5. Bread and dagger (77)
The familiar face didn’t end with Elsie.
After that, Delphine senior and Emma ran to me. And Isha, who was walking from far away, watching.
First of all, I enjoyed the touch of Elsie sunbae in my arms.
As soon as Delphine saw me, her face turned red. It was a very rare emotional change for her, although she cleared her throat as if she had made a mistake.
That must mean that Delphine-senpai was also nervous.
To be honest, I felt good.
Delphine was always proud and laid-back. Then, as soon as she saw me, she smiled the brightest smile I had ever seen in my life.
Is it because of our special relationship?
My heart tickled strangely when I saw Delphine.
While I was so sentimental, Emma came up to me panting and was in tears.
In disbelief, the girl’s hand touched her face several times.
In the past, the strength in his legs was so weak that he even collapsed.
“I-Ian… Ugh, I’m sorry… … .”
what are you sorry about
I had to comfort Emma with a wry smile.
“It’s okay, Emma. I’m fine… Rather, I’m glad you’re safe. Was it very difficult?”
I was about to take Emma in my arms inadvertently, but I had to stop and look around.
I was mainly concerned about Elsie-senpai.
It was a woman who could be called the incarnation of jealousy. After confessing her true feelings to me, Elsie-senpai used to express indiscriminate hostility toward women who approached me.
However, Elsie’s reaction was unexpected.
She snorted, and slightly averted her eyes. It was an attitude that would be tolerated even if it was reluctant.
“Hey, I’m Rainella… At most, they don’t say things like this with a commoner girl.”
It was the proud tone of senior Elsie.
Even so, he couldn’t hide his nervous gaze as he glanced at me. Even though I smiled bitterly, I decided to gratefully accept the consideration.
Rather, it was Delphine-senpai who put the brakes on me.
“Master, there are many things I want to tell you… There is no time. Let’s run away.”
“Then what about that monster?”
“I have no choice but to leave it alone.”
Patting the back of the weeping Emma, I turned around with a moan.
The lump of flesh was still watching me and the others. It was the complete opposite of his previous appearance of recklessly consuming elves.
It feels like they are carefully watching us.
It is estimating the strength of the enemy.
Somehow I guessed why.
“That monster… It’s growing in size while absorbing elves. Now, when it has just begun to multiply, is when it is at its weakest.”
Delphine-senpai’s eyebrows furrowed, and Elsie-senpai turned her blue eyes towards the lump of flesh.
It was a mixed reaction.
Senior Delphine seemed hesitant, but seemed to be focusing on retreating. On the other hand, hostility could be seen in senior Elsie’s eyes as she stared at the lump of flesh.
The cause was obvious.
Senior Elsie’s eyes glanced past my side.
As if she had made up her mind, the girl wearing the cone hat gritted her teeth.
“yes? Then you have to show me what you saw right away! Hey snakehead, you stiffened your head like that, thinking you were touching someone just now… … !”
“You are hurt.”
It was a soft word.
In response to Delphine’s serious words, Elsie’s voice immediately faded.
Only my image was reflected in the woman’s blood-red eyes.
“If you got hit on the side, there’s a high chance that you’ve been injured up to your internal organs. Even if it’s a burn… You need to go to the priest right away and receive proper treatment.”
“I am fine. Can’t you see that guy? That guy the size of a house is scared and only looking at us! There will never be another opportunity like this… aaagh!”
But my defiance was neutralized by Emma’s beckoning.
It was because Emma, who was quietly listening to my retort, pressed her finger on my blistered side. At the unexpected blow, I had no choice but to let out a scream.
Tears welled up in my eyes.
Even so, it was a pain I was barely enduring. I was even surprised by an unexpected opponent, so I couldn’t help it even if I let out an unsightly scream.
As soon as she saw it, Emma had a determined look in her eyes.
“Go back, Lady Yurdina.”
It was a firm tone.
Emma’s gaze at me was heavy. It’s as if objections are not tolerated.
My lips went dry with nervousness.
It felt instinctive.
This is your last chance.
That monster was the one who told me not to touch even the future ‘me’. If you don’t aim when you’re as weak as possible, it’s clear that Satan will fly.
Above all, I had seen that boiling flesh several times in the memories of ‘me’ from the future.
A catastrophe like a tsunami that hit the north.
I thought of a gray-haired woman standing alone in front of him.
In the end, I had no choice but to be stubborn.
“Then go first… Take only this elf, this elf.”
I looked at Avian, who had been placed on the ground, and said. It was nonsense, so of course the atmosphere in the party suddenly became grim.
I knew. What a cowardly means.
But in my eyes, the images of Avian and his sister kept getting trampled on. And the eyes of the elves screaming and being dragged away by the mass of flesh.
why did they scream
Didn’t I say life was hell? Didn’t you say you didn’t want to live anymore?
But the eyes he showed me at that time were all stained with despair.
I said in a harder tone.
“There is only now, Delphine-senpai.”
In the end, it was Delphine-senpai, not me, who declared surrender.
It must have been an expedition to rescue me in the first place. The option of taking only one elf girl over me was discussed.
A short conversation went back and forth between me and Delphine.
“… … Can you win?”
“I don’t know.”
“Then it’s only once.”
That was the end of the conversation.
Isha was creeping up next to us only then. As if frightened by the hideous appearance of the lump of flesh, his legs trembled and trembled.
