Chapter 39
My Villains Episode 039
10. 4th floor underground(4)
When the slime shriveled up in the flames turns into sticky charcoal..
The search was probably over. It was almost meal time, so I declared a break..
There was a staircase leading to the third floor nearby, so I went there..
As Mr. Luke and Arnal started a small fire near the landing, I helped Grania take off her armor..
Grania's armor, hit by the slime's acid, was melted here and there, and all the iron plates and rings had to be torn off..
Although it became a rag with tears and holes here and there - well, it saved my life, so I shouldn't regret it..
Thinking like that, I took off the melted armor, and wow, a handful of the peeled skin came out sticking to the sleeve..
“Ugh, all the skin came off? It doesn't hurt?”
“Hmm, of course it hurts.”
When water was sprinkled on the left arm that had been hit by the acid, Grania gritted her teeth and groaned..
There's red swelling and white bubbles all over my left arm - ugh, it looks like I'm going to vomit..
After wiping off the moisture with a bandage and applying ointment, I spoke in a reprimanding tone..
“This was my first time seeing slime.?”
“Well, where have you seen a guy from a dungeon? Ugh, can you please help me? It stings a bit?”
“But why do you attack me so recklessly? you almost died.”
“Phew - well, that's right.”
...Is that the end??
Grania answered concisely, took out a leather canteen and took a gulp..
He doesn't seem to care much about what I say..
“I thought you were a cautious person, but what the hell?
Why is it like that??”
“•••Why did you do that? I was just doing my job?”
“four days?”
Grania answered my question with a frown as if asking something like that..
“Ellen, you’re a wizard, right? It's a precious body, so we need to protect it..”
“Did you not see me running? Will I be able to protect it on my own?.”
“Trust that you will do well and just let your fingers suck me.?”
“That's not it,”
“Ugh, can you stop asking useless questions for now and just put a bandage on me??”
“•••okay.”
I was lost in thought for a moment as I wrapped the bandage from Grania's shoulder..
As I was about to cross my muscular forearm and tie a knot at my scarred elbow, I suddenly opened my mouth..
“So, he did it to save Ellen.?”
“It's just work, whatever..”
It looked sad at first glance, but upon closer inspection, I looked into its sharp eyes and furrowed my brows. Because I didn't understand.
“But Ellen wasn't very kind to you....”
“however? What does it matter??”
“To put it bluntly, is it worth it for you to take the risk for Ellen? You've always been grumpy and, what should I say, angry or something like that?.”
In response to my question, Grania slowly turned her head and looked at Ellen. Seeing that the guy was preoccupied with organizing his bag, Grania shrugged his shoulders and answered in a low voice..
“To be honest, it wasn't for Ellen..”
“then?”
“hmm. If I really want to talk about value - should I say it was for my own value?.”
“It's your own value….”
While tilting my head, I unwrapped a new bandage and began to wrap Grania's lower arm..
Grania was wearing only a sleeveless sackcloth, with both shoulders and arms exposed. Her forearms were curved to the point of being a mess, with toned forearms, faded scars, and fresh burns..
“I am a mercenary. A person who works for someone else for money. And most of that work involves fighting enemies..”
Twenty- seven years old. The 27-year-olds I met during my time as Kim Seung-su were mainly job seekers or those just starting out in society..
It was an age that was thrown by the winds of the world, but still retained the innocence of youth..
“So my worth is... It is decided when you step into danger, when you swing your sword at a powerful enemy, and when you raise a shield for your comrades behind you..”
Twenty-seven years old. Twenty-seven years in Middle World were enough years to create a seasoned mercenary with numerous scars etched all over his body..
Twenty-seven-year-old Grania had long since lost her sense of guilt about murder, and was a warrior with a strong heart who could wash away the death of a comrade in arms with a glass of cheap alcohol..
I asked the question again, hiding my clear sense of discomfort..
“You have to do it even in the basement when no one is watching?”
