Episode 317 If only it were possible (3)
“…You really…”
Faust folded his eyelids as he looked at Günther with an indescribable expression. I’m sorry. I’m sorry I’m the only one alive. The sincerity, which cannot be conveyed over and over again, is swallowed up again by the water flowing down like an hourglass.
“There’s a lot I want to say, but I don’t have much time.”
It wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. If the time given to him had been forever, Faust might have spent this dream-like time repeating the same words.
“What do you mean? “You don’t have much time… No, you really…”
But that shouldn’t be the case.
The boy thought of someone who was so generous and kind that he gave even a boy like him a chance. He couldn’t be more disappointed in a subject that had tormented him so much. An obsession-like feeling gave strength to the boy.
Faust swallowed the blood that rose up and chose what to say.
“There are a lot of things I want to ask you, but please listen to me first.”
Of course, the story that continues from now on will leave a lot of scars on Gunther. However, it is unavoidable. This is a fate that became unavoidable when the boy’s family fell under the evil eye and were attacked and all killed or sacrificed.
“You can ask all your questions later. Just listen first. “Listen to me, bro.”
So the boy laughed as if he was crying, grabbed Günther’s arm, and poured out his story. His nightmare, which would never be erased, was painful, and the sin he had committed hung on the tip of his tongue.
“We were killed by the devil that day.”
Ah, it was a time of confession that was too late.
* * *
“dad?”
It all started with the younger sister running out thinking her father had arrived.
“I guess dad is here!”
The hem of the dress I bought with the allowance I received on New Year’s Day and in commemoration of school entrance was fluttering. “dad!” It was truly dazzlingly white. Like sunlight coming through an open door.
“Irina!”
But that glare didn’t last long. The moment the child realized that the figure seen through the open door was quite different from his father, he let out a sly sound.
“ah?”
Seven years old. A rose bloomed in the middle of that tiny body. It was a sight that did not suit Irina.
For a child with long gray hair and wearing a white dress, such bright colors really did not suit her.
“no!”
But it has already bloomed. I was hooked. It was not a black blade that did not even reflect light, but a blade rich in magic energy that blossomed like that.
dump. The child’s small body collapsed and the nearest older brother ran out.
[Not you.]
But my brother couldn’t even swing a sword. Is the skill gap too big? Or did you lose all sense of reason at the sight of your youngest child collapsing?
Everything could have been correct, but at the same time, it wasn’t the real answer. Regardless of skill, the opponent’s sword was just too fast, so it couldn’t be the answer.
“Ugh.”
A blood line was drawn on my brother’s neck and he collapsed. The sight of him slumped over while leaning against the wall was clearly visible to my eyes.
“Arthur!”
Clink. The sound of my brother’s sword falling to the floor, my mother’s voice, and the metallic sound of the dropped muffin tray overlapped and created an echo. It was an echo as sharp as a knife.
“You son of a bitch!”
And in the middle of it, my older sister ran out. I swear, for the first time, I knew that my older sister was a person who could raise her voice with passion. It was also the case that tears could flow from those eyes.
[Not you either.]
I would never have believed this if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes. In fact, it must have been the same when my older sister or older brother died.
Because in me, the two of you have always been invincible.
“Run away quickly!”
But the reality was not like that.
Even as I heard my mother’s voice pulling me back, I could not take my eyes off my sister who was falling. The blade sticking into my sister’s chest and extending all the way to the floor was like a dream. can not believe it.
“Go Pasha!”
But when my mother stood in front of me holding a kitchen knife near the table, I had to admit it. Even if we cannot understand that something is wrong with the deaths of our brothers, we must immediately take up arms and fight.
“I’m a knight too!”
Do not remove the weapon from your body at any moment. My father was always right. I pulled out the sword from my belt.
“No, you can run away!”
[Neither is this.]
But that was already too late.
I reflexively pulled my mother to me. One strangely bent sword pierced my mother’s stomach. “Ahh!” My arm was also there.
[Ah.]
“What’s going on!”
[I found it.]
Being stabbed by a knife is such a painful thing. I screamed, holding the blade that was pulled out in an instant and my arm with the piercing mark.
My father’s voice could be heard through my screams, but the pain I had experienced for the first time in my life was so intense. I couldn’t really focus on my father’s presence. Even my mother who was stabbed didn’t come to mind for a moment. It just hurt. It hurt so much.
“Run away quickly, Johanna! “Take Faust with you!”
[What are you doing?]
“I’m late. So go Faust. “At least you should take shelter.”
