Episode 148 Great Legacy (5)
There are days like that sometimes.
A day when a moment’s whim leads to unexpected good fortune. For Amelia Rainwales, today was just such a day.
Who knew?
I thought I would meet this guy on top of the castle walls, where I had climbed up wherever my feet took me, feeling suffocated.
“Regal Bagos.”
A member of Orcules, who divided this cursed city in two… … .
Among them, there was one guy I particularly wanted to kill.
The guy is passed out on the floor.
In this remote place, here and there, with an unhealthy body, and all alone.
‘… … Did you open a dimensional gate and escape? Is that why you ended up here instead of in the square?’
That was the first possibility that came to mind.
There are no magicians in the Dragon Slayer’s team, but it is possible if you sacrifice that poor old man you always carry around.
but…….
‘What kind of enemy did you encounter inside…?’
Amelia cleared the rising doubt.
It doesn’t matter who pushed this guy to this point.
The only thing that matters is that the table is set before your eyes.
First, she bent down and checked her pulse.
‘Still alive.’
About two hours after the labyrinth closed.
Given the circumstances, it is assumed that the guy had been unconscious until now. Normally, it would be difficult to endure this amount of time, but this guy is no ordinary person. The skewer stuck in his shoulder may have also played a part in stopping the bleeding.
“you…….”
Then he opened his eyes with difficulty and stared at her.
It seems he sensed the presence of people and came to his senses.
Before he could say anything, Amelia spoke first.
“Dragon Slayer, do you have the potion?”
“waist…….”
“I see.”
Within moments, Amelia unfastened the pocket on his waist and took it in her hand.
And then he asked again.
“I’m going to pour a potion, but can I pull out the thing that’s stuck there?”
“Do it quickly… … .”
As soon as she heard his answer, she pulled out the skewer, and the bleeding began again.
If we leave it like this, no matter how good of a dragon slayer he is, he will surely die.
Advertisements
Amelia just stood there and watched.
“What are you doing… … . Hurry up and take a seat… … .”
Only then did the man feel uncomfortable and ask, and she asked him back:
“Why should I do that?”
“Kye-ya-geul… … Ha-tsu-te-de… …?”
“Oh, are you talking about the contract?”
Amelia smiled without realizing it.
Long ago, she made a contract with the Lord of Noark. It was a contract so famous that everyone in the city knew it.
Within Noark, she cannot kill.
It is impossible to break a contract engraved on the flesh.
but…….
“Aren’t you the one who asked me to take the skewer out?”
She just listened to what was said.
Of course, she was hesitant because it was her first time experiencing this kind of deception, but if it was a breach of contract, she wouldn’t have been able to do this in the first place.
“Fuck… … I’m going to… … .”
Amelia put the entire pocket she had acquired from the guy into the subspace.
And they also took other equipment.
Not only the dagger hanging from his waist, but also the rings on his hands, wrist guards, necklaces, etc.
These were all things I had always noticed.
“Thank you for dropping by here. I’ll use these well. Oh, but who the hell did you get hit by?”
He didn’t answer her mocking question.
He just glares upwards as if he’s angry.
Amelia also leaned back on the wall and watched him rather than continuing her story.
I was planning to leave after seeing the bastard die for sure, just in case something unexpected happened.
But did this guy still have his lifeline left?
Thud, thud.
Soon the sounds of patrolmen on the castle walls can be heard in the distance.
Amelia was quick to judge.
Everything the patrolmen see and hear is relayed to the lord. If they get caught, it’s over.
“You’re lucky, Dragon Slayer.”
She smacked her lips as if it was bitter.
If this guy were to die, Orcules’ power would have diminished by that much.
“You guys, you’re going to have a hard time getting by.”
The man who realized that he was alive gritted his teeth and muttered.
I will hold you accountable for this incident.
Advertisements
But Amelia just shrugged and closed the distance.
“It doesn’t matter. You won’t remember anything anyway.”
“……what?”
She took out a welcome packet and held it in her hand.
A welcome gift called ‘Lethe’s Blessing’ developed by an alchemist in Noark.
It has the disadvantage of not being effective against evil spirits, but it has the convenient function of erasing memories simply by feeding it to them.
