episode_0260

The vehicle movement that had lasted several days was slowly coming to an end.

Today is the last night the detachment will spend within the borders. From tomorrow onwards, we will be separated from the main force and will have to cross the border on foot.

The final destination we had to go to was beyond that.

“I saw a cat earlier.”

“What kind of cat is this in this wasteland? You must have mistaken it for another animal.”

On my way back to the barracks, I heard some first-year classmates chatting away. I didn’t really know them.

“You heard a meowing sound? It was definitely outside the barracks… ”

“Be careful. Didn’t you hear what your seniors said? They said that this is a method that the demons often use to lure out victims. If you wake up tomorrow morning and find only bones left… ”

“Hey! I know that much! I really heard it… ”

As we walked, the sound gradually grew distant. We had already engaged in several sporadic battles with the infiltrating Demon Tribe special forces.

Since it was a routine exploration battle, there wasn’t much damage. Rather, it was more like low-intensity combat training to help those who were not used to it adapt before entering the full-scale battlefield.

“Hoo… ”

In the barracks assigned to me for personal use, an orange light flickered bleakly. My nose felt strangely ticklish, as if some kind of hair was floating around.

Now that I think about it, I think I said something about a cat earlier. Are there any wild animals wandering around the barracks?

“I hope you are doing well… ”

And I naturally thought of Su-ah. I had come to ask the principal to take special care of that child. Of course, I was talking about Su-ah in her cat form, not her original identity.

Well, as long as Su-ah doesn’t reveal her identity on her own, it’ll be fine. She seems to have seen through the principal’s strength, so she won’t do anything rash. For example, she might try to run away secretly.

I feel a little relieved. No matter what, I couldn’t have dragged that child into a place like this.

I sat down at the makeshift desk for a moment to collect my thoughts. I couldn’t help but laugh in vain as I recalled the words of the black cat from last time.

-In short… what I’m saying is that it might become a public good.

Thinking about it again, it’s ridiculous. If I had no intention of doing it in the first place, who would force me to do it?

Besides, right now I’m in a position where it’s hard to choose just one.

“It’s not even an object, it’s a public good for people… Anyway, it’s nonsense… Knock knock, knock!”

At that moment, I coughed violently. It didn’t stop easily, so I covered my mouth with my hand and barely managed to muffle the sound.

And then I looked down at my palm, feeling the sticky, bloody smell.

A thick, dark red liquid was flowing through the gaps between my fingers. I thought I saw something that looked like a lump. A piece of lung… something like that?

“… Tsk.”

I lightly clicked my tongue and wiped it away. The cheap light bulb flickered rapidly and repeatedly, as if it was trying to make a funny impression by mocking my future.

As I continued to march, my body was rapidly collapsing from the inside. I could clearly feel that the end was approaching. For the past three days, my body has been spitting up blood like this.

Well, I’m a bit indifferent now. I just don’t want to show this to others. I’ve known all along that I have a limited lifespan.

I tidied up my surroundings casually and pulled out a stack of stationery on my desk. There were already dozens of letters piled up that I had not sent to my sisters, but I still did not stop my compulsive letter writing.

In the hope that I can get them back, and also to calm this anxious and boiling heart.

“What should I write today that my sisters will like… Huh?”

And just as I was about to put my pen to the first line of the letter, a fierce wind suddenly blew through the entrance to the barracks, which was left open for ventilation.

A strong wind swept through the barracks, scattering the stacks of stationery on the desks onto the floor.

I frowned and bent down to gather up the scattered letters.

And then, without any warning, a chill ran down my spine.

I immediately grabbed the blade that was lying next to me and turned around. My well-trained senses were constantly sending me warning signals.

And at the entrance to the barracks stood a woman. There was no sign of her ever having come or gone, as if she had sprung up from the ground.

The outfit felt a bit old-fashioned, with gloves on both hands. Although she had great beauty that made people exclaim in awe, the arrogance that was so obvious only made her feel unpleasant.

The woman who had been standing with her hands clasped together elegantly opened her mouth with a faint smile.

“Hello?”

I gritted my teeth and glared at the woman. The hostility that enveloped her entire body told me who she was.

“… Regulus.”

“Oh my. This is your first time seeing this, but you recognize me right away?”

The woman smiled faintly. The one standing before me is the root of all evil. She took Yena’s body and committed all sorts of evil deeds in the cradle, used the leader’s arm as bait to provoke me, and led the witches to plot our destruction.

In short, she’s a bitch that you wouldn’t feel satisfied with even if you tore her alive and killed her.

“I’m glad. Does that mean we’ve become closer?”

“Shut up.”

I shot straight at her coldly. The blade was already pointed straight at the center of the woman’s forehead.

“Um, don’t do that.”

And the woman shook her head gracefully, as if she had guessed what I was thinking.

“I just came today to say hello.”

I looked around urgently. Except for the fact that there was no shadow under the woman’s feet, the surroundings were just quiet. Fortunately, there was no sign of destruction or chaos.

“You should save your energy. Right? It would be a problem if the main character leaves before the banquet even starts.”

The woman looked around with curious eyes and continued speaking.

“But… why do you think there are a lot of uninvited guests?”