[Do not disturb me.]
Yet, you took care of me until the end.
“Go quickly, my dear child!”
My mother continued to push my back while applying pressure to the stabbed stomach with one hand. How could he do that? I’m in this much pain even though I just got stabbed in the arm. How did you get stabbed in the stomach?
“Run away, Faust!”
I blankly followed his words. “love you.” If I had stayed there, I would have died with you. “live.” Because I can’t go against those words that are so desperately spoken. “Survive.” That’s because I couldn’t ignore those words that were engraved as clearly as blood.
“no. No.”
I ran out the back door, crying. I couldn’t run to town. This is because the direction of the front door where the enemy entered was connected to the village.
So, if you try to go to the village, you may encounter enemies or you may inadvertently cause damage to the residents.
No, it was doubtful whether the villagers would even be alive in the first place. If the blade that killed my brother and sister in an instant was also pointed at the residents, there would be almost no way for them to resist.
So you can’t choose that one. I glided down the hill, taking on uncertain possibilities.
We have to go to the wall. We need to find the wizards there and contact the main body. That was my only hope.
Fuuuuuuu!
But when a huge energy bloomed like a flower in full bloom, I turned my head as if I had intuited something. I just witnessed the flames spreading in the shape of a sphere and the land being completely destroyed in an instant, leaving nothing behind.
[Damn, I’m needlessly strong on the subject of humans…]
Suddenly, a realization struck my head.
[Damn, my body is falling apart. Damn, this is why I had to save my magic…]
That was the last time.
I won’t be able to see you anymore.
[Latel.]
Despair flowed like tears and frustration sprouted like buds and enveloped me. The same was true for the white liquid. It wrapped around my body like slime, binding my hands and feet. I couldn’t even dream of resistance. It was harder and tougher than my less ripe body.
[We have to run away before the humans come…]
And when that white liquid even covered my vision, I lost half of my consciousness.
Sassasasasaak. In my half-obscured vision, I could see the liquid that had swallowed me and the humans creeping across the ground. Very quickly and very secretly. Like the wind passing through wheat.
[…If you made it this far, you’ll be fine.]
My memories of the immediate aftermath are not clear. However, I clearly saw the castle walls dyed red by the sunset, something white moving quietly over them, and then a dark forest that eventually spread out.
The moonlight softly shone through the forest at night.
[I did something because God was watching, but there was a good reason. You really are a good vessel.]
Around that time, I started thinking again. It wasn’t at the right level. In the corner of my eye, I see a human being melting like ice on a summer day, but that can’t possibly be normal.
[Well, the reason God took notice of you is not because of your vessel, but because your soul is huge…]
However, that fantasy-like human pulled the sword from his chest regardless of whether he melted or not. Then, human collapse accelerated. It seemed as if everything was being taken away by the sword.
[What is important to me is your body that can fully bear such a huge soul. Right?]
No… was that really a sword? I stared blankly at what looked like a sword. My mind was so confused as if I had fallen asleep that I couldn’t make good decisions, but I still tried.
[Tell me your name, child.]
Oh, it’s not a sword, it’s a person. After a long period of concentration, the truth caught my eye.
[You have a good vessel and your soul is worthy enough to be used as a sacrifice. It will definitely become your best hand.]
What looked like a sword was actually a thin arm, not a sword. Arms wrapped in pitch black clothes. However, thanks to its thorn-like essence, it is something that will cut and stab you whenever you catch it.
[So give me a name. [So that I can have everything about you.]
A malice that only knows how to speak sweetly but doesn’t know how to hide it.
[Huh?]
So I thought. What should I say to a being like this?
“…yo. this.”
What did Gunya and Atya say?
“Before you change the order of the ribs, you should pay your age, you little rat…”
[….]
I barely remembered what they said when they went out on patrol, and then fell asleep again. My head hurt so much and I was so dizzy that there was nothing I could do.
[Ah… It’s dangerous if you take over the body without taking away the name…]
Ah, please. Next time I wake up, I hope this nightmare is over.
[I don’t know. He’s a kid, so he’ll be fine.]
Of course, that never happened.
* * *
“I tried to hold on. “I tried to hold on, but I couldn’t.”
Günter was devastated in the face of the pouring confessions. I see That was it.
“It was so painful and painful that I ended up making a pact with the devil. “He selfishly decided to sacrifice someone else instead of me.”
These circumstances were involved in the disappearance of people who were like his family.