“Oh my god!! Ugh, ugh!!”
Amelia grabbed the struggling man by the jaw and stuffed the medicine down his throat.
By the way, what I just wrote was not for supply purposes.
The higher the soul level, the less efficient it is, so I used the best one I had just in case.
The alchemist said that a normal person could lose their memories for up to a week?
‘Since it’s the opponent, it’s better to be certain.’
I didn’t feel that it was a pity.
It’s not something you can get again just because you want it, but considering what you gained today, it’s not a loss.
Moreover, the longer a memory is forgotten, the better.
I don’t think you’d think it was lost in the labyrinth, but you wouldn’t think it was stolen from this underground city.
‘I don’t know who it is, but I should be grateful.’
Amelia quickly left the castle walls as she heard the patrolmen’s footsteps getting closer.
***
The number of uses of the ring that prevents dead flags related to Regal Bagos has been reduced by one, up to three times.
Less than ten minutes later.
‘Surely the number of times it happens once a day isn’t like that?’
I try to erase the anxiety that suddenly arises.
It was not too late to complain when the time came, and I thought that the likelihood of that actually happening was low.
First of all, aren’t these the words of a goddess?
[You must prepare to overcome fate when the stem of that ring breaks.]
The goddess told me to prepare through the bowl.
I said that even though I knew how big the gap between me and him was. But surely he wouldn’t be so unscrupulous as to say something like that after giving me only a month or two?
‘… … Yes, in the end, the most important thing is when the last vine breaks.’
I calmed my wavering heart by recalling the proverb of the wise man.
What does it matter how many you give in the morning?
What matters is the total number of acorns, that is, the total period of time on this ring.
‘Let’s do what we have to do.’
In that sense, I left the temple after briefly talking about the reward. I was told that the reward would be paid when I visit again tomorrow?
“Then let’s go back today, each of us rest, and meet again tomorrow.”
As we were about to decide on a meeting place and head back to our lodgings, the dwarf cautiously stopped us.
Advertisements
“Well, I don’t know what you’ll think if I say this, but how about if we take the reward money and donate Dwalki’s share to an orphanage?”
“I… … That’s okay. If it weren’t for Dwalki, I wouldn’t have received the money.”
“Me too. In fact, it would be ridiculous for me to claim a share of this large sum of money.”
In simple terms, it was a proposal to donate 3.5 million stones per person to an orphanage. Unlike my colleagues who accepted without much thought, I kept my mouth shut.
That’s completely irrational behavior.
Aren’t you in the midst of a huge enemy called the Dragon Slayer?
If we want to continue Dwalki’s legacy, it would be better to use this money to make ourselves a little safer.
“… … Bjorn, you don’t have to do it. Unlike us, you were the one who suffered the most there.”
“Oh, that’s right. We do it because we feel guilty, so don’t feel too burdened.”
When I kept silent, my colleagues noticed and said such things.
If you just nodded here, this proposal would be over.
but…….
“Let’s talk about this properly next time we meet. We haven’t even received the money yet.”
I’ve decided to hold off on making a choice for now.
It was clearly an offer that I should have rejected outright, but I just couldn’t bring myself to say it.
Well, this is why we need to be careful with our relationships with people.
Because it is difficult to make rational judgments.
Of course, if it were me in the past, I wouldn’t have had such worries.
“… … Then tomorrow is guaranteed!”
Soon we parted ways and headed to our respective accommodations.
I too walked along the peaceful streets for about an hour to arrive at the inn, and washed my body, stained with blood and sweat, with clean water.
And as I was lying in bed in a daze, there was a knock on the door.
It was Erwen.
“Hey, sir? Are you there?”
When I opened the door, there she was, wearing a fluttering skirt, as if she had washed and groomed herself.
I tried to talk to him because I thought he had some business, but the main story was more like small talk about what happened in the labyrinth.
Yeah, this used to be the norm.
Normally I would have found it interesting, but today it was difficult.
“Erwen, I’m tired. Let’s go back now for today.”
“Yes? But now the fun starts… … .”
“Next time, next time, I’ll finish listening. I’m tired today, so go back.”
“yes…….”
Erwen turned around, her pointed ears down as she stubbornly gave the order to leave.
