episode_0039

While Sylvia was on her way to meet Ian, she heard the story of ‘Sylvia the Beggar Girl’.

Because of that, I was able to clearly recall scenes that had become blurred beyond my memory.

‘Are you hungry?’

Four years ago, Ian came to her while she was begging, bringing a white cat.

She doesn’t know why Ian’s name was changed to ‘Philip’.

I know Philip is one of Ian’s attendants.

Did Ian use a fake name on purpose?

Why was Penny looking for that person named ‘Philip’ so much?

… Nothing can be known.

Ian wasn’t the type to talk about his work.

Sylvia didn’t pay attention to what he was doing either.

Not only Sylvia but everyone in the first hero party did the same.

*

“Who are you?”

Young Sylvia, who was about to eat a lot of food, asked again.

When I asked if I was hungry, I first asked who it was.

Ian said he would think about it and asked us to eat first.

There was no hostility so I followed him, but my suspicions remained.

She grew up in an environment where she had to be suspicious of people to survive.

“… That’s right.”

Ian couldn’t come up with an answer for quite some time.

It wasn’t a question that could be asked simply by introducing a name.

Although the imperial family was establishing a warrior-related system as suggested by Ian, it was not stable.

So there was no name called manager.

“Who can’t leave hungry kids like you alone?”

“There are many children other than me who are starving.”

“Then… Let’s say you stood out in particular.”

That’s a ridiculous excuse.

Could it be that the intention is to kidnap them and sell them somewhere?

There are quite a few street children who have disappeared like that.

“Eat first.”

“… … .”

My stomach churned at the feast of food I had never seen before.

Still, Sylvia couldn’t stop eating.

“It’s tricky. I understand, but.”

Ian ate his food one bite at a time.

This is to show that you did not take poison or sleeping pills.

“Are you done?”

“… Thank you.”

That is not the end of the proof.

Ian may have been able to hold out because he had special means.

However, I starved for too long to shake off all those doubts.

Sylvia ate her food in a hurry.

Ian, who was sitting in front of her, checked to see if she was eating well and continued to write things down on his own.

“… I had a good time.”

Sylvia said, wiping the food from her mouth with her arm.

After I finished eating, I felt embarrassed that I had eaten too much.

“I guess I was really hungry. Isn’t it enough?”

“… yes. I’m full.”

“What is your name?”

Ian asked knowingly.

“Silvia.”

“Yes, Sylvia. I’m Ian.”

Sylvia thought that name was unusual.

Why did Ian come to see him?

“I know you are a wizard.”

Sylvia froze at that sudden confession.

She has never used magic in front of others.

Whenever I used it for survival, it was a place where no one was watching.

Could it be that this man knew all that? .

“I told you in advance. I have no intention of holding you responsible for what you did.”

“… … .”

The name of the capital of the empire was meaningless, and homeless people were rampant on the outskirts of the city and outside the walls.

The alley where Sylvia was begging was similar.

In that musty hell, Sylvia had to kill people to survive.

At first it was self-defense.

He tried to take away the share he had begged for, so he killed him with magic.

This happened several times.

Later, in order to take something from others, Sylvia had to hurt others and became accustomed to it.

I did just enough to not die.

Even she doesn’t know if he’s really not dead.

“It’s that kind of world.”

Ian shrugged his shoulders calmly, but he looked bitter.

It was a time when I had to build my survival on the death of others.

“Then, why… .”

“Are you going to keep living like this?”

“… What?”

“You don’t want to keep begging to survive.”

The tone was plain, but the content was aggressive.

Sylvia felt aggrieved at those words.

“What do you know about me… . Me too, I don’t live like this because I want to… !”

“Me too. I wish you lived differently.”

What on earth does this man want to say?

“Ha… . Where should I start talking? Okay, first of all, I’m going to kill the Demon King.”

It was a name too heavy to be mentioned in the capital of the empire.

A demon lord who commands the demons of the northern demon world and is the owner of dungeons that occur on the continent.

A name that exists but everyone wishes it did not exist.

“To do that, I need you to help me… . No, I need someone to kill me instead.”

“Why don’t you do it yourself?”

Those were the days when the second death was still etched in my memory.

Ian often said that.

“I am incompetent.”

Calm self-deprecation.

Without knowing the story, Sylvia felt sorry for him.

“Are you saying that I will be able to kill the Demon King?”

“I’m not sure, but.”

“… It doesn’t make sense.”

“It probably sounds like that now. But you don’t want to live like this.”

“I don’t know what my life has to do with the devil.”

“Why isn’t there? The reason the empire has become so devastated is because of demon kings, demons, and dungeons.”

So kill the devil.

It was a childish saying that eliminating evil would make the world peaceful.

However, I couldn’t ignore it as childish.

“And soon there will be a job called ‘Hero’. If you follow me, you too will become that warrior.”

“… A warrior?”

I couldn’t stand this.

“What kind of childish… .”

“Is it true?”

“You’re so serious that I have nothing to say… .”

“I’m really serious. Anyway, I don’t want to take you by force either.”

“… What changes when you become a warrior?”

“Well… . A lot of things will change, is there anything you wish for?”

Sylvia thought for a moment.

“I don’t want to be hungry.”

“And?”

“I wish others would acknowledge me and not ignore me… .”

