The air flowing inside the car was extremely bleak.
Echidna was originally a talkative person. Whenever they were together, she would often bring up serious or trivial topics. Edwin also used to ask her various questions.
But now, no one has spoken first.
Kim Yi-hyun also remained silent. It was not the right atmosphere for small talk, and he did not want to make a fuss. He still had doubts about my actions.
'No, it's okay. It's not something to overthink.'
I wish Echidna lived. That's the end of it.
The further question of 'why?' is useless here. It just felt awkward. It wasn't something that required much effort.
That's the only answer I can give.
The only background sounds were the engine noise and the occasional painful groans from the back seat. It didn't take long to reach the sandstorm zone.
Only then did Edwin open his mouth.
"There was no attack in the end."
"Should I consider this luck?"
"well."
After a moment of reflection, he continues.
"I also think that he let me go on purpose."
"on purpose?"
"Because the numbers won't match."
Although the beginning and the end were omitted, there was no problem in understanding it. Kim Yi-hyeon was inwardly impressed. Putting aside his speaking skills, Edwin's insight was sharp.
In short, it means this.
Edwin defeated three sergeants on his own. Three of his comrades were killed, and more men were needed.
Since he is not after money or something special, the benefits he gets from the risk are minimal. If he keeps stirring up the country, then it is understandable, but if he says he will go out on his own, there is no need to follow him.
It's tolerable even if my pride is slightly hurt.
Because we have already reaped an overflowing harvest.
The guys got their hands on a large quantity of food.
"I see."
The vassal was already satisfied.
I felt a disgusting feeling that was hard to describe, but as soon as I thought that my safety was secured, I started to feel a petty desire.
"Edwin, can you do some light work?"
Lactnides.
It seemed like there would be no problem digging up any materials lying around nearby.
Of course, it was not possible to invest a long time. They did not even have proper mining tools. They had to rely on Edwin's strength. It was a very inefficient task.
I had to be content with a small harvest. But it was better than being empty-handed. I promised Tamtam that I would bring something back.
'That's all for now.'
Following the adage that excessive greed ruins the body, I got back in the car.
Booooooo!
Kim Yi-hyeon stepped on the accelerator without looking back. The car entered the sandstorm zone. The vision was blocked, and the sense of speed and distance became vague.
The wind howls. A sound like the screams of a ghost knocks on the window. Silhouettes of unclear shapes dance. It was an experience that was hard to get used to after only two times.
And the gaze.
I couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching me.
'What on earth is this place?'
This is something that isn't even revealed in the game.
The most likely hypothesis is that it is some kind of disaster. Something similar to a harbinger of a disaster that will strike this place in the future. On the other hand, there is also a theory that it is bait that was spread to be used in an event at some point.
I couldn't tell until the end which one was the correct answer. After all, I was stuck in Polaris, not a player or a bystander.
'What good will it do if I worry about it?'
It is a land you will never visit again.
* * *
The way back was comfortable.
As we moved away from Naraka, we began to see monsters here and there, but they were just monsters. Most of them could be avoided and passed on, and if not, they could be passed on to Edwin.
Echidna was still a quiet woman.
However, I did eat the food that was handed to me. I threw it all up as soon as I swallowed a bite. At least I had the presence of mind to say "yes" when asked if I was okay.
After a long yet short journey, we passed through the Kavarati checkpoint. The attitude of the citizens who welcomed the three who returned from Naraka was very subtle.
"What happened there?"
"As you can see, the rest are all dead."
"Ugh…! It's a curse after all…."
The curse will be terrible.
I thought to myself as I watched the temporary mayor sweating profusely. However, it seemed that he was very persuasive to the citizens. His eyes, which had been irritated, were now filled with wariness.
It is an environment where it is easy to believe in superstitions. Even if you understand it rationally, as a human being, you cannot help but feel crooked.
However, there were some among them who knew grace.
"Tongue, bro! Look, I told you. You'll be okay!"
"Be quiet, Assam."
Manoj brought the weeping twins. He looked at the three of them one by one, then a miserable expression appeared. Soon, a somewhat forced smile appeared on his face.
"I don't know if it's okay to say this, but… I'm glad that at least the three of you are safe. I was worried about the kids. People around me kept babbling about curses and other nonsense."
"If that's the case, I'm sorry."
"No, you should go inside and rest for a while. Come to my house. Even though it's shabby, I'll try to make you feel comfortable."
The building that was being used before seemed to have been taken over by someone a while ago. It wasn't me. I don't plan on staying in Kabarati for long anyway. I'm planning to take a break and finish up some work that I've been putting off.
I followed Manoj, leaving his cold gaze behind me.
'I wonder how long this place will last.'
A city without guns or soldiers.
It was a dangerous neighborhood for twins to grow up in.
* * *
It was the next day.
"Graveyard? Mithril's?"
"Just tell me where it is buried."
Around noon, as I was taking a break, Edwin suddenly brought up the topic of Mithril. It was a remark that gave me much to think about.
Like Edwin's treatment.
"Hmm. Did I misunderstand? I thought you accepted the offer."
"…I'm afraid I might get shot in the middle of the night, so I'll clear up any misunderstandings."
He shrugged his shoulders slightly and sighed.
"I'm not trying to dig up the body. I'm just an old acquaintance."
"Oh, is that so? I guess we were surprisingly close?"
"That wasn't the case. Our personalities just didn't match."
Mithril… Raphael had found Edwin frustrating. Edwin, in turn, had found Raphael's cruel nature uncomfortable. The two were naturally difficult to get along with.
"I get what you're saying, but hmm."
"It's okay if you monitor me."
