novelraw Chapter 40 : Chapter 40
Chapter 40 : Chapter 40
Chapter 40. Anonymous (3)
“It seems I was mistaken about something…….”
A hollow voice.
Anonymous tried to meet my eyes but soon turned her head away.
Her face, which had been burning with anger just a moment ago, was now colored with embarrassment and relief.
It was because I had gotten up from my seat as if nothing had happened.
The magic potion had not harmed me in any way.
At that moment, Noemi ran towards me.
“Dad! Are you okay?”
“Yes. I’m fine.”
Noemi hugged me with a face full of joy.
But the joy was short-lived.
She suddenly clenched her fists and began to pound on my chest.
“Why did you do something like that! I really thought you were going to die!”
I clutched my aching chest and said with a forced smile.
“It's okay, Noemi. I just feel a little uncomfortable.”
However, Noemi's punches grew increasingly stronger.
‘Keuk.’
I felt the pain again in the spot on my back that Anonymous had struck.
My back bent on its own.
Tears welled up in my eyes.
“Ah, Dad?”
“I-I’m fine.”
Everyone looked at me with worried eyes, not knowing what to do.
I forced a smile and emphasized that I was fine.
“Phew. I’m really okay. Could you step back a little?”
Noemi nodded and stepped back.
Anonymous was silent with an awkward face, and Adel, who did not understand the situation, just blinked her eyes.
Only then did Adel hear about the situation from Rude.
“You have to throw it up right away!”
With those words, she began to strike my back fiercely, just as Anonymous had done…….
‘S-stop. I’m really going to die if this keeps up!’
I felt like I was going to lose my mind.
If Rude hadn't stopped her, I might have really lost consciousness and collapsed.
“Stop it. It's been a long time since the potion was absorbed. We can only hope that nothing happens.”
Phew. Thank you, Rude.
You are the savior of my life.
I didn’t take a single point of damage from the magic potion, but to think I was about to step on the threshold of the underworld because of the three women I thought were on my side.
Anyway, that wasn't what was important right now.
“Adel, what did you just say? Did you say the Dragon's Paradise is under attack?”
Adel answered with a dazed face.
“Ah, yes. That is true, but……”
“This is no time for this. We must fly there right now and stop them!”
However, Noemi argued that we couldn't do that.
“They have the magic potion too! It's too dangerous for Master to go there.”
Of course, I knew that, but that place was near the summit of the Elburz Mountains.
Without borrowing Anonymous' power, it would take ages just to get there.
Then, a pure white creature outside the window caught my eye.
It was the mode of transportation Rude and Noemi had arrived on.
‘If I ride the Pegasus, I can get there in a short amount of time.’
The problem was that we had no information about them, so the question was who would go there.
‘First, Anonymous absolutely cannot go. But sending Adel and Noemi is too risky.’
I stared pointedly at Rude.
He was the damage dealer in charge of firepower in the Hero's party.
Now, he was even called a sage.
Wouldn't he be enough to wipe them out in one fell swoop?
Rude's expression rapidly darkened as if he had noticed my thoughts.
“Well, I don't know what you're thinking, but I retired quite a long time ago. Fighting is a bit much.”
“I need your power.”
“I’m telling you, that's a bit difficult.”
Rude's cowardly streak peeked out.
I placated him and said.
“I’ll go with you, so don't worry.”
“What?”
Not just Rude.
Everyone around looked at me with dumbfounded faces.
No, why?
Night would be coming soon.
***
It was time for Frank's original power to return.
Autumn in the north was the same as winter.
Thus, the sun set early.
I could feel my power gradually returning.
‘The spot Anonymous hit me earlier doesn't hurt at all now.’
As I was thinking that, Adel asked me again if I was really okay.
“There’s no need for you to go, Father, is there?”
“It’s fine. I’m not that old yet.”
“Still……”
When I shook my head firmly, Adel said nothing more.
Only Rude paced back and forth, restless.
“Ugh. Is this really the only way?”
“Yes. I’ll pilot the Pegasus, and you’ll rain down a fierce assault from the sky.”
Anonymous was out for now.
If by any chance she drank the magic potion, it would be an instant game over.
Adel and Noemi couldn't go either.
“Adel and Noemi just became adults this year. They lack experience, and more importantly, it's not time for them to be on the front lines yet.”
Then the only ones left were Rude and me.
If I said I wasn't going, could Rude go alone?
That would be difficult.
He was a rear-guard fighter who fought from behind, and he was a coward.
Anonymous, who seemed to have finally gathered the courage to speak to me, said this.
“Frank, you have lost your power and are nothing more than an ordinary person now. Why are you going this far?”
I smiled brightly and answered.
“I can't let them take you, can I?”
That was the truth.
I didn't know who the enemy was, but judging by the circumstances, there was a high possibility they were related to Primus.
There was no such scenario in PP.
In such a situation, to lose Anonymous, who could be called the best card on our side?
‘The already difficult Hell difficulty would skyrocket to Inferno difficulty.’
But how on earth did she misinterpret my words?
Anonymous silently approached my side, and then.
“Huh?”
She embraced me demurely.
What is this?
“You must come back alive.”
She even set up a death flag like this.
My lady, please, just don't say those words…….
I gave a bitter smile and gently pushed Anonymous away.
“Despite appearances, I was a former Hero. This much is no problem.”
“I truly hope so.”
Anonymous looked up at me with teary eyes.
I almost stroked her head without realizing it.