“End?”

“What comes to mind right now is yes. Oh, no. I want to be able to be full without hurting others. This is really the end.”

Ian grinned and held out his hand.

“I will make it happen. Do you want to follow me?”

This time, Sylvia thought for a little while.

He couldn’t imagine how holding these hands would change his life in the future.

But at least it won’t be worse than it is now.

Above all, the food was delicious.

I’m also full.

“… I will.”

Sylvia held Ian’s hand.

“But why do you speak informally from the first meeting?”

“How old are you?”

“16… Was it.”

“I’m 20. Okay?”

“Uncle.”

“… What?”

At the beginning of the third episode, Ian was anxious and anxious, but also a little relaxed.

Sylvia was a bold beggar girl.

Time passed quickly.

As promised, Ian made sure Sylvia didn’t go hungry.

Three times a day, they served generous but high-quality meals that seemed excessive.

After being thoroughly washed, I went to a seamstress named Ruby Taylor, who was not famous at the time, and had her dress me in neat clothes.

And Sylvia repeated meaningless physical labor.

I was reluctant at first, but since there was food he gave me, I complied.

The results appeared quickly.

Sylvia’s magic has developed to a point where it cannot be compared to what she used in the alley.

“Look, it’s going to be okay.”

Ian said this to Sylvia, who had improved her level of magic in just one month.

It was the first time I’ve ever heard a real compliment.

Soon, the warrior project promoted by the imperial family began in earnest, and the name ‘Yongsa’ was born.

While others took on reckless challenges, Ian silently trained Sylvia.

When Sylvia finally took the temporary hero promotion test.

The first ‘Big Slime’ appeared there, and Sylvia exploded it with one Ice Spear.

At that time, Sylvia cried when she held the magic stone for the first time.

I don’t know why I cried.

I just cried so hard.

Afterwards, Ian made a name for himself by solving several dungeons with Sylvia.

Not everything was smooth.

“Ian… .”

Sylvia occasionally had to sleep next to Ian.

She didn’t at first, but after being with Ian, she began to fear the murder she had committed.

After that, Sylvia suffered from nightmares, and whenever they got worse, she visited Ian.

Ian would hold her hand and hug her until she fell asleep.

When he found out that the cat he was carrying around was Mine, he went wild.

“Have you been deceiving me and staying with Mine?!”

“Silvia, wait. I’m not trying to deceive you… .”

“They said I was a hero! I told you to kill the demon lord! But how about Mine… .”

I could have been killed by the demon Kati at any time.

Thinking that, Sylvia trembled with fear.

It was accepted only after proving Kati’s various abilities, including infiltration and espionage.

Even after seeing Ian, I just endured it.

Gradually, the number of colleagues increased.

Aria, Beatrice, Kylie.

There was friction every time I joined them with bad personalities, but thanks to Ian’s mediation, we were able to become colleagues.

One day Sylvia asked:

“What is Ian’s dream?”

“Dream? Suddenly?”

“Just. Kill the devil and bring world peace?”

“Well, if it’s a dream, it can be called a dream.”

“… Really?”

Sylvia, who was silent for a moment, grinned.

“I will make that happen.”

And two years have passed since I was with Ian.

Sylvia couldn’t be hungry anymore.

Even if you don’t want to be recognized by others, you have reached a position where you have no choice but to be recognized.

The Empire’s first SS-rank party was born.

One day when a city tour was scheduled.

Ian checked Sylvia’s attire that day as well.

A hero who needs to be seen well by citizens needed such a process.

“… Ian.”

Sylvia called out to Ian, who was looking down at her, in a trembling voice.

“Yes, actual cost.”

From some time on, she was called by the nickname Sylvie.

The same was true for Aria, Beatrice, and Kylie.

“Once the tour is over… I have something to say. Are you going to listen?”

Sylvie tried hard to hide her wet voice.

“You should listen to what Silbi says.”

Ian said it as if it was obvious, and Sylvie smiled brightly.

The birth of the SS-class warrior party that destroyed the first S-class dungeon that ate away at multiple cities.

After a tour to congratulate him and inspire humanity to triumph.

Sylvie visited Ian’s room late at night.

“Ian… .”

Days, weeks, even months.

I’ve been waiting for today.

I was scared, but I was even more excited.

“I like it.”

I was so ashamed of the excitement I had for the first time in my life that I had a hard time sleeping.

The shame was so sweet that just rolling it on my tongue made my tongue go numb.

My heated heart was unusually pounding.

I’m so happy just with that excitement, but what happens if I show that to the other person and get recognized?

I felt like I might die of happiness.

“No.”

It’s been almost two years.

Even though we’ve become close in a normal way, it’s been a long time.

The person who changed his life.

“I love you.”

To love, it is excessive and excruciatingly long and enough time.

Wouldn’t my precious and ticklish true feelings be rejected by him?

It wasn’t like I didn’t have those worries, but it was too much of a waste of time to overshadow my happiness with negative thoughts.

I didn’t want to picture a future where my heart would freeze and break just by imagining it.

“Actual cost… , that… .”

Sylvie was both afraid and excited about what answer would come out of his mouth.

Just imagining how their relationship would change in the future made my heart explode.

Ian hesitated and carefully opened his mouth.