EIITAB - Chapter 63
Even if it is Trampled and Broken
Aslan, who had been standing silently for a while and glaring at a mountain in the distance, opened his mouth heavily.
"Actually, I know where the source is."
At that moment, she felt like her heart was falling all the way to my toes.
"....!"
Hestia asked in a half-hoarse voice, holding her breath as if she had forgotten how to breathe.
"What does that mean?"
The voice was so small and thin that it wouldn't be surprising if she stopped breathing right away. With a very stiff movement of her neck, she turned towards Aslan.
"The source... What?"
Hestia looked like she couldn't believe what she had just heard. Meanwhile, her violet eyes were shaking like a ferry boat caught in a strong storm. She asked him a question again, showing her impatience.
"Now you... Are you talking about a place where demonic beasts appear?"
"Okay, that's right. It's on that mountain."
Aslan nodded his head so easily. But despite his actions, his expression remained frozen. A deep vertical line appeared between the eyebrows, which had become very narrow.
Hestia continued to look at Aslan's face and asked with her unsteady breathing.
"That is... Is it real?"
Because it was an incredibly unbelievable story, Hestia had no choice but to ask the same question over and over again, even though she knew Aslan would hate it.
Aslan said, if his men had been like this, he would have been punished already. But he was not a relative of Hestia. He nodded his head faithfully without showing any irritation.
"It's a little further up the hill. In the past, before winter came, this is where the waterfall used to fall."
Even though the North is colder than other regions, there were definitely seasons and water flowing before winter came.
"There is a cave behind the frozen stream. And in the deepest part lies the corpse of a demonic beast engulfed in ominous energy."
The dead demon beast was a high-class monster that looked similar to a bull. Numerous demons threatening the North were coming out of the corpse's stomach. It's like being born into the world with your mother's belly cut open.
"Are you saying that the corpse of that demonic beast is acting as a medium to connect with other spaces?"
"Okay. That's right."
Only then did Hestia stop bombarding him. with questions and swallow her silence. She took her gaze away from him and looked back toward the snowy mountain, and her eyes were full of complex emotions.
'I've never heard anything like this before.'
Even if Hestia did not pay attention to politics, many stories would inevitably be told as she remained in her position as a Saintess.
However, the story Aslan just mentioned had never been heard from anyone, including the high priest or Yorgos.
"This stuff......I heard this for the first time now. Does His Majesty know this? What about the temple?"
Aslan shook his head as if there was no need to worry.
"No, I didn't report it. This fact is known only to a very small number of people within the Order. The people of the territory don't know, so Hestia, please be careful what you say."
Hestia frowned without realizing it. The words rose up in her throat, but she could barely swallow them.
"All right."
She pursed her lips without asking any further questions.
'What are you hesitating about?'
She couldn't read Aslan's thoughts. She swallowed her sigh and continued her thoughts.
'I still don't know whether winter will go away just because kill the demon beast or not.'
But at least it's a demonic beast. Even though it was just an assumption, Hestia's breathing suddenly became shallower.
'Even if it's just that...'
She could be sure. She no longer has to worry about being attacked. That alone will dramatically improve the quality of life for northerners. The injury and death rates would also go down since they wouldn't have to fight for their life every time.
'If the devil does not appear, there is a very high chance that the gates of the wall that cannot be crossed even in the capital will be opened.'
If that happens, the circulation of goods will become a little smoother, and people will also move to find jobs.
'The North may be able to become self-reliant.'
Even though she was just imagining the future, Hestia's heart began to beat at a slow but strong beat.
'And it's hard to jump to conclusions, but...!'
As far as she knew, the demon beast appeared at the same time that winter began.
'Perhaps just by taking care of the Demon Beast's stronghold, we may be able to alleviate the force of winter.'
She knows very well that optimism is prohibited. But Hestia's heart was swelling little by little with anticipation...
She took a deep breath and then exhaled shallowly before speaking to Aslan again.
"Aslan, if you know the Demon Beast's stronghold, quickly... How about we take over that place?"
Aslan's gaze fell on her face. The moment his eyes caught sight of two cheeks with a faint peach-colored blush, he felt the urge to cover that small face with his own hands and melt away the cold energy.
