119 – Train (2)
The rest area where the train stopped was much more crowded than the first town we rode in.
– Bruise, bruise
“Where is… Where is… Paper…”
A demon lord who doesn’t care about the people around him. They were wandering the streets looking for the boy.
“… I should have taken the Demon King with me.”
No matter how much she tried to dissuade her, he had no choice but to wait for her. The train is leaving soon, but she can only hope to find it before then.
“If I did, my luggage would have been stolen. Those guys From the first time I rode it, it seems that I have been deliberately aiming for the demon lord.”
From noble mtl dot com
Geumdong is right, but I thought it might have been better to rob the luggage.
“…Yes. Seeing the demon lord that he cherishes like a treasure, he thinks he knows he can be a unique artifact. After all, it was better not to talk on the train. Because he speaks so mildly… I never thought the hat next to me would. Damn… I was complacent.”
“… What now? Dongha.”
“…”
… What.
If you look at it item by item, it’s not a serious situation at all.
The only thing stolen is a paper crane that I made in less than a minute. Getting it back is just a waste of money and a waste of time if you get off the train that is about to leave.
It doesn’t live like the demon king believes, doesn’t eat like us, has no monetary value, and doesn’t turn into a game.
…
-Tadadat
-Look around, look around
And most of all, it was her treasure.
“… I still have time. There is also an emergency fund. Geum-dong, take the next train. You’re pretending to be a doll I’ll find it.”
*
I went around talking about how boys and girls were dressed to the merchants and passers-by at the service area.
Cooperating wasn’t even half of it. Some even offered to sell information for a fee.
From what I’ve gathered over the course of several hours, I’ve only learned that this place is originally a place where there are a lot of bad guys, and that it’s close to impossible to track them down with our uniform singularity.
You might have already left the rest stop.
*
How much time has passed since then?
In the meantime, six trains passed by.
It was morning when I got off the train, and the sun was setting over the ridge.
…
We are supposed to go to Urupu, the sanctuary of the half elves, tomorrow morning.
There are still a few trains left, but if we don’t arrive today, the party members may think we don’t trust them and aren’t coming.
No, now that the dark night is ahead, it may have left the promised place that we had already decided to wait for.
-Tabaktabak
Unlike us sitting on the stairs exhausted from hours of searching for the boy, she is busily searching for him here and there. She transformed into a bird and flew in the sky, and even tried to trace the flow of magical power in the origami crane by sticking to the ground.
But since it’s outside, I can’t freely use magic like she said, so it didn’t go well. The demon king felt angry, clenched his small fists and started running again.
“Dongha.”
“… Uh.”
“…Can the demon king give up paper cranes?”
“…”
Paper cranes cannot be retrieved.
That’s what I think.
From the moment I was scammed a few hours ago, the chances of getting it back have already converged to zero.
…
-Tadadat
And if she still can’t find the origami crane…
-Tadadat
The lies I told…
‘…’
I’m really trash.
With no answer, salvation is impossible.
I thought of this when I saw a friend running around crying like that, not knowing how tired she was.
…
‘Yes, I am garbage.’
That swindler hat and I are liars with the same means but different goals.
“Golden bronze.”
“… Huh?”
“I’ll tell you one more lie.”
So let’s cheat one more time.
I’ll treat you several times better later.
*
I went to the general store next to the train station. After a good search, they sold something similar to the paper used to fold origami cranes.
After paying the bill, I folded the paper in a place where no one could see it.
…
Just like back then.
I can remember her distinctive appearance because she hangs a paper crane around her neck every day, eats together at the table, or shows it to me. Curved wingtips, stubby mouth corners, and a blotch under the left wing.
‘… It’s closed.’
*
“I found it.”
When she said that to the demon king, who had been holding back her tears, dew dripped from her eyes as she looked back. She said that she shouldn’t cry outside, but she seemed to be able to help it because she was relieved by the words that she found it.
-Tadadat
She ran to me in a hurry and hugged the paper crane tightly. And she looked here and there for any injuries or tears.
“…”
Tears and runny nose flowed in her face.
Surprised.
“… This isn’t it, whimper.”
