Chapter 408

I am not a returner Chapter 408:

Summoning Order (8)

-36 days... No, it is 36 days since the operation failed, so it would be 38 days from now.

I hear a voice.

-On that day, Alphonse Vladimir died.

Like a stain on a white t-shirt.

No matter how much you try to ignore it, that voice keeps getting noticed.

With an ominous prophecy that his son, whom he loved more than anyone else in the world, would die.

“Whoa.”

Alina let out a deep sigh and got up from her sleeping bag.

The dull rubber smell characteristic of military tents faintly irritated my nose.

The place where she is currently staying is the vacant lot in front of Spica’s temple.

There was a spare room in the temple, so he declined Spica’s offer to use it, and instead set up a military barracks and stayed there.

“...It’s just nonsense.”

Trying to erase the voice that remained in my head like a stain, I put a kettle of water on the stove installed in the center of the tent.

If it were a typical military tent, there would not have been space to place a separate stove inside, but since it was a spacious tent specially made for high-ranking officers, they were able to enjoy this luxury.

* * *

* * *

Grumble.

I tried to calm my mind by taking a sip of warm black tea.

Why?

There was no scent of black tea at all.

This can’t be happening.

Tea was one of her few, if not only, hobbies.

In particular, the tea leaves used this time are Golden Tips, which are produced only in a few plateaus in Sri Lanka.

It was her favorite tea leaf.

Obviously, just by taking a sip, your entire mouth should be filled with the strong scent of tea.

“....”

I can’t feel any taste.

The inside of my throat is burning as if I had a mouth full of sand.

The only voice he hears in his head is an ominous prediction that his son will die.

‘no.’

Even though I desperately tried to deny it, the question ‘Perhaps?’ could not be erased from a part of my mind.

What particularly bothers me the most is the reaction of the constellations, including Deneb.

‘Did you say it was a star in the sky?’

They calmly confirmed the fact, as if they had known for a long time that Ohjin’s identity was a returner from the future.

It may be just one or two people, but if most of the constellations gathered in the conference hall are saying that he is a returner, there must be a good reason for that.

‘No matter what, it doesn’t make sense.’

A returner from the future?

Isn’t this a being that would only appear in a cartoon or novel?

“...It’s not the world to say such things.”

In a world where demonic beasts run rampant, constellations and awakened people exist, what kind of cartoon or novel are you arguing about?

Alina sighed with a self-deprecating smile.

anyway.

There was no intention of moving troops unless they could provide solid evidence that Ojin was a returnee.

It wasn’t pointless stubbornness or stubbornness.

She is the commander-in-chief of the alliance army, leading about 10,000 awakened people.

If the military is greatly reduced due to a wrong decision, who will protect the security of the country?

‘Just because the black star constellation appears doesn’t mean the demon has disappeared.’

Even though their activity became less active than before, the magical beasts coming out of the cracks continued to exist.

To ordinary people who did not have stigmata, the Black Star Constellation and the 1st-star demon beast were both equally threatening, so the troops essential to maintaining public order could not be sacrificed in vain.

“We should talk more first.”

The reactions of the surrounding constellations kept bothering me enough to just dismiss Ohjin’s words as nonsense.

Alina came out of the tent and headed to the temple of Jiknyeo Castle, where Ojin was staying.

“....”

Alina’s steps toward the temple stopped suddenly.

After contemplating for a moment, she soon sighed and headed to the tent located in a corner.

This was the tent where her son Alphons Vladimir was staying.

“Are you in?”

“Oh yeah! “It’s in there, Mom!”

A cheerful voice came from inside the tent.

As soon as she heard Alphonse’s voice, Alina had to force herself to hold the corners of her mouth that were about to loosen.

“Did you sleep well?”

“lol. Yes, the bed was a little uncomfortable, but I slept well.”

Alphonse nodded with a bright smile, probably glad to see his mother visiting him even though she was busy.

Alina smiled slightly and gently touched Alphonse’s leg.

