Chapter 41
Chapter 41
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter Title: Rain of Goblins
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People enjoying the climax of the fireworks while gazing at the sky began murmuring as they spotted hundreds of tiny dots appearing amid the bursts.
A few seconds later, those small specks gradually grew larger, revealing their true nature.
"...What the hell is that."
Goblins were descending from the sky.
They flailed their limbs, trying to find their balance, but it was all in vain—their heads kept pointing downward as they plummeted through the air.
The sky was blanketed in goblins, wriggling upside down like insects caught in a spiderweb.
It might sound comical described in words, but the sight before their eyes was anything but funny.
――Kyaaak!!
People screamed. With nowhere to hide in the wide-open amusement park plaza, they could only shriek as they watched the goblins fall.
One might wonder why panic over mere goblins, but there were hundreds of them—hundreds plummeting from the sky. A single unlucky collision could cost lives. Self-destructing fanatics who threw away their own lives without a second thought were always a threat.
Paat! Han U-sol thrust his hand toward the sky, palm open. A barrier enveloped the entire plaza.
The goblins smashed headfirst into the barrier. Kwajik—something burst open. Screams from women and children rang out alongside it.
Kwajik. Kwajik. Kwajik. The bursting sounds multiplied, echoing endlessly. Greens, reds, and whites splattered across the barrier's surface.
"Ugh, fuck."
A curse slipped out unbidden.
What the hell was this gory, grotesque mess? Betty's doing? She'd said three upper-rank magic beasts—why were goblins raining down like this? It was absurd.
Unable to stomach the horrific scene any longer, I turned to Han U-sol.
"What's with this barrier?"
"...Fruits of training."
"You had a power like this?"
"Yeah."
I nodded without suspicion. The guy who enchanted weapons probably wouldn't have trouble with something like this.
Come to think of it, when I'd jumped at the big firework boom, Han U-sol's single gesture had instantly silenced the surroundings. He'd put up a soundproof barrier around me. That's why I couldn't hear what Betty and he talked about.
"What'd you and Betty talk about?"
"...Nothing much. She just admitted she was a traitor."
"......"
[All of them are magic beasts I summoned with the Summon Stone.]
Kwajik.
[The chimeras in Sector C? That was me too.]
Kwajik. The goblins kept smashing into the barrier, pulverized.
The sounds kept coming.
A man's voice soothing his terrified, crying lover.
The huddled trembling of friends gathered together.
A child's sobs in their parents' arms.
[Anis, come with me.]
Kwajik.
Ah.
This was the worst.
Amusement parks.
Never coming back.
"...Anis."
Hundreds of goblins lay splattered across the ground like bugs smashed against a windshield. Exposed bones and flesh weren't a pretty sight.
Low-rank heroes arrived late to clean up. ...Fucking useless tax thieves.
After mentally cursing the innocent heroes, I turned back to Han U-sol.
"What."
A curt reply slipped out. I wasn't in a good mood. What happened at the amusement park today might scar me for life.
Betty's bright smile flashed through my mind.
The serene lake surface ripples violently. Betrayal. Kinship. Unease and anxiety. A storm of emotions churned atop the water.
"...Let's head back. I'll walk you."
Han U-sol said little on the way. Neither did I.
I got back to the dorm and flopped onto my bed.
Why had Betty summoned goblins, anyway? Were the three upper-rank magic beasts a lie? Or had she gone soft with sentiment and dropped a goblin drift instead?
No, it felt too half-assed for mercy. That goblin meteor was plenty threatening. Without Han U-sol's barrier, plenty of people would've died.
Maybe it was just a mistake. Betty seemed the type.
"Haa..."
I draped my arm over my eyes and sighed. My phone buzzed.
'...Did I set it to vibrate?'
I checked my phone.
[Acamedy Academy has been updated.]
I dove right into reading the novel.
In the story, just as Betty said, three upper-rank magic beasts overran the amusement park.
"......"
I scrolled to the end, read it all, then blankly turned off my phone.
Unlike the novel where tons of people died, no one did in reality. Should've been cause for joy.
But for some reason, I didn't feel all that happy.
I pulled the covers over my head. Darkness and silence enveloped me.
As they settled in, the knocking at the door turned to hallucination. Betty's voice echoed in my head.
