Chapter 5: I need to work harder

After finishing the conversation, I moved.

As I walked, I could see the red meteor falling outside the window.

‘Alexios must have seen that too. That should serve as some proof.’

The red meteor is a fixed event that appears in the prologue of [Old Tales].

Along with Alexios’s death, it’s a kind of hint that this world will face the worst possible ending.

Although I called it a celebratory fire for the crown prince, it’s more correct to perceive it as a signal of destruction.

‘It’s falling so far away. And leaving such a long trail. Is that why the orcs call it the Red Fang?’

I quietly watched the falling meteor.

The meteor drew a long arc and fell, painting a red trail.

It looked just like a smiling lip.

The signal of destruction was looking at me and sneering.

‘From this moment on, the prologue is effectively over.’

The gunshot that should have rung out never did.

The person who should have died is alive, and because of that, everything will change.

Above all, I, of all people, exist in this place right now.

‘I will never let things flow as they did in the original story.’

I will survive, no matter what.

Whatever it takes.

---

After watching the meteor, I moved again.

Before long, I arrived at the bridge inside the airship.

‘About 4 hours until the destination, huh.’

Looking at the control panel, there was still some time left until arrival.

It wasn’t an unbearable distance.

However, the problem was that there was no food on the airship.

‘Damn it, do I have to eat emergency rations? According to the lore, it’s supposed to taste terrible.’

Noah, the protagonist of the side story, is a guy who doesn’t know the joy of eating.

He’s a guy who survived on the nutrient solution provided by the Old Ones, believing it to be the pinnacle of gastronomy.

It’s easier to understand if you think of him as someone who only ever ate things like military rations every day.

‘At this rate, I’m really going to end up eating military rations. Should I ask Wyrcana if it has any food? No, it might get angry that I’m bothering it for no reason.’

Our relationship was already a bit awkward from the first meeting.

I couldn’t just go “Gimme food, gimme gimme” in the middle of that, could I?

‘Come to think of it, where is it right now?’

At that point, a question suddenly arose.

Unlike before, Wyrcana was excessively quiet.

It must have known I was wandering around.

Does it have something else to do?

“Wyrcana? Wyrcana!”

–…Why are you calling.

The reply came back immediately.

But there was a slight edge to its tone.

“What, were you sleeping?”

-Is that not allowed?

“It’s not that it’s not allowed. I just had something I wanted to ask.”

-What is it.

At this point, I was certain.

Wyrcana, this one, is in a bad mood right now.

‘The reason… well, there are probably many.’

Calling it out of the blue and then threatening it?

Throwing a tantrum to let the crown prince’s party inside?

‘The problem is there are too many things I can think of.’

I stopped my stray thoughts and cleared my throat.

It’s not a good idea to let the emotional rift between us grow.

It’s better to resolve it now.

The problem is whether it will accept it.

Is there any harm in trying?

“Wyrcana, do you have a moment?”

–…What?

“If you have time, I was thinking we could talk a bit.”

–…Me? With you?

Wyrcana’s voice trembled.

It was as if it was saying, “A conversation? You, of all people?”

Seriously, does it have to be so obvious even if it dislikes me?

“We haven’t had a long talk since I woke up. So let’s do it now. How about it?”

The reply didn’t come back immediately.

It seemed to be contemplating something.

Wow, my image really has gone to sh*t.

Was threatening suicide three times in one day a bit too much?

---

Before long, Wyrcana accepted the proposal.

-Alright. I did think we needed some time to talk at least once.

“Good thinking. How about we talk here, now?”

-Wait. I will create a vessel and come to you myself.

“A vessel? You probably don’t have many resources to spare, do you?”

-How do you know that… Never mind. Let’s just meet and talk.

The voice gradually faded.

It seems the talk about preparing a vessel wasn’t a joke, but real.

‘A vessel. Are the resource reserves okay?’

Wyrcana’s main body is the airship I’m currently on.

But that’s not all there is to it.

In the end, the most important thing is its consciousness itself.

In other words, it’s entirely possible to create and connect to an additional body.

-Hiss

A moment later, a door opened in the corner of the bridge.

What appeared was a small girl in a pure white dress.

Her pure white hair with green two-tone highlights was quite impressive.

‘But why is it a girl, for f*ck’s sake.’

I couldn’t hide my bewilderment upon seeing the girl.

No, this is different from what was originally mentioned.

