episode_0073

Inside the cave, the sound of something hitting something continued to echo.

-Thump!, thump!, thump!

A noise so loud it’s hard to believe it’s the sound of your head hitting the ground.

“…”

I rolled my eyes and looked towards the direction where the sound was coming from. I saw Lucius, whose face was completely covered in blood, and Elia, who was hugging him from behind and crying while trying to stop the warrior.

“Lucius, stop it…! Please… I’m okay!”

“… Sorry.”

Lucius is suffering from some kind of PTSD, and despite Elia’s attempts to stop him, he keeps apologizing.

My feelings when I look at it are….

“Um… .”

To be honest, I was so indifferent that even I was embarrassed.

I didn’t spend too long wondering why.

That would be the case, after all, aren’t they like the protagonists in novels? Aren’t they warriors and saints who overcome adversity and trials to become stronger and eventually find their way to growth, even if they wander?

Even if you want to worry, you just can’t.

Some people might say, ‘No matter what, it’s because of you that this happened, so shouldn’t you feel guilty?’ That’s not even funny.

I will honestly answer those who ask, ‘Why should I do that?’

If that had been the original flow from the beginning, if I had never been born into this world.

I and Anonymous do not exist here.

That means that the saint and Lucius would come here alone.

Do you know what would happen if that happened?

Lucius, the warrior, could not even approach that jackal properly, and instead, he could not properly protect the saint, which could have put him in danger.

Isn’t that right?

Even Lucius, who can observe the fleeting future, is not invincible, as he was to me.

If there were no one here, and the chain that would have been split in two was all directed at Lucius, would it have been destroyed so easily?

It may be a bit embarrassing to say this, but didn’t you carry the burden of being a saint?

Even so, try to think as positively as possible.

Even if we somehow managed to break through through some ridiculous miracle, the jackal would have recovered its power and escaped.

I can say this with certainty.

If it weren’t for me and Anonymous, I would have definitely been defeated by the Jackal.

In that situation, the existence of a country, the existence of anonymity.

Anyone who knew how much I helped in this fight would never say that I was harsh.

What is the symbol?

We should be satisfied with the fact that we were able to pass the situation over in this way, without any damage being done.

Feeling frustrated at the situation, I let out a deep sigh.

It’s so unfair.

Just by being born at the right time and being chosen by God, you gain that unyielding will and the strength to overcome adversity.

Of course… I know they are trying too.

How don’t you know?

The muscles clinging to my body, the calluses on my hands, and the scars that are hidden but not visible on the outside.

Because it is something that cannot be achieved without painstaking effort.

“Lucius…!!”

“…”

But that’s it.

I really don’t think they achieved that level of skill through effort alone.

As people often say, there must have been some kind of coincidence.

For example, the internal energy that shines brightly, the connection between the warrior and the saint, and even Camilla in the North and the people who raised them to become like that.

It’s all fate.

If we go a little further, I might also become an opportunity for them.

It’s truly absurd.

Rather, shouldn’t you be happy that no one got hurt and that you were able to defeat the demon without any problems? Why on earth are you banging your head on the ground in this situation and lamenting that you couldn’t catch the demon?

Why ruin an atmosphere that could have been good?

“…”

I chewed my lips. A bitter taste lingered on my tongue.

Negative thoughts began to creep into my head, slowly creeping in.

But, that won’t work.

Because I am a teacher.

Because I am a teacher who must show only good things to my disciple, Myeong.

So, in order to get over it alone, I want to lament a little.

Before speaking.

I also fully recognize that this is an exaggerated leap based on my delusions of persecution.

…

What makes me different from them?

It’s been 300 years since I was chosen by that damn god, lost my precious relationship without any warning or reason, and fell here.

For 300 years, I have been swinging my sword, swallowing only my hatred and being lost, alone, without any information or purpose.

During those 300 long years, what chance did I have? What reward did I receive?

There is nothing.

