Chapter 192

After a long night (2)

“...!”

The place where Taylor woke up was Dex’s infirmary.

It’s Taylor, who has been asleep for almost a day. The body, which had been overworked, was still screaming as it stiffened to the point of being completely stiff.

“Huh...!”

All of a sudden, Taylor got up with a throbbing body. The scene I saw just before I lost consciousness is still strong in my mind.

After passing through all of the Elte traders, he reached Ed and eventually defeated him. And just before being completely overpowered by Lucy who appeared at the end, Ayla appeared and hugged him.

As soon as he saw Ayla’s face, the relief that flooded him completely lost his mind.

“...”

After resting like that for a while, Ayla, who was asleep with her head buried in the bed below her knees, caught her eye.

There were scratches all over the place, but there didn’t seem to be any major injuries. Then, with a sigh of relief, Taylor was able to lean back on the back of the bed.

The facilities of Dex Hall are somewhat outdated, but the structure itself is neat.

A huge window that looked over Ayla, who was exhaling softly.

A pure white curtain was fluttering next to that huge window, which seemed to be well ventilated just by looking at it.

At the warm sight of the morning breeze blowing in, Taylor felt a little relieved.

“thank god....”

Saying such a monologue, he wiped his face once.

A lot had happened last night, but Ayla was able to escape anyway.

Once that fact was confirmed, the rest was something to think about slowly.

“Oh, are you awake, Taylor.”

So, what the hell was that riot that happened last night?

Just as Taylor was about to think about it, someone called out his name.

There was a boy sitting next to Taylor’s bed, in front of a patient screen, and holding a snack.

The boy, with his bald hair that fell down to his shoulders, and an impressive build, was acquainted with Taylor.

“Ziggs...?”

“Wait, Taylor. I’m going to show you the special advanced technique I learned from Elka, ‘Rabbit Apple’.”

Saying that, Ziggs, who was holding the transition, was staring at the apple while scanning his chin like a sculptor using a work of art.

“It’s the first time I’ve been blocked from the conception stage. I’m confident in the delicate knife itself, but the aesthetic sense of leaving a part of the shell to look like a rabbit... Indeed, it was an admirable idea. You will be surprised when you see it.”

“...”

“Is it basic to first divide it into quarters vertically... Even if it is to cut into quarters with the skin left, cutting the skin itself to make it look like a rabbit’s ear... It certainly requires an unusual aesthetic sense. It’s a job... it’s going to be a pretty tough fight...”

Even the seriousness is radiated from the appearance of excessively pounding apples to and fro while sweating cold sweat.

Taylor looked at the scene and spoke out of curiosity.

“Ziggs... What... are you doing here...?”

“As you can see, I was visiting. Elka said, “The rabbit shape is the best for visiting apples.”

“...”

“I’m confident in my swordsmanship, but it’s hard to imitate the series of artistic movements that casually embody the rabbit shape. Maybe it’s the influence of a long-lived life in a savage world...”

“No, I mean... why are you nursing here...”

Taylor tried to erase the absurd expression as much as possible, but couldn’t figure out how to capture the soulless face.

“Um? I thought we’ve known each other since our freshman year... If that’s not the case, then again, unless you’re a woman, you don’t feel like receiving medical care...? didn’t know.”

“It’s not...”

“Actually, there are many cases where males basically live under the care of females in hideouts. Is it a matter of the instinct of the species before values... Then my appearance here must have certainly been an act of short thought.”

“It’s not that, you obviously blocked me at Elte.”

When Taylor stopped talking like that, Ziggs, who had taken the apology with a cautious face, made a face that only then understood.

“Oh, was that a problem? If that’s the case, you don’t have to worry about it too much.”

“...What?”

“No, just because I don’t care doesn’t mean I don’t care about you. Still, everyone has their own circumstances, isn’t it?”

Ziggs spoke as he delicately cut the apple into quarters with his trembling hands.

“In that situation, I had no choice but to join Ed-sunbaenim’s side. There was a prior contract that I received first, and it seems that person had the same circumstances.”

– ‘There is no one in the world without a story. I have a story too.’

