Episode 343: I will tell God (1)
“Why did you come back here? “It’s not like it’s impossible to form a new group.”
As I was gently comforting Frederick and moving forward, Meister came up next to me. I was wondering why he suddenly fell back just now, but it seems he did it to come back this way.
“It’s someone you don’t know, right?”
“Wouldn’t that be better for you?”
“If you gain something, you also lose something.”
The meister looked pitiful at my words. However, Daniel, who is next to me in the queue, has a puzzled look on his face, as if he doesn’t understand yet. This is even more so because I didn’t participate to participate in the conversation, but accidentally overheard it because I was next to him.
“…Do you have anything to lose?”
Finally, unable to hold back his doubts, he intervened.
“They don’t know who I am or my circumstances.”
“…yes?”
Since he was able to interpret Meister’s words so skillfully, I thought he had mastered the art of skipping context. But I guess that wasn’t the case.
Even as I added, Daniel’s eyes maintained an ambiguous color.
“It means that they will definitely question me when I show myself unbecoming an adventurer.”
I was considerate of him and let him speak one more time. Only then did Daniel lower his head.
“If it’s an issue like that, I definitely have no choice but to pay attention.”
“If they had any thoughts, they would swallow their doubts at the back of their throats. And if it spreads, your situation won’t get worse.”
“I am not ashamed of my misfortune, even though it is difficult and painful.”
“…Oh yeah.”
“…?”
“…Whatever the depth and weight of this misfortune, I have done my best. “It means that I don’t want to see someone who doesn’t know me or the path I’ve walked dare to pity or feel sorry for me.”
“ah.”
It’s good to empathize with my sadness and feel sad for me. But I just hate it when my work becomes a topic of conversation for someone. One such experience, when your leg is broken, is enough.
“Also, the temple has acknowledged me, but that is limited to Munmund. “I don’t think there is any authority among paid adventurers who can vouch for my identity.”
“…Well, that’s true too. Moreover, the north is a region famous for being exclusive, so even if there is a guarantee from the Great Hall, it will be difficult for the Lord to move freely.”
okay. That too.
I remembered what Soseongju said when I said I had to go north.
『The North will be tougher than any place you’ve been through. “It is a land where even humans have become devils to deal with the devil.”
The calm warning clearly contained concern.
“I still wanted to ask you something about him.”
“What is?”
“what.”
“Is the North that dangerous?”
There are only a few images I have of the north. The battleground where the two great devils are holding out, the battleground closest to the Demon King and the fiercest battle line.
As such, we are aware that it is the most dangerous place. At least in my head, that’s how it is.
However, when I think about the reaction of Soseongju and the expressions on the faces of some people, it feels like the North has something more to it than that. I wondered about that.
Is the North such a dangerous place?
“…First of all, I have never been to the North in person, so it is impossible to give proper advice. However, the priest who moved from the northern temple to this branch said that the north… is a bit harsh.”
“Gakbak is just a land of crazy people.”
“…You speak as if you have experienced it.”
“I lived there when I was young.”
Meister stopped talking and put his hand into his chest. The thing sticking out of the breast pocket is a cigarette.
“Where on earth do you get those damn cigarettes from?”
“Anyway, this is the last time.”
He straightened up a bit of his disheveled cigarette and extended it slightly to me. Of course, I didn’t mean to give it away.
“fire.”
“Tsk.”
Am I a lighter?
I clicked my tongue at the obvious request. If I had known I would be treated like a lighter, I wouldn’t have shown that I could light a fire.
It was a regret too late.
“This is the last time.”
“That’s difficult.”
There wouldn’t be any trouble if it was my last cigarette. As expected, it was a lie.
I clicked my tongue again and unleashed my magic. Hwareuk. The tip of the cigarette caught fire.
“…It is fire mixed with demonic energy. “Don’t you feel uncomfortable?”
“This isn’t going to cause any demonic energy erosion, so why bother?”
Isn’t it just that there are no cases because no one smokes with fire mixed with demonic energy? I don’t think we know yet whether that’s really the case or not.
Even though I thought about it, I didn’t bother to say it out loud. The Meister couldn’t have said that because he didn’t know that. Because that belief was in a corner of my heart.
“…Smoke less. “It’s not good for your health.”
“I was very nagging at the thought that someone might not belong to the temple…”
Daniel was like that too. Instead of talking about the fire he lit with Maggi, he focused on the cigarette itself. It was all consideration for me.
“So why is it a land of crazy people?”
I accepted it gratefully. I’m not in danger. I was pleased with the premise that was stated in everyday life.
“If you ask why… the explanation is a bit complicated.”
Meanwhile, Meister, who was smoking a cigarette, narrowed his eyes.
“The two great evils that appeared in the North were Lust and Gluttony. Of course, the latter will no longer appear because it has collapsed, but it is not important right now.”
Do you know how the great demon of lust torments people? The Meister asked me and I shook my head.
“How can I harass you?”
“It makes people doubt love. “That devil.”
“…?”
My eyebrows furrowed at the somewhat unexpected remark. The same goes for the front row, who were pretending not to be and listening to this conversation. Judging by the fact that even the occasional exchange of words had disappeared, it seems that the other side was also curious about Meister’s remarks.
“exactly.”
“What should I say about this? His followers place greater value on mental pleasure than on physical pleasure. So… would you prefer to be together forever rather than meet for a day and then break up?”
Anyway, the important thing is the explanation that follows. I tapped the edge of the saddle with my finger as he listened to his story.
“…I have no idea if I understood it correctly. So you’re saying they want to do something like dating…?”
“Exactly.”
“…Why is that lust? “Dating… isn’t an act that falls into the category of sin…?”
