CH 29

“Your Excellency! Where is the doctor? Call him now! Now!”

Edgar carried the fallen Ezekiel on his back and shouted. Knights and soldiers nearby scrambled to find the doctor.

Ezekiel’s appearance in the two days that he was absent was not good at all. When he reached the entrance of the barracks, he fell from the horse and was covered in blood, because he was hit in the back by several arrows. Edgar expressed panic with his whole body, unlike Ezekiel, he had never seen such a bloody appearance of anyone.

“Your Excellency! Wake up! You call a doctor and guard the area! The enemy may come in.”

Edgar remembered the arrow from Ezekiel’s neck, which was red, and bit his lips. This was clearly the arrow of the barbarians.

‘We’ve wiped out everything around here…….’

It was not known where the Duke encountered the barbarians or how he was so hurt, but one thing was certain. His life was in danger. The blood from Ezekiel had already soaked Edgar’s back.

“Please wake up, Your Excellency. You can’t close your eyes like this.”

The voice of the man, known for his firmness, trembled with fear. However, the person lying on his back seemed to have already lost his mind and showed no reaction.

***

His vision was blurred. Ezekiel, frowned and looked at the candle in front of him, and bent his head downward in great pain.

“Ugh!”

He couldn’t even breathe properly. Maybe he hurt his lungs, but the air went in and leaked somewhere. Ezekiel barely breathed and wanted to grab something by the side to sit up. Blood leaked and was coloring the white bandage that was tightly wrapped around the waist red.

But in Ezekiel’s eyes, he didn’t get hurt. What is that within his blurred vision? A black mass the size of a small wild beast was sticking to his side and making a sound of sucking something. He managed to grasp the spirit clouded by pain and asked, stuttering.

“You, you…… Ugh… What is it?”

[You responded so quickly.]

The black mass answered with its teeth showing with only a mouth that has no eyes or nose. The black teeth were sharp as if they would cut just by looking at them. Ezekiel didn’t know who it was, but he asked again in a familiar voice.

“What is it? Water… Obviously, even then…….”

[I want to answer, but I don’t have time. Let me ask you the most important thing. Do you want to live?]

“What, what…. Ugh!”

[You know your limit, don’t you? You’re gonna die like this. There’s probably less than an hour left.]

He took off the black thing and reached out, but only blood flowed from the side, and the black object scattered like smoke and formed a shape again. Ezekiel stared at it with his eyes raised. He already knew from many experiences that the ominous thing that appeared was indescribable, but hideous.

‘I’m fascinated by that thing again.….’

Ezekiel, who breathed heavily, frowned and pressed the wound. It had to be ignored. He had to get through this situation alone somehow. But the voice pierced his weakest point.

[Do you want to think about it?]

“…….”

[If you die, your beloved wife will be very unhappy. You know, what situation she’s in. If she loses her only windbreaker, she’ll probably…….]

The face of Herace immediately appeared in front of his dizzy vision, as if it was reflected on the surface of the water.

There were countless images of the hands of men next to her. Holding the cloth tightly, she shook her head with a crying face. But the clueless hands stretched out toward her as if they didn’t matter. And  played with her to their heart’s content, holding her down. The voice also lamented and told Ezekiel vividly as if he could see the scene.

[She’ll go into some guy’s arms or probably be held in several guys’ arms, right? Everyone will happily reach out to her. And….]

“Shut up!”

Even though he knew it was an illusion, his eyes turned bloodshot. He had to kill them right away. For Herace, he had to cut off all those hands that had touched his wife and chop them into pieces.

Ezekiel looked around for his sword. But he was so weak that he couldn’t even pick up the sword under the bed. The bleeding body collapsed helplessly, shouting angrily.

[Hahaha!]

[What a temper…. That’s why I ask. Do you want me to help you?]

Ezekiel didn’t want to admit it, but he felt that death was just around the corner. A slow-stopping heart, barely audible in his ears and gradually blurred eyes formed a shape in front of his vision.

“Herace…”

My wife… Ezekiel, who called his wife with a moan, squeezed out her name in despair. Eventually, he begged miserably for it to be attached to his body.

“……Help me. I… Ugh! Help… help me!”

“Ah…”

The thing heard his voice groaning for a long time, as if it was satisfied. It stretched long and climbed up on Ezekael’s body like a snake. It raised its head and stared straight with its beady eyes. Its eyes were gold, the same color as Ezekiel, looking at him.

