Joint Combat Practice 2 (7)
“—Don’t run. Then you will get hurt.”
The brother who was running along the marina and playing tag stopped. The road paved with shabby wooden planks had come to an end, and he was just about to enter the beach.
“There may be rocks, so you should always be careful on the floor.”
Of the two brothers, the older brother turned his head first and looked at the source of the voice. A young girl was sitting with her knees bent on the slanted breakwater at the point where the pier meets the shoreline.
Her pale yellow hair is hanging down from the morning dew.
The sun is just starting to rise. Seeing the face that received the light, he was smiling softly.
She looks like a girl of her age, but she looks oddly mature. The boy stared blankly at the girl’s face, then nodded and ran towards the shore, holding his brother’s hand tightly.
Although they are of the same age, the girl felt like she was taking care of her younger sister, so she had no choice but to tell her.
“… … .”
Eventually, the girl――Adele sniffed the scent of a hyacinth blooming on the beach, took a beautiful picture and put it on one side of my head.
And looking at the bustling marina from dawn, I once again breathed in the salty morning air.
It was the land of merchants, Oldek.
Oldek, the largest commercial city in the Empire, with dozens of departures in one day.
Children from the largest orphanage, Deldros Orphanage, grow up much faster than their peers.
Because there are no parents to protect them, they are forced to quickly become people who can do their part.
As soon as most children can control themselves, they are put into labor.
Whether it’s carrying a basket and fetching water, doing a simple cleaning, or washing a hand rag… When they grow up, they trim food, wash clothes, and children with good dexterity start carpentry work.
This is because, in order to become independent in a harsh society without parents, one must quickly be able to take care of one’s own body. Even if you think it’s a bit harsh, it can’t be helped. That was the policy of the Deldros Orphan Sanctuary.
An orphanage is not just a place to protect children, but a place where children can live in a difficult world on their own.
From noblemtl.com
Maybe it’s because I was influenced by the atmosphere of this Old Deck city.
Adele, who had an immature appearance, thought like that, and sat quietly in the sea breeze.
Even though it is early in the morning when the sun is about to rise, the wharf is full of workers loading their boats.
From noblemtl.com
Merchants pounding abacuses run through the bustling crowd, captains checking stocks roll their eyes, and workers negotiating transport contracts and insurance contracts raise their voices.
Humans who rise before the sun to act.
In this bustling city of commerce, diligence and sincerity are the highest values.
“You were here. Miss Adele.”
Suddenly, from the other side of the breakwater, I see a man walking with his back luggage.
The suit, which was properly dressed, had a lot of stains on it. It was the appearance of a pious priest.
“Did you hear the news?”
“Did you say you were sent to Seonghwangdo? I heard that you are going up to the bishopric examination.”
Adele swung her legs in the air and grinned.
“congratulations. You must be a high-ranking person. High Priest Verdio!”
Deldros Orphan Sanctuary is a religious facility operated with the support of the Telos Church.
In particular, since it is the largest of the orphan shelters in various parts of the empire, a person who becomes a high priest before ascending to the bishopric comes as the general manager.
High Priest Verdio walked along the breakwater and reached just behind Adele.
The appearance of a young girl is itself a poor orphan. A burnt skirt and a blouse with frayed sleeves. Her hair, braided with old braids, is frizzy.
However, Adele has a strange grace. Even at a young age, wearing frayed clothes and shabby accessories, the elegance that does not disappear. It was a difficult part to explain in words.
“Saint Elnir, who blessed the Holy Hwangdo, changed her name after 7 years of baptism. It’s already last year.”
Adele expected what Verdio would say, but listened without answering anything.
“In order to pray for the Lord Telos, the lifeline of the saint must be continued. It is the biggest concern of the current prosperity that a person born with a talent comparable to that does not appear, but Ms. Adele… .”
“High Priest Verdio… I think you think I’m too good-looking. Really… .”
Adele swept the leaves of a cosmos in her other hand and shook her legs.
“Seeing the future is not something I want to do, it just happens out of the blue. Even if it’s the power of the Holy Power, how can I call it my own power if I can’t handle it as I want it to?”
“Miss Adele. It doesn’t matter.”
Verdio stood side by side with his backs on his back, looking out at the bustling marina. It was a familiar scene for Verdio.
