12. clever fool (6)
‘Let’s say everything… .’
Vivian was determined.
Tell the truth about what you were going to do that day, and apologize.
For now, that’s the best.
Thinking of that morning, which was filled with excitement and fear, Vivian opened her mouth.
“Actually… .”
The moment you said that.
‘… Wait a minute.’
I remember that time vividly.
Yeah, that wasn’t the intention from the start.
It was a real impulse.
At first, I was genuinely curious about Ian’s sleep.
Looking at Mary’s sleeping face at Magdalen Abbey, I thought,
What about Ian’s sleeping face?
‘If this… .’
Vivian spoke naturally.
“I was curious about Ian’s sleeping face… .”
“… yes?”
There is no time to think about what to add.
As it comes to mind, naturally, as if it had been like that from the beginning, as if it were not an excuse that comes to mind now.
“That’s right, right? I’ve never seen Ian sleep. At Magdalen Abbey, you always go to bed later than me and wake up early.”
“uh… . I did.”
“Here, in the first place, we use a separate room. So I was just curious. Will Ian sleep? How will you sleep?”
“Well… .”
“Well, you slept with Marie back then. Did Marie and Ian look alike?”
“… To be honest, it’s kind of like that.”
“But the way Marie sleeps is very different from usual. Have you seen it?”
“no.”
“He’s really cute and calm. Are you like a baby angel? So, I had a sudden thought. What kind of face does Ian sleep with? Will Ian’s impression change dramatically like Marie?”
“Uhm… .”
Ian nodded his head in agreement.
This is a positive sign.
At the same time, her ears gradually turned red.
It was easy for Vivian to remember what he was imagining.
He suppressed a laugh that seemed to leak out and continued.
“So that morning, when I saw Ian, that’s exactly what came to my mind. So yes… . It was strange, so I looked into it for a while and observed it, but I had no idea it was awake.”
“I see… .”
Ian pursed his lips tightly.
He looked like he was shuddering with shame.
I’m glad it wasn’t what I had imagined.
Aside from that, the shame had risen to the point where I almost wanted to bite my tongue.
Looking at him with his ears reddened, Vivian wanted to play a joke.
‘cute… .’
More at noblemtl com
Just in time, he remembered the conversation Mary and Ian had at Magdalen Abbey.
Marie’s joke about Ian sleeping with the others came first.
then so… .
Ian asked.
“What are you thinking?”
As if she hadn’t cried before, Vivian laughed mischievously.
Seeing her like that, Ian also smiled.
“Tell me what you think?”
“… … .”
… Oops!
Even then, Ian was beaten by Marie.
It was time for Vivian to be ashamed.
I wanted to react a little cleverly, but I became an idiot.
Seeing Vivian fooling around eased Ian’s mind.
In any case, misunderstandings were resolved.
“I guess I was just misunderstanding myself.”
“Oh, no… . I misunderstood myself, so what… . Hehe.”
Vivian smiled shyly.
Ian let out a sigh of relief.
Even though it was embarrassing, I had hoped it wasn’t true, so I couldn’t help but consider it fortunate.
‘thank god… .’
It only ended with his own embarrassing misunderstanding, so there was nothing more fortunate than this.
*
“I’m here to see Felix.”
“What is your status?”
“This is Penny, Master of the Managers Guild.”
The guard at the prison camp of the military police confirmed his license and readily allowed entry.
That was also a strange thing.
Even in the gendarmerie where all sorts of ghost stories abound, this detention center is the most sleazy place.
In such a place, you simply verify your identity once and allow entry?
It’s nonsense.
If someone comes looking for Felix, it is impossible without an order to let him in.
The hypothesis that Ian was Phillip became more and more certain.
In fact, Ian had requested that he receive as much news from outside as easily as possible.
I hoped that Felix would slowly wither away from inside, listening to the news from outside.
“This way.”
Penny followed the guard’s guide through the dingy hallways.
On one wall, wooden solitary doors are arranged at a fairly long distance, and on the opposite wall, guards are interspersed.
It seems that each sentinel manages one door.
The number of doors was small, and the number of guards was not large, as only one wall had a solitary cell.
Penny briefly recognized the scenery and collected her thoughts.
It wasn’t an important moment.
Go see Felix.
Soon, it meant going to check the connection between Ian and Philip.
Your heart beats fast and your body heats up.
To her, Philip is like a god.
Now I am on my way to confirm the reality of that god.
‘Ian… . Is that you?’