“Why is no one watching? You are there, Luke, Ellen, and even Arnal..”
“That's right, but.”
“Even if no one was there, nothing would change. I am the leader of a mercenary group. I can't do something embarrassing.”
There were many things contained in Grania's dark brown eyes as she spoke like that. It was hard to describe, but if I had to explain it - well, it seemed like a prideful thing..
In Middle World, small-scale mercenaries were often equated with thieves or robbers. There was no way Grania didn't know that, but she seemed to have a sense of calling in her job..
When I first saw Grania, I wondered how she was able to act as the leader of the gang despite her small physique, which was about half of 160 cm (though she was rather tall for a woman in this world)..
At that time, I thought it was just based on Grania's excellent fighting skills..
But now I see that even if Grania's martial arts skills were poor, she would have been a leader..
After tying the end of the bandage and finishing it appropriately, I closed my mouth..
This world felt stranger than when I fell asleep in a bed filled with straw, than when I drank lukewarm, thick beer, or when I wore strange-looking pants..
The dinner that followed was quite satisfying..
Smoked pork, boiled crocodile eggs, oat pies, figs, and even beer mixed with water. It was quite a generous meal for a meal in a sewer..
It was thanks to two factors that we were able to eat such a generous meal..
The first thing was that the money received as a deposit was a considerable amount - as many as five gold coins - and the second thing was that the number of people increased and we were able to take care of quite a lot of supplies..
Anyway, thanks to that, I was satisfied with my stomach and was looking at the copy of the blueprint handed to me by the guard captain..
“ hey.”
“huh?”
When I looked up, Ellen, who was squatting nearby, was staring at me..
“what did you say?”
“what?”
“What did you talk about with the old maid?.”
•.•It's starting again.
I glanced around, but it seemed like no one had heard what he said..
This is because Ellen and I were reasonably separated from the rest..
That's why they were separated - Ellen sat separately because she didn't want to mix with other people. I was worried about that guy, so I sat down nearby..
I put the map down on my lap and brushed my bangs..
“Can't you just call me by my name? I really have to call them unpleasant names like grandpa or old maid.?”
“If you don't want to talk, say no, why bother??”
“•••Phew.”
Let's be patient. Because I don’t want to cause trouble by nagging you for no reason. Instead, if you go up to the ground, I will definitely, definitely punish you..
When I let out a sigh with mixed feelings, Ellen flinched for a moment and began to look at me out of the corner of her eye..
I'm sure I know what I did wrong.
That's what makes me even more upset. If you're going to get noticed after doing it, you don't have to do it in the first place.?
Swallowing the words welling up in my throat, I opened my mouth calmly..
“I just said thank you..”
“what?”
“The one that stepped up earlier, and the one that fought at the inn the day before yesterday..”
“Why am I thankful for that??”
Ellen had a puzzled expression on her face, as if she genuinely didn't know..
Ugh, I keep sighing..
“It was because of you both times..”
“Because of me?”
“okay. You got hurt trying to catch the slime running at you. The armor was also damaged. Is that it? Anton was seriously injured while fighting a group of bandits at the inn the other day. I could have run away, but I stayed when I found out you were on the second floor. Of course I should be thankful.”
Ellen sneered as if she couldn't understand what I said..
“Ha, I'm a wizard. I can organize the slime without any help..”
“Indeed. The guy who was running away trembling said these words.”
“Wow, you're shaking! It's just... I was just confused for a moment. If he attacked me too,”
“Yes, yes. Slime, what did you do?
Maybe. But what about the day before yesterday? If it wasn't for Rania, you would have died.?”
Ellen pursed her lips at my firm words. When I shrugged my shoulders as if teasing him, Ellen pursed her lips for a moment and then spoke..
“Well, why are you saying thank you for that? It's my job.”
“Because you would never say that. In the first place, you’ve never even had a proper conversation with Grania, have you?” “•••Of course, but.” The guy closed his mouth again and lowered his eyes. I was looking for something to say..
