IPDT 39

Crossing into the Eastern Continent, the empire’s enemy nation, was not as difficult as I had thought. No, it was beyond not being difficult. The people of the Eastern Continent welcomed us from the moment we reached the border.

“Black hair and black eyes, you must be the hero!”

“The hero has finally come.”

It was a little surprising to see the humans, who seemed moved just by facing Yul. The people of the empire didn’t seem to recognize the existence of a ‘hero’ very well, perhaps because they hadn’t yet felt the reality of the apocalypse, but the people of the Eastern Continent were different. Every single one of them had an anxious and desperate expression.

“You mentioned that the barbarians of the grasslands bordering us have been unusually quiet since the season changed. That’s because incidents like this have already been happening frequently beyond the border.”

It seemed that what Viviana had said was true. Looking at how they revered Yul as if he were a god proved it. Our Yul is pretty amazing, but he’s not a god. Yul, who seemed to be thinking something similar to me, fiercely furrowed his brow.

“Hero, we’ve already heard the news that you defeated the monsters beyond the border.”

“You truly are the hero who will save us!”

Thump. Someone pushed me and wedged themselves between Yul and me. Huh? And before I could even right myself, people began to swarm in and surround Yul.

When I came to my senses, I was quite a distance away from Yul. I blinked my eyes blankly, then raised my head to look at Yul.

Yul, who stood exceptionally tall among the teeming humans, was looking at me. It seemed he was also surprised at being suddenly separated from me. I smiled brightly and mouthed, ‘I’ll be there in a minute.’ Yul sharply averted his gaze. Is he embarrassed? My heart grew impatient, wanting to get closer to Yul.

“Hero, we have prepared a carriage, so please get in. We will escort you to our village.”

“Village?”

Just as I was about to push my way through the humans with a heart full of motivation, I heard something strange. They would escort him to a ‘village,’ not a domain? Is this a tribal nation without a feudal lord? No, that can’t be right.

“Hero, please hurry! Before the people from the other villages get here…!”

While I hesitated, one of the impatient humans reached a hand out to Yul. Hey, hey? My eyes went wide. You’ll get bitten if you touch him…? Before that thought could even finish, there was a slice, the sound of something being cut.

“Keuk.”

The human, who let out a single scream, collapsed limply to the ground. Yul shook the blood off his sword, which was vibrating with a hummm. Not a shred of guilt could be seen from Yul, who had just cut down a human. He spoke in a chilly voice amidst the humans who had fallen silent in an instant.

“Move.”

The humans, who had swarmed like moths flying into a flame, hesitantly stepped back to the sides. Step, step. Yul, who walked without any hindrance, came to a stop in front of me.

“The dragon’s location, where is it?”

“Why are you suddenly asking that?”

“Tell me.”

Yul grabbed me forcefully by the collar. I blinked my eyes as I looked at his face, which was now close. Yul was pretty even with his brow furrowed. Oops, this isn’t the time to be thinking this. I hurriedly collected myself and opened my mouth.

“Yul, you saw it too in the margrave’s domain. The dragon is on the northern iceberg.”

“And I’m supposed to believe that?”

“Yes. Because I’m the dragon’s familiar.”

The first lie is the hardest; as I kept doing it, the words just flowed out. Yul shut his mouth at my lie, which could now be considered perfect.

[I am the master’s familiar, so how can the master take my place……]

Fleabag, on the other hand, couldn’t keep his mouth shut. I placed a hand on my chest, where Fleabag was hiding. It was a signal for him to be quiet for a moment.

“If what you’re saying is true, then we just need to go north.”

“Yes!”

Yul said in a low voice, as if making a proclamation.

“Then let’s take a different route.”

“Huh?”

“I said let’s take a different route. Don’t make me say it twice.”

Slap! Yul let go of my collar and turned his back. Hey, hey? This won’t do. This Eastern Continent was where Igor had purchased the drugs. I had a duty to figure out how much chaos had spread here.

Besides, if we take a different route, I won’t be able to find out the identity of the person named ‘Lili…’ What should I do? Words that could hold back Yul, who wants to take a different route…!

“Wait, Yul! This is the shortest route, and you’re still going to take a different one?”

“…”

Yul’s steps stopped. Phew, I guess this was the right answer. While I felt relieved, it was also a bit bittersweet. How much must he hate me to want to find it so quickly? Does he still want to break my knees and ankles? I’ll have to ask about this later. For now, calming down the humans who must have been startled was the first priority.

“Hey, you know, the reason the hero swung his sword was…”

“Yes, we know. He must have swung his sword because that man deserved to die.”

“Huuh?”

I had stepped forward because I was worried the humans would blame Yul, but their reaction was a bit strange. He must have swung his sword because he deserved to die?

“Wasn’t that man one who was fated to become a monster?”

