episode_0078

The day I head home after finishing the punitive ritual.

“…My head hurts.”

Shiron, who was carrying a large backpack, groaned. The boy crossed his arms and frowned, looking like he was in great agony.

He responded to the emperor’s invitation, killed the witch who threatened King Jeongjo, and overcame the murderous intent that had been radiating from Lucia. I thought we would overcome one crisis after another, but the last crisis has not yet been resolved.

Siriel Prien.

The girl’s existence, which I had kept in the pocket of my heart, began to stick out like a sharp nail.

‘You’ll be angry, right? I’m going to be angry. Anyway. It’s obvious that he shed tears, asking why he took Lucia, who was the same age as him, but left him alone…’

“Ugh…”

Siron sighed deeply.

It was easier than eating cake to guess how heartbroken my little sister must have been. They said there were mountains beyond mountains, but they ended up facing a new crisis.

‘Now it’s difficult to hate Siriel.’

There are countless efforts Siron has made to win Siriel’s heart.

Every time I got a compliment, I would put a candy in her mouth, I would squeeze her hair every day so she wouldn’t get tired of it, and sometimes we would read that funny storybook together on a bench in the garden.

You might think that flirting with a child is a big deal, but it was all done to gain Siriel’s complete trust.

What is the point of having good friends and family? Even if your relationship is not good, the longer you see each other, the more affection becomes established in your heart. Even if Siriel’s rebellious phase comes, wouldn’t it be likely that she would at least ask for a favor because of how we used to play together when we were kids?

So, he shouldn’t have been hated by Siriel even more, but bringing Siriel to the punitive festival was another story.

Even though the knights were fiercely guarding the tent, Ailee Suarez succeeded in breaking through the guard and attacking Siron using a strange method. Because Lucia was unharmed by the witch’s attack, I didn’t even want to imagine what kind of danger it would have been if it had been Siriel who had been attacked.

However, Siron did not have the talent to explain the inside story to Siriel, nor did he have the ability to convince her.

Even if you understand it with your head, people still have feelings of disappointment in their hearts.

However, Siron knew how to receive as little hate as possible. Siron decided to use a slightly snobbish method.

“What does Siriel like…”

Siron had been wandering around the duty-free shop for a while.

Although Arwen Plateau Station was an isolated building in the middle of a vast ocean-like meadow,

Since it was a large station with the top floor measuring over 90 meters, it was natural that there was a duty-free shop.

Didn’t Hugo, who was away from home on frequent business trips, shower Eldrina with gifts? From there, Siron got an idea.

“…I think you’ll be happy just buying anything.”

Lucia, who was following Siron, muttered quietly. I didn’t know what this was going on in the morning breeze, but Lucia was also curious about what kind of gift Siron would buy, so she took heavy steps.

But that also has its degrees.

Lucia looked at the clock on the corridor wall.

[11:20 am]

“…There are thirty minutes left until the train leaves. I have to decide soon.”

Lucia said as if urging a little.

“If you have a hard time choosing, would you like me to choose for you?”

“…you?”

Siron looked back at Lucia with a slightly distrustful expression.

However, Lucia did not point out Siron’s attitude or get angry. Instead, she shrugged her shoulders and looked relaxed.

“Even after seeing this, I’m still the same girl as Siriel.”

“…right.”

“So, to put it simply, there is a high possibility that Siriel will like the item I chose.”

Lucia raised her hand and pointed to a certain point. There was a souvenir shop there with a somewhat quiet atmosphere.

“I saw it earlier as I was passing by. How about buying a pancake set? I bought one too.”

Lucia handed a cardboard box to Siron. The box, wrapped in colorful paper, looked far from sophisticated.

Siron narrowed his eyes and looked at Lucia.

“Jeonbyeong. That’s something that only grandparents like. Would Cyriel, who is still ten years old, like that? Maybe it’s a roll cake.”

“Me too…”

I’m also ten years old.

