CH 78

Crazy Bastard

13. The End

Kyrie was not found anywhere in Clementz Castle. Gray and Neveah were, of course, accompanied by the Legend. He wanted to run away, but he never had a chance. And even in that short time, Gray realized that the name of ‘Kyrie’ was almost universal to the Legendary Lord.

Gray recalled what happened after the tsunami.

[Let’s go to Orim for now.]

The Legendary Lord said so. It was a city located further inland from Clásico.

‘You mean Orim City? But Kyrie, to the sea…….’

Gray’s words received a pathetic look from the Legendary Lord.

[Yes, Kyrie is amazing, she knows how to climb all the ice walls.]

‘…….’

[You will tell me where to go after the orim.  Right, Gray Buchanan?]

Just thinking about the bloody eyes he showed him at that time brought goosebumps in his arms.

When the morning dawned, Gray had already left the hall on the first floor of the inn, and got up as soon as Nathaniel came down.

“Good morning, Your Grace!”

Nathaniel looked back at Gray without showing a sign of surprise. Gray deliberately smiled a little.

“It’s a cold day, were you okay all night?  It’s not a very good inn, haha!”

Nathaniel looked at him indifferently and said something.

[Are you crazy?]

“No! It’s just that I’m excited to be with the Legendary Lord from the myths that I’ve been hearing since I was a kid.”

Gray nodded and led him to a quiet table. The Legendary Lord had a gloomy face. Gray groaned and opened his mouth.

“Haha… so, the schedule…”

It was like a flash of light in his blue eyes. Gray flinched slightly. His words became more cautious.

“It’s better to go after Kyrie right now, but I’m still Kyrie’s older brother.”

As soon as Kyrie’s name came out, Nathaniel’s eyes softened noticeably. To the extent that Gray, who was watching him, became unfamiliar with him.

[So?]

“I think it would be better to give her time rather than to pursue her too soon.”

[Relax.]

“It’s not that I never knew!”

[Yes?]

“That way, you can catch her when she is careless!”

[And?]

The smile of the Legendary Lord was getting deeper and darker.  A stream of sweat ran down his back.

‘Now it’s the judge’s board.’

Gray smiled as brightly as possible, but not too cheerfully.

“I have so much to tell you! Aren’t you curious about what Kyrie was like?”

It was words that came out somewhat desperately and without thinking. However, to his surprise, it seemed that he had listened to Gray for the first time. The blue eyes were distant and deep.

[How was she?]

Gray, who didn’t really expect him to react, quickly rummaged through the memory drawers.

“She was wearing a veil…… She was very thin.”

[I’ve been feeding her.]

“I don’t think she was washing well.”

Legendary Lord said nothing, though with a look of disapproval.

“Fortunately, I don’t think she had a cold. It’s pretty cold, and that’s good.”

[It’s good to hear what Leshaux says.]

“Do you mean the Lord Protector?”

[Go on.]

He didn’t seem to want any other topic involved in Kyrie’s story. Gray recited every aspect of Kyrie that came to mind to take as much time as possible. Even how long her bangs were and where there was a thin cut on her hand. Of course, except for the little punch he did to Kyrie.

The Legendary Lord seemed satisfied with just such a story. He smiled, looking heart-stoppingly beautiful, when Gray said, “Sometimes her hair looks silver under the moonlight.”

[That’s my favorite color.]

“Really?”

[To be exact, I started liking it because it’s Kyrie’s color.]

His eyes touched Gray’s right eye as he said so. Not only now, but throughout the conversation, he stared persistently into Gray’s eyes. Gray shield away, trying not to look awkward.

“However, I don’t know if you know…….”

[She said she couldn’t do it.]

“……Are you all right?”

[Of course]

The Legendary Lord, who answered without any hesitation, reversed his words after a while.

[Maybe that’s better.]

Crazy guy, Gray tried to produce a fresh smile.

“I guess you miss her a lot.”