The reason why the high-ranking priests of Seonghwangdo had to send him to the Old Deck was obvious. It was because his work temperament was infinitely similar to that of merchants. In fact, it was very easy for Verdio to adapt to the culture of this Old Deck.
“An important thing is… It’s just that you’re born with extraordinary abilities. To see the future means to twist and break the providence of the world created by the God-given Telos, especially the providence of time. As far as I know, the only thing that can do that is Aspect Magic that harnesses the power of the stars.”
“Aspect magic, I don’t know how to do such a great thing.”
“Isn’t it an instinctive manifestation by borrowing the power of the Holy Law? It’s a story that says it’s extraordinary that it happens even though no one taught it.”
Her red hair tied behind her back fluttered in the wind. It was Verdio’s hair.
“It is a vessel that deserves to be honored as a saint. It is a great honor to be the first to discover the vessel of a saint who will stand at the top of the Telos Church.”
“… … .”
“Let’s head to Seonghwangdo together. If you prove your ability to the Holy Emperor, you will be appointed as the next saint right away. Miss Adele.”
He is not a person who will rot in the corner of the Old Deck orphanage. Verdio could have that certainty.
Adele quickly raised her head to look at Verdio, then smiled again. Then he took out the lute he was carrying on his shoulder and hugged him. Like a young girl, the lute filled her arms.
Then he ripped the strings a few times with awkward gestures and shook his head to get on the rhythm. Recently, Verdio had heard the news that he was learning the lute, and he knew it well. I’m still not good at it though.
“Seeing the future is more fleeting than you think, High Priest.”
“Nobody thinks that way.”
“No~ The flow of the future turns into something that is unexpectedly trivial than I thought, and even though a lot of things have happened, I still maintain my current flow.”
The sound of an inexperienced lute spreads through the bustling shoreline.
Adele sees many futures. It is a scene that suddenly comes before your eyes, without any rules or foreshadowing.
The future of this orphanage, where children wandering without parents near Old Deck gather, is the same. Adele’s eyes often see the future of those who live here.
I don’t know your name or personality… The futures of those children who seem fragmentary are all different.
A wandering samurai who hunts bounties while walking through the Cohelton Lawless Zone, a merchant and wizard who becomes the youngest person in power in the huge Elte company at a young age and holds the money.
I’ve seen a few children with such a bright future, but Adele didn’t know if that future would come just as it was.
“How much valuable it is to see only one twig in the stream of the future that spreads out in many forked paths. Surprisingly, the future is the one that changes quickly even with insignificant changes.”
“… Is that so.”
“It was like that. There are still many things I don’t know. Ehehe.”
As the girl plays the lute and looks at the shore, she sees the brothers who just ran out.
Boys running and playing tag. After running out like that for a while, he suddenly lowered his head and looked at the floor.
There is a large stone beak rising from it. Due to the inertia of moving his body, he almost tripped and fell, but he managed to avoid the stone beak and ran again.
Without falling over, the two boys running along the sea slowly moved away from each other.
“Still, speaking of Seonghwangdo… Surely it’s a much quieter and more comfortable place to stay than this noisy place… .”
Adele looked at him and smiled. Watching the sea gently sprinkling light in the sunlight calms my mind.
Then, something I’ve never seen before… I felt like I could get a glimpse of my own future.
* * *
“Saint Clarisse. You look unwell, are you okay?”
It was already full of rumbling noises.
Joint Combat Practice Day. Near the entrance to the Glouct Hall.
Clarisse, sitting next to Ed with a wooden table in between, was unconscious for a long time. That was normal.
From noblemtl.com
Meanwhile, Ed’s face was swept away, his body groped to see if there were any injuries, and the roar that spread among the students grew louder as he burst into tears.
I couldn’t stay still like this. So when Ed reached out his arm first and asked St. The saint swung and grabbed Ed’s arm.
“… Lady?”
From Ed’s point of view, it’s like a clear blueprint. However, Clarisse quickly grabbed Ed and dragged him away, as if he had anything to do with Ed’s reaction or the gazes around him.
“I have to run away… !”
“Yes… ?”
“we… Let’s run away together… !”
Clarisse was already overloaded with so much going on in such a short time.
However, even within the messed up accident, there are memorable shocking scenes.
