisitor Joanna Ethan stood more confidently.
Shoney, who had run straight up to the front, hurriedly caught the guy named Gern.
“Gernim! Why didn’t you wake me up!”
“I was sleeping well.”
“No, I appreciate that! But still… Oh, hello! I am Shoune, a first-class manager of Karzan!”
Berman, shocked by the fact that a guy named Gern could speak another language, was a little slow to respond.
“I have come to deliver a message from Mayor Karzan. This is Gern, the leader of the Gern Knitting Guild.”
Shawn explained clearly, straightening his messy hair.
‘······Knitting?’
Berman hurriedly looked at the man named Gern again. Unlike before, Gern was holding his chin up and his whole body was swaggering. His luxurious and rich clothes and gloves caught his eye.
“I am Gern.”
“Because you’re so shy… This is a knitting guild that’s doing well. Anyway, here….”
Berman and Kel felt uncomfortable with Shawn’s more formal attitude than they had expected. Even though there was no need to confirm it, Shawn insisted on showing them the mayor’s personal letter.
“Oh, Inquisitor Joanna Ethan was there too!”
Nod.
Joanna nodded confidently at Shawn’s greeting.
“Oh, by any chance, where is Aaron?”
After greeting Joanna, Shawn asked with sparkling eyes.
Berman and Kel were taken aback by the sudden mention of the team leader’s name. Why would the team leader’s name come out of the mouth of a first-class manager?
“That··· Captain Aaron is currently out of his post. He went to the capital.”
“Ahhh-! I see. It’s my first vacation in a while, so I went to bed early to have fun!”
Berman and Kel licked their lips at the sight of Shawnee, who seemed truly sorry.
Berman and Kel let them pass. For some reason, Joanna followed them and disappeared.
Although he noticed her, Berman did not bother to catch her. She had originally fled to the castle gate to avoid Brighton.
At that moment, a carriage approached from the other side. It was also a splendid carriage, and the inscription on it was familiar. It was Frederick Guild.
Because of the circumstances, I stopped for the time being.
The carriage came to a gentle stop. As the carriage door opened, the refreshing scent of grass filled the air.
A woman got out, and Berman’s eyes widened at how beautiful she was. Even though her face was covered in bruises, her beauty was not hidden.
“Ah, this is where Aaron stayed···.”
The woman who was muttering softly approached slowly. Contrary to her appearance, she gave off the vibe of a big shot, so Berman felt unnecessarily nervous.
The woman who had come right up to him stared straight at Berman. Berman kept thinking of Razbeth as he watched her green eyes sparkling like midsummer grass.
“Is this Berman from the 4th group of the Cassidy Outer Wall Guard? This is… Kel?”
The woman spoke in a slightly excited voice. Berman exchanged glances with Kel at the name that came out of nowhere.
‘···Are we famous?’
For no reason Kel and Berman’s shoulders rose.
but-.
“I am Selena, Aaron’s future wife. Please take good care of me.”
The two froze at the same time at the gentle woman’s greeting.
‘Director, what on earth are you doing out there…’
Berman and Kel politely made way.
***
‘···I am the king of demons?’
Pulpouts clenched his teeth and pressed his temples.
It was soon clear how he had become the king of demons.
“Hiccup! Hiccup!”
Vivian was a child who couldn’t lie, so she quickly figured it out. When I questioned her, I was able to get a general idea of the story.
“So Aaron wrote my name. So the king of demons is…”
“Hiccup! Bad! I didn’t mean it badly! Actually, hiccup! Me too! Hiccup!”
“First, drink some water and then talk. It’s okay. I’m not blaming you.”
Pulpouts held out a glass of water and tried to comfort Vivian. The child who had never raised his voice in front of him before was now raising his voice to defend Aaron.
My heart felt heavy for no reason. Pulpouts wasn’t stupid. Plus, Vivian was bad at hiding things.
If Aaron was truly the king of demons, then there was no stopping him until the empire fell.
Fullfoot was tied to Aaron, but he couldn’t drag Vivian along. He couldn’t let her walk such a rough path.
And Aaron···.
‘How could I refuse this lovely child?’
