Genius Warlock-Episode 652
652. fatigue (3)
kevin said.
Derek died trying to stop the Pied Piper..
The moment Oliver heard those words, he was shocked and felt a strong question arise..
Why on earth?
I didn't understand that much..
There was no way the Pied Piper would have killed him just because he had stopped him once..
Oliver had only met the Pied Piper once, but he still knew his tendencies..
I was confident that much because Oliver did not judge others carelessly..
The Pied Piper was not the type of person to kill easily..
It was because it went against his methods, regardless of concepts such as good and evil, conscience, and morality..
He had a vast anger that even Oliver could not fathom, but ironically, he was not interested in murder itself..
Because all he cared about was kidnapping children..
Because it was the only painkiller that could soothe his pain..
The only time the Pied Piper harmed people was when they got in his way..
To be exact, it was an opponent who risked death to stop it..
That's why Oliver couldn't understand. Why on earth did Derek stop the Pied Piper so much?.
Derek was neither foolish nor lacking in skill to the point where he did not know the gap between himself and the Pied Piper..
Nevertheless, he stopped the Pied Piper until the end and lost his life..
Why on earth······?
“I think it was to protect the orphanage children..”
“······yes?”
Oliver stupidly asked back at Kevin's words. I didn't understand it.
Kevin looked at Oliver's face and said it again..
“He said it was to protect the orphanage children. They said that when the Pied Piper tried to kill the director of the orphanage and take the children away, he stopped them..”
After hearing the answer, Oliver unconsciously looked at Yareli, and Yareli nodded with difficulty..
Only then did Oliver fully understand the current situation..
As Oliver feared, the Pied Piper had visited Ark Orphanage and kidnapped the children..
In the process, he killed the director who stopped him..
That made sense..
Because she was such a strong person that she told Oliver many stories in the middle of the night..
Even if the Pied Piper had come, he would not have surrendered the children..
And for the sake of the director, Derek risked his life to stop the Pied Piper..
Cracking······!
The moment Oliver realized that fact, he went out of the building and took in the night air, as if he was about to vomit..
An unfamiliar sensation rose deep in my stomach, spread through my chest, and reached my throat..
A feeling that cannot be easily described. But I didn't know. I've seen it once in the past.
“······Is it unexpected??”
Kevin asked, quietly following Oliver..
It was difficult to understand what was unexpected because the subject was omitted, but Oliver was able to intuitively understand what was being said..
Oliver answered Kevin's question as if trying to shake off this confusing feeling that had invaded his body..
“······Honestly, I'm surprised. I didn't know Derek would care for the orphanage children so much..”
Oliver gave his thoughts plainly..
Like all people, Derek had strengths and points to emulate, but I couldn't imagine him sacrificing himself for the orphanage children he had never seen before..
Derek's characteristics are high self-esteem and a strong desire to improve..
It was understandable that he shed blood, sweat, and worked hard to prove his worth.,
I didn't understand why they would stop an opponent they couldn't beat for the sake of the orphanage children..
That's why Derek's death was even more shocking..
Kevin said this.
“People can become noble at any time, and they can become ugly at any time. It's hard to predict.”
a horse with a bone.
Oliver couldn't ignore those words and asked.
“······Are you talking about Derek? Or are you talking about me??”
“well? Rather, I would like to ask. Why do you think you're ugly??”
Kevin asked, looking at Oliver's emotions through the eyes of a warlock whose eyes had been opened thanks to Oliver..
Surprisingly, Oliver's emotions were tinged with guilt and self-loathing..
Oliver's emotions remain unchanged to the point where he can be said to have no emotions..
Oliver opened his mouth, slightly but clearly agitated..
Even he himself was embarrassed by his emotional state. Like a blind man opening his eyes for the first time and looking at the world..
“······I was relieved..”
Kevin was silent. He neither agreed nor criticized, he just listened to Oliver..
“Even after hearing the news that Mr. Derek and Director Ameline had passed away and that the children had been taken away by the Pied Piper... I was relieved. Fortunately, Rossburn is safe. I feel safe even at this moment.”
Oliver revealed the root of his guilt and self-loathing..
Oliver's poker face, which he never lost at any moment, collapsed..
A feeling I felt for the first time. Oliver looked at Kevin and asked.
“······is this normal?”
“Well, what is normal in the first place??”
“······.”
“Normal is an extremely relative concept. What is normal now can also be abnormal depending on time and place. However, if you ask me what other people feel, my answer is yes..”
Oliver saw Kevin's emotions through the warlock's eyes. I meant it..
“Rather than feeling sad that Derek is dead, I feel relief that Rosburn is safe. It's quite possible. Other people feel that way too. In the first place, humans cannot treat everyone equally. Even if you want to.”
Oliver understood what I meant..
It was a natural story. Treating everyone the same was a very difficult thing for Oliver to see..
It was hard to accept emotionally, but I couldn't refute it..
“So I guess I should ask now too.”
Kevin, who, along with Oliver, Yarely, and Rosburn, felt sad and saddened by Derek's death, opened his mouth..
He tried to put Derek's sadness behind him and focus on the situation at hand..
Cool-headed judgment considering work priorities.
As if to prove this, he asked a direct question:.
“Are you planning on fighting the Pied Piper? To save orphanage children?”
Oliver's mouth hardened at Kevin's question that cut to the core..
If it were Oliver, he would have probably said yes, but this time, neither the opponent nor the situation were good..
The Pied Piper.
