Ch.189Chapter 189. After Doing Such a Terrible Thing to Me

After the Flandor territory was set as the destination, the expedition had time to open a path there and bring along refugees.

Given the numbers and the fact that most were unable to fight, the pace of advance inevitably slowed for everyone’s survival.

The number of refugees they encountered along the way continued to grow, increasing the burden on the expedition.

“We’re starting to run out of food.”

“Many people have fallen ill from suffering in the cold at night. There are too many for our healing team to handle.”

“With these numbers, is it really okay to head to the shelter?”

“Though it’s called a shelter, it was established by a frontier lord, so I don’t think it will be very large.”

“In our current situation, we don’t have any other options. Let’s follow the Hero’s instructions for now.”

The expedition members expressed anxiety and concern even as they approached their destination.

Regarding this, since I hadn’t interfered with the establishment of the shelter for half a year, I had stated that I would need to see it firsthand before making any judgment.

Of course, in my case, I’m relatively less anxious because of Irie’s prophecy… Yes, since Irie guided us here, it must be fine.

“Tashian, is Flan’s condition okay?”

After finishing off the monsters and returning to the carriage to check on her condition, Tashian, who was holding Flan, immediately responded.

“Don’t worry. I can only provide first aid for now, but I don’t see any seriously damaged parts. Once we reach our destination and properly repair her, she’ll be able to move normally.”

“That’s a relief, but… it’s still surprising that you can repair Flan, Tashian.”

From what I’d briefly heard, she was created using ancient lost magic, so I thought even she couldn’t find a way to repair herself.

“Well, the difference is whether life was born naturally or created artificially. Structurally, she’s similar to an organic being, but in terms of being able to replace parts or assemble them by hand, it’s much easier than creating life.”

Creating life? That’s a scale of conversation that’s hard for me to grasp.

Anyway, feeling relieved that Flan would be fine in Tashian’s care, I watched as Tashian smiled brightly at Flan in her arms.

“So just wait a little longer. Mommy will fix you up nicely soon~”

“Eek!”

A violent shudder in response to that bright smile.

Then Flan turned her pale face toward me and cried out.

“Master, please stop her! I can’t take it anymore!”

“Flan, as I’ve told you many times, Tashian is harmless, so you don’t need to be so afraid.”

“But she’s a d-d-dragon! A real dragon! How can I stay calm when a being I’ve only encountered in myths is trying to devour my body!”

Though I’d always said one must remain calm and composed when facing otherworldly beings, even someone with her experience seemed unable to maintain composure when confronted with an unknown entity.

Of course, Tashian has lost her power now, and from what we’ve seen so far, she doesn’t seem likely to cause harm.

“My goodness, it seems our new daughter is uncomfortable with her mother.”

“Daughter? What do you mean by that?”

“What do I mean? If you’re close to my son, then naturally you’re family to me too. Come, move a little closer.”

“Kyaaaah! Help me! Master! Please save me!!”

Flan desperately called out to me while being embraced.

Realizing that the melancholy she had shown in the sanctuary had completely disappeared, I considered this a positive development and turned my back on the scene.

“We’ll arrive soon, so take your time together.”

“Traitor!!! Master is a traitor!!!”

Calling me a traitor is too harsh.

I’m just siding with my mother like a good son.

“Hero, do you have a moment?”

As I was about to exit the carriage, Samson approached.

If he, who had been leading the group, came to me, it meant something significant was blocking our path.

“More monsters?”

“No, not monsters. The territory’s defense force is blocking the road.”

The territory’s defense force. This itself indicated that we had reached the territory.

The fact that they were intact suggested that the territory behind them was secure.

The key question was whether they would be friendly toward us.

“It seems security is tight, and they appear to be wary of outsiders. Even when we showed our Imperial Army or expedition credentials, they kept saying they couldn’t trust us…”

“They must have been betrayed by people recently.”

It’s not completely incomprehensible.

In this world, there are those who attack other humans, called defectors or Murderers.

Such defectors would find it easier to run rampant in chaotic situations like riots.

“Lead the way. I’ll go talk to them.”

But since I am a Hero, I should be able to dispel their wariness. As I headed toward the gate made of wooden stakes, I saw a woman walking toward me from among the guards.

A mature-looking woman with pink hair tied back, wearing a white cloak.

“…Are you the one in charge of the defense force?”

“Yes, I am, but…”

An impression both polite and sharp.

Judging by her attire and equipment, which differed from the others, she seemed closer to a Hero than an ordinary soldier.

“Are you perhaps Mr. Hyoseong Woo?”

After examining me, this extraordinary woman asked about my name.

However, it was too early to consider it fortunate that she recognized me.

The fact that someone remembered my name wasn’t always a good thing—I had experienced this thoroughly when I bore the infamous title of Hero Slayer.

“You know about me?”

“Of course I do. Don’t you remember me, Mr. Woo?”

The pink-haired woman asked me with narrowed eyes.

Her scrutinizing gaze almost felt like she was interrogating me.

“Remember? Have we met before?”

“…Hmm. Is that so?”

Was my response disappointing to her?

After making a small noise, the woman bowed her head and began to speak in a trembling, sorrowful voice.

“How sad. After doing such terrible things to me, you now pretend to have forgotten everything.”

