“Everyone gets out of the way? I was the first one to find that guy!”
Loctin, who had succeeded in drawing in his own kind and driving Sylvia to a dead end, proudly pushed his way through the demons and stood at the front. Loctin looked at Sylvia with his mouth open.
'Hehehe, it looks like they've caught all the prey.'
If he could catch that human and offer him to the Demon King's Castle, he could be recognized for his achievements and become a mid-level demon. He was intoxicated by the dream of rising in status that was right in front of him, so he called out all of his followers that he had been saving.
“So if you surrender, I will at least end it without pain. I swear it on my name.”
Locktin spoke in a very affectionate voice. However, the monsters drooling at his feet and staring intently at Sylvia did not seem to share the same views as their master.
“..."
Sylvia looked at Locktin silently. Blood flowed down her eyes. Since neither darkness nor healing magic could be used on her, the blood continued to flow without stopping.
'I feel a little dizzy.'
Perhaps because the bleeding hadn’t stopped, the corners of her vision were starting to blur. She let out a breath and glared at Locktin. Her clear golden eyes shone with the will to live. Locktin shuddered once more and let out a cry.
“Yeah, this sounds more fun than strangling helpless prey. Very nice!”
The demons and monsters, including Locktin, rushed at Sylvia all at once. Sylvia tried her best to fight them off, but the blood flowing from her eyes prevented her from doing so. She clicked her tongue at herself inwardly.
'If I had known this would happen, I would have trained in advance.'
She guessed her stamina was already exhausted because her limbs gradually stopped moving as she wanted them to.
Slash!
'I don't want to die.'
He felt the monster behind him, quickly moving through the bushes, chasing him. He pretended to be tough until the end, but in the end, he was really just an ordinary boy who was afraid of death. Cleon gritted his teeth with a pale face. His breath came out through his teeth in ragged gasps.
'I don't want to die...!'
Kiiiiiik!
The moment Cleon saw the inside of the monster's mouth covered in green mucus and shed tears, his chin trembled.
Loctin, who had succeeded in drawing in his own kind and driving Sylvia to a dead end, proudly pushed his way through the demons and stood at the front. Loctin looked at Sylvia with his mouth open.
'Hehehe, it looks like they've caught all the prey.'
If he could catch that human and offer him to the Demon King's Castle, he could be recognized for his achievements and become a mid-level demon. He was intoxicated by the dream of rising in status that was right in front of him, so he called out all of his followers that he had been saving.
Krrrrung.
Even among the low-level demons, Locktin was known to be quite strong. He shrugged after summoning a whopping thirty monsters.
“Hey, human.”
“...”
“I don’t know how you came to be able to control the darkness, or how you came to be here, but don’t you think that the current situation is too difficult for you to survive?”
“..."
“Hey, human.”
“...”
“I don’t know how you came to be able to control the darkness, or how you came to be here, but don’t you think that the current situation is too difficult for you to survive?”
“..."
“So if you surrender, I will at least end it without pain. I swear it on my name.”
Locktin spoke in a very affectionate voice. However, the monsters drooling at his feet and staring intently at Sylvia did not seem to share the same views as their master.
“..."
Sylvia looked at Locktin silently. Blood flowed down her eyes. Since neither darkness nor healing magic could be used on her, the blood continued to flow without stopping.
'I feel a little dizzy.'
Perhaps because the bleeding hadn’t stopped, the corners of her vision were starting to blur. She let out a breath and glared at Locktin. Her clear golden eyes shone with the will to live. Locktin shuddered once more and let out a cry.
“Yeah, this sounds more fun than strangling helpless prey. Very nice!”
The demons and monsters, including Locktin, rushed at Sylvia all at once. Sylvia tried her best to fight them off, but the blood flowing from her eyes prevented her from doing so. She clicked her tongue at herself inwardly.
'If I had known this would happen, I would have trained in advance.'
She guessed her stamina was already exhausted because her limbs gradually stopped moving as she wanted them to.
Bam-!
“Ugh...”
At that moment, a monster sank its teeth deep into Sylvia's arm. She immediately used darkness to shake off the monster, but blood flowed out again from the newly formed wound. Perhaps because she had lost so much blood, her vision momentarily spun around. In her upside-down vision, she saw Locktin running towards her with a strangely smiling face.
“Ugh...”
At that moment, a monster sank its teeth deep into Sylvia's arm. She immediately used darkness to shake off the monster, but blood flowed out again from the newly formed wound. Perhaps because she had lost so much blood, her vision momentarily spun around. In her upside-down vision, she saw Locktin running towards her with a strangely smiling face.
At that moment.
