IDEFYEM - Chapter 33
Black Man, I'll Do Everything For You Except Marriage!
Suddenly something appeared behind me and grabbed me by the back of my neck.
"Kek, kolok... !"
I felt like my throat was being strangled and my air was cut off, making me suffocate. I tried to find useful information in my graying mind.
'Idiot attack magic just gets on my nerves. A way to get attention... !'
A flashing thought passed through my head.
I fluttered my arms in the air and drew a clumsy magic circle. After two attempts, I was able to set off a flame right in front of the monster's eyes.
'Vermont said that most monsters are weak to light to the point that they are reluctant to walk in places other than the shade.'
The monster that was biting my clothes fell off with a strange sound. It seemed as if he had temporarily lost his eyesight to the brighter flames than he had ever seen in his life.
I gasped out the breath that had been blocked by my clothes.
As soon as I walked away, Kael swung his sword widely and aimed at the monster behind him. Even though it was a considerable distance, it was surprising that the sword extended like magic.
Thump, thud.
A few drops of warm blood splashed onto my nearby cheek. The snout of the monster Kael cut down fell to the ground.
A howling sound was heard from the unsightly cut section. Eventually, he swung his arm again and the monster's throat was cut.
In an instant, the heavy body that had been convulsing completely fell over with a thud.
As soon as I could turn my head away from the scene, Kael shouted again.
"Watch out!"
"Yes, yes... !"
I didn't have time to ask for directions, so I rolled to the left as if I was gambling. Fortunately, the gamble was successful.
With a loud, bloody sound, the monster's teeth sank into the ground where I was standing.
'Ugh, there was one more... !'
Kael swung his sword like before, but the blade bounced off the scales with a sound like kicking a can.
There was a chance of changing the target, but the monster persistently attacked only me.
Kael blocked the teeth of the monster charging at me with his sword blade.
In the meantime, I again cast the flame magic I had used earlier in front of the monster's eyes. But there was no response as if it didn't work for some reason.
'Now that I think about it, I stumbled as if I had lost my sense of direction.'
He didn't show any aggression, but now he's running wild. It looks just like a rabid dog. As I thought about that, my fear of being bitten grew even more.
I was able to move my body around, but it was now at its limit. Before my eyes, I saw a mouth so wide that it could swallow me whole.
While facing the sharp fangs, I closed my eyes tightly.
Deep.
I heard the sound of my teeth sinking somewhere, but I didn't feel any pain.
When I opened my eyes in confusion, I saw Kael blocking my path. A monster's tooth was stuck in his arm.
In that gap, the man plunged the blade deep into the open mouth. When the sharp sword reached its throat, the monster let out a painful sound.
The monster, which had been trembling for a long time, collapsed with a life-threatening cry. Only then did Kael pull out the blade and wipe the blood from his face with his sleeve.
"... Are you hurt anywhere?"
After shaking off the blood from the blade and straightening the sheath, Kael turned to me and asked.
"..."
“Enri?”
"I just said I would participate in the banquet for no reason."
Tears were dripping down my cheeks. A light pink liquid was seen mixed with the blood that had been applied earlier.
"Being a burden and hurting Kael...."
"Oh my."
Kael shook his head and approached.
"Your response was excellent. You were braver than anyone I've ever seen."
"But you got hurt trying to protect me."
"Even if my arm gets cut off, it's better than seeing your tears."
It was a sweet and soft voice.
"So stop crying."
Suddenly, I couldn't resist the urge to hug him as hard as I could. If I were to give this feeling a name, what would I call it?
I sniffled and thought back on the salvation I had received from him so far. It was the moment I was about to get closer.
Kael showed a rare stumbling and leaned against a tree. Embarrassment flashed in the man's eyes.
"What's wrong?"
"... I'm a little dizzy."
Now that I think about it, the blood flowing from Kael's arm, which had been bitten by a monster, was clearly visible.
"Wow, I should have checked the wound first, I'm sorry."
I used a simple hemostasis spell that I learned from Vermont for the second time. After the bleeding stopped, I was able to take a closer look at the exposed wound.
Then something strange soon became apparent. There was a strange blue glow on the long scar on the arm. He showed no particular reaction to the pain that was clearly quite felt but narrowed his eyebrows as if something troublesome had happened.
