34 – Episode 4. It only takes a moment for things to go wrong. (2)
“Abel. “Explain.”
“Didn’t you explain everything yesterday? “I don’t think I can explain it any further.”
“Explain it properly!”
Jan shouts.
She had consistently shown a calm demeanor until now, but she lost her pace. Her pupils are dilated as she looks at me, and her breathing has become so rough that her chest is heaving subtly.
I guess she can’t bear to see her coworker being treated like this.
I am truly fortunate. I thought there might be a gap to dig into.
“Abel?!”
An urgent knock was heard along with the voices of workers outside. I opened my mouth while making direct eye contact with Jan.
“It’s nothing, so don’t come in. “I still have time before school, so I’m thinking of getting some sleep.”
“…… All right.”
An acceptable answer was heard from the outside, but there was clearly concern.
You may have noticed something when you heard Jan’s voice a little while ago. The fact that I brought a woman other than Lina into the room.
If this continues, I think the image I created will be damaged.
“I lower my voice. “I don’t think there will be any good in both of us getting caught.”
Jan bites her lower lip. The other assassins behind her were also looking at her, unable to hide her agitation.
I intentionally took my time in silence.
Knowing that she would not be able to persuade her by emotionally confronting her, she gave her the space to make a rational decision.
The assassination team will know how useless emotions are after carrying out numerous missions, so they will quickly find reason.
“…… Yarn. Did I tell you? “If there is even one lie in what I say, I will give you a fragment of the World Tree.”
“… ….”
“You are the ones who did not believe.”
I didn’t even expect you to trust me from the beginning.
They had not yet received an assassination order, and they thought they were in a position to kill me at any time.
Nevertheless, the reason I did them a favor and kept them around was because I wanted the quest to lead Jan, and she was one of the characters who played a key role in her future development.
If not, I would have kicked him out first. One way or another.
“…… I have never given such orders to my children. “It must have been my mother’s order.”
Yan quietly excuses himself.
“So? “There’s nothing wrong with your crew?”
“That’s…… But… ….”
“You were always aiming for fragments of the World Tree from the beginning, right? It would have happened sooner or later anyway. “Isn’t that right?”
Despite my sarcasm, she couldn’t say anything.
She was talking so that she couldn’t even make excuses, but the more she talked, the more she realized that she was at a disadvantage.
I like it.
In fact, if she were a stupid woman who emotionally clashed with a situation that Jan should have solved logically, she wouldn’t have even said a word. She probably thought she wasn’t worth dealing with.
“… I guess so. “The fragments of the World Tree belong to the elves.”
“The fragments of the World Tree belong to the elves……. “It’s funny.”
I sneered.
Instead of hiding his sneer, he laughed more openly. I glanced at them, feeling the atmosphere suddenly becoming cold.
Then, in an instant, his expression changed and he opened his mouth with a straight face.
“Who decided that?”
“What?”
“Is Marie Tersi a god?”
You can’t say anything, right?
Even though Marie Tersi possesses outstanding mana among elves and is in a position to set her own discipline, this is only limited to the elf race.
It had nothing to do with me as a human being.
“No matter how much you call her mother, Marie Tersi is an elf just like you. “She is not a transcendent or anything.”
“Still…… !”
“Don’t be mistaken, Jan. I am a human, not an elf. “No matter what rules your mother makes or what ideas she spreads, I have no reason to follow them.”
It is a self-evident fact that I cannot win in a fight with them. However, you should not appear intimidated or clumsy now.
The more boldly and strongly I express my opinions, the less likely they are to take me lightly.
“Or are you going to say it like this? “I went into the El Dorado Forest and stole a fragment of the World Tree owned by the elves?”
“No… “Can you say for sure?”
I snorted at her words.
I am already in control of this argument. No matter how Jan continued the conversation, it was only at a disadvantage.
In fact, the more she opened and closed her mouth, the more her voice lost strength.
“There is certainly no way to prove that. But if I had really stolen it, would I have planted the fragments in the Duke’s garden in plain sight? “The tree that shines at night?”
“That’s… ….”
He still seemed unconvinced.
Well, they are elves who have been brainwashed their entire lives about the World Tree, so I should understand that.
“Okay. “I don’t think you understand, so let me say it differently.”
If everything I say is a lie and you don’t believe it, I have to force you to convince me. So that you can’t say anything.
“What?”
“How did I know that Jonah had touched her fragment?”
“Who told me—”
“Isn’t Jan better to know that, except for the servants who were first brought to the academy, no duchess came to the academy?”
Jan could not easily open his mouth to my question.
She glared at me with her mouth closed for a while and then sighed heavily as if she had decided on something.
“Abel Sirius.”
Sreung!
Yan suddenly pulled out her sword. She then places the dagger to my neck without hesitation.
