21. Blood and eggs (4)
#21
“Damn it! “What on earth is that…!”
The boy in the leather hat sat down. His legs were so weak that he could not stand up. Before his eyes a strange creature he had never seen before was flapping its wings and looking down at him.
“Brother?”
“A monster…!”
There was no sound from the four long black wings. The red eyes were as shiny as blood-soaked rubies. Every time the long tail brushed the floor the boy’s shoulders shrank.
It looked reminiscent of a devil or dragon from a fairy tale. Tears welled up in the eyes of the boy who slowly backed away.
‘I was punished…! The devil came to me because I did something bad…!’
No matter how little money you had you shouldn’t work as a poacher.
The boy was a member of the Demire branch of the poaching organization Caribolo. His first mission was to deliver supplies to the members who had gone on a hunting trip to the leyline the day before yesterday.
But what was waiting for him were eight corpses. Headless.
The corpses whose blood had completely disappeared were a dull gray color like a frosty bean field. It was not possible to see where the severed heads had gone.
‘It’s not enough for the hounds even the captain…’
The wolf Beum was also a cold corpse. He had reached the level of a sword expert and was a veteran who had captured double digits of fantasy species.
He had to hurry back to the branch and report the situation. It was the moment when the boy turned around.
-Quaaang!
“Kwaaaak!”
A monster flew from somewhere and hit the tree where the boy was hiding. Twigs and leaves fell from the rainwater. Eventually the creature that had shaken off his head approached the boy.
“Pyeol.”
‘Well I have to do something!’
The boy hastily brought his hand to the dagger at his waist. That was the moment his fingers touched the hilt of his sword. The eyes of the monster that was quietly beating in the air began to glow red.
“Bwaaaaaa…!”
“uh?”
Suddenly the boy’s world turned red. The boy sighed rubbing his eyes with his sleeve. There was red blood staining the dirty sleeves.
“Hey!”
The overflowing blood flowed down my cheek. No matter how much I wiped my eyes the bleeding wouldn’t stop. The boy soon noticed that blood was flowing not only from his eyes but also from his nose and ears.
“Please save me!!”
I felt his body quickly becoming cold. The strength in my legs still hasn’t returned. The boy desperately flipped his stance and began to crawl away.
“I will never do something like this again! “Please save me!”
However despite the boy’s screams a second nightmare unfolded. Suddenly his body began to be pulled in the direction of the monster.
“Oh no!! “Please save me!”
He hurriedly grabbed the bushes but to no avail. As the blades of grass were torn away the boy’s body rose into the air.
Hahaha. It seemed like I could hear the sound of a monster laughing through my blood-filled ears. At that time a boy with black hair came running out of the bushes.
“Yumma! “Stop!”
Ronan swung his sword vertically. It was exactly halfway between the boy and Sita. dump! The mana that was dragging the boy cut off and his body fell to the ground.
“Ugh!”
“Bwaaaaang?!”
Sita opened her eyes wide. I was so surprised that my pitch-black pupils almost doubled in size. The boy was rolling around on the floor spitting out a lump of blood from his throat.
“Wow! Uweeeek!”
“Oh fuck. Why is your face like this? Sita did you do it?”
The boy’s face was covered in blood coming from his features. Ronan who was looking at the boy with disgust raised his eyebrows.
“Huh? wait for a sec.”
It was a face that looked somewhat familiar. Ronan poked the wing of Sita who was still confused.
“Sita wipe your face.”
“Brother?”
Ronan pretended to wash his face. Sita blinked and used magic. Blood began gushing out of the boy’s eyes again.
“Kwaaaaaak!”
“Yumma!”
The blade cut through the air again. Ronan who quickly cut off the mana hit Sita’s nose with a bat.
“Poong!”
“Would you like to listen to everything I’m saying? “I just want you to wipe the blood off my face.”
“Bwauuung….”
Sita feeling discouraged used magic again. The blood covering the boy’s face gathered in one place and fell out in the form of drops. The boy who touched his face got scared and stood up.
“This is…?!”
“Of course it’s true. “Your face hasn’t changed much.”
“Is that the one who saved me?”
Ronan crossed his arms and nodded. He did not answer the boy’s question. The boy’s face with the blood washed away looked exactly like the person he knew.
Ronan took out a cigarette and took a bite. The boy folded his waist almost in half and bowed his head.
“Huh…thank you…! thank you! “I really survived thanks to you!”
“Something like this. “Is poaching worth it Balus?”
“…yes?”
Balus froze. Ronan was watching his movements with interest. He never imagined he would meet in a place like this.
“It’s so awesome right? “It’s a job where you spend money if you get some blood on your hands but since it’s not human blood you don’t feel guilty.”
