Chapter 831 – An Offer You Can’t Refuse

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Sunglasses with lenses so dark you can barely see the eyes, and a colorful hat with a wide brim.

Wearing a muffler and a long coat, it would be nice to say she was mysterious, and no matter where you looked, she looked nothing but a suspicious person, but she was sitting on a chair casually as if she were a guest in this house.

＂… Teacher─ No, Darwin…＂

Even now, if they are not careful, they will call her their teacher because they have thought of her as their benefactor for such a long time.

Just by providing blood, you get enough money for three people to live on, along with the hope that one day you may be able to cure your own demon curse.

Although I now know that it was all vain, vain, and deceitful.

“Sit down first. I heard it. They say you have lifted the curse of becoming a nobleman?”

She smiled and clapped her hands softly, as if blessing Aisha’s curse being lifted.

＂What kind of mariner did I meet? If there was such a person, it would definitely have reached our ears.”

“I don’t want to tell you anything.”

Even if that person is no longer in this world, she wishes he would no longer be involved with them.

And, wishing that she had not come to Asteris, Aisha narrowed her eyes and did not let down her guard.

＂Oh, so? That’s too bad. Well, I don’t really care anymore.”

However, Darwin spoke to her with his arms crossed, saying he didn’t really care, even though she didn’t get an answer to her own question.

“Then do you think you know about this? Soon, Asteris will disappear from the map.”

＂…＂

Aisha shakes her shoulders at Darwin’s words.

Aisha also knew information from Cleon and his companions that this city would be bombarded by humans called the Exile Church.

“Yes. I know this because I heard it from Cleon. And that the organization you belong to, the regressors, are minions of the Exiled Church.”

＂Hmm… Subordinates. That’s right.”

As she said that, she wiggled her eyebrows with a hint of sarcasm.

It is clear that the Returner is lower than the Exiled Church in the hierarchy of power.

It got much worse after losing two executives.

However, considering that there was a time when the balance of power between the exiled church and the returnees was shoulder to shoulder, even Darwin did not like the current church that openly treated them as subordinates.

However, thanks to his knowledge of Adam’s power and his longing for the ‘right world’ that Adam promised, he continues to cooperate with them.

Well, even if I said that to this little boy, I don’t think he would understand.

─, Darwin said after finishing the thought in his head, closing his eyes and then opening them.

“Then it would have been better to run away. Why are you staying in Asteris? Surely, that demon swordsman is not delusional about saving you all?”

＂Delusion…?＂

This time, Aisha flinched and reacted as if Darwin’s words were annoying.

In her case, there were no sunglasses to cover her eyes, so her unpleasant face was fully exposed.

“Yes, a delusion. Think about it. The magic swordsman and his companions, no matter how many colleagues they have, are just humans. And there are limits to human abilities. It is the only immutable law that I, who have lived for over 100 years, believe in.”

＂…＂

“And that is also why I aim for human evolution.”

She speaks as if she knows that humans have repeatedly faced their own limitations and been frustrated.

But Aisha knows.

How ugly the ‘evolution’ she dreams of can lead to.

Monsters that resemble infinitely growing chunks of flesh, and strange creatures whose minds have collapsed as a result of accumulating power that does not fit their bodies, and who only listen to orders.

Because I saw it at her castle [Research center].

Clenching her fists

What she is doing is a repetition of forced sacrifice for her own self-satisfaction, which is infinitely close to a desecration of life.

“Ah. So, to continue what I wanted to say… I will help you escape from this Asteris. In any case, it would be impossible to stop the attack of the Exiled Church.”

Darwin says this in his confident voice and confident tone.

“Demon swordsmen overestimate their own skills. Of course, we stopped the invasion of the Jeolgyesu and destroyed the legacy of the ancient ghosts. It is also true that I escaped from the realm of expulsion from which no one thought they could escape. But…”

Her words are listed one after another, but they are all words that are a bit difficult for Aisha to understand.

However, Darwin continued what she said, as if he did not want Aisha to understand.

“A person like that too. In the end, there’s nothing we can do about a weapon that burns the surface of a star. That’s… The ultimate weapon that destroyed the original world.”

＂The ultimate… Weapon?＂

“That’s right. The fortress of the Exiled Church that is about to appear in Asteris… Is equipped with that very weapon.”

Darwin’s a really wild method, isn’t he? He added, shaking his head.

＂The last of the primordial world. A golden comet appears and causes indiscriminate destruction, putting humanity in a corner. They decided that they had no chance of victory, so they used that weapon to at least destroy the golden comet. As a result, this land became a barren land where not a single life could survive, and the Golden Comet also suffered damage and left. Originally, all those weapons would have been eliminated… But as you know, humans are creatures that like to leave traces.”

Someone left behind part of the weapon and its blueprint and sealed it deep underground.

The aerial fortress built to fire that weapon is the true identity of the Sky Fortress currently occupied by the Exiled Church.

“Burning magical power means burning the barrier surrounding Asteris. Because the barrier is also made of magical power. If you think that the reason you protect the shaman so diligently is to maintain a barrier to protect this city from bombings, you are mistaken.”

Asteris’s barrier disappears?

In that case, not only will you be defenseless from the bombardment of the fortress, but even if you defeat the fortress-

This land, protected by a sacred tree, will soon become a land invaded by surrounding monsters and wild beasts.

