Chapter 383 – Life Debt

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“Now, take a quick drink. The correct way to drink Ifrit with Undine is, but surprisingly, it can be weakened with Dragon Belly.”

Unable to overcome her urging her to sit down, Cleon and Lubera sit back in their seats with her gritty expressions.

The intense aroma of alcohol that is poured in front of you and transmitted the moment you open the lid is strong enough to drink—

The liquor named after the hometown, which is no different from water, is being mixed.

As he watches the mixing while creating a whirlpool, Cleon naturally recalls what happened earlier when Rubera drank Ifrit.

And, two cups are placed in front of each of Cleon and Rubera.

“Come on. Drink. This is what I’m buying.”

“…”

If Cleon is unable to reach out her hand her first, Rubera tries to offer her hand her first.

“Now- wait a minute.”

And, when Cleon grabs her arm as if to stop Ruba, she says Ruba.

“Cleon has to participate in the Victory Day march tomorrow, so you’d better not drink it. I’ll have this drink for you.”

‘I think that’s more of a problem now…’

When Cleon, hearing Rubera’s words her, reluctantly let go of her arm her, she took the cup she had lifted to her mouth her-

Pass through the neck

“Kuu…!”

And, as intense as before—the sensation of liquid running down her throat, hot as if it had been touched by fire, she almost dropped her glass.

Get through it somehow, thump it. He put it on the table and looked at Ray with a ‘Did you see?’ Expression while wiping the corner of her mouth her.

“As far as I know, Ruba doesn’t seem to have been that strong with alcohol… It’s amazing. She’s a girl with guts after all.”

“…Huh, sounds…”

Looking at Lubera, her face already blushing, Cleon says ‘Ah’and looks worried.

“…Can I call a friend for a minute?”

“Of course.”

When Cleon said so, Rubera put her hand on the barisada that was leaning next to her so that she could sit down.

“It’s Barisah.”

Then, Barisada’s body glows and transforms into a human form, and naturally, Cleon’s hand falls and a young girl who looks just like Ruba appears.

“Wow, Rubera. Did you drink this again…?”

“Ah. I happened to… Take care of her. Ferdia is at the counter outside her.”

“Okay, I get it.”

Saying so, Barisada skillfully carries Rubera on her shoulder her and steps out of the curtain.

Ray talks while looking at her back her.

“Is it a magic sword…”

“You don’t have it?”

It wouldn’t be strange to have a demonic sword if someone from the Dark Demon family were as strong as you.

When Cleon asked a question with that thought in mind, Ray shut her mouth for a moment, then she answered with her wry smile.

“Ah. It’s broken. During the battle with the demonic sword emperor.”

“…Is it.”

It must have been from Pandora.

Even if her power her is compared to ordinary magic swords, she is a demonic sword that exerts particularly strong power for ‘destruction’.

Until now, Galatea was the only demonic sword that could receive Pandora’s power from the front and be safe.

“What is the story you want to tell as a member of your own people?”

“Don’t be so vigilant. Previously, we had no choice but to stare at each other for ‘work reasons’… But now, it’s because this sister is lamenting the world.”

Somehow, Cleon quietly shut her mouth, thinking that it would be more troublesome if she just listened.

Then, if you meet her eyes with Ray for a while, with silence, Ray also drinks a glass of Ifrit and Dragon Veil mixed with him.

“As expected, you resemble that guy.”

“Can I go back?”

As soon as he heard Ray’s first words, Cleon was filled with thoughts of getting up from her seat.

But wait, wait, Ray, calm down. And she prevents Cleon from getting up.

“It’s a story about what happened. Especially, the ‘eyes’ are the same.”

“Either way, I’m not happy. It’s like I’m wearing the eyes of a criminal.”

Hearing Cleon’s answer, Ray laughs and taps his own knee while laughing.

“Ah. Certainly. …He was the worst man ever, in that he would stop at any cost for an end. But don’t worry. Cleon. You and him are different people. Having seen both of them, I’ I’ll prove it.”

Ray says yes, and she leans back on the sofa and looks at Cleon.

“Ten years after defeating the Demonic Sword Emperor. In the royal capital, which was unable to avoid the damage of the war, rebuild Adamant and cooperate with the royal family to deal with the remnants of the empire remaining in the country and the black guys who betrayed the kingdom. I had a busy time. It was my own atonement for being a pawn of the Empire and making a victim, even for a moment.”

Continuing the story from earlier, Cleon listened quietly to her conversation and took her glass of her.

“After he died, the imprint he engraved on me lost its power. It’s a matter of course. But while I was busy working like that. After 10 years, this imprint reappeared. It’s only for a moment.”

As she says, she rubs the lower part of her own neck her.

“…I made various hypotheses there. The Demon Sword Emperor was actually alive. Or- The Demon Sword Emperor died, but a new Demon Sword Emperor appeared. …It was such a monster, so it wouldn’t be strange which one was true. But after Lesia killed him, I even checked the body. So, the demonic sword emperor Cain is dead. This is the conclusion I came to.”

