203 – The dull mind of a coward
“What kind of cooperation do you mean? Just say it first. Huh?”
The aide’s attitude was quite urgent.
As she moved around, the tattoo on her collarbone was visible. It wasn’t a picture or pattern, just the number 187.
I felt like I vaguely knew what that meant.
“It seems that the position of aide cannot avoid replacement. “187Th aide, is that your identity?”
“Yes.”
She nodded her head slightly and continued speaking.
“Aide, you are a coward.”
“Coward? I?”
“At first, I guess it was simply a feeling of not wanting to be replaced.”
I continued speaking calmly.
“But more and more, I began to hope that what was yours would still remain even after being replaced. “Isn’t this space the result?”
“….”
“Locked up in one space and hoping that someone will take over. “Only a coward could plan this.”
After listening to the story, the aide touched his face with his hand. It was clearly visible that many complex emotions were passing over his face.
So perhaps, he seemed to have just now come to understand something that even he himself had not been able to properly define.
“Coward…. Yeah, maybe.”
After a while, she opened her mouth and continued her words.
“So, Plan, what do I need to cooperate with? “That’s the most important thing to me right now.”
I also got to the point.
“Show me the four ancient runes.”
“All four? “Everything?”
The aide asked back in embarrassment.
“Yes.”
“Giving everything is a bit…. There are many magics that have not yet been distributed to the continent. Plan, weren’t those things necessary?”
“It’s already in my head. “When the time comes, I just have to make up my mind and teach.”
The aide hesitated for a moment.
Many things pass by on her face.
Should I embrace all of this and see the end? Should I fight? Should I accept the demands? Is there no other way? . It was clearly revealed what concerns he was having.
Finally, I opened my mouth again.
“Hey, aide.”
“Hmm?”
She was lost in her thoughts and turned her head towards me.
“My only interest is the advancement of magic.”
“Why is that?”
“Brainwashing and domination are not the only ways to remain in the memories of others. “If you cooperate, there will definitely be corresponding benefits.”
“A suitable benefit?”
“Okay. I promise. “There will be people who follow your new will, and there will also be people who remember.”
Suddenly, our eyes met in the air. She repeated her two words in a low tone.
“Memory….”
“Will you sink while embracing foolishness, or will you jump into a new world? “The choice is yours.”
“….”
The aide thought for a while and then said one thing.
“Flan, will you give me ten minutes this time?”
◈
We stood at a high place and looked down.
“….”
The aide looked here and there with eyes filled with sentimentality for a while. It is natural. In any case, she will spend the most time in this space.
Viewed from above, this place looked like a maze. It was like an anthill that formed a sophisticated society, and it was definitely a unique ‘world’.
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She raised her hand as if she had made her decision, and then….
“Ha.”
She sighs and lowers her hand again. I tried to do something with this space, but it seemed like I had failed.
“Flan.”
“What is it?”
“I think you’re right. I’m a coward. “I have always hoped for my own world to emerge here.”
I nodded quietly.
“So, are you going to release the ancient rune language?”
“I put it out. Put it out…. Flann, that doesn’t feel good to hear. “It’s a little different from simply obeying.”
The aide looked at me.
“I would like to express a few thoughts since this is my first time feeling it. “Will you listen?”
“Of course.”
“First, I weighed the two things, humiliation and benefit, for ten minutes. If the level of humiliation had been greater, I would have gladly chosen suicide. “They must have eliminated this space themselves.”
She shakes her head and continues her sentence.
“But surprisingly, the feeling of humiliation was not great. Plan, listening to your plan…. “I became curious about what kind of world it would be like in a world dedicated solely to the development of magic.”
The aide suddenly stretched out a hand.
Then a book flew up and landed gently in her grasp.
She handed it to me.
“It is the first ancient rune of four in total.”
Is it because it hasn’t been deciphered yet? The cover of the book simply said ‘Incomplete 1’.
“What about the other three?”
“Because it is such an important rune word, it is not collected in one place. It takes some time to get everything. Even the last one….”
The aide trailed off her words. I ask back.
“What about the last book?”
“… “Because the princess has it.”
I took a step closer to her. Just as I cleverly mixed 99 truths with 1 lie, she also seemed to have mixed a little lie into it.
The aide quietly avoided my eyes.
“I didn’t expect this situation to come. “I didn’t know that a pure white space would be revealed, and I didn’t know that I would be handing you the ancient rune.”
“Anyway, let’s get the rest as soon as possible.”
“Okay. “I knew.”
But that was then.
Swish─.
One of the Guardians of the Void landed in front of the aide. She was holding a letter in her mouth.
The aide asked for my understanding with his eyes and I nodded. This meant that it was okay to look at the contents. Soon she quickly looks at the contents of the letter.
“Hmm….”
The aide wordlessly handed me the letter.
[We are aware of the recent uproar in the world. Accordingly, the imperial family decided to decide on the swordsmanship that had been postponed….]
Although there was a lot of type, the content was simple.
‘The strongest human on the continent. ‘I decide on swordsmanship.’
This was the conclusion.
The aide standing nearby broke the silence first.
“We also receive regular reports on the continent’s affairs. “I modify the contents of the study according to the situation.”
“Yes.”
“Flan, I think I understand why you want to decide on a sword master.”
“Me too.”
The aide continues.
“It looks like there has been a regime change in the imperial family. “The heroes will show their loyalty to the imperial family, and the imperial family will show their cooperation with them to solidify their position.”
“That’s such an obvious story. The important thing is….”
“Yes, this is the part.”
There was something that particularly stood out.
[The winner is designated as a hero. In the case of a knight, the title of Sword Saint will be given, and in the case of a wizard, the desired title will be created and acknowledged.]
“Plan, it looks like wizards are allowed to participate. “The new regime is quite accepting of the place of magic.”
“Then…” .”
There was no reason not to participate. In fact, this is because it is a position to receive recognition as the most outstanding ‘human being’ existing on the continent.
“It just worked out.”
It was quite appropriate and timely in many ways to use the ancient rune word ‘Incomplete 1’ that I acquired this time.
“Aide.”
“Why?”
“I have to return right away. “I can’t visit the Void one by one, so please come visit me once a week.”
The aide seemed to have a lot to say, but when he met my gaze, he just sighed. Nod your head.
“Okay. “I check the progress of rune language research from time to time.”
◈
After Flan left, the aide had an audience with the princess again. As aide number 187 waited without even moving, the princess, who woke up at some point, spoke.
“What is it like to meet you in person?”
“He is always a surprising man.”
“Always?”
“Yes.”
The aide swallowed dry saliva and continued speaking.
“If you try to adapt to something unexpected, something unexpected will arise again. So, it’s always something unexpected.”
“That’s right.”
The princess straightened her posture and stared at her aide.
“Aide.”
“Yes. Princess. “I’m listening.”
“Are you interested in Plan?”
It took the aide a little while to understand what the princess meant. After a while, she tilted her head and cautiously asked back.
“If you say you are interested… ?”
“It would be good to thoroughly distinguish whether the interest that is gradually growing in your heart is interest or affection. If you don’t do that, you’ll end up like Maiev.”
“I will never be like Maiev.”
The aide answered firmly. The princess’s gaze as she looked at her seemed somehow joyful.
“Aide.”
“Yes. Princess.”
“You are still useful. That’s why I’m watching, but you should know that Flan’s presence is poisonous to you.”
“Yes. “I will be careful.”
That was the end of the short audience.
How much does the princess really know?
Unknown. Because she always speaks ambiguously. The aide visited my space with a dull mind.
“….”
Still a pure white space.
I have always lived a life according to plan.
For the first time, her future could not be predicted.