◈ Episode 134

"...."

"...."

The reunion scene was shrouded in a complex and subtle atmosphere that was difficult to describe. Rather than embracing each other in emotion, they only gave Roscoe a cold look.

Roscoe was keenly aware that the situation was now unfavorable to him. The meaning in the eyes of the man and woman was infinitely close to, 'What should we do with this kid?'

I had to find a way out.

"Hmm! Ahem!"

First, I opened my wallet.

"Okay, okay! What are you guys doing? Hurry up and get in."

"The restaurant is fancy."

"It's a bit pricey, but don't worry, miss. It's been a while since we last saw each other, so let's throw a big bang. If it looks good, order it all!"

There was no need to order more. The table was already filled with dozens of dishes. If it weren't a room-style restaurant, it would have caught everyone's attention.

Fresh seafood that is hard to find in Cilicia. Gnocchi mixed with a smooth cream sauce. Plating that is not practical but looks pretty.

At first glance, the table was filled with expensive food. This was the style that Asterike, who had lived in poverty for a long time, really liked - but this time, it couldn't help but look odd.

"I guess you made a lot of money selling me."

"Ugh! Cool, ugh!"

Roscoe, who was quenching his thirst with soda water, stopped by. He coughed for a moment, his face turning red. He wiped the cold sweat that had flowed down with a towel and smiled awkwardly.

"Ma, you're making me sad. No, I didn't mean to. You were incredibly popular, Miss. There were quite a few fans who missed you. I feel bad for you…."

"Huh."

Roscoe's body flinched at the sound of his snort. His half-open eyes looked like rapidly spinning saw blades. But he couldn't avoid the gaze. He had to show his confidence.

Finally, Asterike's eyes softened.

"Ha. Okay."

"Are you forgiving me…?"

"I don't really like it, but I wasn't worried about Roscoe either. I'm glad to hear that he's doing well."

"Huh," I exclaimed in surprise. It was because Asterike's answer was unexpected.

"You've grown up, young lady."

"I was originally an adult?"

"Are you an adult just because you're physically tall? But your mind…."

"What, what was I like?"

"…That means you've become more mature! Haha!"

"Are you saying you're old?"

What do you want me to do?

As I grumbled to myself, Asterike playfully laughed. It seemed like it was a joke. It was rare for her to become so tense when talking to anyone other than Kim Yi-hyun.

"Haha. Looks like you raised him well, hyung."

"That's a bit strange. And it's the opposite."

"Huh? What do you mean by opposition?"

"Rather, I learned it while raising a child."

Roscoe's gaze dropped at the word "Aera." The child sitting between Kim I-hyeon and Asterike. She was naughtily sticking her snout into the table and then getting smacked on the lips by Asterike.

"I've been wondering for a while now. Who are you?"

"Arya is Arya. You smelly old man."

"Me, smell?"

Sniff sniff.

"Hmm. I don't know."

The sense of smell is so sensitive that it can easily become dull. Roscoe couldn't smell the stench of alcohol and nicotine that clung to his body like skin.

That was why it was even more shocking. It felt like he was starting to smell like a widower. To Roscoe, the youth of the teenagers and twenties before his eyes were as dazzling as the morning sunlight.

"Who are you anyway? You probably haven't had a baby in a while."

"Would it be possible to have a child this big? Common sense tells you that."

"I left it out in advance because it was ridiculous."

I deliberately did not point out Asterike's strangely shy attitude.

"There was just something going on. I think of you as my little brother."

"Squeak, squeak. If you keep blocking Arya, you'll have no choice but to overturn the table."

"Oh, your speaking skills have really improved. You can eat it. Use a fork."

As soon as permission was given, Arya grabbed the fork in reverse. She tried to slurp down on the pasta, but at best she could only catch one or two strands. And even then, she dropped them as she was putting them in her mouth.

He must have gotten angry because he was eating too much, so he picked up the bowl and started eating. Kim I-hyeon snickered and Asterike sighed. Roscoe couldn't understand their relationship at all.

"That couple seems to be doing well too. But, um."

This time, Roscoe's gaze shifted to the seat next to me. Aside from the animal-eared youth named Arya, there was another stranger there.

