Episode 209
Episode 67. Witch Heluram’s Legacy (5)
From then on, I went around putting out fires with monsters.
However, it was virtually impossible to quell the fire that had been going on for two days. Extinguishing with magic had its limitations, and cutting the fire area with a sword to prevent the fire from moving further was the same.
It was impossible to put out the flames unless it rained. No, I wondered if it would be possible to subdue a fire of this scale even if it rained.
To make things worse, as soon as they started suppressing the fire, a strong wind blew in from somewhere. As if they were waiting for the two to stop fighting and put out the fire.
The sun rises, the moon rises, the moon sets, and the sun rises again.
I ran like crazy through the forest for a day to catch the flames. As for Jinro, he had been fighting desperately for over three days, and his stamina was gradually reaching its limit.
As if giving up early, the monster let out a weak cry with its ears drooping, and Jin did his best until the end with a strange feeling of guilt.
‘I don’t know what this is…’
I thought.
Wasn’t the monster just spending peaceful days in this poisonous land? On the other hand, he invaded the land of monsters and harassed them, and now he was suppressing the fire he had committed.
What do you mean by doing this?
I felt bad and only felt sorry for the ‘monster’. It was difficult for Jin to figure out why Shiron and Vanessa had given such a test.
‘I don’t think my father doesn’t know that he’s an immortal body. It seems that if I fought endlessly, it would end in my defeat anyway, or it would have been a situation where I had no choice but to run away. Am I missing something?’
At least, I didn’t miss anything in terms of ‘immortality’. Unless the curse was lifted, the monster was an existence that could not be killed no matter what.
“Huh…”
While he continued to worry, the fire finally engulfed the forest of thorns.
Tap, tap, tap…
More than 90% of the forest has turned to ashes.
Jin and the demons were sitting in front of the few thorn trees that they barely protected, listening to the futile sounds of the embers spreading nearby.
The open land was empty. The blackened round rocks stood indifferently while the ash was blown away by the intermittent wind.
[Miyaa…]
The monster who sat down let out a low cry.
“I’m sorry.”
Other than that, there was nothing else to say. It’s like they invaded out of nowhere and destroyed the nest, so even if the opponent is a monster, you can’t help but feel sorry for them.
I felt like my whole body was going to break from exhaustion.
A battle that lasted for over 40 hours and a fire suppression that lasted for over 24 hours. It was not a time that even the blessed body of Runcandel could handle casually.
[Mya.]
The monster quickly turned its head and exposed its sharp fangs.
But it wasn’t the momentum to run right away. As if the monster was also tired, he lowered his head and let out a sigh.
Jin approached the monster.
Then he patted the monster’s side. There was no way to comfort her, and even more words of sorry would be empty, so I couldn’t think of anything else.
“I came here after being tested by my father. From my point of view, I couldn’t refuse, so I ended up fighting you.”
Then the monster raised its claws.
Then, instead of attacking Jin, he started drawing something on the floor. The big claws of the monsters moved well and delicately, but it was drawn by five people.
‘I’m crazy good at drawing.’
A lightly dressed man holding a sword and four knights in black armor.
It was Shiron and the former Dark Knights. Chiron without armor was drawn the largest in the center, so it was easy to recognize.
“…Who is my father among them?”
[Mya.]
“In the middle.”
[Myaak!]
The monster nodded and trembled. Just thinking about Shiron was very frightening.
“Did your father hurt you?”
[Myong myong.]
The monster nodded.
“Okay. Even though your father cut you, did you survive without dying?”
[Mia.]
“…It’s a terrible curse. It’s worse than anything I’ve ever been through.”
I couldn’t even imagine. What would it be like to not be able to die even after being struck by Shiron’s sword, which has reached the point of completely ‘decomposing’ things?
Immortality is never a happy phenomenon. Especially if you are left alone in this terrible forest of thorns.
“I don’t know what your master was thinking when he put such a curse on you. Witch Helluram, is it true that she abandoned you?”
[Mia…]
That part was something I didn’t want to answer. At this point, Jin doubted whether this monster was indeed a monster. It feels more like a pet with an ego.
“Yeah, that’s over. Why didn’t you think of leaving? Didn’t your father approve?”
[Mya mya.]
The monster answered yes, but in reality there were more complicated circumstances.
When it first settled in this thorn forest, the monster did not know that it was cursed.
He didn’t even realize that he had been abandoned by Helluram.
So, after waiting for the master who never returned, the monster finally realized that Helluram would never return and that he was cursed with immortality.
From then on, it was a series of meaningless days. Feeling the loss of being abandoned by the owner, he never thought of leaving the forest, and he just hid himself in the familiarity of the forest.
In the midst of the time that was close to a thousand years passed, Shiron and the dark knights of the former generation searched for the monster.
