Episode 97. I Love You So Much, Dad
A week ago, Hiloshine.
“Haaah... I feel a bit down today.”
A knight muttered.
Hiloshine was mostly peaceful.
They had increased their defenses since Haylin was kidnapped, but with prolonged peace comes forgetting.
They were slowly forgetting the past.
“I hope it stays like this.”
The cheerful chirping of insects filled the garden.
“When’s the next patrol coming in?”
“Ah, there they are. I can sleep now. Rookie!”
The knight waved at the people running towards him.
“Rookie?”
“Yeah. I heard they’re just people who know how to use a sword. Hiloshine’s been replenishing their forces lately. All these guys are flocking in. It seems like there are quite a few who know how to use a sword among them.”
“Hmm. Isn’t that dangerous? Knowing how to use a sword...”
“So that’s why I can’t pass on important missions and only send them on patrols like this. I can’t leave my post.”
“I guess you’re willing to take a certain amount of risk.”
While the knights were chatting, the shift change arrived.
The knight who had been called a rookie bowed his head proudly.
“Hello, senior!”
“Uh, uh. It’s good to see you like this. Did you get some sleep?”
“Yes!”
The man, burning with enthusiasm, answered briskly.
His muscles were toned, as if he had wielded a sword, though clumsily.
“What about your partner? He wouldn’t patrol alone, would he?”
“Oh, he said he was a little late because he had to use the bathroom...”
“I see. Looks like he has a stomachache or something.”
“Hahahaha...”
“Well, thank you for your hard work.”
The senior knight patted him on the shoulder and left with his partner.
The young man left behind clutched his sword with a nervous expression.
Who knows what might be lurking in the quiet darkness?
He remembered the events of the past.
A man had been kidnapped from this massive fortress.
How could he forget that day, filled with a murderous aura? He never wanted to repeat it. He hadn't joined the Knights to become a great hero.
He simply wanted to earn a decent amount of money, meet a decent woman, get married, and start a family.
It was a simple dream.
"Oh, why aren't you coming?"
The young man muttered, his legs shaking with nervousness.
Being alone seemed even scarier.
Something seemed poised to burst out from the thick undergrowth, or from a tree that had grown over the fence. The young man's imagination kept branching out.
"I told you to drink less beer."
He complained. Just as he was about to turn his head, a strong arm wrapped around his neck.
"Ah...!"
With a final scream, the young man's neck snapped to the side.
The man who had pushed the suddenly dead young man to the ground rose from the darkness.
"Whew."
Hiloshine's security was tight.
There wasn't even an hour to spare.
What could he do? All he had to do was create a gap.
He snuck in, picking out the few who looked the most inexperienced.
“What about the other guy?”
Asked another man, emerging from the bushes.
“I don’t know. I can’t see him. Move quickly. You know the shifts are short!”
A week ago, Hiloshine.
“Haaah... I feel a bit down today.”
A knight muttered.
Hiloshine was mostly peaceful.
They had increased their defenses since Haylin was kidnapped, but with prolonged peace comes forgetting.
They were slowly forgetting the past.
“I hope it stays like this.”
The cheerful chirping of insects filled the garden.
“When’s the next patrol coming in?”
“Ah, there they are. I can sleep now. Rookie!”
The knight waved at the people running towards him.
“Rookie?”
“Yeah. I heard they’re just people who know how to use a sword. Hiloshine’s been replenishing their forces lately. All these guys are flocking in. It seems like there are quite a few who know how to use a sword among them.”
“Hmm. Isn’t that dangerous? Knowing how to use a sword...”
“So that’s why I can’t pass on important missions and only send them on patrols like this. I can’t leave my post.”
“I guess you’re willing to take a certain amount of risk.”
While the knights were chatting, the shift change arrived.
The knight who had been called a rookie bowed his head proudly.
“Hello, senior!”
“Uh, uh. It’s good to see you like this. Did you get some sleep?”
“Yes!”
The man, burning with enthusiasm, answered briskly.
His muscles were toned, as if he had wielded a sword, though clumsily.
“What about your partner? He wouldn’t patrol alone, would he?”
“Oh, he said he was a little late because he had to use the bathroom...”
“I see. Looks like he has a stomachache or something.”
“Hahahaha...”
“Well, thank you for your hard work.”
The senior knight patted him on the shoulder and left with his partner.
The young man left behind clutched his sword with a nervous expression.
Who knows what might be lurking in the quiet darkness?
He remembered the events of the past.
A man had been kidnapped from this massive fortress.