The appearance of Sung Chang-ryong covering the sky of the island. Rain of flying scales, dying students. Ed’s reaction as if he had found something. The Collapsing Ophelis Pavilion. and… . Even the body of Ed, who died in her arms while protecting the girl.
From noblemtl.com
Memories that passed like a panorama crept into Clarisse’s brain.
After this joint combat training is over, a shadow of destruction falls on Aken Island.
It’s not a dream. It must have happened in reality, and I do not know why, but it is a situation that has returned to the past.
Before disaster strikes… It is best to run away as far as possible. This is a natural and reasonable response.
“What we can do is… nothing… . just… I have to run away… !”
Clarisse, with tears in her eyes, grabbed Ed’s arm, and strode towards the carriage. Yenica, who was sitting next to each other, and even the students around them all turned to stone.
It doesn’t look normal to anyone who grabs Ed in broad daylight and declares that he will run away, but as I mentioned, the saint’s mental state was no longer normal.
“No, my lady… ? Lady… !”
Ed was grabbed by the saint’s arms and dragged to the carriage. It was something that could not be ignored.
As it was, Clarisse instructed the soldiers to bring him into the wagon, and then pushed his back. Ed had no choice but to get on the carriage of the gorgeous saint as it was.
And after Clarisse got on board, he ordered the coachman to run to the Maxes Bridge right now.
“Yes? Lady. But from now on… You have to go to the Trix Hall to meet the Holy Emperor… .”
“Because I will take responsibility for everything… Run to Maxes Bridge as fast as you can… !”
Now, since Sung Chang-ryong hadn’t appeared yet, there would have been no crowds at Maxes Bridge.
The first things that come to mind are the Holy Emperor and the Archbishop. If they were on this Aken Island, it was obvious that they too would get caught up in the dragon’s blow.
However, right now, Clarisse does not know where they are. They waited for a long time in the Trix Hall before turning back the time, but they did not show up at the Trix Hall in the end.
One minute and one second is a precious moment. It’s hard to find the two of them, convince them of all of this, make them cancel all their plans, and then get them to run away from Aken Island. It was clear that the dragon would come first before they could even find it.
Clarisse’s teeth trembled and a cold sweat gushed out like crazy. As a saint, I wanted to secure the safety of the Holy Emperor and the Archbishop first, but… Finally, he clenched his teeth and directed the carriage to the Maxes Bridge.
Now is… It is right to save at least one more person who can be reached and can be saved. I couldn’t throw away this good fortune that I was lucky enough to survive while searching for the Holy Hwang and the Archbishop, who did not know where they were.
On the carriage seat are the driver who protected the horse for the saint until the end, and the escort knights who rescued the saint and died.
And on the other side of Claris… Ed Roth-Taylor, who was crushed by rubble while protecting the saint until the end, was sitting there.
Right now, Clarisse was the only one who could reach this level. I wanted to take one more person out, but I can’t save everyone in this school. At most, only a few people can fit in the wagon.
then… I have no choice but to save people who are meaningful to me first.
I feel like I’m weighing people’s lives on my own terms. That creepy feeling of guilt climbs up Clarisse’s back, but… . That doesn’t stop the wagon.
That gigantic dragon is not something that can be challenged by human power. Being unable to overcome the guilt and staying still on Aken Island is nothing more than dog death.
“Lady… This is difficult.”
Inside the wagon swaying wildly. Edgar Clarice held back.
“Aren’t Saints supposed to go to the Trix Hall from now on? I also have a joint combat practice scheduled, but if it goes like this, both of us… .”
“After the joint combat practice is over… .”
Believe it or not.
To be honest, Clarisse continued without even thinking that she would believe it.
“A huge dragon will descend over this Aken Island. and… It will kill us all.”
“… Yes?”
It didn’t matter if he was treated like a psychopath. First of all, I wanted to tell you.
“I… I almost died once… Back to the past.”
“What do you mean?”
“me too… I don’t know either… However… .”
Clarisse clasped Ed’s hand and wept.
“Senior saved me once. and… something… You seem to have figured it out… Before passing it on to me… stop… Building rubble… that… ugh… .”
Once again, the fear of that moment rose, but Clarisse clenched her teeth and held back the tears that were welling up.
Clarisse barely finished speaking, clenching Ed’s hand tightly and making up his mind.
“Being down… instead of me… die… therefore… what’s going on… Ask Ed for help… Of course, seniors now don’t understand what this means, but… still… that… .”
