Chapter 186
Chapter 186
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 186
Chapter Title: On the Way to Sampoh (10)
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***
Regardless of the saintess's sudden persecution (?), Yeomyeong did not sleep.
Instead of heading to the tent prepared by the merchants, he led Demerond and the dragon into a forest a short distance from the campsite.
After walking through the forest under the twinkling stars for a while.
"This should be far enough that no one will overhear us."
Yeomyeong said, spotting a clearing formed by a fallen rotten tree.
Soon, the human, elf, and dragon spread out in a circle in the clearing and sat down facing each other.
As soon as the space for conversation was set, the dragon spoke first.
[Demerond, outcast of the World Tree.]
Perhaps because they were already acquainted, the dragon bared its teeth at the elf wearing a hood.
"Orse Tabul, guardian of the Dragonscale Mountains, it's been a long time."
Demerond replied, removing his hood. The dragon snorted at the sight of his scar-covered face.
[You and all the elves have become reds, huh. Bowing to Stalin and even changing your family name?]
"...."
[The blood and tears of the dwarves still flow in this land, and you're not ashamed?]
The dragon berated the elf in a loud, unhesitating tone and voice, but he merely wore a bitter smile on his lips.
Demerond answered flatly.
"If you're dying of thirst, you have to drink something. We knew it was seawater... but the elves had no other choice."
[...Better to drink seawater than die? Your tongue's gotten longer. Outcast, is that an excuse you're making to yourself?]
The dragon stretched its head forward, thrusting its face right in front of the elf's nose.
Reptilian eyes full of murderous intent, hot breath heated like a furnace.
But the elf showed no fear, crossing his arms and meeting the dragon's gaze.
Because he possessed greater power than the dragon? No, that wasn't it.
"Orse Tabul, please stop scolding me. It's embarrassing in front of the young friend over there... and above all, I kept faith with you."
[Faith? A red daring to—]
"Orse Ranal."
The moment a name-like word left the elf's mouth, the dragon's half-open jaws snapped shut.
As the dragon's expression crumpled, Demerond added.
"Your sister is on Earth right now."
[...What?]
"I rescued her when she crossed to Earth to find even the corpse of her brother. Not once, but twice."
A brief silence.
The dragon looked at the elf in disbelief, then raised its head again and said.
[Swear on the World Tree?]
"I swear on Mother World Tree. It's all the absolute truth, without a single lie."
Demerond stared straight at the dragon as he said this.
Orse Tabul couldn't say a word, and the elf chuckled, uncrossing his arms.
"No need for thanks. Between us."
The dragon wore an expression of having been thoroughly bested, then shyly covered its face with its wings.
And after a moment, it looked at Yeomyeong.
An expression asking, 'Did you know too?'
Yeomyeong, who had been quietly watching the dragon and elf until now, shrugged.
"I didn't even know the sister's name, let alone that you two knew each other."
It was sincere, but no—precisely because it was sincere—Orse Tabul sighed.
[Outcast, I apologize for my attitude.]
"No need to apologize. It's not wrong that I'm a red."
The dragon gazed silently at Demerond, who wore a wry smile, then slowly nodded.
[...Now tell us why you called Yeomyeong and me here. I will listen.]
"Ah, for that, it's this friend who will speak, not me."
With those words, the dragon and elf's gazes turned to Yeomyeong.
Instead of joking around, Yeomyeong cleared his throat and brought up the conversation he'd had with Demerond earlier.
"Um... Orse, I think you need to return to the mountains."
Was it an unexpected statement? The dragon's head tilted slightly.
Instead of a long explanation, Yeomyeong summarized as concisely as possible.
A living dragon, the corpse of Kahal Magdu that Yeomyeong possessed, and the poachers who would come hunting them both.
After the straightforward explanation, the dragon nodded as if understanding.
Then, in a slightly worried voice...
[If I don't give you a ride, you'll have to spend a long time with the saintess. Is that okay?]
...it said.
"...."
What on earth had happened while carrying the saintess on Drayterial?
Swallowing his bewilderment, Yeomyeong replied that it was fine.
Orse Tabul muttered something like 'Males have it rough' and added.
[If you wish, I can carry you to the nearest station.]
"...Orse, you've helped us more than enough already. There's no need to expose yourself in crowded places any further for our sake."
A considerate statement. The dragon smiled faintly.
[If that's your will, then at dawn, I'll bid farewell to everyone and depart.]
With that, the dragon turned back toward the campsite.
However, unlike the way there, the return path was not quiet.
"Dragon, if you wish, I can escort you."
Demerond said as he walked beside the dragon.
[I saw you fighting in the forest earlier. Worry about the trackers on your tail.]
When the dragon pointed out the mercenaries who had ambushed Demerond, the elf chuckled.
"Rich Earthlings hunting elves isn't new, and compared to dragon poachers, they're nothing. And..."
[...And?]
"The one who killed them wasn't me, but this friend."
Demerond said this while placing a hand on Yeomyeong's shoulder as they walked side by side.
