Chapter 127
“Se!”
Irei, who was about to call my name unintentionally, quickly covered his mouth. It seemed that not only my presence but also my name was known on the main residence. His reaction made everyone more suspicious, and their faces contorted further.
“Who’s this guy?”
“Why is he suddenly intervening?”
Despite their words, they didn’t take any threatening actions. They were likely conscious of Epethes standing behind me like a shadowy sentinel. With his towering build and entirely black attire, his mere presence was enough to intimidate them.
“You all should stop. It’s not a good sight to see a group coming to persecute someone.”
“Per-persecute?”
“We just came here with good intentions! He’s the one getting worked up for no reason!”
“He was the one throwing out insults first!”
“Still, these guys have no intention of reflecting on their actions!”
“Irei!”
Talis restrained Irei, who had become agitated and was about to step forward due to the outpour of complaints.
“Let go, Talis! Today, I’m going to settle things with them once and for all!”
“Se… Ae also said to stop. Why are you getting angry over something that’s happened multiple times?”
“Because it’s not just once or twice! They won’t listen unless we get physical!”
At that moment, something started to writhe on his arm. From where it had appeared, a black snake was coiling around his arm. The difference from an ordinary snake was that its eyes were made of white jewels.
‘… A Guardian?’
“Irei, that bastard! He even summoned Yusa!”
“He really wants to go against us?”
As expected, startled exclamations burst forth. They began summoning their own Guardians, and the previously calm atmosphere reignited in an instant. The flow was unmistakably in that direction.
‘Dragonfly, grasshopper, sparrow, squirrel… is that a mouse?’
However, perhaps because the Guardians looked small and cute, the situation didn’t feel serious at all. Regardless of their actual abilities, it seemed more like a display of pets on the surface, causing me to inadvertently let out a chuckle. The eyes that were glaring at each other turned back to me.
“What, are you laughing right now?”
“Do we look funny to you?”
“Ah, I apologize.”
Since it couldn’t be called a misunderstanding, I apologized calmly, which made their faces contort even more (for some reason, Talis and Irei were nodding quietly). It seemed I had unintentionally provoked them further.
“Who the hell are you? I’ve never seen you in the village.”
“Judging by the fact that you’re hanging out with those guys, it’s obvious. Must be from the slums of Seoryeong, right?”
“They call themselves wanderers and freemen, but it’s all nonsense. They’re just maladapted rejects from society. They think they’re something just because the Knights take pity on them.”
However, hearing their sneering words, I couldn’t help but intervene again.
“Well, to belittle others as rejects, you don’t seem all that normal either.”
“What… what did you say?”
“Just look at yourselves—gathered here for something so childish and pointless. It’s hard to believe you’re living fulfilling lives when you’re wasting time on this nonsense.”
“Hah! Really, this guy!”
“Hey, who the hell are you, anyway? A nobody hiding your face with that hat, acting high and mighty—let’s see how ‘great’ you are!”
“Yeah, show us your face!”
Ah, the age-old instinct to question someone’s identity when at a disadvantage. It seems to be a universal instinct across times and races.
Before I could respond, someone lunged forward. I felt their outstretched hand tug at me, and in a flash, the weight atop my head disappeared.
“Huh?!”
There was a collective gasp as my hat, poorly secured with its loose strap, was snatched away. The unexpected force had yanked it clean off.
“Hah! Look at this! Just an Acacia tree, daring to step up where it doesn’t belong—”
The sunlight poured directly onto my face as the cover was ripped away, leaving me squinting against its brightness. Through my narrowed eyes, I could make out the mocking expression on the man’s face gradually stiffening. He seemed startled by his own words.
“… Acacia?”
His dazed gaze was fixed on my hair, as if pinned there, and the others around him wore similarly pale and frozen expressions.
“…”
“…”
Moments ago, the weather had been warm, almost stifling. Now it felt as though the temperature had plummeted.
Epethes, who had picked up the hat from the ground and dusted it off, handed it back to me with a smile, his eyes narrowing delightfully.
“I enjoy moments like these.”
“…”
Yeah, that much was obvious.
With a sigh, I snatched the hat back just as a sharp, piercing cry rang through the air.
