Ch.105Chapter 105. You Shouldn’t Be Doing That.

The cooking area of the excavation site was a place where meals were prepared for workers and soldiers.

Naturally, outsiders were prohibited from entering due to concerns about food safety, but today, exceptionally, the person in charge had permitted a bard to enter.

She had been wandering around this excavation site for the past month, boosting the morale of the members, and the kitchen staff had also been encouraged by her presence.

“Thank you for accommodating my unreasonable request.”

“No, not at all. I hope this becomes a wonderful gift for your special someone.”

Around lunchtime, Merilyn exchanged greetings with the staff member who had helped her and left the place.

The envelope she was holding against her chest was filled with bread she had made herself that morning.

The taste and texture had been certified as good by those who specialized in cooking.

All that remained was to deliver this bread to the person she had feelings for.

“Hehe, I should deliver this quickly before it gets cold~”

Of course, it would be a lie to say she wasn’t anxious.

For demons who only follow their desires, appetite is merely about filling the stomach unless they’ve specifically cultivated that particular desire.

She had tried to understand the culture of “fine dining” for the sake of blending in, but that was just enough to fit in awkwardly rather than genuinely enjoying it.

‘Is this really good enough?’

She had made a snack for the first time.

She had heard somewhere that humans sometimes exchange snacks like chocolates or candies to express their feelings for each other.

So she thought it wouldn’t be bad to try something like this to express her feelings for him.

‘Should I make something more proper even now…?’

When the decisive moment finally arrived, anxiety made her hesitate in her steps toward him.

Whether it was appropriate to mark the beginning with such a crude item. Whether it would be better to give something nicer, even if it took a little more time.

‘…No, this should be fine for now.’

But such conflict was only momentary.

Merilyn soon cast aside her worries and decided to resume her steps, staying true to her surging emotions.

Dragging things out in hopes of perfection would only reduce the opportunities to be with him.

As long as he didn’t push her away, she could use those opportunities to gradually close the distance between them.

‘Yes, it’s okay to be clumsy at first.’

What’s more important than the beginning is being together at the end.

With that belief, the demon who decided to cast aside her impatience felt her heartbeat as she held the envelope full of bread against her chest.

‘If I move forward little by little, I’ll surely be able to stand by his side in the end.’

Quietly yet clearly.

Just feeling that was enough for her to face her emotions, and she buried her reddened face in the envelope as she quickened her pace.

Hoping that this gift would help strengthen her relationship with him.

****

…Yes.

She had certainly come here with such feelings, but…

-SLASH!

When she arrived at the place he had chosen for his training, what greeted Merilyn was a fierce struggle she never expected to see from him.

No, even before that, the walls and floor of the space where he was located were all cracked and overturned, as if some incident had occurred.

-SLASH! SLASH!!

As if unable to suppress his emotions despite such violent actions, he repeatedly struck down his spear at a corpse on the ground.

The ominous magical power emanating from that corpse indicated that it was a dead person who had refused death and risen.

“I’m sorry.”

And a faint voice could be heard in between.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry…”

His body, repeating the same words as if in a trance, had long been soaked with rotten blood.

Nevertheless, he was lifting the spear embedded in the corpse again, paying no heed to his own body.

“Hyoseong. Why on earth…”

She didn’t know what was happening.

But it was clearly a serious situation.

“Because I’m weak!!”

Just as she reflexively tried to approach him, a shout erupted.

Finally, he threw away his spear and his knees collapsed miserably in front of the mangled corpse.

“If I had been stronger… you wouldn’t have had to push yourself so hard. I’m sorry, I’m sorry…”

-Rustle.

The envelope fell to the ground, and its contents spilled out, getting dirty on the soil.

The food she had hoped he would genuinely be happy to receive.

Even though the thing she had been holding close to her chest, worried it might get cold, had fallen, Merilyn couldn’t even think of picking it up.

She just looked at him in front of her, trying to feel the stirring in her heart.

‘Why on earth…’

Ironically, she didn’t know what had happened here.

She had followed him here simply because she wanted to spend more time with him.

Even if they were a bit apart, she thought it would be enough to have meals together, and she hadn’t deeply involved herself in his circumstances.

‘What is this…’

But faced with this reality, Merilyn felt an unfamiliar emotion stirring in her chest, one she had never experienced before.

‘Why am I feeling this emotion?’

Isn’t it strange?

When someone is suffering, it’s usually a good opportunity to close the distance by exploiting that vulnerability.

If one were an inherently selfish demon, they would think of ways to seduce the other person regardless of their circumstances.

So why, at this moment, was she afraid to approach him?

‘I don’t know what to do.’

She had steadily built up her understanding of humans since coming to this world, and intellectually she understood that approaching and comforting someone in this situation was the standard practice.

But her heart didn’t feel the same.

If she were to comfort him in this situation, having never sincerely cared for someone before, it would surely be an act of pretense.

If pretense mixed with her genuine feelings for him, it might no longer be called love.

‘Hyoseong is suffering, and I don’t know what to do.’

While caught in such conflict and unable to leave him alone, she just stood there watching.

“…Hyoseong.”

Soon, someone approached from behind, passing by her side and moving toward him.

Irie Haven. Her love rival and the woman who became his first.

“Hyoseong, please look this way.”

Yes, she would have anticipated that he would break down like this.

So she could at least encourage him on behalf of herself, who didn’t know how to comfort others.

She would empathize with his pain and give him the strength to stand up again, in place of herself who had lived a life not knowing how to comfort others.

“…Irie.”

“Please pull yourself together. From now on, I will lead the training in place of the elder.”

But what actually came out of her mouth was nothing but a cold urging of duty.

Realizing that there was no consideration as she had expected, Merilyn began to glare at her with hardened eyes.

