59. This Kid Is That Guy...?
59. This Kid Is That Guy...?
"...So you gave it away after all."
After one piece of baggage had vanished, the figure who had approached the Decayed Dragon, sitting amidst the neglected ruins, slowly began to reveal their presence.
Had she failed to notice earlier because the other party, like herself, had little lifespan remaining? Or had she simply grown too weak to sense such things?
"So, how does it feel? Entrusting the fate of an entire race to an otherworlder who wasn't even acknowledged as a Hero, someone with no power whatsoever."
A humiliation for a dragon, yet she made no move to shake him off. He was one of the few in this world who remembered that child despite the oncoming calamities and the flow of eras.
"...Tasian Failoy. A dragon who only came to possess a human-like lifespan at the very end of her life."
To her eyes, all humans looked the same regardless of name or appearance, yet she was making an effort to remember this insolent one at least.
If some brat came to her spouting arrogant sermons, she'd just remember that one as 'that brat.' That much, she would commit to memory.
"Why do you continue to uphold this meaningless contract?"
Yes. Just as a human cannot distinguish individual insects with the naked eye, humans with names and lives all looked the same to her. Even if she had killed countless numbers of them, she could never feel guilt or pity toward them.
"Do you not already know the answer within your own heart? If it were before she died, then perhaps, but to realize it after..."
"Hey, squirt."
Tachia Piloi.
Using the name she had given her adopted daughter on a whim as an alias wasn't out of sympathy or to mourn her death.
It was solely to fulfill the contract.
Because to a dragon, a contract was absolute. She simply believed that, of all people, she absolutely must not forget that brat.
"Are you humans the sort that abandon your own children without a second thought, leaving them for over a decade, just because you don't want to show your ugly side?"
She, still suppressing her own power, tried to define her heart in that way.
"......."
"...No matter how much you blather on about me being immature like that brat, in the end, all I see is you interpreting things however you like."
Even though she now lived within the same flow of time because her life was ending, nothing had truly changed.
For one who had lived through an eternity, the flow of fifty years spent crumbling away passed far more swiftly than what humans experienced.
"That damn woman obviously hated me in the end. So your pathetic appeal to sentiment, just to save your own kin, looks utterly ridiculous to me."
It was a life that should have ended as it waned.
Conversely, those fifty years as a lingering spirit, maintaining only consciousness, felt infinitely longer and more agonizing.
No matter how obvious the outcome, once things had started, she couldn't let them pass indifferently the way she had during her empty life.
"...Right. Even if I, a human, prattle on about understanding you, it would ultimately be nothing more than conjecture."
The old man, sympathizing with the Decayed Dragon, yet giving up on persuading her.
But he, too, remembered the nobility of the Hero, and so he couldn't set aside his attachment to the 'mother' she had risked her life to protect.
"Then, allow me one last question before I leave."
That was why, even as he turned to leave, he didn't depart immediately but looked back at her, alone and about to light her cigarette.
"Even if that young man dies, are you confident you won't regret it?"
"......."
No answer came.
A dragon who regarded humans as insignificant, remaining silent at a human's question. Did that silence signify affirmation, or did she simply deem it not worth answering?
"...I would regret it."
Her lips finally parted only after the old man, weary of waiting, had left.
Left alone, the dragon put a cigarette in her mouth, lit the tip, and spoke.
"And, to avoid regretting it more, I mustn't drag this out."
The moment the acrid smoke—made from burning weeds no different from poison—stung her lungs, she tried in that small way to forget the turmoil in her chest. Yet still, someone's name lingered in her heart.
"Still, don't worry, little one."
Woo Hyosung.
A name etching itself deeper into her heart than even the adopted daughter she used an alias to avoid forgetting.
"At least as long as you live, there's no chance of humanity being destroyed."
The bitter murmur she uttered as she thought of that name scattered with the acrid smoke, vanishing into the wind.
The moment the time of destruction arrives, as if asserting that the one person bearing that fate would not witness that destruction and fall into despair.
****
After leaving Tachia's workshop, I spent some time inspecting my equipment before following Airi's prophecy.
The first thing I checked was, naturally, the armor—my initial objective. The overall black-hued armor showed overwhelmingly superior performance compared to my previous set, not just in durability but in weight and comfort.
Even the joints were crafted by weaving tough sinew into the protective gear, protecting them better than most standard joint guards while still allowing free movement. But what was even more surprising was that this armor also possessed special functions akin to magical equipment.
'That equipment won't need individual repairs unless it's severely damaged. The armor itself has a degree of regenerative power.'
'The armor has... regenerative power?'
'Well, it's enough to erase minor scratches and save on repair costs. But since accumulated small wounds increase the risk of collapse, it's the ultimate feature for adventurers who get knocked around a lot.'
As she'd said, for an adventurer scraping by, any way to save money was welcome. Overall, this stuff was top-spec adventurer equipment. Still, despite the undeserved privilege, one point of dissatisfaction remained.
'It's a shame. If it had a core, the regenerative power could have been increased significantly.'
...Yeah, right. Let's just skip this part.
Worrying about things I can't change is bad for my mental health.
"Next is this one."
I immediately shifted my attention from the armor and checked the dagger sheathed at my waist.
Something I'd luckily snatched from some idiot on the road. It had a powerful function: it secreted poison in response to the user's magical power. Without magical power, though, it was just a sharp dagger—making it little more than a backup weapon for now.
Still, just in case, I consulted Tachia about it. But all I got back from her was a cold response...
'If it had a core, that would have supplemented the magical power for it. Too bad.'
"Argh, that damn core, seriously..."
