novelraw Chapter 127 : Chapter 127
Chapter 127 : Chapter 127
Chapter 127: Southbound (1)
My lungs feel like they're freezing.
It's a common phenomenon in the North.
When you breathe, your lungs grow cold.
It was a sensation Harad had never once felt, but for Northerners, it was a natural occurrence.
No, perhaps they've lived that way since birth and don't even feel it.
Walking down the street, you sometimes see people with awkward breathing.
Those who breathe in cautiously because their lungs hurt, or those who move their bodies to generate heat because they're already too cold inside.
Outsiders.
Thus, a Northerner could distinguish an outsider by their breathing alone.
And it was the same for Harad.
‘Though most distinguish them by their build.’
The North is not a land of severe exclusion.
As long as their personalities match, it doesn't matter. It's just that outsiders are hesitant. Because it's such a harsh land to live in.
However, it's not unpopular.
Being harsh is synonymous with having a lot of work to do.
Also, surprisingly, the North is quite wealthy.
The historic Serzila has accumulated a great deal of wealth.
As a family that doesn't know luxury, its wealth was substantial. It was funds used for the North.
There are always mercenaries who want that money circulating in the North.
At this time, not long after the festival ended, there were particularly many.
Because the soldiers who participated in the subjugation were given leave.
Serzila would often provide the accumulated work to mercenaries as requests.
Even after the requests are finished, the mercenaries don't immediately return to the continent.
The colder the North, the cheaper the alcohol. Mercenaries and alcohol are inseparable.
Harad walked among the rugged Northerners and rugged mercenaries. Familiar breaths and foreign breaths mingled. A few followed. It was a dark night. Harad slipped into a darker alley.
The North is a land where fighting is a daily occurrence, but it's not a land where blades are brandished rashly.
No Northerner is that lacking in manners or confidence in their bare hands.
And it's the same for the mercenaries staying in the North.
So those who approached, ready to draw their swords at any moment, could only be Mages.
Patern. The sword Ellen had given him, he had left it behind.
Because he wanted to induce this kind of situation.
As he rotated his body half a turn to the side, a sword grazed past Harad's back.
Kwa-jik! The elbow that had rotated with him crushed someone's face. The hand that naturally went down snatched the sword from the loosened grip.
Harad's hand, holding the sword, twisted its angle and shot upwards. It accurately pierced the heart of the one whose sword had been taken.
“Keoheok.”
Two now. Harad grabbed the neck of the woman holding a dagger with his left hand, and pushed the man with the pierced heart with his foot to pull out the sword.
When the man fell to the ground, a gruesome sound echoed from the woman's neck, and she went limp with her eyes wide open. Harad threw the corpse to his right.
A comrade's corpse.
The man who had been clumsily swinging his sword hesitated, then spread his arms to catch the woman's corpse. The sword Harad thrust pierced through both the woman and the man.
It was the heart. Gurgle. The sound of blood boiling came from the man's mouth. When pushed with his foot, he fell neatly along with the woman.
Looking at the corpses, saliva dripped from my mouth.
As expected, they were Mages.
They must be from the Liberation Tower's Rebellion faction, sent by Kunlutsban of the Bone Awl.
The assassination request on Harad's head was still valid.
“Tch.”
Harad licked his lips.
They weren't particularly great hearts. About 2nd Rank. But even that was a delicacy to the sun.
Predation is like a drug. Even a weak drug is still a drug.
“It seems okay.”
Harad said, drooling.
It was bearable.
I don't know if it's because it was a 2nd Rank's heart, or because it hasn't been long since I took Avery Aquins's heart.
‘It must be both.’
I suppose I do need to grasp my limits.
Harad forced himself to ignore the corpses and came out of the alley. As he turned the corner, he saw Ellen.
I hadn't felt her presence, but Harad wasn't surprised.
Since awakening her Innate Strength and realizing she could even fool Grand Duke Aratus, Ellen often acted like this.
“What are you doing here?”
“That's my line.”
Ellen had sparrow eyes.
“I came to find you. Because you were taking so long.”
“I ran into some pests.”
Harad took a step to the side and showed her the alley.
Ellen's eyes, having confirmed the corpses, narrowed even further.
“Liberation Tower?”
“That's right.”
Ellen's narrowed eyes returned to Harad. A considerable amount of blood had splattered on his clothes.
“Why didn't you kill them with magic.”
“Isn't this the domain? We have to be careful. They were too.”
The more urban the area, the weaker the Mage becomes.
To be precise, the more people watching.