[You? But the brutality felt like a red's handiwork, not Yeomyeong's.]
As Orse Tabul cocked its head, Demerond gave Yeomyeong a meaningful smile.
"Isn't a dragon's senses creepily accurate?"
Meeting that smile, Yeomyeong smiled wryly. And he recalled what had happened in the forest earlier.
***
Rewind time a bit, to when Orse Tabul was grilling dragon-breath skewers and Seti was getting drunk on wine.
Yeomyeong was wrapped in silence.
'Express your life in one line.'
He had been unable to come up with an answer to that seemingly simple question for a long while.
Was it a lack of summarizing skills? Or a lack of philosophical depth?
No, like anyone's life, his was too complex to reduce to one line.
Even his dung beetle days couldn't be summed up in one line, let alone after becoming a superhuman.
No answer in sight, but Yeomyeong carved away at his life with bone-deep resolve.
Angel, seal, cleanup crew, family, player, revenge, Seti, kinship, hatred, anger, love, fulfillment, pity, and...
Mignium.
Removing anything more here would make it not his life, so Yeomyeong couldn't eliminate any further.
'....'
Deep contemplation and even heavier silence, the scent of the forest and night breeze.
At some glittering starry moment, Demerond spoke.
"Hard, right? Summarizing means cutting away, but cutting away makes it not your life..."
"...."
"It's natural. If establishing one's true intent was that simple, everyone from dogs to pigs would live with one."
Before Yeomyeong could ask what to do then, the elf cut in.
"Now, on to the next."
"...I haven't found the answer yet."
"Am I supposed to stick by your side until you do?"
"That's..."
As Yeomyeong trailed off, Demerond chuckled.
"Don't worry, with your talent, it won't take long to realize."
"How long?"
"Well, fifty years or so?"
"...."
Long by elf standards, apparently.
While Yeomyeong let out a hollow laugh, the elf continued.
"Now, next step: establish the summarized life in your heart."
"...Establish?"
"You could embrace it in your chest. Let it naturally permeate... or perhaps seal it away."
Verbose metaphors, but Yeomyeong somehow felt he could grasp what they meant.
Selfless state, or mental image.
This step the elf described surely meant that.
"The final step is the easiest. Push out the existing true intent of the martial art and fill that space with your own—done."
"...."
A string of vague words, but Yeomyeong felt like he'd grasped a clue.
Selfless state, true intent, life.
Zen koan-like terms tickled his mind, almost graspable yet not.
Enlightenment within reach if he stretched out his hand now.
If he could advance just a little more, shorter than a finger joint...
The very moment Yeomyeong desperately yearned for that realization.
A sensation of something approaching from the nearby forest snapped him from his thoughts.
'What is it?'
Yeomyeong pushed aside the near-graspable enlightenment, jumped to his feet, and heightened his senses.
No smell, no sound, but faint mana vibrations.
A presence he wouldn't have detected without familiarity with invisibility cloaks.
Undoubtedly, presences of those professionally trained in stealth.
Who? Had Dodon's brotherhood called for reinforcements? No time for that.
As Yeomyeong gauged the enemies and drew up mana, Demerond dusted himself off and said.
"No need for you to worry. They're all my guests."
"...They're after you?"
Impressive stealth, but not enough force to take on Demerond.
Scouts maybe?
Yeomyeong's doubt was valid, but Demerond's answer deviated slightly from expectation.
"Not exactly after me... they're tracking elves outside the elf forest."
"Huh?"
"Elf hunting, you don't know?"
Elf hunting?
It was an urban legend about rich folks stationing mercenaries around the elf forest to kidnap elves straying outside protected zones.
As fanciful as eating superhuman gall turning you into one...
"Hiding my face with a hood made them think I'm a regular elf and follow."
"...."
Yeomyeong was certain it wasn't just that.
Considering how perfectly he'd hidden his presence from the campsite, they must have deliberately leaked mana and traces to draw them.
The reason was obvious.
Either to lure and eliminate elf hunters around the elf forest as bait, or hunt them instead.
Demerond, participating in the Malta announcement, couldn't openly kill mercenaries, so this shady method.
Anyway, the elf picked up a wine bottle and waited for the hunters to approach sufficiently.
Over thirty by rough count.
As they drew close enough, killing intent began filling the forest.
Thick enough for any Juga Shibili practitioner to sense.
The source of the killing intent was Demerond.
Reds gonna red, huh. From him drawing mana, killing intent similar to Juga Shibili...
'...Killing intent?'
In that instant, a small realization flashed through Yeomyeong's mind.
First: Create your true intent through life.
Second: Embrace that true intent in your heart.
Third: Apply the heart's true intent to martial arts.
What if he skipped the first two and used something else instead of true intent?
Yeomyeong immediately asked about this realization.
"Demerond, I have a question."
"Now? If it's not important, later... Ah, it is important."
