Chapter 170 – Pile of Ashes (2)

As I walked up the stairs holding Nova, old memories came flooding back.
Five hellish years spent in the demon world.
As a child, I fought against corpses and non-corpse objects, dirty blood, and terrible demonic energy every day.
If my colleagues weren’t by my side, I wouldn’t have been able to survive on my own.
I think it’s because we depended on each other and learned and taught so many things that I developed the gentle personality and intellectual side I have today.
Hmm, it’s a credible hypothesis.
That theory would have been perfect if Ansen hadn’t been a doppelganger.

“Lewis, what are you thinking?”
“Huh? Nothing.”

Anyway, that’s why it’s only natural for me to help Nova move now.
He was also bothered by the tickling feeling of her breath on his neck, or the way her skirt was rolled up to expose her white thighs.
It’s all a happy thing and something that makes my heart beat.
No, is that really true?

“That’s right.”

I guess that’s right.
Because Nova doesn’t know anything, she sometimes peered into my mind like this.
She was very worried, saying my thoughts were too simple when looking at women.
She said that if someone pushes her like she likes and treats her just a little warmly, she will quickly become addicted to that happiness.

There was a deep pity in his eyes when he said that, so I didn’t like it very much.
What she hated even more was Terra’s repeated requests to call her sister.
I refused that until the end.

“Okay, everyone’s here.”

After dropping her off at her doorstep on the second floor, I paused for a moment.
Caroline was across from us, and Liv and Adella were downstairs, so this was the only place they could be alone.
Nova naturally lifted her tiptoes and kissed my cheek.

“Return courtesy.”

Well, wouldn’t it be better not to do this anymore?
It’s a little embarrassing.

“Not good.”

Then there is nothing I can do.

“Then I’ll go down and see. If Caroline is up, I’ll tell her to smoke in moderation in her room and I’ll leave some food for her, so you can figure it out if you’re hungry at night…”
“Louis.”
“Huh?”

Nova said to me as I was about to go back to the first floor.
It was the first question exchanged between us, who had never talked about our past before.

“Did you keep your oath?”
“…”

I quietly closed my eyes.
My heart was tightening violently.
It may be because of Katreya’s unique magic.
After all, I wasn’t drinking that blood.
I still have a cough.

“Thank you.”

She nodded her head without hearing his answer.
He buried his face in her chest and rested his forehead against her heart.
I don’t blame my colleagues at all.
They did their best.

He risked his life to fight to defeat the devil and bring light to the world.
And to this very moment, we are still fighting.

The proud white knight, Wivlett Varenkov.
Eris Prashuhra, the saint of the poor.
The current issue is Grand Mage Terra Ernesten.
New Moon Shaman Nova Latte.

“Sorry.”

Lewis Brunhart, Hero of Sacrifice.

Five years of hell.
10 years of holding my breath.
What if we can end this war only if we sacrifice something more?
I am willing to give what I have left.

***

Next day.

The first thing I did when I entered the basement today was to check the operation of the vent connected to the outside.
Next, the diluted caustic solution was poured onto the basement floor, being careful not to touch the headstone.
Cheeeeek! It was a few minutes before the sound and smoke rose.
When I lightly struck the surrounding area with the reinforced pickaxe, small pieces of stone fell out.

“As expected, it goes well.”

I continued to work with the pickaxe, carefully melting the floor.
My expectations grew that if things continued like this, I would be able to dig it up soon.
But the joy was short-lived when Adela came into the basement and called me from behind.
She was with a flock of ducks waddling around with a large box on her head.

“Teacher teacher.”
“Huh? Why did you come?”
“To restock supplies.”

It is truly extraordinary.
No matter how much Adella was, it seemed like she could now at least run the store.

“Okay, if it breaks, be careful not to miss it.”
“Yes~. But, teacher.”
“Why?”
“I read in a book that you should reward employees who work hard.”

There was something ominous about her as she approached me with a sigh.
It may be something I didn’t know because I’m not exactly familiar with the kingdom’s archaic legal code or labor laws.
However, the grammatically incorrect expression [‘Adela’ reads a book’] Is also said to be usually a reward rather than a reward?

It was really hard to believe, but I, who couldn’t get out of her strangely wriggling hair, ended up accepting the reward.

“Chueup…”

As we kissed in a corner of her basement, she hugged me, not even caring about the dust on her face.
It felt good to have the cool breeze cool my sweat.
This is why I have no choice but to live with Adela by my side in the summer.
It seems that rewards are not all bad.

“Hehe, I’ll come again next time.”

After sticking around for a long time, she suddenly left.
Just as she was about to leave her doubts behind and reveal the work again, this time Liv came in.

“President.”
“Yes, what’s going on at the canteen?”
“No, I just came to take a short break.”

Liv, who said she had come to rest, came next to me while I was working and exhaled.

