Chapter 260: Going Home… (2)
Chapter 260: Going Home… (2)
Of course, I didn't let Ronia in.
"Ah, greetings. Lee Ha-ram, as I mentioned a moment ago—"
"Hold on."
I thrust my hand out to silence the one I presumed to be Ronia.
I poked my head out and scanned the hallway from left to right. From one end to the other, the long corridor showed nothing out of the ordinary.
Only then did I pull my head back in and speak.
"What business do you have here?"
I packed my voice with enough irritation to signal that if it wasn't important, they should get lost.
Ronia seemed to realize their mistake. A slight shadow crossed their face as they spoke.
"First… I wish to apologize for how things turned out. Also, I felt I should inform you of the trouble my other half caused and the reasons behind it. That is why I have come to see you."
"Right, apology accepted. I don't need the rest. Now, goodbye."
I didn't want to see their face; I just wanted us to go our separate ways. We’d likely never have business with each other again anyway.
I said my piece and shoved the door hard to slam it shut.
Wuuuung.
A Magic Circle manifested between the door and the frame, neutralizing the force.
"You're quite impatient, Lee Ha-ram. This is an apology, yes, but it is also a warning. So, open the door."
Ronia’s voice drifted in from behind the nearly closed door.
"A warning? Ha. I ended up in this mess because I fell for your wordplay, and now you're giving me warnings? Just go."
Before I lose my temper.
Thinking that, I poured strength into the door to crush the barrier, but—
"Even if it concerns the safety of Brigadier General Un-ho? Very well, I shall leave then."
The dignified voice of the pig brought my actions to a halt.
"..."
Something related to Un-ho.
Left with no choice, I opened the door and looked at them again. The fairy, with a pig perched on her head.
"Ah! You opened it!"
The fairy spoke with a lively voice, her words filled with relief, but that was no longer my concern.
"You said it's about Un-ho’s safety. What is it?"
I spoke with a chilling gaze.
"Hmm, this might take a while. I would appreciate it if you let us inside the room."
The pig maintained its self-important air.
"Ronia, you shouldn't speak like that."
The fairy spoke as she gave the pig on her head a light smack.
What the hell.
"So, which one of you is Ronia?"
"I am, but—"
"It's me."
...Seriously, what the hell.
"Ha, fine. You said you came to apologize. That's all well and good."
I could accept an apology. However.
"Just looking at your faces makes my stomach churn. I really want to hit you just once. Which one of you is Ronia, and which one should I punch?"
"It matters not. We share pain, memories, and thoughts."
"I would prefer it if you hit the pig Ronia."
So, they were both Ronia?
Fine then.
I reached out and grabbed the pig.
"Settling the price of blood for revenge with a single punch... you are a generous man. Please, be gentle."
Even as the pig's flesh distorted under my grip, it maintained that relaxed, obnoxious attitude.
"Clench your teeth."
And try not to throw up.
The moment I spat those words out, I took my stance.
I spread my feet, one in front of the other. I centered my weight in my legs. I gathered mana into my hand.
Magical Girl Style—
Inch Punch.
A short but violent upward strike.
I infused it with the power of internal destruction to ensure no force leaked into the surroundings, and I held the pig's body tight.
Pang!
A massive shockwave rippled outward regardless.
"Kweeeeeeeek!"
Along with it came a scream like a stuck pig.
"Hmm. Not dead."
I had put a decent amount of sincerity into that strike.
Perhaps an executive-class was still an executive-class; though the pig's massive body had been compressed by the blow, leaving a deep fist mark, Pig Ronia was merely twitching with his eyes rolled back.
He didn't look like he was going to die.
I tossed the pig I was holding into the air.
Cr-crack.
An ominous sound echoed from the surroundings.
"...Dammit."
I quickly identified the source of the noise.
Fine cracks in the walls and a warped door.
Even though I had held back that much, I still managed to wreck the room. Was the aftermath of releasing the limiter still lingering?
What should I do? I think I'm screwed.
"Al’shel? Do you happen to know any restoration magic—"
"Ah... cough... I can handle that, so don't worry... cough... You really hit him hard..."
I turned my head toward the voice.
There was the fairy, rolling on the floor and groaning in pain.
"I didn't hit you."
"I told you... earlier... we share things like pain..."
"Oh, really?"
Then I guess you really are Ronia. I was half-doubting it until now.
"Then fix it and come in. Wake that pig up, too."
Leaving them with those words, I left the door open and walked back into the room.
* * *
"It was my fault, but wasn't that a bit too much?"
"Shut up before I hit you again."
"As you wish. However, a guest has arrived; will you not offer a drink? Anything is fine, though I would prefer a liquid with alcohol."
Maybe I really should hit him one more time.
"Ignore that Ronia. A simple glass of juice will suffice."
Fine, let's just beat them up.
Just as I was about to stand up from my chair with that thought—
Thump.
A large glass bottle was placed on the table.
"Here is some fruit wine. I have prepared what both sides desire, so let us get to the main point."
Along with Al’shel’s voice, glass cups slid across the table, stopping perfectly in front of everyone.
