Chapter 10. Stubbornness and Arrogance (11)

“What are you going to do?”

As I returned to the room and packed my belongings, Ria asked me.

“For now, the Dwarf Kingdom won’t collapse all at once.”

I replied, pulling out my entire suitcase.

“The key is the princess.”

“Does the princess have that much mana in her body?”

“Mana is mana, but the princess’s knowledge will be very important. They are the Dwarf Kingdom that sought to create gates, aren’t they?”

And they might have actually succeeded. If only they had a little more time.

“Shall we organize it again?”

I opened my bag and checked the weapons inside. I had been consistently maintaining the gun, and I had brought all the bullets properly.

I switched to a smaller shield. After all, the riot shield, which covered almost my entire body, was too big and heavy to carry around constantly.

“The mana above alone is enough to create mana orbs and harm people. If they intend to simply wipe out the dwarves, they can create a massive number of mana orbs and invade this region, and that would be the end of it.”

“It means they want something more.”

“Yes. They probably want the princess’s ‘knowledge’.”

They think they can do something with that.

…It feels a bit like excessive self-consciousness to say it like this, but among the ‘things they can do,’ there might be some targeting me.

The power to nullify mana. Perhaps, a power that can only be connected to a certain being above.

To them, it would be both dangerous and attractive.

“…You mean, those guys you’re talking about can extract knowledge?”

“It’s a conjecture, though.”

In the novel, it was described that the princess was fused with a mana orb.

I still don’t doubt the concept of a soul. The fact that I am in this world like this, remember my past life, and above all, the being above who sent me to this world is watching me.

In such a situation, denying the existence of a soul would be absurd. Even if it’s not a soul, it means there’s a means to transfer equivalent information.

However, separate from the soul, a person’s mind is bound to the body. Humans think with their heads, the heart transports blood to that head, and all other organs of the body exist to acquire energy to send to that head.

If the brain, the most important organ, is damaged, the rest of the person’s body won’t function properly. Even if the nerves connecting the brain to various parts of the body are severed, the body will remain damaged and unable to move.

That means, if there’s a technology that can somehow scan the brain, it’s not impossible to extract the information stored in that brain.

I don’t know how information is recorded in the soul, or what happens to a soul that leaves the body, but at least I can make such assumptions.

…Or perhaps, the opponent is dealing with magic that cannot be explained by science, so they might be reading the soul itself.

“So, you think you just need to protect the princess?”

“That’s right. Even if there’s an opponent, they can’t harm tens of thousands of people at once.”

If that were possible in the first place, Earth couldn’t be intact. Even the gate incident, while it plunged society into chaos, was ultimately stopped.

A society that has researched and systematized countermeasures is less likely to be easily affected. In that sense, the incident where the dwarven princess was kidnapped and modified was an important event. It was an event where hundreds of thousands of reanimated dwarven corpses poured into our world.

“…”

Click.

After checking the gun one last time, I stood up and looked at Ria.

Ria’s mission here is to escort me, except when sleeping. Naturally, she didn’t need to check her weapons separately like I did. She had been carrying them around anyway.

Ria’s expression, standing not far from me and quietly watching my actions, was a little complex.

“Yes, it’s dangerous. Definitely.”

Before Ria could ask, I spoke honestly.

“Perhaps it’s much more dangerous than what happened at the lake last time.”

Moreover, what I was thinking wasn’t just about staying by the princess’s side.

I didn’t have time to argue, so I returned to the accommodation to prepare, but in a few minutes, I would meet the princess again and have to persuade her about one issue.

Even if the princess doesn’t care much about religion, she might object for practical reasons.

Even if the princess accepts, I don’t know how the other dwarves will react.

“But, you’re going to do it anyway.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

I nodded.

“Then I’ll go too, I guess.”

Ria shrugged her shoulders and said.

“…”

“Why?”

“No, it’s just…”

My thoughts were complicated.