“Ugh!”
A scream erupted from behind Locktin. Startled, Locktin reflexively stopped moving and looked back. It was the last action he could perform under his own will.
"What..."
“Ugh!”
A scream erupted from behind Locktin. Startled, Locktin reflexively stopped moving and looked back. It was the last action he could perform under his own will.
"What..."
Slash!
A single, most basic vertical slash. The sharp tip of the sword cut down Locktin's back.
“Ugh!”
Locktin screamed and fell to the ground. He could not move from the pain that engulfed his entire body and only groaned. Sylvia opened her eyes wide at the faint dark energy on the sword that had cut Locktin and the figure of the person holding the sword.
“...Randall?”
Amidst the fluttering drops of blood, Randall appeared with an eerie look in his eyes. While she doubted her eyes, Randall began to kill the other demons and monsters surrounding her one by one.
“Ugh!”
Locktin screamed and fell to the ground. He could not move from the pain that engulfed his entire body and only groaned. Sylvia opened her eyes wide at the faint dark energy on the sword that had cut Locktin and the figure of the person holding the sword.
“...Randall?”
Amidst the fluttering drops of blood, Randall appeared with an eerie look in his eyes. While she doubted her eyes, Randall began to kill the other demons and monsters surrounding her one by one.
Keeeeek!
“Humans again...!”
“What the heck is going on...!”
Randall also disabled other demons by injuring their arms or legs. Every time he swung his sword, the sword energy on his sword shook uneasily. Was it because she was watching?
“Humans again...!”
“What the heck is going on...!”
Randall also disabled other demons by injuring their arms or legs. Every time he swung his sword, the sword energy on his sword shook uneasily. Was it because she was watching?
His knees felt weak, and his body shook like Randalll's sword energy. It was only a moment before his balance shifted to his back.
"Ah...!"
The body tilted into the air. Sylvia let out a sigh without realizing it and reached out to Randall. He stopped cutting the demon tribe at that sound and looked at her, his eyes wide open. Randall kicked the ground toward Sylvia and reached out to meet her.
"Ah...!"
The body tilted into the air. Sylvia let out a sigh without realizing it and reached out to Randall. He stopped cutting the demon tribe at that sound and looked at her, his eyes wide open. Randall kicked the ground toward Sylvia and reached out to meet her.
His lips parted. A scream of shock escaped.
“Alice!”
'...What?'
Sylvia doubted her ears for a moment. But before she could find the answer to that question, Sylvia's body fell into the valley.
“Alice!”
'...What?'
Sylvia doubted her ears for a moment. But before she could find the answer to that question, Sylvia's body fell into the valley.
Splash!
With a splash, Sylvia's body sank into the blue water. She stared blankly at the black shadows that floated in her dizzying vision of bubbles.
'How did that name, Randall...?'
With that thought, her consciousness sank beneath the surface.
'How did that name, Randall...?'
With that thought, her consciousness sank beneath the surface.
***
It was the era of the great overflow of monsters. The number of children who had become orphans due to monsters and demons was so great that it was hard to walk on them. Cleon, who was later called the warrior, had a similar past.
“Hey, White Hair! Don’t you want to do it properly? I got caught because of you!”
After losing his parents, Cleon followed the trail of a gang of thieves who, like him, had become orphans and were wandering the streets to survive. However, the thieves did not take kindly to him because of his unusually pretty appearance and small build. If he had been well-behaved, it would have been different, but he had an unusually bad temper.
“Hey, White Hair! Don’t you want to do it properly? I got caught because of you!”
After losing his parents, Cleon followed the trail of a gang of thieves who, like him, had become orphans and were wandering the streets to survive. However, the thieves did not take kindly to him because of his unusually pretty appearance and small build. If he had been well-behaved, it would have been different, but he had an unusually bad temper.
However, Cleon was so persistent that they reluctantly included him in the group, but as expected, Cleon often failed to fulfill his assigned quota every day. And that was not all. He also interfered with the other children's work, so the thieves could not help but feel twisted.
Thud-!
“Don’t follow me, lump of luggage.”
“You useless bastard. Just die here.”
In the end, the bandits beat Cleon up and fled, leaving him in a forest full of monsters. Cleon tried to crawl on the ground to keep up with them, but it was no use. Cleon had no choice but to lie down in the middle of the forest and cover his eyes with one arm. From his beautiful lips, he muttered the most vicious curses.
“No matter what, you’re just going to leave people to die, you damn bastards... Ah, I’m going to be a bastard too.”
But the swearing soon turned to self-mockery. Cleon covered his eyes with one arm and listened blankly to the howls of the monsters that could be heard from far away.
