episode_0057

The old man, who is spouting blood like a fountain and rolling on the ground, a man looking at the old man with a slightly bewildered expression, and Lian, hesitating on whether to call Gargandoa while restrained and looking at the spouting blood.

It was a mess in its own right.

“Kkuuk, kkuheuheuk…”

Bansuk had a well-maintained body for his age. Moreover, whenever there was something wrong with his body, he had always maintained the best condition by being examined by the best healers, priests, and magicians. That’s why this terrible pain was unfamiliar to him.

“Tsk tsk, you should be more careful.”

Lian looked at Bansuk with a sympathetic gaze in his mind. In fact, it was all because of Lian’s comedy filter that Bansuk was rolling on the ground and laughing.

In the world of comedy, an old man was a being who could easily strain his back even with a little effort. Especially when doing something strenuous, there was a high probability that his back would go out.

Even a body managed with money would only suffer fairly in front of the comedy filter. Lian looked at Bansuk and then turned his gaze to the man who was looking at the old man with a bewildered expression.

“Excuse me, how long do I have to stay here?”

“…!”

It was too casual to say anything while spouting endless blood from his thigh. Despite being tortured by Bansuk and becoming a man who listened well, his instinct remained.

In front of the utterly incomprehensible bizarre scene, the man froze without saying a word.

***

“Hmm… What should I do?”

I pondered for a moment. The old man in front of me didn’t seem likely to get up and release himself. But the absent-minded man didn’t seem likely to release him either.

The figure of Iris waiting for me flashed before my eyes.

“Yes, there’s an elderly person collapsing in front of me, I should help.”

With that excuse, I decided to free myself. As I silently called Gargandoa, the back of my hand glowed crimson and blood spurted out. Although my wrist was tied, there was no problem grasping something with my hand.

Ssshh.

The sound of water flowing was heard, and a knife suitable for use at any meal was unexpectedly in my hand.

[ Huh? Partner, why are you in such a mess -…. Wait, hold on…! ]

Marquis Ma, who had been puzzled by my bound state, suddenly banged and escaped from his hand, floating in the air.

[ Yiik, Yeeit?! What is this guy, Partner! Could it be that while I was absent, he made a contract with another Marquis Ma? That’s double-dealing! It’s a crime! It’s fraud! ]

He seemed shocked to find another sword stuck in the place where he usually had his own.

“More importantly, could you release me.”

[ What! How important do you think this is! We are bound through a contract, so your blood is all mine! But without any consultation, you’re giving my blood to a stranger…! ]

I sighed at Marquis Ma’s absurd tantrum.

“That’s not it. I didn’t want to stick that sword in either. Besides, this sword isn’t even a Marquis Ma. It can’t absorb blood.”

[ What? What do you mean.. ]

Perhaps because he was too agitated to properly look around, Marquis Ma stumbled over his words and approached my thigh.

“Hmm, well… Indeed, this is just a shabby sword that can be easily found anywhere!”

His voice sounded much lighter, as if his mood had improved.

“Even so, it’s despicable to covet your partner’s blood!”

“I’ll pull it out, so cut the rope.”

[ Hmph, if that’s the case, I’ll help! ]

In an instant, Marquis Ma tore off the belt that had restrained my wrists, ankles, and waist.

Thunk.

I became free. Then Marquis Ma urged me to quickly pull out the shabby sword. Since I had no intention of sticking that blade into my body, I grabbed the handle and pulled it out.

Puhahak!

Once again, blood began to spurt out. At that moment, I heard Marquis Ma taking a deep breath.

Churrrlut!

The flowing and spurting blood began to fly into the air and be absorbed into Marquis Ma’s body. The blood, which rose without any impurities, looked more beautiful than expected.

The bloodthirsty sword, having greedily absorbed the blood, transformed into a size similar to the one that had been drawn out and was deeply embedded in the flowing wound.

“Ow, what are you doing?”

Feeling a sharp sensation as if pricked by a needle at the tip of his finger, he looked at the bloodthirsty sword, which spoke while greedily absorbing the blood.

