episode_0071

John obediently followed Irowell’s orders. Irowell whispered in a soft voice into the ear of Johan, who had returned to the warehouse and brought some food.

“John, try giving it yourself.”

“My, I… ?”

“Don’t be scared, Johan. You can do it.”

“But… I was just trying to kill Scarface… .”

“It’s okay, you won’t have to do that in the future. Johan, if you try to show love to those wolves, Scarface and the wolf family will be happy to accept it, right?

The strong practice the virtue of giving sincerely.

The weak accept the grace given with gratitude.

That is the way to surround this magical forest with love. maybe.

This is what Irowell always used to say to John.

“Now, come on.”

Irowell tapped Johan’s butt.

After hesitating for a moment, Yohan mustered up the courage to step out of the bush.

“Kheng? Wolwol!”

John’s huge size blocked the sunlight and cast a shadow on Scarface and the wolf cubs. Scarface, startled, stepped in front of the cubs and cried out.

It was a natural action. By all accounts, Yohan had a bulky, barbaric body, and Scarface had a lot to protect. John, who was aware of the situation, did not show any hostility even when Scarface turned against him.

Instead, as Irowell had said, he brought out the food he had brought and placed it in front of Scarface.

“month? Month!”

Scarface barked even more fiercely. Contrary to what Irowell said, who said he would gladly accept it.

“John, come here.”

Irowell, who was standing in the back like a closet, called out to John. Johan quickly approaches Irowell, and Scarface is left behind.

“… Month?”

Scarface barks in confusion. I guess I didn’t think that Yohan would just go away.

“Kkiing, kiing… .”

But the puzzlement did not last long. After the young wolf cubs ate all the food that Scarface had stolen, they started crying because they were hungry.

Scarface looked around. The purpose was to find out if there was anything more to feed the chicks. At that moment, the piece of meat that John had left behind caught my eye.

Scarface hurriedly approached the piece of meat and sniffed it a few times. It was part of the process of being careful to see if there might be poison in it. Afterwards, he put his teeth on the tip and took a bite of it himself.

“… .”

“Kkiing, kkiing… .”

No problems appeared. This meant that there was no poison in it. Scarface couldn’t understand why the savage gave him meat, but feeding the cubs something was the most important thing right now.

Tuk-.

“Umm… Jeokjeok-.”

“Lick, lick, lick.”

The wolf cubs, who had no idea what was going on, happily ate the food their parents gave them. Scarface was worried about them, but he couldn’t do anything right now, so he just licked the babies while they were eating.

Johan and Irowell were clearly watching them from behind the bushes.

“How do you feel? John.”

“I’m not sure.”

“What?”

“… I feel strange. It feels like my heart is getting warmer.”

“That’s a good phenomenon. Cherish that heart.”

It is difficult for humans who have lived in barbarism to accept the virtues of civilization.

Nevertheless, John was fascinated by a woman named Irowel and wanted to accept her.

Irowell was carefully decorating John with the virtues of civilization.

If Irowel had had much time,

“Cluck.”

“Irowell?”

“Umm, it’s okay. Never mind. John.”

“Is this really okay? Irowell, your complexion looks a little bad.”

If Irowell had not taken the trouble to inject divine power into John, who was in complete disrepair,

The future of Johan and Irowel might have been different.

“… … Whoop! Cluck, cluck!”

“Irowell! Irowell! Why are you doing this all of a sudden?”

Suddenly, red blood burst out from Irowell’s mouth. Scarface barked in surprise at the blood spraying out like crazy, and John hurriedly helped Irowell, who was falling. John’s dark complexion turned pale.

*****

The Demon Forest is the forest of the Demon World.

In other words, it is a forest full of demonic energy and rejects divine power.

When Irowel first expressed his intention to stop by Masurim, it was not for nothing that the believers of the Holy Kingdom were vehemently opposed. To Saint Irowell, whose blood is made up of divine power, the forest is nothing short of poisonous soil.

