18. collapse (4)
“Ugh-!”
Penny woke up with a deep breath.
The movement of the left arm that struggled in the dream is still vivid.
I instinctively moved my left arm, but only a slight emptiness remained.
“ah.”
Like a habit, he fumbled with his right hand on the amputated surface of his left arm.
It is clean.
“ha… .”
Penny struggled to get up and looked at the table next to the bed.
There was a left arm preserved by taxidermy magic.
“… … .”
I still remember the moment Kylie strangled me and cut off my arm.
The price for coveting the power and position he did not dare to control was severe.
“Ha ha, ha ha… .”
When you are buried in the past, your breathing quickens on its own.
Thinking of Ian, I forced myself to breathe.
‘No, I, I can… . I have to… .’
With trembling hands, Penny grabbed her left arm.
Her routine began, but nothing major.
All he had to do was fumble through Philip’s collection that he had collected all day.
It was an act of escape to forget his current situation.
‘Looking at this… . If you look, you will understand… .’
At that time, the secretary who came to visit her was startled.
I couldn’t help but be surprised to see him carrying his left arm.
“Hey, Penny… ?”
Penny couldn’t answer at once.
The secretary looked down at such a penny as if it was pitiful.
The entire fortress looks like this.
“ha… . Penny?”
“Yes, yes… ?”
“This one.”
The secretary handed me something with a confused expression.
Penny looked at the clipped envelope and hurriedly put away Philip’s papers.
It seems like you shouldn’t even touch anything else.
After tidying up the desk, she received the envelope and opened it.
There were several papers inside.
The secretary went out without further explanation.
Penny’s eyes slowly opened as she saw the first page of the paper.
[plaint]
[Accused: Count Nicholas von Friedrich]
[Accused: Penny, Kylie, Beatrice, Aria, Sylvia]
[The purpose of the accusation and the facts of the crime… .]
A person who has been victimized by the dark beer promoted in Badenberg has sent a complaint.
It wasn’t just the first chapter.
All of the numerous documents behind it were complaints.
“… … .”
For the common people, beer is just a simple daily beverage or entertainment.
However, it is completely different for soldiers near the front lines.
Alcohol is one of the few pleasures for them who live in strict vigilance every day.
How well it was distributed to soldiers, and how good the quality was.
These things also have a big impact on morale.
Among them, the dark beer promoted by the 1st warrior party was, of course, inevitably popular with the soldiers guarding the front.
At the same time, the damage suffered by the soldiers was the weakening and blow of the national army.
This complaint was delivered to the mayor of Badenberg as well as the first warrior party, but that didn’t matter to Penny right now.
That wasn’t all.
Starting with the person Kylie stabbed at that time, people who had been harmed by Kylie and Beatrice in the past came together to sue.
It was all in Penny’s hands.
Penny was silent for a long time after seeing the fact of the massive lawsuit, and then howled.
“aaagh-!”
Dozens of complaints that had been swept away with wails flew in the air.
“No, this is not… ! this is not… ! I… ! me, i… ! What I was trying to do was… !”
When I hit the desk, my left arm fell off.
Seeing her left arm lying on the floor, Penny felt a great sense of futility.
‘Still, what have you been doing? What are you here for… .’
“penny?”
A man with a rough tone called her by name.
I slowly raised my head, and the first thing I saw was my feet wearing black armor.
“It is Hwangmyeong.”
Wolfgang stood Penny up without explanation and bound her arms and torso with chains.
He couldn’t be handcuffed because he had one arm missing.
Although the four members of the 1st warrior’s party were suspects, they were treated at least because they had previous achievements and reputations of their own.
Penny’s case was different.
“From now on, your personal affairs belong to the imperial family and the military police, so be aware.”
“What… What nonsense… !”
A dazed Penny reacted belatedly.
“Leave this! I know who I am!”
Penny cast a spell with fierce resistance.
“Wind cutter… !”
A blade of wind stretched from her toward Wolfgang.
Wolfgang quickly pulled out his shield and blocked it.
“How dare the military police… ! I mean his… !”
-puck!
Wolfgang rushed in quickly and raised his shield to strike.
I grabbed the swaying penny and slammed my knee vigorously against the pit of the stomach.
“Knock… .”
Penny grabbed her stomach and drooled.
The will to resist was completely gone.
My whole body was busy just enduring the pain.
“Obstruction of public affairs. Illegal use of magic against people.”