That was the same even in the North, where there was no Church.
Whether it's the eyes of the Church or the eyes of the North, Mages are killed or chased if they're caught anyway.
“You, a person who knows that, didn't bring a sword?”
“The more urban the area, the weaker and more cautious a Mage becomes. They would have been even more so. The fact that a priest helped me would have been known.”
Those three had been following Harad for quite a while.
If he had carried a sword, that caution would have lasted even longer.
“Isn't it fine to be with me? The Liberation Tower doesn't know of my existence, do they?”
“That's also true.”
The fact that Ellen was from a collateral branch was known only to those who knew.
On the outside, she appeared to be a vibrant beauty. She didn't have a strong impression.
“Then why didn't you go with me.”
“……? You went first.”
Ellen was waiting at the Snow Leopard's Footprint, Harad had heard from Kubel.
Saying it was a day she wanted to drink.
“You still should have followed. You're my escort, you.”
“…….”
“What's an escort to do if they lose their charge.”
Harad laughed in disbelief.
‘So that's why she went first.’
Ellen had gone first because she wanted to say something like that.
Because she wanted to question why her escort was separated from her.
“Who am I?”
“……Next time, I'll follow you without fail.”
“Good. I'll let it slide this time. Since it must be your first time as an escort too.”
It's not my first time.
Harad didn't bother to say it.
The sight of Ellen smiling triumphantly wasn't so bad.
“But why didn't you eat the hearts?”
Ellen's eyes were sharp too.
Seeing that the three corpses' hearts were intact, she tilted her head.
“It's a fasting period.”
Until I can't stand it anymore.
Harad planned to try and endure predation.
* * *
In his past life, Harad was Grand Duke Elaine's escort.
-I've placed another bed. Sleep there.
-I don't want to.
-Why.
-I don't sleep in the same room as a man.
-You are my escort.
-I know.
-You're crazy.
-Yes.
In his past life, Harad had lived in the room next to Grand Duke Elaine's. Except for sleeping hours, they were together almost all day.
Because Grand Duke Elaine didn't indulge in deviations.
Not now.
This was a time when Elaine was deeply into her deviations. She would often become Ellen and wander outside.
Thanks to that, he was an escort in name only; not much had changed.
It was only natural, as they were already together most of the time.
“Doesn't an escort usually stick around 24 hours?”
“Why go that far.”
Despite having scolded me for not following her, Ellen didn't demand more than that.
It was only natural.
Ellen was Elaine. If their relationship deepened any further, she would inevitably get closer to the secret.
Ellen was ultimately Elaine.
She needed her time as the Grand Heir, and during that time, Escort Harad had no choice but to be idle.
“What's good about having more magic?”
“Shura, you can use your eyes more often.”
Today was Harad's day to look after Shura.
Because Kubel had accompanied the 1st Knights' search.
“What if my Rank gets higher?”
“The role of those eyes becomes deeper and more diverse. Shura, you'll be able to find out anything you're curious about.”
Shura could ask questions in her mind and see the answers to those questions with her Origin, her eyes.
Is my dad okay. That was the only question she could ask now.
If Shura's Rank increased, she would be able to ask more in-depth and diverse questions.
“Is it a good thing to get higher?”
“It is a good thing.”
You can find out people's inner thoughts.
That would surely become a powerful weapon.
A Mage who can distinguish Mages.
Ellen knows Harad as such a Mage, but in truth, that would be Shura with a higher Rank.
“How do you get a higher Rank? I heard you have to have a lot of magic first.”
“Your dad?”
“Uncle Cassion.”
That ignorant fool.
Harad muttered to himself.
“That's a half-truth. If you want to raise your Rank, you must first explore your Origin.”
There's a limit to raising your Rank just by increasing your magic.
A Mage must ultimately know their own essence clearly. Otherwise, they will eventually hit a wall.
“Shura, what do you like the most?”
“Dad?”
Shura answered immediately.
“What do you think about your eyes?”
“…….”
This time, she couldn't answer immediately.
Shura frowned and thought for a long time before opening her mouth.
“……I don't really know.”
“Then you'll have to think about that first. What kind of eyes they are.”
What they look like, what functions they have, what their limits are, and what they want.
Mages were a race that had to think constantly.
The Origin was a concept as complex as a living creature.
“First, you'll have to be able to explain it accurately. That's where it starts.”
“……It's difficult.”
“That's natural. It's like that for everyone.”
Even people who can accurately explain themselves are rare.
That's why magic is more difficult than aura.