Blonde hair and red eyes. An elegant posture even when sitting still. A beauty that stands out even in the bustling city of Cilicia. And an air of danger that is unknown.

"Who is this person?"

"mafia."

"Ma, Mafia?"

The woman's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Don't call me that. Not anymore."

"Then how should I introduce you?"

"You can just say I'm your subordinate."

The insignificant answer left Kim Ihyeon puzzled.

"Why did you follow me again today?"

"I don't want to travel alone in a city I don't know well."

"Edwin was doing well."

"Why is that weird guy the standard?"

He's a bit of a weird guy.

"Anyway, this is okay. We cooperated this time."

"Well, okay. Do whatever you want."

I couldn't figure out why Echidna suddenly became so docile. She didn't even seem to care about Asterike's wary gaze. She smiled slightly as she chewed the gnocchi.

'I think I've sorted things out.'

After all, Echidna was not a weak person. If given the chance, she could stand up again. Who knows what she would become in the future if she were no longer a mafia member?

I just hope that this time it will be of some help.

It was after I finished eating.

As the two men and the young kid left first, and Roscoe was screaming at the amount on the bill, Echidna, who had been secretly being slow, approached Roscoe.

"I ate well."

"Huh? Oh, that's good."

"What was your name? Roscoe, right?"

What is it? I don't know what the intention is of approaching you.

In a situation like this, Roscoe was the type who would feel nervous rather than excited. Alcohol makes life moderately happy, but excessive beauty and drugs ruin a person.

It was a time when I was trying to sneak away according to my theory.

"These are my contact details."

Echidna put the folded paper into Roscoe's jacket pocket. She confidently refused to accept the rejection. Roscoe's eyes, which had been ridiculed as a child for having buttonhole eyes, grew as big as lanterns.

"Hey, why don't you give me your contact information?"

"I really hope you'll contact me."

A sense of caution, but at the same time a sense of anticipation sprouted.

Spring has finally come to my life, which had been so bleak…?

"I want to hear that person's story."

No, reality was cold and harsh.

Echidna's gaze was directed outside the restaurant. Kim I-hyeon, who was wiping Arya's mouth with a sour look but was also diligent. A moment of everyday life that she had not seen in Banjar.

"I don't know what kind of person that guy is."

Even Echidna herself couldn't figure out exactly what kind of emotion it was. The day when the complicatedly tangled threads of emotion are unraveled. Only then will she be able to realize it.

Whether it's love, friendship, jealousy, or hatred -

I was determined to follow whatever answer came out.

"...Okay, I understand."

Roscoe became sullen.

* * *

Closed area Logania.

Clank, clank!

The sound of armors clashing flowed steadily like a machine. Heavy footsteps hit the broken and cracked asphalt road. Thump, thump, the axis of the earth shook like a drum being struck.

A girl poked her head out from a telephone pole in the alley. Her attire was shabby. Her hair was unkempt and she hadn't washed in a long time. She looked like a typical homeless person.

"와아...."

Still, the girl's eyes held the innocence and yearning that befitted her age. She was not alone; many vagrants were peeking out from all over the street.

Crunch!

The unusually bright moonlight dyed the silver armor even bluer. A vast ruin that could not even be called a city. In this land that had been cursed, the girl felt beauty for the first time.

It wasn't the scenery that caught my eye. It was them. The knights marching in perfect order, without any disarray. They were old, outdated, and therefore shining.

Albatross.

It's a name that even a mere vagrant knows. To be exact, they know it better because they are vagrants. The anecdote about a boy who made a living by digging through trash becoming a member of the Albatross was famous.

The Knights of the Independent Order. The Albatross has long maintained its autonomy without being tied to any nation. Those who have saved their lives have volunteered to send in their support.

It was a dreamlike story for the homeless. There were more than a few children around the girl who shouted that they would become members of the Albatross someday.

It was a chance that would never come again. A sliver of hope to escape this hell.

And yet no one came forward.

I didn't dare to stop their march.

"Oh, here it comes!"

The distance between her and the knight in front was less than 10 meters. The girl hurriedly hid herself inside a telephone pole. She was embarrassed to show her shabby appearance.

But I couldn't stop yearning - my body moved unconsciously. I couldn't bring myself to leave the alley, but I watched the knights march from up close.

Boom, boom!

