episode_0022

7. Falcon Gang (6)

According to what Mr. Hancheol said, it seems that the Falcon Gang thought that we went to ‘Paris Park’ to rescue Ara.

Of course, the guys there might have prepared something for us to come over, but that’s something we can think about after we get through the current situation.

Anyway, since the guys are coming now, they must have judged that the Mokdong settlement has no power, so if we exploit that weakness, we can solve this situation.

I thought as I watched Hyunseok and Yeonseo talking about the guys who were attacking the old men.

‘I said that the only problem is that guy named Han Jin-oh, so even if I’m not there, we won’t be pushed around because we have Hyun-seok and Yeon-seo. So…’

I closed my eyes for a moment and started planning how I would act in the future to make the situation more favorable for us.

After thinking about it a little more, I started telling everyone a plan that seemed like it might be a pretty good one.

” So, Charlotte, what are your plans? ”

Mr. Hancheol asked me, crossing his arms and wagging his fingers.

” First of all, if what the old men said is true, then the most troublesome person in that group right now is the leader of the group named ‘Han Jin-oh’, right? ”

” That’s right. The problem is that he ends up taking the initiative in the fight because he’s a little hard to deal with because he flies. ”

” But now that Hyunseok and Yeonseo are here, isn’t it okay? ”

Hyunseok and Yeonseo started to listen intently when they were mentioned in my words.

” When you say it’s okay because we’re here, doesn’t that mean you have to go somewhere? ”

As expected, Yeonseo seemed to have figured out what I was trying to say.

And Hyunseok, who heard those words, looked at me with worried eyes.

” Are you sure it’s okay? You don’t have to do it alone, right? ”

‘ Hmm, it feels like I’m watching a child worrying about something… ‘

But now is not the time to worry about that, so I just look up at Hyunseok.

” It’s okay. You know? I’m strong, right? In fact, it’s easier for me to carry out the plan I’ve come up with by myself. ”

‘And I think it’s probably better for Hyunseok not to know what I’m going to do from now on.’

As I looked at him, Hyunseok sighed and then seemed to give up.

” Okay, I understand. But if it’s dangerous, make sure to run away. Got it? ”

” Okay~ Don’t worry! ”

After talking to Hyunseok like that, I found out from the old men where Ara might be being held.

I decided to go there alone, rescue Ara, and if we could move together, we could come to the settlement together. If not, I decided to send her to a safe place and then return.

The old men were worried, but with the gangsters coming this way, they couldn’t be picky, so in the end, they agreed to my plan.

” Then I’ll go and come back! Before that, please take this. ”

I gave the brooch I received as a reward for conquering the tower in my arms to Hyunseok, Yeonseo, Uncle Dusik, and Uncle Hancheol.

Since the divine power has been energized in advance, there is no problem with the divine power to be used in the future.

” Isn’t this a brooch? ”

Mr. Doosik asked me with an expression that seemed to have predicted the brooch’s abilities to some extent.

” Yes, I received it as a reward this time, but if it contains my divine power, it will protect you in case of an unexpected situation, so it would be good to keep it. ”

” Thank you, Charlotte. Is there anything you need? Since I received this, I would like to give back what I can. ”

Mr. Hancheol asked me if I needed anything else as I went to rescue his daughter, but there wasn’t anything in particular I needed.

Rather, it would be better to write it for those who will remain here rather than for me.

” It’s okay. Anyway, I’ll go quickly. I don’t want the guys to notice. ”

” Okay. Then let’s get ready to welcome them. Hyunseok and Yeonseo, let’s go. ”

Mr. Doosik took Hyunseok and Yeonseo down to prepare for the gang’s arrival, and I also greeted Mr. Hancheol right after that.

When I came down from the watchtower, Yeonseo was waiting in front.

