"The locations of all the veins were pulled out of his brain. And the important information, too."
After a long time, Jin Ye-Seul quietly opened her mouth, as if she had calmed down.
She, for some reason, was standing hesitatingly a little away from me.
“Not here, but where Dmitry… that man is guarding. And the Big Watch…? Was it? They were surprisingly holding hands with monsters too.”
"Yes."
“The other two places are guarded by monsters. Each of them is like an owner of some dungeon or a named monster."
“What are they?”
"Griffon. And Chimera.”
“Neither of them will be our match.”
I stared at Jin Ye-Seul, saying so.
“To be exact, they'll be no match for you, Ye-Seul.”
“… yes."
"Where do you want to go first?”
“From the nearest place. Chimera, then Griffon, in that order. Last is Dmitry, that man."
Jin Ye-Seul muttered quietly.
“I’m originally the type of person who eats strawberries last when eating cake.”
"Okay. When we're done, I'll make you what you want."
I answered her casually.
“Let’s put lots of strawberries on top and share it with the guys.”
"Yes… uh? Wait a minute, do you know how to make a cake, too, Ji-Hyuk?”
Jin Ye-Seul stared at me with a look of absurdity.
I looked at her as if asking, what's the problem?
"I know how to make it. I just have to follow the recipe."
"Such….”
Jin Ye-Seul muttered as if somehow disheartened.
Then I heard her mutter, 'Even cooking... then on the other side, I...'.
I wondered what she was talking about, and then I heard Svengali slightly clicking his tongue.
[Going well.]
What do you mean by going well?
Even though I wanted to ask, I couldn't because Jin Ye-Seul was right next to me.
"Let's get out first."
“Ah, yes.”
Jin Ye-Seul and I walked out of the archives.
Then I picked up the phone and sent a text message to both Evangeline and Lee Ye-Eun at the same time.
Its content was the location of this place, as well as the fact the archives was the location of the first vein, and that we had succeeded in securing it, so we wanted them to send someone to occupy it quickly.
In addition, I added that we would move immediately to secure other veins.
“Good, then next….”
I called Esmeralda.
It was because there were more things to ask for, and things to apologize for, too.
But Esmeralda, who answered my phone, opened her mouth before I could say anything.
― Die.
Beep.
I called her again.
― What. Don't tell me you're a pervert who gets excited when a woman swears at you? This dirty...!
Esmeralda still swore at me like that in a scathing tone.
After letting her talk to her heart's content for a long time, I quietly opened my mouth.
“I think you'd be feeling better if you've done that much now, so can I talk?”
— … and if I say no again, will you involve that person?
"No way."
— … What. What do you want to ask for again?
“I think we will be a little late. So… I want you to suffer just one or two more days.”
She seemed to be making a sound, so I added straight away.
“Go to class, I won’t say something like that. Just say you're not feeling well and just take a rest. If you go to Professor Evangeline and tell her, she'll help you so that you can be moderately flexible."
— And? No way, that's all?
“I need you to tell Lydia abo….”
Beep.
I tilted my head as I looked at the phone call that was cut off again this time.
Jin Ye-Seul, who was watching from the side, muttered as she saw me like that.
"I think it’s because I kicked her and broke her neck earlier."
"Is it really that?"
I immediately called her back.
As soon as she answered the phone, Jin Ye-Seul, who sneaked up next to me, opened her mouth.
"Excuse me, Auntie.”
— What, what? Who are you... You, no way!
Esmeralda made a sound by grinding her teeth, but Jin Ye-Seul did not show any particular reaction.
Rather, she turned her head and looked at me, and even calmly asked her name.
“Ji-Hyuk, what's this person’s name?”
“Esmeralda Lysnerger.”
“Aha, Esmeralda Lysnerger-ssi. It was wrong of me to kick you and crush your neck earlier. please forgive me. I apologize.”
Jin Ye-Seul said so without changing her expression.
And then she glanced at me, as if she were asking, 'Did I do well?'
I was receiving a little shock at her such attitude.
“Hey, Lysnerger. Did you hear it now? Ye-Seul is really sorry. You can’t see it because it’s a phone call, but Ye-Seul is making a very sorry expression right now.”
"Yes, that's right. I'm sorry. Did it hurt a lot, by any chance?"
― These crazy bast*rds are really out of their minds in pairs!!!
I had to keep the phone away because of her yelling sound.
Jin Ye-Seul apologized, but had an expression like, what the hell is wrong with her?
— … ha.
