A Stuffed Cheonma in my Head - Chapter 42



Only Noblemtl

Episode 042. I didn’t like it from the beginning.

* * *

The road on the right was narrow and overgrown with grass, probably because people rarely walked on it.

After walking along the narrow path for a while, the forest that had been blocking one side of the view cleared away and a wide open lake appeared.

“oh.”

A cool breeze with the scent of water blew.

A refreshing feeling came over me, as if my heart was turning blue.

The lake, which was believed to have flowed from the high mountain range visible over there, was clear and calm.

Just like my heart.

[… … ?]

It became one large mirror, turning the jagged mountains in the distance upside down and projecting them into the lake below.

I looked at the upside-down mountain range reflected in the mirror and enjoyed the peace that had come into my heart like a lake.

[That’s so typical of you. Finding peace of mind by looking at something upside down.]

“No, Master. Why do you keep nitpicking?”

While I was admiring the scenery of the lake and chatting with Cheonma, I heard a voice calling me from behind.

“Ashvan.”

When I looked back, Shushuruta was waving at me.

“How about we go sightseeing a little later?”

“Oh, right.”

I went back to Shushuruta.

There was an old, dilapidated cabin on the lakeside.

There was no trace of people, so anyone could tell that the house had been abandoned for a long time.

I stood in front of the shabby hut door with Shushuruta.

“It’s in here?”

“Yes.”

Shushuruta knocked on the door three times and went inside.

The interior was no different from what was expected from the outside.

It looked like it would collapse with just one swing of the sword.

Inside, a man stood quietly, as if he had become one with the shabby house.

It was so natural that I almost passed it by without noticing it if it had been attached to a wall or pillar.

Through this, we could get a rough idea of ​​the assassin’s level.

He was dressed entirely in black, and had no other distinguishing features except that his eyes were small.

The man bowed his head as soon as he saw us.

“Are you here?”

Shushuruta nodded and spoke without warning.

“Report.”

“yes.”

The man reported quickly as if time were gold.

“First, I will report on what you told me through the messenger. We have rescued the children who were underground near Beryl Village. The children have returned to their parents’ arms.”

Shushuruta nodded.

“Thank you for your hard work.”

The man showed humility.

“no.”

Then he said this.

“I told the residents the real name of the saint as you said.”

“hmm?”

What the hell is this?

As I looked at him with a bewildered expression, Shushuruta explained.

“It was obvious that the villagers would be wary of strangers. At that time, I asked them to tell me the name of the real name. In any case, it was right that you saved the children, wasn’t it?”

“… … Is that so?”

“Yes.”

I blinked for a moment and then asked the small-eyed man.

“Do people believe that?”

“Yes. I believed it right away.”

“What exactly did you say?”

“After destroying the evil, the saint received an oracle and quickly left to purify other evils, leaving the rest to us, the believers of Ketel.”

“… … .”

As it turns out, the thieves of the Thieves Guild have become the servants of the real-name saint who serves the goddess of the night, Ketel.

Thieves becoming believers of the night. It’s ridiculous.

Shushuruta laughed at my words.

“There’s nothing strange about that. Ketel is also the god of thieves.”

“Oh, that’s how it is.”

Anyway, according to the small-eyed man, the village that got the children back became a sea of ​​tears.

The moved people praised the saint by calling out his name, and it is said that they even built an altar to offer prayers.

A situation where you accidentally become a hero who defeats a giant evil flute-playing wizard and saves children.

I took a moment to imagine what my epitaph would be.

‘Hero Ashvan. Sleep here.’

My heart swelled with pride.

While I was at it, I imagined another tombstone next to it.

‘Demon Ashvan. Sleep here.’

My heart became more magnificent.

I chuckled.

A hero. I couldn’t help but laugh.

I was definitely a man better suited to be called a devil than a hero.

Shushuruta and the small-eyed man looked at me with strange eyes as I was splitting them.

“Ashvan. Don’t laugh alone all of a sudden. You look like a crazy person.”

It wasn’t a completely wrong statement, but I didn’t really respond.

Instead, I asked the man.

“So, are all the kids safe?”

The man stared blankly at me and then turned his gaze to Shushuruta.

It seemed as if he was asking if he could answer with his eyes.

Shushuruta glared at the man.

“What are you doing? Isn’t my colleague Ashvan asking you?”

“Oh, yes.”

The man looked somewhat surprised and answered me.

“Most of them are safe.”

One eyebrow twitched and the smile that had appeared on his lips disappeared.

“……mostly?”

The man nodded.

“Yes. Most of them only complained of mild dehydration and hunger, and there were no major health problems.”

“The rest.”

