71
Chapter 71
John obediently followed Iroel's instructions. After returning to the storage and gathering a few pieces of food, Iroel whispered softly into his ear.
"John, try giving it to them yourself."
"M-me...?"
"Don't be afraid, John. You can do it."
"But... I was just trying to kill Scarface a moment ago..."
"It's okay, as long as you don't do it again. If you try to show love to those wolves, Scarface and her family will be happy to accept it."
The strong should sincerely practice the virtue of generosity.
The weak should accept such grace with a grateful heart.
That was the way to envelop the Demon Beast Forest in love. Perhaps.
This was something Iroel always told John.
"Now, hurry along."
Iroel gave John a light pat on the rear.
After hesitating for a moment, John gathered his courage from that nudge and stepped out from the bushes.
"Yelp? Woof woof!"
John's massive frame blocked the sunlight, casting a shadow over Scarface and the pups. Startled, Scarface stepped in front of her young ones and howled.
It was a natural reaction. To anyone, John had the burly physique of a Savage, and Scarface had much to protect. Aware of the situation, John did not show any hostility, even if Scarface remained hostile toward him.
Instead, as Iroel had instructed, he held out the food he had brought and placed it in front of Scarface.
"Woof? Woof!"
Scarface barked even more fiercely, contrary to Iroel's claim that they would accept it happily.
"John, come here."
Iroel, who had been standing behind him like a wardrobe, called out to him. John scurried back to Iroel, leaving Scarface standing there alone.
"...Woof?"
Scarface barked in confusion. She probably hadn't expected John to retreat so readily.
"Whimper, whimper..."
However, the confusion didn't last long. Once the young pups finished the food Scarface had stolen, they began to cry from hunger.
Scarface looked around, searching for anything else she could feed her pups. Just then, the chunk of meat John had left behind caught her eye.
Limping toward the meat, Scarface sniffed it several times. It was part of her cautious process to ensure it wasn't poisoned. Then, she took a small bite of the edge herself.
"...."
"Whimper, whimpering..."
Nothing happened. It meant there was no poison. Scarface couldn't understand why that Savage had given her meat, but feeding her pups was the immediate priority.
Thump-.
"Munch... Chomp-."
"Lick, lick, lick."
The oblivious pups happily tore into the food their parent provided. Scarface remained worried, but since she had no other choice, she simply licked the eating pups with her tongue.
John and Iroel were watching them clearly from behind the bushes.
"How does it feel, John?"
"I'm not sure."
"About what?"
"...My heart feels strange. I think it feels warm."
"That is a good sign. Cherish that feeling."
A human who has lived in savagery finds it difficult to embrace the virtues of civilization.
Despite this, John was captivated by the woman known as Iroel and wished to embrace her ways.
Iroel, in turn, was painstakingly adorning him with the virtues of civilization.
If only Iroel had possessed more time,
"*Cough*."
"Iroel?"
"Mmm, I'm fine. Don't worry about it, John."
"Are you really okay? Iroel, you look a bit pale."
If Iroel had not strained herself to pour Holy Power into the battered John,
their future might have been different.
"...Ugh! *Cough, cough*!"
"Iroel! Iroel! What's happening all of a sudden!"
Suddenly, a spray of crimson blood burst from Iroel's mouth. Startled by the scattering blood, Scarface barked, and John hurriedly supported the collapsing Iroel. John's tanned complexion turned pale.
*****
The Demon Beast Forest is a forest of the Demon Realm.
In other words, it is a forest overflowing with Demonic Energy that rejects Holy Power.
When Iroel first expressed her intent to visit the forest, the followers of the Holy Nation had opposed it vehemently for a reason. To Saint Iroel, whose very blood consisted of Holy Power, the forest was practically a land of poison.
In truth, the only beings capable of defeating Saint Iroel in this forest would be the Five Kings. This meant that even a swarm of monsters could rarely pose a threat to her. If the only danger had been beasts, the followers would not have been so opposed.
However, even someone as powerful as Iroel could not overcome the adversary called the environment.
Her lungs stung with every breath, and drinking from the forest's rivers left her stomach unsettled for days. Every day was no different from a living hell, and she grew weaker with each passing sunrise.
Anticipating this, Iroel had brought as much food from the Continent as possible in her Magical Bag to endure for as long as she could.
But upon meeting an unexpected Savage Boy, the food from the Continent—which Iroel could consume without side effects—went to the boy instead.
Of course, if Iroel had explained the situation, the boy would have returned to eating only the local food of the forest.
But she did not.
After all, she had come here prepared to close her eyes in this forest. Her supplies were not infinite.
It was simply a matter of her scheduled death arriving a little sooner.
At least, that was how it felt from Iroel's perspective.
To the oblivious John, however, it was news that struck like a sudden bolt from the blue.
Iroel wanted to teach John the act of giving.
And to realize that act, one must first receive generosity. Only after feeling how warm and noble it is to be a recipient can a person gain the perspective to share with others.
Just as Iroel had grown up receiving love from the priests of the Holy Emperor's Palace in her childhood.
Now an adult, Iroel wished to bestow that love upon the boy who followed her.
She firmly believed that the love she provided would become the driving force that moved the boy's life even after she was gone.
That was the kind of being the Lord she worshipped was.
Therefore, she could not bear to stop John from eating the food from the Continent. While John developed a taste for the flavors of the Continent, which were far less toxic and devoid of Demonic Energy compared to the forest's food, Iroel instead consumed the forest's provisions and yielded her rights to him.
That wasn't all. When John was on the verge of death after falling off the cliff, Iroel poured in the Holy Power that should have been used for her own resistance to Demonic Energy. Energy that should have been reserved for herself.
The result of those sequences of events was the present moment.
"Iroel."
"Why... are you...? John...?"