In the original work, it came out from inside some strange doll.

Why does it look like that now?

“Is there a problem?”

“…What’s with that body?”

“This? As you can see, it’s a temporary body. A body created with the Old Ones’ technology, just like you.”

Wyrcana gently caressed its own body.

Perhaps because the humming sound effect was gone.

Even its voice sounded like a real girl’s.

“…Well, I get it for now. The vessel doesn’t matter either way.”

“Are you alright? Your face is a little red. You haven’t caught some disease, have you?”

“No way. I have the same kind of body as you.”

I stopped Wyrcana in the middle of reaching out its hand.

‘Why is it actually trying to touch my cheek.’

Leaving its puzzled reaction behind, I immediately moved to the main topic.

“First, I want to hear your thoughts.”

“Alright. What are you curious about?”

“What do you think about all the things I’ve done so far?”

“I think they are foolish and stupid actions. Is that enough?”

A direct hit came right from the start.

Damn, I expected it, but it’s more blunt than I thought.

“Yeah. I expected that.”

“I’m glad you know. Will you stop now?”

“No?”

“……”

“Sorry, but this is also part of my plan, so I can’t help it.”

At my words, Wyrcana’s expression became strange.

It furrowed its brow and bit its lip hard.

It was an expression of someone holding back anger.

“…You.”

“Why?”

“Are you in your right mind? Do you even have any awareness that you are an Old One? Have you forgotten what mission we have?”

The Old Ones, according to the lore, are the first intelligent life forms in the world of [Old Tales].

Based on their advanced technology, they predicted the destruction of the star in the distant future.

In preparation for that, they conceived of a final ark to preserve life and knowledge, and that is none other than me, Noah.

And created as a companion to match that is none other than Wyrcana.

The mission of the Old Ones that it mentioned is to prepare a male and female pair of every living creature on the continent and escape into space.

It is to one day find a new home and continue civilization and life from the star’s reset.

“How grave our mission is. There’s no way you don’t know that. Am I right?”

“There’s no way I wouldn’t know. Of course, I remember.”

I really haven’t forgotten.

I even remember every single letter clearly.

It’s just that ignoring the star’s destruction and running away by ourselves is not the top priority.

Did my inner thoughts show?

The quiet Wyrcana stomped its foot and got angry.

“Then why! Why waste time on those human bastards!”

Thump! Thump!

“You should be making me grow as quickly as possible to complete the mission! I didn’t wait for you all this time just to waste time on guys like that!”

Wyrcana grabbed my arm and pleaded as if reasoning with me.

“As your companion, I beg you. Please come to your senses, even now.”

“…”

“It’s impossible to save them anyway. If it were possible, our sleeping ancestors would have found a way long ago. Don’t you think?”

Wyrcana’s words are not wrong.

The Old Ones’ technology is the best in the world.

Even though a long time has passed since they fell into slumber, the world still hasn’t caught up to even a fraction of the Old Ones’ technology.

I have no intention of denying that either.

“You’re right. Our ancestors failed, so it would be foolish for me to try and stop it alone.”

“I’m glad you know. Have you come to your senses now?”

“But, there’s no guarantee that I’ll fail, is there?”

“…What?”

“You have to try until you can’t anymore. Don’t you think?”

I’m sorry to Wyrcana, but escaping the star is my last resort.

Why? Because terraforming a planet that has turned to ash seems harder than this.

‘Of course, the only problem is that the basis for that is solely my knowledge. Explaining this in detail would be a bad move.’

It’s not baseless confidence. It’s just that explaining it is too damn hard.

In the end, I have no choice but to force my way through for now.

Still, it’s better than terraforming.

Having to play Adam on a strange planet. Honestly, it’s not even funny.

“…Your stubbornness is truly terrible.”

“I’m sorry. For not being able to give you the answer you wanted.”

“It’s fine. I didn’t expect to persuade you in the first place.”

Wyrcana didn’t show much of a reaction.

As she said just now, it seems she didn’t expect to be able to persuade me in the first place.

Is it because its back looked so pitiful?

I unknowingly added a few words.

“But don’t worry too much. I have a plan too.”

“What do you mean? Helping those worm-like things on the ground?”

“Do you really have to be so sarcastic? That’s not it, I mean I won’t neglect our long-cherished wish. We have to collect the animals in pairs anyway, right? Let’s just look for other ways while we’re at it. Doesn’t that sound a bit better?”