Esmeralda, who soon sighed deeply, muttered quietly.
― If I keep talking with you guys, I feel like I'm going to die with my chest bursting open or anger first... tell me the main point and get lost quickly.
"Yes, I will. I was going to do that earlier.”
I nodded, hearing the sound of grinding of teeth.
The story I just heard from Jin Ye-Seul was a story I had to tell.
The Red Case, Big Watch, and children of Milited had to gnaw at each other's flesh and annihilate each other.
“Tell Lydia. The guys I'm talking about now are the ones who colluded with the Big Watch."
― What?
“I'll say it now. First of all, Arthur Navarro....”
― Hey, wait a minute!
I heard a scratching sound as if Esmeralda was writing down the name I told her.
After a while, Esmeralda, who had written down all the names I had told her, asked me.
— … but how did you find this out?
“I’ll send a mail to your cell phone. There's evidence and everything in there. Ye-Seul?”
"Yes."
Jin Ye-Seul began to send all the data of worthy evidence through the ID and password she got from his head.
After a while, Esmeralda muttered slightly, as if she had roughly checked the data.
― What the….
“Looking at it, there was also among Lydia’s close aides. It'd be better to deal with them as soon as possible.”
— … I'll tell the boss right away.
"Yes. Then that’s it.”
— … I'm hanging up. Do I just have to make an alibi as you asked?
She asked in a voice that was definitely looser than before.
I answered yes, and added a few words.
"Oh, and if possible, can you tell her if she can put a little extra effort into getting information about Milited's children?"
— …….
After a while, she answered in a voice that seemed to crawl.
― I'll try.
At the end of those words, the phone hung up.
There was nothing more to talk about, so I put the phone in my pocket.
Jin Ye-Seul was standing right next to me as if she were escorting me.
The two of us walked silently towards the next vein.
* * *
"Kkieeeeeeek!!!"
A sound like the scream of an eagle, or the cry of a four-legged beast, resounded from the sky.
Feathers were falling like snow from the sky with the sound of wildly flapping wings.
I moved a little, made a screen with my hands, and looked up at the sky.
In the sky, a griffon was flying as if performing acrobatics to peel off something attached to its back with a scream.
[The griffon isn't a hen in some neighborhood chicken coop....]
Svengali just muttered, as if he were dumbfounded.
Then he looked at me and said as if passing by.
[I think you should fall from there.]
“For what?”
Immediately after, the wings of the griffon, which seemed to have been roughly ripped apart, fell over my head.
There was no need to avoid it, unlike he bothered to say.
Because Henir's shadow and the branches of the World Tree came out as if they were competing, tearing apart the wings that were falling toward me and blocking them.
Yes.
It was torn apart.
Thanks to that, the fishy blood that spouted from the cross-section of those shredded wings hit me.
“…….”
Svengali muttered as if laughing at me, who was covered in griffon blood from head to toe.
[You should have avoided that.]
Trying my best to ignore Svengali's words that he said clicking his tongue, I wiped the blood that covered my eyes with my hands as if swiping it away.
When I looked ahead, I saw Henir's shadow and the branch of the World Tree dawdling next to me.
For some reason, both of them seemed perplexed.
"Kkie, eeeeeeeeeeeeeek!!!"
[Rather, I think it will be over soon.]
Svengali muttered so.
I also didn't disagree with his opinion.
When I glanced up in the air, the griffon, who had lost one of its wings, was flapping its wings in a precarious way.
The words were flapping its wings, but it was almost falling vertically like crashing.
When I thought that perhaps it was dangerous, I heard a loud hitting noise.
At the same time, the griffon's head turned violently to the side, and its shattered beak was scattered in the air like an exploding firecracker.
The griffon didn't even scream whether he was unconscious or dead.
[It is dead, but that one.]
… it was as he said.
Looking at the griffon's neck that wobbled powerlessly and the purple tongue protruding through the broken beak, it seemed as if it had just been hit and died.
Immediately, I saw something red and black figure dawdling and grabbing the griffon's throat.
The griffon's head, swinging back and forth like a weight, was strangely disgusting.
[Oh my God, a human is grabbing a griffon's throat.]
Svengali murmured as if it were ridiculous.
Soon, the protagonist of the story, Jin Ye-Seul, fell to the ground, grabbing the griffon's throat.
It was a pose like she was riding a snowboard.
Jin Ye-Seul, who was holding the griffon's throat, jumped up, kicking as if doing a run-up with both feet as hard as she could as soon as the griffon's body got close to the ground.
