Ch.118118. Findeneye

Thud!

“Cough!”

A sticky lump of blood spat out.

Lexi, who seemed to have put on makeup before coming, now had blood all over her mouth, and her skin was turning pale as she was gradually dying.

“You… monster…”

With those final words, the traitor Lexi closed her eyes. Despite wearing the Salvation Corps’ deceptively protective gear, she couldn’t inflict even a slight wound on Findenai.

“Ha, damn tough.”

But the same was true for Findenai. Despite striking several times with her axe, she couldn’t penetrate the Salvation Corps members’ protective gear.

In the end, she had no choice but to kill them by channeling mana into her axe to cause internal injuries through impact.

It was more like hitting than chopping with the axe.

The protective gear automatically released when the wearer died.

The protective gear called “Defense” used by Salvation Corps members was considered cursed armor even among the Resistance, as it was designed so that it couldn’t be removed unless the user died.

That overwhelming defensive capability was precisely why they had no choice but to avoid the Republic of Clark’s Salvation Corps members.

Because no matter how much you hit them, it takes forever to kill them.

“Wearing this crap makes their movements awkward.”

Lexi’s movements were much more awkward than before, perhaps because she hadn’t been wearing the Defense gear for long. Thanks to that, Findenai was able to deal with her quickly, but real Salvation Corps members were different.

“Just keep pushing forward and that’s it!”

“Give up, you vermin!”

The Salvation Corps members had already stormed in, turning the bar into a battlefield.

One wall of the bar had completely blown away from an explosion, letting the wind blow through, and the Corps members were pouring in through the entrance they’d left open.

They had managed to hold out so far thanks to Doberman leading the resistance, but the casualties were mounting.

Eventually, with time, they would all be slaughtered.

A decision was needed to survive.

“Doberman, you idiot! I’m going to break through, so help me!”

Doberman glanced at Findenai, who was running with Lexi’s Defense gear in hand, and nodded indifferently.

Whether his unchanging expression in such a crisis situation was due to calmness or simply because that was his only expression, it certainly instilled a sense of stability in those around him.

Findenai, gripping her axe, took a deep breath and charged forward.

In the battlefield where bullets were flying from all directions, she used the Defense gear in her hand as a shield to deflect the bullets.

“It’s the Scrap Dealer!”

“White hair, red eyes! Class 1 fugitive Findenai!”

Findenai glared at the Salvation Corps members who recognized her and pushed forward.

She swung her axe to clear a path.

With each swing, the axe blade became more damaged, and a tingling shock ran through her hands. The Salvation Corps members only fell down without sustaining serious injuries.

Nevertheless, Findenai moved forward without looking back to see if the enemies she knocked down got up again.

Doberman followed right behind her, lending his strength, and other Resistance members who understood their intention followed behind.

They had to break through together since staying here meant certain death.

Although it was clearly a strategy that would inevitably result in severe casualties.

“When have we ever fought with guaranteed survival!”

Since they had always lived each day in close proximity to death, the Resistance members charged forward fiercely.

The choices were always similar.

Die more.

Or die less.

Staying put would only mean dying more. No, probably all of them would die.

So they could only move in the direction that meant dying less.

Even these fools.

To be honest, Findenai wondered if these idiots could really win freedom from the Republic of Clark.

But they needed to be kept alive for now.

Even the smallest seed needed to be planted in this land.

That was the belief of Findenai, who had lived through excessive tragedy since childhood.

For children too young to fight, for cowards who watched trembling in fear, for former comrades who had given up and laid down their weapons.

She wanted to keep even these fools alive to show them.

That there were idiots here who cried out for freedom.

“Kyaaaaaaah!”

Findenai’s red eyes flashed brilliantly. As the battle continued, her body heated up and she gripped her axe so tightly it was about to break, a characteristic of hers that made her stronger the longer she fought.

Crash!

“Urgh!”

Her strikes, which had previously only knocked enemies down, now reached the level of completely blowing away Salvation Corps members.

“Impressive.”

“F-Findenai! We’re following right behind you!”

“We can survive! We’ll live to fight for freedom again!”

Hearing the propaganda-like praise from behind, Findenai threatened them as she pushed forward.

“No one’s saving you! Survive on your own, you idiots!”

