episode_0080

Ian wrote something down and went out with Wolfgang.

Vivian and Helena, who remained in the room, were dumbfounded.

Aside from wanting to work hard to meet Ian’s expectations, I felt like I was growing further away from him.

While looking at the door through which Ian left, the two made eye contact and smiled awkwardly.

Mercy sensed this and quietly intervened.

“Why are you doing that?”

“Oh, no… .”

“No… .”

The expressions on both of their faces were complex.

“Hmm.”

While Ian revealed his identity, Mercy was lying depressed, but she was not asleep at all.

She too was listening to Ian’s confession.

“I don’t know what you’re worried about, but there’s nothing to think about too much.”

Mercy swallowed her bitter heart as she remembered the reason why Ian had not revealed it from the beginning.

“Didn’t Ian do that? He says he is the same as the person you have seen so far. That is true. The Ian I saw around me was always like that.”

Whether Ian is Philip or not, it doesn’t really matter.

The only thing that changed was their perception of Ian.

“It may seem distant at times, but it’s all for the good of your people, so wouldn’t it be better not to feel too difficult? From what I’ve seen, Ian is no different now from before when he was with you.”

In the first place, the very existence of Philip is an illusion created by him.

Ian was just Ian from the beginning until now.

Even when I was the manager of the first party, even now.

“… That’s right.”

“That is correct… .”

Each person seemed to have realized it in their own way, and their expressions became much more relaxed.

“Thank you for your concern.”

“As expected, there is a reason why you have been with Ian for so long.”

“… … .”

Mercy smiled, but she wasn’t very happy.

Like this, all you can do are simple things that anyone can do.

Things like small comforts, massages, and ghostwriting of letters.

Not a superhuman.

In this human society, he is just an ordinary elf with no power or connections.

So, if there was anything she could do for Ian, she was willing to do anything.

“Well, of course! Where could there be an elf like me!”

Mercy said brightly, and Vivian and Helena also smiled again.

*

Katy, who was clearing the Liberal Alliance’s base with the 2nd platoon of the military police, arrived at an old-fashioned hallway.

The hallway, which had a luxurious yet clean atmosphere, was dark.

There were narrow rooms on both sides.

The room, blocked by a glass wall, was bright, unlike the hallway.

It was difficult to see the outside from the inside, but the lighting was designed so that the inside could be seen clearly from the hallway.

Each elf was trapped inside.

This was the place where many elves were trapped, as reported by Kati to Ian.

Each elf was beautifully decorated with various charms.

Some elves were as flashy as nobles.

Some elves were neat and tidy like gentlemen.

Some elves were as bright as dancers.

There was a table in front of them, with only their legs and torsos tied to the chairs.

A white plate was placed on a white round table. Silver spoon, fork and knife.

And there was a live animal on the plate.

Elves who hear the voice of life do not eat meat.

To be precise, do not kill and eat meat.

The only meat they eat is animals that have died naturally.

The cruelest act for them is to feed living creatures alive.

And there were people here who enjoyed watching the action as if it were something fun and rare to see.

Some elves’ plates were empty, and their eyes were lifeless.

Among them was a blonde elf dressed like royalty.

“… … .”

Kati remembered the day she first saw Mercy.

The door opposite the direction from which Katy came in opened, and armed men came in.

“That bastard!”

“Run and kill them all!”

Katy said to the military police following him.

“I will do it alone. Please free the trapped elves.”

This is because it is easier to fight alone on a narrow road.

The military police who saw Kati’s skills on the way obeyed him obediently.

A group of scary-looking people are running toward us with the momentum to burst through the narrow road.

Kati held the sword back in both hands and lowered her body.

As soon as she hit the ground, her figure disappeared.

-Slap!

A gust of wind blew through the hallway, accompanied by the sound of something being cut.

Kati, who had disappeared, appeared behind the enemies.

-Chijijik… .

Kathi’s foot slipped on the ground as if he had stopped suddenly while running.

The upper and lower bodies of the enemies were separated at once.

After confirming that there were no survivors among them, Kati broke the glass wall and took out the elves inside.

The rescued elf was led away by the military police.

Her eyes returned to the royally decorated elf, and then to the people who made the elf look like this.

‘Even if I had better tracking skills back then… .’

That’s when I discovered Mercy.

Kati was with Ian too, but not as strong as she is now.

If he had been better at that time, wouldn’t Ian have felt more at ease?

Even though it wasn’t her responsibility, Carty would sometimes think that way.

“Thank you… .”

“Thank you so much… .”

At least a few sane elves approached Kati and greeted her.

Kati just nodded.

Then, suddenly, I felt something strange.

‘He speaks differently from Mercy.’

It took a while for Mercy to open her mouth after being rescued, but her tone was condescending from the beginning.

Although it wasn’t as confident or playful as it is now.

‘Aren’t all elves like that?’

Since Mercy was the only elf Kati knew, it was not something she could know by thinking about it.

*

“If you all want to preserve your precious lives, please quietly retreat.”

Ian declared, blocking the back road.

A street where two people could barely pass was enough to be blocked by one person.