How could he forget that day, filled with a murderous aura? He never wanted to repeat it. He hadn't joined the Knights to become a great hero.
He simply wanted to earn a decent amount of money, meet a decent woman, get married, and start a family.
It was a simple dream.
"Oh, why aren't you coming?"
The young man muttered, his legs shaking with nervousness.
Being alone seemed even scarier.
Something seemed poised to burst out from the thick undergrowth, or from a tree that had grown over the fence. The young man's imagination kept branching out.
"I told you to drink less beer."
He complained. Just as he was about to turn his head, a strong arm wrapped around his neck.
"Ah...!"
With a final scream, the young man's neck snapped to the side.
The man who had pushed the suddenly dead young man to the ground rose from the darkness.
"Whew."
Hiloshine's security was tight.
There wasn't even an hour to spare.
What could he do? All he had to do was create a gap.
He snuck in, picking out the few who looked the most inexperienced.
“What about the other guy?”
Asked another man, emerging from the bushes.
“I don’t know. I can’t see him. Move quickly. You know the shifts are short!”
The man, his mind racing nervously, tugged at his colleague’s arm.
“This is the end of his life, right?”
“Huh! You don’t trust me? ”
The man spat irritably.
“This is the end of his life, right?”
“Huh! You don’t trust me? ”
The man spat irritably.
“You have to test a stone bridge before crossing it.”
The man who spoke soothingly tapped the dead young man’s cheek. Only after confirming his death did the man rise. In their place remained a drooping young knight with small dreams. A lost dream.
***
Brixton hadn’t slept until late into the night. His eyes were heavy. Why was he so anxious today? A strange anxiety stabbed Brixton.
Brixton sighed and began to flip through his papers. Hiloshine was growing at a truly rapid pace. The weapons and armors produced in-house were not sold but were piled up in warehouses.
The blacksmith shop wasn't just about making weapons.
They sold the high-quality farming tools they crafted to other territories, generating a profit.
Hiring new knights swelled the Knights' Order, and with it, a wave of people.
The Yi tribesmen also played a role.
Fortunately, the Yi tribesmen and the Hiloshine people were blending in well, but...
Brixton dug his head.
The Yi tribe leader.
This woman was the problem.
"There were royals who survived..."
There had to be a reason the Yi tribes hadn't disintegrated and were still living together.
The middle-aged woman, who was looking at Brixton with a solemn expression, was quite impressive.
"What should I do?"
Brixton ran a finger over his lips.
His thoughts raced.
Unable to reach a conclusion, Brixton sat up.
Rather than killing time like this, he felt it would be better to at least see the child's face one more time.
Isabella was growing up too quickly. He heard she was learning swordsmanship these days, but the child didn't show any signs of difficulty.
Perhaps it was because of Haylin's absence?
Brixton wiped his face with a dry hand.
Just as Brixton was about to open the child's room without hesitation, the door refused to open, as if blocked by something.
Brixton pushed the door hard.
"Damn it."
A voice mixed with metal, something that should never have been heard, came from within.
Every nerve in his body felt tense.
Brixton quickly drew his sword.
The door shattered as he pushed it, revealing the scene inside.
"Ah, Daddy!!"
Isabella trembled, clutching the sword.
Her round face was covered in wounds.
"You little rat!"
"How long are you going to stall for this!!"
One of the assailants swung his sword at Brixton.
Brixton countered.
They were clearly specialized for this kind of thing.
Brixton's muscles tensed.
Tension and anxiety filled the room.
"Baby, Isabella! Just hold on a little longer!!"
Brixton quickly cornered the assailant.
Brixton was renowned for his swift swordsmanship.
Even on the battlefield, it was hard to find someone with a sword as fast as him.
Brixton gasped.
His sword was imbued with desperation.
Clang!
The assailant's sword clashed with Brixton's, tracing a trajectory through the air.
Seeing his own sword crumpled to the ground, the assailant gritted his teeth and lunged at Brixton.
"Ugh!"
"Haap!"
Brixton's sword sliced through the air.
Clang! Blood splattered.
Brixton quickly spun around.
"Isabella!!!"
Brixton was about to move.
"You'd better stop!"
The man wheezed.
Isabella was in his hands.
The sword fell from the child's hand and rolled on the floor.
The child, her eyes swollen, struggled.
“Let go of it!!!! I’m telling you to let go!!”
The assailant held Isabella tightly, possessed by evil.
Brixton dropped his sword the moment he saw the man put it to the child’s neck.
It was only natural that man wanted it.
“Yes, you should listen to me.”
