270 – Place of Destiny
Juliet quickly walked away after confirming that Sharon had woken up.
The cave where she stayed while forming a temporary alliance with Drakan could hardly be called a good environment, even with empty words. It was damp and dark, and the floor was uneven, so if you were a little careless, you could easily lose your footing and stumble.
Even the private space we divided into rooms was just like a wall in a cave, so it wasn’t a place to relax comfortably.
Nevertheless, there is only one reason why Drakan chose this place as his hideout.
This is because it was so well hidden that it was so secretive that no one would notice.
Maybe that’s why they were completely at ease after safely arriving here.
“Ah, it’s been a while since I’ve been out and it’s hard.”
“Don’t be harsh. “The operation wasn’t even successful.”
“Ha. Are you saying it’s my fault? “You just had to do it right while I was tying the dragon beak!”
Veronica and Siegfried are bickering again as always.
Seeing those two people, Francesca sighed and shook her head.
“It’s not a beautiful sight…”
And Dietrich was lost in his own world, as if he didn’t even care about the situation.
“The executioner woman was quite strong. She said the boy was pretty good too. I hope he can stick around again next time. That’s when I’ll settle the victory and defeat that I couldn’t achieve! hahahaha!!”
The masked man who was watching this chaos shook his head and tapped her table to get her attention.
“Leave the small talk there. “Now it’s meeting time.”
Juliet entered the conference hall at that moment and naturally sat in her empty seat.
Her other members glanced at her once in a while, but since she was not particularly close to her in the first place, she did not say hello or anything in particular.
“First, what is the status of the second target we brought in?”
“I’m on my way after confirming that I just woke up. “There is no problem.”
“Okay. “Please continue to manage your goals.”
At that time, Veronica interrupted her story with her chin resting on her face and a disapproving look on her face.
“My second goal is to sleep. What is that kid that you need to bring in? Aren’t you just a student at the academy who looks exactly like this girl? “You should at least tell us what it is for.”
The man wearing her mask looked at her for a moment and then answered.
“Our ultimate goal is always only one. It is the second coming of the dragon. Of course, this second goal is also just a process for him.”
“So! Please explain what the process is. “You don’t think of us as subordinates who must obediently follow your orders, do you?”
Siegfried, who had been quietly observing the quite aggressive words and actions, also opened his mouth as if to join in.
“I know you are the leader’s favorite, but that doesn’t mean you can pretend to be the leader. “Honestly, I feel a little bad.”
Juliet, who was almost an outsider to her, suddenly intervened in the delicately developing situation.
“Let me explain. “She had no intention of hiding it anyway.”
“Still, he’s a friend I can communicate with. “If you had kept your mouth shut until the end, I would have scolded you.”
Her mood eased somewhat and just as Juliet was about to begin her explanation, Francesca, who had seemed lost in thought since the beginning of the meeting, stroked her hair and said,
“Wait a minute. “There is something more important to talk about.”
“Hey. It’s more important than this. If possible, just stay for a while…”
She spoke, interrupting Siegfried.
“I think the chase followed.”
***
“There is a possibility that they noticed our pursuit.”
Shortly after landing in Ireland, we finally arrived right in front of Drakan’s hideout.
The entrance to the cave is elaborately hidden using magic.
It was hidden so meticulously that we would never have noticed it without tracking magic, but that’s why we were confident that they were in front of us.
Pausing for a moment in front of the entrance, Evan quietly but calmly issued a warning.
“Don’t be conceited that it can be easily solved. The opponent is a vicious criminal organization and has powerful fighting power. “They are such dangerous enemies that even if we do everything in our power, we cannot be sure of victory.”
As only negative words were poured out, a heavy shadow was cast on the faces of the executioners.
Evan slowly made eye contact with each of them and then added a word.
“So let’s make sure we win.”
A completely different word from before.
“If not us, who can take down those monsters? If we get scared and run away, who will protect the world? No one can kill Drakan. Only we can do this. “No matter how hard or difficult it is, we can do it.”