“This, human… what is that monster This is the headquarters, but why are the elves so enemies… … .”
“Isha, take care of Emma and Avian.”
The formation was prepared in the blink of an eye.
As soon as I got up and took the lead, Delphine immediately followed me. Of course, Elsie-senpai’s mana started to grow weak.
A colleague who crossed the line of death many times was trustworthy.
I didn’t even need to talk. An unspoken promise was made between us.
The vanguard is me and Delphine-senpai.
Senior Elsie prepares a strong blow from behind.
Perhaps, ‘trust in the gale’ would continue. It was range magic with the most destructive power among the 5 circle magics that senior Elsie could cast.
Until then, variables had to be blocked as much as possible.
For example, snakes on the periphery that may be out of range.
The mass of flesh realized our intentions at once. With such sharp momentum scattered around, it was rather strange not to notice.
The snakes howl as they change their skins.
“End, my, everything, oh… End, my, all come!”
And tentacles of flesh pounding the ground like thunderbolts.
As if I had waited, I swung my sword and cut off the tentacle. A hatchet was fired from the other hand at breakneck speed.
The trajectory of the hatchet drew a half moon.
Blood gushed out, and a thumping sound resounded. A few tentacles survived, but they were soon confronted with golden flames.
A golden aura like the sun.
It was Delphine senior’s skill. The fleshy mass twisted its tentacles at random, as if it were particularly vulnerable to fire. I couldn’t hear it, but I could feel the pain.
The snake’s skull then begins to glow.
The sight of dozens of snake heads lighting up one after another was truly spectacular. It would have been even more spectacular if seen at night.
Leoric continued to howl.
“This, that, week, receive, silver, life!”
The rays are drawn and the space of the cube is cracked.
Yes, it was your last chance.
**
Seria’s room was always locked in darkness.
The light filtering through the windows had long since been covered by the old-fashioned cloth. In addition, Seria’s blue eyes shed a subtle glow even in the dark.
Even if there was no light, there was no inconvenience in life.
So Seria confined herself to the room like a criminal afraid of her own sins. A few days to not see anyone and abuse my body.
Suddenly, the princess came to visit her.
In order to propose a ‘parody’.
Seria denied it while swearing at her, but she knew better than anyone else that the princess couldn’t lie. How can you accept that fact?
Her father was Seria’s only blood relative.
He was the only family connected by blood. Although she has an older sister, Delphine, whom she respects, the ship she was born with was only the other half of blood.
But the father lied.
He was the one who abandoned his mother.
Deep down, I thought I hated you. Because he was the main villain in my childhood nightmares.
But couldn’t you let go of the truth?
that it is the essence of blood.
The voices of the women who came to visit her continued.
Facts that stutter and pierce the brain.
“The Marquis Yurdina was a traitor.”
“Ian did not lose his memory. Also, I’m not on the side of the elves. Rather, Alex was cheating on Miss Delphine.”
“Sister Seria, you must make a decision.”
Seria lowered her gaze with a dark expression on her face.
do you have to decide? I?
Do you mean to be true to the last remaining flesh and blood in this world?
You will hear that I betrayed my father by inheriting the blood of my vulgar mother. Even if the real power of the Yurdina family passed to Delphine, it was a stigma that would remain forever.
I had to decline without even thinking about it.
He had to make a decision someday, but the subject had to be other than Seria. In the first place, Seria did not have the ability to expel Marquis Yurdina.
If there is such a person in the family, there is only one.
Only Delphine, who has been dominating the family as an heir since long ago.
The problem was the options on the other side.
Above all, the most precious senior was betrayed by his father.
So he might be in danger of dying.
Seria felt like she was about to go crazy.
Is it family or seniors?
Hee, Seria’s breathing became rough.
“Senior, it may be painful, but the testimonies intersect so subtly. Not much to doubt… … .”
“So you are my only blood relative?”
The princess kept her mouth shut at the sharp question.
The saintess and Neris had been silent for a long time. From now on, there was no one who did not know that Seria’s time had arrived.
However, the saintess only added one more word.
“It’s for Ian.”
There were only two things that supported Seria in this world.
The Yurdina family is related by blood.
And Ian sunbaenim, who was made by fate.
Anything had to be thrown away.
Sarah’s hands trembled. I couldn’t understand why such a heavy choice was placed in my hand.
I had to choose senior Ian.
My heart and head were saying so. However, the reason Seria still hesitated was because of the pressure of having to choose the path of killing her parents with her own hands.
The sound of gasping for breath gets louder.
“I, I… I so… … .”
Expressions that even omitted honorifics.
The saintess quietly closed her eyes as if she understood. Neris was looking away as if he didn’t even exist here in the first place.
Only the princess was clenching her fists with a nervous look on her face.
The twinkling eyes were waiting for an answer from Seria.
Seria couldn’t overcome this and was about to spit out a word.
“Miss Delphine is back! Sir Ian is also with you!”
At the cheers that came out of nowhere, the group’s heads turned abruptly.
Even in the midst of confusion, Seria jumped up. And I threw open the window, which I hadn’t opened even once in the last few days.
Indeed, it was as it was said.
From far away, Delphine and her party were staggering along.
Carrying the seriously injured Ian on his back.
Delphine said.
“Call the troops right now.”
It was a particularly severe snowstorm day.