There is really nothing.

Rather, it is to the point where I doubt whether it was God’s intention to make such a stupid expression and act like he doesn’t know anything, and to chatter like this with them.

They just feel like tools that are thrown away in broad daylight to be used to help them overcome adversity.

I would rather be used like this… .

Yeah, wouldn’t it be a small revenge to ruin the picture that the great god wanted?

“…”

He shook his head roughly.

I need to calm down a bit. My head is overheating.

If I keep being consumed by these thoughts, I feel like I’ll end up doing something bad to them.

Then it would be difficult for anonymity.

Just as I was about to move my feet to comfort the warrior,

“Master.”

Anonymous put his hand on my shoulder.

Hmm, what does my expression look like right now? If possible, I don’t want to show my ugly side to Anonymous.

After turning my head slightly so that the anonymous person couldn’t see my expression, I opened my mouth.

“Ah, anonymous.”

“Did the Master do something?”

“…”

I flinched and trembled at those words, which seemed to blame me.

However, I didn’t want to hide my ugly true nature from Anmyeong and lie, so I nodded my head slightly.

… You must be disappointed with this pitiful teacher.

So, with such a small tension, I waited for the anonymous words.

“As expected, you are the master!”

“… Hmm?”

At the sound of a voice that was too loud and out of place, I turned my head to look at the nameless person.

Myeong-i looked at me with the corners of his lips raised and a childish smile on his face.

“I was so stupid that I couldn’t figure out how to send that demon away, so I was at a point where I had to choose between the two.”

The anonymous voice was full of life.

“Master, didn’t you choose both sides, to the point where my worries seemed foolish?”

A somewhat burdensome respect began to show on the anonymous expression that could not be hidden, or rather, that he had no intention of hiding.

Huh…? Why is Anonymous acting like this? Has he ever supported me so openly before…?

I’m a little embarrassed by the exaggerated praise.

But, regardless of my feelings, for some reason the corners of my lips were about to rise.

“Is that so…?”

“Yes, indeed, you are the Master.”

The nameless eyes sparkled.

I stared into those nameless eyes, biting my lips and barely opening my mouth.

“How great was it?”

The words that came out were, ironically enough, words meant to satisfy the need for recognition.

And the anonymous person answered my request with a faint smile.

“What can I say, I am proud of the past 7 years I have served you, Master.”

Just a moment ago, I felt like I was sinking into the abyss, but now that I’ve swallowed the nameless words, I’m floating up and feeling like I’m reaching for the sky.

I want to keep this feeling for a little longer.

So, even though I knew the answer, I asked the anonymous person again.

“Are you kidding?”

“This is not a joke.”

The corners of his mouth began to rise as if they were hanging over his ears.

I want to hear a little, a little more.

I turned my body, stepped forward in front of the nameless man, and jumped up. The nameless man was not flustered by me and stretched out his arms to catch me.

My pitch-black, silent eyes began to appear in the nameless, sparkling ruby eyes.

The anonymous nose and mine touched.

“So, do you really think so?”

“Yes, that is true.”

Anonymous words that seem to fix something twisted inside me.

Even though the place we are in is a cold, dark, damp cave.

“Really, is that really so?”

“Yes, that is indeed true.”

For some reason, it felt cozy and warm, and I smiled brightly.

Oh, so it wasn’t like I didn’t get anything in return.

I too, had a bit of a coincidence.

“That’s right!”

“Yes, that is true.”

Unlike the warrior and the saint, we looked at each other and smiled like fools, out of place.

…

Meanwhile, the jackal escaped safely from this situation.

“Your Majesty… Where on earth am I…?”

He was standing before a statue that looked somehow familiar, and countless people were kneeling and bowing down.

I saw a strange sight.

“Long live!!”

The statue they are bowing to is not that of the Demon King who sent them here.

There was a word written on it that contained the name of a demon I had never seen before, Cheonma (天魔).

“… What is this.”