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Genius Warlock-Episode 653

653. fatigue (4)

“leave here.”

Those were Joanna's first words when she woke up in her old bed..

I'm not asking for help, I'm telling you to leave the center of this continent..

Oliver's eyes, which were like an abyss, were shaken by the completely unexpected remark, and he looked at Joanna with those two shaken eyes..

When I saw Joanna again, her condition was as serious as expected..

Her limbs were broken and splinted, and her once neat and beautiful face was crushed and had to be covered with bandages and gauze. The once pure white skin became discolored with blood bruising..

There are more bad places than good places..

If it weren't for the warlock's eyes that could see through emotions, he would have thought the words were in vain due to his injury..

But that wasn't it. Despite her serious injuries, Joanna's mind was intact and she clearly knew what she was saying..

She sincerely told Oliver to leave..

In this situation where the Pied Piper took his brother away.

As evidence, indescribable sadness, grief, and suffering were shaking in her heart like an active volcano..

Nevertheless, Joanna suppressed the urge to ask Oliver for help and told him to leave..

really. really. It was an unexpected remark..

“······Are you serious??”

Oliver, lost in thought after hearing Joanna's words, suddenly asked: Do what his heart tells him to do, not his head. I'm happy but I don't understand.

“Can I really leave??”

Oliver asked again, and Joanna remained silent..

But it didn't matter. Because the answer wasn't important to Oliver in the first place..

Even if I didn't answer with my mouth, my emotions answered for me..

Oliver saw the emotion as he saw fit, and surprisingly, he was able to confirm again that Joanna was sincere..

She wanted Oliver to leave this place, apart from the tragedy that had befallen her..

Even though I wanted to ask for help, I wanted to leave this place..

Contradictory emotions that don't fit together. Oliver confirmed this and asked those around him..

“everyone······. Could you please make room for me??”

Yarely and Rosburn, who had been watching seriously at the sudden request, looked surprised, but as if they had guessed something, Kevin and Pandora held their hands and walked out..

Thanks to this, Oliver and Joanna were left alone without any trouble, and Oliver used his magic to completely close the entire space, turning it into a perfect secret room..

Oliver then questioned Joanna again..

“Can I really leave??”

“······.”

Repeated questions and repeated silence.

Oliver brought up another story to break this silence..

Oliver himself couldn't explain why he was doing this, but somehow he felt like he wouldn't regret it..

“Sir, sir. Do you remember? These are the words of a man who was burned in the New World..”

“······.”

“He said to the driver... False paladin. The false family you tried to protect by ignoring the Lamb will meet a terrible end..”

Joanna was silent..

“The woman who raised you will become the most angry person, neither dead nor alive, and the false younger siblings who love you will be in the deep forest without anyone's help... I say so. Do you remember?”

Joanna was silent again. Shining through indescribable pain and sorrow.

However, Oliver did not stop and continued to open his mouth..

I interrogated her like I did in the past when I asked Joanna for help with Rosburn..

To her who has already lost everything and is suffering.

“I think the moment he was talking about is now. I have never seen anyone as angry as the Pied Piper..”

Oliver reminded me of the prophecy made by the person who was burned in the past..

Nevertheless, Joanna remained silent..

“But will you really be okay if I leave? No way, do you think you can do anything against the Pied Piper?-”

“-my holy father.”

Just as the level of pressure was rising, Joanna spoke for the first time..

A prayer came out of her mouth..

“I will take up the weapon and shield you gave me and swear at this very moment..”

“······.”

“I will become a shield that protects humanity and a sword that slays evil. I will protect discipline, the weak, and the good, and punish chaos, the devil, and evil..

I am the light that drives away the darkness. A trumpet announcing the dawn. I will become the armor that protects the world and the shield that protects your children..

Even if it becomes tattered like an old shield. Even if the teeth fall out and break like a broken knife. I will not turn away, I will not run away, I will not give up..

At this moment, I swear forever until the end of my life..”

silence.