Those were the words of Ed with a weary face as he trampled on Taylor in the pouring rain.

Contrary to what I had imagined that I would catch Ayla and greet Taylor with an evil face... It was much more serious and anguished than I had expected.

“Anyway, Ayla’s life was at risk. There’s absolutely no justification for shaking someone’s life.”

“Ayla’s life has never been on the scales, Taylor.”

“what...?”

“Aila is in a position to fall for Ed-sunbaenim’s words in the first place, but at least it seems that there was no intention to risk Ayla’s life.”

Give it something that can be said to be evidence.

Even when I try to talk like that, I am speechless.

At the end of the last, the reason why Ed jumped in and blocked Taylor’s indiscriminate sword attack without keeping a safe distance.

Ed also risked his life to protect Ayla, who was sleeping in the wooden shelter.

As a result, Ed was cut by Taylor’s sword and seriously injured.

In that situation, Taylor holds her breath. He raises his empty hand and looks at him.

With that hand, I almost cut Ayla. That heavy truth begins to weigh on your shoulders once.

In the first place, the situation was the same at Elte.

Except for Clevius, who could not control his powers, no one spit out life against Taylor.

Not only Elvira, but Ziggs also fought with the intent to subdue Taylor, but it was clearly evident that they did not really engage the sword.

When he reached Yenika, he watched his resurrection to the end, even in situations where he could let Taylor go at any time.

Even Patriciana couldn’t show up in front of Taylor as she went to rescue the workers from the collapsing Elte Company building.

If they had been determined and attacked at once, Taylor would not have made a squeak. The fact that such people were slowly waiting for Taylor’s entry was imprinted in my heart.

Isla Triss’ safety.

When the most important premise was secured, it seemed as if a wave of reason was slowly rushing through Taylor’s head.

“Aww!”

Ziggs suddenly let out a scream as if he had been stabbed by a knife.

As Taylor looked up in amazement, the carefully slicing apple peel had slipped away.

“Damn... it’s not symmetrical... Plus, the rabbit’s head is a little twisted. This... it’s a failure...”

“Why are you so obsessed with rabbit apples...”

“I was just impressed with Elka’s delicate transitional workmanship.

Having said that, Ziggs just began to peel the apples off the skin.

“Anyway, since I’ve been lying in bed for a full day, I’m sure my body is stiff here and there. The start of the school year will start soon. It’s a big event that everyone has to attend, so lie down for a few hours and just light up your face.”

“Wait, I still have so many stories to tell.”

“Yeah, I understand. That’s why I’m here. I’ll tell you what the end of the job is and as much as you want, so recover your body first.”

Taylor and Ed.

Watching the two people oppose each other like hot and cold water, Ziggs felt very confused.

“I heard a strange story from Ayla. Listen to my story and Ayla’s story first.”

Ayla is now asleep with her head buried in Taylor’s lap.

Looking at Ayla’s face like that, Taylor shook her head as if bewildered by Ziggs’ words.

*It was such a long night. After this night was over, I thought that the power structure centered on Elte Sanghoe would completely change.

That’s what Dunn Grex thought.

When the sun rises on the morning of the first day of school, Dunn Grex will be seated in the seat of the new vice president of the Sylvania branch of the Elte Chamber of Commerce.

Using the relationship with Ed Roth Taylor as a bait, Old Deck’s next slogan will win the favor of Princess Persica.

Eliminating the rival Lortel, he will reign as the ruler of the new Elte Chamber.

Under it, as the most powerful person in power, he will be able to control the money of the Elte Company.

The imperial convoy will serve as a catch-all for the criminal, the bachelor under Rachel’s breath will remain silent, and the staff of the Elte Chamber will not join Lortel.

It was such a perfect flow, and there were hardly any variables.

All he had to do was hold the Lortel tightly and hand it over to the imperial convoy, and the whole plan would be complete.

It was a plan that went smoothly without even a break in resistance. On the morning of the opening day, Dune Grex had to sit in the office of the deputy director of Hoeju, as the owner.

“Dun Grex.”

However, he was sitting tied up in an interrogation room provided in the splendid imperial residence.

