chapter 18
Because of that mealtime job, Ren and Zain got along quite often, if not every day.
Even the blunt Jain opened his heart a little, to the extent that Ren was the first thing he looked for when he had a request or task.
One day, there was a time when he forced himself to collect some unusual honey, so he went to the realm of the ferocious beast, Red Bear, and stole the honey and ran away.
“─────────────!!!”
After the Red Bear disappeared with a long roar, two heads poked out of the lake.
“Did you go?”
“I’m gone.”
While running away from the Red Bear, he threw himself into the lake where it was just in time and hid. Jain, who came out of the lake, took off his wet jacket and squeezed it like a rag. Water poured down like a waterfall and wet the green weeds.
“You’re lucky.”
There was no need for such work as Ren’s clothes were protected. I was just arranging my wet hair. The dazzling midday sunlight shattered in a rainbow of colors on the silver hair that was wet and clinging to her skin.
‘The body is quite solid.’
As she straightened her hair under her ears, Ren looked at Jain’s upper body, pretending not to be interested. It was hidden by a robe, so it was hard to see, but he was quite muscular, not like a wizard. Looking at the body alone, he seemed to believe it was a prosecutor.
“What do you have to say?”
“Why, why why why?”
“I’ve been keeping an eye on you since before.
The man who dried his clothes roughly by magic put his coat back on and said. Embarrassed, Ren hesitated and finally squeezed out a question.
“But you know, why did you make it so complicated?”
“what?”
“If it’s your skill, you can just kill the red bear and steal the honey.”
In fact, it seemed the right way. The answer returned was unexpected.
“I was going to do that, but I saw that there were several young cubs in the burrows who couldn’t even find food on their own.”
“ah…”
“It’s not enough to steal honey, so I don’t want even the youngsters to lose their father.”
“What is it, animal rights activist, environmentalist, or something?”
“No, not for such a grand reason. It’s just a matter of my mood.”
Jain scratched his head and said. He looked like he was sorry for something.
“I’m sorry that I forced you to fit in with such emotional problems.”
“Huh? No! Well done. Hearing that, I feel the same way.”
Ren smiled and said. Hearing that, Jain slumped down and pulled something out of his space-distorting pocket he always carried. It was the honey I had just looted. The Red Bear had stolen what he had gathered as food by robbing the hives hanging from the cliffs. Jain dug through the bottom of the honey jar with a wooden honey crochet, scooped out thick golden honey and shoved it into Ren.
“Eat it.”
“What’s this?”
“Honey for the Queen. There’s only two spoonfuls of this from one jar, but the sheep are like this, so what do you share? Let’s eat it up the two of us.”
“Huh? Really?”
“Because we are all in charge of preparing the meal. It is the right of those who have the right to supply.”
“Are you going to put me in the cage too? I was just telling you to turn it off every day.”
“Don’t hate it.”
“No! It’s not that I hate it!”
Ren came closer to the spoon, opened his mouth and took the honey. The honey, with its subtle acidity and the scent of oak wood, was as sweet as it melted your tongue. It felt like a concentrated soup of spring. Len swallowed, covering his mouth with his right hand and grinning.
“delicious.”
“How about it, did you do well to collect it even by force?”
“yes.”
He seemed to feel better at that one word, and thought that Jain shrugged was cute. At the same time, a pleasant wind blew and swept the two of them away. A small bird chirping could be heard from the lush green grass.
‘This is good too.’
Even if it wasn’t the most heartbreaking, burning love in the world, it was nice to be able to just have a good conversation.
‘I want to get to know you a little more.’
From that day on, Ren began to be a little more active in finding things to do with Jain. He was even joking around, which he hadn’t done well in his life.
One day, Ren pointed and proclaimed to Jain, who was preparing a meal while wearing a headband.
“I know who you are!”
Jain, who had been continuously slicing, took a deep breath and answered.
“What are you talking about out of the blue? Do you also resemble that chang-gu’s forehead? It’s really hard for me if you do too.”
“Huh? Ugh…”
“Don’t be silly, come and chop some carrots.”
“okay.”
Depressed because he did not accept the prank, Ren went right up to him and shredded the carrot. At first glance, it looked like they were preparing the food they called ‘gimbap’.
“It’s all cut.”
“Did you cut it? Then cut the cucumber as well. Long, lengthwise.”
“Huh? Can you put cucumber in the kimbap?”
“Of course.”
“I don’t like cucumbers in it.”
“I’m really picky eaters.”
“Oh, cucumbers aren’t picky eaters!”
“why.”
“It’s an unhealthy diet to avoid eating things that are good for the body but not tasty. Cucumbers have no taste and are not nutritious. So, not eating cucumbers is just a wise diet.”
Hearing Ren’s insistence, Jain shook his head and began to remove the cucumbers from the table.
“Well, it’s said that there are genes that can’t eat cucumbers in the world. I know. I’ll remove yours.”
“Thank you so much!”
Ren, who immediately felt better, pointed again and said.