Wolfgang laughed and patted her on the back as she bent down like a shrimp.
“You know how to increase the number of crimes. By the way, I was once an A-class wizard, but it’s too rusty. If this is the case, even B-class will be difficult.”
Wolfgang raised his hand and slapped Penny on the cheek.
“I need to know the subject… . Tsk. bring it.”
Wolfgang, who caught a glimpse of Penny, who fell down and whimpered, left first.
Two gendarmerie men followed the Wolfgang, holding Penny on both sides.
“Kkeuk… .”
The others in the camp were far away and had no choice but to watch.
*
“Hmm… . I need to stay overnight.”
Sitting in the driver’s seat, Ian looked at the map and murmured.
There was not even a village nearby, let alone a town worth staying at.
“Hoo. It’s been a while since I’ve had a night where we can all rub together and sleep.”
“… But what I’m curious about is, are there many perverted elves like you? Especially in that hometown… .”
“Then wouldn’t the value of the Elf race be too noble? The balance of the world is not so easy.”
“ah… . okay.”
Ian stopped the carriage and explained the situation to the party.
“Kati, Mercy. Find a suitable place for the two of you.”
“Okay, I understand.”
“Yes.”
Kati and Mercy left to find a place to camp nearby.
We could have all moved together, but Ian had something to say to Lucia.
Now it’s time to reveal Kati’s identity.
“Have you ever been outside?”
Ian asked, leaning against the carriage door.
Vivian and Helena realized what Ian was trying to reveal and hardened their faces.
Lucia, unaware of the situation, replied calmly.
“When I was young, I moved around a lot. After entering the castle… There is none.”
“I’ll probably be sleeping outside today, but please bear with me if it’s a little uncomfortable.”
“Are you looking forward to it? I used to think that way sometimes. When I make friends, we go on a trip together and sleep together in a small room.”
At the word friend, Vivian and Helena smiled slightly.
Ian was also satisfied that they seemed to have become close friends.
“Today I will make that dream come true.”
“It’s a good thing.”
“What do you think of Mine?”
It was Ian’s unique way of speaking.
It is a technique to suddenly ask an important question while talking about ordinary, everyday things.
At the same time as blocking the room to think about it leisurely, it was also a skill that allowed the other person’s reaction to be honest.
“Are you Mine?”
Lucia thought about it quite seriously before looking around at the party.
Then, he came up with a completely unexpected answer.
“I’m sorry.”
“… yes?”
“I don’t hate Mine that much.”
Lucia especially paid attention to Helena.
It was because she was a priest of Seonghwagyo, so it was only natural that Ma-in would have the greatest resentment.
Lucia even explained.
“It’s a bit difficult to say that I like it, but it’s just… I think like a normal person. Have you ever gotten lost in the woods as a kid and encountered a wild bear? Then someone showed up and saved me.”
“Was that a demon?”
“yes. Well, you might be embarrassed and think you’ve got it wrong, but you’re not. You can’t mistake a man with sheep’s horns and a wolf’s paw on one arm, right?”
“I didn’t even think about that, but… .”
Lucia only thought it was a question because she had to fight demons as a hero in the future.
However, it didn’t seem like that was the intention.
“… Did you ask for some other reason?”
Since Lucia was actually close to being kind to Mine, there was nothing more to hide.
Ian revealed that Kati, whom he had been traveling with so far, was Mine.
“ah… okay?”
As expected, it was all a bit of a surprise.
“But Kati doesn’t look like a demon at all.”
“It has ears and a tail, but it is possible to hide them voluntarily. Instead, the eyes are cat eyes.”
“Ah, so the eyepatch… . I thought it was because I was simply a superhuman with excellent senses.”
Anyway, it was fortunate for Ian that Lucia would be able to get along with Kati.
‘I think I got quite close with Vivian. I still feel awkward with Helena, but I don’t hate it.’
At least there won’t be any problems with Kati being a Mine.
Ian thought so.
“Mine did that… .”
While Ian was positive, Helena was serious.
Although she has become friends with Kati, she has been taught in Seonghwagyo to treat demons unconditionally.
It would be hard to be kind to the demon species.
“It must be hard to believe.”
“no… . With the case of Katya, there is no law against it.”
Helena, who spoke aloofly, muttered in confusion.
“What is Mine… ?”
It was a question that no one could answer.
Even Ian, although he’s been with Kati for a long time, doesn’t know much about the species called Mine.