When Aisha’s face turns pale, Darwin smiles wryly.

“Okay. I guess you imagined it too. I am saying that I will take you and your family out of Asteris, which will become hell. The foolish Duke Miyeom trusted the magic swordsman and his companions and did not give an evacuation order to his people. It’s an incomprehensible judgment. If I cared about the safety of the people more than anyone else, I should have given the order to abandon this city right now.”

Maybe he is thinking of committing suicide along with his people? Darwin does not hesitate to make insulting remarks.

Well… If we were to evacuate, it wouldn’t have been easy to pretend that the people on the evacuation line were attacked by wild animals or monsters on the streets, and that was actually the plan.

＂It’s a shame that this country is being destroyed like this, as I have been indebted to it for a long time… But I think it will be hindered in the future. It would be right to disappear from here. You can think of it as being like being caught in a natural disaster and dying. But…”

She gets up from her seat and approaches Aisha.

Then, she puts her hand on one of her shoulders and speaks.

“Do you feel a little guilty about dying? Obviously, I deceived you, but it is true that research has progressed actively thanks to you. To me… Well, a good subject to study. Should I say it was?”

Her personality was revealed in the fact that she held back from almost saying the word ‘experiment’ and ended up saying ‘research subject’.

“So, that means I was moved by that sentiment, too. Originally, no one was supposed to be allowed to escape from Asteris… But under my authority, I will make an exception for you three.”

“… What do you want in return?”

A transaction like this naturally required a price.

Aisha glanced at her Darwin, who had placed her hand on his shoulder, and was asking her a question, holding her hand in an indignant manner.

Then, she would smile and talk to her as if she knew well.

“It’s not that difficult. All you have to do is pour this medicine into a well.”

The small vial she handed over as she said that contained a white, shimmering medication.

Looking at the medicine that made her feel uneasy somewhere, Aisha looked back at her quietly.

“What happens if you pour this medicine?”

“You don’t need to know that much. And that well is a bit of an annoying place, so it’s hard for us to get into it, so we’re asking for your help.”

Darwin was saying that his preference was to handle things comfortably and quietly.

“Are you saying that I can enter places that are difficult for you too?”

Aisha asked Darwin such an obvious question, but Darwin just smiled.

“Of course. The place you have to enter is not a place with tight security like the royal palace.”

When she smiles, Aisha looks at her with an even more suspicious expression.

“There is a well in the brothel that is protected by a barrier. We can’t enter that place because of the barrier set up by the old fox, who has a strong grudge against us returnees and the exiled church. By rejecting a limited number of targets, it has a powerful effect on the designated target… It’s an annoying barrier.”

Thanks to this, it took a huge amount of time to find it, and even after finding it, I was having trouble because I couldn’t go inside.

“You just have to go there, pour this medicine, and then head outside through the northern door of Asteris. If you do that… I’ll prepare a carriage, so you can escape this city without any trouble. Got it? “

She tapped Aisha’s shoulder twice again.

And when she snapped her fingers, her huge fleshy hand shot out of thin air and grabbed Aisha’s two stunned family members.

“For a moment! What did you do…!”

“I’m just trying to move these unconscious guys to the carriage? Is there a problem?”

“You’re taking them hostage…!”

Aisha says that she does not fall for her obvious intentions.

“Ha. You don’t have to be that clear, right? The atmosphere becomes harsh.”

＂Kuh… Don’t treat people like fools!＂

As Aisha said that, she tried to swing her fist at Darwin, but she had to stop it the next moment.

Because the fleshy hand holding the two people was raised as if it was about to slam them to the floor.

Hehe… I endured it well.＂

＂Ugh… Ugh…!＂

Aisha could not help but glare at her, feeling her anger at her unreasonable situation.

“Then. I’ll take care of you… You better hurry. “I can’t tell you the exact time when the fortress will appear and start bombing.”

As she said that, the arm of flesh disappeared through the air,

Considering that she was gone and that she had taken her own family hostage – it was certain that she herself would attack her, or kill both of them if they refused to do her bidding. Br〉

＂… What should I do…＂

However, she could easily imagine what would happen if she followed her orders.

It will definitely lead to the destruction of Cleon and his group.

A result like that had to be prevented at all costs.

It was an extremely harsh situation in which he had to put on the scale the lives of Cleon, who saved him, and the lives of the two people who had been with him his whole life.

But, for now, she decides to move.

‘There is no time to be frustrated. Somehow, I have to think of saving the two people.’

She went back to her room and took her mask, which she had placed on her desk earlier, in her arms.

With the thought that maybe this might be helpful.

And, to resolve this situation, he couldn’t do it on his own.

Although he was upset, he needed help to get his family back from Darwin.

While thinking that, she ran out of her mansion.

As expected, she headed towards the mansion where Cleon and his group were staying.

‘The information Darwin gave may definitely be helpful in blocking the fortress. First, tell that…’

Taking deep breaths to ease her anxiety, she approaches the mansion’s door and knocks.

“Excuse me, Cleon! Are you inside!? “

Then, a moment later, the door opened, revealing a woman who was different from the expected Cleon – but from the same clan of dark horses.

＂… Cleon is not there. ＂

The one who greeted her was Lillim, the shadow of her group.