< Side story 3. Dream Drinking Bird (2) >
#A3
“New continent?”
“okay. A continent in the East far away across the sea. “The papers stuck here are definitely items used in that country.”
Nabirose nodded. She explained that the paper that looked like it had been dipped in a pot was a type of magic scroll called an ‘amulet’. Looking closely I could clearly feel the mana oozing out.
“It’s fascinating. This is my first time seeing a text message. “Instructor can you read?”
“I don’t know either. It was really only recently that exchanges with the New World began. “We only started formal communication after the war ended.”
“aha.”
Ronan shrugged his eyebrows at the interesting information. I was so busy with what was happening inland that I really didn’t know anything. He was fiddling with the sitar and snapped his fingers.
“But wait a minute doesn’t that mean this bastard went across the sea to the New World?”
“Probably so. I don’t know where this came from but it must have caused quite a stir there. “I heard that these statues and amulets are usually used to block something.”
“It’s just a pestilence that causes a nuisance on a global scale.”
Ronan muttered. I knew that Sita’s range of activity would increase as she got bigger but I didn’t expect it to be to this extent. He tapped the guitar.
“Hey stop sleeping and wake up.”
I felt like I needed to know the circumstances. However Sita who had been hit hard by everything was still dizzy and couldn’t come to her senses. No matter how much I shook or pinched it it was the same.
‘This is really no joke.’
Once again I felt the deceitfulness of everything. This was the first time Sita had done this since she got drunk after drinking all the blood from the southern battlefield. Ronan sighed and pulled on the hilt of his sword.
“Hey it’s my palja.”
It seemed like I would have to use my trump card. Ronan slightly cut the tip of his finger causing a drop of blood to flow into Sita’s mouth. Soon Sita having regained her appetite opened her eyes.
“Pyeong-a…Pyeong-ah?”
“Are you coming to your senses now? “It’s a good thing.”
Ronan shook his head. Even though he got bigger his behavior didn’t change. Sita who had been shaking his head like a dog shaking off water straightened up. Ronan asked holding up the statue.
“Where did you get this from? ok?”
“Pyeongwooung?”
“Yumma. In times like this don’t pretend not to understand what’s being said. “Have you really been to the New World?”
“Bwaaaa!”
Ronan asked again and Sita quickly flapped his wings. The fact that the movements were perfect was a clear positive sign. Wow! Five or six more statues similar to the first one came out of Sita’s suddenly opened mouth.
“Pyeol-ah! “Bye!”
“ah. Shit.”
Ronan cursed without realizing it. The family of statues that looked so unusual were all affixed with pieces of paper that looked like amulets or something.
Did you say that it is usually used to seal away dangerous beings? Sita who could not have known such a fact had a triumphant expression on her face sticking out her chest as if she had prepared a great gift. Ronan slowly washed his face and looked back at Nabirose.
“…You know. “Instructor.”
“Say it.”
“If a dog does something wrong the owner is responsible right?”
“yes.”
“Damn it. “I had no idea my first overseas trip would go this way.”
It felt like my vision was getting dark. If something happened because of Sita he had to take responsibility and fix it. If we were really unlucky it could have turned into an international problem.
I already have a lot of work to do but I have to go to the New Continent. Ronan was groaning at the sudden increase in workload. A familiar voice came from the door.
“Ah you are here Ronan.”
“ok?”
Ronan turned his head. A man with his long hair braided back was standing there. The glasses with strings and the thick book on the side were impressive. Ronan who was looking at the smiling face raised his eyebrows.
“Are you really Balus?”
“It’s been a while. “How have you been?”
“That’s true but…what the fuck. “What on earth happened?”
Ronan laughed. I thought it was just in case but it was the same. He was his punitive comrade Balus a poacher whom he had once taken out of Caribolo.
Ronan captured him at Baeksuje and recruited him as Varen’s assistant. The last time I saw it was briefly before the war broke out and I wondered what had happened in the meantime. It’s been a while since I last saw Balus and he’s completely new. No he had become a full-fledged scholar who went beyond such concepts.
He said “With Professor Baren’s support I studied abroad in various places. There are so many things in the world that I don’t know. Thanks to this I was able to present a paper to the Royal Society.”
“…That’s good.”
“It’s all thanks to Ronan. Meeting Ronan and Asher while on a reconnaissance mission many years ago was the luckiest thing in my life. Of course I was scared to death at the time.”
Balus laughed. No trace of his past life could be seen in his quiet smile. He was probably one of the few punitive soldiers to be vulgar but it certainly seemed like a person’s upbringing was more important than his or her origins.
‘Could the rest of the idiots be like this too?’
Suddenly images of the bastards I played with during my time as a punitive soldier flashed through my mind. Since I graduated I felt like I could start executing my plan in earnest.
It was because of them that Ronan was granted the title of nobility which he considered a hassle. When you become a noble you have a fiefdom and can legally hire people to do work. His goal was to rehabilitate the comrades of the punitive forces who had not yet gone astray.
In fact several of his classmates were already staying at Val Toure Ronan’s territory. They were beaten and dragged in and they were cultivating the land of the North which was almost like an unexplored land day and night. Of course fair compensation for labor was being paid honestly.
‘First I’ll make it a human and send it to Phileon. ‘Because education is not something I can do.’
Ronan was stroking his chin while thinking about his future plans. Suddenly blood flowed from Balus’ eyes and nose. He became thoughtful and shrugged his shoulders.
“Huh! Blood blood?!”