The words welled up in her throat, but Lucia had no choice but to keep her mouth shut. Lucia wasn’t that shameless. It pricked my conscience to hide the fact that I was a reincarnated person and act like a child, but speaking out was an even higher hurdle than acting.

‘Jeonbyeong, isn’t it delicious…’

Lucia lowered her head and hugged the cardboard box back. She wanted to refute the statement that only older people like pancakes, but she couldn’t bear to say anything because she had seen Yohan buying pancakes with a grin a moment ago.

‘Now that I think about it, if they bought buffalo milk cheese or horse milk wine, they bought it, but no one bought pancakes…’

“As expected, it’s a rural area.”

Siron, who was looking at the display case, clicked his tongue and looked away.

The face of the employee who was responding momentarily hardened, but it didn’t matter to Siron.

“No matter how I look at it, there’s nothing I like.”

“…Then what are you going to do? Going empty-handed?”

“It can’t be.”

Siron stared at the wooden box Lucia was carrying on her back.

It was an elixir made from mermaid’s blood, given as a reward during the subjugation ceremony. But Lucia had no intention of taking the elixir.

Lucia was also feeling guilty for leaving out Siriel.

“I heard you are giving the elixir to Siriel… I can’t do it even if it hurts my pride. At least give me a gift equivalent to that elixir to ease my stomach.”

“…When you say it like that, it makes it sound like I did something wrong.”

“Anyway, I have nothing to buy here, so let’s go.”

‘I should stop by the auction house or something.’

Siron decided to take advantage of the next opportunity.

*

That time. Arwen Plateau Station Square.

It was almost time for lunch, but Malleus Garibaldi had been sleeping and skipping meals since yesterday.

Malleus was not the type of person who performed penance without compensation, but he had been personally treating the wounded from the punitive system since yesterday.

It should have been finished a long time ago, but there was no sign of it ending because the schedule overlapped with the preparation of the report on the witch hunt.

Some people had doubts about the appearance of the leader of the Holy Mace Knights. However, the patients he was in charge of were people to whom Malleus, who could handle cardinal-level sacred techniques, had no choice but to personally intervene.

“Are you here again this year?”

“I’m being rude and rude.”

“Let’s take a look at the refund first.”

Dexter Dras smiled brightly at Malleus. Then, the front teeth fell out here and there, revealing the messed up teeth.

Malleus concentrated his mind and activated the holy law. Holy light came out from his hands and healed the affected area.

Then, something that could only be called a miracle happened.

Clud-

Just as seeds sprout from the ground in spring, teeth began to erupt from the gums.

“Hmm…”

Dexter pursed his lips a few times, then took a mirror and looked at his face. Not just missing teeth. Even the tooth that was vaguely shaken was completely healed.

But Dexter felt a little disappointed.

“As expected. I can’t recover.”

“I’m sorry…”

Although he received a holy treatment that allowed his fallen teeth to grow again, his crushed face was not healed. Dexter’s sunken, scarred face was a big complex. He knew it too. It’s not that his face is so damaged that it’s hard to see, but that it’s damaged to the point where he hates it and avoids it…

‘It’s always scary…’

Dexter looked at the abomination reflected in the mirror. The face, which could only be described as a monster, was distorted to the point that it was disgusting to look at it in person.

Because of this horrendously ugly wound, Dexter was unable to face his only child properly. Siron Prien was the only child who smiled even after seeing his ugly face.

“Well, thank you for your hard work.”

“…Thank you for your hard work, brother.”

Dexter walked away, putting a bag full of gold coins on the table. The sight of him leaving the tent was a sight familiar to many high-ranking priests, including Malleus.

The wound, which could not be repaired even with the healing techniques of someone as powerful as a cardinal, always made Malleus questionable.

However, it’s not like I haven’t asked him before. I have been asked several times in the past where on earth he got such scars and came back alive. Dexter remained silent throughout.

When many priests tried to talk about his scars, Dexter hurriedly left the room with a dark shadow on his face.