Chapter 125: In Search of a Scream (2)

Chapter 125: In Search of a Scream (2)

“This is the village where I surrendered myself.”

It was a scene vividly etched in his memory. This was the village where, after Ronan had killed a certain individual, he surrendered himself, and was then taken to the Punishment Squad.

Ronan slowly surveyed his surroundings. Puddles of water dotted the streets, perhaps from the rain the day before. Ronan squatted by one of the puddles, looking at his appearance.

‘...I could easily be mistaken for a beggar.’

Ronan chuckled, recalling the events that had happened just awhile ago. The clothes draped over his body were tattered, however the holes didn’t even stand out due to them being covered in muddy water.

During his days of wandering, this was his usual attire. His face seemed a bit sharper, perhaps a result of the years he spent in the Punishment Squad. He never expected that it would change not only his surroundings but also his body.

‘Everything seems just like back then. What was the name of this village again?’

The village was well-constructed, with bustling streets and plenty of pedestrians. At the end of a road that extended further outside the village, a castle stood tall.

Although it was laughable compared to the imperial palace, it was still a castle nonetheless. Ronan, seeing the family flag hanging on the watchtower, snapped his fingers.

‘That’s right. This place was ruled by Baron Dantel, I think.’

Memories flooded back as he recalled going there to complete the enlistment process for the Punishment Squad. There was also a scene of the Baron, who was usually occupied with affairs, as came by and went on a rampage, demanding that Ronan be killed with his own hands.

‘If the recruitment officer hadn’t intervened, I would’ve killed that bastard too. Nostalgia.’

Ronan twisted his lips, recalling the past. Since he had also killed the Baron’s son, it wasn’t particularly unusual.

“What are you trying to show me this time?”

Ronan stood up. Taking a deep breath, he prepared himself. The slightly humid air carried the savory scent of bread being baked.

Perhaps because it was a more powerful curse, the Mental World seemed much more intricately detailed. Just like when he first entered Nimberton, it was challenging to distinguish between reality and this realm.

“Hey, what are you doing in the street, you filthy bart?”

“If you don’t want to get beaten until your pants are soiled, go back to where you came from.”

“Heeik...! This is why beggars these days...”

Even the disdainful gazes from passersby toward his beggar-like appearance felt overwhelmingly real. Ronan’s gaze, scanning the surroundings, halted at one particular spot.

“Hmm?”

“Hehe, eat a lot.”

A little girl in an apron was crouching down. She looked about seven or eight years old.

Each time she grinned, it revealed the tooth missing from her front teeth. However, what caught Ronan’s attention wasn’t the missing tooth.

“Hmm?”

A well-built dog was eating bread in front of the girl with its head down. Its elegantly wagging tail hinted at a familiar presence. Ronan chuckled.

“Where have I seen that dog before...?”

The slim back seemed oddly familiar. Then the dog, who had finished eating the bread, raised its head.

“All done? Good boy.”

“...Huh?”

Ronan’s eyes widened. It couldn’t be helped. With a sharp, wolf-like face and a left ear which was half cut off, the vivid blue eyes, too striking to befit a dog, left no room for doubt. The dog began licking the girl’s face.

“Ahaha, it tickles!”

Ronan couldn’t have imagined meeting like this. He managed to utter a few words after standing dumbfounded for a while.

“...Cita.”

“Woof?”

The dog that was licking the girl turned to look at Ronan. Seeing the dumbfounded look in its eyes, Ronan became absolutely certain that this darn dog was indeed Cita.

Cita, Ronan’s original companion, who once roamed alongside Ronan for about a year, met his demise at the hands of poachers. In a way, he was one of the main reasons for Ronan’s enlistment in the Punishment Squad.

“Hey, you...”

It was a reunion after several decades. He was trying to say something when a loud, woman’s shout came from afar.

“Hey! Camilla! I have some errands for you to run. What are you doing there?”

“Ah, coming!”

The startled girl got up. Across the street, a middle-aged woman, seemingly her mother or employer, stood with her hands on her hips, eyeing the girl. The girl, stroking Cita for one last time, ran towards the boulevard.

“Hehe, I’ll go now. Bye!”

She skillfully navigated through the bustling street, filled with numerous carts and people. Cita, done with the bread, quietly sat next to Ronan.

“...How have you been?”

“Woof.”

“You little bastard. While your owner was getting beaten by beggars, you’re comfortably eating bread.”