“No, my lady… what the hell… what… .”
With common sense, it was difficult to ask people to believe in such a sudden story. Even if you change your perspective, it makes sense.
A saint of the church suddenly appears, drags him and puts him in a wagon, which means that he has returned from the future.
But for Clarisse, this is the truth as it is.
“Even if you suddenly say something like that… How should I react… ?”
“I know it’s hard to believe… . However… The only person I can rely on is Ed-senpai… .”
It was Ed who seemed to have realized something similar to the truth by himself, even in a situation where everything was going into chaos.
And, he was the one who gave for the saint until the end of his death.
“Even though… to me… .”
“please… Please believe me… . Really… . I really saw a dragon appear… ! The fact that all the students died, and that Ed-senpai died protecting me at the end… with my two eyes… clearly… .”
The scenes at that time remained traumatic and continued to haunt Clarisse’s mind. Some sincerity comes out from the dripping tears, but it’s still just embarrassing from Ed’s point of view.
Clarisse rubbed her eyes again and again and wiped away the tears… It was then that I remembered Ed’s last will.
“Lady… for now… I think it would be better to park the carriage and talk.”
“Work… Five… .”
Ed tried to calm Clarisse for once with a troubled face, but Clarisse didn’t care and continued the story.
“Illo… Oh Gong Gong One Meat Gong… Right… Il-oh, oh-gong, il-yuk-gong… !”
“Yes… ? suddenly… What?”
“Before I died, Ed said. Please tell me this… Il-oh, oh-gong, il-yuk-gong… !”
“what… is it a number? What does that mean… .”
All of a sudden, he felt a familiar lineup, and Ed was speechless.
that… It’s not the number I remember as Ed Roth Taylor.
A story before crossing a distant world and living as a fallen nobleman.
From noblemtl.com
Maybe the reason why I said the first two letters apart was because Ed before he died also said it like that.
When his thoughts reached that point, a familiar array of numbers came to mind in an instant.
15-500160.
that… Before he came to this world, he remembered… It’s his military number.
Ed’s expression hardened in an instant. Such information… No one can tell but Ed himself.
Of course, Ed himself never gave St. Clarisse any such information.
However, the sequence of numbers that I remember so accurately… It gives great credibility to the words of the saint.
– Kick.
Suddenly, the carriage stopped. The driver’s side window opened, and the driver reported.
“Lady… Checkpoints are coming from the side of Maxes Bridge. Now, it is said that the trade goods of Elte Trading are crossing through the Maxes Bridge. I’m in a very dizzy situation with the merchandise wagons and escort mercenaries, so I’m asking you to wait for a while.”
“ji… Now… ?”
“Yes. It must have been that there was a lot of delay due to the ceremonies saying that the Holy Emperor was passing by. It’s hard to clear so many wagons in an instant, so you might have to wait a little longer… .”
“Just break through.”
Ed, who was sitting across from him, opened the window on the driver’s side and spoke.
“… Yes?”
“We will take responsibility for everything, so the situation is urgent right now, so just break through the space as soon as you can.”
“that… Then the story will come from the bachelor’s side… .”
“I told you not to worry about that. Or is it impossible because the space is small… ?”
The driver hesitated and looked towards Maxes Bridge.
Elte’s trading wagons were piled up, and mercenaries were irregularly lined up on either side.
It is not that there is no space to the outskirts of the bridge, but the size of the carriage and the arrangement of the mercenaries are different, so it does not seem easy to break through. Of course, this is the story of some horseman.
“… It is my 22nd year as a driver alone. If you can feel the shaking… With a bit of exaggeration, you can see across the ocean.”
“good.”
Ed closed the window on the driver’s side as it was, and also tightly closed the windows on either side of the seat where the saint was sitting.
He sat opposite the saint who was still stunned, and spoke with a very serious face. He had a completely different attitude from before.
“Tell me again, slowly, what happened. without missing anything.”
When I saw that figure, it was as if I had gained thousands and thousands of horses… Clarisse sniffled and swallowed.
“I… I… .”
―Quadangtang!
At that moment, the carriage shook violently. It was the aftermath of running away from the inspection personnel.
As the coachman shouted with a whip, the wagon swerved to and fro and narrowly swung between the crowd and the wagon. Some of the mercenaries were startled and fell, and the outer walls of the wagons rubbed against each other and were scratched.