It spread with disappointment.
“Hey, no.”
I made it exactly the same.
She returned the new origami crane to my hand. She rubs her face with her arm and speaks to me.
“… You know. I mean travel.”
“Uh.”
“… It’s okay if I don’t go, so why don’t you guys go by yourself…? Kihehehe… I’ll find the paper crane and go back home! Have fun playing my part…”
The Demon King smiled clumsily and brightly with a crying face.
…
I’m tired.
“For paper cranes? Are you looking for one?”
“…Yes.”
…
On the subject of her lies trying to appease her, who was tricked into her lies and treasure made by her lies.
I was annoyed.
“Hey.”
“…Yes.”
“I wish I could have followed you for hours. What do you do without Are they coming back for being so stubborn here? Let’s give up now. Uh? I’ll fold a few more origami cranes. Like the one you just gave me.”
“It has to be him.”
“He? What bullsh*t are you talking about?! Will you be upset? What is origami crane alive? What is that piece of paper making all this fuss about? How many pages will you fold when you return?”
“Don’t tell me to cut that piece of paper!!”
The Demon King rarely gets angry with me. She always treats her with care when she doesn’t have a few friends.
“Not that kind of paper! That means he’s my friend too! I like him, and he’s one of the few kids who like me! And of all the treasures you gave me, I value the most!”
“That sucks. What kind of friend is the origami crane? You live at the top of the tower without any friends, so you can’t tell them apart?”
“Hey! Baek Dong-ha! What are you talking about?!”
…
Even though it all started from my lie, even though the pure and kind demon king just believed what he heard.
I hated her for being stubborn and hanging herself on the phantom in front of her eyes. She hated her silly innocence.
“…”
In that case, all you have to do is tell the phantom that it is a phantom.
…
I let go of my tightly bitten lips.
The fishy taste fills the mouth.
“…Ah, your blood…”
“A paper crane that turns into a game? It’s all lies. There’s no such thing as turning into a game. I lied because I was scared of you from before.”
“…”
“…”
The demon king shook his head.
“A lie.”
You seem to think I’m lying to placate myself.
I can further prove that it is a lie. But it seems like she won’t allow it any more. She left the place
*
It was a dark night.
The next train is the last.
The merchants start closing their stores one by one.
…
She apologized to her for being harsh with her words.
The Demon King accepted her apology. And he said that he would be upset if we couldn’t go on the trip because of him, so he told us to go.
I didn’t believe the origami crane was a lie until the end.
“…You are really nice.”
“… Huh?”
“You don’t have to lie like that.”
She sees the very fact that I am a liar as a lie.
-Tadadat
“Golden bronze.”
“Huh?”
“Can I not go on a trip?”
“… hehehe. I already had fun I also ate whole potatoes.”
“…”
Not going on this trip.
Somehow it seems to mean that I will not be able to return to Earth forever.
…
I have a ticket for the last train in my hand. I paid in advance before the ticket office closed.
I don’t think I’ll be writing this table.
“… I’ll get you something warm. On the way, check out the inn.”
It was cold. Perhaps even the inside of his mouth was frozen, no breath came out of the demon king’s mouth.
-Turbuck, turbuck
I took a coin out of my pocket and counted it.
…
‘Huh?’
The old coin that the boy gave me earlier and the coin I received as change for buying paper have similar marks on them. Hand grime artificially buried to look like a keepsake.
…
-Tadadat
I went to the merchant from earlier. It was just before closing.
*
“… Dongha. Why isn’t he here?”
There are less than five minutes until the last train arrives.
I’m not going to get on that train anyway.
“… Ha… Ha…”
The Demon King still seems busy looking for it.
…
Did it go well with this?
We met the planned catastrophe in advance. In the worst possible way.
…
Can the demon king forget and live?
Her As one of the many misfortunes that always befall her.
…
I understood Dongha’s resentment.
After overlaying lies with lies, his helplessness in being able to only lie in the past.
The reality that we can’t turn back the lies that have already come too far.
…
No matter what.
“I hope good things happen again.”
…
-Baaam
As if mocking my thoughts, a train enters the dark platform. There were no waiting passengers.