“Dad... don’t do that. Huhu...”
Isabella bit her lip and let her tears flow.
Her sorrow, uncharacteristic of a child, was thick.
“Who sent you?”
Brixton asked in a calm voice.
“Does it matter?”
“It does. Even if you escape from here, Hiloshine will pursue you to the end. But what if you reveal who’s behind you? Our swords will be pointed at him.”
The man frowned.
“If neither of us makes it out alive, then there’s no need to worry about word getting out, right?”
“Then consider it mercy. I need to know why he’s dying.”
Brixton stared into the child’s eyes.
Isabella looked at Brixton through blurred vision.
At that moment, Brixton's voice seemed to be heard in Isabella's head.
"Isabella, everyone lets their guard down at times. If you're in danger...Of course, I hope not. You have to wait for that moment."
Isabella blinked.
Brixton blinked, as if the thought was correct.
Isabella bit her trembling lip.
Brixton, standing defenseless, felt uneasy.
Isabella's small heart began to pound rapidly.
"Mercy? Yes, good. Do you know a man named Henry? I think he's blind."
Brixton asked, his teeth clenched.
"He came here with a lot of evil in his eyes. He offered a large sum of money to kill this brat. A sum that mercenaries would risk their lives for."
Finally, the seed of anxiety sprouted. Henry.
"Damn that seed."
The seed Laxus had no choice but to embrace had betrayed them.
Surely, he couldn't have missed this commotion.
Helena and Jane are always near the child, so they'll soon be gathering people.
If I can just hold out until then...!
"How about I give you that money? On the condition that you release the child and return quietly. No, I'll give you double the amount."
"There's such a thing as trust in this business. If you do something like that, you'll be hunted down?"
"Three times."
The man's eyes wavered.
With that money, he could run away overseas and live a life of leisure.
He could even buy a woman and marry her...
"Three times...?"
"Yes. I can pay you right now. I've heard that money's been accumulating in Hiloshine lately, haven't you?"
"That's true."
The man trailed off.
Brixton blinked once more.
Isabella, recognizing the signal, rammed her elbow into the man's chest.
"Ugh! You damn brat!!!"
The man extended his devilish hand toward Isabella.
"Baby!!"
Brixton's embrace of Isabella coincided with the assailant swinging his sword.
Brixton realized he could neither dodge nor block the blade. Brixton turned, still holding Isabella in his arms.
He protected the child, his back exposed.
"Hmph!!"
Brixton stifled a groan.
Isabella was in his arms.
The pain slicing through his back tore at him, but he couldn't open his mouth.
"This is crazy. Yeah, it wouldn't be a bad thing if you died!"
The assailant was about to swing his sword again.
"Catch him now!!!"
The knights rushed in, accompanied by Jane's piercing scream.
Brixton barely managed to lift his blackened eyelids.
"Baby. Are you okay?"
"...Ah, Daddy... Daddy..."
Brixton hugged Isabella tightly, trembling and unable to speak. He had protected her. Fortunately, his treasure was unharmed.
This time, he had truly protected her.
Brixton stroked the child's cheek.
"I love you, Isabella... Daddy loves you so much."
With those words, Brixton finally lost consciousness.
The blacksmith shop wasn't just about making weapons.
They sold the high-quality farming tools they crafted to other territories, generating a profit.
Hiring new knights swelled the Knights' Order, and with it, a wave of people.
The Yi tribesmen also played a role.
Fortunately, the Yi tribesmen and the Hiloshine people were blending in well, but...
Brixton dug his head.
The Yi tribe leader.
This woman was the problem.
"There were royals who survived..."
There had to be a reason the Yi tribes hadn't disintegrated and were still living together.
The middle-aged woman, who was looking at Brixton with a solemn expression, was quite impressive.
"What should I do?"
Brixton ran a finger over his lips.
His thoughts raced.
Unable to reach a conclusion, Brixton sat up.
Rather than killing time like this, he felt it would be better to at least see the child's face one more time.
Isabella was growing up too quickly. He heard she was learning swordsmanship these days, but the child didn't show any signs of difficulty.
Perhaps it was because of Haylin's absence?
Brixton wiped his face with a dry hand.
Just as Brixton was about to open the child's room without hesitation, the door refused to open, as if blocked by something.
Brixton pushed the door hard.
"Damn it."
A voice mixed with metal, something that should never have been heard, came from within.
Every nerve in his body felt tense.
Brixton quickly drew his sword.
The door shattered as he pushed it, revealing the scene inside.
"Ah, Daddy!!"