“That’s where I noticed the existence of the country.”

When Cleon muttered as if he could roughly predict what he said after that, she smiled.

“Yes, that’s right. I knew that there was a village in the valley of the dragon that the black horse clan, who were citizens of the empire, had gone into hiding after the war. When I sent someone to investigate, the poor who were barely surviving by trading with the merchants of the kingdom It was a village where the children couldn’t grow up freely and the adults all had a great darkness in their hearts. To be reluctant to do something… It could have been unavoidable , but…”

Ray speaks with a look of regret somewhere.

“But I didn’t see you in person at that time. The inscription glowed for a while, but you weren’t the owner. It must have been a response to a similar soul. After that, I visited the village several times and watched the situation. Maybe If a new demonic sword emperor appears and tries to raise something with the dark demon clan-“

“…Because I had to cut my throat then.”

At Cleon’s words her, Ray nodded her head.

Her her and her her clan of dark demons are like walking time bombs.

Even more so if it was a magic swordsman.

This fact was acknowledged by Cleon himself, and rather, Cleon and Lubera are of a rare class.

As Cleon listened to Ray’s story about her, he had no choice but to agree with her thoughts about her.

If a person who hears the story of the second coming of the Demonic Sword Emperor appears, even if he it is himself, he will want to uproot it right away.

Considering how much damage he left on the world, it was only natural.

“But. That didn’t happen. They had a desire to get out of that place, but no one did it. Why was it? Do you accept it? Did you think there would be no difference… However, a crisis always comes even if you don’t go outside. The Marquis of Wood Knocker – At the time, a merchant who was neither a marquis nor anything got involved with the Dark Horse clan, and their fate changed greatly. Has changed.”

The story behind it was a story that Cleon knew.

At his initiative his, a disaster of ‘hunting’ the clan of black horses occurred, and many of his own people his, including Rubera, were kidnapped, and most of the adults died fighting.

At that place, only one person was rescued.

It was only Cleon.

“At that time, Hughes Woodnocker was a man who actively dabbled in the dark side of the kingdom in order to increase his power. Naturally, I became acquainted with him. The disaster might have been prevented. …But I can’t participate in things that I haven’t received a request from. Because I made such a contract with the kingdom. When I realized his intentions, the carts loaded with mercenaries had already gone to the valley of the dragon. It was after he left.”

The expression of regret on Ray’s face as he said that was thicker than before.

“—So. I handed over the information that the village of the Dark Demon Clan was in danger through an anonymous tip to the strongest person I knew.”

“Wait, can’t you-“

After hearing her words of her, Cleon knew who she meant.

“That’s right. It’s Lesia, the golden warrior. It’s been quite a while since Elesia and the Valley of the Dragon were quite far, but my friend was also in Elesia. As soon as she heard the story, she was in a storm of annihilation- Ah, I’m sorry. Was it the wind of happiness now? ? He flew through the sky with Lutios and flew to the valley of the dragon.”

“…”

“But it was a step too late. When Lesia arrived, the village was already in turmoil. All she could do was defeat the runaway magic swordsmen and prevent the damage from spreading afterwards. She shuddered with guilt, despite his own incompetence of her.”

I heard the sound of the cigarette holder in my hand breaking.

A splinter of wood bounced off her finger and seemed to ooze her blood her, but she showed no sign of pain.

“…But, one person. Hearing that she saved a boy from the Dark Demon Clan. I was able to breathe a sigh of relief. And this time, not through a friend, but in person. To see the child. I went. Then… There was a boy who looked exactly like the Demonic Sword Emperor.”

Cleon and Ray’s eyes met.

What mingled in her eyes at Cleon was curiosity and fear.

“There’s no way Lesia didn’t know that fact. I investigated you. And about the demon sword emperor. And in the meantime, the demon sword emperor’s soul couldn’t enter the circle of reincarnation on this earth. I heard the truth. “

“—Let’s guess who gave that information. …The Exiled Church.”

“That’s correct.”

The only ones who know about the reincarnation factor are the artificial spirits related to Trismegistos, and the Exiled Church, a group of people who hold a grudge against Cleon under Adam’s order – to be precise, those previous incarnations.

Since Hermes never talked about Rey, naturally the candidates would be limited to the Exiled Church.

“Are you in contact with the Exiled Church?”

“It’s not even close enough to be called a point of contact. Even before I researched things about you, I’ve received requests from them a few times. For me, they’re dubious guys, so I’ve been filtered out of requests…”

“Nevertheless, you trusted them. And you were convinced that it was the truth.”

In Cleon’s words, there was hostility towards the Exiled Church.

Ray listens to Cleon and nods her head.

“Yes. It was suspicious, but there was a point in the story. About you… It made sense to some extent when I thought that way. But, that’s the story. I don’t think you are Cain, I don’t ‘t even think of you as the Demonic Sword Emperor. The roots may be the same, but you’re a different person than that guy now. …I was convinced of that after hearing the story from before.”