Saying that, Findenai continued swinging her axe. Even though the blade had completely dulled and become blunt, she wielded it like a club as she engaged with the Salvation Corps members.

She didn’t immediately realize that her footsteps were already heading toward the place she needed to return to.

* * *

“Huff! Huff!”

Findenai, exhaling rough breaths, looked around. She had seen the sun set twice, so two days had passed since then.

Her legs felt heavy, her rough breathing showed no signs of stabilizing, and her eyes stung from the sticky blood.

From how bitterly cold it had become, she felt she must have reached near the Norsweden mountain range, but now her legs refused to move.

She quickly checked behind her. Whether her senses had dulled or there was simply no one there, she let out a small sigh of relief.

With her body heated up, Findenai finally fell to her knees and collapsed on the ground.

Just for a moment.

She thought she would rest for just a brief moment.

“Haaaa.”

Taking a deep breath, her eyes began to close with fatigue, but she clenched her fist.

If she fell asleep here, who knew what would happen. When she opened her eyes again, she might be dead, or she might find herself in the Republic of Clark’s underground prison or labor camp.

“Damn it.”

She needed something to ease the pain. Trembling, she thrust her left hand into her pocket and found a cigarette.

It was the cigarette Lexi had been smoking when Findenai killed her. The Republic of Clark’s tobacco was so strong and addictive that smoking it after a long time would probably ease her current agony somewhat.

Findenai stared blankly at the cigarette she had taken out, wondering if a promise to her master mattered when she was in mortal danger.

Crunch.

But surprisingly.

Her fingers crushed the cigarette in half without hesitation and threw it to the ground.

“Damn master. Just try not to summon me with necromancy if I die.”

A bitter feeling lingered in her mouth. Strangely, even though she hadn’t smoked the cigarette, she felt the pain throughout her body subsiding.

It was a feeling she had never experienced before, but Findenai felt so energized that she thought throwing away the cigarette might have been the right choice.

“Ungh.”

Thanks to that, she was able to twist her body and get up again. She couldn’t stop yet.

Soon she would reach the outpost where Darius’s private soldiers were stationed. If she climbed a bit further up the Norsweden mountain range, she could rest comfortably.

And that damn master would somehow take care of things.

“He always manages somehow.”

This time it would just be healing her injured body, so it shouldn’t be too difficult.

Since it hadn’t even been a week, he probably hadn’t left for the academy yet.

Findenai took a step forward. Her legs were still heavy, but after the brief rest, she could endure.

As she forcibly began climbing the mountain one step at a time, trying to find a stick to use as a cane.

Bang!

A chilling gunshot.

The coldness of the bullet penetrating her spread quickly through her body like freezing blood. Blood splattered forward on the ground like spilled tomato juice.

Findenai realized a moment too late that the wet, soaking substance was fresh blood and that she was its owner.

“Ah.”

Thud.

This time her knees buckled not by her own will but by force.

Bang! Bang!

The bullets didn’t stop there, hitting Findenai’s back again and delivering excruciating pain.

Plop.

Finally, Findenai collapsed face-down on the ground.

Blood gushed into her parched mouth.

“…Hm.”

She wanted to spit out curses, but she didn’t have the strength.

Her vision gradually blurred, and human voices came to her like mumbles.

“Class 1 fugitive, Scrap Dealer Findenai. Captured.”

“Wow, have we caught all the Resistance bigwigs now?”

“I think so. Lucky we got to take the last one.”

Through her blurring vision, she looked up at the Salvation Corps members wearing Defense gear.

‘I thought I had shaken them off.’

And they said they’d caught all the bigwigs.

That meant Doberman and the others had all been captured too.

‘Stupid fools.’

While resenting them for having saved them in vain, Findenai was still somewhat worried about their well-being.

“She’s actually pretty good-looking, isn’t she? No wonder she’s famous.”

“Tsk, hey. Should we take her back, heal her, and have some fun with her for a few days?”

“Isn’t that dangerous?”

“What could she do if we cut off all her limbs and pull out her teeth? She’d probably love it if we smeared some drugs on her.”

Come to think of it, she had told her master she would buy aphrodisiacs but had forgotten.

He probably wouldn’t have believed her, but the city where Findenai lived as a child actually sold maliciously sexual items like aphrodisiacs and condoms with holes as main products.

