Darkness (2)
“I see.”
Allen, lips sealed, ran his tongue along the inside of his cheek. His expression blank in a way it never had been before, he began to move. I took a single step after him.
In that instant, the world flipped upside down.
We had clearly been inside the barrier, yet the next step landed in snow. Snowflakes settled on my shoulders, and a sharp wind lashed my cheek.
Had space folded?
Or had the ground rushed toward us?
Whatever the case, we had been expelled beyond the barrier.
“Impressive as always, Professor.”
Clap clap clap. Allen applauded. Even the wrinkles on his face were different from usual.
“Perhaps not getting caught was my own greed after all.”
I stared at this utterly alien Allen. Yet my instincts insisted that even this version was a mask.
What, was he an onion or something?
I spoke.
“You’re right. It was your greed.”
“……”
In that moment, the snowy ground whooshed into flames.
The killing intent he was unconsciously emanating now, combined with the aura of malice rippling around him—even conservatively assessed, it marked him as a master at minimum.
Even at full power, I couldn’t so much as scratch a bone fragment against him.
It was pure instinct. This guy was specialized in killing itself.
“Still. Don’t pay me too much mind.”
Allen said. His eyes darkened.
“This week anyway……”
At that moment, a pack of beasts burst from the ground.
Kerrrruk—kerrrruk—
Creatures with glaring blue eyes: winter shades. Tricky mana beasts resembling hyenas.
Allen glanced their way. Just once.
Crunch—!
Instantly, their bodies twisted.
Grind grind grind grind—!
A grotesque sound. The winter shades’ bones and flesh contorted and crumpled. Like being caught in a black hole, they devolved into formless bloody mush.
“……I was planning to go out as a casualty this week. Looks like it’ll be today instead. You probably didn’t care about trash like me anyway……”
Allen fidgeted his toes in the snow. Then he approached me, face set hard.
One step, two steps. Those footfalls carried immense weight.
A terrifyingly natural suppression, transcending mere skill.
“Professor. Altiegue is watching you.”
Allen stood on tiptoe right before my nose. His upward gaze nearly brushed my lips.
“And I’ll always be watching you too. Consider this a warning.”
Allen spoke matter-of-factly, and the tension in my body slowly eased. Probably thanks to the Iron Man trait’s resistance.
“When my clan’s patience reaches its limit, I’ll kill you without hesitation. So……”
Allen stared straight at me. Not the shy, innocent boy from before.
“……take care of yourself.”
The words didn’t match his prior tone.
I didn’t bother seeking his death flag. I just asked what had been on my mind.
“Were you by my side solely to spy?”
“……Yeees. Of course. I never thought I’d go undetected forever, but… how long ago did you know? Was it the tip-off?”
His question was frustrating. I shook my head.
“From beginning to end, you never knew me at all.”
“……From beginning to end?”
Allen pouted slightly.
“Really…? I’d have been satisfied with even one or two insights. What a shame……”
Looking at the muttering Allen, I recalled the past.
When had I realized his true nature?
It was quite a while ago, but the moment I confirmed his difference was crystal clear.
“The train to Verhert. That’s when.”
“……?”
Allen’s face registered surprise. Even his now-wide eyes were unlike his usual self.
“From that train……on?”
“Indeed.”
“But why……”
Too early, perhaps? Allen bowed his head. After a moment’s silence, he flashed a small smile.
“……I see. Well, thanks to you, Professor, it was fun. An honor to serve with Count Yukline, shall we say?”
As Allen beamed.
I spotted the tiniest opening. My fingers moved into it.
“A chance to experience being part of history with the Professor……”
With thrust from thumb and index finger……I flicked his forehead.
Thwack—!
A crisp hit. Allen, who’d been grinning vacantly, stumbled back.
One leg buckled; flustered, he rubbed his forehead with his hand. A red bump was rising above it.
“Wha……?”
He stared at me blankly.
A face saying he had no idea why I’d hit him, demanding an explanation. Betrayed by the world.
I said,
“Punishment for deceiving your superior. Take it sweetly.”
“……”
Allen stood there, dazed.
For a long while. His robe fluttering in the winter wind.
Pfft.
Soon, he twisted his lips into a smile.
“……Yeees.”
I nodded. Then walked toward the barrier. No more words seemed necessary.
For someone leaving from the start, there’d be no catching him anyway.
“Professor.”
But Allen called me back.
I turned. He wore a faint smile.
“Take careee.”
“……”
Then, snowflakes settled on my shoulder. The swirling wind mixed in pure white crystals.
I called the name that wasn’t his real one.
“Allen.”
“……Yees?”
“You wouldn’t know, but on this continent, there are few who make me feel like myself.”
Deculein would have left right then.
Satisfied, without lingering, free of the death flag called Allen.
“And you’re one of them.”
But I’m not Deculein.
I’m still Kim Woojin, and the people who make me feel that are definitely here in this world.
“It wasn’t you pretending. It is you. Even if you leave, that won’t change.”
Allen said nothing. He just gazed at me with deer-like round eyes.
“So, Allen.”
“……”
Allen nodded. I asked,
“Did you learn much in all this time?”
Allen nodded. I asked again,
“Was life as a teaching assistant enjoyable?”
Allen nodded. I lightly placed my hand on his crown—then withdrew it.
“Then, good work.”
“……”
Allen’s pupils trembled. I continued with the words I’d wanted to say all along.