” Come to think of it, there seems to be a bit of a problem with Charlotte’s plan. ”

” Huh? Is that so? Well, since I came up with it in a hurry anyway, there’s bound to be a lot of loopholes. You never know, I might run into those guys on my way there. ”

” That too, but this kind of operation is all about time, right? But have you thought about how you’re going to move? ”

” Oh, I forgot about that. Well, won’t it work out somehow? ”

” Haa, you and Hyunseok have something in common, right? ”

” So Yeonseo, you were waiting because you could solve it, right? ”

At my words, Yeonseo smiled faintly and took out her magic book, summoning the lion she had seen before, ‘Marinarion’.

” That’s right. Just ride the ones I summoned and bring that brat on the other side. ”

” Oh~ Thank you! Then I’ll go and come back quickly! ”

I was about to ride one of the children Yeonseo had summoned and escape through the southern gate of the settlement when I heard Yeonseo speak.

” If you left us here on purpose, it means you trust us to some extent.

But you don’t necessarily have to go alone, but if you go alone, there must be a side of you that you don’t want to show, right?

Right, Charlotte? But Hyunseok isn’t stupid either. You should know that. ”

I couldn’t answer Yeonseo because I was moving too fast

Yeonseo’s words were confusing my head and heart the whole way to Mokdong Station.

*****

In the past, it was said that Hyun-seok subdued a group of gangsters without killing them, but that must be because of his kind and considerate personality.

‘Of course, sometimes I think I’m too considerate of others, like Yeonseo said, but I like it that way.’

However, unlike Hyunseok, I have already killed many people while working as an Inquisitor.

They were all villains who kidnapped children to use as sacrifices or killed innocent people.

Of course, there were a few times when I first subdued them and sent them away without killing them.

At that time, I had a sense of aversion to killing people because I was born on Earth and had my own values, which were not yet in another world.

Even people who had committed crimes were subdued and sent to prison as they were because they believed there was a ‘possibility of reform’.

But they all saw once again innocent people, regardless of age or gender, being sacrificed or used as ‘test subjects’ for their own benefit.

I changed my mind.

People who have no hesitation in taking or threatening the lives of others for their own gain will find it difficult to change.

After that, those who committed serious crimes were given priority in beheading.

Otherwise, other people will end up being put at risk by them.

But as the days, months, and years passed, I became comfortable with doing that.

‘So in the end, we have no choice but to do it like this this time too.’

Yeonseo’s words continued to linger in my mind and heart.

I know that too.

That killing is only a temporary solution to the problem.

But even after arriving at Mokdong Station, my heart felt heavy as if it was caught in something.

*****

” Who the hell are you…? ”

The subordinates who were managing the hostages held at Mokdong Station were terrified by the sudden appearance of a girl.

At first, they let their guard down because she seemed like a middle school student who believed in her abilities, but soon they sincerely did their best to stop her.

Of course, it wasn’t something I could stop even if I tried my best.

” You don’t need to know! ”

I answered their questions nervously and aimed Durandal’s blade at them.

I tried to cut them down one by one from the front, but the moment I pointed my sword at them,

I remembered what Yeonseo had said and immediately changed the direction of my sword. I tried to subdue them as much as possible with my martial arts and the sword of flame.

After taking down quite a few of those guys and going deeper into the station, we started to see several rooms that seemed to be being used as prisons.

There were already corpses there, soaked in blood and rotting, and there were also monsters infected with the virus that we had seen in the square of the shantytown earlier.

” See, these guys are all the same in the end…! ”

After passing through several rooms like that, I came across a room guarded by guys who looked stronger than the guys I had seen before.

” Could he be there? Considering what I’ve seen so far, I’m glad he’s alive… Please, I hope it’s not too late…! ”

As if they saw me approaching, the guys started to take out their weapons.

But if there’s anything different from the guys before…

It’s just that he took something like a ‘pill’ out of his bosom and ate it.

” Ugh, ugh… krrr… ”

Seeing the same reaction as the infected monster, it was a clue that could be used to predict the whole story of what happened in the shantytown.

” It was you guys’ doing? You piece of trash! ”

He quickly grabbed Durandal with all his might, wrapped his ‘Holy Fire’ around it, and started cutting down the guys.

As I ran out, I quickly dodged the spear of the guy in front, then spun around and cut off his neck.