Oliver, who had been speaking without hesitation at the prayer that flowed from Joanna's lips, lost his words for a moment, and a silence as heavy as lead took his place..

“······what is that?”

“This is the oath you take when you become a paladin. It is an oath to protect the world in the name of our Father in heaven..”

“······It's beautiful.”

Oliver gave his honest impressions..

As if it wasn't bad, Joanna smiled with a little satisfaction. A smile filled with sadness.

“I think so too. It's the most beautiful phrase in the world... But, I couldn't keep my words..”

Joanna brought out the feelings that had been hidden deep in her heart. it was a feeling of guilt.

“Even though I swore to myself, I couldn't keep it..”

“······that-”

“-It was an excuse.”

Joanna confessed. Every time she uttered a word, she felt pain as if she was chewing glass, but she did not stop speaking..

“Urban compacts, lack of evidence, political issues. It was all just an excuse. If I had the will, like you said, it wouldn't have been a problem at all..”

‘I'm just asking, just in case, if you can't get help from the church, can you do it on your own? All you have to do is make up your mind..’

‘I don't understand. In the first place, a paladin is a shield that protects humanity and the weak. How can I get punished for doing my job? Even if you don't get punished, what's the point of not being able to do your job and keep your position? I don't understand at all now-’

Oliver remembered what he said at the temple in the past..

If that doesn't work out, can't I just help Rosburn on my own?.

Looking back now, it was the right thing to say, but at the same time, it was something I was able to say out of ignorance..

Words that only Oliver, who didn't know much about the world and had nothing to protect, could say.

However, funny enough, it was only now that Oliver was able to realize the weight of those words..

“I didn't really want to become a paladin, I just wanted to enjoy the benefits of being a paladin. Just to make her younger siblings proud, to enrich them. It seemed like it was for the sake of others, but it was an extremely selfish and hypocritical reason..”

‘My younger siblings may be hungry, may be dressed shabbily, and may even be sold to the mines. But you won't die... But the kid at Mattel might die’

Oliver thought once again about what he had said..

Would he really be able to say that he, who knows the children of Ark Orphanage, would go back to that time??

If Oliver were in Joanna's position, would he have been able to help her??

Everything was questionable.

“At that time I-”

“-It's not wrong. It's absolutely true. I ignored and discriminated against those who were far away for the sake of those close to me, and I sold the name of God to satisfy my vanity. I said it was for my younger siblings, but it was my own greed. In that case, I should have chosen a method other than the Paladin. This is not that kind of place. However, I interpreted it however I wanted and ignored it..”

“Same goes for me now.”

said Oliver, relieved to hear that Rosburn was safe..

Joanna shook her head..

“No, you are not. You are not a paladin, and you have never taken an oath. It's not a sin to leave, no one can blame you.”

“Aren’t you worried about your younger siblings??”

I remembered the day Oliver stayed at Ark Orphanage..

The children were proud of Joanna with smiles on their faces..

Suddenly this thought occurred to me.

If Oliver had known about those children, he could have unilaterally asked them to save Rosburn..

“Is it right if someone else's child steals food just because my child is hungry??”

“······.”

“The current situation is no different... I heard what Oliver did after we parted ways in the New World. He creates jobs, puts warlocks under his command to stabilize public order, and establishes a school to promote the study of black magic. How many people have you helped?.”

“······I didn't do it for them. I did it for me.”

“What matters is that people were helped. There is no reason to be criticized for having a little self-interest in your actions. If even that is criticized, all good deeds will eventually disappear..”

“······.”

“Be proud of yourself. Because I've already done a lot for you. So don't try to carry everything. After all, you are just a human being. We've already done enough.”

Just one human being······.

“So there is no need to feel guilty about the current situation. This current situation is the responsibility of the Pater Church and the leaders of this land. It's not yours. So leave. for your people.”

“······Are you serious??”

“I swear to God, no, my brothers.”

Joanna answered. Her feelings were genuine.

