CH 56

At noon, Henry delivered sad news in a trembling voice.

“Sir Kerner, I received a telegram from the military.”

“…”

“If the beasts don’t go away by night, kill Rosen Haworth immediately. Transporting Rosen Haworth to Monte Island is an important task, but above all, the safety of passengers comes first… Wait until sunset. The captain is holding out, but… In the end, I think you will do as I command.”

It only took a moment for Ian Kerner to respond.

“I will transport the prisoner safely to Monte Island.”

The military quickly rescinded the order. Looking at it logically, it was not a bad story that the witch who controlled beasts and tried to get revenge on the passengers was thrown into the sea.

“The reason I first got on a plane was because I was naïve and stupid. I wanted to protect people. But now that I look back, it seems that all the good people died in the war, and only the bad remain.”

“…Henry.”

“Including me. This is how much I…I didn’t know it would be this bad. I thought it would be okay to hate her. I was cruel.”

“…”

“After all, I am the person who brought Rosen Walker to this point.”

Henry broke down into tears as he stopped speaking. Ian remembered his malice towards Rosen, who was pinned to the deck. It was horribly vicious for one person to handle.

He was used to the pressure people put on him. But he was wrong. The pressure he received and the pressure Rosen received were vastly different.

“Don’t cry, Henry. It won’t change anything.”

“I know. I’m sorry.”

Henry crouched down in front of the bed, wiped his tears, and carefully placed his hand on Rosen’s forehead. But as soon as he felt that Rosen’s body was like a ball of fire, Henry cried again. Ian sighed and asked.

“…How are people reacting?”

“We have to return her to prison. The people are waiting. They will likely arrest you as well. They don’t trust you anymore. You’re possessed by a witch… It’s only going to get worse if we keep her here.”

“Wait a little longer. Just until her temperature goes down a little. Rosen is still very sick.”

“I will try.”

Henry, his eyes puffy, shut the cabin door.

Iqn took off his shirt and climbed back into bed. Rosen, who was lying as still as a corpse, clung to him again. Rosen’s expression looked calmer than when she was awake. It was heartbreaking.

Rosen was so sick that she couldn’t control her body. He managed to thaw her icy body, but then it began to boil. Ian held her desperately, ignoring the fuss going on outside. He intended to endure as long as the captain, Alex, endured.

But he knew that Alex couldn’t win this fight. Despite the support of a few sailors, he could not overcome the overwhelming pressure of the public. He couldn’t even if he was the Emperor. Wasn’t that why a revolution took place in the Empire as well? The Imperial Family, which seemed impenetrable, collapsed.

How much worse would it be if the Emperor led a single ship? If passengers demanded…

Rosen collapsed, feverishly rambling nonsense. She alternately called for Emily and Hindley. Sometimes his name came up. He answered every time. Rosen didn’t understand most of it, but occasionally their conversation continued.

“Ian Kerner. Are you there? Are you the one I can feel now?”

“I’m listening. Speak.”

“Wow, your body is really killing me. I really want to sleep with you.”

“Don’t spew nonsense.”

“It’s not nonsense. And you’re really weird. How can you stay still like a statue when I’ve taken off all my clothes and clung to you?”

“I do not know. Is that abnormal?”

“If there were people like you at Al Capez, I might have been a model prisoner. It’s not because of me that tax money is being wasted. It’s all the lax and stupid guards who made me an escaped prisoner. They were so stupid, how could I not dream of jailbreaking? Their eyes went wide when I took off my clothes… ”

“I might have reacted the same way if you weren’t sick.”

“Really? Am I attractive in your eyes? Haven’t you seen a lot of beautiful people?”

“…If we hadn’t met like this, I would have chased you.”

Ian replied. Rosen’s giggles devolved into hoarse coughing.

“Really? Are you joking to make me feel better?”

“I’m not joking.”

As soon as he came out of the captain’s cabin, he saw Rosen hanging precariously from the railing. He couldn’t think of anything at that moment. His vision turned white. Calling Rosen’s name, he rushed over and reached out his hand.

Falls frightened him. When he looked around in the pilot’s seat, there was always a plane crashing helplessly into the sea. He missed so many people. He couldn’t help them. He always had places to go and things to protect.

“You know how to swim?”

“Pilots should know how to swim. If your plane crashes, you must swim out of the wreckage.”

“The military academy wouldn’t have taught you how to swim if they knew you would use it to save witches.”

“…”

“…People are waiting for you outside.”

“I know.”

“You’ll think it’s weird. I’m disappointed in you.”

“I know what you’re worried about, but you don’t have to be. I’ve done something, and it’s already too late to turn back.”

“D*mn it. Are you telling me not to worry? I lived thanks to you but…Why did you do that?”

He remembered the moment of choice, where choosing one meant losing the other. It was similar this time. The moment he called Rosen’s name, hundreds of eyes turned to him at once. He had been conscious of those eyes for a very long time.

So, for a very short time, he froze.

And in the meantime, Rosen crashed into the cold sea. He lost someone even after the war ended. That made him miserable.

“It would be cruel to say that you should have a good appearance because everyone is watching you, right? I don’t want to say that. But what you did at that time was really crazy.”

‘I’ve never wanted to be a hero. I don’t deserve it, and I haven’t made any achievements. I was just a bullet. There’s always someone else pointing the gun. The bullet doesn’t think.’

Of course, Ian was well aware that that wasn’t an excuse. He struggled to open his mouth.

“I never wanted to, but if needed, I would’ve lived as a hero for the rest of my life. I thought it was atonement. For the blood on my hands… ”

“…”

“But now, for the first time, I regret it.”