Even though she hadn’t met Felix yet, Penny felt like she’d already heard the answer.
In her heart she was convinced to herself that Ian was Philip.
“I think so.”
The guard in charge of the guide stopped in front of a certain door.
As I passed through the corridors, I heard unpleasant murmurs and sobs from beyond the other cells.
Among them, this door is the noisiest right now.
Penny focused on the sounds she heard inside.
-Ah, Vivian. you’re right. It’s a wizard I found. He’s a really talented, good-natured, good warrior who always gets along well with his teammates. Her skills… .
It was like bragging to someone.
Penny’s heart, which had been excited until just now, quickly cooled.
‘… I think it’s crazy. I don’t know if it’ll be a conversation.’
-Thump!
“Felix! It’s a visit!”
The sentinel knocked and pushed aside the high-level shutters.
Then he saw Felix, his eyes wide open against the bars.
“ah… ! painting… penny! Penny! Aren’t you a master… !”
The sentinel took a step aside.
“Ah, Penny is the one who founded our Managers Guild. He is also one of the two people I admire.”
Happy to see Penny, he suddenly turned his head unnaturally to the side and murmured.
When Penny glanced at the sentinel, he shrugged.
“Who is the other? of course… . Oh, that’s… . The name… .”
“Felix.”
“I remember well… .”
“Felix?”
“… Yeah? Ah, Penny! Are you here?”
“yes. I just arrived. you now… Are you all right?”
“Don’t worry about me. It’s because there are kind people who listen to me. haha.”
Felix kept turning his head to the side and talking to himself over and over again.
Even when he looked at Penny, his eyes weren’t focused.
Penny decided to get to the point quickly.
“Felix. Have you met Ian?”
“… … .”
“Did we meet? What happened?”
“… … .”
“Philip… . Ian is Phillip, right… ?”
Penny asked in a trembling voice.
The sentry tilted its head at the mention of Phillip’s name, but Penny couldn’t afford to care.
“Ian… . Philip… . Ian? Philip… ?”
Felix murmured the two names alternately.
“Ian… . Ian, Vivian… . I, Vivian, I chose, ah, no… . He, he chose. I just… .”
“Felix, please… . important issue… .”
“Ahhhhh-!”
Felix suddenly screamed.
“sorry! I’m sorry-! I, I… !”
He slams the back of his head against the wall and screams.
Even that look was unnatural.
It was like standing still and moving your head backwards.
A guard quickly opened the door and pinned him to the floor to prevent him from harming himself.
Penny’s eyes shifted from Felix to the solitary cell where he was kept.
It’s a small space that can be filled with just one person standing there.
It’s ridiculous to even call it a room.
Rather, it is more like a coffin.
When I opened the door, a stench wafted in, for the floor of the solitary cell was full of filth.
It was a place where even defecation could not be disposed of properly.
Felix’s skin was yellowish.
It was also so dry that his bony bones stood out.
Penny looked at him and saw the sentinel.
Really innocently, I wondered what the hell did people do to become like this.
The guard, noticing the gaze, smiled.
“I didn’t do anything.”
“… … .”
“Literally. Really, no action was taken.”
minimal meals.
And the news of Vivian ordered by Ian.
Other than that, Felix was offered nothing.
A complete solitary cell with no windows and no lights.
Only then did Penny realize why she had been so far away from her cell all the way there.
The prisoners were kept apart so that they could not stimulate each other.
Penny didn’t particularly sympathize with Felix.
It didn’t seem unreasonable, having been reported on a number of incidents by Felix.
Excluding Vivian, he has already trampled on too many people’s lives.
It wasn’t even like that in the first place.
More at noblemtl com
Just, Penny shuddered.
‘Ian’s way… .’
What if you touch your own person?
The way it was handled that made me feel as cruel as it was cruel.
Being able to do that by moving even the military police must mean that Philip has authority… .
‘Ahh… . That’s why it’s a place full of rumors… .’
It goes without saying that few people know the true nature of this place.
There are many things that are inconvenient to go out and talk about the scenery seen here.
Apart from disclosing the work of the military police.
Even if you put it into words, you can’t convey the life here as it is.
It would be just a repetition of the description that people were locked up so that they could not move and all freedom was taken away.
Most people will not understand what is more terrifying than execution.
‘Even though Felix is of poor quality, it’s a harsh enough place to be extravagant to confine such a guy… .’
In the end, the only result left is that Ian, who can confine Felix here, is Philip.
Someone might point out that it is possible because he is the former manager of the 1st party.
