93 – A Method to Confuse the Gag Residents!
Lian doesn’t care about her own body.
This was not just Noah’s thought alone. It was a thought shared by everyone who cherished her.
Lian knew well that he had undergone cruel experiments in the laboratory of the dark magician Mia, but the other children did not know what experiments Lian had endured. Nevertheless, there was no one who denied the fact that Lian had a strong self-sacrificial side.
That was because Lian often treated his body recklessly in his daily life.
There were times when he simply put his finger into boiling water to measure its temperature, and when he was cooking, he often ignored the wounds on his body. There were also occasions when he would silently endure injuries while playing with the other children, only to be discovered later.
He always smiled brightly, but sometimes it seemed as if his insides were rotting and crumbling. Yet, everyone was able to spend three years with him, laughing and smiling, because Lian was their older brother, their older sibling, and their father.
Because he was their brother, sibling, father, and family.
So, everything would be okay.
Lian returned to those carefree individuals with his stomach pierced through. His face was pale and sickly, his breath seemed like it could be cut off at any moment, and his body was growing colder.
Just as a naive child is shocked when they see their parents cry, the children were greatly shocked.
It was only then that they realized that their “adult” who they thought would never die, their precious “family,” could actually die.
As the time Lian remained unconscious grew longer, their anxiety continued to rise, and eventually…
Clank.
Noah couldn’t prevent the shackles from being placed on Lian’s ankles.
***
“Sigh…”
I let out a long sigh as I lay on the bed.
“I ended up fighting with Noah…”
Honestly, I’m not sure if it’s right to call it a fight. It’s more like… I got into trouble.
“I think he was really angry… What should I do?”
I wasn’t particularly angry at Noah. I felt sorry for making Noah, who was always rational, so angry and worried. On the other hand, I also felt somewhat good.
“Still, it’s bothering me, so it feels itchy.”
If Noah were to hear these words, his head might explode, but it’s an unavoidable situation.
In the world of comedy, it’s difficult to be bothered unless something major happens. If someone seems a little excited because they think something is precious -…
“Don’t ever say it, because it might be beautifully sliced with a sword.”
After organizing his pointless thoughts, Noah started to wrack his brain to find a way to reconcile with Julia.
***
In a dark room with all the lights off, Noah knelt down and rested his forehead on his knees. His chest pressed against his thighs, as he had already removed the chest compression device and bandages.
[Why has it become a cave again?]
From Noble mtl dot com
Juliana flew to Noah and spoke. Noah looked at Juliana with his eyes covered by a blanket on his head and his pupils sinking deeply.
“…Master, am I doing well?”
[Why? Because you couldn’t protect Lian?]
Noah closed his mouth at the words that stabbed him in the heart.
[That was an unavoidable situation. If you had left the main hall and rushed to the annex, most of the people in the main hall would have been killed.]
“But… in the end, I couldn’t protect him.”
[You’re still alive. You can protect him now.]
“But this isn’t the first time!”
Unconsciously, Noah raised his voice and shouted, surprising himself as his eyes trembled.
“…I’m sorry for yelling.”
[No, it’s okay. It’s better to speak openly than to keep it hidden inside.]
Juliana sat next to Noah and patted his shoulder.
[Speak your mind freely. Don’t hide it like someone, someone does when they’re struggling.]
The someone that Juliana referred to was none other than Lian. It was a plea for him not to behave like Lian, who would hide his pain and struggles, causing his heart to burst.
Noah couldn’t help but open his mouth in response to those words.
“…I’ve been trying my best to become stronger, not just to protect everyone but also to protect Lian.”
[Yeah, you worked hard. And you did well.]
“But… in crucial moments, I couldn’t always help Lian. Every time he was in danger, I…”
[I’ve told you many times, but that was unavoidable.]
“But if I had defeated the monsters faster, I could have… I could have rushed to protect Lian.”
The assumption of “what if” surged beneath the surface.
What if I had noticed the enemy sooner?
What if I had let Lian stay at headquarters?
What if I had hidden headquarters better?