Aaron didn’t show much interest in the child. Pulpouts clicked his tongue slightly at Vivian, who was strangely avoiding eye contact.
“That’s right! Aaron must have had a reason! Of course, it’s wrong to use the name without caution, but… Still-.”
Pulpouts nodded at Vivian’s anxious appearance. No matter what Aaron did after taking the name, Pulpouts could not question Aaron.
There was no reason or strength to do so.
“So the king of demons coming to Cassidy is Aaron?”
Nova spoke softly from the side. Her face, which had been drooping from exhaustion, was now somewhat relaxed.
“···I guess so.”
Pulpouts tapped the table with his fingers. If Aaron was the king of demons and had truly captured the master of the sword-.
“······Now I really have to go all the way.”
Fullfoot let out a deep breath after saying such heavy words. Clearly, he was satisfied with the small and beautiful Cassadic, so how did he end up here?
However, the decision had been made a long time ago. Pulpouts was not so stupid as to become weak-hearted now.
‘Once this is over, we can live in peace again.’
Pulpouts nodded, muttering, but the chilling feeling wouldn’t go away.
at that time-.
Knock knock.
“A guest has arrived.”
Fullfoot’s head turned. The nobles had been hiding since Brighton came, so as not to be dragged into the synagogue. There were no guests, not even-.
“This is Lady Skataph of the Frederick Guild.”
Pulpouts jumped up at the continued explanation. Scataf was the rebel general who had gone out with Aaron.
‘···Aaron was called the fifth eldest son.’
When I told them to come in quickly, the door opened. And the person who came in was-.
“Well, it’s smaller than I thought.”
What a green-haired beauty she was.
Fullfoot had a pretty good eye for people. That was a necessary quality for a nobleman.
‘···He is clearly a high-ranking noble.’
There was no need to think that far ahead. The woman’s ears were extremely pointed. She was definitely the elf I’d only heard rumors about.
Elves originally did not come out of their own forests. Due to their long lifespan and superior abilities to humans, most elves encountered outside were of high status.
Moreover, the simple steps, yet the overflowing elegance and the completely lack of tension clearly belonged to a high-ranking nobleman.
A woman who had been looking around for a moment approached Pulpouts. After that, a man named Skatarf came in. Skatarf had a strangely sullen face.
Pulpouts gestured to Adela and Delfran behind him, and the two of them slowly closed the door.
“Skatap, how was your trip?”
Pulpouts turned his gaze to Scatap first.
“···I don’t know.”
Scatap answered him with a slight frown. Pulpouts couldn’t understand what he meant.
However, it seemed that the man who said that was looking at the woman next to him was watching her closely.
Skatarf was no different from the leader of the rebels. How could such a Skatarf be a woman who was observant? – Pulpouts’ eyes narrowed slightly.
The woman’s gaze was fixed on Vivian and Nova, not on Pulpouts.
“Nova, secretary of Cassadic, Vivian, the only daughter of Baron Pulpouts… is that right?”
The woman asked, pointing with her fingers at each one, but her tone was one of certainty.
“Yes, that’s right. But you-.”
Pulpouts was startled by Nova’s strangely sharp voice.
Nova was quicker than Fullfoot. He must have noticed that his opponent was an extraordinary person, but he couldn’t understand why he had such a sharp attitude.
Then, the woman opened her mouth again and-.
“Oh, my name is Selena, and I am Aaron’s wife.”
“yes-?!!”
Vivian screamed sharply. The others looked no different, except they didn’t scream.
Everyone froze at the shocking remark of the woman who suddenly appeared. Pulpouts glanced at Nova. Nova’s already sharp eyes were wide open.
Then the woman opened her mouth again, and the contents were so shocking that they erased the previous ones.
“Aaron said there are a lot of people waiting. Is there anyone among you waiting?”
The woman’s gentle question gave Fullfoot a headache that he had not felt in a long time.
And that headache-.
“Aaron, are you waiting?! It’s me!”
It got worse when Shona, who had been organizing documents on one side, suddenly stood up.
This time, the woman’s face hardened at Shawn’s confident voice.