“Isn’t it uncomfortable?”

“are you okay. Even your mother knows. My leg isn’t actually injured...”

“Stop.”

Alina shook her head with a stern expression.

“I told you not to talk about the bridge outside, right?”

“What kind of relationship was it?”

“That’s...”

Ohjin paused for a moment before answering.

“Alina... was my boss.”

“Does it matter?”

“yes. Of course, it was not from the Allied Forces, but from the World Allied Forces.”

“...What is the World Allied Forces?”

“It was said to be a world alliance, but in reality, it was just a crude army made up of the surviving awakened people. “Alina was the captain of the unit I was in.”

“Hmm.”

Alina’s eyes narrowed.

“Your words don’t make sense again.”

joy.

He snorted and crossed his arms.

“Didn’t you say that I’ve been living like a wreck ever since I lost my son? But how were you able to take on the position of captain?”

“Because I was crazy about avenging my son.”

“....”

“Regardless of their title, what else would you call someone who is drunk every day and can’t even sleep without medicine, other than a junkie?”

Oh Jin smiled bitterly as if recalling the memory of that time.

Alina bit her lip as he looked at her as if he felt sorry for her.

“High-ranking awakened people are not affected by alcohol and drugs...”

“No matter how high-ranking awakened people are, if they forcibly suppress the magical power of the stigmata, they will be affected by alcohol and drugs. Of course, you still have to drink several times more than the average person.”

“....”

Oh Jin sighs deeply and shakes his head.

There was a deep sense of return in his eyes as he recalled the past.

“You always mixed black tea with alcohol.”

“Is it black tea?”

“Yes, you like it, right? black tea. “You especially liked Golden Tips the most.”

“....”

Alina bit her lip.

“With just a little research, you can tell that I have a hobby of collecting black tea.”

I definitely don’t know because he’s a ‘regressor’.

Alina gathered her shaking heart and clenched her fists.

“Then, if I tell you something that you cannot know no matter how much you research, will you believe me?”

“...try it.”

“Alphonse’s Bridge.”

“...!”

Alina’s eyes widened.

“It’s not a physical problem that Alphonse’s legs aren’t moving, right?”

“How did you do that?!”

A voice full of astonishment echoed throughout the temple of Jiknyeo Castle.

Oh Jin continued speaking in a bitter voice.

“I heard that there was abuse by my ex-husband.”

“....”

Due to the nature of Alina’s job as a soldier, she had no choice but to be away from home for a long time.

Her ex-husband, whom she married through her father’s arrangement, abused young Alphonse while she was away from home, and Alphonse suffered mental aftereffects that paralyzed his legs from the shock.

The only people who know that fact are Alina, Alphonse, and Alphonse’s psychologist.

This is a fact that was thoroughly hidden because it was thought that if the attention of those around him was drawn, it would have a negative effect on Alphonse’s already unstable mental state.

That he knows information that can never be found out.

“You really are... a regressor.”

Alina looked at Ojin with trembling eyes.

‘done.’

The corners of Ojin’s mouth twitched up.

From Alina’s trembling eyes, I could see that she had been completely deceived.

but.

From her perspective, how could she know that she had taken on the form of ‘Alina Vladimir’ and approached Alphonse?

‘It’s simple after that.’

If you had a firm belief that you were a regressor, you had no choice but to follow his words unconditionally.

‘With this, we can gain the strength of our allies.’

When you’re celebrating victory like that.

“But...”

Alina continued, gently avoiding Ojin’s gaze.

“Did you... really have a relationship with me that was simply that of a superior and his subordinate?”

“yes?”

What are you talking about all of a sudden?

“No matter how mentally cornered I was, I wouldn’t have told anyone my secret.”

Especially when it comes to Alphonse.

If it wasn’t someone I could really ‘trust,’ I would never have said it out loud.

“So...”

Alina hesitated and slowly blushed.

“Did you ever have a special relationship with me?”

“....”

Why is this lady like this?