Ria is my friend. Since coming to this world, I’ve met all the characters from the original novel and become somewhat close, but I’ve never gotten as close as I have with Ria.

Of course, that doesn’t mean I don’t care about the other characters. I still hoped that Lee Si-yoon and Han Yu-ri would get together, and naturally, I wanted this story to end with a happy ending.

But, still.

If I have to fight, who would be the best person to fight with?

Thinking rationally and logically, the person I need most is someone who fights well. And she had to be someone who could grant my personal requests, and above all, she had to be righteous.

…The situation where I have to consider people’s lives in numbers is not very pleasant. At this point, where the story has diverged so much from the original, what could happen to those kids?

I don’t even know how strong the guys who kidnapped me are.

Is it right to tell the people who trust me such words and make them risk their lives to fight?

“Anna.”

Sensing something from my expression, Ria placed her hand on my shoulder.

“Don’t even think about going alone.”

Saying that, she leaned her face towards me.

“I was going to go anyway, even if you said no. Whatever I do there, it has nothing to do with your will.”

“…”

In many ways, it was a contradictory statement. Compared to what Ria had said to me.

However, at the same time, it was a very Ria-like statement.

“Alright.”

I nodded and said softly, looking at Ria.

“Thank you.”

“…”

Ria blushed and removed her hand from my shoulder.

*

I was able to persuade the princess somehow.

In fact, the princess readily nodded to the point where the word ‘somehow’ had no meaning.

“Perhaps it might be better than me officially converting.”

To the princess’s words, I couldn’t respond for a moment, and then,

“…You seem to truly believe in me.”

I replied.

“If the other party takes risks, we must also take risks.”

The princess said that and glanced slightly at the ceiling.

“Dwarves have their own tenets. Humans probably do too, but dwarves value their attitude towards others. Of course, many nobles and those in power don’t remember it now, but at least I want to do that. Even though half of my blood is gnome, this Dwarf Kingdom is where I’ve lived.”

The princess’s gaze returned to me.

“My father also considered that important. If I didn’t try to take even the slightest risk for you, my father would surely call me a ‘bastard’.”

“Uh, um.”

At the princess’s words, I was once again unable to say anything.

“Come to think of it, we had a drink together earlier, didn’t we?”

“…It was ‘May the alcohol make me forget my rudeness’.”

“I hope you can forget my rudeness from just now.”

I shrugged my shoulders.

*

There was one problem, though.

I don’t know exactly when that incident will occur. I only knew that it would happen around the end of July.

But that problem was minor. Anyway, Ria and I have plenty of time. I’m not thinking of entering university right away, nor is it dangerous if I don’t act as a hunter.

The people who followed me are mostly those who deeply believe in the being above, or my collaborators. And it’s not like there will be any major problems with the hunters’ careers by following me here.

Moreover, I knew how to solve that ‘one problem.’

Although it was a method I was very reluctant to use, well, it was a necessary step if I were to do what I said I would do for the princess.

I prayed.

Kneeling on the floor with my hands clasped.

Actually, I don’t know how to pray. I was someone who refused to learn such things systematically.

However, whenever I tried to heal or protect someone- the being above always lent me strength.

So, this time too.

A bright light illuminated the room. There must be a huge mountain above, but the light seemed to have penetrated all of it, shining on my face as if nothing happened.

That’s the light I see whenever the being above looks at me.

“…”

And, I could hear.

This time, not a lie, but the true voice of God.

…Well, I don’t know if it’s a prophecy or not.

However, I could tell that the event would happen in just three days.

After all, isn’t that being called God by everyone else?

If they don’t know the bad guys’ plans in advance, they wouldn’t be able to say such things.

I don’t intend to call him that, though.

…It seems you also think there’s no need to be heard that way.

When I muttered that, feeling inexplicably like I was losing.

A small laugh echoed briefly in my ears.

Because the atmosphere felt like they were genuinely unconcerned, I felt even more annoyed.