People who were trying to escape from the military police’s surprise attack turned pale.

Ian glanced at their outfits.

‘They are wealthy rich people or nobles. Are they VIPs here?’

All the men were dressed in fancy suits, and the women were in dresses.

Because of the masks used to hide their identities, it seemed as if they had come to enjoy a masquerade ball.

One of the nobles stepped forward.

“Who, I don’t know who it is, but get out of the way! If you don’t get out of the way right away… !”

“If you don’t get out of the way?”

Ian asked, aiming his sword.

It was not a training sword that was hastily taken out when dealing with Edgar, but a real sword.

“People in high positions know that they can’t be objective, even if they don’t say it, so there’s no need to come forward.”

“How much, how much will it be… ?”

Another noble asked.

This person was a man who knew how to bow down.

But it didn’t move Ian’s heart.

“It’s not me who decides how to treat you. My role is to block the way.”

In addition to that, I also have the role of dealing with members of the Edgarna Liberal League when they come here.

“So don’t think about negotiating, just go back and be quiet. As long as you are not a liberal, you will avoid summary execution.”

It wasn’t very good news.

If you are a guest visiting this underground base run by the Liberal League, it is obvious that you will not see the crime.

To even come to the base of this organization that values safety, he had to be considered a high level even among VIPs.

Ian also knows this well, having robbed a branch of the Liberal Alliance in the past.

“ is arrogant and has no fundamentals… !”

A young nobleman pointed a finger at me, and Ian lightly swung his sword and cut off his wrist.

“Oops. A mistake occurred during the suppression process.”

That’s what I said, but it wasn’t a mistake.

“If you have any complaints, go to the military police later and file a complaint.”

A nobleman’s guard knight came forward.

“What a rude guy. In return for not getting out of the way, your neck-”

Ian didn’t listen and approached right away.

To others, it was just a brief moment where they could barely tell that he was moving forward and moving his body.

The guard knight’s head fell from his neck and muttered.

“-Breath… .”

“Next. If there are more people who want to be better, come out early.”

Everyone who saw Ian’s skills kept their mouths shut.

However, when they returned, the military police were waiting for them.

Ian felt uncomfortable recalling old memories.

Mercy became a spectacle to these guys.

These guys say that their lives are precious and try to survive by any means possible.

There is no guarantee that none of these people are involved in the Anti-Imperial Coalition.

For the sake of information, we need to keep it alive for now.

Anyway, if you are taken by the military police, you will be interrogated and then executed.

While Ian was scanning the crowd, someone ran wildly out from among the crowd.

-Kang!

Ian blocked leisurely and checked the area around the opponent’s wrist.

‘Liberal. Did you come to clear the way for the VIPs?’

“Oh… !”

An exclamation of relief flowed among the people.

That didn’t last long either.

Ian didn’t bother to fight.

He simply cut the opponent’s body diagonally with his sword.

“Heo Eok… !”

“Well, we cut together with our swords… .”

Afterwards, several liberals quickly rushed forward and attacked together, but they could not overcome Ian.

The henchmen, much weaker than Edgar, were just flying insects jumping into the fire.

Even as Ian cut down with one blow, he habitually repeated analysis and judgment.

‘The balance of the body is strange. ‘This is what a left-hander who learned the sword from a right-hander looks like.’

‘The center of gravity is shifted backwards. ‘You’re scared.’

‘This guy doesn’t even have basic grip strength. ‘I’m not at the level to hold a sword.’

Instead of retreating despite the attacks of several people, Ian moved forward one step at a time.

Thanks to this, the crowds trying to escape were increasingly flocking in.

The road behind Ian contained only the bodies of liberals.

“Slowly organizing… .”

“Iaaan-!”

Deep in the path Ian was looking at, someone harshly cried out his name.

The man emerged with an angry gait.

“Edgar. Have you finished running away?”

“You… ! It’s your fault! You are the military police… !”

“I can’t believe I’m finally noticing it. I knew that, but you’re pretty stupid.”

“Why on earth are you doing this to me? ! Because of you, since that day… !””

Ian laughed at Edgar’s appeal.

“Why are you saying this as if it’s unfair? If you have lived with someone else’s life, you should have calculated that your life could disappear at any time.”

“Shut up-!”

Edgar took a bottle out of his pocket and drank it.

‘Is it a stimulant?’

Edgar’s blood vessels stood out on the surface of his skin, his pupils narrowed and he glared fiercely at Ian.

He hit the ground and rushed forward, destroying the crowd.

‘The strength is about that of a B-class superhuman. Since they were administered stimulants, it would be impossible to cut them with a sword like the small ones.’

“Die!”

Edgar threw himself and swung his sword at Ian.

Ian sighed lightly as he watched him fly through the air.

‘That’s pathetic.’

Since they were administered stimulants, I thought it would be a long fight, but it ended without even dividing the sum.

I didn’t expect to fight for a long time.

This is also a habit developed while teaching warriors.

Rather than being happy when the other person makes an immature choice, we end up clucking.

Ian slowly bent his back as he watched Edgar fly.