The Legendary Lord, who had been listening to everything Gray said, stopped answering. He was staring at Gray. Gray was taken aback by the atmosphere in which the bubble seemed to burst.

[Of course.]

His heart was moved because it felt as if the Legendary Lord who said that was dying every minute while sitting.

[Perhaps more than you think.]

Gray was stunned.  For that matter, he looked pretty calm now.

The Legendary Lord seemed to know what Gray was thinking. A faint smile appeared on his beautifully crafted lips. Now he looked lofty and lonely, like a temple that had been abandoned for far too long.

[To you, I look very calm.]

“To be honest, yes…… Wouldn’t it be easier to find someone sooner if you order someone or post an official announcement?”

[But what if some rookie boats even harm Kyrie?]

“These people who grew up listening to the myth of the Legendary Lord from birth? That would be very rare.”

[It’s not uncommon.]

The Legendary Lord lowered his eyes.

[Or, while running away in a hurry, she might stumble to a mountain somewhere and die in the blink of an eye. The possibility of death is everywhere.]

But it willcertainly be very rare. If even the rarest possibility was scary, it was certainly not at the level of simply ‘loving’ Kyrie. Gray asked abruptly.

“Your Grace, is this the first time something like this has happened?”

The Legendary Lord replied as if Gray was asking something strange.

[Only those who have been burned by fire know that they are afraid of fire.]

“But Kyrie is an adult. Besides, I’m not saying she’s my sister, but she’s pretty stubborn. She isn’t one to die that easily….”

[I know how fragile you all are. Sometimes you go out casually and come back as a corpse, picked up and die from an insignificant disease.]

“No, not so much….”

[Your self-confidence is like a sandcastle, barely taking shape, always on a meager, such meager basis.]

“…….”

He is a transcendent, so there is no other way for Gray, a human, to say otherwise. He was just guessing it’s nothing. Gray felt burdened by the blue gaze that continued to follow him, but he asked the part he wanted to ask the most.

“Then, if Kyrie even dies… What will happen?”

Gray swallowed unconsciously as he asked this question.

Is he going to run away with anger? Destroy the continent? Will he kill all humans? Either way, something terrifying is going to happen.  

I’m sure it will.

But Nathaniel’s answer wasn’t anything Gray expected.  He stared at Gray for a very long time, with eyes that felt the weight of time that no human could catch, and then spoke quietly.

[I’ll be sad. Very sad.]

***

The Legendary Lord went somewhere, saying he had business to attend to. He didn’t forget to give Gray some jewelry he didn’t know where it came from.

Gray sat, dazed, in front of a table rolling on jewels. Before he knew it, Neveah came slowly and stood next to him.

“Master.”

“Huh? Ahh.”

“Did you finish your story?”

“Well, maybe it is, isn’t it?

“How was it?”

“How was it? Well, how should I word it?”

Gray recalled a man as beautiful as an ancient god with a charming smile. He was calmer than he thought, stronger than he thought, and…….

“Difficult.”

Words popped out like a holler. Neveah tilted her head with her hands behind her back.

“What are you talking about?”

Gray frowned.

“I don’t think I’m good at expressing myself. I’ve never done anything like this before.”

He shuddered as he recalled the eyes of the Legendary Lord, who was chasing his eyes to the point of horror.

“What should I say? Yeah, he’s a guy anyway, don’t you think it’s embarrassing to be so honest about your feelings? Even more so with age.”

Gray put his hands together and put his chin on his thumb as if he were praying.

“I thought he’d threaten or tell me what would happen if he didn’t find Kyrie. How is the political landscape, how is the land?”

“Wasn’t it?”

“No, I don’t.”

Gray let out a grin.

“To be so honest, to say it’s going to be sad, it’s so, like…….”

He felt pure.

Gray closed his lips. Does that make any sense? No, he is the Legendary Lord, a mythical creature, and he must have everything. But does it make sense for such a person to say, ‘I’ll be so sad if she dies’?

Gray’s shoulders are stretched out. He felt like he was in and out of a bad fantasy.