“The basic investigation of the Elte Sangha building has been completed. The money in the basement of the villa you founded is also completed.”

“Princess Phenia...!”

A situation that has been tied up since morning.

Dune Grex, who had to be suppressed helplessly without even being served a meal... raised his voice as soon as he saw Princess Penia entering the interrogation room.

“Why, why do I...!”

“You bastard! What kind of safety are you raising your voice to...!”

Some of the guards who followed Princess Phenia came in and shouted at him.

“In front of the third princess of the Chloe Empire, Fenia-sama...!”

Princess Phenia has little meaning in the imperial power. Since I came to Sylvania, I haven’t lived like that.

Contrary to the information caught in Dune’s sight, Fenia completely subdued Persica’s convoy and put it under me.

Princess Penia gently raised her hand and stopped the escort. The guard bowed his head and stepped back and retreated.

As it was, she sat down on the other side of the dune and began to speak slowly.

“I’m going to be straight-forward. I don’t get along very well with Lortel Keheln either.”

Penia and Lortel are like water and oil.

It is a fact known to those who know.

“Still, there is no clear evidence that the origins of the gold coins found in the basement of Lortel’s villa are illegal.”

“It can’t be...! Princess Fenia! There must be a lot of documents to use as evidence for that! Although the building has collapsed now...”

Dune was clearly supposing such a situation.

“Please ask Poel in charge of the ledger, or Lienna, the chief secretary, to testify! They must have secured the evidence that Lortel Houjer was embezzling...!”

“Dun. I just told you. The basic investigation is all over.”

Princess Penia’s attitude towards Dune from the past is noticeably cold.

When dealing with subordinates, she always listens to everyone with understanding and attentiveness... It’s the complete opposite of the public’s evaluation of her.

Only then did Dunn notice. Princess Penia entered this interrogation room in a state of disbelief in Dune in the first place.

“There was no such thing as evidence.”

“I beg your pardon...?”

Obviously everything was prepared.

Reliable key personnel were mobilized to ensure that the data were secured. It was a plan that I had prepared for several years, but that level was the basic of the basics.

There is no way those materials were lost. Dunn was so sure.

“Rather, you were the one who usually metallurgically embezzled the company’s funds. Dune.”

“...Yes?”

“I didn’t even have to research all the book data. I looked it up a bit and found it right away.”

Princess Fenia is a bloodline of the noble Chloël family, and is a monarch who has always been raised among loyal subjects.

Lortel said while tilting her head.

“For Dune, who led this plan, it took almost several years to prepare thoroughly. It was about collecting embezzlement money and designing the underside of the villa.”

“Yes. It’s deceiving you, so it must have been a deliberate move.”

“For such a thing, the charges were passed on to Dune in vain. I thought they would have manipulated all the books to point out me as the culprit.”

As soon as the day after the incident, Lortel regained control of the Elte Chamber. It was really quick to win the lottery.

“I was even imagining that we would open a workshop over the authenticity of the ledger, but since the situation has been resolved so coolly, it’s rather disappointing.”

“Well, I have something to say about that. Actually, I’m here to tell you this.”

As Ed said that, the office door suddenly rattled and opened.

At this time, there was no one who could enter the office recklessly. This is because the entire company is watching Lortel.

In particular, the workers who actively participated in Dune’s plan are unable to even breathe.

Nevertheless, the one who opened the door of the office and entered... was not an employee of the company in the first place.

“.... I’m here.”

It’s a face full of grumpy things.

The girl with her pale pink hair neatly braided and hanging down is the number one sage in the third grade.

“...Yenika-senpai?”

As soon as he saw Lortel’s face, the other side also seemed to inflate his cheeks. In any case, for Yenika, a series of battles to recapture Elte was a plan to help her mate.

While grunting like that, Yenica brought a man along as Ed had asked.

“Uh... uh...”

The girl who came in alongside Yenica... was Lortel’s chief secretary, Lienna.

After tidying up her elegant red hair, she was following Yenika with a crooked figure.

“...”

The puzzled expression on Yenica’s face quickly darkened this time. For Lortel Keheln, Lienna’s secretary was nothing more and nothing less than a traitor.

