77. Real Fools
Isabel only knew that Maya knew the location of Austin’s inn. That’s why she brought up the story so she confidently apologized.
She set out to find Austin right away from yesterday, but she didn’t know that Maya had forgotten her way.
It was a misjudgment to only trust Maya’s memory. Harman was a city that was so vast that it could not be compared to Cologne, and it was impossible to remember the location of the inn that Robin had guided us to among the intricately intertwined roads.
“Where are you… ! Where are you… !”
Gracie became desperate. Now I’m ready to meet the boy. Now I’m ready to apologize to Austin for her sincerity.
There wasn’t much time left, Gracie knew. Austin will definitely be leaving this city, and maybe he’s already.
‘What to do…. If I don’t see Austin forever, I… I am….’
The hero, who was frantically looking around in the middle of the street, grabbed Maya by the shoulder and asked, shaking Maya, who was the only one among them who had visited the inn where Austin was staying.
“Maya! Which one is here!”
Maya, who had been groaning and wrapping her hair for a while, carefully lifted her finger.
“Ugh… I don’t remember… ! Yesterday was over there, so this time… This, this… ?”
There is no more time to delay. They ran in the direction Maya pointed out.
‘Please…. I hope it’s not too late… !’
I ran and ran again.
Around the time when the scenery around me suddenly changed and I ran for a long time like that.
“No, that’s right… ! Here it is! Sniff sniff…. I can smell Austin too… !”
“My, the smell… ?”
“If you’re good at wind magic, sniffing is no big deal! We can talk about this later, come on!”
Because I ran so fast, I started to feel short of breath. Could it be because I didn’t sleep? For some reason, my body seemed heavier than usual.
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Nevertheless, they continued to run.
I bet he didn’t leave already.
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No. If you leave, you can follow it again. Because I can’t miss Austin like this.
In her previous encounter, she shouldn’t have said anything like the seeds of mistrust. From Austin’s point of view, she must have sounded like a really mean excuse.
“Austin… !”
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Now I can speak. I’m sorry. I’m really sorry I won’t want you to come back to the party, so please don’t erase us.
You can even kneel. You can also lick your shoes. They thought so
Gracie went a step further, she could have given Austin her body if he wanted to.
Even the girls themselves didn’t know why they were so desperate. However, whenever she thought of Austin’s face, her heart tightened and tightened, showing how much they wanted her Austin.
Austin was always kind. Austin, who always took care of us. After a tough fight, I want to go back to those days when we gave each other warm tea and healed each other’s wounds. I want to see Austin’s smile again.
I want to go back to my relationship with Austin back then. Back to those days when Austin and I were innocent. That was the only thought.
The inside of my head was painted white. In their heads, which had become a white drawing paper, only Austin did not exist.
With Austin filling her head like that, a memory suddenly flashed through the hero’s head.
‘Sorry… not… sun….’
She turns to Austin, who lies quietly weeping, and kisses her.
‘Langhae… oh… Steen….’
What is this?
‘Let’s meet again….’
For some reason, the hero felt that the more she recalled this unknown memory, the more her heart ached. Was she ever like this with Austin?
“Cheet… !”
However, she had no time to think deeply. The hero shook his head vigorously and ran while looking in front of him again.
Austin. Because we, I, want you like this…. Please, even if it’s the last time, I’ll do anything….
So, please… !
‘I hope it’s not too late… !’
Like that, she kept running.
* * *
Tick tock. Tick.
“Whoa….”
Sitting limply on the floor, she rested her head on the soft bed.
Only me in the room. The others were told to go to the carriage first and get ready to leave.
It’s time to leave. Okay. It’s time to leave soon
The work related to Becky was neatly handled, and the post-processing of the gate manager was perfect. All I have to do now is leave this place.
By the way, I….
“… What do you want to do?”
What kind of lingering attachment do I have that makes me hesitant to leave like this? The answer came surprisingly quickly.
The story I shared with Luna last night.
Thanks to that, I couldn’t sleep at all. I stayed up all night with my eyes open, but my mind was clearer than ever. It was so sharp and clear that it made my head hurt.
Finally, for the very last time, if only we could meet once.
This time, I wanted to have a sincere conversation with you guys. I’ve made that decision now.
You wanted forgiveness that much. I mean, come on.
If we met now, I would be able to accept your apology with a smile on your face.
… No, it’s too late
Since I came out after saying that coldly, you probably won’t come back to me again. I hope Gracie isn’t too shocked.
I shouldn’t have gotten emotional. It was them who planted the seeds of distrust, but it was funny that I was the one who was most emotional.
“… If only I could go back.”
If only I could go back to before I dealt with Galan with the warrior party, if only I could go back to before I dealt with Ash, if only I could go back and make things right. I really can do anything.
It was all a futile idea.
There was also the option of going there first on my side. However, I wanted the other side to come to me first.
It was an arrogant idea. You treat it like you’ll never see it again, but now?
‘Austin… ! Mental car… !’
‘Adri… there… !’
‘Poetry… Let’s meet….’
“… Tsk.”
Again. That memory again I don’t know since when, but sometimes these unknown memories come to mind.
She put her hand on her throbbing forehead and slowly closed her eyes.
When the party was still harmonious, she thought back to that time.
* * *
“Austin! You worked hard today too!”
Someone tapped me on the shoulder and said, so I turned my head and looked in the direction where the sound came from.
A warrior. The name… Was it Yujeong? It was an unusual name, so I remembered it without forgetting it.
She shoved the jerky she was holding in her hand into her mouth and grinned at her champion.
