episode_0037

There was nothing more cruel than not respecting the feelings of others and asking for confirmation even though I knew it wasn’t right, so I just dealt with this situation with a bitter smile. So that [Steel Slime] wouldn’t notice this fake smile.

dump..

“Now that I think about it, the name ‘Cheol’ is very insincere. right?”

＂Could you please give me a name?＂

As I remember the time we spent together and everything we achieved thanks to it, I gently stroke [Steel Slime]’s body with such apologetic feelings.

Slippery..!

It’s no different from Ernie. Did you understand how I felt?

[Steel Slanim], who was feeling my gently brushing hand, simply said that she was happy to be given a name, and just rubbed her body as if she was enjoying it.

‘It’s a name…’

So I start to think for a moment.

At some point, [Steel Slime] appeared and became a source of support whenever I was having a hard time.

Although it started out as simple curiosity, it was such a precious presence that gave me unforgettable strength.

Of course, even if the time spent with [Steel Slime] was not that long, we could both feel that this bond was by no means as short and fleeting as the time of meeting.

“Jane..”

Did Janes’ appearance overlap with this [Steel Slime]? I muttered quietly.

just as expected. [Steel Slime], who heard the name “Jane” as if this cold was no problem, started circling around me again and seemed happier than ever.

I felt a part of her in [Steel Slime], who was able to evolve by consuming Jane’s armor… I look at Jane and try to ignore the feelings of longing and loneliness that are slowly coming over me.

So that Jane, who is so happy, doesn’t get embarrassed.

“Thank you so much for being by my side all this time. Jane..”

I show my bright smile again.

“But for me… I can’t take you with me.”

“If I take you, Jane, it will definitely leave a big scar on both sides.”

Today was the first time I realized how difficult and burdensome it is to say such a bitter farewell. But still, I had to make up my mind and make a choice again.

Even for our mutual future.

“Someday, when I become bigger and stronger, I will bring you back then.”

“So.. can you trust me and wait for me?”

This may be a selfish thing to say.

Even if Jane rejects me and abandons me, I have to understand.

But at this moment, I had to be more honest with Jane than ever.

I thought that only sincere facts, not excuses, could comfort Jane who would be left alone in the future. Maybe it’s just my imagination, but…

Slippery…

Jane’s movements, which had been lively just a moment ago, soon faded away and she just quietly came to me and leaned next to me.

Uk-sik.. Uk-shik..

My heart aches because of the pain of my first breakup.

Slippery!

A long tentacle extends from Jane’s body and covers the back of my hand.

It felt as if it meant that it would wait for me, and I decided to put some magic into Jane’s tentacle that was touching the back of my hand.

“Sorry..”

Even if you forget me.

I was conveying my selfish heart and gratitude for the person to remember this feeling of magic.

＂See you then.. Jane.＂

I finished all the preparations like that. I left a short greeting to Jane saying I would return and began my journey out of the frigid cave.

***

At that time…

Upon hearing the news that no clue to Dahuin’s whereabouts had been found yet, his father, Hahuint, was unable to control his sorrowful emotions, holding his chest as if he was in pain.

“I’m really sorry for not being able to protect this father.”

He just… prayed desperately to that blue moon that rose so pitifully and prayed again today.

＂My son.. Dahyun..＂

“please..”

How great a pain it is for a parent to feel the loss of a family member. I could personally feel that the corners of Hahint’s eyes were turning red without tears, and because he spent every day in tears, his health was deteriorating day by day, and he was now so weak that even standing up was difficult.

＂Please..stay safe..＂

Just like that today… Hahyunt’s sad cries quietly spread throughout the mansion, and only after the attendants who were taking care of him clung to him and managed to calm him down, he fell into a fainting sleep, unable to withstand his exhausted body.

That night..

[Gobblet] The suspect who kidnapped Da-hein in the midst of the chaos caused by the group’s attack was finally revealed to be Janes, the dedicated driver.

Naturally, none of the female knights who heard this for the first time seemed to be unable to easily accept that Janes had done such a thing.

