[Chapter 170]
[Falling Wings (3)]
Somehow I ended up taking on the role of facing Caesar Hopper.
Eun-ha sighed inwardly.
I was planning to face the Great Toad Chief, but there's no one else so it can't be helped.
That crazy squid went on dispatch to Gangwon-do at a time like this...
Though it probably wasn't Kang Hyeon-cheol's intention.
Eun-ha chewed out Kang Hyeon-cheol's name who wasn't present.
Anyway, the last remaining army commander was the Samgakji Great Toad Chief.
"Though it's Level 4, having not one but two army commanders is no easy matter. Mo Ra-yul... no, Pandora Clan Sub-lord Jung Ha-yang. Yes, I think it's better to receive the report on southern Gangbuk from you."
Baek Seo-jin stroked his chin.
Jung Ha-yang, whose name was called, soon organized her thoughts and opened her mouth.
"Currently, we unexpectedly obtained antibodies and are in the process of creating healing magic that can counter the Great Toad Chief's poison. If there are no problems with the schedule, it seems we can make it by evening."
"That's fortunate news. So what do you think is best for the south? I'll follow your opinion."
""""...!!""""
It was a tone imbued with trust.
The Clan Lords showed surprised expressions.
Jung Ha-yang paused for a moment too.
She hadn't expected to hear such words from Baek Seo-jin either.
It was the same for Eun-ha.
Will you leave the south to us? That's not bad.
As if saying it's okay.
Eun-ha held her hand under the table.
She firmly grasped his hand and only then could find composure.
"We Pandora Clan will take care of subjugating the army commanders. Though we were unexpectedly ambushed last night, we still definitely had the upper hand."
"I'm not sure if that's reckless or not. Does that mean you don't need personnel dispatched from other clans to take down the army commander? I think it would be better to think it over carefully."
Baek Seo-jin's eyes narrowed.
Though he seemed to be gently admonishing.
His expression, unlike before, was gradually sinking.
Though he tried to follow Pandora Clan's words, it didn't sound reliable.
Nevertheless, Jung Ha-yang─
"─Yes, we don't need support to take down the army commanders. So we'll handle the two Great Toad Chiefs on our side." "You'll have to take responsibility for those words."
"We can take responsibility."
"Hmm..."
"However─"
We can take responsibility.
Perhaps an arrogant statement.
Jung Ha-yang, who spoke confidently, trailed off.
Soon she moved her head and turned her gaze to Hwang San-gun with a bandage wrapped around his wrist.
She smiled brightly.
"─Though we can take down the army commander, we might lack troops to defend the south. So I request the KK Clan Lord here."
"...What request?" "I would be grateful if you could dispatch personnel from Mapo-gu. And could you dispatch two or more of the Seven Tigers?"
KK Clan Lord Hwang San-gun.
He made a blank expression.
Hwang San-gun, with clear signs of displeasure, opened his mouth.
"Two is too many. We're also in a situation where we lack personnel, so I'll dispatch one person."
"Isn't there any way?"
"It's not possible."
I'll give one, not two.
Hwang San-gun flatly refused.
Jung Ha-yang made a troubled expression.
Right then, Baek Seo-jin intervened.
"─Three."
"What? Acting Minister, what do you..."
""""...."""
"Not two but three, then you can defend the south excellently, right?"
"...Yes. We'll do that." "Acting Minister...!"
"Well, Hwang San-gun. Do you have something to say to me?"
"...! ...No. I'll follow the Acting Minister's decision."
Hwang San-gun who suddenly raised his voice.
Baek Seo-jin showed a cold smile.
Hwang San-gun, who had no proper achievements for two days, could only shrink.
"Then let's end today's meeting with this."
☆
The meeting ended.
Everyone stood up.
Those who agreed to face Ye-gyeong and Caesar Hopper decided to gather at the assembly point by evening.
I should go back to Itaewon for now and prepare what I need to.
I came in a hurry.
As a result, my equipment was poor.
There wasn't much potion left in the holster after fighting yesterday.
Eun-ha decided to return to Itaewon with Jung Ha-yang and replenish lacking equipment.
"Isn't there anyone you want to bring?"
"Since I'll be making a party with Players dispatched from each clan, I don't think there's anyone in particular I need to bring..."