Finally, the secret determination to risk even death was engraved on everyone’s faces.
Those who sacrifice their lives in the shadows to protect the world.
They are the ones who punish evil and enforce justice, the executioners.
In order to annihilate Drakan and save Sharon, the executioners began entering the dark cave.
Just as I was about to follow them, Evan grabbed my shoulder and said with a serious expression.
“You stay here. Your role is complete just by guiding us to this place. Anything more than this is too dangerous. “You are not an executioner.”
“My friend is in there. And since I don’t know what the structure is like inside the cave, my tracking will still be necessary.”
Evan must have realized that it was difficult to change my mind, but he smiled slightly while sighing.
“As expected, when you graduate, join the executive department. “If your grades are not good, I will at least write you a letter of recommendation.”
“hahahaha…”
Does this person know that I received a scouting offer from him in the past?
Of course, I received it as a phantom thief Raven, not as Chro Morris at that time.
“Okay. “Then let’s go in.”
“Yes.”
The moment I followed Evan and took a step into the cave.
The voice of the goddess I heard after a long time called to me.
[Cro.]
‘Oh. ‘What’s going on?’
The Goddess usually deliberately refrains from speaking in critical moments such as these, rather than during peaceful daily life.
Probably to keep my concentration from being distracted.
In other words, you called me in in this situation.
This probably means that there is something that must be said.
But even as time passed, the goddess rarely spoke out her words.
A significant warning that is only heard after a long time.
[···The moment you take one more step here, there will be no turning back.]
I reflexively paused slightly at those words.
It didn’t contain any specific details, but for some reason, she realized it as soon as she heard it.
This is the stage where we will meet the ‘miserable end’ that appeared in the prophecy.
I still don’t know what exactly it is, but perhaps as soon as I enter this cave, as the goddess said, everything will go with the flow of fate.
I closed my eyes for a moment and composed my mind.
Despite hearing the goddess’s warning, my choice did not change.
We will go inside and rescue Sharon.
Because I decided to do that from the beginning.
‘It’s okay. ‘I will definitely overcome it.’
For me, there is a possibility to go against the flow of fate.
In other words, depending on how I choose, I can fully avoid the ‘miserable end’ of the prophecy.
[If that is your choice.]
The goddess whispered softly in my ear, as if she was gently hugging me from behind.
[I will follow the thorny path you will walk together until the end.]
These were words that were more reassuring than any other comfort. Thanks to this, I was able to smile and take powerful steps forward.
And so the Drakan eradication operation began in earnest.
***
A plain in Ireland.
A girl was sitting on the lawn, blankly admiring the glow of the sunset.
The space around was empty.
The only elements that stand out are a huge tree and a tombstone in front.
Other than that, there are only remains of buildings that have been torn apart by the winds and waves of time. Even to say it in vain, it only felt desolate and lonely, and it was not a place to relax comfortably.
But for the girl, this was a space filled with unforgettable memories.
“What is Cro doing right now?”
I want to go on an adventure like that time, exploring the temple together.
I wanted to fall asleep while looking up at the night sky and chatting.
I promised to come visit again someday, so I’m sure he’ll stop by the office if he ever comes to Ireland.
The process of waiting until that day is a bit tedious, though.
In that sense, Dorothy began investigating this temple. When Cro comes back later, I wanted to tell him a little more about this place, even if it’s something trivial.
Was it a ruined temple?
In fact, the memories from the time I arrived here until I parted ways with Crow remained as hazy as a dream.
It felt like I experienced something amazing, but it also felt like it just ended quietly without anything happening.
The only thing that is certain is that this is the temple that Crow was looking for.
“Did you say she was the goddess of time?”
But no matter how much I thought about it, this place did not seem to be a temple that worshiped the goddess of time.
In particular, the symbol of the crow engraved on the tombstone solidified that thought.
No matter how you look at this pattern, it does not symbolize time…
Dorothy, who was stroking the crow symbol while continuing to guess in her mind, soon opened her eyes wide and was astonished.
“Huh…?”