I Became the Burden of a Conscienceless Party

198 – Side Story 2. The Story After, Irina (1)

The story afterward, Irina (1)

This escape was doomed from the start.

If I had just quietly given up then, would there have been any reason to suffer like this?

If you think about it, one of the biggest reasons for the escape has already been resolved.

It’s a story about frustration.

Thanks to this, my stress has been relieved and my body feels lighter.

That’s when I started to regret running away. Why do I always end up doing things I regret when I always get caught?

If I think about it, it might be because I’ve never been in big trouble before.

Based on the incident with Milia, I had a terrible experience.

You must not escape in the future.

therefore…….

“… … Calm down.”

“I didn’t do anything?”

“Ahem!”

Of course, Irina just stared at me with the door open and didn’t say anything.

I think this is exactly what the saying “A thief’s own feet are numb” means.

No, if I think about my past experiences, it won’t be easy this time either.

I was kidnapped by Tina, who I thought would be fine, and then I was even imprisoned and abandoned by Garnet, who was my collaborator.

Ugh, such a cowardly Garnet… … .

It’s clear that he sold me out.

“Mr. Jim?”

“it’s nothing…….”

“Anyway, I’m glad you’re safe.”

What kind of person is Saint Irene?

She was always kind and considerate when dealing with me.

When I found out that she was the angel I served, instead of being disappointed, didn’t I become even more devoted?

Irina Shindo is a faithful, thoughtful, and worldly saint.

However, I decided to regard her as a person, not a believer, and our relationship continued that way.

So, what kind of person is Irina?

I can confidently say that she is the one who has worked harder than anyone else. The warrior Esmeralda was also a hard worker, but unlike Esmeralda, Irina has a broader perspective on the world.

Esmeralda, who had only one goal in mind – to defeat the Demon King – compromised and sacrificed herself through all the hardships of the world.

If so, then where can you find someone as human as she is?

She is a person who feels guilty about her sins, and yet tries to save more people by doing so. Yes, that is how I evaluate Irina as a person.

She will definitely accomplish what she sets out to do, so this is the moment when she decides what to do in this situation.

“Would you like to go back now? Or would you like to continue your outing a little longer? We’ve been giving Mr. Jim a hard time, so I’ll turn a blind eye to whatever choice you make.”

She doesn’t care about the means.

Irina smiled brightly. Her smile was innocent and playful, like that of a child caught in a prank.

but…….

“… … I will go back.”

Unless you have your back turned to the countless crowds of people behind you.

Saint Irina’s behavioral patterns were clearly different from those of other people, whether you could call them that or not.

Unlike those who showed up alone to kidnap me and monopolize me, I came here leading my army alone.

This is where you can see how desperately she searched for me.

Well, she doesn’t have as much stamina as Tina or Esmeralda, nor can she use dark magic to find me like Milia, so that must have been her only way.

However, the situation where the knights and priests were staring at me with all their might was more terrifying than I could have imagined.

If the fear that Millia showed me was an unknown fear, should I say that the fear that Millia showed me had a clear form?

“Then shall we go, Mr. Jim?”

Irina giggled as if she found my appearance funny.

As I mentioned earlier, her appearance was just as cute as that of a girl playing a mischievous prank. Yes, even in this situation, I couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of discomfort at the thought that she was cute.

***

The way back was relatively easy.

You will return in a plush carriage, escorted by knights and priests.

Where can you find such luxury?

Of course, right now I feel like I’m being taken somewhere.

It’s true that my body is comfortable even though my mind is uncomfortable. I guess I was more tired than I thought, because I was sitting restlessly and quickly fell asleep.

And when I woke up, my liver and gallbladder felt cold.

Did you know that I would do something while I was sleeping?

but…….

“Are you awake? Would you like to eat this? It’s a light sandwich, and the priest made it for you.”

“I will eat it gratefully.”

Irina did nothing.

Instead, he even gave me a lap pillow so I could sleep comfortably.

As soon as I opened my eyes, I saw a beautiful face and my lips relaxed for a moment.

Isn’t this the life of a married couple?

But I’ve never felt that way about my life since I got married.

Anyway, I opened my eyes, got up, and had a light meal.

Nothing has happened yet.

“… … .”

So, what should we do?

I wonder how Irina will turn out?

First of all, the way back itself was not a problem. At first, I wondered where it was taking me, but as I moved, I gradually became familiar with the terrain.

This is the road to the Demon King’s Castle.

Of course, like Tina, you could have turned around on your way to the Demon King’s Castle, but considering that you were bringing such a large number of people with you, there was no need to deceive you, so you could have just taken them with you from the beginning.

At least, it doesn’t seem like the hideout made by the thorough Irina would be near the Demon King’s castle.

I’m starting to get scared of what she’s planning to do.

“Mr. Jim.”

“yes?”

As I was watching Irina with such vigilance, soon Irina closed the book she was reading and spoke to me.

I was startled because I felt like I had been caught peeping, but upon closer inspection, I realized that it didn’t feel like I had been caught.

“Is the content of this book true?”

“……yes?”

“This one.”

What Irina showed me as she spoke was a Bible.

Since the god she serves is God, and God is me, it is inevitable that the Bible will contain information about me.

I’ve never written anything like a book, but I’ve confirmed that there was at least some information about me written.

“It has been passed down and revised for centuries, so there are bound to be exaggerations and lies.”

Swish.

Irina sat next to me and showed me the Bible.

To be honest, I was more concerned about the distance between me and Irina, who was naturally sitting close to me, than the content of the book.

I’ve already slept with Milliana Tina, but what should I say? A sense of betrayal?

There was something like that in my skinship with Irina. It could be because I was having skinship with a believer who served me.

Or maybe it’s because of the definite presence felt even through the thick yet thin fabric.

Compared to the Millia, it is small, but when you get this close, you can really feel its size.

“Here you go.”

“Yes? Where?”

Are you talking about your heart?

“This part.”

“Oh, it was you.”

Even though I worked all night, I still have some worries.

Perhaps it is because he gave up his position as a god and was reborn as a complete human. I guess I should see it as him expressing what he had endured for so long.

Is that why?

The part that Irina showed was also about that part.

“The evil spirit sent three daughters to torment the god. Their names were Tanha, Raga, and Arati.”

“Ah, that’s… … .”

Is it because Tana is a real person and we are living together now?

I think I know why Irina asked that question.

The Bible says that I rejected them all outright.

Unfortunately, no.

After being tossed and turned for a while, I still wanted to set out on the road.

Am I just a human trying to make efforts, rather than a transcendent being?

In that sense, I am different from the god Irina hopes for.

She hoped for a miracle all the time, but the miracle she thought of was also a side of me that could do much more than other people.

Was this a conversation about miracles?

I still remember what happened and how much it hurt her.

“It may be an exaggeration, but it’s definitely a true story.”

“Is it true that Mr. Jim left the woman behind?”

“If I were a woman, I would look like a person who is going crazy.”

“No way.”

really?

Honestly, I think it can’t be helped that it looks that way.

Haven’t we already shown you something?

Even now, when I think about it, I feel like I was really bad, having lost my dignity and being swayed by the seven emotions. It may not be much different now, though.

“just…….”

It seemed like he was angry because he suspected my reaction.

Irina asked, scratching her cheek with an expression that seemed somewhat embarrassed and guilty.

“When I think about Tana now, that’s what happened. You said Jim loved Tana, right? But if you can leave someone you love behind like this… … . It’s just, that… … .”

Fear, guilt, and slurring of speech.

Irina showed me a pattern this time again that I didn’t expect.