"It looks like the monster ate the Kuron fruit before it bit me. Somehow, the poison remained in the fangs."
"Do you mean poison?"
"This may be why he couldn't walk well at first, staggered, or showed aggression. It has anesthetic properties."
Kael clicked his tongue and waved his arms around.
"It is not the type that is harmful to the human body. Rather, it is closer to a hallucinogenic drug and is usually used as a confessional agent...."
"What if it's a confession?"
"The right amount of anesthesia clouds the memory of the person taking it and brings out their hidden nature."
"It won't be like that forever, right?"
I asked, shocked.
"I am resistant to poison, so it will take about a day at most."
Kael spoke as if reassuring me, but his words were vague.
"It would have been better if it had been a different kind of poison..."
I blinked and asked, looking very troubled.
"I'm glad it's not harmful to your body. It's called a confession, but Kael doesn't have anything to hide from me, so wouldn't it be okay?"
"..."
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
A man with a strangely empty smile looked at me with embarrassed eyes. Then he wiped his face and muttered inaudibly.
"Oh, this is really troublesome..."
***
I became anxious due to the unexpected appearance of two monsters, so I cast a tracking spell using the ingredients left on the corpse.
No more individuals left nearby.
However, Kael's condition was becoming so bad that it could not be said to be good. It may be impolite to compare, but like the monster before, it was confused about its direction and stumbled.
Since all the monsters had been defeated, there was no reason to be in such a hurry. In the end, I decided that it would be impossible to walk back in Kael's condition.
We started looking for a place to camp for the night. Before long, I found a cozy cave nearby where I could escape the cold.
By the way, I definitely had that thought when I left.
'No way, there's no way it would ever happen to me to be stranded alone in a cave.'
Did I raise the flag without realizing it?
As the sunset began to set, I gathered edible grass and berries and prepared a simple meal.
It seems like only yesterday that I was complaining to Vermont that I didn't need a survival lesson in the wild. It was a bigger help than I thought, so I was embarrassed and grateful.
Even though his body was slowly growing feverish, Kael faithfully completed chores such as blocking the entrance to the cave and preparing a bed.
"Thank you, Enri."
Kael said after pouring down the little bit of food he had in one mouthful.
"Take a break when you're talking like that! Oh my god, the heat is boiling."
Kael, who obediently gave me his forehead, nodded. His eyes were blinking very slowly, probably due to the anesthesia.
His hair, which was always neat, was soaked with sweat and matted, and his top, which had fallen into the water, had been taken off and left to dry.
You shouldn't think like this in front of a sick person. It's not that I don't want to see that, but it somehow gives me a different kind of tension...
"Sleep first. I'll clean up after myself and then lie down."
"I don't like it. If I fall asleep in this state, I will definitely be spouting nonsense...."
"So you're saying you're going to stay up all night like that?"
I asked back in bewilderment. And he continued speaking faster than Kael's response.
"I will take responsibility and nurse you all night, so don't worry, just close your eyes."
"That's what I don't like, Enri."
"I will understand even if you swear or treat me poorly. They say it's some kind of hallucinogenic drug. It's probably not nature."
"That won't happen, but...."
Kael groaned like a person hiding a big secret.
"I am a little, no. Even if things get quite weird, don't stay away. The forest at night can be dangerous."
"I understand, so take a break."
Even after reaching this point, I looked pitifully at the man who put my worries first.
"You have to eat well and sleep well to overcome poison or anything else quickly."
After hearing my strong voice, Kael ended up lying down on the cold stone floor.
When I saw the weakness of a man who always seemed strong, my heart ached.
“Enri.”
"Yes."
I got over my upset and answered his call. I could see the orange sunset that filled the world beyond the gap in the rock-blocked cave.
It was a strangely beautiful sight.
“Enri.”
"Yes, I am here."
"I'm sorry for deceiving you."
Kael spoke as if trying to squeeze out his cracked voice for the last time.
"I was too greedy."
"..."
"My empty heart is pounding, it's my first time experiencing something like that. I guess I was afraid of losing it."
I couldn't understand anything that was being said. Still, I somehow felt like I had to listen to that sentence to the end.
"...I'm sorry."
Kael muttered one last time and soon fell into a deep sleep. I gently straightened his forehead, which was slightly distorted from pain. I need to wake up and ask what he's so sorry about.
For now, all I can do is trust and wait.
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