He held the hilt of the sword to his chest and stabbed the guy running behind him with the tip of the sword.

He immediately pulled out his sword, reversed his stance, and moved the blade horizontally to cut the approaching guy’s body, splitting it in two.

The last guy looked scared, but he ended up taking that pill thing and it seemed like he couldn’t make a proper judgment.

He quickly slashed the sword that was pointed straight down diagonally, ending his life.

” Phew, this is the last one. So now…! ”

I used ‘Holy Fire’ to destroy the door right in front of me.

Ara was in front of him.

And there were other people who were captured.

*****

Ara looked at the girl in front of her and many thoughts came to her mind.

‘Before Yeong-i died, a child of similar age came here. Did Uncle Du-sik come too?’

” You’re Ara, right? Mr. Hancheol’s daughter? ”

” Huh? Yeah, that’s right. So Uncle Doosik is here too? ”

But the girl shook her head and said.

” No, I came alone. The gangsters were coming to raid the settlement.

That’s why I came here because I thought it would be better for me to save you quickly. ”

” What?! What is that?! ”

Ara was surprised by those words and tried to move, but she was tied up and had been hit by Han Jin-oh, so she couldn’t move properly and just sat there.

” Just wait, I’ll let you out soon. ”

The girl cut the chains that bound Ara with her sword and began to heal her while emitting light.

” Thank you. In many ways. ”

” Okay. Do you know what this is? ”

The girl asked while holding the pill that Han Jin-oh had left behind in her hand.

” Oh! That’s…?! ”

” You know what it is? Alright. Let’s hear about this later. Let’s go to a safe place after we rescue the people trapped behind us. ”

” Okay. ”

After putting the pill in her pocket, the girl cut open the prison door with her sword just as she had cut the chains that bound Ara, and then she used light to heal people.

” So what’s your name? You have to know the name of the person who saved you, right? ”

Only then did the girl say, “Ah, that’s right.” and continued.

” Charlotte Maniegne. Just call me ‘Charlotte’. ”

Only now did Ara and Charlotte properly learn each other’s names.

*****

After rescuing Ara and the people who were captured behind her, I led them out of Mokdong Station and hid in a church a little distance away.

” Once you get this far, you’ll be fine. ”

When I said that, all the rescued people thanked me and hugged me.

” I’ll leave this summoner here for now, it’ll be helpful in case something happens. ”

” So you’re going back to the settlement now? ”

Ara said, grabbing my collar.

” That’s right. If it were just you, I would have just taken you. But since there are other people here, I can’t take everyone with me, right? ”

” That’s…!? ”

” And now the settlement is under attack by gangsters, so I should go there quickly too. ”

” Then I’ll go too! Because I can fight too! ”

” What are you talking about? I healed you, but that was just to give you energy to move, and the wounds only increased your regenerative power.

So, even if you go now, it won’t help. ”

” But ”

” But if you and I leave this place, who will protect the people here? You should know that. ”

At those words, Ara turned her head back and looked at the people who had been held captive with her, then opened her mouth as if she had made up her mind.

” Okay. I think you’re right. But how long are you going to keep talking informally to me? Am I not your older sister even if I act like this? ”

I thought, what kind of nonsense is this? But then I thought about it and it seems like everyone is seeing me as a middle school student.

‘Even if you look like this, you’re an adult… If you think about how old you were when you were a man… Ah, let’s not count that. It’s not something I can say anyway.’

” What are you talking about? Oh, as far as I know, you’re two years younger than me. Do you understand? ”

” What? What are you talking about! You’re obviously a middle school student… ”

Since I knew she wouldn’t believe me anyway, I quickly showed Ara my ID using my device ‘Watch’.

Ara couldn’t close her mouth when she saw that and started to say, “That can’t be happening…”

” Anyway! I have to go now, so wait well! Okay? ”

I left that place riding the lion ‘Marinarion’ summoned by Yeonseo.

Ara kept talking about my age and was out of her mind

Right now, the priority is to get to Uncle Doosik, Yeonseo, and Hyeonseok faster!