The essence of aura and the essence of the owner are the same.
A knight only needs to know their own essence.
On the other hand, a Mage had to know themselves and their Origin.
If the loophole of predation didn't exist, high-ranking Mages would be extremely rare.
‘It is a structure that forces predation.’
Predation was the only act that could come into contact with another's Origin.
Also, one can check the growth of one's own Origin in real time. It's a very convenient time to look into one's Origin.
“Ugh.”
Shura was frowning.
It was the face of someone struggling to understand Harad's explanation.
It seemed Shura wanted to raise her Rank.
‘Eyes.’
A threatening Origin.
It would surely be helpful.
Just being able to ask the question 'Are you a Mage?' would tremendously increase Shura's value.
If she became more than that, there would be no need to explain it in words.
“You don't have to be in a hurry.”
“I want to establish merits too.”
It's not a desire for success.
She must want to be helpful to Kubel.
“You can establish those slowly.”
Shura blinked her eyes.
“I once said. It's not us who decides our use, but the situation.”
Shura's eyes will surely be helpful.
It was help that the regressed Harad didn't need.
If I receive help from a child like this, what meaning would the regression have?
At least, that's what Harad thought. He already knew a lot. He didn't need the hand that small hand was offering.
“Shura, the day you establish a merit will surely come.”
A moment might come when it will be needed someday.
“But it will come much later.”
There's no reason to be anxious.
There is more than enough time for Shura to grow. The regressed Harad could be confident.
There was no reason to show that young child someone's rotten insides so soon.
“So, Shura. Until then, let's be considerate of your dad.”
“What kind of consideration?”
“Usually, dads are greedy.”
Even that Grand Duke Aratus welcomed his daughter's deviation.
“If you become an adult, Kubel won't be able to enjoy the time when you were a child, will he.”
Shura had a look of incomprehension.
“You can't get piggyback rides when you become an adult. Do you want that?”
“No!”
“Then you should enjoy it now. You should get as many as you can while you can.”
Only then did Shura laugh like a child.
Grand Duke Aratus giving Ellen a piggyback ride.
Harad found it hard to imagine. Shura had to enjoy it while she was young.
A rumbling sound echoed.
It was proof that Shura's impatience had disappeared.
“When is sister coming?”
“She'll be here soon.”
Unless there was something special, Ellen always ate with Shura.
Since Shura's tummy clock had rung, Ellen's stomach must be making a roar.
Creak. As if on cue, the door opened and Ellen came in, rubbing her stomach.
“What's for lunch?”
“Leftovers from last night's dinner.”
Today, Kubel had participated in the 1st Knights' search.
It would be a cruel thing to ask such a Kubel to prepare lunch as well.
“Oh.”
Ellen was pleased.
Whether it was last night's dinner or today's lunch, her menu was always meat.
As Ellen lifted Shura, Harad went into the kitchen and brought out the leftover food.
The fire that started while he was carrying it heated the food just right.
“Ah. About the sea route. I've asked Arika. The Intelligence Bureau will move.”
Ellen said.
It was as Harad was setting down the food.
It was a story they had shared at the Snow Leopard's Footprint last night.
Glacier. Harad wanted to find that Mage.
He had already taken the tunnel, so if he seized the sea route as well, Glacier's asylum would be as good as blocked.
“It might take some time. Since it's a Mage.”
“We have to take that into account.”
Mages are secretive beings.
Their asylum routes are bound to be even more secretive.
“Ellen, have you ever gotten a piggyback ride from your dad?”
Harad asked as he set down the food.
“I don't have a dad.”
“…….”
Ellen said nonchalantly as she cut meat for Shura.
At times like this, she was really insincere. She should at least pretend to be wistful.
“The Mage whose Origin is Glacier. Do we have to find him?”
“At least, I want to.”
He was a Mage who would rise to the 6th Rank in the future.
He had to be dealt with in some way beforehand.
“Why?”
“It's a secret.”
Harad smiled as mysteriously as he could.
“Okay. Well, I'll find out on my own.”
Ellen's reaction was nonchalant.
“By the way, did you hear?”
“What?”
“The Grand Heir is going to the Empire.”
Ellen said it as if it were someone else's story.
“……?”
Harad found it hard to understand.
Elaine had never gone to the Empire at this time.
‘Was there something I didn't know about?’
It was during the time when I was a freeloader in my past life.
Perhaps there was something Harad didn't know.
“When is he going?”
“Actually, he already left. This morning.”
“……?”
Then what are you.