Kwaaaang!
It was for a short moment, but I could clearly see the griffon's body quickly plunging into the ground as if it were accelerating.
Soon after, Jin Ye-Seul, who had killed the falling momentum with her earlier leap, landed with a flexible motion, twisting her body in the air.
It was a clean and perfect landing that I wanted to give a perfect score if I could give a score.
"It’s ove… Kkyaaaaaaak!!!"
However, as soon as Jin Ye-Seul saw me, she let out a scream as if she were terrified.
I wondered if she was hurt, but soon she ran toward me in a rush.
"Blood, blood! Ji-Hyuk, blood!"
“Oh, this isn't my blood.”
"I know! Still, there might be some kind of poison!”
With those words, Jin Ye-Seul took off her overcoat without hesitation.
There was not a drop of blood on it except for a slight burn.
[The person who killed the griffon is clean, but the person watching from the side is covered in blood. If anyone sees you, they will think you have caught the whole thingaaaaaaa!!!]
"No. Wait a minute, I'm fine, Ye-Seul."
“I’m not okay, yeah….”
As I stretched out my hand as if blocking her from coming, Jin Ye-Seul, who was holding her overcoat in her hands, stopped.
“What if you catch a cold? If you get infected with bacteria....”
[Hahaha.]
Svengali burst into laughter.
[How does it feel to be worried about the woman who pulled out three Chimera's heads with sheer strength and made them face each other, and beat the griffon to death with a bare body?]
“… then, I will contact Evangeline and Sis, the Clan Head. Have the people who came to occupy the place bring simple body scrubbing tools along with some clothes. That should do it, right?"
“Then just wear it for a while.”
Jin Ye-Seul stubbornly tried to hand over the clothes to me.
I said, taking a step back.
“It’s too small for me to wear.”
At those words, Jin Ye-Seul ripped her overcoat off without hesitation.
Then she made it look like a poncho and said with a smile.
“Is this okay?”
“…… uh, thank you.”
If I refused more here, I thought she would take off her other clothes, so I silently took the overcoat she handed me and wrapped it around my shoulder.
To be in a blood-covered state with ragged clothes on top.
I took out my cell phone, wondering what other people would think when they saw it.
Looking at me like that, Jin Ye-Seul smiled as if she was proud, and then took out a handkerchief and wiped the blood off my face.
“Good, if we wait a little longer, the people will come.”
After I send all the texts, Jin Ye-Seul slightly stepped back and nodded.
"Yes."
I stopped speaking for a moment, looking at her still looking fine.
I wondered if it was right to bring this up, but then I remembered the fact that she had spent all day alone hunting chimera and griffon, monsters that ordinary heroes and hunters could not even dare think of, one after the other, no matter how much she wanted to.
It was about time her stamina would reach its limit.
“We’ve been going around without sleeping for almost two days now… Ye-Seul, I know how you feel, but when the people come, let’s rest for a while and start moving again.”
At those words, Jin Ye-Seul paused for a moment.
But it was only for a short moment.
“… okay.”
"Yes. You thought well.”
Jin Ye-Seul, who carefully folded her handkerchief and put it in her pocket, nodded.
Saying so, I flopped down in my seat.
Then Jin Ye-Seul quickly flopped down next to me.
“Huu….”
“… I got sleepy after listening to you, Ji-Hyuk."
Jin Ye-Seul muttered like that.
I said, looking at her, who had an expression like she was really tired.
“Would you like to keep your eyes closed until the people come?”
"Yes."
Saying so, she naturally lay on my side and put her head on my thigh.
Without saying a word about her actions, I took off the overcoat that was on my shoulders and covered her legs.
Then she turned her head slightly and looked at me with a satisfied smile.
"Get some sleep.”
“… yes."
Soon after, I heard even breathing.
Indeed, she'd be tired.
As I was thinking like that, I could feel her mumbling and rubbing her head against my legs.
I just patted her on the back, fixing her posture so that she could rest more comfortably.
It was in the meantime.
Vrrrng.
I heard a phone vibrating.
It was neither mine nor Jin Ye-Seul's.
It was the cell phone of the man who I had killed in the archives.
On the screen of the phone was written, Dmitry.
[Found it.]
It was written that way on the screen.
I looked through the texts he and Dmitry had exchanged so far, and then sent a text message back.
[What?]
[The traitor.]
Soon after, another text message arrived.
[Jin Ye-Jeong.]
[She is still alive.]
[location identified. I'm going to clean up right now.]
0 Comments