Ch.253253. Passing Through

“Huu.”

Findenai stepped out of the carriage with a cigarette in her mouth. After spending about three months in Greyford, she had returned to Norsweden, feeling she shouldn’t stay there any longer.

The characteristic cold air of this place—she had missed it terribly during those three months.

She had neatly packed away her usual revealing maid uniform in her luggage bag and was now wearing a shirt, leather pants, and a yellowish coat.

Since the day the spirits and Deus Verdi had left Greyford, Findenai had stopped wearing her maid uniform.

A maid should have a master, but now there was none.

At present, she was just Findenai, the unemployed.

“Huu.”

With her luggage bag slung over her shoulder, she headed inside at the entrance of Norsweden.

People from the Republic of Clark were barely visible. The lord, Darius, had welcomed many people from the Republic of Clark.

Other territories might have expressed displeasure and taken a conservative stance on accepting them.

But thanks to the junk shop members who had been active here since a year ago, they were able to blend in without much difficulty.

She bitterly exhaled cigarette smoke.

Despite visiting this street after a long time, her tongue felt strangely numb, making her feel somewhat pitiful.

Just then.

“Findenai?”

A familiar voice.

Before Findenai could turn her head, a woman embraced her.

“Illuania?”

It was Illuania, who had worked as Deus’s maid alongside her. Behind her, at a street vendor’s table, sat Deia holding a small baby who could only babble.

“I heard you stayed alone in Greyford, but you’ve finally returned!”

“Mmm, well. That’s right.”

It was still early in the cigarette.

Findenai, somewhat regretfully, quietly put out her cigarette and placed the butt in her cigarette case.

She couldn’t smoke in front of a baby, after all.

‘She would have scolded me anyway.’

Findenai gave a bitter smile as she hugged Illuania.

And so, Findenai joined the two people sitting at an outdoor table in the somewhat quiet city.

They were eating warm foods like fish cake soup that heated up the body. Deia was out on what could be called a patrol of the downtown area, something she did occasionally.

Eating street food, observing people’s lives, and organizing her thoughts in her own way.

It could be called Deia’s own method of meditation.

“What were you doing there?”

Deia asked, resting her chin on her hand with her legs crossed. When the incident occurred, Deia had also remained in Greyford but couldn’t do anything to help.

With her combat ability limited to just pulling a trigger, she couldn’t intervene in such a battlefield.

“Just killing time, you know.”

She said this while picking up a piece of fish cake and putting it in her mouth, indirectly indicating that she didn’t want to answer. Deia understood the mood and turned her gaze away without saying much.

A heavy atmosphere descended.

In fact, the only one at this table who didn’t know why Findenai had stayed in Greyford was Sevia, who couldn’t even speak yet.

Looking at Sevia, who was giggling excitedly in her mother Illuania’s arms, Findenai’s heart felt lighter for a moment.

But then, remembering the man who had named the child made her heart heavy again.

He had once disappeared suddenly for a month. At that time, it was so abrupt that it was bewildering.

But this time was different.

Directly.

Right before Findenai’s eyes, he had taken all the spirits and entered the general store.

And following him was a monster worthy of being called a one-man army.

Raizer, the god of lightning and clouds.

Having briefly faced him herself, Findenai couldn’t help but worry.

It was beyond what any human could handle.

‘But still…’

She didn’t know how many times she had made this assumption. Wouldn’t Deus Verdi have somehow managed to overcome it?

Maybe he had defeated Raizer and was just unable to return due to some temporary issue?

During that month when he had disappeared without a word, everyone had searched everywhere for him.

But after seeing everything with her own eyes, there was nothing she could do but wait.

And that was more painful than she had expected.

The silence showed no signs of breaking.

Findenai and Deia.

Sitting across from each other, they looked elsewhere with their lips tightly sealed.

If either of them brought up a topic, it would naturally lead to talking about him.

And that was more painful than expected.

Just then.

“Let’s drink.”

Illuania said with a bright smile.

Both of them looked at her as if to say, “What are you talking about? You’re a mother of a baby who can only babble.”

But Illuania stood up without hesitation and said.

“Not me. You two look like you need a drink.”

Kyaaa!

As if in agreement, Sevia, who was in her arms, let out an excited squeal.

* * *

Bang.

Crack.

Bang.

Crack.

Bang.

Crack.

Regular noises filled the alley in the city center where not even moonlight entered in the late dawn.

As if sending a distress signal, it continued without even a moment’s pause, putting all its strength into each strike.

Bang.

Crack.

Bang.