“…What?”

Terrible things? What is she talking about?

Seeing my confused expression, her voice began to tremble as if sobbing.

“From our first meeting, you knocked me down and tried to thrust something long and hideous into me forcefully… And now you’re trying to brush it off by claiming you don’t remember anything.”

-Murmuring.

After hearing those words, a ripple spread through the surroundings, and the gazes directed at me began to grow harsh.

Not just from the defense force, but even from the expedition members who had been with me all along.

“To think he harassed a woman younger than himself.”

“He says he doesn’t even remember. Trash.”

“I knew something was off when his name was Woo Hyo.”

Why are they bringing up my name now?

“Wait a minute, when did I ever do such things to you…!”

“Pfft.”

Just as I was trying to explain myself in panic…

The woman who had been sobbing until now suddenly burst into laughter, clutching her stomach.

“Ahahahaha!!! Look at you getting all serious and then falling apart at the end!”

“W-what…?”

“Of course, this is how you should be, oppa. I was worried you’d changed too much, becoming too serious compared to before… But I’m glad. You’re still the oppa I know.”

The mysterious woman who had laughed so hard that tears formed in her eyes.

Belatedly realizing I had been teased, I immediately expressed my irritation toward her.

“You, who are you? Do you know me?”

“Oh my. Even face to face, you still can’t recognize me? It’s me, the Fallen Hero who used to travel with you, oppa.”

Fallen Hero.

As far as I knew, only one person used that title.

The partner I had teamed up with when I first started my adventurer activities.

“…Garam?”

“I’m glad you haven’t forgotten my name at least.”

Garam Lee, the Fallen Hero.

The girl with that name spread her cloak, proudly displaying how much she had grown, and said:

“It’s been a while, oppa. Have you been well?”

“From what I’ve heard, you seem to have gone through a lot since we parted… You won’t distance yourself from me because you’ve become too famous, will you? I’d be disappointed.”

“Uh, umm…”

A greeting that felt familiar despite my initial wariness.

But even though it was directed at me, I couldn’t immediately accept her goodwill.

“…You’re really Garam? Truly?”

“Wow, I said I’d be disappointed, but you’re really pretending not to know me.”

“Of course I can’t recognize you. The Garam I knew was a tiny, energetic squirt.”

“Aha~ No matter how close we are, you really don’t hold back with your words, do you?”

Garam Lee smiled slyly, wrinkling her nose.

But the way she casually brushed off what could have been offensive remarks showed a mature demeanor different from before.

“Well, I’ve been through a lot over the past year too. Since I was in my growth period, I grew a lot in height and elsewhere.”

“…No, you’ve grown too much.”

“Aha~ Why? Are you surprised by how different I am from before?”

Garam approached me, lowering her head slightly.

Then, as she lifted her head to look up at me, I could see an adult charm that wasn’t there before.

“Or perhaps your heart skipped a beat when you first saw me?”

“…What are you talking about?”

You were just a snotty kid a year ago, and now you’re saying whatever you want to your oppa.

“Well anyway, I’m glad to see you’re doing well.”

But through her current playfulness, I could glimpse the person who had been with me before.

As I began to feel a sense of gladness, Garam smiled and grasped the hand I extended.

“You too, oppa.”

A reunion after nearly a year apart.

In this harsh world, meeting again after being separated for such a time could itself be considered fortunate.

Yes, that emotion accompanied our handshake.

“Hero Garam. Is it really okay to let them through?”

“It’s fine. He’s the person I trust most in this world.”

Garam casually waved off the defense force’s concerns.

Though they had been full of wariness until now, the fact that they prepared to open the way with just one gesture from Garam suggested she had earned considerable trust in her position.

Or rather, could it be that she trusted me that much?

“We can guide the refugees to the shelter, but… you probably won’t be able to rest comfortably right away. It’s only nominally complete, not fully optimized yet, so there’s a lot that needs work.”

“You need labor, right? That should be fine.”

Who would refuse to help develop a shelter when everyone needs a safe place to rest?

The key question was whether the shelter could accommodate all of us.

With that concern in mind, I followed Garam to a large lakeside built on the side of the territory.

“Where is the shelter?”

“Wait a moment. It’s about time for it to surface.”

“What? Surface…?”

-Rumble!

A tremor in the ground as I wondered.

Along with it, waves formed on the lake, and I saw water violently gushing up from the front part.

What’s this suddenly? Could it be a submerged monster emerging?

“Don’t be alarmed. It’s just the entrance to the base opening on schedule.”

But unlike me, who was on high alert, Garam calmly gazed at the massive thing surging up from the lake.

Following her gaze back to the lake, I could see the entrance of a structure that had somehow revealed itself, welcoming us.

“W-what is this?”

“It rose from underwater!”

A surface covered with rocks, and various structures large and small protruding from it.

The reason this island-like entity moved from the lake to the shore was due to the four legs operating beneath it.

An enormous island… no, rather something befitting the description of a giant moving turtle—an unidentified entity.

“Now, let me introduce you.”

Standing before it, Garam proudly addressed me and the refugees.

“The shelter secretly built under the instructions of Lord Flandor, named ‘Meter’s Ark.'”

Meter’s Ark.

The exact name that appeared in Irie’s prophecy.