In the first place, the only being in the Demon Forest that could defeat Saint Irowel was the Five Kings. This means that even if monsters attack in droves, they cannot pose a threat to Irowel. If only animals threatened human life, believers would not have been so opposed.

However, even Irowel, so strong, could not defeat the enemy called ‘environment’.

My lungs tingle every time I breathe, and I feel sick for several days when I drink the water from the Masurim river. Every day was like a living hell, and I grew weaker with each passing day.

In anticipation of such a situation, Irowel packed enough continental food to last as long as possible in a magic bag.

After meeting an unexpected barbarian boy, the boy ended up eating food brought from the continent, which had no side effects from Irowell’s consumption.

Of course, if Irowell reveals the story later, the boy will only eat food from the Demon Surim again.

Irowell did not do that.

Anyway, I came here prepared to close my eyes in the demon forest. Food is not infinite.

It’s just that his scheduled death was brought forward a little.

From Irowell’s perspective, it was like that.

For John, who knew nothing, the news was like a sudden shock.

Irowell wanted to remind Johan of the act of ‘giving.’

And in order to realize that act, one had to first receive the gift. Only when one truly feels how warm and noble giving is and its value from the perspective of receiving it, can a person develop the perspective of sharing giving to others.

As a child, Irowell was loved and raised by the priests of Seonghwangcheong.

As an adult, Irowell wanted to show love to the boy who followed him.

He firmly believed that the love he gave would be the driving force in the boy’s life even after his death.

The ‘Lord’ that Irowell believed in was such a being.

Therefore, I couldn’t stop John from eating continental food. While Yohan developed a taste for the continent’s food, which was much less poisonous and evil than the food from the Masurim and tasted good, Irowel conceded his rights to Yohan by consuming the foods from the Masurim himself.

That wasn’t all. Irowel generously poured the divine power that should have been used to resist demon energy on Johan, who fell off a cliff and was in danger of death. Originally, the energy should have been used for Irowel himself.

The result at the end of that series of processes was now.

“Irowell.”

“Why… so… ? John… ?”

“Don’t die… !”

“… .”

The bed where Johan lay when he was first discovered by Irowel. It was now occupied by Irowell, who was now sickly.

After falling down and vomiting blood, Irowell was unable to get up again. This is because the aftereffects that had been suppressed erupted like an active volcano. To Irowell, who was lying like a limp plant, John held her wrist and whispered darkly.

“I, I… I don’t want Irowel to die… !”

“It’s okay, Johan.”

“But… !”

“Don’t be afraid. There is nothing to be afraid of in this world.”

John still could not understand Irowell.

Now, I loved Irowell’s incomprehensible appearance itself.

I couldn’t imagine a future without Irowell. I wanted to eat her cooking again. I wanted to be with Irowel. I wanted to enjoy the forest with her.

Irowel’s physical condition, which left him unable to control himself, made it clear that all of this was an impossible dream.

“Did you visit Scarface today too?”

“… Yes, I went there.”

“Does Scarface follow Johan now?”

“… Yes, I stayed still while stroking it.”

“I see, that’s a good thing… .”

I don’t feel any power in the words I say.

Faced with that sad reality, Johan simply repeated the action of stroking Irowel’s thin wrist.

John, who was growing day by day, was far beyond his past strength. Perhaps now, no beast in the Demonic Forest would be able to harm John.

Moreover, thanks to Irowel’s affinity, John was receiving support from the beasts around him, so he was even considered the next generation king. Although John himself had no interest in anything other than Irowel.

“Scarface said something strange.”

“What… Say something?”

“Dragon King Endros, do you know?”

“Then, you probably didn’t do that much research when you came to Masurim.”

“That Endros is trying to move. Scarface said that his demonic beasts are increasingly appearing in the forest.”

“That… It will be harder for Scarface to find food.”

“… Irowell.”

“Huh?”

“Why is Irowell worried about Scarface? You have to worry about Irowell first. Irowell’s condition is much worse.”

“Ahaha… I’m fine. John.”

“What’s okay? My complexion is blue. I’m not a fool anymore.”

