Ch.131Oh

# 131. Oh

“…Rise. That’s too much respect for an old ghost.”

“I will rise. But Lord Radaniya, you are not a ghost, but a legend and an idol.”

“It’s Danya now.”

“…”

“Anyway, what did you want to ask me?”

Rahan felt his heart swell. It was difficult to maintain his composure. In truth, he had so many things he wanted to say and ask, but judging by her tone, she wouldn’t grant him much time.

Rahan asked what he was most curious about first.

“What happened to your appearance?”

“Just know that it was necessary to leave Ayord. Beyond that is a secret.”

“It was necessary to leave Ayord…?”

“Hehe.”

That sounded almost as if she had been trapped in Ayord. However, Lady Radaniya didn’t elaborate further. Giving up on pursuing that topic for now, he asked something else.

“This may be presumptuous, but you seem to have weakened. What happened? Is there anything I can do to help?”

“It will improve gradually. I appreciate the offer, but I’ll decline your help.”

“My family includes quite a few Ayords, myself included. Could you offer us some valuable advice?”

“I’m Danya, not Radaniya. I reluctantly acknowledged it earlier, but I’m not someone great enough to be giving advice. Even if I were, I wouldn’t want to be so arrogant as to offer advice to someone I just met. Unless I reveal my identity, it would look like I’m showing off because I won a battle, and I have no intention of revealing more about myself. Why don’t you ask what you really wanted to ask?”

Rahan sighed with disappointment. Dreams are always fleeting, and this dreamlike moment seemed to be passing by too quickly.

There must be a significant reason why she’s hiding her identity while traveling with human adventurers.

Rahan expressed the doubt he had been harboring in his heart.

“Am I—is the nomadic group I lead—walking the right path?”

“Huh?”

“I wanted to emulate even a fraction of Lady Radaniya’s achievements and spirit. You’ve been my life’s standard, teaching, and aspiration. I’ve taken in wanderers with nowhere to go as family, and though my methods may be rough, I’ve punished those who oppress others and offered salvation. But despite my efforts and those of my family, the world remains unchanged. I can’t see an answer. I periodically doubt whether I’m doing the right thing.”

Rahan’s deep voice carried traces of long-standing anguish. Though the absolute time couldn’t compare to Danya’s, she felt a kind of kinship with him.

So Danya decided to answer this question with complete honesty, without hiding anything.

“I never had such grand goals. Saving my people and building our own city? A young girl who loved playing and mischief wouldn’t imagine such things. It just happened that way.”

“…”

“Of course, I always did my best. And rather than the distant future, I focused on tomorrow; rather than my entire race, I prioritized the comrades by my side. Not only was the environment too harsh to think about grand things, but by taking care of and protecting what was in front of me, everything gradually grew larger and stronger.”

Danya looked with appreciation at this distant junior who wanted to follow in her footsteps.

“You doubt whether you’re doing well? Look at your family. And let me give you the only useful advice this old has-been can offer: the world has always been this way. Almost nothing has changed from 200 years ago to now. The world remains the same? I’m sorry, but an individual or small group changing the world is truly the stuff of legends.”

“But Lady Radaniya…”

“That’s why it’s embarrassing, but I became a legend.”

“That’s right.”

“…I’m joking. Becoming a sanctuary for wanderers. Saving the oppressed. Protecting the nomadic group as a haven. Just think about these things. And consider whether your family is happy. I think that’s enough. If you want more than that, I don’t know what to tell you.”

Danya turned away, indicating the conversation was over. After pondering her words for a moment, Rahan bowed respectfully.

“It was an honor.”

**

Danya returned, and as if taking turns, resumed negotiations with Rahan. They talked for quite some time, but to summarize:

– The nomadic group and Seonghyeon’s party would reside separately but gather at set times daily to move together.

– The nomadic group and Seonghyeon’s party would travel together to Majikant.

– Some members of the nomadic group and Seonghyeon’s party would transport the Edenic fragment to the Majikant church.