[Ahem, wouldn’t it be dangerous to leave the wound like this? I’m just playing a special role as a bandage!]

“If that’s the case, there are other techniques. Like a transparent barrier…”

[Hmm… Was there such a thing?]

If the bloodthirsty sword had eyes, it seemed like it would be rolling them madly. Not wanting to struggle anymore, he decided to leave it as it was.

As he got up from his seat, he barely managed to sit up and met the eyes of an old man who was also sitting.

“You, you…!”

“Are you okay?”

Since the old man’s back pain was partly my fault, I reached out to him. As I did, the old man tried to snap at me, gritting his teeth.

“Forget it…! Ahh…”

Raising his voice, the old man clutched his back, seemingly in pain. Touching an elderly person carelessly could cause even greater harm.

At times like this, it was better to borrow someone else’s hand rather than use my own. I withdrew the hand I had extended.

“Sir, it seems like your back is hurting a lot. How about I help you?”

“…?!”

Speaking to the man who remained motionless and frozen, his face turned red with the same confusion as before. The old man, apparently not pleased with his reaction, spoke in a low voice.

“Come here and support me!”

After the old man’s command, the man finally approached and tried to help the old man stand. With the lingering pain in his back, the old man struggled to stand, tears welling up in his eyes.

He looked at Lian, who had become free, and bit his lip.

“You will surely pay for today’s misfortune…”

Leaving behind a villainous line, the old man exited the room with the man. Left alone, Lian scratched his head and then tried to follow them out of the room.

Click.

“…Huh?”

However, the door was locked. Lian hesitated for a moment and then spoke to Magem.

“Garugando, change your form for a moment.”

[I am extremely busy.]

“If you keep doing that, will you skip dinner?”

[Argh… I’m not talking about eating!]

Even so, seeing it smoothly emerge from his thigh, it seemed he didn’t want to go hungry for dinner.

I asked Magem to change in some way by conveying my will to him.

Smoothly.

Magem changed his form into a long wire. It was a magical key that could open any door.

***

While Lian was suffering in the semi-prison, Iris was nervously fidgeting her hands.

“Lian, when will you come?”

She murmured endlessly, unable to speak, and got up from the sofa. Then she headed to the room they shared. She opened the wardrobe on one side and, holding Lian’s neatly folded clothes in her arms, she headed to the bed.

Like a bird building a nest, Iris held Lian’s clothes in her arms and rubbed her face against them. She wanted to see him. She wanted to run out and find him right away.

But she couldn’t.

“I told you to wait. I told you to take good care of the house.”

So she couldn’t. No matter how much she wanted to see him, she had to endure. To withstand the cruel situation, Iris made Lian her lifeline. She was convinced that she had to follow everything he said.

That’s why, no matter how much she missed him, she couldn’t do anything.

“Lian, Lian…”

With her eyes closed, Iris pictured Lian in her mind. A feeling that seemed tangible. Even though Lian was always by her side, he gave her a feeling that he would someday turn to dust and disappear.

For some reason, even Iris didn’t know. It just made Iris feel restless. As she pictured Lian in her mind, naturally, other memories about Lian began to surface.

Lian always comes back from the game without a scratch, but Iris remembered Lian’s hands that healed quickly without leaving any trace of the wound.

How recklessly did he treat his body just because it recovered quickly? How much pain and blood…

The thought of chasing its own tail suddenly stopped.

“Lian, I told you to wait. I told you to take care of the house.”

Iris erased the thought pulling her into the abyss from her mind and recalled Lian’s affectionate voice over and over in her head.

…Otherwise, it felt like it would collapse at any moment.

Thud.

“…!”

At that moment, she heard the sound of the door opening from the entrance. Iris widened her eyes and got up from the bed, heading towards the entrance.

“Iris, I’m out.”

As the affectionate voice she longed for pierced her ears, the smell of blood paralyzed her nose. Her face, which had a faint smile, slowly stiffened.

“Sorry, I’m later than I thought.”

Lian was smiling, covered in blood. As if nothing had happened.