[Wipe it all out and start over. From the beginning.]
Ah. I see.
I realized why I'd empathized with Betty's hatred for the world but couldn't take her hand.
Betty and I were alike, so we understood each other.
But we stood in different places.
I hated the world too.
Why was I the only one suffering? Why wouldn't anyone help? I'd cursed it all and shut myself away.
Holed up in my corner, I'd even wished the world would just end. No different from Betty.
But unlike her, I'd started over in a new body, a new world.
From the beginning.
I'd wiped the old world clean and begun anew.
That was the difference between me and Betty. I'd already achieved what she wanted.
In this world.
If I started over from scratch, maybe I could become a hero who saves people.
This life, someone had caught me when I fell.
Cowardly, selfish me didn't want to give that up.
That's why I'd risked my life.
Or so I'd thought.
[No, that can't be right.]
Betty's words wormed into my head.
I wavered.
Wavered again.
The old doubts were about whether I could be a hero, if I suited the role.
But now, the foundations themselves shook.
Why did I want to be a hero?
Even so, could I desperately save people like that?
Fearful, whiny me. Until recently, I'd lived safe in a modern world without life-or-death fights. Could I really hurl myself into magic beasts without a second thought?
The dream of saving those in peril was just a childish whim from my naive youth, quickly crushed by my father—a fleeting fancy. I'd spent more time hating the world than idolizing heroes.
Even starting a new life, was it natural to suddenly chase childhood dreams and aim for hero?
[Is that really your will?]
I didn't know.
Thoughts tangled endlessly.
But receiving thanks from those I'd saved felt good.
The goodwill from people.
The smile of the kid I'd rescued.
Even the mother's flustered attempts to rein in her wild child.
All of it felt good.
I poked my head out from under the covers.
I wanted to save people.
I wanted to be a hero.
I didn't want to give it up.
That's why I'd risked my life—or so I wanted to believe.
Sorry, Betty.
I understand and empathize with you, but I can't join you.
I'm afraid of this everyday happiness shattering.
I closed my eyes. Consciousness faded into sleep.
[Pray to the god, devotee of Anis.]
Oh. This bastard's at it again.
Kahatiel sat in his chair. The late spring breeze blowing into the rundown temple felt cool.
To the fidgeting Betty wringing her hands, Kahatiel said,
"...Right. Goblins. Goblins... That could happen."
"Hehe, sorry..."
Kahatiel let out a small sigh, but he didn't seem upset.
"Should I go summon more?"
"No, it's fine. Your cover's blown, so stay out of the city and lay low for a bit."
"There's nothing to do here, it's empty..."
"Get some sleep then."
"Eek."
Betty grumbled softly. Her usual bubbly tone had sunk somewhere.
"You look down."
"...A little."
"I see."
Kahatiel rested his chin, lost in thought.
'A human taught by Yeriel.'
Yeriel had never taught a human before.
According to Betty, his name was Heuk U-sol or something. What kind of name was that? But after living eons, he'd seen weirder, so he just accepted it.
A human taught by Yeriel. Strange.
The Yeriel he knew wasn't the teaching type.
Was it that urgent? Or did that human have something special?
Or both.
That Heuk U-sol guy had deployed a barrier to stop the goblins, she'd said. That nagged at him.
"Betty."
"Yes?"
"Tell me more about that Heuk U-sol boy."
"Um... He's a disciple of an angel named Yeriel, handsome, has white hair like mine, total pushover..."
Betty listed Han U-sol's traits one by one.
"And his power... Weapon Creation, was it?"
"Hm? Then what was that barrier blocking the goblins?"
"Huh? You're right. What was it?"
"Ah. I see."
Betty tilted her head at Kahatiel, who nodded as if it all clicked.
Tok. Tok. Kahatiel closed his eyes, tapping the chair's armrest with his fingers, piecing the puzzle together.
Weapon Creation and barriers.
A human using powers like Auriel's old Guardian Authority.
And for some reason, Yeriel teaching that human.
And.
The humans' oddly defensive stance protecting the city's barrier for years now.
He'd wondered why they hunkered like turtles—now it made sense.
Kahatiel opened his eyes.
Ah.
Of course.
Auriel.
Dead?
Kahatiel's lips curled up.