“……I don’t know. What the hell is he?”

***

Gray then began observing the Legendary Lord carefully. He also learned how to find the Legend that sometimes disappears. He was generally at a high and deserted place.

“Your Grace.”

[Just add ‘nim’.]

“Thank you for your generosity.”

Gray approached him, answering deftly.

“What were you looking at?”

[Nothing special.]

Gray looked at Nathaniel alternately in the direction he faced. They were located in a park with high ground in the center of Orim City. Thanks to this, the low walls at the end of the city were clearly visible. The early morning foggy city was as cold as a sheet of ice, but normal.

Gray turned his head after finding no signs.

“We’ve been searching the village all night.”

[Tom?]

“He says he’s never seen Kyrie.”

Nathaniel was silent. Gray looked him in the eye and said carefully.

“Can’t you find it with your power?”

[It’s like a miracle.] 

“You mean the veil. Haha, then Nathaniel is at least a God……?”

Nathaniel turned his head at the inquiring words. Glass-clear eyes stared at Gray.

[Are you curious about me?]

“Haha, well, rather than that–“

[I don’t want to recommend it. Study the others.]

Gray shut up. He moved his tongue in his mouth instead of his fingers, and jutted his neck out like a turtle.

“It’s Kyrie.”

[Where did she go?]

Hiccup.

I’m glad to hear that. Gray kept his smile on his face.

“Of course I’ll let you meet her! Before that, I think I can give you a good suggestion.”

[Suggestion?]

Nathaniel asked back in a strangely funny voice. Gray nodded his head.

“Yes, in a few more days to the west, there’s a place called the ‘Great Library of Phronois’, would you like to go?”

[I don’t think Kyrie will be there.]

“It’s my own idea.”

[It’s your turn to tell me what you’re thinking.]

“I’ve been thinking about it in many ways…….”

Gray spoke and posed as a guide with his hands. Nathaniel began to move slowly. Gray glanced back for the last time. He belatedly realized that Nathaniel was watching a purple flag flying in the distance.

“Why don’t you give her something she likes and lure her out? There’s a lot of rare first editions in Phronois. Kyrie likes books…….”

Nathaniel stopped walking down the stairs for a while. And turned to Gray.

[Buchanan.]

The atmosphere changed dramatically. Gray noticed that he was going to bring up something else.

“Yes.”

[Have you ever been in the study of the family?]

Gray’s eyes became round.

“Only the head of the household can enter the study of the family head. It’s not my place yet…….”

Nathaniel’s blue gaze gently stayed with Gray and then fell.

[Yeah, it looks like it.]

What ‘looks like’ does that mean, Gray chose not to ask. He didn’t feel like answering.

Nathaniel began to walk down the stairs again as if that was enough. Gray followed suit, not knowing why his own head was waddling like everyone else when he went down the stairs and was simply elegant.

[So, Buchanan, you know where Kyrie is going, but you’re taking some time off.]

The conversation is back on track. 

‘How do I know where Kyrie will go, frankly.’

But if he shows it, he’ll die instantly. He had to act like he didn’t have those thoughts, as if it would last forever. Gray smiled as innocently as he could.

“Even hunters sometimes need a break. In the meantime, Nataniel can tell you something about Kyrie that she doesn’t know. How do you like her?”

Nathaniel, who had just stepped down the stairs of the park and stepped on the pavement of the street, turned back. He stared at Gray, the aura somehow frightening. Nathaniel is far bigger than Gray, who is 5.9 feet tall, and Gray feels the pressure of a rare difference in physical condition.

“……Sir Nathaniel?”

Gray’s eyes trembled. Then Nathaniel seemed to smile a little. At that moment Gray felt that some decision had been made inside the Legendary Lord.

[Right.]

“…….”

[I don’t like what you’re saying, but there are a few things that are right.]

“Oh, yes!”

He strangely accepted it easily. Gray was not happy. The Legendary Lord obviously knows he doesn’t know Kyrie’s destination. He also knew that he was avoiding answering. Nevertheless, he was still passing on his deftness.