"Ah..."
Why am I so useless? I can’t do anything.
“Don’t follow me, lump of luggage.”
“You useless bastard. Just die here.”
In the end, the bandits beat Cleon up and fled, leaving him in a forest full of monsters. Cleon tried to crawl on the ground to keep up with them, but it was no use. Cleon had no choice but to lie down in the middle of the forest and cover his eyes with one arm. From his beautiful lips, he muttered the most vicious curses.
“No matter what, you’re just going to leave people to die, you damn bastards... Ah, I’m going to be a bastard too.”
But the swearing soon turned to self-mockery. Cleon covered his eyes with one arm and listened blankly to the howls of the monsters that could be heard from far away.
"Ah..."
Why am I so useless? I can’t do anything.
How nice would it be if, instead of a pretty appearance, God had given me the ability to steal things without being noticed? Instead of a thin build, I had a body that wouldn’t get hungry for three days without eating anything?
Cleon lay sprawled on his stomach, lost in such idle fantasies. In fact, it was right that he had been escaping into his imagination because reality was too much.
Kiiik-!
At that moment, he heard a monster’s cry from not far away. The moment he heard that cry, he suddenly came to his senses. A cold sensation ran down his spine. Cleon jumped up. And he started running like crazy in the opposite direction of the cry.
'I don't want to die.'
He felt the monster behind him, quickly moving through the bushes, chasing him. He pretended to be tough until the end, but in the end, he was really just an ordinary boy who was afraid of death. Cleon gritted his teeth with a pale face. His breath came out through his teeth in ragged gasps.
'I don't want to die...!'
Kiiiiiik!
Then the monster chasing him jumped up and pounced on his back.
Clang!
Cleon's body rolled on the floor in disarray under the weight. He desperately flailed his arms and legs against the monster on top of him.
“Ugh! Get out! Get out!”
Kik! Kik!
“Ugh! Get out! Get out!”
Kik! Kik!
The monster snickered as if it found it amusing that its prey, which was less than half its size, was struggling. The spider-like creature used its legs to easily secure Cleon’s wrists and ankles. The monster opened its mouth wide at Cleon, who was shaking his head wildly.
“Ugh, shit...!”
The moment Cleon saw the inside of the monster's mouth covered in green mucus and shed tears, his chin trembled.
Boom!
Kiiik!
An arrow of flame flew in from somewhere and pierced the monster's body. The monster immediately screamed and let go of Cleon and started to fight. However, it soon trembled its legs, rolled over, and died.
“How did this happen...”
Cleon raised his upper body, dumbfounded. At that moment, the arrow stuck in the monster’s body disappeared and a clear voice pierced his ears.
“I didn’t know there would be a child in a place like this... Are you okay?”
A child. Cleon turned his head, grimacing reflexively as he remembered the thieves' frequent derogatory remarks about him as a brat. There was a woman there. A rather cute woman who did not fit in with the gloomy purple forest. The woman with long black hair and ruby-red eyes widened her eyes after checking Cleon's face.
“Oh my, you cried. It’s okay. That monster is completely dead. It won’t be able to eat you anymore.”
“...!”
Cleon belatedly realized that there were tear stains on his face, turned his head, and rubbed his face with his sleeve. In the meantime, a woman came closer to Cleon. She was holding a long staff with a yellow jewel in her hand and asked him with curious eyes.
“What’s your name, little one?”
“Don’t call me kid!”
Cleon avoided the woman's gaze out of inexplicable shame, then cried out. But the woman stood firm.
“How did this happen...”
Cleon raised his upper body, dumbfounded. At that moment, the arrow stuck in the monster’s body disappeared and a clear voice pierced his ears.
“I didn’t know there would be a child in a place like this... Are you okay?”
A child. Cleon turned his head, grimacing reflexively as he remembered the thieves' frequent derogatory remarks about him as a brat. There was a woman there. A rather cute woman who did not fit in with the gloomy purple forest. The woman with long black hair and ruby-red eyes widened her eyes after checking Cleon's face.
“Oh my, you cried. It’s okay. That monster is completely dead. It won’t be able to eat you anymore.”
“...!”
Cleon belatedly realized that there were tear stains on his face, turned his head, and rubbed his face with his sleeve. In the meantime, a woman came closer to Cleon. She was holding a long staff with a yellow jewel in her hand and asked him with curious eyes.
“What’s your name, little one?”
“Don’t call me kid!”
Cleon avoided the woman's gaze out of inexplicable shame, then cried out. But the woman stood firm.
“Then what do you call a kid instead of calling him a kid?”