Jung Ha-yang packed his luggage.
Eun-ha checked the potions again and looked over the clan members working around Itaewon.
Then he spotted pink hair.
"Isn't one telepathist enough? You should bring someone who can contact you. That way I can feel at ease." "Then should I send Pa-rang oppa?"
"You'll be facing the Great Toad Chiefs, so you can't bring capable talent. I'll take Ariel, who's playing hopscotch with the kids now. She's enough."
Eun-ha pointed at Ariel.
Jung Ha-yang seemed worried about Eun-ha and persistently suggested bringing Jin Pa-rang who could fight.
"Stop playing and come work with me."
"Ah! Noh Eun-ha! What are you doing? Do I look like I'm idly playing around!?"
"You're just idly playing around."
Eun-ha rejected her goodwill.
Ariel alone was enough.
He placed his hand on Ariel's head who was playing with children.
Whether Ariel struggled or not.
Eun-ha grabbed her wrist and boarded a supply truck that happened to be going to deliver supplies to Jongno-gu.
"But where are we going?" "To work at the Mana Management Organization." "Tch, I thought we were going on a picnic." "What picnic in this situation."
The supply truck wasn't going straight to Jongno-gu.
It was going through several points in Jung-gu before finally heading to Jongno-gu.
─They're supplying here too?
As a result, Eun-ha helped unload supplies from the truck with Ariel.
Like that, the truck arrived in front of Myeongdong Cathedral, one of the supply points in Jung-gu.
It was where Mana Church was located.
☆
People entrusted themselves to Mana Church.
People frightened by news of monsters invading flocked to rely on god.
Among them were many injured.
"Oh, Riya. It seems you'll have to go out and take care of people. I hear there are many who were attacked by monsters on their way here." "Yes, I'll go. High Priest, please take care of those who aren't injured."
Riya moved busily.
While the High Priest and Vice High Priest struggled to control people.
She ran an emergency clinic and treated people.
There are too many people. Over 30 people flocked in this morning alone...
It had been like this since monsters invaded Gangbuk.
Riya had to work up a sweat treating people alone.
She was the only one who could use healing magic in Mana Church.
At the very least, she tried to leave people who didn't really need healing magic and could be healed just by applying medicine to Mana Church believers.
But the injured said─
"─I can't trust other people! Please heal me, Holy Maiden!"
"In this situation, if germs get into the wound it will get worse! Please heal me right away with healing magic, Holy Maiden!"
"I came before that person, why do I have to receive treatment from someone else instead of the Holy Maiden?"
"..."
There were injured with good personalities, but there were also injured with bad personalities.
At that time, Riya wanted to ask Mana God why he made them so selfish.
Anyway, she had to work without even eating properly.
Last night, hopper-type monsters had turned Jung-gu into a wasteland.
And there wasn't much to eat because they had to distribute food to believers and people entrusting themselves to Mana Church.
Right then─
"─Supplies! A truck is coming!"
"What!? Where, where!?"
Someone shouted from outside.
Riya, who was in the middle of treating people, doubted her ears hearing news that supplies had arrived.
I heard supplies had run out? Where on earth did they come from?
While focusing on treating people.
Riya listened to the voices of people who had gone outside.
From what she heard, it seemed business groups had supported supplies from Gangnam through Dongjak Bridge.
Even she, who didn't think favorably of business groups, felt grateful to them.
We were already short on bandages and medicine, it would be good if we can receive medical supplies too.
Riya felt relieved.
Meanwhile, news came that the truck was unloading supplies in front of the cathedral.
By then, even those in the emergency clinic left one by one to receive supplies.
"Phew..."
She could finally breathe easier.
She had used up too much mana too.
She decided to stop treatment and take a short break.
"Riya, you rest for a bit. I'll take care of these people."
"Ah, thank you, Vice High Priest."
"I set aside your share of supplies, so get them from the High Priest later. Don't let yourself have nothing to eat again by giving it all to other people like yesterday." "Yes, I will."
The Vice High Priest came to find her.
Riya smiled softly at him who was worried about her.
"Then Vice High Priest. I'll go get some fresh air."
"Go ahead."
After getting permission from the Vice High Priest.
Riya headed to the back garden.
She felt like she would be caught by people if she went out the main entrance.
