Episode 307: Tell Me (1)
I raced away with Meister in the back seat. It was just a bike, with no fuel tank, engine, or muffler, but it didn’t matter. At least it looked decent and actually moved.
[...Ha.]
「Wow....」
For your information, there is no special principle behind how this engineless bike runs. Just like a bicycle that moves when you step on the pedals, I just turn the wheels myself.
I expected it, but it really takes up a lot of mana.
“What is it? “What is this?!”
However, even with such a simple and ignorant method, Meister Gongdol was very excited. In an age where horses were the best means of transportation, it was inevitable to see something like this.
The meister riding behind me grabbed the hem of my clothes and shook me.
“Is this also the power of the devil?!”
“...It’s a product from my hometown.”
“Is your hometown full of people like you who are crazy about mana control?”
“No way.”
In the first place, there is no such thing as magical power or Magini. I frowned as I swallowed, fearing that those words might hurt Meister. It was to recall the principles of the engine that I remembered.
“Originally... it included a mechanism called an engine. The engine receives fuel from the fuel tank and causes a small explosion inside...”
“Cause an explosion?”
“...It is a structure that rotates the gear wheel with the force of the explosion. The rotated gear is connected to the wheel and makes the wheel turn.”
Is this the principle? You only know how to use a machine and you have to pay attention to its principles. I even said that I’ve never had a punk background as my taste. Because it’s hard to draw.
“I don’t know the details.”
When I refused to give any further explanation, the meister groaned and groaned.
“An explosion occurs when fuel is received... The fuel won’t explode on its own, so there must be a trigger... No, it’s made of material that can withstand the explosion before that...” What
follows from that is me. Things that weren’t said. I felt eerie for no reason and spun the wheel even harder. The body of the Behemoth I killed was visible on the left, and the overturned ground and castle walls began to look dangerous on the right.
“You should talk about things from your hometown later.”
...scared. I regretted showing the bike for no reason. A bike would definitely have been the best option since a horse would have required individual leg adjustments. Still, it was scary.
“If the temple gives me that opportunity, I’ll try.”
Sigh.
Using the huge hill as a stepping stone, I hovered for tens of meters and transformed the Ratel’s wheels into a thin liquid form just in time for landing. This was the chosen option because it is made of an elastic material like rubber and cannot be changed.
The wheel, which landed on the floor with a thud, took its proper shape again and rose smoothly. Wheels made with a little viscosity may not completely absorb the shock of uneven floors, but they do not turn into a noisy empty cart.
“If something like this were to become popular, it would revolutionize transportation.”
“It won’t be able to bring about the same level of innovation as the batteries you were making.”
“....”
I know that batteries are used when making Earth bikes in the first place, so the battery wins by a landslide.
I kept my head down to myself without listening to the Meister’s reaction.
“that.”
It rattled.
“It’s natural.”
The bike shook once as I stepped on a large rock that was difficult to avoid and couldn’t even be covered by the slimy wheels. The Meister’s words were interrupted accordingly and then continued again.
“Oh, could you please take a look at one item?”
However, around that time, I remembered something I wanted to ask him. It was a chest protector issue that I had forgotten for a while while discussing the future of the truth confession and the threat of Sui-sa.
“what.”
I used my inventory to skillfully hand over the protective gear I was still wearing on my chest.
“What is this?”
“It is a device with an explosion spell.”
“...It’s a chest protector?”
“I made it with the intention of committing suicide before going on a rampage. Anyway, I tried to use it a while ago, but it didn’t explode. “Is it true that the magic was engraved properly?”
In response to my question, Meister remained silent for a while. I couldn’t tell if he was checking the magic on his armor or if he was simply dumbfounded by my words.
“...It’s not an explosion, but there’s a protection spell on it. “The circuitry is so clever that it is engraved in a way that can be easily mistaken?”
“...Right.”
Still, I finally got the feeling. This proves that I did not spit out the keyword incorrectly.
“Are you going to change it?”
“well. I have no thoughts yet. Because there is no need to do that anymore.”
But why did White Wind cheat? It seemed like they wanted me to die without the housemaster.
“I just have to consider it.”
I let out a weak sigh at White Wind’s behavior, which I had no idea why. It is true that I was given the opportunity thanks to the White Wind engraving magic differently, but it felt strange for some reason. It’s unfortunate and a bit uncomfortable. So...
“...is it arriving soon?”
After a while, we arrived in front of the corpse of the Behemoth we were aiming for. It’s not that far from the castle wall, so walking the rest of the way won’t be a problem.
“good.”
“Oh?”
For your information, we agreed in advance that the Meister would be the only one returning to the city.
I was anxious about leaving the Behemoth corpse alone, and I thought it might be perceived as a threat when I headed to the city. At this distance, even if the other side decides to oppose me, I will be able to escape without being caught.
It was a choice that took convenience into account.
[Why don’t you go now? With the remaining magic, I think I’ll be able to easily shake off even if a hero comes after me...]
Of course, when I think of the collapsed castle walls and the soldiers lying around like defeated soldiers, I wonder if I really have the strength to start a fight.
“While you wait, please take care of relics from your hometown.”
Above all, looking at the Meister, it seems like he will definitely persuade the temple to explore his curiosity. There’s something trustworthy.
“...Signal.”
“uh.”
Still, no one knows what’s going on in the world. I thought about the worst-case signal and stopped the bike at a reasonable distance from the behemoth’s body.
‘You bastard who changed your conscience. Okay, if you don’t want to tell me, that’s okay. ‘I’m a fool for asking you.’