‘Maybe it was because I rejected Vivian······.’
Pulpouts let out a sigh as he recalled the rumor about Aaron.
***
‘···What is going on?’
Gillian swallowed softly as she ate two pieces of bread for breakfast.
Cassidy’s intelligence agency was running fairly well for a hastily put together organization.
The reason for this was the considerable support of Razbeth and Fullputs, who were more capable than expected, and the White Leaf Guild, who had no interest in them at all.
The White Leaf Guild, no matter how little they cared about them, still passed on information to them. Thanks to this, they had quite a few books piled up in their office.
The office used to smell like paper, but now the smell of green forests has pushed it all away.
The reason is-.
“The size of the Blant Castle is incorrectly recorded. It is much larger than this. Hmm···”
It was because of a woman who suddenly barged in.
The woman, who introduced herself as Selena, ‘Aaron’s wife-to-be,’ immediately looked through the materials without asking and pointed out any errors.
Gillian was dumbfounded. Even though he had bad feelings toward the White Leaf Guild, it was truly one of the best information guilds.
If Razbet and I hadn’t been abandoned here, I would never have thought of forming a separate information guild.
The information about those white leaves was wrong. The woman wasn’t even holding anything to compare. It was clear that she was nitpicking.
Gillian then turned his gaze to Razbeth. Razbeth was the worst kind of person. He couldn’t just sit by and be treated like this.
As expected, Razbeth was shaking. It was clear that he was going to throw a punch at any moment.
But contrary to Gillian’s expectations, Razbeth did not swing his fist, but simply lowered his head.
“It is an honor to meet you, Tall Leaf. My name is Razbet.”
‘···Tall leaves?’
Gillian furrowed his eyebrows at Razbeth, who suddenly bowed and said something out of the blue. Now that he looked at her, the woman’s ears were pointed. She was definitely the elf he had only heard rumors about.
“It’s been a while since I’ve seen a human who knows that name. Razbeth of the White Leaf Guild? Oh, you’re out now.”
The woman, who had received Razbet’s example with a light gesture, spoke monotonously.
“Yes, I am currently working as an intelligence officer under Baron Fullfoot.”
That dirty-tempered Razbeth was more gentle with Fullfoot than ever before.
“Information agency-. That’s not enough. First, could you please prepare some paper?”
“yes-.”
At the woman’s gentle command, Razbeth jumped up and pulled out a stack of papers.
When Gillian used to write, she only gave me yellow paper, telling me to save on expensive paper, but now the paper is as white as snow.
Gillian then felt bad for no reason and puffed out her cheeks, then got hit in the head by Razbeth and hurriedly helped him up.
Soon, the floor was filled with papers. The woman standing in the middle of them lightly snapped her fingers.
Then-.
‘···Does the paper write itself?’
Gillian opened her eyes wide as she saw the letters floating on the white paper. The letters were being carved on their own onto the paper spread out on the floor.
The magic was obvious. It was quite remarkable to be able to make letters appear without any warning, but there were quite a few magicians who could do that.
The content of the magic was important. Magic couldn’t make something out of nothing. If that’s the case, then all the information that appeared on that piece of paper was in the woman’s head.
‘···You’re writing down all the troops of the eastern nobles, right?’
Even the numbers were quite detailed. In addition, their weaknesses were written on the back. The letters did not stop there, but gradually expanded beyond the East.
It stopped only after the paper that had filled the floor was completely filled. It was clear that it had stopped because it ran out of paper.
It took Gillian only about the time it took to eat four loaves of bread.
Gillian read the paper quickly. Nothing on it was unnecessary.
No, each and every one of them was extremely valuable information. If we just took this and started an information guild, the White Leaf Guild and everything else would rise to the top in no time.
How did she memorize all that? No, where did she get that information in the first place? What on earth does this woman do······.
“There won’t be anything useful on the white leaf side anymore, so don’t waste your money there. Focus on how to utilize this information.”
The woman’s command was so natural. Even Gillian, who had been beaten by Razbeth and still ate bread in the morning, nodded her head.
dripping.
Just then, the door opened and a huge man came in.