“The rest were already dead.”

“… … .”

I chewed my tongue with a complicated expression and asked.

“Tell me more.”

“yes.”

The informant continued speaking in a dry tone, as if listing simple information.

They say that as soon as they arrived at the village and started searching, they were able to find the location where the children were buried relatively quickly.

“I could hear children crying from underground.”

The wizard playing the flute during the fight said that the children were sleeping, but it seems that after the caster died, the magic wore off and they woke up.

The children woke up and were in a dark tunnel, so shocked that they cried and screamed.

The man described the inside of the tunnel like this.

“After tracing the cries and confirming the underground space where they were buried, we carefully dug up the ground to rescue the children so that the space would not collapse. The inside was airy and moderately cool, as if the humidity and temperature were separately controlled. Then, deep inside, there was a hole dug like a cave, and the mummified bodies of the remaining children were piled up there.”

For a moment I doubted my ears.

“……mummy?”

“Yes. It was a corpse with no moisture left, just bones and muscles.”

No moisture?

“……for a moment.”

At that moment, my thoughts turned to the black potion the flute-playing wizard was gulping down.

[… … It’s a potion.]

Cheonma muttered in a low tone.

Goosebumps came to my head.

“no way?”

When he saw Shushuruta, she nodded her head heavily.

“It’s just a guess, but it’s probably likely.”

I was speechless.

Of course I’m not a good guy, but there are some really weird guys running around in the world.

Isn’t this crossing the line a bit too far?

“Wizards tend to regard children’s mana as the purest. I guess they must have extracted the children’s mana in some way. That must have been how they were kept alive until now.”

The small-eyed man nodded and added.

“That’s right. We found some magical equipment that seems to be his in the cave, and we’re currently investigating it. If we do it right, we might be able to figure out the recipe for the wizard’s potion. Wizards are so insular that it’s not easy to figure out their recipes, so this is an unexpected boon.”

“……what?”

Unexpected income?

What is this kid talking about now?

I felt anger rising.

I glared at the small-eyed guy who was weighing pros and cons in an indifferent tone.

“You, say it again. What did you just say?”

The man was startled by my cold words, looked at me, and his face turned pale.

“You said it was an unexpected income? Did I hear it correctly?”

My gaze as I glared at the man also contained the murderous intent of a Heavenly Demon.

Fear was evident in the small eyes of the glaring man.

“Ah, ahh… … .”

He stuttered backwards and then collapsed on the ground.

I slowly approached the guy who was backing away little by little while pushing his buttocks and crouched down in front of him.

“hey.”

“… … .”

“Aren’t you going to answer?”

“Yes, yes!”

“That magic device. Get rid of it.”

“……yes?”

“Destroy it so that it shatters into pieces. Erase the information about the wizard’s potion. There won’t be any unexpected gains found there. Do you understand?”

This potion consumes children.

It was obvious what would happen if this became known to the outside world.

There are more crazy people in the world than you think.

“Ha, but… … .”

I grabbed the man by the collar, who was still unconscious, and pulled him so that our noses were touching.

“If you don’t want to be forgotten, erase it.”

He chuckled in that state.

“Or should I go and erase it myself?”

“… … !”

The man’s small eyes trembled violently.

chin.

At this moment, someone put a hand on my shoulder.

“Ashvan.”

It was Shushuruta.

She said in a firm tone.

“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure of it.”

I glared at the small-eyed man who was trembling with his collar held, then tossed him aside.

“Ugh!”

He kicked open the door and left the shabby cabin, leaving the informant who had fallen backwards.

bang!

The door was so old that it fell off completely.

Shushuruta called from behind.

“Ashvan! Where are you going?”

“I’m going to go get some fresh air.”

I approached the lakeside and took a deep breath, looking at the calm lake and the mountain shadows submerged in it.

“Phew… … .”

Peace like a lake. Peace like a lake to me.

I looked out at the calm lake, took a deep breath, and tried to calm my anger.

Soon, the murderous intent that had spread out in all directions became as calm as the surface of a calm lake.

“… … .”

I listened to the gentle sound of water and let out my remaining anger with a sigh.

Cheonma asked.

[Have you calmed down a bit?]

“Yes, Master.”

[Can you really go around scattering your anger like that? You need to know how to hide it, how to endure it, and how to control it. You need to know how to let it out like a ray of light only when necessary.]

“… … I’ll keep that in mind.”

We were speechless for a moment, staring at the mountain range that was upside down in the lake.

At some point, Cheonma laughed quietly.

“Master, why are you laughing?”

[This place is a bigger mess than I thought.]

“… … It’s a mess.”