“I was late to attend the imperial investigation. I was an important reference.”

“That’s right. Thank you, Yenika.”

“No, Ed. But...”

Yenika looked at Lortel secretly and spoke.

“You seem to be causing too much trouble to Ed, Lortel.”

When Lortel saw Yenica’s expression like that, she smiled for a moment. I had a habit of laughing at anything when it was difficult to deal with.

“Thank you, Jenika-senpai. Did you personally bring the traitor to death?”

“You really don’t know anything. Well, that was a good thing.”

After escorting Lienna’s secretary into the office, Yenika took her wand and talked.

“Then I’ll go out to the entrance of the company. I heard that, due to the circumstances, they say that they can’t stay for long without an insider. Ed is registered as an insider, but I guess I’m not registered~.”

“Oh, Yenika-senpai. Forgot to register senior, this is my negligence... I’m really sorry.

They smiled like that, but they both knew that the next time they came, Yenica would be treated like an outsider.

“Well, no matter this or that, thank you for helping me.”

I didn’t forget to add a greeting with a hint of sincerity as well.

Aside from the relationship, Yenika is also the man who joined Ed in the Elte Shang recapture match.

Yenica was about to say something, but with a complicated expression on her face, she grunted and left the office. Did you feel that the thank you letter itself was sincere?

“...So, haven’t you thought about it at least once?”

“What?”

“The reason why I was so deeply involved in the Elte company issue.”

Ed looked at Lienna’s trembling secretary. It was about sitting down.

With her bandaged hands, she handed the car next to Lienna to secretary, and talked quietly.

“It’s just that there was a spy attached to the dune.”

“...I beg your pardon?”

Ed also lifted the car up, took a sip, and spoke.

“It’s kind of strange that I know how I’m holding you inside the company, or that I’ve seen the deep internal structure of the company building.

“Certainly, it is...”

“Not only that, when there was a chaos in the business building, while everyone else was evacuating, there was a person who went around the inside of the business building and scraped up all the data on the falsified ledger Dune had prepared. Who do you think it was?”

The operation ledgers Dune had prepared.

At those words, Lortel’s eyes flickered for a moment.

It wasn’t that Dunn’s plan was lax.

Dune certainly had materials that could lead to Lortel’s embezzlement. However, there was a person who collected all the materials and burned them.

The moment when everyone becomes a hornbill mountain and is busy escaping from the Sanghoe building.

──Unfortunately, there was one person running around inside the building without escaping immediately.

“...”

“In the beginning, the first person who came to offer me a contract was Secretary Lienna.”

While Isla and Ed were talking side by side at the Terrace Cafe, the secretary of Lienna who suddenly came to visit.

As always, the words that came to me with cringing.

– ‘I’m here because I have something to suggest from Elte.’

When Dune led the way, and most of the workers in the upper house joined in and tried to bring down Lortel.

In the eyes of the timid and speechless girl, the sight of them trying to take down Lortel, who was firmly leading the company, seemed like a monster.

– ‘Rescue Lortel Hoeju.’

Her appeal, which was also the decisive factor in Ayla’s involvement in my plans... was consistent from the start.

Although she was working as the chief secretary listening to Dunn’s instructions, she sided with Lortel until the very end, unnoticed.

He is timid and fearful, so pathetic enough to run away in fear just by seeing Yenika.

Nevertheless, the justice to be enforced was alive.

“It’s yours.”

Ed took the car and spoke briefly.

Maybe she’s a little girl who doesn’t talk much and is not very good at being a secretary. Nevertheless, until the very end of the end, she moved for Lortel.

Lortel opened her eyes and looked towards Lienna.

There was nothing particularly wrong with Rienna, but she shuddered in surprise.

“Even if I didn’t consider the Lortel and the friendly relationship in the first place, I would have been on your side, not Dune.”

“...”

“Did you forget the promise you made with me last winter? What if you make an offer and you forget it?”

Ed tightened the bandage around one arm and tied it tight. It was in a state of satisfaction that it was properly pressed and neatly pressed. Then he got up from his seat and looked at Lortel and talked.

The snow that had been pouring has finally stopped, and only silence remains in the forest.