Cawwww!
“!”
A sudden gust of wind swept by as a black-winged bird circled overhead, cutting through the sky with its razor-sharp screech.
‘A raven?’
“Ah, here it is! It’s really here!”
“Sei! We’ve found Sei! Sei is here!”
The familiar voices reached my ears immediately after. Turning towards the shouting, I saw people running from a distance. Many of their faces were familiar. Among them were Serige and Rikase, along with other members from Seoryeong.
“Indeed, we’ve found him.”
Among the group, the most noticeable was a man with long, jet-black hair. Dressed in black like Epethes, his austere expression made him appear almost otherworldly, as though he were a reaper incarnate. He was a face I recognized all too well.
“Ah, lord Aska.”
The complexion of those opposing us grew even paler.
Shortly, the raven that had been circling in the sky landed gently on his shoulder. He lightly stroked its beak, which it extended endearingly, and then looked towards us indifferently.
After first confirming me, he glanced at Talis and Irei behind me, and finally turned his gaze one by one toward those on the opposite side. The eyes that already felt cold seemed to grow even more menacing, an effect not entirely in my imagination.
“An explanation of the situation is needed.”
“……”
Someone began to hiccup.
I clicked my tongue lightly. Unfortunately, it seemed that today’s adventure was ending here.
“Sei.”
The voice calling my name was heavier than usual. Kalph, who had haphazardly thrown a pile of scrolls onto the table, rubbed his forehead with his thumb. Clearly in the grip of a headache, I subtly averted my gaze.
“I thought I explicitly told you not to go near the outskirts. Care to explain why that’s the first place you headed?”
“I apologize.”
“I’m not asking for an apology…”
He pressed his fingers harder against his brow and let out a deep sigh.
“Where did you even hear about Talis? I have a feeling I know, but I’d like to hear it from you.”
“I asked the plants to show me what kind of conversations you and the elders had been having.”
“… Of course you did. My bad premonitions never seem to fail me.”
I was wrong, it’s all my fault. He sighed to himself, staring into the air, then wiped his face with both hands. “This is the part I wish you hadn’t inherited..!”
I think I heard something that couldn’t be ignored, but I simply pretended not to hear it.
“If you were curious, you could have found out. But you should have clearly stated your reason for going out. You have no idea how worried everyone was when we couldn’t find you anywhere. Including me, of course.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I told you not to go to the outskirts because it’s really dangerous, not for any other reason. If you had said from the beginning that you were going to meet Talis, I would have ensured a proper escort. Then there wouldn’t have been any incidents like today.”
“Yes, I was shortsighted.”
“No, no. That’s not what I meant. It wasn’t to say you did something wrong. The fault lies entirely with those who picked the fight. What I’m saying is, Sei, I wish you would trust me, trust us a bit more.”
“……”
“I understand it’s hard to trust after all you’ve been through. But we are here for you, not to hinder or oppress you.”
“……I’ve never thought of it that way.”
I answered in a dazed tone, but Kalph only gave a bitter smile. “Yeah, it’ll get better little by little.” His low muttering made my chest feel heavy. I think I would have preferred to be openly scolded, as this kind of moral lecture felt more difficult. It was even harder because he didn’t seem to genuinely blame me.
“Anyway, thank you for stepping in for those kids. Because of this, Talis and Irei have agreed to come inside. No matter how much I tried to persuade them, it wasn’t easy to change their stubbornness, but thanks to you.”
“Oh, they agreed to come in.”
“Yeah, originally they were planning to pack up and leave right away, so I was quite worried. But now I’m relieved.”
It seemed the two would be staying at the Knights’ quarters for a while. Judging by the atmosphere, it seemed like there were a few things discussed that I didn’t know about, but I didn’t bother asking.
“The ones who caused trouble today will be punished. For now, they’ll be put into a week of self-reflection and forced to write a hundred pages of apology letters. They’ll also undergo military training for a month to train their minds. Do you have any other requests? I’ll prioritize those.”
“I think Talis and Irei’s opinions are more important than mine.”
“Alright, I’ll take their thoughts into account too.”
Kalph’s face faintly lit up with a smile, as though in resignation.