IPDT 14

I waved my hand, stopping Lauren mid-sentence. What was with the long preamble?

“So what is it you’re trying to say right now.”

“A messenger who was staying in the human world has delivered a dispatch. An oracle has been given.”

“An oracle?”

“Yes, we were unable to learn the full details, but… it seemed to be an oracle related to the destruction of the world.”

Lauren’s following words were quite surprising. The ‘destruction’ of the world? As the one who maintains the world’s balance, those were words that ‘should’ make me feel a sense of crisis. But I didn’t feel anything in particular. I didn’t even feel a sense of crisis from that indifference.

“They say the temple is secretly searching for a human with ‘black hair and black eyes.’”

“What?”

“They said that person will become the hero who will save the world.”

However, the words that followed were enough to make me jump out of my skin. The human who will become the hero has black hair and black eyes? Anyone could see that this was… Yul.

“Why are you telling me this now!”

“I apologize. I too have only just received the news…”

Lauren bowed his head in apology. I stood there blankly, then, unable to stay still, I began to pace in circles.

“An oracle, you said an oracle.”

An oracle, a way for a god to assert its will through a human medium or to answer a human’s question. Living for a long time, I had occasionally seen gods deliver oracles.

But I had never looked into the details of an oracle’s content before. It wasn’t so much that I wasn’t interested, but more accurately, I ‘could not see’ them.

I was a being that maintained the balance of the world. What if someone like me were to peek at an oracle containing a prophecy? The scale that maintained the world’s balance could tip to one side.

That’s why I couldn’t read oracles. I had never resented it or considered it unfair before… but it was different when it came to Yul. Yul becoming a hero? And a hero who would prevent the world’s destruction, at that? When Yul is this fragile?

“Are you sure they’re looking for a ‘human with black hair and black eyes’? Are you certain?”

“According to the report, yes.”

I sighed and swept my hair back. I didn’t want to believe it at all.

If I search the human world thoroughly, might there not be another human with black hair and black eyes besides Yul? While I was writhing in boredom, a mutation could have occurred, and there could be many such humans now. Can I be sure that the human the oracle points to is Yul? As I tried my best to think positively, Lauren spoke to me.

“Balancer, I know this is presumptuous of me, but there is one more thing I would like to say. The human’s behavior in attacking the elf was overly sensitive, more than just being frightened…”

“…Why did you stop talk—Uht?”

Someone hugged my waist from behind. I turned my head to see Yul hugging me, his face buried deep in my back. It seemed he had already woken up because I had cast the spell weakly.

“I believe it would be better to discuss this matter at a later time.”

“Yeah.”

It wasn’t a conversation to be had with Yul awake. Not about an oracle hinting at the world’s destruction, nor about the rumor that the church was looking for a ‘human with black hair and black eyes.’

Click. After the door closed, I looked back at Yul. Yul was still hugging me and wouldn’t let go. I gently stroked Yul’s hair.

“Yul, is something wrong?”

“…Don’t like him.”

“What?”

Yul’s gaze fell on the door. The only one who just left through that door was Lauren, so was he saying he didn’t like him?

“You mean Lauren?”

Yul stubbornly kept his lips sealed and didn’t answer. Hmm, so he doesn’t like him.

“Didn’t you like him?”

“No.”

“Why? He’s pretty.”

“…”

Yul’s eyes trembled. He seemed both flustered and anxious. I could feel the strength in the hand gripping my clothes. It was enough to make the fabric wrinkle.

As I was debating whether to stop him or just let it be, a more important issue came to mind. Yul’s palm! I didn’t see the hand that was torn from gripping the arrowhead, did I? How could I have forgotten this?

“Yul, doesn’t your palm hurt? Can’t you show me?”

As I tried to pull Yul’s hand away in a fret, Yul looked up at me quietly.

Yul, now is not the time to look at my face. It’s time to show me your hand! I was so anxious, should I just force his hand open? Just as I was thinking that, Yul leisurely opened his hand. An ugly, torn wound in the center of his palm was revealed.