"No, that's not the problem."
Kim Yi-hyeon scratched his cheek awkwardly.
"No, there's nothing like that."
"예?"
"There isn't one. What kind of cemetery is this?"
The Ramaz, including Mithril, were purely enemies. There was no reason to treat an enemy with such courtesy. When Nuova Era first took over the city, the smoke from the crematorium never stopped.
"Anyway, that's what happened."
"…When did this happen?"
"Is it time?"
"Was it before I came to the city?"
Kim Yi-hyeon didn't answer. It wasn't because he had completely forgotten. He remembered it clearly, as Edwin arrived the day after Mithril's body was cremated.
So in a word.
"It was a lie that he said he would hand over the body."
"Is that how it is…?"
"Wow, you have a great personality."
"But it was effective."
Edwin's face turned sour as if he had chewed shit. I could clearly read his thoughts, 'Have you ever seen such a shitty person?' It was the moment when I realized that my brain was developing in a negative direction.
"Ha, that's okay. It's not something you should be obsessed with."
"Then that's good."
"...And I just remembered it later."
"What now?"
I wondered what kind of reprimand he was going to give me this time, but Edwin's mood was quite serious. After waiting for a moment, an unexpected story came out of his mouth.
"Have you ever seen a woman named Lazuli?"
Lazuli.
I know who he is. One of the Godmother's 'children'. Unlike Mithril or Edwin, he is a character who fanatically follows the Godmother. In the game, he appeared as a mid-boss in one of the main episodes.
'He was more of a nuisance than a strong one. But why?'
Where does that name come from?
"How would you know if I told you just the name? What are its characteristics?"
"Height: around 165cm, white skin, purple hair, blue eyes. Do you need more?"
"That's fine. I've never seen it before."
"I see."
It's difficult for the conversation to end like this. Let's see what their reaction is.
"Who are you?"
"He's a friend similar to Raphael and I. As you know, there was a time when Raphael was in Atlanta. At that time, Lazuli visited Atlanta at Raphael's request and then lost contact."
"Are you saying that you dragged him in and killed him? Why?"
"That would be true if I hadn't stuck to Raphael."
"Huh," I let out a breath of air.
I don't understand. Lazuli was killed without anyone knowing. Of course, I know that the message doesn't appear unless you see it with your own eyes. It was the same with Mantra.
The point is why Mithril killed Lazuli.
It doesn't seem plausible that this is a simple feud.
'No, no way.'
A plausible hypothesis was soon formulated.
Almost at the same time, Edwin seemed to have remembered something as well. But he seemed reluctant to say anything, so he decided to set the stage first.
"There is information from Basteterra."
It was almost invincible under the pretext of being comfortable.
"I heard that the Legion is conducting research to extract the 'factor' of spellcasters. It seems like they've achieved some results. Did the woman named Lazuli possess spells?"
"...yes."
The voice that answered briefly was extremely ominous.
It wasn't a big deal. It was an incredibly inhumane act. If someone I knew lost their life like that, I would be angry.
On the one hand, Kim Lee-Hyeon's accident discovered some possibilities.
'There was no soldier who used Lazuli's spell.'
This means that the argument may remain unused.
* * *
The building that served as Ramaz's headquarters was blown up, but there was still hope.
He had to think about Mithril's situation at the time. The mantra he cherished the most had died early. The number of subordinates he had had from the beginning would have decreased considerably during the process of getting to Kavarati.
Above all, the personality of Mithril that came out of the game and was felt in reality. He is the type that thoroughly controls his subordinates.
What do they mean?
'I didn't have many trustworthy subordinates, and I didn't really trust people in the first place.'
Even though they are subordinates, most of them are guys whose intentions are unknown. It is unlikely that Mithril would have kept important items close to them. It is more likely that she kept them personally.
The guess was correct.
A house used privately by Mithril. I had investigated it once before, but there was a hidden space that I had not discovered. When I tore off the tiles on the floor, a small basement was revealed.
Inside the basement, Kim Yi-hyeon grabbed an object from between the cobweb-covered shelves.
"This is real."
It was a glass ampoule filled with purple liquid. There was no room for confusion. The label on the bottle was clearly written with the name Lazuli.
There were small grains floating in the solution. Now that I knew what the solution was, I couldn't just ignore it. A human life had been turned into a drug that was less than 200 mL.
Edwin clenched his fist.
"Raphael..."
She and Lazuli were on good terms. He was her godmother's loyal hunting dog, and she was her godmother's follower who trusted and followed her more than anyone else.
Although there were frequent clashes of opinions, our relationship was one where we could be called friends.
Of course, Lazuli was clearly the worst of the worst. She killed people without hesitation just because it was her godmother's order. If she had been killed by an enemy, she would have mourned, but not been angry.
But this is not it. The fingernails dug into the palms and drew blood.
Kim Yi-hyeon, who was watching Edwin's profile, nodded his head inwardly. Although it was unintentional, it seemed to have acted as a wedge.
'I think I've completely gotten over it by now.'
It was safe to say that there was no longer any concern that Edwin would become a double spy for the Legion.
It was a development that had never been seen in a game, but you have to test the stone bridge before crossing it. This is even more true now that the scenario has changed.
But that was only a side income.
'Thank you, Mithril.'
Even though it is the culmination of inhumane research, it is something that cannot be thrown away. In that case, it would be much better to give it to an agent who will make good use of it.
'There's really no need to take care of it like this.'
Not only did Edwin join me early, but I also got my hands on Lazuli's spells. I came here to gain experience and get a nice weapon, but what luck.
I thanked him again in my heart.
'It's the best, Mithril!'
Now all that's left is to go back.