‘Why?’

Even though Gray was looking stupidly at my face, Nathaniel met the gaze in silence. Gray felt strange. And he realized something belatedly.

‘No, not me…… my eyes.’

Gray’s blood turn cold, and the expression disappeared from his face. Come to think of it, Nathaniel never looked away from Gray’s eyes from the moment he met him.

‘Because my eyes are purple like Kyrie’s.’

He was, so to speak, filling his thirst for Kyrie by looking at the living purple eyes. Gray clenched his molars.

‘Crazy bastard.’

His neck became stiff without realizing it. And yet he didn’t dare blink.

Nathaniel smiled faintly at the sight. He seemed to have noticed what Gray had just realised. But neither will say it out loud.

Gray asked after a long, quivering sigh.

“When you find Kyrie…… what are you going to do?”

[I didn’t expect you to ask such a thing.]

The two began to move naturally again.

“Why did Kyrie run away from you?”

[She must have been scared.]

“She is afraid?”

[Since she cried so beautifully]

“Did you do something?”

[Hmm. A little bit of a prank?]

It was a mischievous tone. Gray deliberately made a big gesture and responded mindlessly. It’s more like he wanted to shake off his fear a while ago.

“What a strange thing! She ran away. It’s the kind of job anyone would want.”

[She wouldn’t have suffered like this if she knew how to think that way.]

There was a moment of silence.

“Excuse me, what do you like so much about Kyrie?”

The two turned the corner where the streetlights were built toward the inn. A citizen who found Nathaniel in the distance was suspicious of his eyes and was seen disappearing with crab steps. Nathaniel looked for a long time at the passerby moving away. Gray followed his gaze late. The clothes of the passerby were purple. Gray closed his mouth with a twinge of goosebumps.

[I’ve never thought about it.]

“But isn’t there a trigger for everything?”

[That’s true.]

Nathaniel sank into the contemplation for a moment.

[Well, the fact that she is good at jokes? Surprised when touched, trembling, but saying everything she has to say, innocent words that seem to be ignorant of the world, and taking good care of her dignity on the outside.]

Nathaniel, speaking of Kyrie, somehow seemed amused. Gray had realized that Nathaniel was very merciful only on the subject of ‘Kyrie’, so he asked with some ease.

“Didn’t you notice any other decent women besides Kyrie?”

[First of all, the ‘decent’ people didn’t wake me up.]

“So… who wakes you up is important, right?”

It was a rather significant question. Nathaniel replied meekly whether he knew it or not.

[Usually, people who live long can’t change their mind easily.]

“Why is that?”

Nathaniel paused for a moment. He was looking beyond a glass display case on the street. Gray found a purple women’s hat which had a wide brim inside the display case, and calmly turned away. Soon Nathaniel started walking again.

[I can’t forget]

What? Gray did not ask. Nathaniel’s words continued like music.

[We live long, we feel distant as if it was yesterday, we don’t usually die, and each one is close to a new species. No blood ties, no colleagues, no family. It just exists, and you don’t know, too long a time is enough to dull the ego.]

“Well, what does Kyrie mean…….”

[In the meantime, imagine a beetle, a butterfly, a bird, calling your name, whatever is buried in your memory.]

Gray’s mouth opened small. He felt a sense of distance that was hard to describe from Nathaniel. At the same time, his smile as he recalled Kyrie was so beautiful that his heart felt a little pained.

[Then you’ll probably want to keep it near you at all costs. You can hang my name.]

“By all means… you mean….”

[By all means.]

Nathaniel spoke softly. Before he knew it, the cane in his hand tapped the floor once. Gray shook his shoulders as if he had woken up.

“However, Your Grace…….”

[Kyrie will eventually accept it. As did Vallabriga and his predecessors.]

His attitude was arrogant, but Gray curiously felt a faint sense of urgency there. So he gulped down the words that were coming out of his mouth.