Chapter 29
Chapter 29
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: Sofa Rescue Mission
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Fluorescent pink potion sparkled vividly inside the glass tube.
From the color alone, you could sense a subtle madness—it already seemed utterly untrustworthy. No, it was screaming with its entire being that it guaranteed definite doping effects.
This was the peach-flavored potion Mayches had told me to use only in "really really" emergency situations.
He'd said that if unexpected danger struck and I needed to flee with all my might, drinking this would let me temporarily muster the strength of a "normal 11-year-old."
Of course, a normal 11-year-old's strength for me was basically nuclear-explosion level, so the side effects were "really really really" severe.
Gonna pass out after ages!
Tears prickled my eyes, but I forced myself to relax and smiled.
Calipan urgently tried to stop me as I opened the test tube lid.
"Mayches's little sister! Stop! I've seen enough of your resolve! You can quit now!"
"What are you talking about? This isn't about showing resolve—it's about saving people."
"...What. That's cool......"
Calipan hemmed and hawed, gripping one end of the test tube alongside me.
He wasn't shaking his head no like before, but conflict still lingered on his face.
Wait, could it be?!
A different possibility suddenly hit me for why he was hesitating like this.
"By any chance... are you exhausted from carrying me here?"
"...Huh?"
"Then there's no helping it. The method I suggested requires bearing not just me, but everyone else's weight too... Now that I think about it, I suggested something utterly ridiculous. I'm sorry. It'd be better to find someone else healthy and ask for their help instead."
Calipan blinked twice.
As I waved him off like "go on already," he suddenly let go of his side of the glass tube.
He muttered.
"Can't believe my ears."
He even looked a bit sulky.
Soon, an inexplicable madness glinted in Calipan's eyes.
That... that face was just like...
"Yeah, let's get all twenty-seven onto the sofa at once."
It was identical to Mayches's face when he'd go "We've got tons of money at home, Aiel!" and swap out the house every other day!
I belatedly grasped the situation.
No! I wasn't provoking him! Why's everyone acting on pride? Is there something wrong with how I'm talking?!
I hurriedly opened my mouth.
"Alright! Then let's do this, just the two of us!"
Even if it's the wrong path, as long as we reach Seoul, right? We'd agreed, so we could put out this fire now, yeah?
Calipan's and my eyes met with profound meaning.
I solemnly twisted off the lid...
Actually, I couldn't, so I handed it to Calipan, who opened it instead... and downed the peach-flavored potion in one go!
My throat burned hot as I gulped it down.
Weird, it tastes kinda spicy for peach!
My stomach started to sting, my whole body prickling like a "Why'd you do that?!" warning, then suddenly going numb and dull!
Everything feels like it ends with an exclamation mark! Must be my imagination!
Explosive power enveloped my body... or not, it just felt kinda floaty!
I'd thought it'd be like that awakening scene in comics, but nah—it was more like chugging too much caffeinated drink: body light, but mind floated off somewhere!
"For the price of my future peace, I've become an eleven-year-old with normal strength!"
"Good grief......"
I settled perfectly in the center of the sofa.
I was about to plug my nose and mouth with the holy-water-soaked handkerchief, but figured free hands would be better, so I bit down on it instead. Breathing only through my mouth: huff huff.
"Let's start."
"Ye(Yes)!"
Calipan flung open the door to the second magic lab.
The room was packed with unconscious people.
Near the entrance, a few were clustered together. Looked like they'd tried to escape but passed out first.
"You okay? Can you hold up?"
Calipan asked from below the sofa.
With the handkerchief in my mouth, I replied 'Ollae-juse-yo(Please lift)!' and nodded.
Calipan got right to work.
He started tossing people from the entrance onto the sofa, one by one.
I'd thought we'd just drip holy water into their mouths, but an unexpected challenge hit me.
To administer holy water to one person, you had to do it in multiple doses over time intervals—so I had to monitor everyone on the sofa simultaneously.
Meaning I had to bounce back and forth from position 1 to 8.