“How did you say my name…?”
Balus was Ronan’s comrade as a punisher. It was Balus who boasted to Ronan about the arrows that could kill beasts and constantly talked about Caribolo’s organizational system.
At the time I thought he was a rotten person from the beginning but Balus had a very different atmosphere as a boy. His appearance and demeanor wherever you looked gave off the scent of a novice who had just started his job.
The tattoos that covered his entire body had not yet been engraved and his speech was not vulgar. Above all guilt still lingered in his shaking eyes.
Maybe there is room for rehabilitation. Ronan lit a pipe.
“You don’t know that you idiot. “You have to choose.”
“select…?”
“Yeah man. Either become a traitor to the organization or become a white withered taxidermy. Just looking at it it hasn’t been long since you started working right?”
“Stuffed bar?! More than that how do you do that….”
At that time the monster Sheeta who was swinging in the air landed on Ronan’s shoulder. They seemed to be getting along quite well as they kept pressing their faces against each other.
Balus realizing that the two were part of the same group hesitated and backed away.
“What the hell are you? What is that monster again…? No way those people too!”
“That’s right Balus. “I cut off the head and the blood was removed from this hairball.”
Ronan stretched out his index finger and pointed at Balus. Sita turned her head and stared at him. A thin stream of nosebleed flowed down Balus’ philtrum.
“There’s no need to explain how the blood was drawn right?”
“Heehee…!”
“Then let’s start talking.”
Ronan exhaled smoke. He was rummaging through his pockets and took out a piece of parchment. It was a map drawn with the blood of Caribolo’s hounds.
****
The boys cleaned up until night and then left Penardo Spring. Because of the increased luggage we had to build a much larger raft than when we arrived. A blood-red moon rose in the sky.
“The income is much better than I thought.”
Ronan did not kill Balus. It wasn’t just because he hadn’t gotten his hands dirty yet. He was a talent who would one day make a significant contribution to eradicating Caribolo from the continent.
Ronan obtained enough information about Caribolo and obtained a blood oath from him.
– Ugh! As long as this devil’s messenger drinks your blood you can’t hide yourself anywhere in the world!
-Huh…! I swear! I will keep my oath no matter what!
Provide information or current status of the organization once a fortnight. It was an oath not to reveal any information about Ronan and his group until he betrayed everyone and left the organization.
Blood oath. A forbidden spell that will cause your soul to be eaten by the devil the moment you break it.
Of course it was just a lie made up but judging from Balus’ expression at the time it seemed like there was no fear of the oath being broken.
Balus who was treated harshly by Sita believed that Sita was a messenger from the devil and Ronan was an evil warlock.
“You’re quite useful.”
Ronan gently scratched Sita’s neck as she looked up at the moon. Sita rolled around on the floor and purred like a cat showing affection.
“It’s cute….”
Asher was looking at the scene with his chin resting on both hands. I wanted to bury my face in those soft feathers but it wasn’t easy to try because of what had happened to me.
Asher suddenly remembered something and opened his mouth.
“But Ronan why did you name him Sita?”
“Why are you Asher?”
“Oh no I didn’t mean that…”
“just. “It’s the name of a bastard I used to hang out with.”
Ronan did not provide any further information. Asher also did not ask any additional questions. I just had doubts. Has Ronan ever had a dog?
Ronan slowly stroked Sita who was already asleep and opened his mouth.
“I tried never to raise animals again…”
It was heavier than a memory and a happy memory rather than a regret. After a chance encounter on his wanderings his companion of a year ended up dying at the hands of a poacher.
“Oh I don’t know.”
Ronan lay down. Sita’s feathers tickling his cheek were surprisingly soft. The water mist slowly rising over the red moonlit water was ending this adventure.
****
The two returned to the island over two full days. Ronan went straight to Professor Varen to show him Sita but he was on a business trip to the southern jungle.
“I have a lot to say but it’s a shame.”
Ronan who heard that it would take at least fifteen days turned around. They slipped a note under Varen’s office door and headed toward the market.
Of course I didn’t forget to collect the bounty. Everything that Caribolo’s poachers left behind turned into jingling gold coins that filled the boys’ pockets. Equipment accessories and even a head with no blood left.
“Oh my god there is water with such high purity of mana…! “Where on earth did you get this?”
“secret. “I might bring it again so please treat me well Duon.”
Duon continued to let out exclamations even while measuring mana purity. Ronan sold the water he brought from the spring to the Caravel merchant and the alchemy workshop.
He was able to make much more money than expected because the mana was of extremely high purity.
“My daughter even sang a song in the guests’ names. “This time he wanted to go along but he was so whining that he couldn’t go…”
“Now that I think about it I can’t see it. “What about Marya?”