It was impressive to see them go out with such a flexible movement line even with a wagon that was difficult to change direction. Of course, the shaking was the responsibility of the passengers.
“Ahhh… !”
Ed reflexively grabbed the window sill and balanced it, but Clarisse could not overcome the shaking and was sucked into Ed’s arms.
“Ugh, hot… .”
Ed grabbed Clarisse and hugged her so that he wouldn’t bounce off any further. The dwarf and light weight of the saint had to hold her tightly because her body was thrown away even by a small shaking.
“ah… uh… .”
As he was held in Ed’s arms, Clarisse’s heart began to pound.
It was intended to hold Ed Tan not from getting hurt, but Clarisse had already crossed the line and was already in a situation where she was in a predicament several times.
The body temperature rising from Ed’s body gave him a strange sense of stability, and he gave himself up completely.
“Lady. There is no time.”
“Ah, yes… .”
Even as she felt her back heat up again, Clarisse quickly swallowed her breath and forcibly regained her composure.
* * *
As they rushed through the endlessly crowded Maxes Bridge, the carriage was no longer a horse.
The phoenix-patterned statues on either side of the barrels were scratched here and there on the marble railings of the Maxes Bridge, and even the wagons of trade goods fell off.
Nevertheless, the wagon runs without slowing down. It was because he asked me not to slow down even after crossing the Maxes Bridge.
After escaping from Aken Island, only the plains continue for a while. You have to ride a carriage for a long time to see the beginning of the Kranfell Great Forest, and only after passing through that mountain is the territory of the Jahur border. You still have a long way to go to find someone to turn to for help.
“If the Ophelis Hall had collapsed, there would have been no more safe place on Aken Island. It was a wise decision to choose to run away unconditionally.”
Ed was able to accurately grasp the situation with only Clarisse’s explanation, which was trembling and pouring out the story.
“and… If time could go back… It’s most likely Aspect Magic.”
“Personality… It’s magic… ?”
“Since Saint is also a student in the Ministry of Magic, you must have heard about it while conducting the first-year curriculum.”
Clarisse nodded in Ed’s arms. Although the wagon’s shaking had become tolerable to some extent, Clarisse was held tightly in Ed’s arms as if it were a newborn baby.
There was not enough time to scrutinize them all, so Ed didn’t even bother to fall.
“The only existing magical theory that can interfere with time is Aspect Magic. but… A level of magic capable of rewinding the passage of time on such a large scale… At least it cannot be implemented with human magic.”
“that… Run… ?”
“So, it is difficult to see that only Aspect Magic is involved. If you have created an external source of magic on a huge scale, or if you can use the power of the god as a divine power… The story is different though. However, in the former case, a long preparation period and large-scale tech equipment would be required, and in the latter case, a huge amount of divine power would have to be consumed.”
“If it’s divine… .”
“Yes… It’s sorcery. No one can write it.”
The ordinances used by the Telos Church’s Cathedral Knights and high-ranking priests were often of the kind that intervened in the effectiveness of magical power itself.
However, the combination with Aspect Magic is strictly an area of experimentation. In the first place, the large-scale holy magic itself was not studied properly, and time-based magic was considered taboo, so it was difficult for priests to access it.
Even professional wizards often dismiss the Holy Spirit Magic as an incomprehensible realm.
“It seems very likely that high-ranking priests are involved.”
“okay… therefore… .”
Just before the Ophelis Pavilion collapsed, Ed, who was agonizing over something while looking at the heavenly court, was now understandable.
Even as the situation became urgent, Ed was analyzing the cause of the situation.
“I don’t know why they made such a challenging attempt, but for the first time, it saved my life, so I’m grateful.”
“You have to make the most of this opportunity… . for now… If you go to the territory of the Marquess Jahul, explain the situation and ask for help, a report will be sent to the imperial family as well. with that… I don’t know if I’ll be able to stop that giant dragon.”
“You should try anything. By the way, my lady… I feel sweaty.”
After Ed said that, Clarisse shrugged and blushed. When he came to his senses, he had pushed himself into Ed’s arms as if he was going to dig a hole, and he was clutching his collar tightly.
Still, I couldn’t help it. An unknown sense of relief rises when you are by his side, who maintains his composure in the midst of such an emergency.