A human meat chef, a monster who is completely different from the eternal child fan..
After the Burned One, Oliver was the one who felt the wall..
Even if I fight again, I have no confidence in winning.
However, the real problem was not simply winning or losing, but the promise I made with him..
A promise to the Pied Piper that if he doesn't mind his (the Pied Piper's) business, he will no longer pursue Prince Albert and will just leave Landa behind..
The Pied Piper, who came to kidnap Prince Albert through a deal with Puppet, proposed the above deal at the last minute despite overpowering Oliver..
Conditions that were extremely advantageous to Oliver. In fact, it was as if he was considerate..
Rosburn and Yarely Perhaps the reason they spared Joanna was an extension of that consideration..
I guessed that all of these people were related to Oliver..
He was more angry than anyone Oliver had ever seen, and he was so considerate to Oliver..
It's due to the sense of kinship and sadness he feels every time he sees Oliver..
I didn't know the specific reason why I felt that way, but what was certain was that Oliver also felt that way toward the Pied Piper..
A feeling of kinship whose origin is unknown and a pity about his anger..
That's why Oliver hesitated..
Despite the deaths of Derek and Director Ameline, and the children of Ark Orphanage being kidnapped, Oliver hesitates to confront the Pied Piper..
I was worried about what he would think if I broke my promise, and personally, I don't want to break my promise to the Pied Piper..
Oliver honestly told Kevin how he felt..
“I don't know either....”
“Still, you have to decide. Especially now. If you don't choose anything, you'll just get swept away..”
Kevin once again gave advice to the hesitant Oliver..
I knew it was advice for Oliver rather than forcing him to make a choice, but even so, Oliver couldn't decide easily..
As much as the tragedy that occurred at Arc Orphanage, it was impossible to ignore the unknown sense of kinship and sadness felt by the Pied Piper..
Was it because of that? I felt great pressure from the current situation and asked Oliver this without even realizing it..
“Did the old man tell you to say that??”
Oliver mentioned that Kevin accompanied him under Merlin's orders..
It was just a guess without clear evidence, but it wasn't wrong..
“You said that if you need advice, give it to me. Do you think my advice is wrong??”
“······No, you're right..”
Oliver admitted. That you have to decide what to do now. Like Kevin said, if you don't make a decision now, you'll be swept away..
Oliver had to choose whether to move forward or back down, whatever the consequences..
No matter what problems it causes.
The problem was that even if you knew it in your head, it was not easy to implement..
I remembered what Merlin said in the past..
Knowing is pain. Oliver realized that now..
It makes me think that it was much better back then when I didn't know anything other than curiosity..
At a time when Oliver couldn't make a decision easily, Rosburn came out through the door and called Oliver..
“teacher······. The Paladin has woken up.”
Oliver flinched at Rosburn's words..
Joanna woke up!.
I remembered the image of Joanna I saw earlier..
The image of her lying on the bed with bandages all over her body..
This is the first time we have met since we parted ways in the New World colonial city of First Step..
He should have been happy and relieved, but Oliver felt more embarrassed than happy because the Pied Piper had just kidnapped the children..
If Joanna asks for help now, what kind of answer would she give??
When that question arose, I suddenly remembered what happened in Landa..
When Oliver asked for help to save Rosburn and Joanna refused..
Ironically, the exact opposite situation has now occurred..
Only then did Oliver understand how Joanna felt at the time..
I think I know what the helplessness of not being able to choose easily is..
As that memory came to mind and he empathized with it, Oliver felt contradictory emotions, wanting to meet Joanna but also wanting to leave this place..
It was then.
Rosburn spoke carefully to Oliver..
“Stand, teacher.”
“Yes, Rossburn..”
“By any chance, to that paladin... Have you ever told my story??”
“Why are you doing that??”
“When I went to Ark Orphanage, he looked at me and suddenly said he was sorry. With tears in my eyes.”
“······.”
“I don't know why... Poetry, never mind..”
Rosburn looked at Oliver's expression before speaking and hurriedly closed his mouth..
However, Oliver, who had already heard everything he needed to say, slowly reflected on what Rosburn had said..
Joanna still had that incident in her mind..
Memories of the day I ignored the small, skinny sheep.
Although I ignored it, I did not forget it and carried it in my heart..
Recognizing this fact, Oliver placed his hand on Rossburn's head and entered the mansion again..
Then, trying to ignore the fear and rejection that had sprouted in my heart, I climbed the stairs one by one..
Kevin and Rosburn follow silently behind them..
Oliver asked himself as his steps became increasingly heavy..
What answer will he be able to give if she asks him to save his younger siblings?.
Probably, it was a question that could only be answered if you actually heard it..
Jeez. Jeez. Jeopuk.
Oliver re-entered the room he had left, asking himself for an answer to that question..
In the room, there was Joanna, who had woken up, and Yareli and Pandora supporting Joanna..
Joanna with bandages all over her body.
He looked exactly the same as when I first saw him, except that he was awake..
Broken limbs, gauze and bandages covering one side of the face, bruises everywhere..
Just by looking at her, I could see how desperately she resisted to protect her younger brother..
Oliver looked at Joanna without even saying hello..
Waiting for the words to come out of her mouth.
Joanna's eyes met and she immediately recognized Oliver, and her eyes, which had become blurred due to injury, gradually came into focus..
Joanna's mouth clicked, and then words came out..
Oliver said something completely unexpected..
“under·····. haha.”
After a while, Oliver's laughter rang out loudly from inside..
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