Unlike Anonymous, Noemi looked like she wanted to say something to me but stopped and just watched from a distance.
“It seems we’ll be in trouble if we delay any longer. I will be going now.”
“Yes. I wish you good luck.”
“Father! You have to be careful!”
As I was about to mount the Pegasus with Rude behind me, Noemi finally ran to me.
Noemi held my hand tightly and said.
“I couldn't see the future, but you’ll be safe, Dad! You came back alive even from the fight with the Demon King, after all.”
I gently stroked Noemi’s head with a soft smile.
My cute daughter, Noemi.
Where would I go, leaving you all behind?
I will definitely return in triumph, so just wait for me, everyone.
Am I being too confident?
No.
Perhaps because it had become night, I could feel my original power returning.
‘Is this the power of a Hero?’
An immense energy was surging like crazy.
‘I feel like I could cut down the Demon King in a single blow.’
The corners of my mouth lifted on their own.
***
After Frank and Rude left.
Silence enveloped the mansion.
As no one could easily open their mouths, Adel grabbed Anonymous' arm and spoke.
“Let’s go.”
“Let’s do that.”
Adel led Anonymous towards the basement.
There was no safer place than this in the vicinity.
Adel opened the door to the room opposite where Alvarez had been.
Squeak.
As the door opened, a room with the exact same structure as the one where Alvarez died came into view.
“Master, please wait here for the time being.”
With those words, Adel closed the door and was about to leave.
Then, Anonymous grabbed her.
“Adel.”
“Is there something you wish to say to me?”
“……I’m sorry. Things got bigger because of me.”
Anonymous bowed her head with a gloomy face.
Adel slowly shook her head and said.
“It’s not your fault, Master, so please don’t blame yourself too much.”
“No. It's because of me that Frank had to drink the potion. Also, it's because of me that he headed to the Dragon's Paradise, risking death. It’s all my fault.”
It was the first time seeing Anonymous so lacking in confidence.
Adel turned, sat next to her, and held her hand tightly.
“We have to trust Father right now. He must have had a plan, which is why he did what he did.”
Father had said that there was no one who could pilot a mount better than him.
Father's plan was that if he piloted the Pegasus and Rude the sage launched a
bombardment from the sky, they could easily subdue them.
“As Father said, the most experienced people among us are Father and Master Rude. The two of them would never fail.”
“Thank you.”
“Not at all. But, Master.”
“Yes?”
Adel was about to say something but stopped.
‘Surely she doesn't like Father, right?’
Although she had never been in a relationship, right now, Master Anonymous had the scent of a woman about her.
‘It can’t be. Master is an ancient dragon who has lived for thousands of years, how could she feel affection for a mere human.’
Adel quickly dismissed the thought and went upstairs.
There, she saw Noemi staring blankly in the direction her father had gone.
“Are you worried about Father?”
“…….”
She didn't speak, but Noemi's face was full of worry.
Adel changed the subject to ease her younger sister's worries.
“I think I understand now.”
“What?”
“Why you acted so alone all the time. I couldn't have even guessed that you had the power to see the future.”
Noemi chuckled and shrugged her shoulders.
“Iris unni already knew. You were the only one who didn't notice.”
“Is that so? Well, Iris is quick-witted. I’m a bit slow.”
“Slow? You’re a clueless bear, that’s what.”
Adel asked back with a surprised face.
“What did you just say? A clueless bear?”
“Yes. A clueless bear.”
“You…… How can you say that to your older sister?”
“It’s the truth.”
Was this really the Noemi she knew?
But Adel felt like she had become a step closer to Noemi.
Until now, she had only thought of her as the quiet youngest sister.
‘I see, Noemi was a person just like me.’
A clueless bear.
It was a fact she certainly couldn't deny.
That must be why she didn't know that her father loved her so much.
Or that Alvarez had secretly admired her.
Adel stood next to Noemi and looked at the Elburz Mountains together.
Praying that her father and Master Rude would return safely.
***
A while after leaving the mansion.
Rude brought up a random topic.
“What happened to you?”
“What do you mean?”
“Your magical power has returned, hasn't it?”
Oh? He noticed already?
As expected of a sage.
But I answered nonchalantly.
“I don't know what you're talking about.”
“Don’t lie! What on earth are you hiding?”
“You're the one who should stop talking nonsense. This isn't the time for us to be arguing amongst ourselves.”
“You really don't know?”
Rude was silent for a while, then he shouted.
“Could it be that your power returned because of the magic potion you drank?”
“What?”
I received his words with deliberate bewilderment.
So that he could explain this situation on his own.
Rude, now convinced, rambled on.
“There’s a possibility. If it’s a power that can subjugate a dragon, then undoing the Demon King's curse wouldn't be that difficult. Haha. So that's what it was! Frank! You've been freed from the Demon King's curse!”
Hehe. With this, I think I can leave things to Rude after we return to the mansion.
I'll be able to explain through Rude's mouth that my power returning was a simple coincidence.
But this was only half of my power.
‘When the sun rises again, my abilities will be sealed.’
So I needed to crush them before that.
I feigned ignorance and replied.
“I have no idea what you've been talking about from the start. More importantly, we're almost at the Dragon's Paradise. Get a grip and focus.”
“Haha. What a coincidence! Now that it's come to this, I don't need to be scared anymore. Let’s do this, partner!”
Rude’s voice rose with excitement.
Well then, shall I see for myself what the Hero's true power is like?
And while I'm at it, I'll check out who the enemies are.
My grip on the reins tightened.