“Again… I said I would make sure you don’t get hurt anymore.”

Was I such an incompetent dragon? I felt a sense of self-loathing. As I just held Yul’s hand gloomily, Yul let out a weak voice.

“It hurts, Illy.”

“Where? Does the wound hurt? Is it because I’m touching it?”

“It hurts because it’s wounded.”

Thankfully, it didn’t seem to hurt because I was touching it. Phew. I let out a sigh and crouched down in front of Yul. Yul gets hurt so easily and is so defenseless… What on earth is going to destroy the world that Yul has to become a hero?

No, that’s not it. I don’t know yet. Surely Yul can’t be the only human with black hair and black eyes? Of course, I did take an interest in him because it seemed like he was the only one, but I don’t know yet, do I?

I looked painfully at the torn wound, then lifted my eyes. What should I do if Yul is the real hero? I don’t want to let him go.

“Don’t be hurt, Yul.”

Yul lowered his head and buried it in my shoulder. Then, with his remaining arm, he hugged my back. Yul’s arm, filled with strength, was pitiful. I gently bumped my head against Yul’s as he leaned on me.

A hero, the destruction of the world… Why did such an oracle have to come down right after Yul arrived? My head was a mess, and my heart was in turmoil.

At dawn, while Yul was asleep, I decided to talk to Fleabag for the first time in a while. I opened the mental channel I had blocked because he was too noisy.

「Master!」

The moment the channel opened, Fleabag’s voice whined inside my head. Ugh, so loud. My brow furrowed on its own.

「How could you not send word to me even once until now! This is too much. This Fleabag was so worried about Master’s well-being that I could not sleep a single night properly…」

「Enough!」

When I shouted inwardly, Fleabag abruptly stopped talking.

「You’re making my head ring.」

「I apologize. It is just that it has been a long time since I have been in contact with you, Master.」

「I get it, I get it. I know you’re happy to see me. But Fleabag, that’s not what’s important. I have a favor to ask you.」

「Yes. Give me your command.」

Fleabag answered in a solemn tone. Mm, good. This loyalty that makes it seem like he’ll find anything I ask for. For the first time in a while, Fleabag truly felt like my familiar.

「Find a human with black hair and black eyes.」

「…Is he not beside you, Master? That human named ‘Kwon Yul.’」

「I mean a different human besides Yul.」

Fleabag paused for a moment. He seemed to be choosing his words. After a long silence, Fleabag muttered in a cautious voice.

「Master, Kwon Yul is probably the only human with black hair and black eyes.」

「It’s ‘probably.’ Are you certain? What if you’re wrong?」

「B-But! There is no way another human like that exists besides Kwon Yul…!」

「Look for one anyway.」

Phew, I let out a sigh. I know, too, that it’s unlikely there’s another human with both black hair and black eyes. I gently stroked the sleeping Yul’s eyelids.

「Whether you find one or not, I won’t blame you.」

Nevertheless, the reason I gave Fleabag the order was for the one-in-a-million chance, and to prepare myself mentally.

I really don’t want to let Yul go, but… if Yul is truly the protagonist of the oracle, then I ought to do so. Because I am the great Balancer who maintains the balance of the world.

“Yul, what’s wrong?”

“…”

Yul, who woke up in the morning, kept his mouth shut with a stiff expression. His attitude of stubbornly not meeting my eyes seemed to contain a note of protest. My brow furrowed slightly.

“Are you really…”

Haah. I let out a sigh and looked at the dishes placed in front of Yul.

“Not going to eat?”

“…”

“You have to eat for your wound to heal quickly. Just one bite, okay?”

I picked up the fork and placed it in Yul’s hand. Yul obediently took the fork, but that was all. He didn’t reach for the food and just kept his eyes quietly lowered. I bit my lip and looked back and forth between Yul and the table setting.

“Why won’t you eat? As I thought, the food is the problem, because it’s nothing but grass…!”

This won’t do. I have to go get some meat side dishes. Just as I thought that and shot up from my seat, Yul snatched my wrist.