episode_0042

What is it? la.

I don’t know the details, but the man probably felt something from me too.

It’s not a good trend.

How can you be suspicious of a man when your intuition keeps warning you about him?

However.

“… I don’t know who he is, but he’s just a person who came to buy ice cream.”

I pretended to be Taeyeon and answered back.

‘There’s no certainty over there either.’

It seems like he smelled something, but the author may not be sure.

I guess he’s just relying on his vague intuition to think about me.

then.

‘Pull it out all the way.’

Just don’t give them an excuse.

“… hmm? okay? This was rude.”

After hearing what I said, the man tilted his head and retreated easier than expected.

It seemed as if he had lost himself in my nonchalant attitude.

but.

It just seemed that way, but it wasn’t reality.

thud.

Death pierced my lungs.

It’s not just a simple killing, but a sharp and precise killing that feels like a real knife has stabbed me.

‘… It was dangerous.’

Cold sweat ran down my back.

The life was so dense and sharp that my body almost moved reflexively.

‘This gentleman… .’

Doing things differently from what they seem is very shady.

I never thought they would throw such a secret and clever bait.

Living just a moment ago was itself a bait.

It is true that it was a very sharp and threatening life, but not everyone could feel it.

Regardless of its sharpness, it was very secretive and quiet.

Yes, to the point where you wouldn’t even notice it unless you were a warrior who had reached the ultimate level.

This man was testing me by pretending to be something else.

‘… Let’s calm down.’

It was dangerous, but I didn’t react and just passed it off.

If so, it also means that you can dilute the other person’s suspicions.

“By the way, don’t you buy ice cream? If they buy it, I will buy it too.”

“Uh, uh… ? that… Yeah, I should buy it.”

The man looked a little embarrassed at my words and turned to the clerk.

He seemed a bit perplexed by the results being different from what he expected.

However, it did not seem like the suspicion had been completely dispelled.

Because he cared about me while buying ice cream and even after buying ice cream.

Although it is impossible to completely read his inner thoughts.

‘That can’t be possible…’ .’

… I think we might be thinking the same thing.

But no matter how the man felt, I just wanted to get away from him as quickly as possible.

So, after purchasing my share of ice cream, I immediately left the store.

At the same time, I hoped that the man would give up just enough.

“Wait!”

It seemed like it was all in vain.

“We met like this because it was fate, so why don’t we talk about it? I don’t know much about this, so it would be nice if you could explain it a bit. Instead, if there’s anything you want to eat, I’ll buy it all.”

“I’m a bit busy.”

“Ehehe. Don’t do that. I think it’s kind of generous. … Oh, I feel it! If there’s anything you want other than food, tell me! I’ll buy it all for you!”

“… … .”

It seemed like he had no intention of gently backing down from the man.

‘Shall I ostracize you?’

If you use the crowd, you might be able to escape the man’s pursuit.

That possibility crossed my mind, but then I shook my head.

Even if you succeed in ostracizing them, it will immediately arouse suspicion.

When I think about his life just a moment ago, that man is not an ordinary person.

At least it is certain that he possesses unusual abilities.

If I ignore someone like that, the guy will become more confident in my abilities.

‘What should I do…? .’

I was in the midst of thinking about how to deal with it.

“Wade!”

A familiar voice was heard.

The owner of that voice was none other than Rachel.

“You are here.”

With a look of relief on her face, Ira walked diligently until she reached where I was.

“I was surprised when it suddenly disappeared.”

“Ah… sorry. Originally, I was planning on just buying this and heading back soon.”

While saying that, I lifted the ice cream I was holding in my hand.

Originally, he had planned to return to his group sooner.

Rachel wouldn’t have gone around looking for me like this.

If it weren’t for that strange man.

Whatever the cause, I felt sorry for Rachel.

Because it suddenly disappeared and made me look for it like this.

But regardless of that, I judged this situation to be an opportunity.

“As you can see, the group is waiting. I have to go now.”

“Umm… … .”

The man made an embarrassed expression.

Did they decide that it would be difficult to be unreasonable in this situation?

An optimistic thought suddenly arose.

“… Then, I’ll buy your group’s share, so can you follow along?”

… But the man was more persistent than expected.

I said, shaking my head inwardly.

“That might be a bit difficult. I thought the group might feel uncomfortable.”

“Don’t do that… … .”