“Look, you really are a good person, aren’t you?”
“Huh? It’s the sound of suddenly hitting a stick while sleeping and popping the side of the kimbap.”
“Your mouth is rough, but when you ask me to do something like this, they grunt and do everything. Actually, I’m a good person, so are you deliberately pretending to be bad for fear of being taken advantage of? To pretend to be a scary person?”
“I’m sorry, think your way.”
“Ah, the vertigo…”
When Ren suddenly had a dizzy expression on his face, Jain’s expression changed and he immediately supported his shoulder.
“Are you okay?”
In contrast to Jain, who had a very serious face, Ren only smiled with his tongue sticking out.
“Look, did you find out your identity?”
“Twitter, don’t play with pain.”
After such twists and turns, it was time to finish cooking, and the person who put the kimbap on the tray walked to the other party members.
Boom, I heard something fall. It looked like Ren had fallen on the grass. Jain looked back and sighed deeply.
“I told you not to play with something that hurts. Are you going to leave it alone?”
And after taking a few steps forward, I realized. The fact that Ren gets up and doesn’t follow. A thought suddenly came to mind. Zain’s face hardened, throwing the tray down and running straight to Ren, who was lying down.
“hey?”
Ren’s lips, who had collapsed in a coma, had turned into an ice-pale blue color.
*
‘Again, you fell.’
Ren thought in a familiar vertigo. Could know. It’s happened to me dozens of times since I was seven years old. He must have lost consciousness again and collapsed due to phlebitis. He was also used to the sensations conveyed throughout his body. The furthest part of his body, his toes and fingertips, were as cold as ice, and his mouth was dry. It felt as if I had crossed a winter river barefoot and returned with thin, thin ice. In the hazy consciousness, the voice of a depressed Jain was heard.
“Okay, is it arteriosclerosis?”
hey did i say
“Damn, I don’t think it would have progressed this far… It’s just before the dead end. You bastard, if you hadn’t raised the level… If the level was a little higher, you’d have developed a bit of tolerance…”
I barely opened my eyes by moving my weak eyelids. Jain, who had a blurred vision, had a miserable expression on his face. It was the first time I had seen him since I met him. I don’t like it, but because of me, someone makes such an expression.
‘Ah, did you add one more person to say goodbye to?’
I suddenly felt like that. In the blink of an eye, Ren muttered what he had always said.
Don’t worry, it’s not your fault.
because it’s nobody’s fault
Yeah, I mean, I’m not afraid to die. None.
Because they are all just kind and kind people, because I was happy all this time…
I didn’t know how far or how far he was talking. It was because he was not sure of his self-consciousness. However, I clearly remembered hearing this.
“Don’t be silly, just go to bed and sleep.”
The owner of that voice closed his half-opened eyes with his beautiful white hands. It was as if she had heard these words in her consciousness that was gradually sinking.
“It’s a change of plan. Because of Balaxas, I tried to take it easy while sweeping away all the gimmicks, but I can’t. I’ll start with the succubus queen as quickly as possible with a speedrun.”
*
Less than ten days have passed since then,
The Hero Party party is the first of the Four Heavenly Kings,
Reached the Succubus Queen’s Fallen Citadel and set up a camp.
“Is this the fortress of the infamous Four Heavenly Kings…”
The hero looked down at the ruined old castle from a distance and muttered in a tired voice. Needless to say, the defense of the decaying fortress looked too serious to even pretend. Dozens of Wyverns that could tear and kill a hero in just 3 seconds were standing guard around the sky.
“This, how to attack the fortress, well, let’s go to sleep and discuss it together tomorrow!”
First of all, since the hero in charge of the party declared so, all party members went back to the tent and went to bed.
It was that night.
“Come on, Jain? Suddenly, why did you come to my tent?”
Ren, who had been tossing and turning because he could not find sleep, suddenly opened the door of the tent and opened his eyes to see the person who entered. Jain looked around and raised his index finger to cover his mouth.
“Shh.”
He grabbed Ren’s hand, raised him up, and said with a serious face.
“Succubus Queen, let’s catch it together. We have to go secretly.”
“The two of us? Why, why me?”
“I really need you.”
The eyes of the person who said that looked more serious. Driven by the momentum, Ren had no choice but to agree.
After a while, the two of them left the camp and stood in front of the towering castle gate.
“How are you going to break through here?”
The gates were locked like an iron wall. It was difficult to understand the judgment of the person who visited the main gate. But Zain only grabbed Ren’s hand and brought it to the front door.
“uh?”
Then, with a rumble, the gates opened their mouths. As if to greet the owner.
“What, what?”
“let’s go.”
As if expected, Jain strode into the fortress. Ren followed him with a bewildered expression.
As the two men entered the fortress, the gates slammed shut and locked as if they had ever been.
The reason Jain shortened all his schedules and arrived at this fortress was simple.
The essence of her obtained by defeating the Succubus Queen was because it was the cure for Ren’s arteriosclerosis.