“We’ll start training soon, so please get up.”

She had noticed something was off since entering this garrison area.

Unlike herself, who actively spent time with him whenever possible, Irie would disappear with the excuse of having something to do.

Of course, she hadn’t paid much attention to it, thinking it was fine as long as she wasn’t interfering with him, but if such an attitude extended to her love, that was a different story.

“Ah, yes. It’s not over yet, is it? Irie must have talked with the elder. Yes.”

Yes, he didn’t refuse her words.

Despite having committed the act of desecrating his master’s death, he was preparing to accept what awaited him afterward.

“What should I do?”

But his complexion was still dark, and his raised hand was trembling as if his strength had hit rock bottom.

His steps were so shaky that he might not be able to take even a few steps, and if this continued, he might break down beyond recovery.

“That is…”

“Wait.”

Unable to watch any longer, Merilyn finally opened her stiffened lips and intruded between the two.

She stepped on the bread but didn’t care.

There was something more important than that right now.

“What are you two talking about?”

“…Merilyn.”

“Irie, can’t you see Hyoseong is suffering right now?”

It was something she never thought would come out of her mouth.

Someone else’s suffering? That’s not something a selfish demon would say.

“What do you mean by training? There’s something that needs to be done before that.”

But even if this was an alien emotion, Merilyn didn’t try to suppress her feelings.

Love itself is an alien emotion for demons.

Perhaps such an alien emotion had also awakened what humans call “empathy” in her.

Even if it’s a wrong emotion for demons, if it proves her love, she should embrace it proudly.

“Hyoseong is suffering…”

It’s just that this is the first time she’s felt this way, so she doesn’t know how to approach such a situation.

But she thought that a human who had formed a bond with him before her would surely be able to understand his pain and offer sincere comfort.

“…So what?”

But what came back to such expectations was a response like a dagger delivered in an infinitely cold voice.

“What do you mean, ‘so what’…”

“This was all part of the plan from the beginning.”

Yes, she had already foreseen this future.

Jean Cleo knew he would die today and calmly headed to the training ground, choosing to use even his corpse as a tool to fulfill the “final condition” for becoming a Hero, despite his frail body.

“And from now on, he will have to endure even greater hardships. Because what Hyoseong is striving for cannot be obtained without enduring such things.”

Nevertheless, she respected him and steeled her resolve.

To inherit that will, Irie was trying to straighten up her partner who was about to collapse here.

“Hyoseong must become a Hero. For his own sake, and for the sake of everyone who has helped him.”

If he needs to kill his emotions for that, then he must.

Even if it hurts her partner, he won’t be able to withstand the future that awaits if he doesn’t overcome such wounds.

“…Don’t say such nonsense.”

Despite understanding this intellectually, Merilyn ultimately failed to show respect for the person in front of her.

“Merilyn.”

“Is being a Hero that important? Is a world that an individual might be able to save more important than the pain the person you love is feeling right now?”

Hadn’t she given up on becoming his first out of concern that she might drive him to ruin if she lost control?

But now, the rival she had believed would take her place was trying to hurt him.

“Even if it’s that important, you could at least offer some comfort. You know that better than I do.”

Such a sense of betrayal, intertwined with empathy for him, began to tear at her heart like successive stakes driven into a wound.

Even as she felt her eyes reddening with such pain.

She couldn’t suppress her emotions and wanted to pour out her resentment toward her.

“Everyone else might, but you…”

“You of all people shouldn’t be doing this! Am I wrong!?”

A cry of anguish uttered for the first time in her life.

Irie’s face crumbled upon encountering it, then she turned her gaze away and began to tremble her fist.

That in itself showed that she too was enforcing something she didn’t want.

“Merilyn.”

Yet, as if understanding that there was a reason she had to act this way, he approached the one who was worried about him without expressing resentment.

“It’s okay. I’m fine.”

“Hyoseong. But…”

“I was just a bit confused, that’s all. If the elder was prepared, then I should respect that choice too.”

A voice hoarse from crying and swollen cheeks.

Nevertheless, as if trying not to worry her, a forced smile was drawn on his face.

‘Hyoseong, that’s not true.’

A false smile to hide his true feelings.

Merilyn was someone who had experienced drawing such smiles countless times.

‘Pain doesn’t become okay with familiarity; it only breaks you more if you try to endure it.’

Perhaps she felt empathy because she understood such pain, but Merilyn couldn’t utter any more words to him.

Even if it’s painful, it’s because she loves him.

She, who loves him, shouldn’t interfere with the path he wants to take.

“…Irie. Please tell me what I need to do.”

Irie, who had turned her gaze away from Merilyn who was just staring helplessly, released her bitten lip and looked at the spear on the ground.

“Pick up the spear.”

The cause of this conflict and all the training they had gone through so far, and the weapon that would be the strength to face the future.

Irie, standing in front of him who silently gripped it, soon began to gather power in the crystal ball in her hand.

“From now on, through the power I possess, I will project the memories of the soul contained in this spear onto Hyoseong.”

“Project?”

“To experience the life of Tachia Pailoi… the woman once called a Hero, and to make her power completely Hyoseong’s.”

Yes, all the training until now was merely a “preparation” for that.

It was to increase the possibility of successfully projecting memories by forming a foundation similar to hers.

“…So Hyoseong, steel your heart from now on.”

And what would happen next was something even she, a prophet, couldn’t guarantee the result of.

Nevertheless, Irie, who felt it had to be done, emphasized the warning to him again in a heavy voice.

“Experiencing someone else’s life can lead to the extinction of one’s personality if one is not careful.”

That the individual known as Hyoseong Woo might be erased from this world forever.

Emphasizing that a danger equivalent to death would soon befall him.