Thank goodness for the potion. My normal strength couldn't have handled this.
"Huh?"
Among the people Calipan tossed up was a ruby-haired lady I couldn't for the life of me remember.
Felt a bit bad, but now wasn't the time. I hurriedly trickled holy water into the ruby-haired lady's mouth.
"Lifting more."
"Ye!"
"Lifting more."
"Jamkkan-manyo(Wait a sec)... Ye!"
Even with nine people aboard, the sofa boasted the steady comfort of a well-made bed mattress.
Calipan's strength was impressive all over again.
We were rotating a few at a time due to sofa size, but his claim of hoisting all twenty-seven at once might not be bluff. That was no issue for him.
...The problem was me.
Gazing at the dazed faces of the fainted folks, I felt deep kinship.
Was I already passed out?
Maybe passing out was kid stuff, and this was just flailing in a dream?
Like washing up, donning uniform, prepping for school, boarding the bus—then waking to the ceiling. That classic dream twist! Could it be?!
My vision blurred.
The ceiling had already spun three times.
Side effects already? Every spin, I gritted my teeth and mumbled "Uung uung" nonsense.
Don't stranded folks in blizzards talk to each other to stay conscious? I was trying that.
No one to talk to, so I did both parts.
Still, repeating "Let's rip off the first button of Calipan's dark turn!", "Yeah!", "Shred Calipan's buttonholes!", "Right, exactly!"—somehow, the self-brainwashing kept me going.
I'd... I'd trained hard with walking exercises for this day!
"Tha-llryeojyo......"
Whoa! I'd been hopping freely over bodies thinking everyone was out, but chills hit me.
Someone's awake...... No way the ones I'd stomped earlier were too?
Nah.
If so, master Calipan would've sensed it ages ago, yet here he was tossing them willy-nilly. These were nobles too......
"Lifting more."
"...Ye!"
Still, I started stepping softer out of concern. That was my max courtesy.
"Du myeong chiryewaeyo(Two are cured)!"
I flopped belly-down on the armrest, waving my hands.
Calipan opened the door and swiftly rolled the cured ones out...
When I handled them rough, it was an emergency so unavoidable, but watching him, I started worrying about their dignity.
Anyway, after that fierce battle, we managed to move everyone inside to outside.
"Huu, huu."
"You... okay?"
"Ye! Gwaenchanh-a-yo(Fine)!"
Just from tycoon-style holy-water dosing, my vision had gone pure white—yet after all that, Calipan didn't have a single drop of sweat.
Calipan lowered me to the ground, then effortlessly hoisted the sofa again.
He eyed me worriedly, hesitating before speaking.
"In case the poison's spread, we should tell the folks at Repitelips Academy to evacuate. For now, let's move together and get you somewhere safe..."
"Aniyeoyo. Jeodo dowu(No. I'll help too)......!"
"...Jeez! Looks like you've got your own job!"
"Huh?"
"Just rest here... watch the fainted people! That's an important mission too! Don't remove that handkerchief no matter what!"
"Ye!"
"...And."
He seemed about to say more, so I barely lifted my spinning head.
"......"
But Calipan just stared at me a moment, and by the time I'd blinked heavily, he was gone.
What, did he leave without a word, or did I miss it?
I sprawled out starfish-style on the floor.
Word or no word, who cares. No energy to fuss over that.
My whole body ached like I'd been beaten.
Even lying down, everywhere touching the floor hurt.
Breathing through the handkerchief messed up my respiration. Oxygen shortage made my head spin, lungs stung sharp, groans escaping on their own.
"Ugh......"
Calipan, you're... one heck of a kid......
His gritted-teeth gaming image was so strong I'd forgotten—he really was the strongest swordsman in history.
Obvious, but aside from not going dark, he had all that villainous prowess from the original story intact.
I chuckled.
Does Calipan realize? He didn't just save these people.
Thanks to their capable boss, countless subordinate knights survived too.
"Hng."
Hmm... Did that ruby hair twitch? Nah, just the curse, probably?