“It’s chilly here.”
“There is no heating in the basement. But it’s okay because it gets hot during construction.”
“I’m cold.”
“…”

Should I rip off at least one of the blankets for sale on the shelf and hand them over?
We can provide enough.
When I think about it, maybe I haven’t paid too much attention to welfare until now.
Just as part-time workers at a cafe can drink as much coffee as they want, since it is a cafeteria, they can provide some school supplies and magic tools.

“Then at least this…”
“In the North.”

However, Liv suddenly approached me and told me something out of the blue.

“If there are men and women who are cold in the same space, there is a custom of hugging each other.”
“I’ve never heard of such a custom.”
“It’s because the boss doesn’t know. “I’m from the North.”

If you think about it, it’s true.
Liv says she lives in the Greenwood Forest, where she took refuge when she was young.
Adela, who was from the North Sea, seems to have a lot of unique traditions in the area above her.
When I hesitantly extended my hand to her, she pretended not to be able to resist and came closer and leaned against me.

“Umm…”

For some reason, I feel a little uncomfortable with the two people’s actions today.
Just like old colleagues…

“President? “What are you thinking?”
“Yes? Nothing…”
“Do you want to touch your stomach?”
“No, it’s okay…”
“Quickly.”

However, her doubts, which had bloomed briefly, were immediately suppressed by Liv’s wanton behavior and sank into the abyss.

“It’s late, but starting now…”
“Yes?”
“No. The smaller warehouse has run out of contraceptives, so I’ll stock up on new ones. “I just need to contact an alchemist named Kano Lerigier, right?”

Mutterings without meaning and expressions of affection increased significantly.
In the end, I couldn’t finish the work properly because I had to periodically accept strange requests from two people.

***

“Lewis, will you be okay for a moment?”

Bill came to visit.
About half of the shield was exposed, and the basement was bright even without the lights on, so I had to wear sunglasses while working.

“This is important work related to the western forests.”
“Western Forest?”

Come to think of it, it’s time to set fire to the forest again this year.
The search for remains begins in the ashes of the forest.
This may be why Darling was particularly sensitive during Kano’s trial.
This is the most difficult time for her, who is responsible for the academy’s academics, operation of the upper level, and management of the estate.

“Say it.”
“Hmm, that’s…”

Bill looked around me and said, very troubled.

“Can we talk alone?”
“Ah.”

Only then did I shake off the ice duck that I had placed on her lap, Adela who had her arm around me on the left, Liv’s stomach that she was touching with her right hand, and Nova who was arbitrarily doing my hair behind me and stood up.

We went to the small vacant lot behind the cafeteria, which had become the dragon’s sleeping quarters.
While I was looking around to see if everything was neatly organized, I saw the slightly broken front door of the cafe.
The young dragon was said to be very curious about humans, so it seems he was bored and pierced them with his claws.
I’ll have to instill some manners again soon.

“You look good.”
“Me? My spine is shaking these days. “It’s the end of the year and there’s no business, but do you know what happens if food costs triple?”
“I was like that too when I was young. When I worked in social circles, noble ladies would secretly send me messages. In particular, the wife of the Canope family had a very fair complexion.”
“I’m not curious at all. “What’s going on?”
“Look at this.”

I took the photo Bill had handed me and looked at it.
It was hard to tell what was being filmed because it was full of black shimmer, but after listening to his explanation, she understood.

“This photo was taken in the western forest seven years ago.”
“…”
“It seems that the head of the family has no intention of stopping the search immediately because of this one photo, but he is also not the kind of person who will just ignore it.”

I stared at the photo he handed me.
The winter seven years ago when this photo was taken was the day Parencia almost disappeared from the kingdom.
It was a day when terrified city people flocked to this vacant lot where the academy is now built.
It was also the day I asked Bill, who was among them, if he could drive the carriage.

It was when I, barely free from corpses, non-corpse objects, and dirty blood, witnessed the same scene again.
It was a cold season in which Darling never met his father again, who collapsed without being able to pull the flaming arrow.

“What do you want to do?”

The old butler’s eyes full of regret stared at me.
That day when even the watchtower guards ran for their lives.
He must have seen it as he evacuated his master and waited for me at the entrance of the village.
The sight of black flames rising from the forest I entered, burning all the monsters there.
Every year since then, Darling has been repeating the same thing in the forest.

“Could you make an appointment to meet Darling?”
“I will prepare right away.”

Bill bowed politely and answered.
As I was seeing him off on the carriage, I was about to continue taking out my shield.

“… This.”

As I watched the sun set, I frowned at the hot air that seeped in between the familiar smell of coal and the cold wind.
Black smoke hung low like stratus clouds, and the loud sound of a bell ringing near the west gate broke the silence of the late evening.

“It’s already started.”

The western forest was on fire.