…
Knowing that such words would only hurt herself without providing any help, Juliana couldn’t stop herself.
As she looked at Noah’s face stained with despair and tears, she thought her actions were similar to self-harm.
She was inflicting wounds upon herself over and over again for not being able to protect him. It was like giving herself punishment.
[Well, then there’s one solution.]
“Yes…?”
Noah turned his head quickly at the unexpected word “solution,” looking at Juliana.
“You said it yourself. If we had defeated the monsters a little faster and gone to find Lian, everything would have been fine.”
Juliana got up from the bed and floated in the air, looking down at her.
“Then the solution is simple. You just need to become stronger.”
“Stronger…?”
“Yes.”
“But…”
Noah bit her lip and lowered her head. She had been stuck in a state of no growth for two years, blocked by a wall. The words “just become stronger!” were of no help to her.
Instead, they only pushed her further into despair.
“Because you’re stuck behind a wall, right?”
“…!”
“There is a solution.”
“A solution…?”
“Yes.”
Juliana looked at Noah with a serious expression and spoke.
“But… you have to risk your life.”
“It doesn’t matter.”
Flutter!
Noah pushed aside the blanket she had been covering herself with and spoke with determination in her eyes.
“If I can become stronger.”
And if she could protect Lian.
[… Alright.]
Julianna placed the book containing her true self in front of Noah.
Shhhhh!
[If you can overcome the trials I have experienced, you will become even stronger. However… you might also die.]
A bright light emanated from the book, filling the room.
[No matter how much time passes inside, almost no time passes outside. So, don’t be impatient and proceed step by step.]
Noah smiled in response to Julianna’s words, mixed with concern.
“Thank you, Master.”
[I hope you return safely.]
Engulfed by the radiant light, Noah staggered and collapsed onto the bed. Only her consciousness had crossed over to the trial.
[Noah, you must keep moving forward without rest.]
The moment her feet were bound by despair, Noah would create a wall with her own hands and be trapped there, wandering forever until she collapsed.
Julianna had seen countless geniuses like that in the past.
[I will teach you how to tightly bind the man who worries and bothers you.]
Julianna chuckled ominously.
[When is the best time for a cold meal?]
***
This is the moment when Noah is about to face the trial.
Clank.
“What should I do with this?”
Lian was fiddling with the shackle hanging from her ankle. Even though she had been shackled, there was no one in the room. Since Mado, as a guardian, was keeping an eye on Lian, there was no need for him to be right next to her.
The main reason was that everyone had left their positions to handle the aftermath of the chaos. Jess and Iris were taking care of the children at Lian’s request.
Maybe they would come to find her in about three hours. Lian wanted to meet Noah before that and apologize. She wanted to run away immediately, but she was in a state where she couldn’t do anything because her ankle was caught in the shackle.
“If I could release this, I could go and apologize or do whatever…”
Lian imagined cutting off her ankle with a “snap!” in her head, but she couldn’t execute it because she thought of an ending where the shackle became two pieces due to the bloody bed.
There were many other bizarre solutions, but she gave up because she thought it would cause a commotion if she tried to execute them.
“What should I do? Should I wait for Noah to come?”
While thinking that, Lian rolled on the bed, and the clanking sound echoed loudly.
Knock, knock.
At that moment, someone came to Lian’s room.
“Come in!”
She shouted with excitement.
Creak…
The door slowly opened, and someone wearing a robe entered slowly.
Thud.
“…Who is it?”
The person emanated an eerie aura to the point where Lian thought, “Is this an enemy?”
“Oh…”
A slightly tired but high-pitched female voice could be heard.
“Lian-nim!”
“…?!”
Lian was in such a state of shock that he couldn’t speak.
Thud!
The suspicious figure quickly ran to Lian’s bedside.
Flap! With the recoil, the hood of the robe flipped back.
“Huh? Pia?”
“Ah, Lian-nim!”
Lian looked at Pia, who was kneeling and sitting next to the bed with a bewildered face. Pia didn’t stop there, but instead leaned forward, flattening her body and assuming a position called “dogeza”.
“…?”
Pia had completely confused the comedic resident!