Tia, as if pouting at my blatant criticism, began to pout as she narrowed her eyes.
Don’t you know that such behavior emphasizes more childishness?
“So what did the head of the academy come for?”
“… … To comfort you?”
“Don’t tell lies that don’t make sense. Don’t you have something to say if you leave Miss Spina behind?”
Is that Tia for me?
That’s not even funny.
It’s obvious that he’s trying to jump on the bandwagon with what Eleanor has shown.
“Because Spina is bedtime? anyway… … It is true that I have something I want to ask you for now.”
“You say so right away.”
“I always say it, and I said it just a moment ago. Are you saying that snout is always a problem?”
“Don’t threaten me.”
Tia raises her dainty fist and threatens me.
I know. A volcano lies dormant in that dainty fist.
The moment they hit, the ground splits apart and there will be a shock that shakes the heavens and the earth.
“Tsk… … .”
Tia, who had raised her fist and approached me with a face flushed with anger, then clicked her tongue and lowered her fist.
Seeing how he tried to set the mood, he seemed to be trying to have a serious talk.
“Oz. I always asked you.”
Tia sat cross-legged on the edge of the bed and spoke as if she were reminiscing.
“What the hell are you up to?”
I am at the center of the case.
Not just Tia, but anyone near me would know that there was a clear intention, not simply because it was a mess.
“Gerard’s work, Pyeongwang’s work. Many things happened and I asked you every time. But at some point I stopped doing that.”
Yeah, Tia suppressed me and didn’t want to hear an answer.
Every time she got involved in a case, she threatened me and tried to understand my intentions, but as time went on, she changed to the point of being irritated and scolding me.
It’s not because I’m used to my behavior. She hadn’t lived a life that was easy enough to leave without caring that she was used to it.
Even so, maybe she decided to leave me alone.
“No matter what you do, it’s because you believe that your essence is good.”
Because there was some trust between me and her.
Trusting someone is harder than you think. It is even more so if it is a dragon that has lived for many years and has seen all kinds of human groups.
“Do you see things that we cannot see? You must have been running so far for something that only you can see.”
“I guess that’s how it feels.”
There are things you can see through [Contemplation]. There are things I can know because of my game knowledge.
Those are things that only I know, and it is also difficult to bring them out to others hastily.
“Your behavior has always been suspicious. Because I acted like I was the only one who knew something.”
Who would believe me if I explained it? No, there may be people who believe in me, but on the contrary, it is clear that more and more people will doubt me.
“But I know you always tried to turn the results in a good direction.”
Life doesn’t just flow the way I know it.
I have always tried to produce the best results in an organically changing situation.
Even so, it didn’t work out, even though I knew more than anyone else, it wasn’t enough.
There were many times when it wasn’t the best.
“So, let me ask you one thing. This is not a doubt, it is a simple question.”
Tia turned her head to face me.
A different gaze than when he usually glared at me. Normal orange eyes, not vertical pupils.
“What are you looking at?”
She asked me with eyes filled with questions, not doubts.
It’s not like I’m suddenly asking this question. There must be a clear reason why she asked this question.
For example… … yes.
“Has this job failed?”
“… … That’s a painful point.”
Even if it’s not the best, it’s because of the worst results I’ve always tried to make to the next best.
“You said you were going to talk to Salem. But he came back as a king. That would be the case if your plan was to ascend the throne… … .”
“Yes, that’s right.”
My purpose was not to ascend the throne. Rather, he thought that depending on the circumstances, he might be forced to return the position of successor.
But the situation is like this.
“What I wanted was something else. It was successful in securing it. There were also unexpected harvests.”
I got the fruit of the world tree I wanted.
The pieces of the puzzle that had not been put together until now have mostly been put together with one word: regression.
He finally ascended to the throne and obtained the most powerful staff in the world.
It can’t be a huge benefit.
“But I failed. I didn’t see anything, I didn’t even get a good grasp of the situation.”
Except that it was the result of the sale of Salem Sudra’s life.
“I didn’t even set up a family.”
A panacea, too.
A clue to the future.
Neither position nor treasure.
“I couldn’t even imagine that he would die… … .”
Salem’s death can’t be a painful mistake enough to turn all those profits to zero.
Was there anything different about being prepared?