Their faces were hidden by their helmets. The weapons they carried on their waists, on their backs, on their shoulders, and in their hands cast a dreary and enchanting light under the night sky.

The girl could only watch.

Who was the boy who was in a similar situation to him? Who was the old tramp who the old men used to look down on, saying, 'I'm better than that brat!' Was he just lucky, as they had heard?

'I don't know.'

At least the girl couldn't tell them apart. There wasn't a single person in the line who looked awkward. They were all dressed the same, but their physiques and atmospheres were different.

If he hadn't died, the boy would have been there. That is, in a few years, he had become a man who could walk with them without feeling out of place. He had truly become a knight.

The last column of articles passed.

The girl came out of the alleyway at some point. She stared at the back of the person walking away. The sound of her footsteps became smaller and smaller, and the empty space was filled with the beating of her heart.

Kwaaak.

The girl pressed her hands to her chest. Even though she was not saved. Even though she did not have the courage. Even though she was still a vagabond. It was enough of an experience for her decaying innocence to shine again.

* * *

The Imperial Palace of the Shiran Empire.

The Emperor's eyes darkened as he read the report from the Intelligence Service. Even after he put the documents down on the desk, his gaze remained fixed on the words for a while.

"I don't remember sending an invitation."

"It's still the same. You have this habit of not being able to tell what to wear and what not to wear."

Lord Protector Heinrich chuckled. Contrary to the general meaning of his title, he only protects the Emperor. However, in terms of protecting the country, he was extremely faithful.

The Emperor lives only for the Empire. He breathes for the Empire. He walks for the Empire. So, protecting the Emperor is the same as protecting the Empire.

It was a belief bordering on obsession for Heinrich.

"This strange tradition still continues."

Knock knock.

The emperor tapped the report with his index finger and laughed in vain.

"I don't know why they walk around when they're not even savages. No, even savages know how to drive these days. After all, they've been riding horses for a thousand years. But these guys, really."

In the Emperor's eyes, the Albatross was a group of eccentrics. They were a counter-terrorist group that wandered without a fixed abode. They walked across the continent on their own two feet and brandished their swords.

Slay monsters and slay evildoers.

Strictly according to their standards.

"Isn't it a tradition of its own?"

"It had meaning in the past, but now it's just stubbornness."

"That must have been how strict Lachline's education was."

"Even after a long time since death, it's hard to forget."

The emperor chuckled as he folded his papers.

"That's great in its own right. I don't know how many generations it's been since Lacline, but it definitely still smells like that stuffy guy. Tradition isn't all that meaningless, is it?"

"Isn't it amazing?"

"What?"

Heinrich searched his memory before answering. The human brain was truly a mysterious crystal. Even if you forget the contents of a document you read just ten minutes ago, there are memories that will not fade for a long time.

"Marcus is broken, and Heinz is a far cry from his former self. But Lachlan's beliefs, long buried in the grave, remain close to their original form."

"Have we changed?"

"It won't be the same."

The emperor was silent at the ambiguous answer. For a moment, the emotions were removed from his expression as if they had been extracted with a dropper. As if his humanity had been worn away by the long years and accumulated experiences.

It was only a brief moment, less than 10 seconds.

A soft smile appeared on the Emperor's lips.

"Let's stop talking nonsense. Let's get ready."

"It's a bit annoying. I guess it should have been opened in the Empire."

"Isn't it burdensome? Think of it as a trip."

The conference is held in the Lucerne Federation, not the Shiran Empire. It is a historically neutral country. It was also the place where the peace treaty was signed when the disaster began.

"I'm going to meet an old friend."

The end of July.

The great emperor of the Thousand Year Empire, the young governor of Salare who lost his capital and his parents in a disaster, the prime minister of Flaoria who is obsessed with past glories, the regent of Cadillac who turned millions of his subjects into vagabonds.

The council of Cilicia, which had abandoned its homeland, the royal family of Bastitera, who had been rejected and ostracized, and the dull and noble knights who were trying to sweep away the cancer cells that had covered the entire world with their spears and swords─

The ghost of Shalem, who was destroyed by divine punishment.

Representatives of numerous nations and peoples suffering from a vicious epidemic gather together.

And on July 25th.

Kim Lee-Hyeon set foot on the land of Lucerne.