She wanted to soothe her mind by strolling through the relatively quiet back garden while people went to receive supplies.
"Ah, it's refreshing. I feel alive."
The wind blew.
There shouldn't be people around either.
Riya took off her hat.
The sweat beaded on her forehead quickly evaporated in the wind.
She who had been wearing a hat all along due to people's gazes felt liberated like that.
I'm hungry.
When was the last time I ate?
Then her stomach growled.
She stroked her stomach.
She hadn't even eaten lunch.
She had only drunk water occasionally while using healing magic.
No wonder she was hungry.
"Once the truck leaves, I'll have to treat people again... Now is the only time I can eat."
Riya decided to turn back.
She decided to go find the High Priest and receive her allocated supplies.
She craved something sweet.
It would be nice if there was chocolate or something among the supplies.
As she hoped for that and was about to return─
"─There are few people here."
"Oh, that's right! There's a bench over there!"
"...!"
She sensed presences.
Riya hurriedly put on her hat.
Then she decided to calmly pass by them and go meet the High Priest.
☆
Many people flocked in front of Myeongdong Cathedral.
Eun-ha frowned seeing people begging for food.
"Wow... there are a lot of people here?"
"Monsters rushed into Gangbuk so everyone panicked and fled here. Let's just get some fresh air."
"Okay! Okay!"
Eun-ha didn't want to get involved with Mana Church people if possible.
So he took Ariel and looked for a place without many people.
"Do you want to eat a Choco Pie or a Mon Cher?"
"Mon Cher."
Ariel followed hugging a snack box to her chest.
She who had already eaten several snacks while riding the truck still didn't seem full.
She took a bite of a snack.
Then she opened a wrapper and handed one to Eun-ha too.
It's quiet in the back.
We should kill time here.
Behind Myeongdong Cathedral.
The back was quiet since people went to receive supplies.
Eun-ha found a nearby chair and plopped down.
"Nom. Mm, delicious!"
"Aren't you full?"
"My stomach is infinite!?"
Ariel sat down next to him munching on snacks too.
The two were going to just eat snacks and pass time like that.
Right then─
"─You are..."
As they were absentmindedly passing time.
A voice came from behind.
The two turned around.
I didn't expect to meet again...
She had appeared.
Eun-ha frowned.
Strangely, she was also frowning looking at Eun-ha.
"What brings you here?"
"Delivering supplies."
"Ah... I see. Thank you."
She asked in an unsatisfied tone, and Eun-ha answered curtly.
Soon her face relaxed.
She seemed worried he might blaspheme god again.
"Then rest comfortably. I have something to do so I'll be going..."
However, Riya seemed uncomfortable with Eun-ha.
She quickly turned her body and tried to leave.
Right then─
"─Wow! Unni, your eyes are really pretty!"
"What?"
Ariel who handed the snack box to Eun-ha and jumped up from the chair.
Ariel ran over to her and blocked her path.
"W-What is it?" "No, your eyes are pretty!"
Ariel's reaction without sense of distance.
Riya was startled by her behavior of approaching closely from their first meeting and stepped back.
Ariel strode forward.
"But hmm... something's strange? Ah, unni, your hat seems crooked. I'll fix it for you!"
"What?"
Ariel looked up at her.
Soon Ariel stood on tiptoe and reached out to her.
"─Wait."
"...Huh? W-What are you doing!?"
"Wow... you're much prettier without the hat! You're so pretty!"
Ariel who suddenly took off her hat.
Riya who hadn't expected her to take off the hat screamed in surprise.
"Hey, what are you doing?"
"Ah, I'm sorry! Suddenly the hat... huh? Oh?"
At Riya's sudden scream.
Ariel realized her mistake and tried to apologize to her.
Eun-ha finally got up from his seat and approached to scold her.
But─
"─Unni was an Ain too?"
"I'm not an Ain!"
Riya's face hidden under the hat was clearly revealed.
Suddenly her ears began to change to long and pointed.
She hurriedly covered her two ears, but it was already too late.
Eun-ha was at a loss for words.
"...You were an Ain?"
"I said I'm not an Ain! I just turned out like this due to mana's influence when I was born!?"
"Your ears are cute! Can I touch them? I'll let you touch my ears in return!"
"I don't need that!?"
Riya shouted loudly unlike her usual image.