– Seonghyeon’s party would be allowed to see and touch the Edenic fragment exactly once each.

It was an impressive outcome considering we had suffered just one unpleasant attack and provocation. Danya deserved much of the credit. As promised, I prepared a dinner full of Danya’s favorite dishes, and she seemed to be in such a good mood that she inhaled food until her usually slim stomach was as round as a pregnant woman’s.

And then night came.

I was standing watch with Danya.

“Aren’t you going to ask what we talked about?”

“It was a personal conversation. If Danya wants to tell me, that’s fine, but I don’t plan to pry.”

Danya hadn’t stood watch until now. Not only was she accustomed to her cat form, but there was also a lack of shared sense of belonging to the same party.

But after this skill verification with the nomadic group, Danya volunteered to stand watch. Subin was happy that the number of available watchkeepers became even, and everyone else was pleased for various reasons.

I was glad because it felt like the distance between her and me, and between her and us, had shortened by a few steps.

That’s why I didn’t object at all to Danya being in her Ayord form. Looking up at the sky where stars shone brightly as the moon was veiled by a halo, she spoke.

“I did my best for my people and comrades, and that child Rahan is doing his best for his nomadic family, just as you’re doing your best for the party. So you and I are the same. That’s what I thought.”

“Compared to Danya’s achievements, I’m nothing.”

“I don’t mean that, I mean our nature.”

I felt a weight on my shoulder. Glancing over, I saw Danya resting her head against me. Her scent spread faintly along with the sound of the crackling bonfire.

“Anyway, today was a really good experience. Thank you for trusting me.”

“Thank you too. For approaching first, for taking action as if it were your own business.”

“Not ‘as if’—it is my business.”

“Hehe—”

Danya playfully bumped her head against my shoulder.

“But there’s one thing I’m worried about.”

“What is it?”

“The demon. You all ‘know’ about that too, right?”

“…Yes. There might be differences between knowing and actually seeing it, but for now, yes.”

Actually, I was a bit cautious about claiming to know well now. Things had changed significantly. Still, my game knowledge that the demon “most likely” to appear in Majikant was Iserateo, “the one spewing fire all over its body,” hadn’t disappeared, so I affirmed her words.

“Despite experiencing countless battles and wars, I’ve never faced a demon. I only know them from legends. But… can you really face such a demon?”

“Of course. It will be difficult and dangerous, but…”

“Do you really have to defeat it? Can’t you just move the Edenic fragment like the nomadic group?”

Danya’s concern was justified. The status of a “named demon” in this world was tremendous.

‘If we could take the easy way out, we obviously would.’

But I know, Subin knows, everyone knows. As we progress, opponents incomparably stronger than Iserateo will appear one after another.

That’s right.

Iserateo is just a ‘mere’ opponent.

But even if it appeared earlier than its original timeline, how could we advance further if we couldn’t defeat Iserateo?

I reached back and gently wrapped my arm around Danya’s shoulder.

“You’ve seen me all this time, Danya. You know I’m not the type to make unnecessary trouble. I avoid what can be avoided, and if I can’t avoid it, I seek the most efficient way to overcome it. This situation is an extension of that. So don’t worry too much. We’ll manage somehow.”

“Like we have until now?”

“Like we have until now.”

At my words, Danya smiled broadly and nuzzled her head against me. It looked so much like she wanted her head patted that I did so, causing her to sigh contentedly and lean more toward me.

“You’ve become a complete cat since turning into one.”

“I am a cat Ayord.”

“Are all cat Ayords like Danya?”

“Not all human males are like you, are they?”

Oh. A perfect answer.

“So… do you dislike it?”

“Not at all.”

Cats are right. Because… they just are.

I stroked Danya. I continued until our watch ended.

**

“Just once per person. Only once.”

“I got it already.”

The next morning, before heading to Majikant.

I was the first to observe the Edenic fragment, which looked like a broken piece of glass, and the moment I saw it—

[You have cleared it.]

“Oh?”

The clear message appeared.