“I’m not a kid! I may be a little short because I didn’t eat well, but...! I’m already fifteen!”
“People call that a child.”
"Eek!"
Cleon was at a loss for words and just gasped in anger. He pursed his lips and eventually turned around, thinking to himself, 'Are you avoiding me because I'm dirty or because I'm scared?' However, the woman followed him.
“...Go away! I won’t tell you!”
“What’s your name? I saved you from being eaten by a monster, and you can’t even tell me that much?”
“Who asked you to save me? I told you to ignore me and go your own way?”
“Yes? Yes. Take care.”
Cleon, who had repeatedly shouted at the woman to get out, flinched at the affirmation that came back more readily than he had expected. As the woman swung her staff, a circle of complicated letters appeared in the air.
'...Are you a wizard?'
Cleon opened his eyes wide as he realized that it was the 'magic circle' he had only heard of. And at the same time, he realized that she was really going to leave. Without realizing it, Cleon reached out his hand urgently toward the woman.
“Hey, wait! Are you really going?”
“You said to go?”
“Is this the forest of demons?”
"So?"
“...”
The woman tilted her head with an innocent face. Then, for a moment, she felt as if her breath had been suffocated. Cleon unconsciously moved his lips silently.
'... Don't go.'
I'm sorry, I was wrong. Don't leave me. I don't want to be alone. I'm scared. I...
'I want to live.'
Incoherent words lingered in his mouth. They were the pleas he had not been able to make to the thieves who had abandoned him. However, Cleon was unable to say anything and simply bit his lips.
'Well, there's no way she'd take a burden like me... right?'
Cleon lowered his head in resignation. He was angry, but the words of the thieves were all true. He was nothing but a parasite who had no ability and was desperate to live by clinging to others. He even had a hollow pride that prevented him from saying thank you or asking for his life, even in this situation where he owed her his life. Wasn’t he a complete swindler with all three elements?
“I’m not a kid! I may be a little short because I didn’t eat well, but...! I’m already fifteen!”
“People call that a child.”
"Eek!"
Cleon was at a loss for words and just gasped in anger. He pursed his lips and eventually turned around, thinking to himself, 'Are you avoiding me because I'm dirty or because I'm scared?' However, the woman followed him.
“...Go away! I won’t tell you!”
“What’s your name? I saved you from being eaten by a monster, and you can’t even tell me that much?”
“Who asked you to save me? I told you to ignore me and go your own way?”
“Yes? Yes. Take care.”
Cleon, who had repeatedly shouted at the woman to get out, flinched at the affirmation that came back more readily than he had expected. As the woman swung her staff, a circle of complicated letters appeared in the air.
'...Are you a wizard?'
Cleon opened his eyes wide as he realized that it was the 'magic circle' he had only heard of. And at the same time, he realized that she was really going to leave. Without realizing it, Cleon reached out his hand urgently toward the woman.
“Hey, wait! Are you really going?”
“You said to go?”
“Is this the forest of demons?”
"So?"
“...”
The woman tilted her head with an innocent face. Then, for a moment, she felt as if her breath had been suffocated. Cleon unconsciously moved his lips silently.
'... Don't go.'
I'm sorry, I was wrong. Don't leave me. I don't want to be alone. I'm scared. I...
'I want to live.'
Incoherent words lingered in his mouth. They were the pleas he had not been able to make to the thieves who had abandoned him. However, Cleon was unable to say anything and simply bit his lips.
'Well, there's no way she'd take a burden like me... right?'
Cleon lowered his head in resignation. He was angry, but the words of the thieves were all true. He was nothing but a parasite who had no ability and was desperate to live by clinging to others. He even had a hollow pride that prevented him from saying thank you or asking for his life, even in this situation where he owed her his life. Wasn’t he a complete swindler with all three elements?
He glanced up as if checking the woman’s expression when he thought that.
“...!”
What Cleon witnessed was not a mockery, but a smile. The moment he saw that smile, his heart sank.
'Ah.'
The woman didn't know that Cleon was a man who could do nothing but show off his pride and that he was abandoned by his colleagues because of that. It was natural since he didn't open his mouth. But she smiled affectionately as if she knew all the things he couldn't say as if she understood even that. So pitifully, she felt like crying.
“...!”
What Cleon witnessed was not a mockery, but a smile. The moment he saw that smile, his heart sank.
'Ah.'
The woman didn't know that Cleon was a man who could do nothing but show off his pride and that he was abandoned by his colleagues because of that. It was natural since he didn't open his mouth. But she smiled affectionately as if she knew all the things he couldn't say as if she understood even that. So pitifully, she felt like crying.
Support Novellate!
Comments
Post a Comment