The silence that followed was so peaceful that I had some time to myself.
Well, if there’s a problem, it needs to be fixed.
Advertisements
‘Survival.’
Since I opened my eyes in this body, this has been the greatest goal given to me, and this thought remains unchanged even now.
But the process of reaching that goal is the problem.
[······Barbarian, you must have kept your oath, right?]
He broke his warrior’s oath in front of everyone.
And while leading the team proactively, there were countless instances of behavior that could only be seen as strange.
At the time, I justified everything with the word survival, but I know that in the end, trust was at the root of all those actions.
If there was anyone who suspected me of being an evil spirit, I wouldn’t have done something like that even if I died right away.
[… … Hey, dude! Cheer up!]
The same goes for sharing the highest-grade potion with Rotmiller and Dwalki. It was an irrational choice that threatened not only everyone else but myself.
The worries from before probably aren’t much different.
‘3.5 million stones… … .’
I’ve slowly decided to admit it.
I became weak.
The reason is simple.
Because I became attached to someone else.
My greatest strength, my rational way of thinking, has run into a big problem.
If I were to live in this world, I wouldn’t know. For me, whose top priority is survival, this is a problem I can’t just ignore.
So what is the solution?
“… … .”
I didn’t find the answer until the moment I fell asleep.
And the next morning.
I received a letter.
The sender is an administrative branch of the Explorers’ Guild.
The content was that he had been designated as the heir to Riolu Warb Dwalki’s legacy and was to visit and receive it.
***
“Did you get it too?”
“Yeah, you too?”
The next day, when I met my colleague, this was the first conversation I had.
It looks like all four of us received a letter from the guild… … .
It was clearly an orphanage that Dwalki had designated.
Then how did this happen?
“… … Rather than talking among ourselves, I think it would be better to visit the guild and ask directly.”
As the dwarf said, we all visited the guild together.
And after hearing the detailed story from the relevant department, it turned out that it wasn’t an administrative error or anything like that.
Dwalki renewed his will, naming the four of us as his heirs.
That was last month, that is to say… … .
Advertisements
“… …After fighting the troll.”
Dwalki, who was almost killed by a troll, returned to the city and the first thing he did was to renew his will.
The guy was already prepared.
The worst thing I could have ever imagined.
That positive and hopeful guy.
“… … .”
We not only received back all of Dwalki’s equipment and backpack that we had handed over to the guild, but we also received ownership of the house he had owned while he was alive, and we left the building like defeated soldiers.
“I don’t know if I can ever repay the debt I owe him in my lifetime.”
“If it were Dwalki, he wouldn’t have expected us to pay him back.”
“Yes, that’s what he would have done. So let’s use the money he left us for whatever we want. That would be his only wish.”
After that, we went to the temple and even received the reward money. The Pope was busy and we could not meet him, so all business was done through Krovitz.
I told everyone to go to the bar first and then chatted with him for a while.
“Can you promise to keep everything you say from now on a secret?”
“You may speak freely. I swear that I will not reveal my benefactor’s words to anyone, unless it is against God’s will.”
Although I was a little annoyed by the words that said I would not go against the will of God, I took out my Archetype longsword without much thought and showed it to him.
“… … It’s the sword of the dragon slayer.”
“For some reason, whenever we try to use it, it rejects us. Do you know why? If it’s a curse, I’d also like you to remove it.”
“The power contained in that object is not a curse.”
Krovitz continued his explanation without a single hesitation, showing his knowledge of the sword.
It was a long story, but the point was simple.
The original name of this sword was Yonggeom (龍劍).
It was just that Regal Bagos killed the Guardian Dragon and ran away, and it was given the name Dragonslayer Sword.
“Since ancient times, only the dragons have been able to use and wield this sword. It has been passed down to guardian dragons for generations, allowing them to live a life close to immortality.”
“But he didn’t use this sword properly.”
“Ah, it’s because of the dragon’s curse.”
The guardian dragon left a curse before he died.
Because of this, Regal Bagos became a being that was tolerant but not tolerant. The dragon scales, a characteristic of tolerants, were burned away by fire, and even the heart, the source of strength, became closer to a human.
He committed the karmic sin of betraying his clan in order to obtain the sword, but the object itself became unusable.