… He is a man who truly does not know how to give up.

I had no choice but to take a drastic measure.

I stretched out my hand and grabbed Rachel’s hand who was standing next to me.

“Hey… ?!”

Rachel made a strange sound, but she couldn’t afford to pay attention to it right now.

I just pulled Rachel’s hand.

“Oh… Eh… ?!”

I gently wrapped one arm around Rachel’s shoulders as she was dragged towards me in apparent confusion.

“… … ?!”

I felt Rachel flinch in my arms.

Apologizing to him inwardly, I looked straight at the man.

“… This is what it feels like. To be honest, it’s a bit disturbing.”

If you keep trying to intervene, it creates an atmosphere in which it is more difficult to intervene.

No matter how shameless a person is, if he or she has even the slightest conscience, it would be difficult to get involved with people who display this kind of attitude.

He was aiming for that and deliberately dragged Rachel into it.

Of course, Rachel would have been surprised because it was something that was done suddenly without any prior explanation.

But there was nothing we could do to resolve the situation.

Thinking that I should take the time to properly apologize to Rachel later, I stared into the man’s eyes.

“… Umm. If that’s the case… I can’t help it.”

Fortunately, the man seemed to have a slight conscience as well, and although he gave an uncertain expression, he finally retreated.

“Okay then.”

I internally rejoiced at that fact and continued walking with my arms around Rachel’s shoulders.

And in the meantime, I continued to check for the man’s presence, but fortunately, the man only gave me a lingering look and did not chase me.

I continued to walk while looking into his eyes.

Until you can no longer feel the gaze completely.

No, even after the gaze disappeared, I was cautious and walked like that for a while.

Only then did I loosen my arm from around Rachel’s shoulder.

“Sorry, Rachel. I ended up being rude.”

Whatever the reason, it was my fault, so I offered a sincere apology to Rachel.

“I’m really sorry.”

Saying that, I bowed my head to her.

… However, no matter how long I waited, there was no response from Rachel.

‘… ‘Are you more angry than you thought?’

He touched the body of a woman, a beautifully grown noble daughter, without permission.

It is definitely a rude act.

Even if Rachel gets very angry, it can’t be helped.

However, even though it is quiet, it is still too quiet.

Considering Rachel’s personality, I would have said anything.

Finally, unable to overcome my doubts, I slowly raised my head and checked Rachel’s complexion.

however.

“… … .”

Rachel wasn’t actually looking at me.

Her eyes were wandering in empty space.

It didn’t end there, his face was completely red.

“Les, Rachel… ?”

Embarrassed by that sight, I quietly called her name.

However, Rachel still didn’t respond.

“Rachel… ? Are you okay… ?”

Even if I call his name again, there is no response.

Eventually, I couldn’t wait, so I tapped her shoulder lightly, and then grabbed both of her shoulders and shook her body slightly, but there was still no response.

Could it be that my physical condition has worsened?

It was a time when I was worried and wondering if I should move Rachel to the villa.

“Wade!”

A familiar voice was heard again.

“You’ve been looking for it for a while!”

A familiar, lively voice.

It was Mary.

“Way, Mr. Wade… You’re safe… … .”

“What are you doing here?”

It wasn’t just Mary.

There was Ira, Estelle, Alexis, and Cedric.

It seems like the whole group was looking for me.

It must have become even more urgent because Rachel disappeared along the way.

“So far, where and what… hmm? Why is Rachel in such a state?”

Estelle seemed to have noticed that Rachel’s condition was not normal.

“Uh… hmm… .”

I was thinking about how to explain what had happened so far, and explained the situation in my own way, excluding unnecessary parts.

Then the companions.

“… As expected, he became entangled with a suspicious man, and in order to shake off the persistent man, he pretended to be a lover with Rachel… D.”

“Until between lovers… … .”

“Noisy. Isn’t it roughly similar?”

Estelle’s gaze towards me was extremely cold.

… It’s true that I did something wrong, but is it really something to be so angry about?

I would understand if Rachel was upset like that… .

“What are you…? Are you now trying to seduce a man in such a short period of time? I’m starting to become afraid of your abilities.”

Saying that, Estelle shook her head as if she was fed up.

No, who on earth lured the man… .

Not only did I not feel that way at all, I don’t even remember trying to lure anyone.

I wanted to vent my unfairness, but since it was true that I had made a mistake and the group seemed to agree with Estelle’s remarks, I decided to just keep quiet here.

