Chapter 212. Sacrifice and dedication 2022.02.12.
The endlessly repeated deaths and the miserable past of being bound and used. Facing Veron also meant fighting the past for Aidan. But Aidan seemed to have already made up his mind.
“I will avoid all-out war.”
“I don’t know what tricks Veron will do.”
“He is also expected.”
I was the one who lost my composure at Aidan’s calm attitude.
“Then if you get captured by Veron, whatever data I find in the lab will be meaningless.”
“…”
“More than that… I just can’t get past the thought that Aidan will take on everything.”
If Aidan were to fall into Veron’s hands then I would never be able to forgive myself. I tried to hide my upset, but I don’t know if it worked out. Aidan, who was staring at me, asked.
“Why do you think it is a sacrifice?”
“If not a sacrifice, what is?”
“that-.”
It was at that time that Aidan’s eyes were somehow dark. greatness! Oscar, frowning for some reason, cut off our conversation with a clearing of his throat.
“I can see Aidan coming to the fore and making a fuss. By the way, Mabel. Will he not notice that Aidan is deliberately drawing attention?”
“That would require digging another trap, right?”
We’ve been working on our infiltration plans ever since. While I infiltrate the laboratory with the Fairy Tale Power, Aidan catches my eye first, then Enrique puts on a cloak and runs away as if it were me. The difference in hair color or physique was not a big problem.
‘I want you to know that I ate the magic reagent and the elixir of growth.’
It is Oscar and Yang who protect my body that has lost control.
[I’ll protect you, Mabel!]
I had to make this plan a success so that their busyness and hard work would not be in vain. I asked the information book that was waiting.
“How is the border situation?”
“Not good. Surveillance at the western checkpoint is the least neglected.”
“Right.”
“The biggest challenge is your looks. Because of her striking appearance… Moreover, there is a thin barrier at the checkpoint, so the color of her hair and eyes that have been changed with reagents are quickly removed.”
The conditions to enter Devlin were quite demanding. Aside from the three escorts, my external features were quite conspicuous. Maybe my impression of each gate came down as a warning. The fact that someone might know Aidan’s face was also a risk factor.
“Isn’t the reagent released inside Devlin?”
“yes. Only when passing through the city gates.”
“You mean it only unlocks when you pass through the castle gate?”
I mean, you only need to pass through the castle gate…
“Is there a good way?”
At Enrique’s question, I smiled coyly.
“There is none.”
***
“Stop!”
rattle! hee hee-! At the low command, the wagon of the Ioleka Merchants stopped in front of the checkpoint on the western wall of the Devlin Empire. The gatekeeper lingered and walked towards the carriage door. Then the curtain was half open. I saw the face of a silver-haired young man with a surprisingly handsome appearance. The gatekeeper was momentarily dazed by his dazzling appearance, then hurriedly came to his senses.
“Indicate your affiliation.”
“It’s Ioleca’s ump top.”
“Ump? It’s a face I haven’t seen before… Show me your identity card.”
After receiving the identity card, the gatekeeper began to examine it carefully. Orders were issued every day to thoroughly guard against entry due to fake ID cards.
“Let’s see. The kingdom of Ioleca is right. top of the ump. That’s right…”
As he looked at his identity card rather meticulously, the inside of the carriage became noisy.
“Aww! mom!”
The doorkeeper’s eyes widened at the sound of a baby crying. For some reason, the stiff mother of the baby started patting the baby.
“Oh right. kind.”
“Aww! Jibe Furniture Shippo. Babies apo…”
At the whining of the baby, the silver-haired young man hurriedly explained the situation to the gatekeeper.
“sister. Please heal the baby quickly. What did you say wait a minute? He has a high fever right now and has a bad stomach ache.”
The gatekeeper’s gaze peered into the carriage window. In the direction from which the whining cries came, I saw a small foot protruding from the blanket wrapped around it. The baby’s mother had her head lowered to soothe the crying baby, so her long blonde hair covered the profile of her face, so we couldn’t see her.