But Penny is sure.
Ian is able to do this because he is Philip.
Penny’s face kept smiling because only she could know the side of Philip that others didn’t know.
Instead, one question remains.
If Ian had done anything, it would have been known in some way.
However, Felix’s presence here has not yet been publicly announced.
Penny knew because she was reported as the manager’s guild master.
“Philip… . Oh no, Ian… ! Sorry, I was wrong… . sorry… .”
“Felix. Is Ian Philip? Are you sure?”
Penny asked in a trembling voice.
Convinced of herself, she wanted to hear Felix’s answer.
“That’s right… . penny? Oh, when did you come… .”
Felix’s focus is finally on Penny.
It was thanks to getting out of solitary confinement and lying down on the floor of a wide aisle.
“Ian… .”
Felix thought over the name again, then laughed through tears.
“He is Philip… .”
rattle.
Penny heard her heart beat.
“Ian, it was Philip… . The reason you founded the Managers Guild. A person who deserves the envy of all managers. Came to save this world… .”
“god… .”
That was a phrase Penny often used when preaching about Philip.
A god who descended to this land to save the world.
“That’s him… .”
“That, the basis… . Do you have any evidence?”
Penny’s voice trembled.
Felix’s blank gaze scanned the air.
“… … .”
Philip was recalling the three symbols Ian had brought out at the time.
But I couldn’t speak out loud.
More at noblemtl com
Just thinking about that moment makes me breathless again.
I didn’t hear any reply.
In those eyes that seemed to be relentlessly counting dust, Penny read the truth.
“Huh… !”
Penny involuntarily inhaled.
I felt like fainting.
What did Felix see?
What on earth proves the relationship between Philip and Ian?
Felix’s muffled voice overlaid the wings of his imagination.
He said with a smile as he cried.
“A royal letter recognizing qualifications equivalent to those of the imperial family… . Seonghwagyo Apostle’s Gold Coin… . And, the magic seal certified by the Emperor and the Holy Emperor… . Who the hell, what manager, would carry three of those things… .”
Penny, who had been silently listening, breathed heavily.
“Huh… . ha… .”
“penny… . I heard you took the position of manager of the 1st party… .”
“… … .”
“What have you done… .”
“… … .”
“If you hadn’t… . I… . Ah, ah, ah-! no! It’s because I, I, I’m not good enough, ah… !”
Penny got up from her seat without answering.
“Are you done?”
“… Yes.”
Penny answered briefly and turned around.
The lookout left Felix in the care of another personnel and caught up with her.
“Well, as a rule, you must not ask questions about conversations with outsiders. Let’s just ask one thing. Philip is… Is this the Philip I know?”
“… What kind of Philip do you know?”
“Yeah… . Isn’t that the manager who made the 1st hero party possible?”
“… … .”
Penny stood tall and slowly turned her head.
Clear tears flowed from her tightly closed eyes.
“no.”
Penny laughed through her tears.
“He is a god.”
At that fanatical remark, the guards couldn’t pursue her any further.
*
Penny walked slowly down the street.
The destination was a training camp.
If there was a conflict with Felix, Ian would most likely be there.
nothing caught in sight
Whoever passes by, whatever they say.
My five senses were so full of Ian that I couldn’t think of anything.
The secretary and coachman are waiting near the prison, but there is no time to be bothered.
It would take half a day to walk from here to the camp, but Penny did it.
More at noblemtl com
Just walk faithfully
to the place where he is.
Leaving the prison in the evening, Penny did not enter the training center until around noon the next day.
Until then, she hadn’t stopped a single step.
I had no idea.
Only the existence of Ian and Phillip filled the empty consciousness.
Standing at the entrance of the training center, the wide training ground comes into view.
“ah… .”
very slowly
Penny’s eyes opened.
As if seeing the light and color of the world for the first time, her red eyes ravenously visualized the sight.
“Ahhh… .”
Far from the edge of that training ground.
Mercy and Kati are standing.
Two women with red and orange hair are also seen.
Meanwhile, Ian was there.
“Ahhhh… .”
Penny let out a ecstatic breath and sat down on the floor.
Ian’s two warriors.
Vivian and Helena ran along the outskirts of the training ground.
Meanwhile, quite a few people were running like them.
The number of people who wanted to follow Ian’s training method increased dramatically.
Everyone follows Ian.
Ian’s influence moves everyone.
“Also… you are… .”
Penny didn’t even blink.
Even when the wind blew and it looked like it would dry my eyes, I didn’t close them.