“It was you who saved me from Veron, wasn’t it, Allen?”
He quickly bowed his head. I couldn’t see his face.
“Abandoning the one who saved my life wouldn’t suit Yukline’s dignity. Whether you were a spy monitoring me, an assassin biding your time, or even from Altiegue—it doesn’t matter, Allen. I’m just grateful.”
“……No.”
Then Allen shook his head. Shake shake—shake shake— not once, but repeatedly.
Even now, denying his own achievements?
“Eli.”
“……”
My expression hardened in an instant. My heart chilled.
Fortunately, Allen was looking at the ground.
“My name is Eli.”
A soft murmur. Under the unobscured night sky, a shy drifting tone.
I calmly repeated her name.
“Eli.”
“Yees. Eli.”
“I’ll remember.”
“……Yees. Don’t forget.”
With that, Eli pushed my back. Her palm pressed firmly. I was flung forward a couple steps and turned.
“Then, farewell.”
One step from Eli, and she vanished. Probably teleported far away in an instant.
“Eli……”
The field she left was empty.
It didn’t bother me much. I’d known she’d leave someday.
I simply looked up at the sky in silence.
Swirling swirling…… Dark snow fell. It drifted late, settling on my shoulders.
I looked down at my gloved hand. The sensation of that flick still lingered vividly.
“……Eli.”
Eli.
A named character I knew.
With a tragic past and overwhelming resume—the continent’s strongest in the assassin category, by honest measure. A monster even among Altiegue, particularly powerful.
And her most overwhelming trait: possessor of Space and Perception.
Such a one had been cleaning up after me.
“Who the hell did I just flick……”
I could only laugh in disbelief.
Rohalak isn’t as harsh as you think. Professor Deculein is keeping his promise to me. There probably won’t be gas chambers here, and we’re preparing for winter alongside Hadekan’s forces. We even have friends we joke around with. Of course, we keep lines and decorum, but I think we can get closer like this.
Tears come a bit as I write, but it’s not a lie. I’m happy here.
So, Yuria—no, Lilia Premien. Hold back Elesol. If the Professor vanishes from this world, we really won’t be able to turn back.
The Professor is like a torch. Illuminating the darkness of the future to come……
No more space, so I’ll end here.
P.S. Please burn this letter right after reading. Never share its contents. Not even with the clan. You know there are many Altar spies among us, right?
……To hunt tigers, special metals and ammunition are needed.
The metal is black sand iron; ammo materials include unicorn horn powder, bloa queen bee venom, and more.
Hard-to-obtain ingredients, so even if the recipe’s public, mass production’s impossible—and improper mixing leads to high failure rates.
Even in the game.
Thus, I plan to properly use synthesis magic, Understanding, and Aesthetic Sense.
First, melt the black sand iron with ultra-high heat smelting. No need for a mold—telekinesis suffices. Shape molten metal into revolver-compatible bullets—
“……Won’t that tiny thing be insufficient?”
An adorable voice interrupted. I calmly looked up. I’d been through this too many times.
An uninvited guest perched on the Yukline mansion’s windowsill.
“……”
Seeing her face, I gritted my teeth. It happened naturally.
“Professor. You see, that revolver’s not as good as……”
A face reminiscent of an old Earth connection. Uncannily like Yuarra: Lia, by name.
Gripping the wood-steel, I approached her.
“W-wait just a sec. Wait. Hear me out fir—”
Whiiiiiish—!
“Eek!”
Several wood-steel blades halted at the girl’s face. Perfect encirclement, no gaps.
“Uuu……?”
The girl shivered like a penguin. Eyes opening to nothing amiss, she spotted the blades inches away and yelped louder.
“Waaah!”
To the cowering child, I asked,
“You. Desperate to die?”
“……N-no. Nooo. I just……”
Lia hesitated, tapping something on her back. A glance: a rifle bound to a long strap.
I checked its info.
Treasure ⊃ Special Affinity
Rifle crafted solely for tiger hunting in the archipelago.
Deals especially lethal damage to tigers.
Special Effect: Bullets fired pierce and slowly destroy tiger hide and muscle tissue.
Tiger Binding Rifle. Excellent for tiger hunting.
A treasure I couldn’t obtain no matter the adventurers hired or auctions scoured—out of stock.
“Using this’ll make tiger hunting easier. So come hunt with us…… Ah, not Karos. Just Ganesha, us.”
“……”
“……What do you say?”
I glared. Telekinesis reclaimed the rifle. Whirl— into my grasp.
“Too dangerous for a child like you.”
“……Eh? Child……?”
“I’ll use it well.”
Click— Opened the chamber, checked inside. Calculated bullet space.
“Nooo. I came to fight toooo. We wanna help with the tiger hunt, pleeee—”
The girl’s speech lisped suddenly, but bang—! I shut the window.
“Tiger Binding Rifle, huh……”
I fiddled with its sleek barrel, applied Midas’ Hand level 4. Nodded in satisfaction at the added special effect.
“……This should suffice.”
With proper ammo, even a great tiger was winnable.
Thud thud—thud thud—
Heyyy—heyyy—that’s our hard-earned treasureee—
Thud thud—thud thud—
If not hunting together, give it baaaack—gonna call the cops—
The girl knocked outside with a scammed expression, but I drew the curtains.
Too burdensome and uncomfortable to look at for long.