episode_0165

Chapter 6 Episode 21 – Beast Party

warm. No, it’s not so much warm as it is muggy. Plus, something keeps tickling the tip of my nose. A soft, hot sensation and a slightly stinging pain are felt in the forearm.

What the fuck are you doing to me?

The first thing I saw when I opened my eyes was the dog’s tail. No, it was a wolf’s tail. It kept gently rubbing against my face, and it was because of this that the tip of my nose felt itchy.

Tsk– Tsk– Tsk–.

When I turned my head, I saw a red fox cub biting my forearm and sucking blood, laughing loudly. I don’t know how much I ate, to the point where I felt slightly dizzy.

“Time is coming.”

Sigh!

With the other arm, he fed a bamboo stick to Karjen’s head.

“Ugh–!”

“Hot! What!? What’s going on!?”

Ker raised his head in surprise at Karjen’s short words. Why are you burying your face in my crotch again?

“ker. Get out of the way.”

“Ah, Zeke! You’re awake!”

“It’s up, so get out of the way quickly. It’s hot.”

Because he was lying on top of me, Ker’s high body temperature was warming my body. I felt like I would get fat if I continued like this, so I put Ker aside.

However, Ker shook his head with pleading eyes and wanted to stay with me at all costs, so I had no choice but to give up one of his knees.

While I was arguing with Ker, Karjen started licking my arm again.

“……”

“Oh, no. Isn’t it a waste to just throw it away?”

Karjen must have sensed my harsh gaze and muttered as if making an excuse.

Then, blood flowed again from the teeth marks wound on her forearm, and Karjen quickly licked it with her tongue as if ice cream was flowing.

“Ah, this wasteful thing… .”

Meanwhile, Kerr, who was lying on my lap, had been panting and twisting his body.

“Sniff… . The smell of Zeke… .”

Is it because of anemia, or is it because I am relaxed?

It was a truly dizzying situation.

*

*

“Wow… . Zeke, I believed you were alive!”

I thought the situation would be resolved in the morning, but this time even Ryuka, who had woken up, joined in and started clinging to me. Even when he was human, he was so tall that it was very cumbersome.

Kerr is already on my back and hugging me tightly, which is a bonus.

Karjen transformed into a human and crossed her legs in an arrogant manner. I wondered if there was anything wrong with that now, but I didn’t bother to point it out.

“Wow, Zeke. It was so hard for me. They were forced out and flew all day when the sun was up, and when the sun went down, they acted as curtains… . I wasn’t even treated like a human being, huh… .”

“You’re not human.”

“Hueeng… . Even Zeke… .”

Karjen, who was looking at Ryuka as if she was pathetic, clicked her tongue and said.

“Don’t drag your feet. It’s ugly. Even after all that, you’re still a dragon.”

“Hipp… . Zeke, that woman is so scary. A strange tentacle came out and attacked me… .”

It was starting to get annoying, so I roughly comforted Ryuka by stroking his head.

“Tsk. Hiding behind people who are weaker than you. Pathetic thing.”

“Zeek is not weak! He’s much, much stronger than someone like me!”

Ryuka is hiding behind my back and screaming. As usual, if he feels safe, his voice gets louder.

“Both of you be quiet.”

“Heeing… .”

“Heung.”

As the two became quiet, silence fell within the cave.

“ker. Come down.”

I tried to get rid of Ker, who was still clinging to my back, but he remained silent. He didn’t even respond to my orders.

I’m not asleep, why am I like this?

“Ker, I’ll play with you later, so stay away.”

“……No.”

“What? What do you mean it doesn’t work?”

“……I am a bad child. You can’t play… .”

“You’re saying it’s not bad?”

“……Friends… . Friends… .”

Ker is speechless with a tearful voice. I unconsciously tightened my grip and my clothes were slightly torn. I was full of energy right before we reunited, so why did I suddenly feel so down?

Karjen seemed to know something and sighed.

‘hmm… . The fact that only three of this trio of beasts came means that no one other than these three survived.’

In other words, this means that the management bureau was wiped out.

‘also. ‘It’s quite threatening.’

The danger level of each entity of Mine is not that high. Even the giant that was chasing me was cute compared to the monsters from the East Continent.

However, the danger of demons lies in the fact that they were originally human.

Mr. Leger’s guess is that people who contracted the flu became demons, and if that were true, demons would have appeared within the management bureau as well.