Jackson was the most mysterious of all the Cassidys. He was the father of Cassidy’s shadow Scar, and Gillian had investigated him separately because of his unusual size and aura.
They had been together for quite some time, but Gillian couldn’t get anything out of the man.
Why is that Jackson here?
“He will be there shortly.”
Jackson bowed to the woman on one knee like a knight.
Then the woman brightly-.
He smiled really brightly.
“Okay, then let’s get ready-.”
The woman walked out quickly.
***
‘You’ve grown.’
I muttered as I looked up at the thing that had become even bigger than before.
He just looked down at me without saying a word.
Maybe it was because I had tasted it, but unlike before, the blatant desire for it completely overwhelmed me.
It wasn’t a very pleasant feeling to have an unfathomably large being looking at me and swallowing its saliva.
“Is it still not enough?”
I looked at him and raised the corners of my mouth.
I didn’t trust him. I just trusted his unwavering pride.
A guy with strong pride was easier to trust than a guy who was originally kind.
– No, that’s enough.
The man who answered in a hushed voice raised his head.
It was still an empty space, but now the curtain could be felt completely.
I don’t know how that works, but I have a feeling I’ll be able to break it now.
– It’ll be quite shaky.
His voice was still pressed down, but his gaze was looking up, not at me.
The bastard slowly raised his hand. Then, his already huge hand grew even bigger.
Long pitch-black claws grew from the tips of its fingers. The black blood dripping through them looked like a huge storm to me.
Soon, the creature slowly tore the air with its huge claws.
············!
Then the air split open terribly, accompanied by a terrible scream that was difficult to describe.
Looking at him from below, it felt like a giant was tearing the world apart, and it gave me goosebumps.
But the one who actually did it didn’t have even the slightest tremor or emotion.
I also just sat there and pretended like nothing happened.
The sky slowly parted, revealing the world behind it.
It was so full of stars that it looked like outer space, and it was a sight that filled me with wonder just by looking at it.
Soon, the air split apart completely and the surroundings collapsed. Unseen things fell and scattered like dry dirt.
The damn place was being destroyed.
Oman stood still in the middle and looked down at me.
Oman. Whoever named it, it really suits him.
– He is cunning and greedy. He will not leave you alone, as you have the potential to harm him.
Oman said.
I nodded silently at him.
From the beginning, I had no intention of leaving it alone.
At that moment, the space shook even more violently. Then, the thing expanded its size even further.
The thing that had grown so large that it was as big as the world itself, beyond the planet, made a light gesture.
Then, the scattered space began to move as if it was being led by the bastard’s hand.
It must have been quite a burdensome act for him, as his hands trembled and his body shook. But he maintained his posture as if nothing had happened until the very end. He had great pride.
The scattered fragments took shape in front of me, guided by the guy’s hand.
It was just a monotonous staircase, with no end in sight.
At that moment, the bastard slowly crouched down. It took a long time because it was so big.
The two yellow eyes of the guy staring at me looked just like the sun. Those eyes really shined brightly.
It was a majesty that made one have no choice but to acknowledge that he was a god.
– You are the first guy I have ever acknowledged.
He muttered as if he was saying something great.
What good would it do to get that guy’s approval? I thought to myself, but I nodded along with the mood.
Considering his personality, it was clear that he had said those words out of desperation.
“I guess you’re going far.”
– Because he is God.
He said with a smile in his voice. Maybe it was because we had been hanging out for quite some time, but he seemed to be a lot funnier than before.
I scratched the ball at him.
– Why? Didn’t you want to take it off?
He spoke in an uncharacteristically sly voice.
That was right.
The Devil’s Handprint was too hideous to carry around. I was glad to get out of here, and he was glad to get promoted, so it was a fair trade-off.
but-.
“It’s difficult to eat and run away, you know.”
I still needed that guy’s strength because I had to deal with that hypocrite again when I went out.
Then the bastard laughed so loudly that it felt like the world was falling apart.
No, it was actually falling apart.
– Don’t worry.
For the first time, the corners of his mouth lifted. The smile on his face, which was usually reserved for a teenage boy, seemed quite affectionate.
