5. Bread and Dagger (51)
Neris hated Ian Percus.
It was natural. It wasn’t a normal relationship from the first meeting in the first place.
Didn’t she once catch Ian and tried to torture him?
It was only that he admitted defeat at the end of the shame of being burned, poured with alcohol, and drenched in wet mop water.
And the bad relationship was still going on.
That fact alone caused Neris to endure extreme heartache.
Every time I see Ian, there are only three memories that come to mind.
fire, iron and blood.
All of them were horrific experiences that made my bones freeze.
A boss who blows his finger when questioned is not enough to even describe it as the worst. Neris wanted to die when he was formally appointed to the academy branch.
How could you live with a boss like that?
Still, I had to be patient.
It was Neris who had dedicated her life to becoming a member of the Imperial Intelligence Service. I couldn’t quit just because it didn’t fit.
It was too late to go back.
I didn’t want to make fun of the blood and sweat that had been shed so far.
In addition, the Imperial Intelligence Service aimed to be a ‘cradle and grave’. Once you joined, it was extremely difficult to leave. Even if they resigned, they had to live with various restrictions to maintain confidentiality.
In that case, I felt like I had to endure it for a few more months.
Neris was a senior at the academy. It meant that he would graduate and leave after half a year anyway.
Then, it was only a few months ago that I had made up my mind to endure as much as I could, chewing my lips.
The woman was wandering around the room nervously.
It was a sad idling.
The barren gait, unable to derive any answer, was repeated. The only thing that could be heard was the occasional biting of thumbnails.
Neris hated Ian Percus.
When I called him on a day off, I got annoyed. There were even times when I spat out curse words inwardly.
A call from the boss you hate on your day off?
It was strange if he wasn’t angry.
Also, when they called out to this cold and remote northern part, they had conflicts several times. It was like a child’s complaint, saying, “Shouldn’t I go, even if I make an excuse that doesn’t work?”
Of course, I couldn’t put this into action.
It was because Ian was afraid.
What if he comes back with a hatchet just because he’s raising a useless question?
A madman was a madman because he was unpredictable. It was best not to touch it carelessly. In the end, Neris followed them all the way to the north with the heart of cattle being led to the slaughterhouse.
yes, i did
Neris hated Ian Percus.
At times, he showed concern for, approval of, or trust in Neris. At times like that, there were times when I scratched my cheeks for nothing.
However, that did not mean that the remnants in Neris’ chest disappeared.
But why now?
Are you so anxious and suffocating right now?
It’s been several days since Ian went missing after being trapped in an unknown curtain.
Yurdina Castle was literally at war.
“How many spare troops can I dispatch?”
“You need guides to enter the coniferous forest. But recently, due to the elves’ attack, many hunters in the nearby village died… … .”
“An envoy from the Holy Land has come.”
Numerous sounds penetrated Neris’ ears as she sat down in front of the door.
The string of aura passed through the cracks in the door and was conveying whispers everywhere. However, no matter how much he stole, he could not get the information Neris wanted.
The news of finding that man is nowhere.
Neris buried her face in her knees and let out a long sigh.
Why?
Ian sacrificed himself to save Neris. If he had abandoned Neris and fled, he would not have gone missing.
The man looked desperate.
Isn’t it just a load?
But why did he save her with all his heart and soul, and why did he have to sacrifice himself in the past?
I never knew.
So I was out of breath.
I didn’t even know if it was guilt. I thought that pure emotion had been erased for a long time, but Neris was fundamentally a woman.
“Are you sure it’s in a coniferous forest?”
“In the judgment of the Magic Corps, yes. The coordinates of the transfer ceremony were specified to some extent, but it was said to be somewhere deep in the coniferous forest… … .”
“Deep inside? To search with such obscure information?”
With a hum, Sil sends information.
Neris chewed and chewed the story in silence.
“In the first place, he might have already died… … .”
“He said to find the body.”
Without saying anything, I just listened over and over again.
“That’s Yurdina’s will.”
Neris staggered and stood up. There was a strange determination in his face.
Rather, I wanted to dismiss it as a good thing.
It’s just that the annoying and scary correlation is gone. Although the sin of not protecting the owner of the Dragon Blood Letter was great, it was not to the point of risking one’s life.
But I couldn’t stay quiet.
anxious, scared.
Neris fiddled with the whistle in her bosom. Using this whistle, which generates special sound waves, it was possible to search a wide range.
Ian would definitely react to that sound wave.
However, I could not explore the coniferous forest alone.
I needed a colleague.
It took a long time to quietly head to the first floor of Yurdina Castle.
Neris suddenly noticed the commotion.
“… … lie.”
It was a tone that echoed through the lobby.
Neris stopped and looked down the stairs, hesitantly.
There stood a girl with gray hair.
And in front of him, several women with dark complexions.
They were Ian’s companions.
However, it was not women who dealt with the gray-haired girl.
He seemed to be a knight of Yurdina Castle, but he had a very sad expression.
“That, lady? I am not saying Sir Ian is dead. It’s just that life and whereabouts are unclear… … .”
“I told you not to lie!”
It was a shout that sounded like a scream.
The young knight’s body floated up from the thunderbolt-like footsword. A thud followed by a heavy crash.