“… It’s really okay, John. And you’re still a fool, young fool.”

Irowel raises his hand and strokes Johan’s head. John quietly accepted the touch.

“Should I clean it all up.”

“John? What did you just say?”

“The monsters of Dragon King Endros may harm Irowel if left wandering nearby. Irowell shouldn’t be shocked now.”

“Don’t do that, John.”

“I am confident. All it takes is a few punches. I’m strong now.”

“John.”

“… .”

“I know better than anyone else that John is strong. However.”

Irowel’s hand touched John’s face. It was a very small hand. The dark skin tanned under the sun contrasted with the pale skin of the hands.

“Great power was not given by the Lord to be misused carelessly.”

“John, my most adorable child in the world.”

“Love life and cherish the world. You have special blood. There must be a reason why the Lord gave you special blood. It’s not meant to be used for such light work.”

After saying those words and covering John’s face with both hands, Irowel leaned his head towards John’s forehead and lightly kissed him.

A warm kiss. John felt better. I smiled calmly and was met with Irowel’s bright smile.

“Irowell.”

“Huh?”

“What am I to Lowell?”

“Well, the most lovely thing in the world… .”

“Hey, hey?”

Johan and Irowell’s eyes intersect.

Dark brown eyes and sky blue eyes meet in the air.

“I love Irowell.”

“How can you not know that? Yohan shows it off.”

“Irowell taught me the word. About love. Love between parents and children, love between friends, love between lovers, etc… There are many types of love.”

“What do you want to say?”

“I love Irowel. As a lover.”

“… .”

“When I first saw Lowell Lee, my heart raced. Skin that looks soft at first glance, eyes, nose, and mouth that are dense, and Irowel’s voluptuous body. At the time, I thought it was my appetite. I wanted to eat Irowell. But now that I learned how to write, I know. I want to be Irowel’s lover. This is the word you use in situations like this, right? What is the word lover?”

“John.”

“I know that Lowell is not feeling well. Let’s go out. Out of the forest. To the world of civilization that Irowel came to. I’ll adapt somehow. I can do anything for Irowell. I will stay next to Irowel forever. So, let’s go together. I’ll carry you on my back.”

“John.”

“I want to kiss you. I like it when Irowel kisses my forehead. But I want to do it too. I also want to kiss Irowell’s forehead and crash my lips with Irowell. That’s what I think of every time I see Irowell. I love you, Irowel. I’m serious.”

Irowel smiles and purses his small lips.

“I’m sorry.”

“… .”

“I love Yohan too. However, I shouldn’t be in a relationship with someone.”

“Why?”

“When I was in civilization, I completely blocked the love of the cultists. How can I shamelessly share love when I have blocked the love of religious people?”

“No one sees here. We can kiss only when we are alone.”

“Heaven sees, the earth sees, John sees you.”

“I’ll shut my mouth. The sky cannot speak. The land… I will destroy it. Don’t you think it’ll work? I can do it.”

“My heart is also watching.”

“… .”

“John, this is the path I chose. Please respect it. Of course, the human heart is not something that a single doctrine can block. Even the most faithful believer in the world can fall in love with someone of the opposite sex and bloom a beautiful seed of love. I won’t criticize you for that. Because I have feelings for you now too. But I can’t do that.”

“Ugh, uh… .”

“I changed the doctrine. And going back… I’m sorry, but I can’t allow it. If I escape alive, the empire will attack this beautiful forest, saying that the Demon Forest must be destroyed. You don’t want that either.”

“Irowell… Me, I… .”

“Even if I die, I have to die here. The fact that I tried to protect the Demon Forest, even accepting death, would place restrictions on the empire’s actions. That is my martyrdom.”

Irowell’s words were difficult. Empire, doctrine. John, who only knew how to speak a little, could not fully understand what was being said.

However, I seemed to know one thing.

That he longs for a love that cannot come true.

The boy was heartbroken by that sad fact.

The boy was already too deeply in love with the woman to give up on her.