Still, I don’t want to get an answer by clinging to that bastard. The same goes for the traces of one’s hometown that are openly revealed as if asking to be asked.
I gave up listening to the answer, and after a while the devil spoke.
[I really annoy you and I hate you, but I still love you. I can tell you at least what I guess.]
‘You said you don’t want to tell me?’
[I should have just said that. I will tell you because I love you.]
‘Did I eat something wrong...’
I tried to figure out the real reason behind the change in attitude in a moment. Well, if you look at it, it’s a bit ambiguous to say that his attitude has reversed, since he’s always given a consistent answer every time I ask a question...
[So you don’t want to hear it? Dear Gretchen.]
Still, I don’t think your kindness is without reason. As far as I know, people like that don’t give up or regenerate once they’ve been defeated. It’s like I was the only one struggling when I mistakenly thought I was pushed out at the end.
[Really, don’t say that?]
I saw the devil smiling softly, wearing a robe and a modern suit. The game knowledge that it naturally expressed also reminded me of the moment when I was the only one who said it was shit when everyone else was saying it was shit.
‘If you’re that confident, try teasing me. Let’s see how well the mouth opens.’
Isn’t that very cunning? Instead of overtly emphasizing that they are from the same neighborhood, it is a clever work of creating friendliness by subtly letting them know that they are from the neighborhood.
I have no intention of forgiving her, even if she is from my hometown.
[Unfortunately, I am not confident that I can meet your standards. As I said before, what I’m going to say now is just my guess and I don’t know if it’s really the right answer.]
‘I’ll filter out your tongue on my own, so don’t worry.’
[Oh, that’s a good thing.]
Anyway, I think there are two main reasons why the other side is coming out like this.
[Then, let me first explain the circumstances when I called you. But, Gretchen, please know this. We did not directly choose what to load. They just put forward the conditions they wanted.]
First, even if they don’t want to say it, they are forced to cooperate and are trying to build an image of cooperation instead.
[And choosing an object that met those conditions was an old magic. The old rule, also known as the ultimate law, is what you decided was the most appropriate.]
Secondly, by pretending to cooperate and mixing lies, you are trying to backstab at a critical moment.
‘So it’s not your fault that I decided?’
[Because we didn’t choose it.]
‘Okay, let’s say so. So what were the conditions that led to my being selected?’
[The boy asked for someone who would not be defeated by evil, and I wanted someone who prioritized his hometown over this place. That boy found someone who could overcome the devil, and I hoped that he would be someone with the ability to survive here. Of course, people like you were called out because they overlooked the fact that those with the ability to survive and those with the ability to want to live are different...]
Of course, this may be my bias, so I’m not sure. What is it like? It’s easier not to get your hopes up in the first place than to get your hopes up and be betrayed.
I asked the question with that in mind.
‘Given that condition, I don’t think there’s any reason it has to be me.’
[well. Is that really the case? Gretchen: What do you think are the strengths that can give you an advantage in survival?]
‘Powerlessness?’
[It’s not a wrong answer, but there must be something more certain than that.]
‘...Information?’
[Yes, it is information. Information is the greatest power. In that respect, the similarity between the game you know and this world doesn’t matter. There are countless dimensions, and some dimensions may exist in a form similar to a text or game in a certain world. However, what is really important is that you gained what could be information by playing a work similar to this world.]
‘...Fuck, so I played The Legend of Heroes and ended up like this.’
[As I said before, this is just my guess.]
‘Yes, I guess so...’
However, even if I knew that the information could be mixed with poison, I couldn’t stop the sudden attack.
After all, who would have known that liking a game would mess me up so much? Of course, that may not be the real cause, but still.
‘It’s so fucking shit...’
It seems like there’s nothing wrong with the game company and the game, but even so, I don’t think I’ll be able to like The Legend of Heroes in the future.
I quietly said goodbye to my memories.
* * *
“If there were no more injuries to treat, there would be no need to send personnel.”
Meanwhile, while someone was saying goodbye to memories, Meister, who climbed the castle wall, heard something like that from the bishop.
I replenished its magical power and it repaired itself. The reason they didn’t come to the castle wall was because they were worried that someone would dig up the corpse of that fat pig demon. It was a bonus that the expressions of the Inquisitor and Deathbringer, who were relieved at those words, distorted into their own shapes.
“Hey Bishop. Even though...!”
“Then we will continue treatment and purification.”
However, even the distortion stopped in front of the words that followed.
“I still wasted a lot of time.”
“Bishop...?”
The bishop did not say anything about the treatment of the devil knight. As if his presence was tolerated.
“That means...”
“Vice President, I don’t know him, and because I don’t know him, I was wary of him. But if you say so, it doesn’t matter.”
“....”
“Just remember, Deputy. “You are called a hero because you give up the title of hero to save the innocent.”
Of course, even if the bishop makes this choice now, there is no guarantee that the temple will respond in the same way later.
Perhaps even the bishop may change the topic because he is in a hurry and change his attitude later.
“Then we will do our job, Lord Soseong.”
But for now, his presence was tolerated. I wasn’t blamed for saving him. That pleased the Inquisitor.
“I’ll go rescue people too...!”
The young man followed the bishop toward the ward with tears in his eyes.
“If things go well like this, there must be something...”
“...What are those ominous words? Well, I agree with that.”
“Looking at the bishop accepting it so obediently, does Daniel want to mess with me?”
“Oh, don’t you know that words become seeds? Be careful what you say.”
Even though the remaining incarnations of distrust still had bad expressions despite this situation.