“Woof woof.”

Cita pretended not to hear and scratched her ear with its hind leg. Ronan chuckled. He had momentarily forgotten that this was how this fellow always was.

Although they traveled together due to mutual convenience on their journey, they didn’t have a master-servant relationship. If he wanted, he could have been more of an unassuming travel companion, always ready to take his own personal actions. Even this shamelessly audacious demeanor seemed adorable in its own way, a reminder of how much he missed the old days.

Conveniently, there was a butcher shop nearby. Ronan bought a few sausages with the coins he took from the pig and offered it to Cita. Even though his tasks were already set, there was no harm in enjoying it along the way.

“What?”

Ronan furrowed his brow. It was the day the incident occurred.

‘No way.’

The worst scenario flashed through his mind. It could have been a simple mistake, but the girl who was giving bread to Cita seemed similar in stature to the woman holding the bloodied sack.

‘If that’s the case, then the reason this brat rushed in was...’

Cita might lack manners, but he was one to repay kindness received. Suddenly, Ronan realized the resemblance between the woman who was calling the little girl and the woman who was crying at the place where the incident had occurred.

‘What shitty luck.’

Ronan thought to himself, and threw all the remaining sausages in front of Cita.

“Wait here.”

“Woof.”

Cita obediently settled in place and began eating the sausages. It was a truly miserable development. Ronan immediately turned and started sprinting back to where the accident had occurred.

“No matter what damned curse it is...!”

Fortunately, it wasn’t too far away. The scenery around him quickly passed by. It was as Ronan turned a corner that screams erupted.

“Aaaaah!”

“Hey! It’s dangerous!”

A massive carriage was hurtling down the street, remarkably faster than the other carriages. The coachman, wearing a deeply pressed hat, was spitting curses at passersby.

“Ahahaha!”

“Fuck”

Ronan’s face stiffened. No matter what, fate always caught up with people. Along the road, not too far from the carriage’s path, the girl he had seen moments ago was collecting the bread scattered on the ground.

“One... Two...”

The distance between the carriage and her narrowed in an instant. The girl, belatedly hearing the hoofbeats, turned her head.

“Huh?”

Suddenly, a looming shadow covered the girl’s face. It was a shadow cast by the running horses.

“What’s this kid doing?”

The coachman spat out insults as if he had found an annoying stone. Clearly, there was no intention to stop. Ronan, who had just reached the main street, shouted with all his might.

“Stop, damn it!”

But his voice was drowned out by the screams of the crowd. It was too late to intervene directly. With all his strength, Ronan picked up a rolling stone from the ground. His arm disappeared from sight.

“Huh?”

Bang! The thrown stone hit the coachman’s head. The coachman fell from the carriage, leaving him unconscious. Kachwak! The sound of bones breaking rang out.. The reins were pulled, altering the carriage’s course.

“Neghhhh!”

“Watch out!”

The startled horses began to rampage. Though the speed slowed somewhat, it was still too far to rescue the girl.

‘Could it be that I can’t save her again this time?’

Ronan gritted his teeth. A shadow that had suddenly darted out passed by his side.

“Cita?”

“Woof!”

Rushing like the wind, Cita reached the girl in an instant. Just as the horse’s hooves were about to fall on her head, Cita bit the girl’s neck and threw her toward the roadside. Thud! Cita, hit by the horse, flew far away.

“......!”

Ronan’s eyes widened. The body of the flying dog tumbled on the ground. The girl, whose life he narrowly saved, rushed toward Cita.

“Woof!”

“Hnng... hmmg...”

Blood was flowing beneath the whimpering Cita lying on the ground. Something snapped in Ronan’s mind.

“You...”

It was a feeling he hadn’t experienced in a while. Anger reached its peak, feeling like water was boiling in his stomach. At that moment, the carriage came to a stop. An irritated voice came from inside the carriage.

“Why did we stop? What’s going on?”

Creak- A splendid door swung open, and a woman stepped out of the carriage. Surprisingly tall for a woman, she had a disgusted expression upon seeing the blood on the carriage.

“Disgusting.”

Her expression resembled that of someone observing a bug. As Ronan confirmed her face, he froze in place.

“What...”

“Tch, what’s with that beggar?”

The woman clicked her tongue as she made eye contact with Ronan. Her straight black hair reached down to her waist. Her outfit was different, but it was clear she was someone he knew. Ronan’s mouth opened quietly.

“...Sunbae?”