As soon as they figured out that the monster was immortal, they started investigating, and as a result, they figured out that the monster was Helluram’s favorite cat.
Around that time, the monster had a desire to get out of this land for the first time.
It was because when he remembered the tremendous power of a human named Shiron, a fear worse than death weighed heavily on his entire body.
However, running away from Shiron was impossible. It was because he always showed up when I tried to get out of the Black Sea a little bit.
At that time, Shiron always said the same thing.
-One day my daughter will come to be your new master. wait until then
The monster couldn’t disobey that order. It was because I was more afraid of Shiron talking quietly than when Heluram, the owner who had abandoned him, shouted in anger.
All of this cannot be expressed through crying or drawing on the floor. That’s why the monster only answered yes.
“Hmm… I mean, the reason I couldn’t leave the forest was because of my father’s orders. Then I wonder if you could go out with me.”
[What?]
“He said there would be a reward for defeating you. I think that means the authority to take you out.”
The monster blinked his eyes for a while.
You’re a son, not a daughter. That’s what he meant, but Jin couldn’t understand.
“It’s not a lie.”
[Miyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaament]
“The forest has been burned down anyway, so there’s nowhere to go. It’s my fault, so if you go out, I’ll get you a new house. It’s so toxic here that we can’t bring people to restore the forest.”
[Miya!]
There is!
“where? Oh no way, that oyster earlier?”
While suppressing the fire, Jin found a cave in the deepest part of the thorn tree forest. It was a demon’s house.
The monster that jumped up began to move with strides.
“How are you going to be alone there? Even immortals don’t feel hunger, do they? That’s why they ate thorns. Is there any game nearby?”
I was genuinely worried. Because of Shiron’s influence, no other monsters came near this forest.
The monster didn’t answer and moved toward the den. Unable to do anything, Jin followed the monster for a long time.
And as soon as he arrived at the den, Jin was able to find a strange object. A bottle of liquor was placed in the deepest part of the cave. The liquor stood straight as if someone had just brought it.
That bottle was something that even monsters had never seen until yesterday.
‘A bottle of alcohol?’
Jin and the monster looked at each other and the bottle in turn.
“Why don’t you even notice?”
[Myaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa it]
Jin had no choice but to open his eyes when he saw the text on the back as he approached and lifted the bottle.
(Kawangju – Shiron Runkandel)
“Huh… It looks like your father brought it to you. come on look Father’s name is written on it. Oh, don’t you know how to read?”
Gawangju.
Jin had also heard about the mysterious drink a few times.
Sake brewed by the descendants of the fairies for a special person on a special day, a special moment.
When you drink it, the story the owner of the drink wants to convey spreads in your head like a song, and it is said that a wonderful tune comes out, so it was called Gawangju.
‘Perhaps he had something to convey to me.’
Pong.
I opened the lid without thinking. Then, using the lid as a glass, he filled it up and drank.
The song started when I drank three glasses. The beautiful voices of the descendants of the fairies who brewed wine were ringing in Jin’s ears.
A beast for Luna Runcandel, the eldest daughter of Shiron Runkandel… A
beast for Luna Runcandel, the first daughter of Shiron Runkandel…. As
the song started, I could see Shiron’s old self as if a memory came to mind. It felt similar to when I received the molars of Boras, King of Otou, but it was not as clear as that.
The song was so perfect that it felt like I could imagine the scene naturally.
The first thing we saw was the young Shiron visiting the descendants of the fairies and brewing them. Shiron was explaining something to the descendants of the fairies without losing his smile.
It looked like it was right after finding the monster, and the black knights standing next to them exchanged stories with each other, saying that Luna would like it.
Unlike these days, Shiron had a benevolent look.
It must be said that the face is different from that of an ordinary father who loves his children. To Jin, the image was more interesting than the words of the song.
‘Looks like you left this guy behind for Luna’s older sister and made the royal wine…’
Originally, it was Luna, not Jin, who had to drink this royal wine.
While listening to the song of the King of Kings, Jin was able to feel how much Shiron cared for Luna. It was only natural that the song was all about Shiron’s affection and expectations for Luna.
However, in the middle of a good tone to listen to, the song suddenly cut off.
The scene that came to mind was also a recent poetic theory, not a young poetic theory. He said this with a solemn expression.
Follow Jin.
It was a story told to a monster.
After being convinced that the ‘map’ would be handed over to Jin, Shiron took the royal wine he had brewed for Luna and looked for the descendants of the fairies again.
And he asked them to add a new line of lyrics to Gawangju.
Follow Jin, the added lyrics were now being recited by the descendants of the fairies, not Shiron.
Jin, lost in thought for a moment, filled his glass.
“You should drink too.”
When I carefully put my tongue on it, the same song that Jin heard was spreading in the monster’s head.