Damn. It’s not even visible to an ordinary person.
“There is no point in considering right or wrong anyway. I am an elf and you are a human. In the end, we have no choice but to fight. “If you’re a clever person, you already know.”
Does it come out like this?
I expected it, but I’m still confused.
“Is it okay to say that you agree with what I said if you come out like this even though I gave you enough words to convince you?”
“No.”
“Otherwise, I understand that what you are doing now goes against your mother’s intentions and proves that you are useless.”
“… ….”
Jan’s eyes trembled as she looked at me, but her gaze was still sharp. He hasn’t lost his momentum yet.
Now I feel disconnected from this world just by her moving her arms. But I was still calm.
I knew from the beginning that Jan had no intention of killing me. Even if he intended to kill me, he was confident that I would not die.
That’s because if I was really in a situation where I was going to die, the quest would have let me know one beat sooner.
“Jan. “What you are doing now is the worst choice you can make.”
“Well? “It might be the best choice.”
I felt a slight stinging sensation in my throat.
“When we receive orders from our mother, we carry them out no matter what. “The reason we didn’t kill you is because your mother only gave an order to watch.”
Certainly, if Marie Tersi had ordered her assassination, she would not have even been able to have a conversation like this.
But the girl I knew was at least an elf who knew how to reason. That’s because she’s crazy about the World Tree.
“Maybe so. But conversely, I guess you haven’t thought about it like that? “I’m keeping you alive.”
“What…… ?”
“This is the capital of the empire. It’s a place full of the people you hate. “Why do you think I am setting you free in a place like that?”
If I just say this much, they will understand. How unfavorable the current situation is for you.
“Recognize that I am doing you a favor. Be clear about your position. “If you want to live a long time.”
It is said that it is up to you to use the favor. Because of what I have done so far, my position is bound to become more advantageous.
“Captain Yan, calm down.”
The death squad member behind him grabbed Yan’s arm and stopped him.
“You stay still. “All of our lives are at stake.”
“Captain! “Mother said you should not kill Abel Sirius!”
Oh, are you providing support?
I was grateful that he gave strength to my words, but my voice was too loud. I think it could have been heard by people outside.
“But…… !”
“Abel! “I’m going in!”
Quang!
The door burst open and workers came rushing inside. And I am surprised to see Jan and I confronting each other in the living room.
I guess he heard Jan’s voice and was waiting outside the door.
From Noble mtl dot com
“You bastards! “What are you doing!”
“Who dare you point your sword at?”
The knights approach with their swords drawn.
Things are getting complicated. But it’s okay. It is fully controllable. Because I am the one with the highest status here.
“Stop! “Stand by!”
I said, extending my hand to them. The knights’ footsteps stop at my gesture.
“But Abel!”
“Don’t make me say it twice. This is me provoking them. “There is nothing wrong with them.”
Even in a confrontational situation, I let out the nuance of trying to protect them.
In any case, my purpose was to control them by appeasing them, not to fight them.
“Sure, losing a crew member and killing me might not be a bad exchange. But what do you plan to do after that?”
“Whatever. “I will run away.”
Yes, he will run away.
I burst out laughing at the absurd answer.
“Even if you kill me, Jan won’t be able to take the fragments.”
“If he kills you, that heavenly punishment will be gone, right?”
“Do you really think so?”
I giggled and laughed. To make her thinking more complicated.
“Even if Heavenly Punishment disappears as Yan said, the fragments will not be able to be recovered. “The knights will pursue you until the end.”
“No. “I can retrieve it.”
I think we need to gradually break her momentum.
“Jan. “I guess the Duke of Sirius looked like a noble family on the outskirts because I treated them well?”
When I lower my voice and erase the smile, Jan flinches. He glanced at the dagger trembling and continued.
“Come to your senses. The Sirius family is a family that can set fire to the El Dorado Forest at any moment and annihilate your elf race. “You are pointing a sword at the son of that family.”
Yan’s crotch is shaking once.
He realized the meaning of his current actions.
Now, this issue is not simply a personal issue between me and Jan, but the issue of the existence of humans versus elves is at stake.
“If you realized…… Put down your sword. “It’s my last favor.”
“… ….”
Yan made eye contact with me and maintained a standoff for a while, and then he lowered his sword, avoiding my gaze.
Yan, who could kill me at any moment, closed his eyes for the first time. After all, momentum is important in an argument.
“…… “What happens to Jonah?”
He put the sword in his bosom and asked quietly.
“First of all, I will send you a letter telling you not to treat me harshly. “They tried to steal the fragment, so they won’t be able to remove it right now.”
“I see… ….”
“And I will find a way to deal with mana.”
It is a weakness that has been achieved to the best of its ability. I can’t let you go easily.