Al’shel, showing restrained movements like a seasoned waiter, naturally plopped down into the chair next to mine.
"What's this? You knew how to do that?"
"I picked it up while hanging around the Dining Hall. Well, that's not really important right now."
As he spoke, Al’shel took his usual arrogant posture, crossing his legs and launching into one of his signature long-winded speeches.
"As requested, I have put Un-ho to sleep in another room so he cannot hear this conversation. Now, let us talk."
Why are you taking the lead?
I wanted to say that, but then I remembered how I had left Al’shel behind when I first met Ronia and ended up falling for his sweet talk. I kept my mouth shut.
The two Ronias took turns passing the bottle and pouring drinks before they began to gulp them down.
While the fairy continued to tilt her cup, the pig, who had only barely touched the liquid, spoke up.
"Let's see. I believe you heard the story from The Queen. How much have you been told about Brigadier General Un-ho, Lieutenant General Par, myself, and Captain Af? In other words, the UN Entities?"
The content was a simple sentence, yet it was quite shocking.
"What is a UN Entity?"
Al’shel tilted his head as if he had never heard of such a thing.
...Ah, come to think of it, he never did hear about it.
"Al’shel, let me handle this for a moment."
You step back again.
"Very well. While you're at it, please tell me what a UN Entity is."
And so, the baton of conversation was passed.
I took a deep breath for the sake of the discussion and drank the wine straight from the bottle.
The characteristic sweet, clean aftertaste of fruit enveloped my mouth. Then, the stimulating alcohol washed through, leaving it refreshed.
A satisfying gulp of booze.
Whew. Good.
"First, let me ask one thing. You and Captain Af are also UN Entities?"
"That is correct. Though, of course, my method differs from that of Brigadier General Un-ho or Lieutenant General Par."
"Hmm... I'll ask about that later. I've heard about the UN Entities. That they are descendants who have inherited a thick concentration of the blood and flesh of your Ancestors—the Avatars."
The Queen might have been lying, but Ronia’s words would be the judge of that.
"Ho, that is quite interesting. Mortal beings spat out from such things."
Al’shel made his little side commentary at my words, but no one reacted to him.
"Accurate. Then, have you heard why Lieutenant General Par was unwittingly drawn into such a play?"
Let's see. I didn't hear it directly, but...
I could make a rough deduction as to why.
"Because they couldn't control the Ancestral blood. By clashing with Un-ho, who is the same kind of existence, they intended to awaken Un-ho’s blood and force Par to experience an awakened state?"
That was likely it.
"Almost perfect. In particular, Lieutenant General Par caught the attention of the Guardian Corps because, despite the high concentration of blood, they controlled their aggression almost perfectly except for when their power manifested externally."
Ah, so that's why this whole mess happened.
Then, there was one thing I was curious about.
"Lieutenant General Par seemed to absolutely loathe you. Was that intentional too?"
They looked like mortal enemies. To the point where they wanted to beat Ronia to death the moment they met.
"That is..."
Pig Ronia trailed off. As if he didn't want to answer the question.
In that silence—
"Phew. I'll tell you that part."
Suddenly, the fairy took her lips off the cup and began to speak, her lips stained red.
"Actually, it's a fact even the Guardian Corps doesn't know, but Lieutenant General Par was once consumed by blood on the battlefield."
Fairy Ronia kept her eyes tightly shut as she continued, as if the scene were still vivid in her mind.
"At the time, Par was a colonel and was on the verge of being devoured by the blood. We soon learned what their blood and flesh reacted to."
The fairy raised a finger and poked the pig repeatedly.
"Anger and aggression. Emotions that are inevitably maximized on the battlefield. And the easiest emotions to control."
She then picked up the pig and placed it back on her head.
"Therefore, I sent my other half to Par. I adjusted things so that their rage, which was pouring out toward the entire world, would be directed solely at me. My other half is quite good at that sort of thing. Fortunately, the plan worked, and Par regained their reason. Since then, by constantly provoking them, I've maintained a state where the anger they hold is directed only at me, rather than others."
"I don't know what you're talking about. I simply didn't like the fellow."
"Yes, yes, of course you didn't."
The pig and the fairy began a comedy routine with each other.
However, a question arose within me.
"Why go that far?"
"Because they were my subordinate."
"Because they were my subordinate."
A perfect harmony of voices, enough to blow away their bickering from a moment ago.
"..."
I really couldn't tell what Ronia’s true nature was.
Fine, I understood Par’s situation. Why they hated Ronia so much, and why they were so obsessed with Ronia.
Then it was time to move on to the next question.
"You said you and Captain Af are UN Entities. But for being such things, I don't see any unusual reactions?"
I'd never seen Captain Af get excited, nor had I seen any strange abilities from her. Ronia appeared to be two bodies acting as one, but even that was within the realm of normalcy compared to the alien nature of The End I had seen.
"Ah, not all UN Entities accept the Ancestral blood. While they are stronger in that regard, it is far too dangerous. Therefore, the majority of UN Entities either learn how to manage their emotions without even knowing they are UN Entities, or, even if they do know, they find some way to seal that power."