While doing so, a piece of paper flew in front of her.
[Superbia manager monthly magazine]
Penny, who was about to ignore it, saw the name ‘Ian’ written on the article and read it right away.
[Ian, the former manager of the 1st Hero Party. Return to Supervia and throw a new party? The relationship with the first hero’s party has not yet been revealed… .]
[The first hero, wizard Vivian. The protagonist of the king slime subjugation a few months ago, and a wizard who was abused by a manager named Felix… .]
[The second warrior. Helena, who was ranked 30th in the Magdalen Abbey Public Exam. He, who recognized the value early, joined the line. After meeting Ian, Helena climbed from 30th place to 1st place and performed the miracle of finishing the exam… .]
[Acquisition of artifacts and holy relics from the party’s first official dungeon raid.]
[The wizard who became a hot topic, Felix, the former manager who abused Vivian. It has been confirmed that he is being imprisoned in the military police detention center… .]
“… … .”
[Ian becomes the second Philip, but everyone pays attention… .]
Penny squeezed the article to tear.
“Ah, ah, ahh… !”
Penny hugged her face and sobbed.
in front of your eyes.
on this land.
To the paradise of ugly and imperfect humans.
far away
God has manifested.
“Ahaha… .”
Seeing the sacredness, Penny lowered her head.
It’s so perfect that I want to touch it and I can’t help but love it.
so that.
‘I wanted to break it… .’
There was a being so perfect that he wanted to draw gold because there was not a speck of dust in his field of vision.
‘You, how could you… . dazzlingly… .’
Penny had her eyes on Ian again, no, on Philip.
His story seems to have created the language of perfection as a human being, reminding us of pearls with the most beautiful and perfect sphere shape.
‘ah… .’
You become holy just by looking at it.
More at noblemtl com
Just imagining his destruction is thrilling.
Penny burst into tears.
Imagine that the work that was done only in imagination is transferred to reality.
In the end, everything is imaginary.
At one time, I longed for him, and I wanted to destroy him because I longed for him, but I realized it belatedly.
That he is an object that can never be reached.
‘What have I been doing… .’
The answer to the sentinel echoed in my head.
God.
The person who built the current hero system.
If he is not the one who directly led the epic of mankind’s most elite heroes, the 1st Warrior Party, then who the hell is God?
And she was acutely aware of the arrogance of daring to reach God.
Even after being kicked out of the heroes he raised, he is still aloof.
Penny, who took the position, accomplished nothing.
It was impossible to even maintain.
Although there was a feeling of boredom because the pursuit of God had become unclear.
That was impossible for her.
You cannot replace him or destroy him.
What you do remains as an insignificant negligence.
Reminds me of the first party that stumbled.
Ian, their only glue, was gone, so it was inevitable.
‘What have I done… .’
perhaps.
really maybe
If it hadn’t been for him, Ian might have been the same.
At the same time, I even think that Ian can shine more solidly like now because he was confident.
Strange regrets and ecstasy rage.
“Ahhh… .”
Philip’s shape is gradually blurring in the blurred vision.
Still, Penny could pinpoint exactly where Phillip was in her field of vision.
‘Just the thought of reaching you makes me… .’
More at noblemtl com
Just to see Philip.
To crush Philip.
I have been living since that day a year ago to trample on the perfection that Philip had built.
What color expression will he show when he, who deserves praise from everyone and emits light alone, falls down?
More at noblemtl com
Just imagining it makes my head dizzy.
That desire drove Penny.
‘Illusion… .’
Realize that everything was just a vain delusion.
It was just that Ian was disturbed with a foolish mind.
Penny’s memory went back to about a year ago.
I was rescued by the 1st party.
To the starting point of following Philip’s footsteps.
*
“Ugh… !”
A man dressed in expensive armor collapses vomiting blood.
His face, stained with astonishment, slowly turns back.
There, there was a fellow wizard with short blond hair and narrow eyes.
“Pe, Penny… ? now what… . Coup-!”
Once again, the pain in my stomach as my intestines shredded.
The man, who had been bleeding profusely, collapsed and died without being able to speak.
Penny looked down at him with closed eyes and exhaled lightly.
“Huh. it’s boring How can humans be so imperfect and stupid?”
She despised human imperfection.
That’s why I couldn’t help but yearn for perfection.
‘When will I be able to find it… .’
And on that day, I had to face it.
A person I thought might be a fragment of perfection.
“What is it, lost in a dungeon again?”
The first person I met was Beatrice.