‘Kati also seems to have hazy memories of the past, and more than anything, it’s okay to ask since something like that happened… .’
what is mine
The sudden, but equally important question made the party fall silent.
*
“Oh. Kati, is there anyone nearby?”
Mercy, who discovered the person through the voice of the forest, said.
“… Person?”
Carty quickly rolled the case count.
If you are a person in a forest like this where there are few people, there is a high probability that you are a person of poor quality.
Criminals, escapees, deserters, etc.
People who, for some reason, cannot live among people often hide in places like this.
“How many?”
“There are two of them.”
“let’s go. I have to check.”
“Yes.”
Following Mercy’s instructions, we soon came to a small hut.
The hut, which was built on the ground in the middle of the forest, had a peaceful and quiet atmosphere.
There was even a cute vegetable garden in the front yard.
It seemed like a fairly full-fledged living space for a criminal to simply hide his body.
However, Kati couldn’t relax any more.
‘This energy I feel inside… . It’s Mine… .’
The energy of the devil, the same as himself, radiated from inside.
He seemed to be an ordinary demon, different from himself, who had become accustomed to killing energy among humans.
“Mercy. behind.”
Even if it’s normal, a demon is a demon, so you have to be careful.
“yes!”
Mercy, reduced to a fairy, hid in Kati’s pocket.
Kati quietly drew her sword and approached cautiously.
‘There is no place where dust has accumulated. Moisture is also adequate in the garden. It’s a place that someone used and managed even today. Mine lives in hiding in a place like this… ?’
As she walked, Kati constantly analyzed her surroundings.
To grasp, to think, to analyze.
It was one of the things Ian learned.
‘The spirit inside… three? Mercy said it was two. It could be because one of the three is very weak. It’s barely noticeable. Are you injured?’
When Kati arrived at the front door before she knew it.
-who are you?
A man inside spoke in a trembling voice.
Kati was careful, but deliberately didn’t completely erase her presence.
It was to warn the opponent.
-What’s going on here? It doesn’t seem like a simple guest.
‘Are you sure. three is right But the two of them are very close. The energy of one of the two nearby is weak. However… I don’t think all three are Mine. What happened? Did the demon capture the human?’
-We can’t take anything even if we try to steal it. So, please just go… . hey, honey no, it’s okay… .
‘… married couple?’
This time the woman spoke.
It was a confident voice unlike a man’s.
-I don’t know what the purpose is, but just go. If your life isn’t worth it.
“… I came simply to find out who you are.”
– Who are you then?
“I cannot reveal that. But, as long as I’m sure you’re not dangerous, I promise to back off.”
-How can I trust you?
“Are there other options?”
It was as it was said.
I don’t know the identity or strength of the opponent, but they were in a situation where they were confined to this house and shrank.
His sharp tone was also defensive.
Meanwhile, Mercy, who was hiding in her pocket, laughed a little at Kati’s way of speaking while feeling uneasy.
Because it was exactly the same way Ian was intimidating.
-… great. I’ll open the door, so get out of here.
Kati deliberately took two steps back with a noise.
From the inside, he carefully pushed the wooden front door.
The first thing I saw through the open door was the man who opened the door.
‘Young human male. Wounded… no.’
And right next to it, there was something convex.
It was a human ship.
Kati’s gaze went up.
A belly protruding from a wide dress that comfortably wraps the body.
Right above it were her voluptuous breasts, and her curly hair was visible.
‘lass… .’
Compared to the convex belly, the limbs did not gain weight.
was a pregnant woman.
Katie couldn’t help but stare at the woman.
The woman’s head had swirling sheep’s horns, her eyes had horizontal pupils, and her irises were red.
Compared to the normal left arm, the right arm was hairy like a wolf’s front leg and had long, sharp nails.
‘… Mine?’
The aura that Kati felt was very weak and judged whether it was a demon or a human was ambiguous.
A pregnant Mine woman.
and a human male.
titled honey.
It was a situation where you could learn a lot without having to listen to explanations.
‘How can this… .’
The demon and human couple faced Kati with a wary attitude.
In the awkward silence, Mercy slightly poked her head out, and she had to look at it too.
A human man and a demon woman who stick together as if to protect each other.
Mercy opened her eyes wide and covered her mouth, muttering involuntarily.
“… Oh my gosh.”
Wtf they’re living Kati’s dream.