“I never promised how many guests I would bring. You wouldn’t be nitpicking over something as petty as that, would you?”

“Haha, no way.”

The woman shook her head calmly.

“It’s going to be such a grand banquet. The more guests the better.”

It’s a confidence that feels somehow ominous. It must be because I don’t know the source. Even if I ask, I won’t get an answer.

“Anyway, hurry up. There isn’t much time.”

And the woman looked at me with a deeper smile.

“Your precious captain and sisters are eagerly awaiting your help.”

“This fucking dog… ”

I clenched my teeth. The witch was clearly provoking me.

There could be many reasons. They might be trying to stimulate my emotions and make me lose my sense of reason in order to gain an advantage in battle, or they might be rushing me.

“I had a good meeting today. He cried out in pain and crawled at my feet, begging me to kill him instead. It’s a shame I couldn’t let him hear those words.”

What’s even more terrifying is that even though he knew of her intentions, he had no choice but to let her control his emotions.

My brain was boiling with rage. I bit my tongue hard. I could barely come to my senses due to the stinging pain and the taste of blood. It felt much better.

“My patience has its limits. If I don’t hurry, I might kill them before then… ”

“Don’t talk nonsense. You can never kill them.”

I answered abruptly. For the first time, a crack appeared on my elegant face, as if I was really offended.

The woman, who had been silent for a moment, forced a smile and continued speaking.

“Haha, absolutely. How can you guarantee that… ”

“They’re the only thing that’s going to draw you in. You stupid bitch. Do you really need me to explain that to you?”

The cracks were getting bigger and bigger. I hated the way it pretended to be elegant, but it was quite refreshing. Somehow, I wanted to take off that mask.

Just like when I first started out in the cradle.

“Hey, listen carefully. If there’s something wrong with the captain and the ladies? Then I’ll run away from there with all my might. And once I get to a place you can’t reach, I’ll stab myself in the neck and kill myself. ”

“You… !”

My true nature is slowly coming out. It’s a bit of a mood changer.

“And I will burn the corpse and turn it into ashes. Then I will ask the wind to scatter it. Then Polaris’ power will disappear without a trace. You will never be able to obtain it.”

“… ”

Before I knew it, the woman was staring at me with a hardened expression. Her gaze was so intimidating that it gave me goosebumps. Her kind smile was already nowhere to be found.

The witch opened her mouth with a gnashing sound.

“This lowly creature doesn’t even know the subject… ”

“At the end of every word, lower creatures, lower creatures… ”

I interrupted again, and added a mocking remark, with a smile on my face.

“You are a bunch of earthworms who can’t even defeat those lowly creatures without power. Isn’t that why you’re trying so hard to take back power from me? Without my blockade, that great undertaking or whatever would be a waste of time.”

Well, as I said, I am a little unscrupulous. If you think about it, I would be nothing without that power.

“That’s why you’re urging me by bringing up the captain and your sisters. Because I might die before I get my power back. Otherwise, just say no.”

Well, whatever. What’s important is that my provocation is working pretty well for that girl.

Looking at it this way, it seems like there are quite a few similarities between us.

“If you understand what I say, keep it safe. I’ll come looking for you soon.”

I tightened my grip on the blade. I didn’t want to talk to it anymore. It could reveal useless information, and more than anything, it was just a waste of energy.

“You got it? You bitch.”

“Dare… ”

I swung my blade without listening. The witch’s head was split exactly in half. Even the sensation of it dispersing was hazy, like cutting through fog.

And then I woke up from the dream.

“Oh my… !”

I sat up abruptly and looked around frantically. The cheap light bulbs were intermittently flickering as if they were going to go out. The barracks were quiet, without a single breath of wind.

I walked up to the door and looked around. There was no sign of life, except for the feather of an unidentified bird lying on the floor.

I stepped on it in a surge of irritation. With a crunching sound, the feather lost its shape.

“Sigh… ”

I washed my face dry. My mind didn’t calm down easily. My heart was pounding with anxiety. It felt like all the emotions I had been holding back while talking to that girl were bursting out all at once.

There was one good point and one bad point.

The good thing is that I feel like I’m headed in the right direction. Speaker… According to Jena, Regulus has no physical body. He sacrificed himself to build a nest, and its direct influence is limited to the immediate vicinity.

If you can interfere with me directly through my dreams, I think it’s safe to say that you’ve already entered into its direct or indirect sphere of influence.

The bad thing is that our movements and positions may have already been exposed. Well, that’s assuming that what he’s saying is true and not a bluff.

Anyway, her attempt to upset my composure worked quite well. I had to suppress the urge to storm out of the barracks right away.

There’s no need to get involved in unnecessary psychological warfare. Just stay calm and do it without making any mistakes. Just like the original plan.

That’s the most likely way to save the captain and his sisters. We’re already moving toward that.

As I was about to go back to my seat with that determination, an unusual noise from outside suddenly caught my attention.

I instinctively raised my blade and looked outside. I thought it was a night raid, but then I tilted my head because I felt a sense of awkwardness.

And in the darkness a little further away, an unimaginable sight unfolded.

Three shadows appear. Two female students, one with white hair and the other with black hair, are glaring at each other. The blonde student in between is hesitantly looking back and forth between the two.

What is this again?