“What kind of trade do you bring a newborn baby with?”
“sorry. There is no one to take care of me…”
The gatekeeper’s gaze, unable to hide his absurdity, turned to the dark-haired man sitting next to him with his eyes closed. For some reason, his face was wrapped in bandages.
“Who is that man?”
“I am the father of the baby. He is my brother-in-law. haha. He’s a very reticent person…”
“Why is your face like that?”
“I am engulfed in flames while doing a rough job and I have terrible burn scars. Shall I ask you to release it?”
At the silver-haired young man’s words, the gatekeeper hurriedly waved his hand.
“All right. are you going to do that By the way, there is no family guild.”
“You know? Life is so hard these days…”
“You have to know. hmm. What is the box next to it?”
“I heard a baby toy here…”
“Open it.”
The silver-haired young man opened the lid of the box himself and confirmed what was inside. Inside the box was a stuffed cat with horns.
“It’s a cat doll. You are cute.”
Before the doorkeeper could finish his words, the young man quickly closed the lid. Right after that, the inside of the box seemed to shake a little.
“Ew? for a moment. The doll seems to have moved-”
When I was about to tell her to open her eyes one more time, the young man suddenly handed her something.
“It’s cold, so why don’t you have a warm meal.”
“Hmm…”
“Anyway, my nephew is really sick…”
The man peeked into the pocket where the coin jingled, smiled contentedly and nodded his head.
“Pass!”
As soon as the inspection was approved, the carriage passed the gate as if it were sliding. The baby’s whining stopped abruptly before the blonde woman let out a sigh of relief. and after a while
“It’s Babu Monchoy Gatni.” (Because I’m such an idiot.)
He smiled quietly as if the baby in the blanket had never started crying.
***
After twists and turns, the wagon passed through the checkpoint and passed through the middle of the streets of the Devlin Empire.
“Ewch.”
Baby Mabel, who had escaped from the blanket, slipped from Enrique’s lap and took her own seat in the carriage. Enrique’s attitude toward Mabel was still awkward.
“Why Kuroke Bar Mom?”
“Don’t call me that, Your Majesty…”
Enrique blushed, covering his mouth with his hand and avoiding his gaze. Then, her long, golden hair naturally tumbled. It was so neat that Mabel admired it inwardly.
‘She’s pretty enough to be mistaken for a woman.’
Feeling that Enrique would turn into a tomato if he looked more closely, Mabel turned her head to Oscar.
“Otsuka, take it and shoot it. Take courage!” (Oscar was the best. Acting was the best!)
“Not better than Mabel.”
Oscar laughed as he poked Baby Mabel in the cheek. Then the box on the chair started to shake.
[Oh, it’s frustrating! I want to go too!]
“Ang vs. Yang. (No, Yang. I told you not to be vigilant, right?)
This was Devlin, not Ermano. I couldn’t let my guard down unless I knew what would happen at any moment.
“I will keep my disguise until I reach the safe lodging that the information book told me.) [What kind of humiliation is this
? How dare you call this body cute… That doorkeeper just doesn’t really have eyes to see.]
Mabel lifted her heel and looked out the window, listening to Yang’s complaint with one ear and letting it flow through the other. The scenery of the Devlin Empire, which he had never seen before, passed slowly.
“It’s kind of… Do you know what a strange gogachi it is?”
“What is strange?”
“Little life.” (Little life.)
First, the pace of the people walking down the street had no room, and second, they were all skinny and not very fat. The sight of people walking busily with wide eyes somehow made me feel strange. Soon after, the carriage came to a complete stop. The lodging provided by the information book was a small family house on the outskirts.
“Then I will return to my original position.”
The information book, which had been disguised as a coachman, returned to the status of a low-level civil servant in Devlin’s imperial castle. We sat around the living room and went over our plans again.