“The hero is truly amazing!”

“Hero!”

The humans began to praise Yul. Their attitude seemed to be completely unconcerned with the death of someone who had been from the same village. It felt as sickening as facing a group of fanatics.

[Master, the humans here are strange. They don’t seem to be in their right minds.]

[Yeah. I think so too.]

[Master, then we should avoid these humans and……]

[No. That’s precisely why we have to go.]

One of the humans praising Yul turned his gaze to me, as if he had just remembered.

“The person here is the hero’s companion, correct? We apologize for not recognizing you sooner. Now, please come with us.”

The humans who had been surrounding us cleared a path. Then, the carriage they had brought came into view. The wooden carriage looked old and worn.

[…Master, couldn’t you just use teleportation magic?]

I agreed. Wouldn’t it be better to just use teleportation magic than to put Yul in that carriage? But if I did that, Yul might be able to deduce my identity, so I’d have to endure it.

“Yul, should we get in?”

“…”

Yul boarded the carriage first without a word. I let out a deep sigh and followed him in.

The carriage was very, very uncomfortable. The seats were hard, and the ride was so terrible that you could feel every single stone jutting out from the road.

Inside the rattling carriage, I was contemplating my own great patience when I glanced at Yul, who was sitting in front of me. Yul had an indifferent expression, as if the shaking of the carriage didn’t bother him at all.

“Yul, you know. There’s something I want to ask… Do you still want to shatter the mas…ter’s knees and break his ankles, and things like that?”

Yul, who had been looking out the window, turned his head toward me.

“Why.”

“Huh?”

“Why are you asking that?”

“I’m asking because I’m curious, is that not allowed?”

Yul stared at me for a moment, then cast his gaze back out the window.

“Keep wondering.”

“Huh?”

I couldn’t believe what I’d just heard, so I blinked my eyes. Keep wondering? How can I keep wondering about that? This was a major concern, one that would rank within the top five of my long life.

“Are you really not going to tell me?”

“No.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re the dragon’s familiar.”

My pupils trembled. Does Yul hate not only the dragon but the dragon’s familiar as well? I thought Yul and I had gotten a little closer… Was it all my misunderstanding? The shock didn’t fade easily.

I was still in a daze, reeling from the shock, until someone opened the carriage door. I arrived at the village as if I’d been carried there.

“Welcome to our village, hero!”

The human who opened the carriage door said with a bright smile. At that, I snapped to my senses and frowned. It was because the scent of flowers permeated every corner of the village.

[Master, this smell is……]

It seemed Fleabag had smelled it too. I nodded my head and got out of the carriage.

[Yes. It’s the smell of the flower that only blooms at the end of the world.]

[It seems the world’s destruction may truly be coming.]

[That’s why I’m traveling with Yul, to stop it.]

The villager took the lead, saying he would guide us to the lodging where Yul and I would be staying. We followed after the human.

[But there’s something strange.]

[What is it?]

[When I met the humans alone at the border, there was no flower scent. That means the people of this village didn’t make and burn drugs like Igor. So why does the village smell so strongly? It’s as if the flowers are growing inside the village……]

I stopped walking while talking with Fleabag. The human leading the way had stopped dead in his tracks and was looking back at us.

“This is where the hero and his companion will be staying from now on!”

The human, smiling brightly, pointed to a very small house. To what extent? It was smaller than Fleabag’s room. At least it was clean, as if it were newly built, but…

“However, we didn’t expect the hero to have a companion, so there is only one room.”

“One?”

The human, who must have heard me, nodded his head with an embarrassed look.

“Yes. Our village’s circumstances are not plentiful, so we barely managed to build even this house.”

“No, what does it matter if there’s only one!”

Staying with Yul in a place smaller than Fleabag’s room would mean we’d inevitably have to be close. We’d share a bed, and eat together. Wouldn’t I be able to get a little closer to Yul then? My heart pounded.

“However, we did put in a spare bed just in case! You will share a room, but you can sleep separately, so please use it comfortably.”

“Why would you do such a thing…”

“Pardon?”

The human had good ears. I let my shoulders slump and shook my head.

“It’s nothing…”

The sun, which had begun to set around the time we arrived at the village, had completely disappeared by the time we entered our lodging. Yul, perhaps because he was tired, immediately claimed one of the beds and lay down as soon as night fell.

Yul’s bed was near the wall, and the remaining bed was pressed right up against the opposite wall. The distance was such that we couldn’t be close even if we tried.

I sat on the remaining bed and looked at the lump under the blanket. Even in the dark night, I could see Yul well with my eyes, but it seemed Yul didn’t even want to show his face, as he had pulled the blanket all the way over his head. I rested my cheek on my hugged knees and let out a deep sigh.

[Master, Kwon Yul is sleeping anyway, so isn’t it alright to just pull back the blanket and look?]