The legs remained intact, and the upper body lay horizontally on the floor.

He performed those acrobatic movements with ease.

“What… .”

Edgar, who was flying in the air, passed by Ian’s stomach.

Their faces met for a moment.

That grumpy, slightly tired and irritated expression looked at Edgar indifferently.

-Chuck!

Ian’s sword moved towards Edgar, who was flying backwards.

“Kaaak!”

Edgar’s right arm, lying on the floor, was cut off.

“You can’t control your movements in the air. If you are running and throwing your body, especially because of inertia.”

Ian said indifferently and cut off Edgar’s remaining arm.

“You give off too much signs of immaturity.”

“Kwaaagh-!”

“Don’t worry. I might have some information to dig up from you, so I won’t kill you right away.”

A hot pain shoots up Edgar’s arms.

Even more than that, fear tightened my heart even more painfully.

It wasn’t just a fear of not wanting to die.

Overwhelming helplessness.

From the beginning, the fear that he had played into Ian’s hands filled his heart.

Also, Ian’s power was inexplicable.

A power that does not feel like an outburst of magic power at all.

It was not the body’s natural strength.

It’s just that you can’t feel it because it’s precisely processed.

A person who has been honed to produce the most efficient output with the minimum amount of mana.

‘From the beginning… . As for the possibility of winning… .’

It’s not just despairing, it’s even empty.

“Huh, ha, haha… .”

Edgar laughed as if he had lost his mind.

[master.]

Carty reported.

[The arrangement is complete. Key documents are retrieved from the basement of the base… .]

Edgar, the leader of the Liberal League, was captured.

Maps of major bases, including organizational charts, were discovered in the basement of the suppressed base.

As of today, the Liberal League collapses.

*

All of the surviving elves were insane.

There were very few people who were sane.

There was no place to put the survivors until their treatment was decided, so all the survivors were moved to Fiorene Castle.

It was the morning after the Liberal Alliance’s stronghold collapsed that Ian went out alone with Mercy.

“Mercy.”

“Yes, yes.”

The two walked through the quiet hallways of the castle.

“Liberal League, remember?”

“… Yes.”

“They will disappear soon.”

“Yes… ? What does that mean… ?”

Ian explained what happened yesterday in a way that made her feel less distressed as much as possible.

Just stay calm and focus on the fact that they will disappear.

Ian added without realizing it at the end of his sentence.

“I thought it wouldn’t work out, but by coincidence it happened like this.”

“… Have you always been concerned about that?”

Ian felt a special sense of responsibility towards Mercy.

At the time, Mercy, who had survived from the old Liberal League’s stronghold, had only Ian to rely on.

At first, I tried to get rid of Ian, but I couldn’t leave Mercy, who was out of her mind, in the end.

Mercy, who gradually started going around, talking, and living with Ian, actively tried to help him.

However, without any special powers or status, all she could do was simple chores.

Because of this, Mercy often suffered from feelings of self-destruction.

It’s similar to a feeling of inferiority, of feeling like you’re not special among Ian’s group.

Although she always pretended not to do so, Ian could not have been unaware of her feelings.

So, I took more responsibility and tried to take care of her so that she could get along better.

Even if she wanted it, Mercy did it because of the favor she gave her.

He wanted to get revenge on the Liberal Alliance and resolve Mercy’s trauma, but Ian had a lot of work to do.

I had no choice but to neglect the chase by saying I had no choice, and that bothered me sometimes.

“Well, sometimes.”

Then, by chance, we arrived at today.

“… okay. I see. You are so… . No, thank you. Really.”

Mercy’s hand, which was walking along with Ian, unconsciously reached towards Ian’s hand and then stopped.

Ian, who was walking ahead, continued without knowing that.

“So, I’m worried about how to take care of the people who survived there… . I thought you might find it helpful.”

“… Did I say that? Well, I’ll do anything to help, but I’m not sure what help I can be?”

“That… There are elves.”

“… Elf?”

The two arrived in front of a large door.

Ian asked one last question before opening the door.

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

Even if the Liberal League disappears, Mercy’s trauma does not disappear.

So this was a kind of therapy.

Mercy hoped to help an elf in a similar situation as herself and heal her past a little.

But if Mercy didn’t want it, she wouldn’t do it.

“Well, I, that’s… .”

Mercy’s expression rarely hardened.

“Hmm… . Was it a bit too much? If you don’t like it, just go back.”

“No, it’s not that I don’t like it… .”

At that time, Ian approached me from the hallway behind him.

Some of the elves who survived were of relatively sound mind.

They seemed to recognize Ian and greeted him, then glanced at Mercy.

‘Do you know each other?’

Around the time Ian thought that.

Surprise spread across the elves’ faces.

“… Princess?”

“Princess… ?”

“Princess!”

“It’s Princess Mercy!”

“Princess Mercy!”

“It’s a princess!”

Ian looked back at Mercy with a dumbfounded look on his face.

Mercy closed her mouth tightly, awkwardly avoided eye contact, and broke into a cold sweat.

Ian repeated what he had just heard in disbelief.

“… A princess?”