“Bwahahaha!”
At that time a loud laugh was heard from behind. Sita was flapping her wings and giggling. Ronan who noticed the situation scolded.
“Yumma. “Can’t you quit right now?”
It was a prank that Sita played when she first met Balus. The relationship between the two began when Ronan saved Balus from death from excessive bleeding. A downcast Sita lowered her head.
“Bwauuung….”
“I bought it and lived.”
The blood that flowed from Balus’ face returned to its original place. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that the blood on his clothes had completely disappeared. Ronan tapped Balus on the shoulder.
“sorry. “He’s very playful.”
“Oh no…it’s okay. “I was just surprised because it had been so long since I had experienced it.”
“Then I’m glad. So what brought you here?”
Ronan asked. It’s been a while since I saw a familiar face so the story leaked out. Balus adjusted his clothes and clapped his hands.
“ah. I’m here to tell you that Professor Varen is looking for you. “He has discovered the identity of the sphere.”
“Huh? “So quickly?”
****
Ronan went straight back to his office. Butterfly Rose left for class saying she would see her soon. Baren shouted as soon as he opened the door.
“Ohh. “You’re back!”
“Ah surprise.”
Varen was sitting in front of his desk with an excited expression waiting for Ronan to return. Before I knew it the neat desk had become a mess with various documents and laboratory tools.
Sita whose body had grown excessively large was blinking with only his head pressed into the window. Varen who was scratching Sita’s chin opened his mouth.
“After investigating I found out that Student Ronan was right. “More than 90% of the mana content transmitted from inside the sphere matched the dream.”
“What the fuck. Really?”
Ronan’s eyes widened. He was just trying it out but he didn’t expect to get hit. Varen continued pointing to the sphere on the desk.
“yes. The reason the mana could not be detected with the naked eye was because the shell was too thick. “I’ve seen a lot of animals but I’ve never seen one this thick.”
“It’s amazing. “Then why was the dream bird’s egg in my pocket?”
“well. Honestly I have no way of knowing that. “Do you have no recollection of the time you acquired the egg?”
“Uhmmm…so….”
Ronan’s brows narrowed. As he closed his eyes and looked back in time something seemed to come to mind.
The landscape Ronan saw just before he expired was the coast of a dying star. Under a cluster of brilliant stars and a white sandy beach in the red sea he cut off Abel’s head.
‘okay. That’s when I reached out.’
The memory of him bleeding to death was still vivid. In his fading consciousness Ronan stretched out his hand. Then he took the white sand and the sphere lying on it and put them in his pocket.
That’s how it happened. Ronan who had been drooling opened his eyes.
“I remembered.”
“Ohh. Thank goodness. “So were there any dream birds or creatures presumed to be dream birds around?”
“no. “Because it was a planet destroyed by bald men.”
“Think about it carefully. “There must have been something nearby.”
“No it really wasn’t there. “The only other living creature out there is that bastard Abel…huh?”
Ronan’s eyes widened. An absurd idea was flashing in his mind. No no matter what it won’t be true. He shifted his gaze to the sphere and opened his mouth.
“So you’re saying that Abel was just a dream?”
…oh my god.”
Varen froze. The pupils behind the glasses narrowed to dots. Ronan asked back seeing a much more serious reaction than expected.
“Why aren’t you denying it? “Do you really think something like that is possible?”
It was so absurd that I laughed. The leader of Nebula Clazier who made the world tremble was a dream so if you wrote a novel like that you would be criticized. Varen who emptied his teacup with his trembling hands opened his mouth.
“It’s not so…unreasonable.”
“yes?”
“I don’t know if you remember. Dream birds change their appearance infinitely under the influence of something. Not only are there many cases of animals taking on the appearance of animals other than birds but there are also cases in the literature of them being transformed into buildings such as palaces or towers. “It is unprecedented but according to the theory it is not impossible to transform into an intelligent being.”
“What…no shit really?”
Ronan shed his confusion. When the most famous author in this field said that it was impossible to deny it. Suddenly an old story that Cain had told me flashed through my mind.
‘Now that I think about it back then.’
Cain gained the ability to grant wishes by drinking the blood of his predecessor the giant king. With this ability he restored the shattered village and saved the country on the verge of destruction but was unable to fulfill his wish of reviving the dead.
But Abel was different. He was resurrected according to Cain’s wish for his brother’s return. To be exact he was the younger brother who was never even born.
Looking back he was a strange guy from birth. I thought that maybe it was really Abel who left this egg behind. Ronan said.
“Then what on earth is born here?”
“well. I really can’t figure this out either. “A being born from the Nebula Clazie cult leader as a parent…Aha!”
“Fucking surprise. “What’s wrong with you all of a sudden?”
Suddenly Varen screamed. He raised his heavy buttocks and began to rummage around the study. Before long he returned carrying a rolled up scroll.
“I got it and forgot about it. “Let’s try using this here.”
“What is that?”
“This is a magic created by Professor Secrit based on the information me and Mr. Balus gathered. “It will be the key to uncovering the secret of the dream bird.”
“magic…? Secret…?”
Varen’s face which had been frozen all along was turning red. Ronan narrowed his eyes after hearing Secret’s name.
“I feel somewhat uneasy. “What exactly does magic do?”
“Haha don’t be surprised. “This is…”
Varen deliberately dragged his tongue. Somehow my anxiety amplified further. He turned his head stroked Sita’s head and said
“It is a magic that polymorphs animals into humans.”