“……”

At my words, Wyrcana’s expression becomes slightly strange.

It seems its mood has lightened a little.

Is it that happy that I haven’t forgotten our long-cherished wish?

‘It’s funny how its reactions are so transparent.’

I shouldn’t be doing this.

A playful spirit wells up within me without my knowing.

“Oh oh?”

“? What is it?”

“Your mouth corners are about to go up, aren’t they?”

“…”

“I can see you consciously trying to hold it back?”

“Shut up!”

Wyrcana swings its fists around.

Its small white fists flew lightly towards me-

“Ack! Sht! That fcking hurts!”

“Anyway, keep this in mind!”

“What? What should I keep in mind? Your fist?”

“Haven’t you been hit enough?!”

Wyrcana raised its fist again.

I quickly curled up.

Please don’t.

“I mean, don’t forget that I am one with you! Be careful not to get caught up in strange things and die a pointless death!”

“That’s obvious. I have no intention of risking my precious life either.”

“Good to know!”

Wyrcana turned its head with a flick.

It wasn’t that it was offended.

It was just embarrassed and awkward, so it got angry first.

‘What a little brat. I’ll let it slide since I’d probably lose if we fought.’

Truly the behavior of a child itself.

But contrary to its appearance, its fist is quite spicy.

If we fought by yakuza rules, I think I would lose. Not a joke, for real.

“By the way, Wyrcana.”

“What!”

My ears are going to fall off.

“There’s something I’m curious about. If, by any chance, I were to die-“

“Don’t say such rubbish!”

It raised its fist again.

Hey, I told you not to.

Has this b*tch developed a taste for it?

“It’s just a ‘what if’. Anyway, if I were to die, what would you do then?”

“…Are you asking the obvious? Of course, I would have to die with you.”

I was at a loss for words for a moment.

This is a little different from what I expected.

“That’s too extreme. Isn’t there an option like carrying out the mission alone?”

“Alone? Don’t be ridiculous. What could I do all alone and lonely? I’d rather die.”

Wyrcana grumbled that I was talking nonsense again.

I sensed something strange in her reaction.

When she mentioned being lonely, her tone was especially forceful.

‘It has been waiting for me to wake up for a long time.’

The grand plan of the Old Ones has been passed down from the distant past.

And the ark’s consciousness had to endure that long time all alone.

After recalling those facts, I belatedly began to understand Wyrcana’s way of thinking a little.

Along with the mission, my existence itself is no different from its reason for living.

‘This is making me feel weird. I hate this kind of thing.’

I hate it when the atmosphere gets unnecessarily heavy.

If you act like this, how am I supposed to react?

“Hug me?” I can’t do that.

Let’s not be awkward like this.

For that reason, I quietly straightened my collar.

Then I kicked the bewildered Wyrcana’s as as hard as I fcking could.

-Whack!

“?!”

Kya!

The sound of a peach bursting!

“Are you insane?!”

“Yeah, well, then it can’t be helped.”

“?”

“Then I’ll just have to try harder.”

I looked at it and smiled quietly.

After talking, my resolve seemed to have grown stronger.

A clear mindset that I must avoid the worst ending at all costs had settled deep within my chest.

‘Let’s just give it a try. It’s even a field I know well.’

Hoo… I steeled my resolve and took a deep breath.

A small fist flew towards my face like a bullet.

Ah, f*ck.

---

A few hours later, in an empty space inside the airship.

Crown Prince Alexios met the mysterious young man Noah again.

“I thought about what you said.”

“What is it?”

Noah answered bluntly.

For some reason, one side of his face was slightly swollen.

‘Did he get hit somewhere?’

Alexios instinctively averted his eyes from the wound.

It was too scary to even mention.

“Ahem, ahem. …It seems that the neutral nobles are a real concern.”

“I see.”

“What do you think I should do about them?”

“It’s no big deal. The answer is simple.”

“Oh, really? What should I do?”

“Kill them all.”

“……”

Alexios fell silent.

‘Is this an unfunny joke?’

Just as he was contemplating whether he should force a laugh, Noah opened his mouth again.

“This is not a joke.”

“I-is that so?”

“Yes. And it’s obvious, so don’t force a laugh.”

“……”

“You don’t have to force yourself to look away from my bruise.”

“…By any chance, did I do something wrong? If so, just tell me. I can’t breathe because it’s so uncomfortable.”