Probably not. But it is true that I was complacent.
“Did you say what do you see in my eyes? Seen but not seen. There is an obvious destruction, but there is no way to prevent it.”
I didn’t see the end of the game.
I didn’t even know if it would be a happy ending like a fairy tale or a bad ending that collapses in front of reality.
All I could do was prepare all the means.
I just believe in Eleanor, the main character.
yes, it is so helpless
All I’ve been doing so far is just struggling.
“hahahaha, damn it… … . What the hell is this?”
all the anxiety I had.
After pouring out the anxiety like vomiting, my head finally clears up.
I finally saw myself miserable.
Took.
Tia strokes my hair as if to comfort me.
It feels similar to what happened during the final exams in the past.
Even then… … .
“The behavior is awkward. Head of the academy.”
“That’s right. I feel awkward no matter what I do.”
Tia shrugged her shoulders as if she knew she had done something inappropriate. But even so, he didn’t put his hands away.
Laughter comes out of clumsy consolation.
“Will I die in the future you saw?”
“… … .”
It is a reasonable inference.
She is also called the barrier that protects this world, but there is no way destruction will come.
“… … Is that so?”
It’s obvious, but it’s not something that can be glossed over with silence.
Tia would have figured out the answer just because I was silent.
widely!
Tia didn’t say much and wanted to pat me on the head once, but then got up.
“Excuse me for being late at night. Get some rest.”
I couldn’t bear to hold on to Tia as she left. If she was stronger than anyone else, she would know.
That there will be things that can’t be stopped if it’s not you.
that the result is death.
that it can’t be avoided
she has no choice but to know
“I will not die.”
“… … .”
So I said to Tia who was about to leave the room.
save tia Protect her from sacrificing for the world.
have been trying to do that
“Is that so?”
“Yes, because I will not let you die. So, as always, the head of the academy.”
Yes, just like her personality.
“Don’t worry about anything, just burn like a flame.”
You don’t have to look back.
I’ll take care of everything holding her back.
I will organize the battlefield so that you can focus only on the battle.
And even if she fights an opponent and gets knocked out.
“There is no need for the headmaster to sacrifice himself for the sake of the world.”
i rescue
decided so
“ha ha ha.”
As Tia was about to leave the room, she spun around and came back to me.
Took.
Then, as before, he put his hand on my head and started stroking it.
But it’s a little different.
It is not an act of consolation.
“Yo, yo, cheeky bastard. Who cares about whom? You are good, man.”
As if proud, like an adult looking at a grown child.
It was an act that evoked such feelings.
“I know that? Until now, I have never seen anyone other than Grandpa Jinsun in my life who cares about me.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, but are you worried about me because you are so much younger and weaker than me?”
“Are you in a bad mood?”
“No, it’s subtle.”
Tia said that and started spinning my head around as if playing a joke.
“very! It’s a subtle feeling.”
As she said that, she had a bright smile that I hadn’t seen before.
* * *
‘Instigators’, including Janus, were gathered in one of the numerous hideouts of ＜Parade＞ within the empire.
A young man lying on a sofa and fiddling with a window.
An old man reading the scriptures.
A woman lying down in pain.
And a man with a huge build who was squatting in the corner.
“… … .”
In such a situation, Janus was in a state of blankly thinking.
‘Not enough.’
lack.
Clearly, the key is one. It should have been one, but something was lacking.
‘What’s missing? An emotional problem? No, it’s not like that. There’s nothing more intuitive.’
Janus couldn’t help but question the state as if some of his power had been removed.
If it was his inner problem caused by Salem’s death, I would rather understand it.
But that wasn’t it. Apart from that, there was an empty place in the power.
Although the [Speaker’s Key] was said to have been split, there could be no more than two pieces.
In the first place, when his mother Seon-hwa died, only Salem and Oz were by her side.
Oz’s key was retrieved when Janus became an incarnation.
The key Salem was carrying was retrieved by killing him this time.
Yet something is empty.
Janus was constantly struggling to confirm that something.
“When will the captain move?”
At that time, the man who was lying on the sofa, the [sophist] Lesis, muttered something boring.
He, who was active from the beginning, couldn’t be happy with this kind of waiting without a promise.