[Okay, I’ll save you. But it can’t be without a price like the first time I helped you. I’m not naturally a charitable person. Of course, you’ve already paid a little bit…….]

The snake’s tail gently swept through his bleeding sides. The blood that was flowing down because it could not be stopped by the bandage was sucked into the tail’s end, as if it was swallowing it. The snake, which was gradually growing in shape, pushed its head close to Ezekiel’s face.

[……I don’t think this little amount of blood is enough to save your life just like that.]

“What… do you want?”

Ezekiel was willing to pay any price. If only he could go back to his wife. If no one but she was near him, that was enough.

As if reading Ezekiel’s mind, it raised the corners of its mouth and fluttered its tongue. Ezekiel was sure it was laughing at him.

[I’ll let you go back to your wife safely. Just give me some of your memories instead.]

“….Memories?”

[I won’t take much. It will be a memory of just less than a day. Isn’t it really cheap? It’s worth your life.]

Memory. It was a strange price. As this ominous thing said, it seemed like a very cheap price. But that’s why Ezekiel couldn’t nod recklessly. Deep suspicion clasped in his actions.

[Oh, my… You have a lot of doubts. But you’ll be much more comfortable if I take that memory. It’s like forgetting your sins.]

As if he had noticed Ezekiel’s suspicion, it burst into a low laugh without any reason. Only then did Ezekiel realize what memory it wanted and twisted his face with his fist clenched. It occurred to him that he had been forgetting it for a moment because of pain and fear of death.

“You…!”

[Don’t stare at me like that. The time left may go faster. And isn’t this a favor? I’m saying I’ll make you forget. You were the only witness to it, so if your memory disappears, it will remain a secret forever.]

How can he forget about it? But there was no choice.

Ezekiel remembered Herace’s face that was hovering in front of his eyes and eventually nodded. At any cost, he had to go back. By her side…….

“All right……Ah, as you wish…… Oh! Ha, but only Herace…… Not just the memory of her. Rather than forgetting a part of her…… I’d die.”

[Oh, my God. Boy, you really surprise me.]

“…….”

[Okay, I won’t touch anything with the memory of her. But the weight of the favor is too big….]

“…….”

[Instead, help me get a shell and I’ll stay by your side. And I swear I’ll forget the terms of this contract. I’ll have a little fun, too. What do you think? Do you agree?]

Ezekiel wanted to argue with the increasing price, but now he couldn’t even speak. He pushed his slowly closing eyelids and squeezed his last strength and nodded. As soon as he nodded, the creature scattered like a mist in the shape of a snake and covered Ezekiel’s entire body.

[All right, Ezekiel. It’s Medea’s child…….]

Ezekiel closed his eyes after a ringing voice. A deadly sigh engulfed him.

[……You will return safely to your wife’s arms since you have paid for it.]

***

The doctor and Edgar looked ahead with startled eyes. Their lord, who was dying until dawn yesterday, was somehow sitting in the barracks and wiping his sword.

The bandage in front of him was as clean as new. He was sure the blood had seeped in since he had washed it……. The doctor and Edgar’s eyes naturally went towards the waist of their commander. However, the loose tops did not show the scars they were looking for.

The absent-minded doctor only came to his senses after Edgar stabbed him in the waist with his elbow. He took a step closer to Ezekiel and tried to do his duty.

“Sir, let me look at the wound for a moment.”

“I don’t need it.”

However, Ezekiel gestured to not approach him.

“You go out, Edgar.”

The doctor bowed his head to the Duke’s bitter eyes while trying to say something again but failing. It was only after the doctor left the barracks that Edgar managed to answer.

“……Yes, sir.”

“Call the woman.”

Edgar hesitated, unable to answer the sudden order. He couldn’t even understand his intention. Woman? Isn’t that the word farthest from the lord in front of him?

“The woman…….”

Edgar, who was mumbling inappropriately, opened his mouth back after a long time. Then Ezekiel, who was wiping the sword without making eye contact with him, stopped his hand and raised his head.

“What…”

And for a moment Edgar knew. That his lord has changed somewhere.

A creepy sensation flowed through the spine and eroded his whole body. Edgar, who was terrified, hesitated and took a half step back, but Ezekiel still ordered with an indifferent face.

“The woman who broke into my barracks during the last subjugation. Bring the woman here.”