“Don't try to talk nonsense for no reason..”
“When do I,”
“Another ponytail. Thank you, right? just say that.”
Ellen didn't reply at all, but considering her usual words and actions, she must be accepting this..
“okay. If you appreciate something, say something nice on a regular basis. “Because I don’t want you to have a proper conversation with other people.” "huh? It's because I'm worried. If you keep acting like that, I'm afraid you'll get stabbed..”
When I gently admonished him, the guy who was squatting buried his face in his knees and muttered..
“Why did I suddenly get stabbed with a knife?.”
“That's what it means. Anyway, be careful now. In particular, what an old maid and an old man say is prohibited?” Ellen was silent for a moment with her eyes downcast..
“•••okay. I'll be careful.”
Finally, he said that and nodded slightly..
I somehow felt special and smiled without saying a word..
“Okay then… … How much time has passed?”
In response to my question, Ellen took out an object that looked like a transparent conch shell from her sling bag. It was a magic hourglass.
Well, the magic hourglass didn't really have a great effect. When mana was blown into it, sand flowed out in one direction no matter which direction it was turned..
Thanks to its simple but useful effect and its small size for portability, it is said that it is an item that everyone at La-Palais Palace has..
Ellen answered while looking at the scales engraved on the hourglass..
“Now - it's just been twelve hours.”
“It's twelve hours.”
It's ambiguous.
The sewer system of the ancient empire was a facility that had existed for a very long time..
Due to lack of proper maintenance over the years, the deeper you went, the more often the walls collapsed or water leaked..
The problem occurred here.
This is because the hidden staircase leading directly to the secret passage from the 4th floor of the sewer had already collapsed..
In the end, the only way to access the secret passage was to search through the naturally created crypt and find the way..
The good news was that if you only entered the crypt, you could use the blueprint to specify the direction of the secret passage..
then… First, you have to find the way to the crypt, and then find the way to the secret passage in the crypt. Ugh, what a pain in the ass..
After thinking for a moment, I looked back at my colleagues sitting around me and said,.
“Since the surrounding area has been roughly cleared, there is no other way than to find the crypt... The situation in the city is not very leisurely, so it would be better to hurry..”
good. Everyone seems to have no disagreement..
“Mr. Luke. He said he had once entered a crypt.?”
“That's right. To be precise, what went into it
No, it's missing..”
According to Mr. Luke, he headed to the sewer with some local people about two weeks ago..
After many twists and turns, Luke's group reached the 4th floor of the sewer, but the floor suddenly collapsed and they fell into a large cavity..
It is said that most of them drowned or were eaten by monsters, but thanks to some luck, Luke managed to escape and climb up..
“As I passed by earlier, I saw a pile of dirt piled up in the place where it had collapsed. I don't know why, but it would be dangerous to dig that hole again. Besides, falling into a cavity full of groundwater is not a very wise move..”
“That's right.”
When I nodded quietly, Arnal, who was fiddling with the feather of his arrow, shrugged his shoulders and said..
“In the end, is there no other way than to scratch the floor one by one??”
“•••I think so..”
Of course, the search on the 4th floor so far wasn't just about hunting down ratmen. I looked for holes that could lead underground, such as small gaps or cracks, but there was no significant result..
How to do it It seems foolish to search blindly, but is there really no way??
I had a meeting, but no useful opinions were obtained..
“Well, it can't be helped. Let's find a way down.”
“Not going up to the ground? We need to reorganize.”
When Ellen expressed her dissatisfaction, which bordered on grumbling, I gave her Tyler in a calm voice..
“I don't think I can afford that. Since we still have enough supplies, let's search with the intention of camping out for the day..”
Ellen pursed her lips for a moment, but she kept her mouth shut as everyone nodded calmly, as if they had made up their minds to this extent..
It's good that opinions were gathered without much conflict........
Hmm, somehow it seems like I'm going to have a hard time..
Comments