Became a tyrant of defense games - Episode 761
761. [Side Story] Brand new day (3)
Before knocking on the door, all kinds of negative thoughts were running through Chain's mind..
Will his wife be angry when she sees him back? Will his daughter be cold, unlike in the letter? Will his son-in-law, whom he meets for the first time, be uncomfortable with him? Will he be kicked out without even seeing his grandchild's face?…….
The worst imaginable situations flooded Chain's mind one after another..
As he was a head of a family who was not faithful to his family, the fear rose up in a concrete way and tightened his throat..
“…….”
But Chain finally exhaled, mustered up his courage, and knocked on the door..
Because I already saw the end of the world on that front..
Apologize for what you need to apologize for before it's too late, and... … Because I wanted to see the faces of precious people who are still alive, at least once..
smart-
Knock on the door, and after what feels like eons,.
“yes I'm going out~!”
The door opened with a young woman's voice..
The eyes of the young woman who opened the door were wide open. Chain stuttered, not immediately recognizing her opponent, but the woman recognized her chain immediately..
“dad!”
“……kate?”
10My daughter, whom I saw for the first time in years, was already an adult and had grown tremendously..
My daughter, a little awkward but with a bright smile, gestured into the house..
“I had a hard time coming this far. Well, it's cold outside. Come inside quickly. hurry!”
“Oh, that, over there.…….”
Unable to take a step, my daughter dragged Chain, who hesitated, by his sleeve and pulled him into the house. Chain entered the house hesitantly..
There was one sturdy man in the house who was carrying a pile of firewood. Kate tapped the young man on the shoulder and said.
“egg! Say hello. It's my dad.”
“what? Huh... … ! Hello, my father-in-law.!”
The young man who dropped the pile of firewood on the floor greeted me with a frozen posture..
“Hello, nice to meet you. I've heard a lot from Kate! It's called Al! Ah, please take care of me in the future.!”
“…….”
Chain, who was as stiff as the young man, spoke in a trembling voice..
“I'm sorry.”
“yes? Well, what do you mean??”
“Because I couldn't be there when I got married…….”
“Oh no! I really feel sorry for Kate. Since I was an orphan and didn't have a lot of money saved up, I couldn't have a proper wedding.…….”
“Nope. If only I had saved my money well…….”
“Oh no! We will work harder in the future…….”
The son-in-law and father-in-law, who met for the first time, kept groveling and saying sorry to each other.,
“mom mom! Dad is here!”
Kate shouted as she ran towards the kitchen connected to the living room..
“…….”
My wife was standing in front of the kitchen stove with her back to me..
Despite the news that her husband had arrived, she remained silently stirring the ladle in the pot. As she approached, looking at her wife's back, her chain stopped at a distance with her crutches..
“……Hanna.”
When I carefully called my wife's name, she stopped stirring the ladle and opened her mouth in a brusque voice..
“I heard the news. They said they were fighting at Crossroads all this time.?”
“uh? Yes…….”
“When I asked which front he was working as a mercenary on, it was the infamous monster front.?”
In my wife's voice, there are layers of sadness, joy, and sorrow, and.
“Well, anyway… … You're not fighting to enrich other kings or nobles, but to save the world..”
There was a vague sense of pride..
My wife's face, which glanced back and smiled, was lined with wrinkles, but she looked the same as I remembered..
“I heard you're cool like that.”
“…….”
Only then did Cheyne realize the true nature of the favor he had for his daughter, son-in-law, and wife..
Because everyone knows that the people of the World Defense Front fight to save the world..
The world is maintained because of those who sacrificed their lives there... … Because now everyone knows.
Chain, who fights a great battle and retires, is also a person worthy of respect..
everyone knew.
Chain was the only one who didn't know.
“What, why are you looking at me like that? I'm afraid I won't be able to treat the hero who saved the world to a meal.?”
“Ha, but…….”
The chain stuttered..
“me… … I've been away for 10 years…….”
“Hey, I knew from the first time I saw you, there's no way a wizard family would stick in the family..”
My wife held the handle of the pot with both hands, lifted it with a sound, and turned around..
“It would be a lie if I said I didn't feel bad, but if you were as shameless as before, I would have gotten angry. I can't even get angry when you look like a downcast old dog..”
“…….”
“Come and take a seat at the table, Mr. Wanderlust Warlock. It's New Year's, so should I have a bowl of meatball stew? Let's talk later.”
My wife brought a large pot to the table. The table was already covered with tablecloths and dishes..
The son-in-law came from the side and supported Chain, which was still hesitant..
Chain sat in a chair, put his crutches next to him, and looked blankly at the table where hot food was being prepared. Her wife quietly poured Chain's share of stew into a large bowl..
“By the way, Dad, before eating!”
My daughter ran into the back room and came out holding something very small wrapped in a blanket..
“You should also say hello to your grandchildren.!”
“……!”
My daughter carefully showed me the little life in her arms..
The child was sleeping soundly under the blanket. The small, feeble sound of her breathing could not be heard unless she listened closely..
In that young, innocent child's face, at that moment, Chain somehow saw the faces of his comrades who had fallen first..
For another child, for this world, and for this child…….
The eternally sleeping faces of comrades who died in battle passed before my eyes..
“…….”
Chain, who was crying with a lump in his throat, eventually smiled slowly and then whispered softly..
“Happy New Year, baby.”
All the fights so far. All the struggles to protect the world.
I realize that it was so meaningful..
“Next year, and the year after that, and on and on. Good luck, baby…….”
***
crossroads.
Junior's room.
