◈ 333. [STAGE 14] Dogs on the wire
“Recently… Did you take some kind of elixir?”
Saint Marherita, who came to visit, asked:
“ancient?”
It was so tweezers that I was taken aback. what! I knew it was useful, but isn’t this about 0.5 Heo Jun?!
“How did you know?”
“I can sense a lot of mana that does not belong to me in my body. If I don’t know, shouldn’t I beat the priest?”
Marherita spat out cynically and removed her hand from my body. The light disappeared from her hand, which was shining with divine power.
Lying on the bed and putting a cold towel on my forehead, I looked at Marherita with respect.
“What should I do now?”
If you know the cause, of course you know the cure! I asked with hope.
The answer that came back was zero.
“You are sick for a few more days.”
“ancient?”
“It’s simple. It requires a process of absorbing other magical powers that have entered the body. My body hurts because of this process… … Don’t worry too much, time will take care of it.”
so what In the end, there is no medicine, and you are told to suffer while still in pain.
Holy shit! 0.5 Heo Jun Cancellation! It was an insult to the representative meaning of Joseon!
“Marherita! Are you about… … It’s 0.25 Heo Jun!”
“yes? What does that mean?”
“No, I mean good doctor… .”
When I was evasive, Marherita tilted her head and then stood up.
“It’s easy to think of it as body aches caused by magical powers. Don’t overdo it and get some rest.”
“But today is the start of the defense battle… .”
“Don’t you have competent subordinates? Don’t worry, you’ll be fine.”
Having said that, Marherita’s shoulders trembled.
“… Am I mistaken? I think I said the same thing last time.”
“huh? Was it?”
“Last time I was overworked and this time I was sick… Earlier, the bones in his left arm had been shattered. He often wears minor injuries.”
Marherita sighed softly.
“You are only in your first year in office, but you seem to be working hard. majesty.”
“Ah, I think I heard this nagging the other day… .”
“If you don’t want this to happen again, please exercise in the future.”
“ancient?”
“If you maintain a healthy body through regular exercise, these minor illnesses will be reduced. I’ll tell the drivers on the way out, so when you feel better, start exercising regularly.”
Aaaaaa! no! I hate outdoor activities! Prince wants to stay in his room!
“Cancel everything! You are 0.1 Heo Jun-!”
“Yes yes. Then get some rest and be sure to exercise.”
Marherita has gone out… … .
Then my party members who were waiting outside the room rushed inside.
“I heard everything, sir. Leave this defense battle to us and get some rest!”
“No, I will leave it to you guys, but I have to follow and watch… .”
I was about to say something more, but the party members all gave up on frowning and making mmm~ faces.
okay. Well, in the case of this stage, it is definitely easier than usual.
The monster that invades this defense is the Harpy Corps.
It’s an aerial flying type, but it’s snowing now. The mobility of air units drops drastically.
In preparation for their main attack method, sound waves, we even finished supplying earplugs to all soldiers.
Besides, the corps leader unit, the boss monster Harpy Coloratura, had already been killed during free exploration. Many of the elite units under the boss were also eliminated.
It’s really easy. They should be able to conduct defensive battles efficiently enough without me.
“… okay. I will trust you.”
I looked at Lucas, who was standing in the middle of the party.
In the first place, Lucas was in charge of preparing for this stage on behalf of me, who was not in good shape for the past few days. it will go well
“But if an unexpected situation arises, let me know right away. Don’t overdo it and do it slowly. got it?”
“I will, lord.”
Lucas replied in a calm voice.
“Don’t worry about performing defense battles. Take a warm rest today.”
I don’t know what’s inside because I’m still wearing a tin can, but I’m reliable like the main character of this game.
“Then I’ll be there, senior! yap! Give me a high five!”
“Oh come on. Kill them all!”
Starting with Evangeline, the party members clapped with me in turn and went out.
Through the window, I looked down at the backs of my subordinates as they walked away.
Not only the main party, but also several reliable heroes such as Dusk Bringer’s Dragon Blood Knights and Quilan’s Punishment Unit are on the front line.
