episode_0112

It didn’t take long to wonder what cause and effect this was.

This is the place I came to after performing a certain ritual with the Deltans, and what I see before my eyes is a young Deltan standing in an unfamiliar place, so perhaps this is an illusion.

What I don’t understand, however, is that the scenery I see now is so heterogeneous.

After thinking about it a little more, I came up with a plausible answer.

‘Now that you think about it, there was a rumor that the Deltans came from a forbidden background.’

Because no record of the Deltans before the devil came down to this earth could be found anywhere, there were some who said that the Deltans were from a forbidden background.

Among them, the place that received the most votes was the ‘Place of Exile of the Phantasmal Beast’, because it is a place where living creatures cannot go.

Agnes took a step forward, thinking that perhaps this was the place of exile for the phantom beast.

“Deltain.”

He called and tapped the young Deltan on the shoulder.

Then the child was startled.

I threw away my hand in surprise, but the young Deltan who spotted Agnes immediately flinched and turned his head away.

“… You got it wrong.”

What should I say?

At that moment, the child’s expression showed a certain anticipation, but then it seemed to lose its shine.

Agnes raised a small question.

“Is there anyone waiting?”

Deltan pursed his lips.

It was unspoken, but it was immediately positive.

“Parents?”

Deltan’s body shook.

At that moment, an angry look appeared on Deltan’s face.

No, more accurately, it should be expressed as resentment.

It was only then that Agnes realized.

‘You’ve been abandoned.’

The young Deltan was abandoned.

If this is a fantasy based on fact, Deltans would actually have been children abandoned by their parents.

Indeed, the reason why there were no relatives, let alone parents, was being solved.

“What are you doing here? If you do that, you’ll catch a cold.”

Agnes took Deltan’s hand.

It was like ice.

When I squeezed it tighter, the warmth started to form later, but it didn’t last long.

This is because Agnes was also wearing clothes that were too thin to be out in the snow in the middle of winter.

When Agnes opened her mouth, her breath flew out.

“This is a very cold neighborhood. It’s just like a snowy mountain.”

The young Deltan did not reply.

They just looked at their joined hands and made strange expressions.

I wonder if he’s embarrassed, but the way he twists his body for no reason was really cute.

“… Because it’s winter.”

The only answer I could think of was winter.

Agnes laughed softly.

It was like that.

Growling, Deltan’s stomach rumbled.

Agnes opened her eyes, then burst into laughter.

“Are you hungry?”

“… .”

“Do you have anything to eat? No, I guess not.”

The clothes looked quite thin.

The outfit looked unusual and made of good material, but it was impossible to sell clothes like this with only one layer on this cold day.

“Hmm, is there somewhere I can get something to eat?”

“… None.”

“Huh?”

“Because I don’t have money.”

Deltan became sullen.

Strangely enough, at that moment, Agnes burst into laughter.

What joke could be bigger than this: Hebron, the Delta, is sad because he has no money.

However, this is reality.

Agnes thought for a moment, then looked at the ring on her hand.

‘Do you think you can sell it?’

It’s a diamond ring.

It was late, but there was probably at least one jewelry store open.

Agnes wondered if it would be a good idea to sell this to get food for the child, so she looked around.

It wasn’t visible right away.

“Is there a place like a jewelry store?”

“… A jewelry store?”

“I want to sell this at least.”

Agnes held out the ring.

But the young Deltan tilted his head.

“Can a ring make money?”

Since the child is six or seven years old, does he not know the value of the ring?

Or were the parents who abandoned the Deltans rich enough to not think anything of this?

Agnes put more weight on the second hypothesis.

‘Because the material of the clothes is very good.’

Although the clothes were thin, the fabric of the clothes she was wearing was one of the highest quality that Agnes knew.

It can’t be said to be just a personal standard, but the clothes worn by future Deltans who follow all the institutional trends don’t seem to be made of better material than these clothes.

Anyway, it wasn’t important right away.

Agnes waited for an answer, and Deltan frowned and pondered, then nodded.

“… It will be there if you go towards Central City. Because there are a lot of rich people there.”

“Central City. Can you guide me?”

“I don’t know where it is?”

The young Deltan looked at me strangely.

Agnes grinned.

“Yes, I am Gilchi.”

It was true.

*

After walking through the snow for 30 minutes late at night, I arrived at a jewelry store that was closed.

The young Deltan hesitated, as if it were his fault, but Agnes giggled and raised her hand.

“Look carefully.”

bang!

I banged loudly on the jeweler’s door with my fist.

Then, a crashing sound was heard from inside, and the bald owner came out.

“Who is it!”

He had a very excited face.

Agnes presented the ring to the owner.

“I came here to sell this. Please take a look.”

The owner, who was very angry, stopped when he saw the ring.

I looked at Agnes and Deltan’s faces once, then looked at the ring again and thought about something.

Then he said with a hint of anger.

“… Come in.”

Deltan had a blank face.

Agnes said.

“Remember. If something doesn’t work with money, it’s very likely because there isn’t enough money.”