"Don't die...!"
"...."
The bed where John had been lying when Iroel first found him now belonged to the frail Iroel.
After collapsing while vomiting blood, Iroel could not stand again. The aftermath she had forcibly suppressed had erupted like an active volcano. Lying there like a withered plant, John gripped her wrist and whispered gloomily.
"I... I don't want Iroel to die...!"
"It's okay, John."
"But...!"
"Do not be afraid. There is nothing in this world to fear."
John still could not understand her, but.
Now, he loved Iroel simply for who she was, even the parts he couldn't grasp.
He could not imagine a future where she didn't exist. He wanted to taste her cooking once more. He wanted to be with her. He wanted to roam the Demon Beast Forest happily by her side.
The state of Iroel's body, incapable of even supporting herself, served as a cruel reminder that all of this was an impossible dream.
"Did you visit Scarface again today?"
"...Yeah, I did."
"Does Scarface follow you a bit more now?"
"...Yeah, she let me pet her."
"I see. That's truly wonderful..."
There was no strength left in her words.
Facing that sorrowful reality, John could only repeat the action of gently stroking Iroel's thin wrist.
Growing by the day, John's strength had far surpassed his past limits. At this point, it would likely be difficult for any beast in the Demon Beast Forest to harm him.
Moreover, thanks to Iroel's affinity, he had gained the support of the surrounding animals, leading some to view him as the king of the next generation. Though John himself cared for nothing but Iroel.
"Scarface said something strange."
"What... did she say?"
"Do you know Dragon King Endros?"
"Of course. Do you think I came to the Demon Beast Forest without doing that much research?"
"Scarface said that Endros is planning to move. She said his subordinates, the Beasts of Slumber, are increasingly appearing in the forest."
"Oh dear... It will only become harder for Scarface to find food."
"...Iroel."
"Yes?"
"Why do you worry about Scarface? You should worry about yourself first. Your health is much worse."
"Ahaha... I'm fine, John."
"What do you mean, fine? You're pale as a ghost. I'm not a fool anymore."
"...I'm really fine, John. And you are still a fool, my little fool."
Iroel reached out to stroke John's hair. John quietly accepted her touch.
"Should I just wipe them all out?"
"John? What did you just say?"
"If I let Dragon King Endros's monsters loiter nearby, they might hurt you. You can't take any shocks right now."
"Please don't do that, John."
"I'm confident. I just need to throw a few punches. I'm strong now."
"John."
"...."
"I know better than anyone how strong you are. However."
Iroel's hand touched John's cheek. It was a very small hand. Her fair skin contrasted sharply with his tanned skin, bronzed under the sun.
"Great power was not given by the Lord to be used recklessly."
"John, my most precious child in all the world."
"Love all living things and cherish the world. You possess a special bloodline. There must be a reason why the Lord bestowed such a bloodline upon you. It is not meant to be spent on such trivial matters."
After saying those words, Iroel cupped John's face with both hands and leaned forward to press a light kiss on his forehead.
A warm kiss. John felt a surge of happiness. He gave a faint smile, meeting Iroel's beaming expression.
"Iroel."
"Yes?"
"What am I to you?"
"What else, the most precious... in the world..."
"A child... right?"
John and Iroel's eyes met.
Deep brown eyes and clear sky-blue eyes locked in the air.
"I love you, Iroel."
"How could I not know? You make it so obvious, John."
"You taught me words about love. The love between parents and children, between friends, between lovers... and so on. That there are many kinds of love."
"What are you trying to say?"
"I love you. As a lover."
"...."
"When I first saw you, my heart raced. Your soft skin, your delicate features, your sensual body. Back then, I thought it was just hunger. I wanted to eat you. But now that I've learned to read, I know. I want to be your lover. That's the right word for this, right? The word 'lover'?"
"John."
"I know you're very sick. Let's go. Out of the Demon Beast Forest. To that world of civilization you spoke of. I'll adapt somehow. I can do anything for you. I'll stay by your side forever. So, let's go together. I'll carry you."
"John."
"I want to kiss you. I love it when you kiss my forehead. But I want to do it too. I want to kiss your forehead, and I want our lips to meet. I think about it every time I look at you. I love you, Iroel. I mean it."
Iroel smiled, her small lips parting slightly.
"I'm sorry."
"...."
"I love you too, John. However, I must not be bound to anyone."
"Why?"
"When I was in civilization, I completely shut out the love of the believers. How could I be so brazen as to share love after doing that?"
"No one is watching here. We can kiss just when it's only the two of us."
"The heavens are watching, the earth is watching, and you are watching, John."
"I'll keep my mouth shut. The heavens can't talk. As for the earth... I'll just destroy it. You think I can't? I can do it."
"My own heart is watching, too."
"...."
"John, this is the path I have chosen. Please respect it. Of course, a person's heart cannot be stopped by a mere doctrine. Even the most faithful believer might have their heart stolen by someone and bloom a beautiful seed of love. I wouldn't scold someone for that. Because I, too, feel something for you. But I must not."
"Ugh, uuu..."
"I changed the doctrine. And as for returning... I'm sorry, but I cannot allow it. If I were to return as if escaping, the Empire would use that as a reason to claim the Demon Beast Forest must be eradicated and attack this beautiful forest. You wouldn't want that, would you?"
"Iroel... I, I...!"
"Even if I die, I must die here. The fact that I was willing to accept death to protect the Demon Beast Forest will place constraints on the Empire's actions. That is my martyrdom."
Iroel's words were difficult. The Empire, the doctrine. John, who had only just learned to speak basic sentences, could not fully grasp her meaning.
However, one thing he did seem to understand.
That he was longing for a love that could never be.
The boy's heart ached at that sorrowful truth.
But to give her up... the boy had already fallen far too deeply for the woman.