Crack.

Bang.

Crack.

The noise emanated.

It was coming from a place strangely devoid of people, yet it was also strangely impossible to ignore.

“So what I’m saying is, the master’s teaching methods are too extreme.”

“Oh, senior. I get it. You’re too drunk.”

Bang.

Crack.

Bang.

Crack.

Two people in martial arts uniforms with flushed faces, appearing quite drunk.

“What about tomorrow morning’s training? You’ve had so much to drink.”

“We can just skip it! Even if we go, he’ll just teach something weird again! Balance? Training to fix your center? Bullshit! A spear is meant to be swung, not held for show!”

Bang.

Crack.

“But he was directly under Han So. Thanks to him, we can learn the Warrior God’s spear techniques.”

Bang.

Crack.

“Warrior God’s spear techniques, my ass…”

The man called “senior” spat. He turned his head toward an alley so dark that the inside wasn’t visible.

Bang.

Crack.

Bang.

Crack.

“Hmm?”

“What’s that sound?”

The two, finally noticing the sound, entered the alley curiously.

Whether it was because they were too drunk to make rational judgments, or simply confident in their skills.

Or perhaps because the sound emanating was stimulating something in their hearts.

For whatever reason.

The two who entered the alley.

Help me.

At the sorrowful yet pitiful voice, they gradually came to their senses.

Please, help me.

Feeling the alcohol wearing off by the second, they realized they shouldn’t be here like this.

Please, please help me.

Responding to the pitiful distress call, the two nodded with a martial artist’s spirit.

“Leave it to us.”

“Don’t worry.”

But after that.

No!

No!

Nooooo!

The voice echoing from within the alley belonged to something that had been seeking help.

And soon after.

Bang.

Crack.

Bang.

Crack.

Once again.

It began sending distress signals to the city.

* * *

Sohwa.

A city named by an emperor of a certain empire, meaning as precious and beautiful as a small flower.

However, the modest yet intricate beauty it once possessed has disappeared, and now it has flourished to the point where it can no longer be called small.

A small girl running hard with food delivery on her shoulders in that place.

With her hair tied in buns, she looked quite cute, but judging by her stable stride and breathing while running for delivery, she was clearly doing more than just being the store’s mascot.

Her name was Soho.

Despite her young age, she was a girl who worked hard and lived on her own without parents.

But she didn’t dwell much on not having parents.

Because she had a place to stay, and the Lanlan Restaurant, which had abandoned its old name of inn to become a restaurant.

The owner and chef, a woman, was like a mother to Soho.

She was a bit rough around the edges, but she had heard that people who enter the kitchen are usually similar.

Whether that’s true or not.

Well, anyway.

Soho was busy making deliveries today as well. She hurried her steps to ensure the food wouldn’t get cold as she ran through the familiar streets.

But then.

“Ah, what’s this?”

She complained upon seeing the road blocked by a crowd. People gathered in front of the alley were buzzing quite loudly.

“How many did they say?”

“Six, apparently.”

“In just one day?”

“What is the security maintenance team doing?”

“Sigh, they take so much in taxes.”

Her ears hurt slightly from the voices coming from here and there, but Soho could roughly understand the situation.

‘So six people died in that alley last night?’

No wonder her sleep had been restless.

Soho sighed at the unfortunate incident and tried to quickly push through the crowd, but.

“Little one.”

She quickly turned her head when she heard a man calling her.

He was a truly strange man.

While his appearance was similar to the locals, his behavior and the way he stood felt oddly foreign.

“Yes?”

Soho looked up at him with a tilt of her head. Not a drop of sweat and a somewhat expressionless face.

However, he was a handsome man whom Soho, a city native, had never seen before.

The man, whom she had unknowingly taken a liking to, asked one thing.

“Are you coming from a restaurant?”

“Aha? The smell is killer, isn’t it?”

Soho giggled and immediately told him the location of the Lanlan Restaurant. He, still without any change in expression, asked another question.

“How many years have you lived as a human?”

“Ah, that’s…”

Scratching the back of her head, Soho maintained a business smile, but her expression gradually changed.

Her upturned corners of the mouth slowly descended as Soho’s eyes settled calmly.

However, even amid the eerie and sharp hostility, the man looked down at her insensitively.

As if.

As if he was all too familiar with such situations.

“Don’t be too afraid.”

The man advised calmly.

He uttered meaningful words, telling her not to worry, even as she glared at him with bared teeth and killing intent.

“I’m just passing through.”

As he said this, a faint smile appeared on the man’s face for the first time.