That’s right, Janes, who valued the pride and loyalty that a knight should have… not only did not show any motive for kidnapping his master, but unlike his silent personality, he always showed a lot of emotion towards Da-heein and took care of his family. It was because he acted like he was treating me.

Moreover, it was none other than Dincia who confirmed Janes’ loyalty and appointed him as Dahein’s exclusive knight.

Swordsmanship and a trained mind that rival those of a {Knight in Service}… Why did she, who is beyond reproach, make such a choice?

Even if she wasn’t the culprit, at that moment… if she had to protect Dahein from the [Goboldt] attack, she would have had to hold out until the end in front of the door where the [security device] was always on.

However, looking at the circumstances of Janes disappearing with Da-hein without a trace without leaving behind any clues, the fact that she directly participated in the kidnapping was revealed even more clearly, making him a prime suspect in the kidnapping case. .

Dincia was reminded of Janes’ family, whom she had always known, and headed straight to their residence inside the village. However, only the bodies of an adult woman and man who appeared to be her parents were visible there, and they had been butchered quite brutally. He died in a gruesome manner.

＂It’s neat..＂

Judging by the fact that the house was not in disarray, it was clear that something had quickly overpowered it, and as I followed the corpse’s cold eyes towards the kitchen…

Even more so, there was only the head of a young boy who had been brutally murdered.

Excited.. Excited..

Dincia was not shaken at all even when she saw the couple’s bodies.

Barely holding on to my trembling hands, I began to look for traces around me.

As a parent raising a son like me…

Dincia, who immediately figured out how they died, barely suppressed her shaking heart and looked closely at the cut of the neck.

‘As expected… did they use my son?’

The knife cut cleanly without a single hesitation…

‘There are no emotions whatsoever.’

＇I swung it without hesitation solely for the purpose..＇

Dincia, who knew Janes’ usual behavior of prioritizing the safety of her family above anyone else, was able to vaguely guess that she was not the main culprit.

‘Only the left hand of the corpse is not visible..’

Dincia began to have doubts as she tried to find her left hand, which had been brutally dismembered.

Why was this scene, where it was proven that Janes was not the main culprit, neglected like this?

＇Did I look down on you..?

Recognizing the mysterious presence that seems to be deliberately trying to reveal his existence, Dincia suppresses his rising anger, gathers his emotions so as not to cloud his judgment, and begins heading to the mansion with the organized evidence.

“Arrange and preserve the body well and do not allow anyone to lift it here.”

The female knights who moved quickly could clearly feel Dincia’s short and clear command.

The deep anger of Dincia, their owner and the lord of this village…

***

As usual, blue moonlight began to shine through the window.

“Hahint..”

Dincia, who had no choice but to watch Hahyunt fall asleep, exhausted from crying, gently holds his hand and closes his eyes.

The fact that there was nothing she could do for him, her only husband and half of her life, only made Dincia even more miserable.

＂If you also fall…＂

＂When Dahyun comes back… how will my son feel?＂

In wars between countries… Even when a colleague with whom I shared a deep friendship died for his own life, and no matter how difficult and arduous the task was, there were tears that could not be seen…

Now, Dincia’s eyes are slowly starting to pool, and the focus of his vision is gradually blurring.

perhaps..

I wonder if I will never be able to find it.

Does Da-Hin no longer exist in this world?

As time goes by, these tragic and miserable thoughts come to mind… I decide to come to my senses again, as if I can’t believe the reality that I was caught up in these feelings without my knowledge.

Sigh..

“Honey… promise me.”

“I won’t give up..”

Hahyunt, who was the only one who could see and accept this weak side of Dinsia, held her rough hand tightly and desperately told her when it happened.

＂Definitely my son Dahein..＂

“I will definitely bring you.”

Dincia lowered her head and opened her mouth as if whispering quietly, thinking that Hahyunt’s words had made her weak-hearted just a moment ago.

Dincia, who was stroking Hahyunt’s pure white hair, wipes away the tears that were quietly flowing and covers his tossing and turning body with a blanket.