Although the management bureau is well-prepared for external attacks, it is surprisingly easy to collapse when internal problems arise. It is understandable that the Management Bureau was wiped out this time.

‘But I could have lasted at least two weeks.’

Does the fact that it collapsed so quickly mean that there were other variables besides Mine?

‘……ah.’

I understood why Ker was so depressed.

“Ker.”

Ker’s hands flinch and tremble at my call. Since I couldn’t pat his head because he was behind his back, I roughly folded my hands.

“It’s okay. It’s not your fault. So let’s come down.”

“……But… .”

“It’s not your fault.”

Only then did Ker come down and snuggle into my arms.

“Kkiing… . Zeke, I’m sorry. because of me… . Because I’m stupid, my friends… .”

I comforted Ker by stroking his head.

Looking at Ker’s face with tears in his eyes, I remembered the time when he was frozen by the Lord of Famine.

Ker was desperately trying to save me. In the end, I failed to revive it, but in the end, thanks to Ker, I was able to continue the game without a reset.

To be honest, until then, I had treated Ker as just a simple and stupid puppy. But I can’t do that anymore.

Kerman, who killed me dozens or hundreds of times. Is this why my affection for him has grown greater than my rejection of him? Or maybe it was because this guy ultimately felt like a human being with his own thoughts.

‘I’m not sure yet. First of all, clearing this game is more important than that.’

It is never too late to think about emotional thoughts last.

Because now is the time when cool-headed reason is needed.

*

*

Rupiah is hospitalized in the most luxurious single room located on the top floor of the imperial military hospital.

Although her body had already fully recovered, she was unconscious. Since even the best doctors in the empire could not figure out the cause, they had no choice but to hope for a miracle.

Thanks to this, Patricia, who is accepted in the world as the Virgin Mary, was able to visit Rupiah’s hospital room without any suspicion.

“You probably didn’t know that something like an illness could rob you of consciousness like this.”

Patricia sits on a simple chair next to the bed and mutters.

“Me too. Even with the special plague created to prepare for heroes like you… The best thing to do was to render him unconscious… .”

A masterpiece, a masterpiece that has been created over a thousand years since Patricia appeared on earth until now. It is a vicious disease with a 100% fatality rate that causes the internal organs to melt in an instant upon onset, leading to inevitable death.

However, even such a terminal illness could not kill Lufia, and unconsciousness was the best. It was very prideful to see that the masterpiece he had poured his entire life into was not working properly.

“But thanks to you, I was able to make the best plan. Is it actually fortunate?”

Rather, because he could not kill Lufia, he was able to devise a plan that was more likely to succeed.

“If you are… . It might be possible. clearly… .”

Patricia brushing away Rupiah’s white hair. The touch was not hostile, but rather filled with affection, as if caressing something precious.

“How do you feel? Is treatment possible?”

“Sorry. I think it will be difficult right now.”

Patricia bows her head to the technician waiting outside the hospital room. He made a sad expression and lied so calmly.

“That’s impossible… .’

The knight was in despair. Thanks to the Virgin Mary, the demons in major northern cities have ended, but some cities in the north and most of the southern cities are being destroyed by demons. In addition, rebel forces led by Raphael have taken control of the government and military, and all kinds of crimes are rampant.

The empire is collapsing in an instant. No, maybe it’s already ruined. Therefore, even more so, a hero was needed to end the chaos.

If Rupiah wakes up, people will have hope and all problems will be solved. It’s as if in the past, when the demon king’s army was endlessly flocking and the defense line was in danger of collapsing, it appeared like a comet and turned the situation around.

“……It’s not that there is no way.”

At one word from Patricia, a faint hope appeared on the knight’s face.

“Really? What is it!?”

Patricia turned her head for a moment. To hide an uncontrollable smile. Because she really likes people who don’t give up hope, she couldn’t continue acting while looking at the knight’s face.

In the end, to hide her expression, she whispers to the driver.

The knight’s face became even brighter as he heard the story.

“Really, is that enough!?”

“Yes. The possibility is very high. However, I don’t know where you are… .”

“Don’t worry. We will definitely find it!”

The knight shouted to his waiting men.

“It’s a new mission. Find Lufia’s lover, Siegfried, the director of the Pixie Management Bureau, and bring him back safely!”