Before the knight came to his senses, Seria was aiming her sword at her throat.
Those blue eyes were burning like wildfire.
“Are you kidding me?! Ian sunbaenim was trapped inside a mysterious curtain, but you guys were just watching it? Did you even want to promote yourself as an idiot?!”
“Ha, but Sir Ian told me not to come in… … .”
“Don’t make excuses.”
It was a cold assertion.
There was not even a trace of his usual polite tone. Seria gritted her teeth while aiming the blue sword.
“You wanted to live… no? That’s why Ian sunbaenim was left in a place that looked dangerous at first sight. So that Senior Ian can make a sacrifice… … !”
Seria couldn’t overcome her anger and gave strength to the hand holding the sword. In danger of being stabbed to death if he continued like this, the young knight closed his eyes tightly.
What prevented the disaster was the slender hand.
Seria’s eyes froze at the hand that clasped her wrist.
Before I knew it, the saintess was approaching Seria.
The saintess spoke in a voice full of melancholy and fatigue.
“Stop it.”
“… … aha.”
But Seria was already insane.
It was Seria who arrived at Yurdina Castle with her swollen heart.
I have managed to build up my skills to be recognized by my seniors. But to say he was suddenly missing, not even knowing whether he was alive or dead.
It was hard to stay sane.
Seria burst into laughter like a mockery.
“why? Have you all been stabbed?”
“Ms. Seria… … .”
The saintess didn’t even get angry.
As if all his energy had already been exhausted, he was just looking sad.
“You can’t prioritize emotions on the battlefield. We have entrusted full power to Ian, and we are therefore obliged to carry out the instructions.”
“Are you obligated to leave Senior Ian alone?”
“No, my duty not to nullify Ian’s will.”
It was a calm tone.
However, her voice was slightly trembling, testifying to the fact that the saintess’ heart was still not at ease.
It was like that just by looking at the subtle anger in those pale pink eyes.
“At the time, we couldn’t guess what the magic was. I just thought it was a barrier, space transfer, or large-scale disappearance magic… Either way we are no help.”
“At least he shouldn’t have been left alone.”
Gritting her teeth, Seria objected.
However, the saintess still had something to say.
She began to recite the numerous possibilities she had recalled in that short time.
“If there is a barrier that closes the inside, it must be resolved from the outside. As soon as it is activated, the inside will be a mess… If it’s space warfare, it will be different depending on the type, but you can’t move that wide space a long distance. Then the inside of the coniferous forest is the most likely, right?”
At the reasoning flowing like water, Seria kept her mouth shut for a moment.
He still looked dissatisfied, but it didn’t seem like he had any objection.
It was worth it.
At the time, the saintess’s brain was on the verge of exploding because it couldn’t spin properly.
It was thanks to the fact that the man she loved was in danger.
“Then, assuming that you don’t set a specific coordinate value, there is a possibility of causing distress. If you fall into enemy territory, it is more advantageous for you to escape alone. And Mass Disappearance Magic?”
Huhu, the saintess burst into laughter as if it were absurd.
“Otherwise, everyone will die… I know? You almost made Ian’s sacrifice in vain!”
“It would be nice.”
However, even after hearing the saintess’ earnest explanation, Seria’s reaction was plain.
Snort.
The girl’s back was turned, and the sword was wrapped around her waist.
“I survived because of Senior Ian’s sacrifice… I don’t think so.”
Seria moved with such a bloody momentum.
The place that those steps will reach is the place to go to the Yurdina family.
I was going to ask for permission right after I posted my greetings to my father and sister.
to the coniferous forest.
It was none other than Neris who stopped her from not stopping.
“… … miss?”
Seria hurriedly looked around, stiffening her body.
The signs were faint.
I was standing right next to you, how?
Regardless, Neris just smiled.
“You seem to agree with me, how is it? Let’s talk for a while.”
Neris finally thought things were getting better.
Her dark green eyes glanced at the lobby. There were still women with gloomy faces, talking to each other.
It was enough for me.
Now all I could do was pray that Ian would hold on.
It was the first time.
What Ian wanted to live.
Neris chewed her lips, not even noticing that fact.
I won’t let you die on your own.
*
Meanwhile, Ian was enjoying a banquet in the elven village.
Even so, the only food prepared was bread. It was more of a simple dinner than a banquet.
However, the reaction was explosive.
“Oh my God, so much bread… … .”
“Boo, soft!”
“Is it really okay to eat it?”
Ian just smiled without saying anything.
To be honest, I didn’t know how to react. However, Isha’s eyes were so earnest as she carefully asked the question, so she quickly came up with an answer.
“Yes, you can. I have a lot anyway… … .”
At the same time, dozens of hands hurriedly pick up the bread.
Ian wanted them to eat quickly, but none of them managed to get a bite of the bread.
I just shed tears and prayed for gratitude.
“Thank you, World Countess. Give us such precious grace… … .”
Ian’s lips started to quiver.
It seemed that he would need time to adapt to the life of the elves.
“Warm… … !”
“It is soft and sweet. The bread I ate before was not like this!”
“Is this really bread?!”
Quite a lot of that too.
Ian let out a deep sigh.