The elf, about to cut him off, saw Yeomyeong's eyes and knew it wasn't trivial. He crossed his arms as if to say go ahead.
"...About the true intent martial arts you taught. Could you use something other than true intent from the heart?"
"Other than true intent, what else could you embrace in your heart?"
"...Something like killing intent."
At the word killing intent, Demerond shook his head.
"If you embraced killing intent in your heart, maybe. The last step is easiest. But..."
"...."
"Who would be crazy enough to embrace killing intent in their heart? Guys like Juga Shibili practitioners, maybe..."
Before the elf finished, Yeomyeong stirred the killing intent in his heart.
As Demerond's expression turned bizarre seeing red aura emanating around him.
Yeomyeong extended his hand blade and infused killing intent into the elf swordsmanship devoid of true intent.
Then, like Demerond with the wine bottle, he swung lightly.
Target: the mercenary aiming at two people from behind a tree ahead.
The next moment, Yeomyeong's world turned red.
***
Back to the campsite as dawn approached.
The saintess stood at the entrance of the tent where Neti and Seti sisters slept, looking around.
'Where did he go in the middle of the night.'
After scanning outside for a while, she sighed deeply.
The stars in the sky were fading, yet Yeomyeong, who followed the giant reptile and pointy-ears, hadn't returned.
Or was it fortunate? Her premonition of Seti sneaking into Yeomyeong's tent for a kiss had been wrong?
'...Kiss.'
The saintess touched her lips, recalling the kiss from the premonition.
The kiss in the premonition was beautiful. As much as the elixir kiss Yeomyeong gave to save dying Seti.
A kiss confirming Seti liked—no, loved—Yeomyeong.
Feeling unnecessarily depressed, the saintess sighed again. As she moved to step out of the tent...
"Excuse me, Saintess."
Neti's voice grabbed her ankle.
Turning, she saw Neti, tousle-haired from bed, rubbing her eyes and looking at her.
"Ah, sorry. Did I wake you?"
"Yes."
Bluntly direct. Before the saintess could apologize, Neti threw a question.
"Excuse me. Saintess, you like brother-in-law too, right?"
"...Uh, yeah?"
"Tsk, no pretending. It's obvious from the side."
"...."
Was it that obvious? As the saintess fidgeted with her fingers, Neti glanced alternately at her sleeping sister beside her and the saintess.
"My sister likes him too."
"...."
"Which one likes him more?"
The saintess couldn't answer immediately. She'd never considered it.
Who likes him more? Well...
"Brother-in-law, right?"
Flinching, the saintess trembled, and Neti narrowed her eyes, continuing.
"I've known since you started casual skinship with him. No suspicion as a girl, and bonus of keeping him and sister apart. Obvious, obvious."
"No, I didn't mean to..."
As her words dragged, Neti cut her off sharply.
"Excuse me, Saintess."
"...Yes."
"If sister and brother-in-law date, you'll lose a friend and a lover, scary right? Afraid of being left alone?"
"...."
Bullseye. The saintess's heart trembled, stabbed at an unknown weakness. Panic flowed through her chest instead of blood.
"Uh, that's... uh... um..."
Tongue twisting, ears burning.
She felt as embarrassed as when the previous saintess found her secret diary.
Neti watched the fluster a moment, then sighed deeply.
"My sister got drunk for the first time in her life yesterday."
"...."
"Know why?"
"B-Because the wine was tasty?"
Neti barely suppressed the urge to slap the saintess.
"...No, her rivals are a princess and saintess. Saintess has an enormous background, and princess needs no mention. Compared to that, my sister is..."
Daughter of a druggie and whore, sacrificial lamb, dragging three baggage sisters called family, a woman with no money or connections.
Neti didn't voice it.
She recalled her sister downing wine repeatedly, staring at the empty spot where brother-in-law went with Demerond.
Brief silence flowed, and Neti gave her answer.
"Saintess."
"Y-Yeah?"
"What if there's a way to not lose either sister or brother-in-law?"
Neti's tone was stiff, but the content was sweet.
Like a devil's whisper.
The saintess's common sense screamed to flee the tent, but her heart whispered not to refuse the temptation.
"What... what is that way?"
Neti silently rose, rummaging in her pocket.
As expected, the 'item' the youngest had secretly stashed was in hand.
"This."
"...."
Seeing the 'item' Neti held out, the saintess's face filled with shock.
Even without common sense, she knew what it meant.
Row of square foil packets, that was...
"Wh-what are we supposed to do with this? N-no, not what I'm thinking, right?"
"Of course it is! Fuck, you gonna use it as a water pouch!?"
"...."
"Do it before returning to Earth. Ambush in a good mood or strike first—ASAP!"
"H-how could you suggest such..."
The saintess looked at sleeping Seti with a tearful face. Then Neti gripped her shoulder tight.
"Or give up cleanly and step back? As friends... but you don't want that either?"
...She didn't.
The saintess gazed at Seti a moment, then took the 'item' with a resolved expression.
Dim sky, stars sighing at dawn.
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