‘There’s no need to worry.’
Now then, trust my subordinates and let me sleep soundly. It will have a worse effect on the operation of the front line if you continue to cause trouble by being sloppy.
I drew the curtains and snuggled into bed.
My whole body, which was heavy as if I drank water, soon fell asleep as if it were sinking into a dream.
***
“It seems like the senior is getting more and more dangerous these days.”
Cross Road Southern Outpost.
Evangeline, who was standing on top of the castle wall waiting for the monsters to arrive, opened her mouth.
“The physical condition is also the physical condition… Do I have to say that I seem to be being driven a little mentally?”
“… .”
“You seem to always feel responsible. Each and every one of his subordinates gets injured and dies… … It’s actually natural for people to die on the frontlines.”
Lucas turned his helmeted face and glanced down at Evangeline.
Evangeline’s fangs stood out and sparkled as she breathed white breath while being hit by snowflakes.
“As if it wasn’t natural for someone to die. Like I want to change it somehow. Is that why you go to the front line and hurt yourself so hard?”
“… Do you want your lord to change?”
“well. I do not know… .”
Evangeline pursed her lips and let out a whoosh.
“I don’t think you are an effective commander. I think that in order to maintain such a deformed frontline, it is necessary to be able to calculate life as coldly as ammunition and weigh the pros and cons.”
“… .”
“But I like the current senior.”
Evangeline gave a small shrug.
“To save his subordinates, he overdoes it, shakes, cries, suffers… … I like such a human senior.”
“Hoo?”
When Lucas let out a sound that seemed to have caught the case, Evangeline, who made a strange noise, saying ‘Duhhhh!’, waved her hands with a reddened face.
“No! Good here doesn’t mean rational! In the sense of being respectable as a superior! You know, mister?!”
“You don’t have to make excuses to me, lady.”
Lucas’s voice soon grew heavy.
“… I don’t really know anything about the lord.”
“yes?”
“I have served him all my life, but I still don’t know what he is inside.”
It was rare for Lucas to speak his mind like this. Evangeline opened her eyes wide and listened intently to his words.
“But I thought it was okay. I thought it was enough to live as a guard dog clearing obstacles in front of the lord.”
– If I forget, you lead me. I will believe
Just like the order I heard 8 years ago.
Standing in front of Ash, guiding the way and killing enemies by biting them. I have lived with such a dog.
however.
“But these days… It’s a cheeky statement, but I thought I understood him a little bit.”
He was unknowingly crossing the subject.
“Because he is human. Because it’s so human. So, without realizing it, I felt a sense of kinship. Suddenly, we became friends, not masters and servants. I was feeling that way.”
Lucas’s hand, which had risen to the hilt of the sword at his waist, was squeezed.
“But these days, the lord keeps trying to go far away like you said… … I was anxious about it, just like you.”
“… .”
“I am just a guard dog. It is my role to pave the way for him. They were presumptuously concerned, as if they were really friends.”
To myself for betraying Ash and letting Dustia die. No role other than a guard dog is allowed.
I forgot about it for a while, but this time I was reminded of my role… … It must be because of the past that came suddenly.
“… .”
Lucas, who closed and opened his eyes tightly inside the helmet, murmured in a low voice.
“… okay. A guard dog should be faithful to its role as a guard dog.”
“yes?”
“Evangeline. Could you act as a defense commander today?”
Startled by the sudden words, Evangeline widened her eyes.
Lucas glanced back—towards Crossroads.
“I have other things to do.”
“… .”
“Please.”
Evangeline kept her mouth shut. The girl’s protruding fangs gently pressed against her lower lip.
As much as Ash is becoming unstable, Lucas, you are becoming more and more precarious.
that you are worried
Evangeline did not say what was in her mind.
“great! Bye.”
Instead, he smiled cheerfully.
“I always wanted to try commanding a unit! After all, I am the Marquess here! You have to practice beforehand!”
Lucas’ face was not visible in the tin helmet, but Evangeline thought Lucas was laughing.