“Yes. You worked hard too.”
“I’m glad no one got hurt today! Did you really think you were going to die when you almost brushed the tail of the Manticore earlier?”
“Yes. I was about to tell you then. Hero, I’ve told you many times to anticipate the next attack when attacking your opponent.”
“No, that should be easier said than done….”
The hero lowered his head, slightly puffing out his cheeks as if he was downcast. Seeing that cute figure, I had a natural smile on my face without even realizing it.
Then Gracie, who was putting firewood into the crackling campfire, opened her mouth.
“Come to think of it, hero. Are you properly managing the holy sword? The last time the hero tried to use the holy sword as a flame….”
“Wait a minute! Gracie! When are you talking about enemies!”
“Hero… ?”
“Ah, that…. Isabelle! I can explain everything! So, put that mace down for now!”
“Pu-sup….”
The bond between colleagues that I feel for the first time in a long time. Recalling my life in the Ranger, I involuntarily laughed.
Then, the hero made his face red hot and started slapping me on the shoulder.
“Wu… ! Austin! Don’t just laugh, help me! I think Isabel is really going to kill me!”
“Khehehehe…. Since I used the holy sword on fire, I don’t even get scolded.”
“Austin… ! Even you… !”
In the end, the hero was caught by Isabel and dragged to a corner of the camp where he had to be punished.
As I watched the hero hold the holy sword with both hands and repeatedly sit and stand up, Maya sneaked up to me and sat down next to me.
She looked at Maya, wondering what was going on, and Maya, who had taken off her hat, held out something of hers.
“Austin. This….”
“… Huh?”
When I looked down with Maya’s hand, I saw a whetstone shining black like the night sky.
“This is… ?”
“The other day, when I stopped by the city… I bought….”
“You want to give it to me?”
“Yes…. You saved me last time, so it’s a reward.”
As I held the beautifully shiny black whetstone, I felt that it was a hard and good whetstone. He didn’t even use a blade, and he picked out such a good whetstone.
“Thank you. I just needed a whetstone, and that worked well.”
“Yes….”
“Why is it so noisy…. Huh? What?”
At that time, Adrien, who had been tinkering with his bow in the tent, came out.
“Yo, hero… ? What are you doing now?”
“Heh… ! Heck… ! Oh, Adrien… ! Dry Isabella… !”
“No! You have to realize with your own body how disrespectful you are to handle the Holy Sword so carelessly!”
“No, but… Pooh… !”
“Profit… ! Adrien! You laughed right now?!”
“Oh, I didn’t laugh… Fuhahahahaha!!!”
Leaving the camp. As I looked at the smiling Adrienne and the warrior sitting on the floor with her arms trembling, a shooting star came into view across the night sky.
“Haa…. Nice.”
I hope this moment lasts forever. It was such a fun and happy moment.
I wish that the relationship between these strong party members would last forever like those stars.
* * *
Tick tock. Tick.
When I opened my eyes, the sound of the clock hands was still filling the empty room.
Looking at the time, it’s already been an hour since I closed my eyes. I’m not sleeping
As much as that, it must have been fun to think about that time.
I rummaged through my bag and took out a black whetstone that was slightly smaller than before.
Come to think of it, you guys were meddling a lot in my daily life. Every single thing he had, there was nothing that hadn’t melted into his memories with them.
I looked down at the whetstone for a moment, then got up.
I went over to the table next to the bed and reached out.
“… ….”
After a moment’s hesitation, I was able to place the whetstone on the table.
This is not just a whetstone.
I let go of my memories, relationships, everything with them. Cowardly and indecisive, I was finally able to make up my mind to let you go.
But just in case, I turned my head and listened toward the door.
It was quiet outside the door.
As expected, there’s no way I can find it.
But I was too cowardly to go to him first.
Looking back at the whetstone on the table, I ran my hand through the worn-out whetstone.
“… Shall we go?”
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Now, it’s time to leave.
Leaving the whetstone on the table, I turned and headed for the door.
… Dizzy. Shaking his head vigorously, he brushed off his thoughts.
I felt like I would trip if I went down the stairs like this, so I grabbed the handrail and walked down slowly.
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No, it may actually be an excuse. It may be because of the lingering lingering feelings.
I clenched my teeth and quickly went down the stairs.
From far away, I could see Royman’s back.
“Hey! Roy… Far….”
The moment Royman turned to my voice, I caught a glimpse of familiar faces through the cracks.
While their bodies were frozen, the girls who met my eyes widened their eyes and looked at me.
“Uh… !”
My body didn’t move. I had no choice but to open my eyes wide and look at them.
They slowly approached me, creaking their bodies.
The warrior standing at the front opened his mouth with trembling lips.
“Uh… that, so….”
Tell me. I’m sorry, I’m sorry until now, please. Anything else is fine, so just say that.
I’m such an idiot too. I just came out with such a firm decision, but when I really face it, it’s like….
“Cheo, nice to meet you! My name is Lee Yu-jeong, the hero!”
“… ?”
Wanting what was going on, I stared at the hero.
When I didn’t respond, the warrior lowered his head and quietly lifted his face to check my face.
“Excuse me, but the name… can you tell me… Do you have… Song… ?”
‘So, from now on… Let’s stay unknown to each other.’
… Ah.
“… Her.”
Here are the real idiots.
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Not bad. It was an unexpected idea.
Shall we hang out for a bit?
I answered the idiots who were looking at me while sweating.
“My name is Austin.”
Take a break, then again.
“I was in charge of scouting for the warrior party.”