“A normal relationship is like that. But this side wants to use love to make the other person blind.”
“blindness…?”
“Look at history. “There are so many people who are so crazy about love that they end up doing things they shouldn’t.”
“…Is that what you meant?”
“…It’s evil.”
“It’s evil.”
By meeting, we form relationships, have conversations, get to know the other person, and in the process, we are drawn to the other person’s charm, which leads to a deep relationship.
It resembled a common love affair and was therefore even more cruel. The average person has no way to distinguish between love and the devil’s work.
“That’s why northerners are wary of love. I rarely depend on others or give my heart to them. “You never know who might be a devil worshiper.”
“Then… how about getting married?”
“Because a person’s heart is not something that can be achieved by being careful. “If you feel like you can’t control your love, go to the priest.”
“To the priest…?”
“Priests are best at finding out whether something is a demon or a human.”
“…oh my god.”
The heresy interrogation is a necessary action before dating. That’s just as terrible as it is. I understood Meister’s statement that it was ‘the land of the crazy.’ If anyone lived in a land like that, they would have no choice but to go crazy.
“Of course, everyone’s heads are spinning for that reason. “If it’s a village far from the front lines, it’s still okay, but in places that are in charge of the front lines, things tend to happen once a month.”
“…It’s more terrible than what the priest said.”
“If you adapt, life is surprisingly easy. “If you live without giving affection to anyone, you won’t have any problems.”
“…How is that worth living for?”
Meister only shrugged his shoulders at Daniel’s words. It didn’t look very good.
“Okay, if you go to the north, don’t be rude. “Never say words that are sweet to hear or words that will comfort someone.”
“…Are you talking to me?”
“Then is there anyone else here to ask for advice besides you? That green ear doesn’t have the temperament to say sweet things, and the Archmage knows the situation in the north, and the hero isn’t used to kind words either. Crucially, no one will doubt what the priest says.”
I couldn’t deny what those words were. Even if you don’t need that advice for the concept, it’s different after you get rid of the concept. Well, the Meister probably knew about that and didn’t advise it.
“…Sure.”
Still, I took his warning to heart. It may vary depending on where Berserk is, but it was certain that we would split up someday.
“what. “As long as I’m by your side, it’ll probably never turn into a big problem, but I don’t know what’s going on in the world.”
“…?”
“If there’s a paranoid person, there’s a high chance that they won’t trust me even with my guarantee and they’ll go crazy.”
“I wonder if that would happen if there is a hero.”
“I’m talking about after the hero leaves.”
“…?”
“…why?”
“…Are you saying it as if the hero will still be by my side even if he leaves?”
“Then where am I next to you?”
“…??”
The meister looked puzzled at my words. It was the same for me too. Our gazes intertwined with him a couple of times, and then we read each other’s intentions.
“Aren’t you going to go around with the warrior?”
“Why am I hanging out with them? “There is something to be gained.”
“…You won’t gain anything by going with me.”
“What bullshit. “I decided to tell you about your world.”
“You’re going to follow me around for just that reason?”
“At best? Gozaaagh? Hey, do you think it’s normal to meet someone who lives in another world? What are the odds that that being is not hostile to us like the devil, but is fluent in this language and is intelligent enough to communicate with us?”
“That’s… But. “I think it would be good to listen to it while we are together.”
“How likely do you think it is that someone who has lived in the East all their life will learn the culture of the West in one month?”
“…okay. “I said something wrong.”
Actually, considering the meister’s power, there is no reason to remain in the hero’s party. It’s not helpful in catching demons, and I’m not obsessed with demon hunting.
“What about you?”
So, does the Meister keep following me?
I turned my head towards Daniel, thinking that the trip wouldn’t be boring. It was to prepare for an unexpected situation.
“Oh, I… I think we’ll part ways when Kyeong breaks up.”
Daniel explained that originally he was only going to accompany him until he was found, but due to the situation, he decided to stay with him a little longer.
“I don’t think what happened at the Grand Shrine is a reason for you not to return to your original affiliation.”
“…haha.”
However, the phrase ‘situation is situation’ was vague until the end. Seeing that their eyes keep looking towards the front row, I think they may have stayed behind because they were worried about the Inquisitor.
“Everyone, get ready! “I see a silent invader!”
At that time, the Archmage shouted so loudly that even we in the back row could hear. Silent invader. That’s the name of our first destination.
“That’s the famous mushroom forest. They say even the devil can’t touch it…”
“Stop admiring and put on a mask. Unless you want to experience mushrooms growing in your airways.”
Soon, a forest began to appear that had the ability to purify demon energy on its own, but was uninhabitable even for humans due to the spreading spores. It was a forest composed only of mushrooms.
* * *
“You’re back as expected.”
Wise Birgir was alive. There is no way the dead would welcome her with open arms.
“But Daejeonsa, who is the person behind that?”
“These are things that were detained by the wizard.”
“Do you really want the tribe to accept those? However, Daejeon Temple, you must have seen it when you came. “This land has become drier than when you left.”
“know.”
However, his survival was not her concern. The people who followed her as she escaped, even crossing the frozen ground barefoot, were none of her business.
“If you live, you live, and if you die, you die.”
This is all she can do. Berserk threw the only fox he had caught on the way to the floor. It was a skinny fox that didn’t look like it had much meat to eat.
“Oh….”
“The great warrior brought food!”
However, people cheered just for that and watched her for that alone. I was once again disillusioned with Berserk. Her hometown is dying endlessly.
“Wherever you go, is Daejeon Temple?”
So she took her foot off.
“Where my sisters are buried.”
ha. White breath rose into the sky. It was a scent for her sister.