“Thank you, Evangeline. then.”
Lucas turned around and walked towards the teleport gate installed in the outpost.
After staring at the back of the knight who was moving away from the snow, Evangeline turned to the other side.
In the distance, from the Black Lake to the south, I could see feathered, grotesque birds crawling out with terrible cries.
“All troops! Prepare for battle-!”
The girl knight who shouted boldly fixed her cavalry spear and shield.
“Let’s get rid of all the monsters and get into the hot bath and melt your shoulders!”
oh oh oh!
The soldiers responded by raising their weapons in unison.
In the meantime, since Evangeline had taken command several times and led the battle, the soldiers were quite accustomed to Evangeline’s command.
The heroes naturally prepared for battle as Evangeline ordered.
That’s how humans are guarded and toward the forward base
.
Hundreds of Harpies began to fall across the sky.
***
Crossroad Central Prison.
“Hey Sir Lucas?”
“Now is the time to conduct a defensive war… Whoa?!”
“Sir Lou Lucas! what is this… … Aagh!”
puck! Wow! Cudangtang… … !
The guards fell out with a loud bang.
Lucas, who overpowered the guard post in an instant with his bare fists, entered the prison.
Mason was waiting in his prison cell with a smile on his face.
“Brother Lucas. You are here.”
“Come out, Mr. Mason.”
Lucas found the right key in the bundle of keys he had taken from the chief of guards and opened the door to Mason’s prison cell.
Subsequently, Mason and four other agents who were caught were released, and he chinned out.
“Follow me. I will guide you.”
“Wait a minute, young man! Starting with these handcuffs… … .”
Mason and the agents demanded that the handcuffs be released, but
“More guards will come soon. We prioritize getting out.”
Lucas sighed coldly and honestly took the lead.
Mason and the agents reluctantly followed Lucas in handcuffs.
There was no one on the street in the snowstorm. Mason grinned as we made our way out to a back alley on the outskirts of the city.
“You made a wise choice, Master Lucas.”
“… .”
“His Highness Fernandez will treat you without regret. If this mission is successful, the MacGregor family will be restored and you will be guaranteed a high position in the imperial family.”
While listening to Mason’s words repeated like a parrot, Lucas’s feet suddenly stopped as he walked through the snow-covered alley.
“… But one thing I don’t understand. Uncle Mason.”
Turning round, Lucas tilted his helmeted head to the side.
“His Highness Fernandez, why did you ask for ‘something like that’?”
When I visited Mason a few nights ago. Lucas listened to Fernandez’s demands.
I heard exactly what Mason’s mission here was.
But I just couldn’t understand it.
Fernandez gave Mason a truly bizarre task.
So, I asked again, but Mason only burst out laughing.
“Aren’t we hounds who just follow what we are told to do? If they bite, they bite, if they come, they come, if they die, they die.”
“… .”
“The content of the mission is none of our business. The important thing is whether you can do it or not. That’s all.”
“… .”
“So, Bocchan. Can we carry out our mission this way?”
“no.”
Sreung-
Lucas slowly pulled out his longsword [Carma Eater] from his waist.
The smooth blade emitted an eerie metallic glow as it hit the cold air.
“You all die here.”
The four agents behind Mason flinched and stepped back. Mason was looking at Lucas with his eyebrows crossed.
Spitting white breath, Lucas muttered.
“I will never betray my lord again.”
“… .”
“So, Uncle Mason. Even if you were a loyalist in my family… .”
The blue eyes that leaked out of Lucas’ helmet were so bright that they looked like flames.
“If it’s my lord’s enemy, I’ll just cut him down.”
“… .”
“In McGregor’s name, I’ll take my own dirty blood… … Please die quietly here.”
Mason, who had been quietly listening to Lucas’ words, opened his mouth slowly from side to side.
“iced coffee… .”
A wild, ferocious smile lingered
in his shaggy beard .
“Did you know it would be like this?”
With such a laugh that I couldn’t stand it because it was so happy.