“I shouldn’t have done that…”
Of course, someone will say. Do you really believe what this being says? There is no evidence or trustworthy clues to confirm the identity of the other person? What’s more, they say that when the temple people call Ii, they can feel the magic energy of the great devil?
“Please help him. “Please, brother.”
But Gunya, who once had a younger brother named Pasha, decided to believe it even though she knew it. There was no reason. I just believed it. Even without evidence or verification, I could tell that he was his younger brother, so I just trusted him.
“I know that everything I say and this itself may seem like a deception of the devil. But no. Please believe me.”
After all, if an older brother doesn’t trust his younger brother, who will trust him? His younger brother says this, but if he doesn’t believe it, who will believe it?
“He is not the kind of person who should experience something like this here. “He is someone who should never have to suffer in a place like this.”
However, what will his drivers say if the residents find out about this decision? At least it won’t be a compliment. The position of Lord of Soseong means that the person who will become Lord of Seong in the future must never act emotionally.
“I’m really sorry for suddenly showing up and asking for something like this. But the only person I can ask for is my brother. Because my brother has a say in the temple…”
“…Pasha.”
But I am not afraid of their criticism. Hasn’t he been saying this from the beginning?
He is not a suitable person to be the lord of Soseong, nor is he someone who wants to be the lord of Soseong. He’s just a person who wants to be part of a family, and because of that, he’s a person who dreamed of becoming a knight, but he’s just a person who couldn’t do that. He has been shouting all along.
“He said he would endure nine years for me. So, at least you can spend those 9 years comfortably… After that, it’s okay, so please take my side for those 9 years. Please help him no longer suffer. “Please, please.”
“Pasha.”
“Please brother….”
“Faust.”
therefore. Because it was like that.
“I will.”
He gave up his title and embraced his younger brother, whom he could no longer call a boy.
“I will definitely say yes.”
Even though we were not connected by a single drop of blood, I took into my arms the child who would forever call me family.
“I trust you. Everything you say and ask for is everything. So Pasha… I’ll do anything for you. “I will do anything.”
“…!”
“Because I’m happy just because you’re alive.”
It was a warmth that should never be missed again.
“…brother.”
“I’ll do anything, I can do everything…”
He placed his forehead against the crying child’s forehead. I felt sad because the body temperature was lukewarm, but now I feel better. As long as his little brother was alive, that was enough for him.
“So, Pasha, please. “Please don’t disappear again.”
As long as this never goes away again, that was really enough for him…
“The time without you was so painful… It was so painful…”
“… Gunya hyung.”
Ah, I hope this moment isn’t a dream. I hope it’s not a lie that you’re alive.
“don’t go. Don’t ever leave again. I don’t have to do anything, so please stay next to me…”
Gunter begged, hugging the stuffed boy from the past who had only grown bigger.
I hope this is not just a vain delusion on his part, and that you coming back and talking to me is not an illusion I created.
If only I could do that, I could sacrifice this one life without any regrets.
“…that’s not possible. “Because I don’t deserve it.”
“Why aren’t you qualified!”
However, despite his earnest wishes, he does not receive the answer he wants.
“Why don’t you deserve it!”
He cried out desperately, holding on to the ashes that could not be made into jewels. It’s like a kind of struggle. The struggle of a person who does not want to die. The struggle of a person who does not want to lose the meaning of life. Roughly things like that.
“It’s not like this happened because you wanted it, so why…!”
“Hyung, brother…”
However, the boy laughed as if he was crying at that earnestness. Although something had changed, it was still the same smile.
“Until the devil leaves, I cannot take control of my body as I please.”
“Why why…!”
“There are many reasons, but this is probably the only one that my brother can understand.”
A smile so clear and beautiful that it feels light.
“If I stay like this, I will die soon. Look, my nose is bleeding like this even now. “It’s proof that life is being used.”
The words that continue quietly and the nosebleed are heavy.
“Why, why…” “
…So, it’s a situation that has to be left to him anyway. I want to follow His will. “It’s shameless even now, but I can’t decide what to do with him here.”
“I am I am you….”
“…I’m sorry, I’m sorry, hyung.”
Günter fully realized the boy’s apology. I guess I can’t help but watch you leave. Once again you will leave me. I’m alone again…
“…It’s okay.”
However, he realized another truth.
“are you okay. As long as you are alive, everything is fine with me….”
Compared to not knowing whether I was alive or dead, I could endure this arrangement.
“Just let me live. Just let me live, Pasha…”
Yes, compared to that, this was really nothing…
Gunter just bowed his head.