“… First, I think we need to check on Rachel’s condition… .”

I said, barely able to swallow my resentment.

Actually, whether I get scolded or not is more important to Rachel than that.

If you see that your condition has suddenly become abnormal, there is a possibility that your physical condition is worse than you think.

“Nothing like that. If you just leave it alone, it will get better on its own.”

However, Estelle briefly dismissed my concerns.

“Yes? but… … .”

“In the first place, it wasn’t that I was feeling unwell. I’m just temporarily lost. If you ask me, it’s your fault.”

Saying that, Estelle clicked her tongue.

“… … .”

I had some doubts, but since Estelle spoke so firmly, I decided to believe it and wait.

Estelle is not the type of person to confidently spew out baseless remarks.

For that reason, we settled down and waited for Rachel’s condition to improve.

And, just like Estelle said, Rachel came to her senses not long after.

I took a quick look just in case, and it didn’t seem like there was any pain.

I apologized again to Rachel, and she accepted my apology.

Finally regaining peace, the group began exploring again.

Although there were some setbacks due to me and the mysterious man, the subsequent visit proceeded without any major issues.

However, during this time, Rachel seemed to be avoiding me for some reason.

***

“Hmm. It wasn’t as bad as I thought.”

This was Estelle’s impression after wandering around for half a day.

It seemed that the shops and attractions here satisfied her in their own way.

“Ugh, the food… It was delicious… … .”

“There are more rare things than most cities.”

“It wasn’t boring.”

And that seemed to be the same for the rest of the group.

I felt a little proud of that fact.

Something unexpected happened, but if people enjoyed it this much, it would have been a good thing if it ended well.

After gathering my thoughts, I was on my way back to the villa.

“Huh?”

I ended up facing someone I never wanted to face again.

“You… … .”

The person who opened his eyes wide and pointed his finger at me was, as expected, the man I met at the ice cream shop.

‘Ugh… .’

I sighed inwardly and thought about how to resolve this situation, but before I could come to a conclusion, someone in the group reacted.

“Why… … .”

None other than Cedric.

“Why… Are you here?”

What was surprising was the reaction.

Cedric, who always had a blank expression and a subdued reaction no matter what happened, was now looking clearly embarrassed with his eyes wide open.

“Hmm? you… Ah.”

The man looked at Cedric with puzzled eyes, then nodded as if he remembered something.

“You’ve grown so much that I didn’t recognize you at first. Are those innocent eyes still the same?”

It’s not cheap.

Although it’s true, I’ve never seen anyone say that to Cedric to his face.

The moment you say those words, Cedric is the kind of guy who will pull out his sword without hesitation.

“… Long time no see.”

However, considering his usual behavior, the guy who would have immediately rolled his eyes and pulled out his sword twitched his eyebrows once, but calmly ignored it. No, on the contrary, he even bowed his head politely.

We couldn’t help but give him a puzzled look.

Looking at the reaction, it seemed clear that Cedric and the man knew each other.

But even so, I can’t believe Cedric would take this attitude.

Who on earth is this person that makes them look like that?

As if he had read those eyes, Cedric opened his mouth again with shaking eyes.

“… It’s ‘Dugwi’.”

““… … !””

The group was in an uproar.

I had no choice but to react that way.

‘Tugwi’ is so famous that there are fewer people on this continent who don’t know him.

“Ah… I never thought I would meet someone I know in a place like this.”

The man scratched his head as if he had not expected it or was annoyed.

“… Well, it doesn’t really matter.”

But soon he lowered his hand and began to walk forward with a calm expression.

“I’ve been thinking about it slowly since then.”

Then, he continued speaking.

“At first, I thought it was a mistake? But no matter how much I think about it, this intuition has never been wrong.”

The man smiled.

And, the next moment, my body was moving.

“Wade… ?”

I hear Mary’s voice filled with doubt.

Because I stood between the group and the man.

I didn’t think before moving.

It was a reflexive move.

It was heading towards the companions, and it looked like it was going to bite off their necks at any moment, so my body moved before I could even think.

The man looked at me with satisfaction and smiled fiercely.

“Look, I’ve never been wrong.”

A member of the ‘Ten Swords’ who discusses the continent’s strongest warrior.

Ethan Bertrand, ‘The Ghost of the Demon’.