“I am disrespectful! Sir Lessis! Don’t disturb Janus! You must be making grand plans that we can’t even imagine!”
On the other hand, the [orator] orator, an old man who was reading the sutras, was busy deifying Janus, attaching more than necessary meaning to all his actions.
“Is that so?”
At Orator’s words, Lesis asked Lena, who was lying quietly recovering from her injuries.
“I do not know… … . I don’t know if you ask me. This is the first time that the power of the key has been unified in the first place. Wouldn’t it be strange if something changed?”
Lena answered helplessly. Now, she was injured as well, but she had a big mental problem, so it was difficult to give her proper motivation.
“Hey, Master Janus. God, that’s awesome.”
And suddenly, a man with a huge build who was squatting in the corner spoke in a stammering tone.
“What do you mean great?”
“Ah, anyway, hey, Janus-sama was always weird, amazing!”
“hahahaha! Well, I’m an idiot for trying to have a proper conversation with you.”
Lesis grinned as she watched the huge man speak in a slurred tone.
“Les, Lesis is an idiot, that’s right. Hee hee, asshole.”
“… … .”
And a man with a huge build, [talker] Malek Less nodded in affirmation of Lesis’ words.
Lexis said it herself, but she couldn’t help but feel subtle about Malek’s affirmation.
“… … well, that’s okay Anyway, I’m so bored right now If there is no order, can I go and play for a while?”
“Are you playing? Are you? I don’t think you’re going to play around when you only know about causing trouble and talking nonsense.”
“As expected, Miss Lena. You know so much about me.”
“… … It’s my usual behavior, but it’s too blatant to look at. so? What do you mean play?”
The word ‘play’ of the Lesis that Lena knew was absolutely not common.
From the beginning, the title is [Sophist].
You shouldn’t believe him straight away who says things that don’t even sound like words.
“No, listen? Didn’t Salem, who was the King of Darkness, die this time?”
“Be careful. Lesis. Depending on that topic, Janus-sama’s mood, that head could fly off.”
“Oops, sorry.”
Lexis covered her mouth with a fuss.
Lena studied Janus’ mood for a moment, then sighed and turned her head back to Lesis.
“What do you want to say?”
“As long as the biggest stumbling block is gone, there’s no way we won’t move.”
“Who is it?”
“My father.”
“… … ?”
Lena couldn’t help but tilt her head at Lesis’ words.
he has no parents
Didn’t he summon the monster and kill it with his own hands?
Recalling that point, Lena immediately said with a shocked expression.
“Could you call that monster Father now…?” … ?”
“If you have your father’s memories and abilities, what’s the difference between you and your father?”
“No, that… … .”
Lena was speechless.
I knew he was crazy, but I didn’t expect it to be like that.
“So, as the heir of Chrysos, shouldn’t I watch my father’s battles up close?”
＜Spellage＞, which was the biggest stumbling block, is now in chaos.
There is no way that the invader who was watching for an opportunity would miss that opportunity.
“no!”
It wasn’t Lena who responded to Lesis talking with a mischievous smile, but Orator, whose face was red with anger.
“Did you forget Janus-sama’s standby order?! Sir Lessis! What would you do if such an insignificant thing interfered with the cause!”
“Are you oversensitive? If Janus-sama is that amazing, wouldn’t my sudden actions be okay?”
“It’s not that kind of problem!”
“Then what’s the problem?”
Lena quietly closed her eyes as Orator and Lesis started fighting again. If you fall asleep like this and wake up, it will be organized somehow.
The moment I thought so.
“Let it go.”
“… … .”
A chilly voice echoed through the crowd.
Janus, who had been meditating all along, was looking at them with his eyes open.
“Oh, oh oh… … . Can I really go? leader.”
Even Lesis had no choice but to remain calm in the face of that intimidation.
Janus, who was looking at Lesis with an emotionless look, replied with a smile.
“yes. Because I also have something to prepare for. It looks like it will take quite a while, so you can go.”
In the end, Janus couldn’t figure out where his lack of power came from.
If you couldn’t figure it out even after spending this much time, there’s no point in worrying about it anymore.
If so, it’s enough to fill that lack in another way.
“I have to prepare a plan to catch the black dragon from now on.”
Yes, you can fill that gap with the power of another key.