Now that her younger siblings, her only family, have been kidnapped by the Pied Piper, she thinks of others, relieves Oliver of his guilt, and truly urges him to leave..

“under······. haha.”

Oliver laughed when faced with that fact..

The sound of laughter that is ordinary yet far from ordinary.

It was truly strange.

Derek, who was arrogantly confident as a student at the Magic Tower, lost his life for orphans across the sea, and Joanna, who once turned away another child for her younger siblings, refuses help for people she doesn't even know..

something was funny.

But the funniest thing here was none other than Oliver himself..

It's as if he was interrogating Joanna, but he was happy and relieved when she told him to leave without feeling guilty..

This whole situation was so funny that Oliver ended up laughing. In particular, he found himself so funny.

I thought I had come to know the world and people in my own way... It was all the arrogance of a fool.

It hasn't changed at all from when he told Merlin before going to Weinham that the important thing was his choice..

That time when I ignored the most important problem and spoke as if I had made up my mind..

I didn't make any progress. Rather, it regressed..

As evidence, Oliver still hesitated..

“Sir······.”

“Yes, Oliver.”

“Is it really because there's someone else who needs me that doesn't ask for my help? Or maybe, after I faint while dealing with the Burned One,-”

-chin.

Joanna moved her broken arm and held Oliver's hand..

Even the slightest movement would have been painful, but it allowed Oliver to feel her hand..

Her strong arms, which freely wielded a heavy mace and held a shield like a castle wall, were extremely fragile at this moment..

It looks like it might break if you apply even a little bit of force..

Joanna said to Oliver, giving strength to those weak hands..

“You are just you. It's just Oliver... Just remember that.”

“······I'm tired.”

Oliver got up and left the room, saying what he said at the temple in the past..

“Is the conversation over??”

When I came out of the room, Kevin, who was waiting downstairs, spoke to me..

Oliver answered Kevin's question.

“yes. professor.”

“What did you say? Did I really tell you to leave??”

“Yes, he said don't worry and leave..”

“How do you feel?”

“······Although I felt relieved, I also felt uneasy... It's complicated.”

“Life is complicated.”

Kevin spoke in a flowing manner but showed strong empathy..

Well, his feelings must have been complicated too..

Because he is currently not showing any signs of it, but his deep sadness and sorrow over Derek's death shines through..

This may have been obvious considering Derek was a researcher under Kevin, but in fact, it wasn't necessarily so..

At first, Derek looked down on Kevin's class because he was a red person..

No, it was impossible for Kevin, who was previously a test subject at the Magic Tower, to have good feelings for anyone..

He was fortunate enough to become Merlin's disciple and become the wizard of the Magic Tower, but before that, Merlin and the Magic Tower were enemies..

Because of the weight of the story, I couldn't ask for details, but I knew one thing: Kevin's family and friends all met a tragic end due to Merlin's experiments..

But ironically, Kevin expressed his sadness at Derek's death..

Oliver didn't understand Kevin like that, but at the same time, he understood it..

The human mind cannot do what it wants..

As Kevin said, the world seemed very complicated..

“But you still have to make a decision. what are you going to do.”

“I haven't decided yet.”

Even though he had just had a deep conversation with Joanna, Oliver hesitated..

More than the existence and promise of the Pied Piper, the enormous anger he harbors is what catches my eye..

Why on earth is he so angry??

Just as Kevin was about to say something to Oliver, who couldn't make up his mind yet, Oliver raised his hand..

A gesture that says the conversation is not over yet.

Kevin paused at the sight, and Oliver took advantage of the opportunity to call out to the two beings..

“Eve, Pandora).”

“Yes, Dave.”

“yes father.”

The two artificial spirits of the World Tree answered Oliver's call..

Oliver asked the two of them..

“I need to find out something. Can you two help me??”

“what do you mean?”

Eve and Pandora asked at the same time. There was sadness in their voices. As if he knew something.

“The Pied Piper. I'll have to look into his past. Then I can decide.”