“Oh I went back to my hometown for a while. “They say they’re coming to say goodbye before entering school.”
Well once I enrolled there was no need to go back to my hometown unless it was vacation period. Because Phileon was a strict dormitory system.
Now that I think about it it’s been quite a while since I’ve seen my sister. I was notified of my acceptance by letter but I felt like something was missing.
“It’s great.”
“Hehe that’s right. I would have stopped by once if it weren’t for the above but it’s a shame. “Anyway what on earth is that animal…?”
Duon’s eyes were not on Ronan earlier but on Sita who was sitting on his shoulder. Still there was even a pet business at one time but I couldn’t figure out what it was.
“Oh this is the one that came out of that egg last time. “I don’t even know what it is.”
“egg…? Ah you mean that incredibly hard lump from last time!”
Duon opened his mouth in admiration. An egg shell harder than mithril. It was a memory I could never forget.
Sita kept tilting her head and looking at the people passing by and the goods lined up at the stall. Its unusual appearance and sparkling red eyes with curiosity attracted people’s attention.
“Ho can I touch it?”
“sure. “But you probably won’t like it.”
“Hehe it’s because everyone is careless. “Even so I am quite good at handling animals.”
Duon cautiously stretched out his hand. The black and abundant feathers looked so fluffy that I wondered if this was even possible. It was the moment when his hand was about to touch Sita.
“Kyaaa!”
“Ugh!”
With a threatening sound four wings spread out. Duon who almost collapsed stood up leaning on the stall. Ronan said gently scratching Sita’s neck.
“I’m right. “He was more shy than he looked.”
“Byeol~!”
As Ronan scratched her neck Sita relaxed her expression and purred as if she had never done that before. Sita was wary of everyone except Ronan and Asher.
“This is so shameless….”
“That could be true. “Then I’ll go.”
“Please go back carefully. Congratulations to Cha Seok and me for taking first place in written exam. “You both are truly amazing.”
“thank you. See you again.”
Ronan waved his hand once and took a step forward. With each step the backpack shook and the sound of coins jingling echoed.
After earning some money the two headed to a restaurant they had been eyeing before. It was a place where whole 2m eels caught only in Lake Lanial were grilled. Asher took a bite from her and her eyes widened.
“It’s delicious…!”
“Biya!”
The unique chewy texture of the eel and the exquisite salting were a work of art. It seemed like the most delicious restaurant I’ve ever been to in the islands. Sita too chirped with her happy cries and eagerly ate her share of meat.
“Asher. “What are you going to do with this money?”
“me? I…um…I guess I’ll probably spend most of it on buying spell books or experiment materials. “Because it is a discipline that costs a lot of money.”
“I see. “Be proud of yourself.”
“Ronan and you?”
Ronan sighed. She originally saved money to pay for her tuition but because she was second in class she had no place to spend the money. Not only did he not receive a full scholarship he also received a monthly stipend in the name of maintaining his dignity.
It was an unfortunate worry but it was a worry anyway.
“I don’t know.”
Ronan took a bite of the grilled eel. It was delicious. I don’t know why but I suddenly thought of my sister in Nimburton.
While she was enjoying the delicacies of the mountains and seas Iril would have stayed home today and was eating potato stew.
‘Now that I think about it my sister lived in that country house her whole life.’
Ronan has lived two lives but this was his first time living a proper city life. There were so many differences from life in Nimburton that it was safe to say that everything was different.
‘I raised him by changing his own poopy diapers.’
Ronan twisted his lips. Now that I think about it he just tossed a few coins and came out but he never did anything. Iril probably didn’t even know that a world where dishes like this existed.
Ronan who was thinking about something opened his mouth.
“Asher. “Was it possible to observe on the day of our entrance ceremony?”
“huh? Ah…yeah I guess so. “I understand that this is only possible for guardians or family members.”
“That’s right.”
Ronan fell silent again. Asher seeing his serious expression lowered his fork. Only the salty sound of Sita tearing flesh rang out.
At that time a voice that sounded like shouting was heard from the kitchen.
“I want the Pencia Opera Company to send me a carriage tomorrow!”
“How many people?”
“Twenty-two people! Marvasgo asked me to catch the carriage that was returning two days later.”
“Confirmed. Tomorrow’s twenty-two people will be in Marbas.”
It was a conversation between employees working at a restaurant. It seemed like they would even send a carriage if the customer wanted it.
Ronan’s expression brightened as he realized something. If you couldn’t go you could just bring it with you. Ronan stood up from his seat and tapped the employee’s shoulder.
“hey.”
“Ah sir. “What’s going on?”
“Does the carriage even go to Nimburton?”
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