The reason Jan took a step back now was because he judged the situation to be bad, not because he had given up on the purpose of recovering the fragments.
I was planning on pretending not to notice and holding on tight, at least until these guys fall away.
“…… I get it.”
“If the business is done, let’s go out. “I need to fix this too.”
I said as I glanced at the knights standing awkwardly behind me. The assassination squad escaped without a trace through the open window.
Only then did the knights and servants approach me.
“Are you okay, Abel?!”
“How are you feeling?!”
“Everyone, calm down. “I’m fine.”
I wiped the blood flowing down my neck with my thumb. A little bitter. It looked like it had been slightly cut.
“Abel! “I thought it was strange from the beginning!”
“Are they really escorts?!”
“Wouldn’t it be better to track it down right away?”
I feel crazy as they surround me and talk.
“There is only one thing I can say to you now. Don’t go anywhere and talk nonsense. Do you understand?”
It was Hamguryeong.
I would find out someday anyway, but I didn’t want the relationship between humans and elves to become distant because of me.
“B, but Abel…… !”
“It’s okay. “It was a process I had to go through at least once.”
If I had the power, I might have forcefully taken Yan like Mine did. There is no easier way to subdue an opponent than with force.
But since I had no power, I had no choice but to go through this cumbersome process.
“It may not be easy to believe because I have lived as a fool for a long time, but I will never do anything that will harm the duke family, so don’t worry and follow me.”
They seemed unable to understand that I was trying to protect the assassination squad, but they bowed their heads and agreed.
Only then did I smile brightly and say.
“Thank you. “I have to go to school today too, so would you all please leave so I can get ready?”
* @ *
“Sir, most of the hideouts we had built in the Sirius Territory were discovered, and many believers were sacrificed. “It looks like we will have to reorganize by removing the believers from the Sirius Territory.”
Karey Secum, the vice-principal of the Beral Church, visited Deimos’ room and reported. It was to listen to his orders on how to move.
“… ….”
Deimos silently rolled his wine glass in his hand as he listened to his report. After shaking the wine for a long time, he put his mouth to the glass and took a sip.
“There is no need for reorganization. If they have already noticed it, there is a possibility that if they try to take it out, it will be discovered elsewhere. Cut it out.”
“I will do so.”
The deputy leader responded without hesitation to the harsh order to cut off his followers. As if he expected him to say that.
“Instead, rescue people from slums in other territories, distribute food to them, and spread the doctrine of Beral to keep Beatra in check. “It would be better if it could cause animosity towards the empire.”
They were taking advantage of what the emperor had already proven once: that people without money have nothing to believe in but God.
“I will do so.”
“And before releasing the monster, did you remove everything that could be a variable?”
“… “I removed all but one.”
“One thing? “What is that?”
Karey could not answer his question right away.
It was because it was shameful to report the continued failure to Deimos. He didn’t want to betray his expectations, but he couldn’t help but feel angry at how things kept getting worse.
“I won’t disappoint you, so don’t worry and tell me.”
“That…” … “The believers who were sent to kill Abel Sirius were all killed.”
“What about Abel Sirius?”
“It seems like he lived comfortably and went to the academy.”
“I see.”
Deimos laughed.
‘Abel Sirius is clearly incompetent. But for some reason, I can’t shake off the feeling of discomfort.’
When Deimos was thinking about all of Abel’s actions so far, Karei spoke.
“Even though we provided clothing with a stealth enchantment so that we could deal with it in a single surprise attack, it failed. Sorry. I should have selected better…… !”
“There is nothing we can do about something that has already failed. So why is that a variable?”
“After checking the traces on the corpses, I found out that it was the work of an elf killing squad.”
Deimos’ hand that was bringing the wine to his mouth suddenly stopped.
“Are you saying that the elf killing squad protected Abel, a human?”
“That’s right. I suspect that Abel Sirius has some connection with the elves. In fact, the tree that glows at night, planted in the Duke House, has been confirmed to be a fragment of the World Tree.”
“That’s right… ….”
Deimos put down his glass on the table and crossed his legs. While he was thinking while tapping his index finger on the table, he decided to take advantage of the relationship between Abel Sirius and the elf.
“Use Abel Sirius.”
“Yes?”
“Tell this to the believers. “When you enter the realm of the El Dorado Forest, mention the name of Abel Sirius while releasing the monster.”
“!”
Karey, who immediately realized Deimos’ intention, raised the corners of his mouth and smiled. She didn’t even think about lowering the corners of her torn mouth as they touched her cheekbones.
“We can confirm whether Abel really has the trust of the elves, and even if the elves do trust Abel, if we can create even a small gap, that will be enough.”
“I will tell you that. “Master.”
Karei bowed her head and rhymed, as was her habit.
“Everything goes according to Beral’s will.”