Thanks to his cool appearance, he was able to maintain his composure until now. Usually, a girl of that age would have just sat on the floor and cried because she couldn’t overcome her confusion.
“Come on, wait a minute… .”
Clarisse said so and went deeper into Ed’s arms. At least I wanted to be like this while the wagon was running.
“that… then… as you wish… .”
With that said, Ed put his arm down and felt another relief… . The moment you want to be drunk in this peace, even for a moment—
―aa
That roar broke the sky.
It was the sound of that creepy memory.
Aken Island has already come quite far. Not only Maxes Bridge, but even the right mountain can be seen from afar as only a corner of the landscape.
However, the giant dragon… It is large enough to overwhelm even the island. Even after jumping out this far, the greatness of the giant dragon is clearly felt.
On the contrary, it can be seen from a distance, so its grandeur is more realized. The Sylvania Academy is a huge dragon that can be blown away with just one kick.
“he… profit… !”
A nightmare-like memory rises, but this time he succeeds in escaping. Recalling that fact, I was trying to somehow regain stability in Ed’s arms… .
―Kaga, go, go, go!
―Whew!
A feeling of magic surrounding the body.
this is… It means that the ‘Protection of the Holy Law’ that surrounds the saint’s body has been activated.
The protection of the Holy Law is the protection of Clarisse’s body from hostile attacks. Unless it’s a natural disaster or accident… Clarisse is unconditionally protected from harm that has an intention to attack.
In other words, there was a large-scale attack on the carriage. The sound of smashing the outer walls of the wagon with a crisp sound is familiar.
―Kwa Gang Kang!
“Ahhh!”
It is safe to say that there is almost no concept of range in the attack of Seongchang Dragon Velbrok.
The rain of the scales emitted by the Holy Spear Dragon, the size of which covers the entire Aken Island… No matter how much you ride a wagon and run through the plains, you can’t get out of range.
– Kugugung! thud!
However, if it goes far away, its density and power may drop.
A much more relaxed level than when you were hit directly from close. The protection of the embodied Holy Law was also at a much weaker level.
But the wagon couldn’t stand it. One wheel was crushed by the impact, and the diagonal wheel also fell off, eventually collapsing.
“Ahhh!”
After many great vibrations and twists, the saint’s carriage fulfilled its duty.
Inside the wagon that threw up on the dirt floor and caused dust… The saint who was in Ed’s arms barely opened her eyes.
“Are you okay, Madame?”
“Yes, yes… it’s okay… .”
Having said that, the saint looked up at Ed in her arms and swallowed her breath. Ed was bleeding from his head. He had already been hit by some scales.
―Quaan! Aww!
– Kwagang! Kaga Gaga!
The sound of battles from Aken Island in the distance reverberates throughout the plains.
The magic of Sung Chang-ryong and the counterattacks of the wizards against it were lighting up the whole sky like firecrackers.
From noblemtl.com
Meanwhile, Ed was wounded… He got up from inside the wagon that had fallen over. Fortunately, it was not fatal.
“Eh, Ed-senpai… !”
“it’s okay. With the saint in my arms, it seems that various vital points and internal organs have been protected by the protection of the Holy Law.”
It didn’t look good at all.
Her neck and stomach were in good condition thanks to the saint, but one arm was covered in blood, and the piercing wound on her thigh was visible. However, Ed clenched his teeth and got up, spurred the door of the carriage facing the sky and opened it.
And pushes the saint out… He also came out of the wagon with a grin on his teeth.
“Heh heh, heh heh… .”
“Ah ah ah ah ah… .”
The horses had already been decapitated.
Even the knights and the coaches… Without even being protected by the outer wall of the carriage, he was hit directly by the scale magic. With fatal wounds all over his body, the carriage fell and rolled on the dirt for a long time.
The corpses of the coachman and the soldiers lying on the road where the wagon rolled… It was difficult to see with both eyes open.
“Lady… Crossing this woodland… The territory of the Marquess Jahul is coming… .”
Ed tore the collar and forcibly tied the wound, staggered, stood up and spoke.
“continue… We have to move on.”
Clarisse grabbed her trembling chest and managed to get herself up.
And then, while supporting the wrecked Ed… He staggered through the plains.
The battle between Sung Chang-ryong and the wizards continued behind his back.
Nah