Thump thump! Thump thump thump thump!
Junior, who had been reading a book that didn't catch his eye, was holding on to his distraught mind. Suddenly, he was startled by a harsh knocking sound and turned to look at the door..
“what?”
Thump thump thump! Thump thump thump!
Junior hurriedly walked to the door and opened it carefully as the harsh knocking continued to ring..
And the one standing outside the door…….
“Haha, haha, haha……!”
“Lord Hecate?”
It was Hecate.
She looked exactly like she had dressed up and went out on a date with Lucas. Junior blinked her eyes..
“Didn't you go out on a date with Sir Lucas? Why already…….”
“me, me, me…….”
Hecate, who was stuttering, shouted with a very flushed face..
“I kicked Lucas.……!”
Junior blinked, not understanding the context..
“yes yes?”
“On my part, I kicked that arrogant bastard to the curb. Can you believe it? Well, technically speaking, he dumped me.…….”
Hecate, who was speaking gibberish, stumbled as if her legs suddenly lost strength. Junior quickly helped Hecate and sat her down on the chair next to the table..
Hecate briefly explained what happened on today's date..
Since I lost everything, I decided to be born again..
For that, he decided to completely let go of Lucas, who was his first love and mainstay..
“That’s why my heart feels cool, so cool… … It looks like there's a hole in it. A hole bigger than my body…….”
Hecate covered her face with both hands and took a breath..
Junior poured warm honey tea into a mug and placed it in front of her..
For a moment, nothing moved in the room except the sound of the fireplace crackling and burning firewood, and the faint, peaceful scent rising from the honey tea..
After a long silence.
“……Still, I'm not sure where I should go now or what I could be.”
Hecate slowly removed her hand from her face and spoke in a watery voice..
“but… … Go anywhere, become anything. I will no longer be afraid of new ‘where’ or ‘what’.”
“…….”
“If you keep trying like that, you'll find it someday. What do I really want to do in this world?.”
Junior nodded towards Hecate who was speaking incoherently..
“You will find it. definitely.”
“…….”
Hecate, who was looking at Junior with red eyes, lowered her eyes..
“But what I said then was true, Junior.?”
“huh? what kind of words?”
“Later, when he built a resort with a swimming pool and lived in retirement, he told me I could come and have fun.…….”
Hecate's voice trembled..
“You gave me permission to visit your dreams as a guest. Is it true??”
“of course. I will open the door whenever Lord Hecate comes..”
Junior shrugged his shoulders humorously..
“Instead, when Lord Hecate finds the dream, she must let me know. Because I also want to go and play in Lord Hecate’s dreams..”
“great. Then we made a promise to each other.?”
“We promised each other.”
conversation is interrupted.
In the peaceful silence that followed, the two women quietly looked at each other..
The valley of history dug between them was still too deep to be filled, but for the first time, Hecate... … Without paying attention to the valley of silver circles, I quietly looked into Junior's eyes..
There was a person there who, despite being wounded and bleeding just like him, was trying to walk towards his dream..
Also, at the same time.
There was an ordinary young man who wanted to become friends with the person in front of him..
Hecate smiled without knowing it..
“excuse me. Junior.”
“yes?”
“I remember a few days ago, you extended your hand as if to shake my hand.?”
“uh… … did i do that?”
“I did. He says he will be with you no matter what funny or absurd things happen. So let's live together. He said he wanted to be friends with me. With that said.”
Junior's cheeks heated up..
“Oh, that's right. I remembered. It did… … Oh, sorry. What kind of treatment are you doing like that?…….”
“But at that time, the monster came out and was running away in the air, so I couldn't catch its hand..”
This time Hecate stuttered as if she was embarrassed..
But now she didn't hesitate.
“Maybe one more time... … Can you shake that hand again for me??”
“…….”
Junior looked surprised for a moment but then smiled brightly..
“sure. However much.”
While the fireplace in the room made the sound of firewood cooking and the scent of honey evaporating from a teacup warmed the air, white snow was piling up silently outside the window..
The two slowly extended their hands toward each other as if to shake hands, without even knowing who should go first..
Soon, their fingers carefully grasped each other..
Like building a bridge for the first time over a thousand-way cliff,…….
Very slowly. very softly.
***
Crossroads. Central Square.
This is where citizens and soldiers come out to enjoy the peaceful afternoon air on the first day of the new year..
“…….”
Evangeline was sitting on a bench in the corner of the square with her chin resting on her face, her lips poking out with a deeply troubled expression..
“It is unfair… … It's unfair…….”
Evangeline was constantly babbling in a voice deeply filled with resentment and resentment..
“I can't live like this because I'm so unfair and angry... … How can I resolve this resentment?…….”
Citizens, frightened by the aura of negativity pouring from Evangeline, moved out of the way, shedding cold sweat. Regardless, Evangeline continued to spread the black air..
It was then.
“What are you doing??”
“……?”
Evangeline heard a familiar voice and turned around to see a familiar blond-haired knight standing there..
The prince's bodyguard in neat civilian clothes..
It was Lucas.
Evangeline snorted with a humming sound, then looked forward again and babbled..
“For those of you who went on a date with a handsome guy and a pretty girl today, don't worry~ I've set the world's rare record of 0 confessions and 1 chime, so I'm going to growl all day today..”
“Haha, that's a funny story..”
Lucas laughed out loud. Evangeline glared with her piercing eyes..
“This is funny, man.?”
“I'm not making fun of you, I'm just curious.”
Lucas walked over to Evangeline and sat down next to her..
“Because I too am in the first round with 0 confessions..”
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