…
The door of the stopped train opens.
“…”
The demon king is also looking at the last train with gloomy eyes. She’s been crying since before, perhaps thinking that her stupid innocence ruined the fun trip.
…
I saw the train.
You won’t wait anyway.
If it’s going to be closed, go quickly.
Stop burning inside my friends.
-Turbuck, turbuck, turbuck
At that moment, Dong-ha’s urgent footsteps were heard. Since he said he had an important business… He was thinking of going alone.
‘…Or am I trying to persuade the Demon King?’
Impossible. She won’t leave this place until she finds the origami crane.
-Gap
“What?”
-Tadadat!
Suddenly Dong Ha lifted me up. And he starts to run towards the demon lord.
“… Ugh, Ugh… Whoa…”
“…?”
“I found it.”
The same words as when I folded a new origami crane earlier.
Again, whether he thinks it’s a newly folded paper crane, or not even that, the demon king averts his eyes at Dong-ha’s words and hesitates. But.
“… Can you believe me? It’s not a lie.”
At the words of an impudent liar.
“Yes.”
The Demon King nodded and followed where his hand led.
Before the train doors closed, we were able to get on.
*
There are no passengers in the compartment of the last train.
The demon king lies down and cries. He held the paper crane frozen in the cold in his hand.
“… How did you find it?”
“… The same coin where they trade…”
Dongha spent half the money for information about the scammers’ hideout and half the money to buy paper cranes from them, and now he says he has no money.
It is said that they also sold it obediently after knowing that it was an ordinary paper crane. Of course, it’s a huge overkill.
“… If I don’t have you, I’ll have to work part-time.”
“… That’s right.”
…
The demon king, who had been crying while crouching, turned his face away and turned to us.
“Poop.”
“… Big.”
His eyes were swollen and his nose dripping. The emotion on that face and everything else is gone.
“…”
-Beep
The demon king stood up and went to the seat on the right. Kneeling on his chair, he bowed his head at us.
“… Hey. You again…”
“Why is that!”
“…I almost ruined the trip.”
…
“Sorry for being stubborn.”
The demon king bowed his head repeatedly.
She has nothing to be sorry about.
Because he told us several times to go first.
“…I’m sorry too. What you said harshly earlier and what you lied about.”
Baek Dong-ha also sincerely apologized to the demon king. The demon lord didn’t seem to have much of it.
“… Yes. Are you okay. I knew it was a lie It will soon turn into a game.”
“… Huh?”
…
Dong-ha apologized for deceiving me by giving me a fake paper crane today.
The Demon King does not believe that the saying that the paper crane turns into a game was a lie.
Have I come too far to call a lie a lie?
…
“… Whip, isn’t it cold? Paper crane? Polar bear fur, Apollo’s underwear…”
“…”
Buckwheat made a complicated expression.
…
We are all very tired today.
Let’s rest. In order to bring Dong-ha out of the swamp of trouble, he offers another word.
“Dongha. Will I be waiting for you?”
“Okay. They tend to never go out of the house when it’s cold.”
“… If you could wait for one person, who would it be?”
“…That must be stupid Rebecca.”
*
“Ugh, it’s cold. The hot pack is also cold. Rebecca wrote 40 of them by herself. Dorothy can’t use magic?”
“It’s illegal to use magic on the platform because of the explosion. Don’t want to get presents for Christmas this year? There will be nothing in your socks.”
“Ugh… Whoever asked me to wait on the platform came up with an idea!”
“Who is that? It’s Rebecca.”
“Yeah, I was the one who said it first, but everyone agreed!”
“Rebecca take off my clothes.”
“If you take off one more thing, it’s your underwear! Stop it!”
…
“… I brought candy for the demon king to give to me… But it doesn’t seem to come. Because Dong-ha hates us.”
“… I will. It’s all because of Rebecca.”
“Damn pink crackling b*tch. I was looking forward to it because of you.”
“… Profit! And! It’s coming! Wait! Whoa…!”
Rebecca blew hot breath into an empty ketchup bottle. She holds the warmed ketchup bottle tightly like a hot pack.