I squatted down on the lakeside and dipped my hands in the water.

It seemed as if something was being washed away in the cold, clear water of the lake.

I washed my face as I thought that my complicated thoughts would wash away.

As the cold lake water touched my face, I felt a little more awake.

I stared at the water, letting the water drip down my face.

My face was dimly reflected on the mirrored surface of the lake.

“There are a lot of guys who need to be killed.”

I stared at the bloodshot eyes rippling over the water for a while.

* * *

“Did you find out who the royal knight was dispatched to?”

“That… … I haven’t figured it out yet.”

“still?”

“Yes. Those sent to gather information are not returning.”

“hmm.”

“I think… … I think it might have been a hit.”

Shushuruta clicked his tongue.

“Be careful, I told you so.”

“sorry.”

“It looks like they sent a pretty strong guy. Is that Vandyke of the Iron Spear?”

I didn’t go inside, but stood leaning against the outside wall of the cabin, arms folded, listening to their conversation.

They were chatting about the identity of the royal knight who had been dispatched and where he might be, but soon they turned to talking about other pursuers.

“There are pursuers.”

“What kind of pursuer are you talking about?”

“We have received information that a group of about twenty to thirty violent criminals are moving together, but their route is unclear.”

“… … Did you say that the most violent criminals had gathered together?”

“Yes. They are all notorious and have huge bounties on their heads.”

“… … Okay. Again?”

“There is information that Mad Linda has been seen near the mountains. I think you should be careful.”

“Um. And?”

“Also, there is information that the Nightwalker Assassins have formed an elite force of assassins and dispatched them… … .”

As I listened to each piece of information, it seemed like a very dangerous situation.

As soon as I became the owner of the dagger, I found myself receiving an excessive amount of attention from the villains.

I leaned my head back and muttered softly.

“That’s better. Come as you please, you blind moths. I’ll burn you all.”

After that, the report continued for quite a while.

The informant, who had also thoroughly reported on the other pursuers, said:

“The situation is not normal. After some discussion within the guild, we have decided to send reinforcements.”

Reinforcements? We don’t need them.

Still, I listened quietly for the time being.

“What kind of reinforcements are you talking about?”

“The two princes said they would help.”

“Is that true?”

Shushuruta asked in a brighter voice.

“Yes. He is currently leading his men here. He will arrive sometime today, so I think it would be a good idea to rest here for a while.”

“Okay, I’ll wait here.”

Shushuruta answered happily.

“Yes, then.”

After a brief farewell, the informant’s footsteps could be heard heading for the door.

The informant asked in a bewildered voice.

“Do you know where the door that was here went?”

“Didn’t Ashvan kick you earlier?”

“ah.”

The informant greeted Shushuruta once more and then left the room.

“Okay, I’ll be heading back now.”

I called out to the guy who was walking out of the cabin somewhere.

“for a moment.”

The informant looked startled and then looked straight at me.

“Yes, yes. What’s the matter?”

“Who are the two Confuciuses referring to?”

“… … I can’t tell you that because it’s confidential.”

Shushuruta said as he came out of the hut.

“It refers to brothers who learned together under inspiration.”

“sibling?”

“So to speak, that’s what it is. But they’re not real brothers.”

I tilted my head for a moment.

“So, is it the death penalty?”

Shushuruta nodded.

“Brothers. Yes. The old man said that since they both learned from him, they were like brothers.”

“hmm.”

By the way, this guy is really strange.

How dare you call the heavenly teacher an inspiration.

Even I, who am uneducated, always call him master.

[I’m proud of you, you little punk.]

‘No, Master. Why are you swearing all of a sudden?’

[Shut up.]

‘… … .’

I glared at the small-eyed man while suddenly being cursed at by Cheonma.

“Hey, this dog.”

“……yes?”

“So, you’re saying that Shushuruta’s good brother heard about the dagger and suddenly offered to help?”

“Uh… … that’s it.”

“Speak straight. Yes, no.”

“Yes, yes. That’s right.”

I looked at Shushuruta.

“You. Are you usually close with your siblings?”

“……maybe?”

“Speak frankly. Are you close enough to be in constant contact with each other, worrying about each other?”

“Um… … I don’t think so. It’s been over five years since I last saw you.”

As expected, it means there was no news.

“But… …the world is coming quickly and suddenly to help?”

Only then did Shushuruta sense something strange and look at the informant.

“… … .”

A cool silence fell.

Their gazes became sharp as blades.

The man moved his eyes and looked at me and Shushuruta once.

fault!

I chose to run away.

“I’ll catch it.”

I kicked the ground and chased after him.

“That kid. I didn’t like him since earlier.”