I got way more than generous compensation by my standards, so why did this piss me off so much? I almost wished I'd never learned its value. But staying ignorant would mean I'd keep getting stabbed in the back, eyes wide open, over and over. Pretending you don't know something is exactly how you keep getting scammed.
Above all, Airi's prophecy said the chance to reclaim the core would come soon anyway. So for now, let's just chalk it up as a cheap lesson learned and move on.
-Bwooong, bwoong.
Just as I was about to step into the guild, following that prophecy, I felt a vibration coming from behind me.
When I turned my gaze backward, I saw the spear strapped to my back trembling of its own accord.
The mithril Ego Weapon.
As Airi's prophecy stated, it was an item Tachia had completely transferred ownership of to me.
-Bwoong, bwoong.
Since leaving Tachia's side, this weapon had been continuously vibrating. Was it because my ability was affecting it?
"...Are you perhaps happy to see me again?"
-Bwooong~
The mana flow producing the vibration felt smoother than rough.
It felt so familiar, like a phone vibration, that I burst out laughing before I knew it.
"Yeah, partner. Let's work well together from now on."
Anyway, this thing is completely mine now, so it's fine to build this level of rapport.
I had no idea what would happen later, but since it was fine for now, I turned away, concealed my face with the mask, and immediately stepped into the guild.
'Please... live on, carrying this weapon. For my sake.'
Though I couldn't know the reason.
I believed that surviving as long as possible with this spear was how I could repay the favor I owed her.
***
-Chatter, chatter
The adventurer tavern I found myself in, following the prophecy, was as noisy as ever.
I found an empty spot, sat down, ordered from a passing server, and then spent some time re-reading the notes Airi had given me.
[When you go to receive the armor, that person will make you an offer regarding a weapon you hold lingering attachment to.]
[Whatever reason follows, absolutely accept her offer. Blocking the dangers you will face starts with securing that weapon.]
I had succeeded in equipping myself as written in the first note, but I couldn't relax yet. Her prophecy stated that this, too, was merely 'preparation' to evade future dangers. For this preparation to have meaning, I would need to follow what was written in the next note.
[By the time you read this note, you should have entered the guild tavern. Observe the situation there for a moment. If a Hero looking for party members approaches you, accept her proposal.]
[Being with her will not only help you avoid several life-threatening dangers in future adventures but will also provide a path leading to an opportunity to obtain the 'core' that Hyosung-ssi failed to get his hands on.]
"Your order is here~"
The moment the server set the food on the table, I took a bite of a side dish and felt my brows gradually furrow the further I read.
Forming a party with a Hero, huh...
It's true that Heroes have negative perceptions attached, but their abilities are so unparalleled that it's worth enduring their wrecked personalities. From an adventurer's standpoint, sticking with a Hero is the most beneficial option, both in terms of reward and safety.
What bothered me was whether a Hero would even party up with me, given my reputation as the Hero Killer, and the part about obtaining the core by forming a party...
Don't tell me the core that was stolen from the guild ended up in the hands of the Hero mentioned in this letter?
"E-excuse me. Is there anyone here who would party up with me?"
As I was mulling over the letter's contents, a faint voice reached my ears.
I tucked the letter into my chest and immediately turned my head toward the source of the sound.
A cloaked girl was striding alone through the noisy tavern interior.
Her light pink hair tied into twin tails gave her a youthful impression that clashed with the rough adventurers around her. But the only replies she got were fierce glares and sharp voices.
"Uh, no one? Excuse me..."
"Stop blocking the way and move."
"Eek, I'm sorry!!"
A girl who flinched and shrank back at a single word.
Yet, seeing her not give up and continue asking people to recruit her for a party was pitiful. But strangely, none of the adventurers around showed her any sympathy. It didn't take long to figure out why.
"Hey, look over there. It's a Failed Hero. A Failed Hero."
"Wow, she came here to find a party looking like that? Just how thick-skinned is she?"
...So that's what it was. She's a Hero.
She sure looked young, but at a glance her equipment seemed valuable. Hard to acquire gear like that without some noble's patronage. Yet her demeanor and atmosphere were on a completely different level from the other Heroes I'd seen so far.
Usually, when those guys came to a tavern to recruit a party, they'd start by beating up a person or two or pulling all sorts of power trips, like forcing people to carry their luggage.
"Ah, um..."
Just as that doubt crossed my mind, the girl Hero's gaze landed on me.
Having just emptied my cup, I quietly covered my face with the mask in case she recognized me and caused a commotion... Huh? Wait.
This kid looks kind of familiar?
"Excuse me, well, um..."
But perhaps because I covered my face with the mask, the girl Hero ultimately didn't recognize me.
Then, she lifted a hand hidden beneath her cloak, covered her mouth, and carefully asked me.
"...O-oppa?"
"Pfft!"
A violent breath burst out from under my mask.
My throat constricted at her remark; the saliva I'd just swallowed went down the wrong way, making me choke.
"Are you okay!?"
"...I-I'm fine. Cough."
Thanks to that, the inside of my mask was a mess. But if I took it off here, I'd have to completely reveal my identity to this kid.
"Y-yeah. I'm fine, so... if you have business with me, go ahead."
"Ah, yes, then..."
Having barely regained my composure, I steadied my breathing and stared intently at the girl's face again.
Most likely, this was the Hero from Airi's prophecy—the one who would help preserve my life and provide the opportunity to reclaim the core extorted by the guild.
And also the rookie Hero who confronted me back when I faced Marilyn.
"Um, oppa..."
"If it's okay... could you please join my party?"
......No. I mean, what.
So this kid is the same person as that brat who picked a fight with Marilyn?