“I understand that he has been searching for a long time for a way to remove the curse. However, from what I have heard from Yandel, it seems that there is no way to completely overcome the curse.”
“Anyway, it seems like it wasn’t the sword that was cursed, but that guy.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Afterwards, I asked Krovitz what he thought we should do with this sword that we could not use, and he gave a short answer.
“I think it would be wise to return the sword to the dragons and receive appropriate compensation.”
Yeah, that’s the only way.
Since it is a sword that only the Yong-in tribe can use, it would be difficult to sell it as a long-term item.
Advertisements
I’ll think about this part little by little.
“I see. Thanks for the advice.”
“No problem. Mr. Yandel is a benefactor of our school. If you need my help, please come visit me anytime.”
“Oh, so does that mean I can receive blessings for free in the future?”
“Haha, that’s a bit… … .”
I asked just in case, but Krovitz smiled awkwardly and drew the line abruptly.
I’d like to do it, but didn’t you have another oracle this morning?
“The Star of Twilight said that everything will flow as it should, so do not try to misinterpret and go against its will.”
Somehow, I felt like the goddess was saying this to me.
I repaid my debt by giving you one holy relic, so don’t even think about demanding anything more.
“Still, I can listen to your concerns at any time, so please come visit me whenever it is convenient for you.”
After Krovitz’s religious words, I left the temple.
And then we headed to the tavern we had mentioned before.
“Oh, you’re here too? Come sit down.”
All three were already drinking.
However, the atmosphere was very different from when I usually finished exploring.
We just drank without laughing or talking.
I realized it once again.
We’ve earned more than ever before, but we’ve lost more than ever before.
‘The window seat is empty.’
That table in the bar where five people used to come.
But it’s an empty chair that will never be filled again.
But we never mentioned this at all and had a real conversation.
“Let’s divide the remaining money, including the reward, into four equal parts.”
“Okay.”
The dwarf, who had initially planned to divide it into five and donate it to an orphanage, simply nodded.
It was somewhat expected.
The reason such a proposal was made in the first place was to respect Dwalki’s wishes.
If he wanted us to use the precious wealth he left behind, we will simply follow his wishes.
Everyone, including the dwarf, drank quietly in remembrance of Dwalki.
So I just spent my time like that.
“Yeah, I wasn’t the type of friend to go… … .”
The dwarf who had been drinking from his glass after glass banged his head on the table first. Rotmiller said he would take him home and left, leaving only Misha and me behind.
“Bjorn, we should go back too… … .”
As usual, the two of us walked together to our lodgings. Misha was staggering due to the heavy drinking.
Advertisements
“Look forward to it.”
“Oh, thank you.”
A still sunny afternoon.
We walked through the crowded streets, the smell of alcohol in the air.
As usual, my room came out first, and it was time to part ways. But the two of us stood still, staring at each other in front of the door.
“… … .”
“… … .”
The air felt strangely hot, perhaps because of the alcohol.
Yeah, normally I would have thought that.
Because it’s much more comfortable that way.
Because it fits my topic.
I would have pretended not to notice and just passed it by like a barbarian.
but…….
“Ah… I, I’m going to go now. Rest—”
“Misha Karlstein.”
First, I caught her as she tried to turn away and avoid eye contact.
Well, I made a promise with him.
[You are quick-witted. Please don’t ignore me any longer.]
The guy told me not to turn away.
In that precious time when he could have revealed his feelings to Misha, he left me with these words.
And I said to him, “I understand.”
so…….
“Huh?”
It’s our turn to collide.
Misha, who had her wrist grabbed by my hand, looked at me with a questioning gaze.
I took a deep breath and exhaled the alcohol.
He said it bluntly.
“Do you like me as a man?”
It wasn’t a romantic line, nor was the atmosphere that romantic.
Just a question blurted out like a Barbarian would.
But Misha wasn’t angry.
He didn’t even laugh it off, saying, “What kind of nonsense is that?”
After flinching for a moment, she avoided my gaze and turned her gaze to the ground. However, after dragging her feet on the ground a few times, Misha raised her head and looked up at me.
And he answered quietly.
“… … Yeah. I liked it. As a man.”