That’s how crazy the Republic was.

More importantly.

‘These bastards.’

How dare they look down on her?

Findenai glared at them and opened her mouth wide. Rather than suffer such humiliation, she planned to bite her tongue and commit suicide.

She would give them her corpse.

‘He’ll find my soul somehow.’

Half of her soul belonged to her master anyway, so if she just fell asleep for a while, he would wake her up.

Believing this, as Findenai gathered her last strength to bite her tongue.

A white snowflake tickled her nose with a soft tap.

“What’s this? It’s snowing?”

“It’s July now? Even in the Norsweden mountains, it doesn’t snow.”

As the Salvation Corps members looked up at the sky in confusion.

[As you live your fleeting lives, I understand that staining your hands with others’ blood is inevitable.]

A voice thundered like lightning. An overwhelming pressure that made humans feel like mere insects by its mere presence.

[That is the way of this world. I too accept it.]

Findenai realized she had heard this voice before but couldn’t recall where.

Was it because of oxygen deprivation?

Or simply because she wasn’t smart enough?

Whatever it was.

‘Crazy bastard.’

Anyway, she could tell her master had done something.

She relaxed the teeth she was about to bite down with, and the corners of her mouth naturally turned up.

[How wickedly must you have lived, for the resentment to overflow from your bodies beyond the echoes of blood.]

“What is that! Is it a beast?”

“A-A tiger? It’s a tiger! Just shoot it!”

Listening to the screams of the Salvation Corps members foolishly making a fatal mistake, she slowly closed her eyes.

[Do not step on my mountain with your filthy feet.]

* * *

A comfortable floor and a soft blanket.

Waking up between them, Findenai slowly opened her eyes. Though she couldn’t move her body, which had no sensation, she could clearly tell she had been healed.

The feeling of bandages pressing against her entire body.

The soft feather pillow at her head.

The view of Norsweden city through the window beside the bed.

The warm scent of herbal tea.

The sound of turning pages echoing in the quiet room.

Her master, sitting with his legs crossed, calmly enjoying his book.

“You’re awake.”

Deus asked flatly, still keeping his eyes on the book. At that familiar sight, Findenai let out a small laugh and asked.

“How long has it been?”

Her sense of time was vague, but given how refreshed she felt despite her ordeal, it seemed she had been asleep for quite a while.

“Two weeks.”

Deus’s answer was beyond what Findenai had expected.

“Two weeks? 15 days?”

“Yes.”

The words “Didn’t you say you’d return to the academy after a week?” almost came out of Findenai’s throat, but she didn’t voice them.

For some reason, she didn’t want to hear that answer, nor did she want to put her master in an awkward position.

Unlike her usual self.

“You must be hungry. I’ll have a meal prepared.”

Deus closed his book.

Looking at him, Findenai thought for a moment before grumbling.

“Ah, I want a smoke.”

The craving for tobacco was stronger than hunger at the moment, so the words came out before she could stop them.

“Sigh.”

Deus exhaled and took out an elegant case from his pocket.

Inside were about ten cigarettes, one of which he pulled out and handed to Findenai.

“This one has less of a terrible smell and is less addictive. It’s made by a quite famous craftsman, they say.”

“…”

Slowly raising just her upper body and leaning against the edge of the bed, Findenai blankly accepted it.

Then, after staring at Deus for a moment, she put the cigarette in her mouth with a smile.

“Light it for me.”

With no lighter or matches.

A perfectly natural request.

Deus held back a sigh and lit a small flame on his finger, then leaned forward to bring it to the tip of the cigarette in Findenai’s mouth.

Ptui.

The cigarette fell onto the blanket.

Findenai’s forehead slid into his outstretched hand and touched Deus’s chest precisely.

“Ah, I lost my strength.”

A deliberate lie that anyone could see through.

“Then move aside.”

Yet despite his words, he didn’t push her away.

For just a brief moment.

Deus supported Findenai’s quite exhausted body.

Until just a moment ago, she had felt her mouth dry with the desire to smoke.

But now she felt a sense of calm.

Was it because of Deus’s unique, subtle scent of flesh?

Findenai buried her face a little deeper and calmly closed her eyes.

His fragrance penetrating through her flowing hair.

Surprisingly, at some point.

She realized she had come to like this scent.