– If you call, I will answer.
A black halo of light surrounded him. It was a strangely bright light, even in the dark.
The light emanating from him was so brilliant that it filled the void and overflowed. It shone so intensely that it seemed as if it were burning the space.
– ···My friend.
The thing spoke in a very small voice, unlike before. It was surprising how such a small sound could come out of such a huge body.
He nodded, raising the corners of his lips.
“If you don’t come, I’ll come catch you.”
Again the bastard laughed loudly.
Then the light of the guy that filled the world exploded.
In a place where it’s so bright you can’t see anything-.
– Anytime.
The space dissipated as the guy muttered.
When I opened my eyes again, there was only a staircase.
I took each step up the stairs.
As I climbed, my body became heavier and heavier, and a sharp pain came from somewhere.
It was a truly unfamiliar feeling, one I hadn’t felt in a long time.
“Dylan is cute and lovable-.”
At that moment, an ugly song was heard from somewhere.
For a moment, I doubted whether this was the right staircase, but then I remembered the owner of that voice and smiled bitterly.
“So Dylan really has nowhere to hit-.”
An ugly song gave me directions. It was the worst compass.
Crazy bastard-. I couldn’t help but laugh when I heard him. He must have lost his mind because he had been locked up for so long.
He couldn’t hold back his laughter and took another step forward.
“Ah, would a crown prince be suitable for someone like Dylan? Would a grand duke be suitable for him-.”
As if I was controlling the intensity, the song gradually reached its climax. That strangely broken voice gave me strength in my feet.
“Both of them! Dylan is the Crown Prince!”
I soon reached the end of the stairs and looked back.
There was nothing there now.
He clicked his tongue and took his last step-.
I opened my eyes.
Right in front of me, Dylan was singing passionately, his eyes wide and trembling.
After enduring all that time, the first thing I saw was Dylan.
I couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
And not even just Dylan-.
“Dylan is love! Yeah! Cute! Yeah!”
What kind of guy is that? He sings songs like that.
At that moment, the guy rolled his eyes. Soon, his eyes met mine.
“······Your Highness!!”
He rushed at me. His vile eyes were filled with tears, and snot was running from his nose.
Dylan ran towards me with such a desperate look on his face.
“Ugh-.”
Yeah, this is the taste.
I felt a small exclamation of admiration at the taste I felt after a long time.
Dylan, lying on the floor, cried out, “My brother is back.”
First, I checked my left breast. There was nothing where the handprint should have been. I bit my lip in emptiness.
Even without the Devil’s Handprint, he was full of strength. His mind was also very clear. It felt like he was maintaining the erosion of both arms without any side effects.
The memories were clear, but unlike before, they were not confusing. The order of the memories was clear. I could recognize that it was the past.
‘Doing useless things···.’
I clicked my tongue and looked around.
It was a luxurious carriage. On the other side sat an ugly Swallows, and next to him was-.
“···Ben, not a human baby?”
It must have been through a lot, because its face was badly damaged, but upon closer inspection, it was clearly Ben, not a human baby.
Ben opened his mouth for a moment to answer my question, then immediately knelt down. He held out his sword to me, as if he was going to do something.
“Ahem, I, Knight Ben, travel the wide continent to keep my oath-.”
I took a quick look at the guy. I couldn’t tell by looking at him, but the scars on his face and the thickened arms were impressive. It seemed like the investment was paying off.
“You, aren’t you Aaron? There’s no way Aaron could be this handsome-. Hmm···.”
At that moment, the ugly swallows nodded their heads while making a strange sound.
“Here’s 1 silver···.”
Geluru next to Ben slipped out a silver coin.
Even Dylan, who collapsed there and made a strange noise-.
It was very noisy inside the carriage, but at the same time quiet.
‘It’s nice and quiet.’
I muttered quietly and took the seed money.
It was only when I touched the cold silver that I realized what was happening.
A lot has happened, but I survived this time too.
– That’s fortunate.
Unlike before, I laughed out loud at the faint sound of his voice coming from far away.
‘Yeah, that’s fortunate.’
It seemed like there would be no chance of being eaten.