The young Deltan nodded.

Agnes smiled contentedly.

*

An unusual currency was placed in Agnes’ hand.

There were about ten bills in total with the number 100 and a human face on them.

Judging from the owner’s expression, he probably received an unreasonable beating.

However, it was not a loss for Agnes either.

In any case, this place was not real, and the jewels I had given would be in my hands again when I returned.

Agnes looked at Deltan, who was still holding her hand.

“Shall we eat something first?”

Deltan nodded.

I walked down the street like that.

What a strange neighborhood.

Even at this late hour, the whole world was bright enough to make me think like that.

The tree was decorated with lights and things like that, but Agnes couldn’t figure out the purpose of doing that or where the lights were coming from.

After looking at the tree for a while, Deltan spoke.

“… It’s a tree. Christmas tree.”

“Huh?”

“Oh, I don’t think you know.”

The young Deltan blinked innocently.

I cringed again.

It doesn’t feel strange at all.

This is because Agnes could never have imagined that Deltan would be such a timid and cynical child.

That’s probably why the difference is funny.

Agnes went into an open store and had Deltan a meal, then went into an open clothing store and put Deltan on a coat.

The meal was very delicious even though it was food Agnes was unfamiliar with.

The coat I bought was also something I had never seen before, and I bought it because it was thick and cozy enough to ward off the cold.

Agnes, who came out onto the street again, asked:

“Do you have somewhere to go?”

The young Deltan shook his head.

As I did so, I held his hand tighter, and I think he might be thinking about being abandoned again.

It looks incongruously pitiful.

Agnes nodded and went out to find a place to take shelter.

I wonder if there is at least a room at an inn.

After looking around for a while, Deltan asked.

“What are you looking for? I know a lot because I live here.”

“Um, then is there something like an inn? A place where you can sleep.”

“Yes! Over there!”

At the place Deltan pointed to, there was a building so large that you had to tilt your head up for a long time to see the end.

The imperial castle seemed to be a ridiculously low building compared to that building.

There was something written in a script that Agnes didn’t recognize, and it must have been the name of the inn.

“Shall we go?”

Agnes led the Deltans into the inn.

And the lobby of the inn I entered was sparkling like an imperial ballroom.

“Welcome.”

Blonde hair and white skin.

As they entered this place called Central City, the two people were greeted by people of familiar races who began to appear in unusual numbers.

It doesn’t seem to be the owner.

Probably an employee.

“Give me a room. A place where I can stay with this child.”

As I said that and handed out the money, the waiter nodded and fumbled for something.

Then he nodded and took out the keys.

“I will guide you to this room.”

And he tried to return the money, but Agnes refused.

It was an action that made people wonder if the concept of tipping would work here, and fortunately, it worked out well and Agnes was able to receive friendly guidance from the waiter.

I followed the employee into a closed, box-shaped space somewhere in the building.

The door to the space closed and my feet trembled for a moment, but the waiter and Delta people seemed to be okay, so I hid my surprise and waited. Ding! The closed door opened with a sound.

The place we came back to was a different space.

Maybe it’s magic.

Agnes made a guess and entered the room she was guided to.

A more luxurious space than the duke’s bedroom appeared before her, and Agnes was left alone with the Deltan.

“For now, let’s sleep here today.”

I don’t know how to get out of this dream.

And in front of me was a young Deltan.

How could I leave it alone?

Agnes took off her coat and took the scruffy Deltan to the shower room and gave him a thorough wash.

Fortunately, the fact that the shower room looked like Agnes was familiar with was effective.

“… Thank you.”

The young Deltan’s cheeks turned red and he belatedly thanked me.

Agnes lay on the bed and laughed softly.

“There is nothing to be thankful for.”

“Okay.”

The young Deltan, sticking his face out from the blanket, looked truly tired.

So Agnes patted Deltan’s chest.

“If you sleep too late, you won’t grow taller. So let’s sleep now.”

As I spoke, the young Deltan nodded.

And closed my eyes.

Agnes thought as she continued to pat Deltan until he fell asleep.

That was the question I had the whole time.

What kind of life has the young Delta person lived?

Why was he abandoned, and how would he have gotten through the night if he hadn’t met him?

The thoughts continued in a daze and extended into the realm of delusion.

Then, Deltan finally fell asleep, and Agnes felt a moment of strangeness.

Hwaaa!

The landscape was turned upside down.

*

Agnes closed her eyes in shock for a moment, but when she opened them again, this was the first sight she saw.

But the scenery was slightly different.

The people passing by and the items seen in the store beyond the window were different.

What is this?

Agnes looked around, puzzled.

It was in the meantime.

“… Sister.”

A young voice was heard.

Agnes turned her head and looked.

“Deltain?”

A young Deltan who had grown a little more than before and had become so tangled that he was covered in soot.

The young Deltan frowned here and there.

Then, he trembled and exhaled, and his breath spread thickly, covering the Deltan’s expression.

“Where did you go?”

What was conveyed was resentment.

A very painful resentment.