"Like me."
Fshhh.
The pig pulled a cigar out of nowhere, lit it, and began to draw in the smoke.
"...Is that pig a lump of Ancestral flesh then?"
"No, if that were the case, he would have gone berserk the moment the blood was separated. Ultimately, the problem is being dominated due to the high concentration of blood, so I split myself in two to regulate that concentration."
"My concentration is slightly thicker. At first, we had almost the same personality and appearance, but somehow it ended up like this."
Puff.
Pig Ronia spoke as he exhaled tobacco smoke.
I had wondered why such a foul-tempered pig had the loyalty of his subordinates, but it turned out he had simply split himself into a foul-tempered pig and a bright, sociable fairy.
"Then, what about Af?"
"Hmm... I don't know about that either. Captain Af's blood concentration is definitely top-tier, rivaling the Guardian Corps, but I've never seen her go berserk, nor are there any records of it."
"That's why I dislike her. She acts as if she's from another world, behaving normally while other UN Entities suffer."
What, so Pig Ronia’s dislike for Af was just an inferiority complex?
Good grief, the human relationships in this world are incredibly petty.
Anyway, so that was the deal with Captain Af.
Hmm... did her obsessive adherence to rules, principles, and efficiency help suppress the blood?
Even The Queen couldn't handle herself in front of Af.
It seemed close to the truth, but living like that for a lifetime would mean she was already not sane, so I didn't feel like voicing it to confirm.
"Right, it seems we've asked everything we were curious about. So, what's this about Un-ho’s safety?"
Given the flow of the conversation, it seemed like there was some problem with the blood inside Un-ho.
As I asked the question with a serious voice—
"Ronia."
Fairy Ronia raised her voice.
"Understood."
Snap.
Pig Ronia stomped his foot, drawing a massive Magic Circle.
"What kind of bullshit now—"
Reacting instantly, I kicked my chair back and stood up, summoning my hammer.
I took a combat stance, but—
"Lee Ha-ram, please sit back down."
Al’shel’s perfectly calm voice stopped me.
"Why? These guys just cast a Magic Circle without a word—"
"It is simply an anti-eavesdropping spell to prevent the conversation from leaking out. So, please sit back down."
...Is that really it?
It felt suspicious, but I had no choice but to trust her. I dismissed The Hammer and sat back in the chair.
Fairy Ronia stared at me intently and lowered her voice to speak.
"You must have seen Brigadier General Un-ho take the form of a massive animal, Lee Ha-ram."
"That slant-eyed weasel? I saw it. He said something about it being his original form."
"Yes, Brigadier General Un-ho’s original form. The original form that follows the blood, just before going berserk."
...Wait?
"Wasn't that just Un-ho undoing his transformation?"
"No. If it were just that, he would simply become a slightly large weasel. He wouldn't become that large and distorted. That was the result of the blood's resonance between UN Entities."
...This was something The Queen hadn't told me.
Thinking back, I had only heard from The Queen about Un-ho’s state when I had intercepted the blow for him; I hadn't heard anything about his current condition.
"In other words, Brigadier General Un-ho has likely begun to perceive the blood within him due to this incident. And the whispers of the blood will slowly, bit by bit, burrow into his mind."
The words sounded like a guaranteed future. As if the being before me was describing a path they themselves had walked.
"What do I have to do to stop it?"
Therefore, I sought advice from the being before me.
"It is simple. Stay by his side. Talk to him when he feels anxious. If he acts strangely, do not blindly criticize him; ask him for the reason. That will be enough."
"Is that really all it takes?"
I questioned the method, which was simpler than expected.
"Yes. If it is a small wave, that can calm it. Ultimately, one grows accustomed to the whispers eventually. Therefore, it is most important to build immunity before the waves grow too large. However."
"However?"
"Even if you have all that, if they are frequently exposed to the emotions or situations that the blood responds to... For example, in my case, it was the negative emotions of others. In Lieutenant General Par’s case, it was anger and aggression. If they frequently encounter actions led by the inner blood, they may eventually be swallowed by it. Please be careful of that."
A method for daily life.
And a method for emergencies.
Captain Ronia told me both.
And The Queen, who had said nothing.
That contrast sparked a curiosity in me. Perhaps, just maybe, one possibility.
"Did you come here on The Queen's orders?"
It probably wasn't. But it was a question I had to ask.
To that—
"No, I came of my own volition. The Queen would likely be displeased."
The fairy answered.
"The trust The Queen has built up in me over the years will likely vanish. Well, she's a free-spirited person, so it shouldn't be a major issue."
The pig also answered, exhaling tobacco smoke.
"Then, why did you come to tell me?"
I couldn't understand.
Wasn't Ronia the one who had trapped us from the beginning? Why would such a person...
"Did I not say so from the start?"
"Say what?"
"That I came to apologize. That incident was not my intention. Therefore, even if it ended well without anyone getting hurt, I must pay my dues to you to some extent."
Politics and trade.
And this is how an apology is made.
With a gaze that seemed to say exactly that, Pig Ronia clipped the end of his cigar and finished his piece.