Instinct took precedence over reason, so both of his hands twitched at the same time. But Aslan could barely resist the urge.
He took his gaze away from her again, clenching his fist, and answered as if muttering in silence.
"I thought so too."
A self-mocking smile formed on his lips. With that short word, Hestia did not continue speaking because it felt like the efforts Aslan had made so far were clearly pictured before her eyes.
'Okay. Just because he's this person doesn't mean he couldn't have thought of that.'
But it didn't work. She doesn't know why. Aslan was still staring beyond the white ridge, clenching her fists tightly.
"But I don't know how."
The words he uttered like a sigh were a chaotic mixture of feelings of fatigue, despair, and anger.
Why would Aslan not want to do as Hestia said?
He butted his head countless times with the three lieutenants who followed him. He tried breaking it down, setting it on fire, digging up dirt, and burying it. But it was not destroyed, and the number of monsters did not decrease.
"What on earth should I do?"
The sound of Aslan's teeth grinding together could be heard between his closed lips as if he was angry just thinking about it.
"Your teeth are hurt. Don't do that."
When Hestia, who was surprised, gently touched the back of his hand as if to cover it, Aslan relaxed his jaw as if it were a lie. Aslan, who had barely managed to hold on to his senses, was taken aback by the thought that he had lost his cool and spoke bluntly.
"Hmm. The situation is roughly like that. It's up to me and the knights to take care of it, so you don't have to worry about it. Well, you wouldn't have been curious."
In an instant, her purple eyes darkened. She felt a great sense of distance from what Aslan added.
"... Not really."
She muttered in a low voice, barely audible, and then curled her fingers from the tips and pulled them away from the back of Aslan's hand. She then forcibly pulled up the corners of her stiffened lips and smiled. She was extremely awkward, but she lowered her head so he didn't notice.
As Hestia remained silent for a while, Aslan felt awkward and embarrassed and cleared his throat briefly.
"Hmm."
Hestia curled her lips and asked. She felt as if the emotional distance between her and him, whom she had briefly felt closer to while taking a walk together, had become distant again in just one moment.
Since there was no more conversation between the two, Hestia felt that the atmosphere was heavy and awkward for no reason. So she asked the question carefully.
"But Aslan, aren't you busy?"
"... why."
Aslan wrinkled his face and asked back in a blunt and annoyed manner.
'I thought I was feeling fine just now...Was it a mistake?'
Hestia felt like she couldn't get used to his emotions that kept jumping around her like a reed swaying in the wind.
'Or did I make a mistake?'
She tilted her head. No matter how much she tried to blame it on herself, all she did was ask about his schedule.
Phew.....
She thought he was a very difficult man to understand.
"It doesn't mean anything else, it's just... You don't have to keep staying by my side. I was thinking of just getting some fresh air and then going in. It must be annoying to be with me."
"I know there is no other meaning."
Aslan answered silently, but then he spoke again.
"... It's not annoying."
He still hesitated and did not lead Hestia back to the carriage, nor did he leave this place himself. This was because he had not yet achieved his purpose of accompanying Hestia on her walk.
He chewed the flesh in his mouth several times and spoke in a low voice with difficulty, like an ant crawling.
"...Thank you."
"...... Yes?"
Hestia asked back, unable to hear properly because the voice was small and unsuitable for his size.
A boiling sound continued to come from Aslan's throat. He couldn't shake the awkwardness because it was something he had never done before. Then he finally made up his mind and stood facing Hestia properly.
He looked down at Hestia with his most serious golden eyes and opened his lips.
"Thank you."
Hestia's eyes slowly widened. Because it was something she never expected to hear from him. Aslan looked down at her surprised face and watched her reaction, and then he felt like he wanted to say it one more time.
'Hate is hate, this is a different problem...'
Giving himself a reason, Aslan spoke again to Hestia clearly in a slightly louder voice.
"With your power, Jerome, you saved that guy."
The first time with anything was difficult, so the second time it flowed smoothly. He stared at Hestia without blinking his eyelids even once. He wanted to watch it properly. How will she react to his honest words?
Maybe she was expecting it. She doesn't make things difficult for herself or notice... He hoped she smile again like she did in the past.
However, there were too many reasons why that shouldn't be the case between him and her.
Hestia stiffened.
Comments
Post a Comment