In the middle of that snowfield, with a bonfire in between, Lortel had spoken to Ed.

Even if I turn everyone around the world into an enemy, please be on my side.

“It’s a double track you’ve already built up, Lortel.”

He used to live in a place where he was not alone, feeling lonely, but in the end, Lortel seemed to have overcome everything on his own.

The battle to recapture the Elte superior that took place during this long night, no matter how it went, would have ended in Lortel’s victory in the end.

I just wanted to imprint that fact on Lortel.

Ed walked over to him, shaking his hand, and placed his hand on Lortel’s shoulder, whose eyes were shaking. And banged his chin a couple of times.

– ‘Thank you, senior. Thanks to you, I survived. It’s entirely thanks to you.’

Those words, for some reason, must have been something that Ed didn’t agree with.

“You survived because of the merits you have accumulated.”

“...”

“Don’t throw your ball at me.”

With that said, Ed patted Lortel once on the shoulder and turned around.

“Then I have to go to the 3rd grade opening ceremony, so I have to go get ready. Yenika will be waiting outside... I’ll be the first to take a seat, so take care of the rest.”

“...yes.”

“Are you coming to the opening ceremony?”

“The basic work is finished.”

“okay.”

– thump

Having said that, Ed opened the office door and went out.

“.... uhhh...”

Lortel, who was left alone with the timid secretary of Lienna, bowed her head in silence for a moment.

I glanced up at both hands, and they were empty.

This is a world where you come empty-handed and go empty-handed. He lived confidently that on the day he died, he would die empty-handed.

It reminds me of the streets of Old Deck where it rains.

The dark alley is full of vomit and food waste.

A young girl with reddish brown hair, standing there blankly staring at the sky, finds leftover bread while digging through the trash can.

He picks up the bread in both hands, removes the moldy part, and squeezes it into his mouth.

A life in which I wandered without even finding the meaning of why I was living. The gloomy sky I looked up from there still remains in my mind.

After you put the spoiled bread in your mouth, there are still only a few crumbs left in your empty hands.

How many years have passed since then?

I have too many things in my hands, all of a sudden, the heart that I thought I would live with empty-handed for the rest of my life was overshadowed.

“...”

Lortel sat across the desk for a moment, then bowed her head more deeply. I wiped my face with both hands for a while, and then a faint sobbing sound came out.

“Eh, eh...”

Lienna, who was sitting on the sofa, didn’t know what to do, and just crawled like that.

You don’t know how high you’ve climbed. When you look back and look at the scenery, you can only feel it.

To know what’s in my hand, I have to open my clenched fist to know what’s in it.

After ten years, the girl who barely realized that simple fact... while weeping silently.

Secretary Lienna had no choice but to tremble like an aspen, as if in embarrassment.

*It seems that the specification is good enough to catch Bell Broke. Taylor was stronger than expected.

As far as the facts are concerned, the situation is hopeful. However, there is still some work to be done.

In preparation for the revival of Bell Broke, in order to minimize the damage, you must gather as many forces as possible.

From the Knights of the Cathedral, the Imperial Guard, the talented people of Sylvania, the mercenaries of the Elte Company, and various powerful families in the Empire.

And, in order to be able to subdue Bell Broke, which will decorate the end of all these scenarios, without taking any damage, all means must be mobilized.

Never let your mind wander until the very end.

With that thought in mind, I left the Elte Chamber of Commerce building.

Come to think of it... I heard that Tanya is returning to Sylvania. There was so much work to be done, it seems that he had done it one step before the vacation was over.

I think I need to go see you first. There are still too many unconclusions about the Roth Taylor family. First of all, though, it would be better to participate in the opening ceremony.

As I came out of the store building, I saw Yenica with her face puffed up, leaning against the tree across the street. Even if he pretends to be boo-boo- fussing, it looks like he’s getting angry.

First of all, should I relieve Yenica’s feelings? As always, I have a premonition that it’s going to be solved more absurdly than I thought... First of all, it’s time to lose to Yenica, who worked hard for me.

I raised my arms in a surrender position and headed towards Yenica.

The sky was high and blue, the weather was very good.