“It’s too much for me to stay here to take care of the situation.” (For the time being, I’d rather stay here to take care of the situation.) I
couldn’t use the power of fairy tales because I used up all my divine power to transform into a baby. Accordingly, the start date of the operation was naturally set. The dawn of the day when his divine power was fully charged after returning to his original body.
***
Life in Devlin was surprisingly good. no, it wasn’t really good.
[Wow…]
The sheep vomited and pretended to bury the food on the ground. I gripped the spoon tightly and resolutely scooped it up and put it in my mouth.
“Ma Masita.”
A party of death was going on in the mouth. Oscar smiled awkwardly, as if embarrassed.
“I’m sorry, Mabel. I’ve never cooked before…”
“No. Drink it…!”
I diligently ate the thin soup so Oscar wouldn’t get hurt. Then Oscar’s expression relaxed. It was a life without any inconvenience except for food. Aidan, I, and Yangyang, who were in trouble if their identities were revealed, remained at home, and Enrique and Oscar were in charge of procuring groceries and finding out about Devlin’s situation.
“The Devlin situation is not good. The famine has been repeating for several years, and since there is no exchange with other countries, we are suffering from food shortages.”
Enrique’s report made it understandable that people’s bodies were skinny.
“The people of Devlin have a lot of antipathy towards Ermano. In particular, Emperor Ermano Mabel was talking nonsense, saying that you were the cause of all Devlin’s suffering.”
Oscar’s expression was a bit grim. I asked just in case.
“Otsuka. Didn’t Solma hit someone?”
“…”
“Dear Enni.”
“I dried it.”
Enrique defended himself as if he was unfair, but I put my hands on my hips and looked at Oscar sternly.
“I’ll go back to collect information. Let’s go, Enrique…”
Oscar trudged out of the house. Worried that I might get into another accident, I climbed into a chair and looked out the window when I felt someone from behind.
“Aye.”
“It would be embarrassing for anyone to see it.”
Aidan lifted me up and sat me down on the couch. I looked up at Aidan.
“Aye. I’m curious, go isso.” (Aidan. I have a question.)
“Tell me.”
“Isn’t it his life?” (If it’s not a sacrifice, what is it?)
“Why do you think it’s a sacrifice?”
“If not a sacrifice, what is?”
“that-.”
I was curious about the answer I hadn’t heard before because of Oscar’s clearing of his cough. Aidan, who was silent for a moment, answered quietly.
“It is a commitment.”
sacrifice and dedication. I couldn’t tell the subtle difference, but I didn’t ask. It seemed like he could understand what it meant somehow from Aidan’s expression.
***
Plop. A man whose vitality was exhausted lost his strength and fell to the ground. Its appearance was indistinguishable from gender, to the extent that it was possible to determine its former identity from the clothes it was wearing. Taking someone’s life casually, Veron left the audience room with a sad face. An aide followed and assisted him.
“Are you going straight to the lab?”
“okay.”
The place where Veron’s unstoppable steps stopped was in front of a building surrounded by a black barrier. As he passed by, the barrier slowly retreated as if it had moved away on its own.
“Come when I call.”
“I understand, Your Majesty.”
After biting the aide, Veron immediately stepped into the lab. In the vast laboratory, all sorts of objects were scattered in a mess, and the floor was densely painted with complex patterns of magic circles. Veron stubbornly kept his mouth shut and silently began to fill the empty space in the magic circle. how much time has passed like that It was when I took a step out of the lab because I couldn’t understand the flow of time without a single ray of sunlight. Kwaaang-! Veron frowned at the roaring noise that made the building shake at the moment. At that moment, I felt the barrier shake and the aide ran towards the laboratory.
“It’s an assault!”
“…attack?”
“Yes yes! Aidan… Aidan is back!”
At that moment, Veron’s eyes flashed. Aidan. For Aidan to step into this land on his own, no matter what his intentions were.
“It’s like a gift for me.”