Isabella trembled, clutching the sword.
Her round face was covered in wounds.
"You little rat!"
"How long are you going to stall for this!!"
One of the assailants swung his sword at Brixton.
Brixton countered.
They were clearly specialized for this kind of thing.
Brixton's muscles tensed.
Tension and anxiety filled the room.
"Baby, Isabella! Just hold on a little longer!!"
Brixton quickly cornered the assailant.
Brixton was renowned for his swift swordsmanship.
Even on the battlefield, it was hard to find someone with a sword as fast as him.
Brixton gasped.
His sword was imbued with desperation.
Clang!
The assailant's sword clashed with Brixton's, tracing a trajectory through the air.
Seeing his own sword crumpled to the ground, the assailant gritted his teeth and lunged at Brixton.
"Ugh!"
"Haap!"
Brixton's sword sliced through the air.
Clang! Blood splattered.
Brixton quickly spun around.
"Isabella!!!"
Brixton was about to move.
"You'd better stop!"
The man wheezed.
Isabella was in his hands.
The sword fell from the child's hand and rolled on the floor.
The child, her eyes swollen, struggled.
“Let go of it!!!! I’m telling you to let go!!”
The assailant held Isabella tightly, possessed by evil.
Brixton dropped his sword the moment he saw the man put it to the child’s neck.
It was only natural that man wanted it.
“Yes, you should listen to me.”
“Dad... don’t do that. Huhu...”
Isabella bit her lip and let her tears flow.
Her sorrow, uncharacteristic of a child, was thick.
“Who sent you?”
Brixton asked in a calm voice.
“Does it matter?”
“It does. Even if you escape from here, Hiloshine will pursue you to the end. But what if you reveal who’s behind you? Our swords will be pointed at him.”
The man frowned.
“If neither of us makes it out alive, then there’s no need to worry about word getting out, right?”
“Then consider it mercy. I need to know why he’s dying.”
Brixton stared into the child’s eyes.
Isabella looked at Brixton through blurred vision.
At that moment, Brixton's voice seemed to be heard in Isabella's head.
"Isabella, everyone lets their guard down at times. If you're in danger...Of course, I hope not. You have to wait for that moment."
Isabella blinked.
Brixton blinked, as if the thought was correct.
Isabella bit her trembling lip.
Brixton, standing defenseless, felt uneasy.
Isabella's small heart began to pound rapidly.
"Mercy? Yes, good. Do you know a man named Henry? I think he's blind."
Brixton asked, his teeth clenched.
"He came here with a lot of evil in his eyes. He offered a large sum of money to kill this brat. A sum that mercenaries would risk their lives for."
Finally, the seed of anxiety sprouted. Henry.
"Damn that seed."
The seed Laxus had no choice but to embrace had betrayed them.
Surely, he couldn't have missed this commotion.
Helena and Jane are always near the child, so they'll soon be gathering people.
If I can just hold out until then...!
"How about I give you that money? On the condition that you release the child and return quietly. No, I'll give you double the amount."
"There's such a thing as trust in this business. If you do something like that, you'll be hunted down?"
"Three times."
The man's eyes wavered.
With that money, he could run away overseas and live a life of leisure.
He could even buy a woman and marry her...
"Three times...?"
"Yes. I can pay you right now. I've heard that money's been accumulating in Hiloshine lately, haven't you?"
"That's true."
The man trailed off.
Brixton blinked once more.
Isabella, recognizing the signal, rammed her elbow into the man's chest.
"Ugh! You damn brat!!!"
The man extended his devilish hand toward Isabella.
"Baby!!"
Brixton's embrace of Isabella coincided with the assailant swinging his sword.
Brixton realized he could neither dodge nor block the blade. Brixton turned, still holding Isabella in his arms.
He protected the child, his back exposed.
"Hmph!!"
Brixton stifled a groan.
Isabella was in his arms.
The pain slicing through his back tore at him, but he couldn't open his mouth.
"This is crazy. Yeah, it wouldn't be a bad thing if you died!"
The assailant was about to swing his sword again.
"Catch him now!!!"
The knights rushed in, accompanied by Jane's piercing scream.
Brixton barely managed to lift his blackened eyelids.
"Baby. Are you okay?"
"...Ah, Daddy... Daddy..."
Brixton hugged Isabella tightly, trembling and unable to speak. He had protected her. Fortunately, his treasure was unharmed.
This time, he had truly protected her.
Brixton stroked the child's cheek.
"I love you, Isabella... Daddy loves you so much."
With those words, Brixton finally lost consciousness.
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