“…The story from before? Are you talking about Amelia?”

Ray smiled, raising the corners of her mouth. Her smile was so pleasing that her teeth her were visible.

“Yes. A guy who would risk his life for a girl can’t be the same as that son of a bitch. Women who have received your mark have their free will be taken away like that guy, or their minds are controlled and they unknowingly risk their lives for him. I’m living without being consumed.”

It must have been something she could have known because it was Ray, who had been deprived of everything as the mark of dominance.

“If you had met me before you met Amelia, there would have been no more confrontation than necessary… “

Then, as if Ray felt sad, she drank her glass once again.

Cleon looks at Ray like that and pours the remaining alcohol down his throat her.

“It doesn’t change.”

“…Yes?”

“Even if the order of meeting was reversed. Nothing would have changed. I would have tried to protect Amelia even then. I would have been conflicted with the fact that I had to confront you, but the choice would not have changed.”

“…Ah. That’s right. You are such a man. I envy him.”

After taking one last sip, Cleon stood up.

Ifrit’s strong spirits of alcohol rose, but compared to the previous times he drank, he was somehow able to bear it.

“Cleon.”

When Ray calls her own name, Cleon looks in her direction her.

Then, the sound of her tinkling metal was heard, and an adamantite coin that she flicked with her finger her came flying.

“It’s the price of your life. All murder contracts related to you will be executed normally. The commission will start- tomorrow. At the same time as the Victory Day march event begins.”

As Cleon catches the coin, she looks at the coin she tossed.

“Even when you’re resting. Even when you’re hiding somewhere. They’ll keep hunting you. Join the march, even when you’re in front of Amelia.”

“…I guess so.”

At Cleon’s words her, Ray pointed her finger at the coin he had thrown.

“That coin… If you, somehow, want to escape from the assassins’ pursuit for a while. It’s your only chance to find this place again. As you know, fighting in this place is prohibited by the ‘rules’. This If you’re inside, they won’t be able to attack you. Of course, your companions too.”

“Is it called warmth?”

At that question, Ray laughed and picked up a new pipe he had taken out from somewhere.

“Think what you like. Alas, and stop coming in with the old password. The new password is- ‘I’m looking for an old drink that tastes like water.’ Hey.”

“…Remember it.”

Just before leaving her behind her back her, opening her curtains and leaving, Cleon leaves her with her last words her.

“If I use this coin… I owe you my life, it’s the second time.”

“Huh? …Ah… Haha! It happens. Never mind! I’m weak against people who want me to like them.”

Leaving behind Ray, who was making such silly noises, Cleon followed the figures of Ferdia and Rubera as they went outside the space of her curtains.

Then there was Rubera sitting at her counter seat her, sipping her water, and Perdia looking at her with her worried eyes.

“Ah, Mr. Cleon. Is the story over?”

“Yes. I couldn’t get any information… But I think it was an informative story.”

At Cleon’s words, Perdia nodded her head.

Then, the bartender handed Cleon a glass of cold water to refresh his palate her, and at the same time handed over a small piece of paper.

“…This?”

When Cleon puts his hand on the memo paper, he feels something hard underneath the paper.

“It’s my gift. I’m your fan.”

Cleon hesitated for a moment at her words her, then picked up her paper.

What is written in it-

‘Address… And the key…?’

Along with a sentence indicating an address pointing somewhere in the royal capital, an unknown key was accompanied.

“Preferably before the march… I see. I recommend going now.”

“…Yes. Rubera, let’s go. Can you get up?”

“…It’s okay, I’m sorry, Cleon…”

Barisada spoke in a worried voice while stroking Rubera’s back her.

“So, don’t drink it all at once…”

Cleon goes out to the tavern with Ferdia while helping Rubera.

“Cleon.”

As he walked to the lift, he heard the voice of the bartender calling him from behind.

When Cleon stops her feet and glances back at her, she greets her with a small bow of her head.

“I look forward to seeing you again.”

“…”

Cleon greets her with a small nod of her head and gets on her lift.

When it goes up to the ground, the protection of the ‘rules’ within it disappears.

Until the assassination request started, there was still time left – but it was impossible to be careless.

Because, somewhere, there might be a bloody idiot.

“Galatea.”

[I know. Two guys follow me… They’re not that strong.]

“…Ferdia. Get ready to start a battle the moment you climb up and leave the store.”

Hearing Cleon’s story, Perdia nodded her head silently and refined her magic power.

The elevator slowly slowed down, and when the door opened, I came out to the back of the same store I entered.

Step by step, step by step, she passes the old man at the counter and greets her with a silent nod of her head.

And, finally, the moment the feet of the three walked out of the store.

“3 million gold!”

A voice resounded loud enough to make you feel stupid, and it was to encounter a shadow protruding towards Cleon from the darkness.