Chapter 164 – Division (4)

Fabian stopped at the entrance exhaling white breath. Even in the North he was a stranger. There was no one who could match Fabian in his childhood with him now. Fabian swept the snow off his hood and approached the door.

“Who are you!”

The guards were casting a sharp gaze. As much as his gaze and needy face, the spear in his hand was elated. It was a meaningless question he asked, but Fabian was putting a lot of thought into that one question.

For example, it was a thought about migratory birds.

Visitor.

On his way to the entrance of the Demon Realm, he had seen countless birds flying across the reed field. Alexander chuckled and said:

“What kind of birds are there so many?”

“They are migratory birds.”

At that time, Petunia Titi said so. Migratory birds are those that fly to the warm south in winter and return to their homeland in spring, she said. Upon hearing this, Alexander said:

“They’re very weak-minded to abandon their hometown because it’s a bit cold.”

“People are the same. They burn them in the forest, suck nutrients into the fields, and run away again when their intellect declines. How is it different from a migratory bird? They also come back when spring arrives, and humans also return to their warmest hometown when they get old and tired after wandering outside.”

“Poetic. It’s poetic.”

Alexander was so sarcastic at Petunia Titti’s words, but he couldn’t refute them. Fabian thought then that her horse was standing on me.

“Because who are you!”

But now that I think about it, he was right. It was because he had lost everything and returned to his hometown in the end. Fabian couldn’t figure out why he was here. The expression of love for hometown was just an excuse. His childhood was chained in snow and chains, and his warmest memories were around No. 5 and No. 13.

Anger at home being destroyed was clearly part of the motive. But it wasn’t just for the hometown. A slightly more fundamental and personal desire than that led him to the north.

“Fabian.”

Fabian revealed his name. The man who had lived in the North for a long time did not understand that. He was the kind of person who didn’t memorize the names of Hero’s party.

“Aren’t you asking because I’m curious about your name?”

“Let it pass. I’m not on the devil’s side. Rather, it’s more like a fixer from the capital. Here is your ID.”

Fabian threw his ID into the snow. The soldier accepted his ID card and was startled to see that it had the royal seal stamped on it. Fabian faced the corpses hanging from the wooden fence. The corpses of several demons rolled across the floor, and faint red bloodstains remained in the snow.

“…Pass by.”

“I heard that a man named Orlando is here.”

Now, Fabian was on the northern front line. Fabian didn’t know how he managed to hold on with these shabby wooden fences and incompetent soldiers. When Orland’s name was called, the soldier spat on the floor and said,

“Are you like those bastards? Are you trying to take our captain?”

“Are you taking it out?”

“Go. He must be in the middle of a conversation right now, so listen to those bastards.”

The soldier turned around with a displeased look on his face. I felt sorry for him as he leaned against his pole and tried to endure the cold with his body heat. Fabian nodded at him, then walked to his largest cabin. There was a grave next to the hut, and a necklace hung on the grave.

He opened the cabin door.

Orlando was sitting there. Orland, sitting in a large hall, was dark-skinned and had a long yellow beard. Huge scars were left on her face and chest, and one of her eyes was bandaged.

Only the eyes of the warrior who had sustained her life through potions and treatments were burning.

“So Orlando. Listen to us You don’t have to be here like this. Sooner or later, our saint Alexander will arrive with an army. And, countless soldiers will defeat that evil imp.”

In front of Orland were two men in thick clothes. They were people who risked their lives to come here for their own purpose.

“Don’t you know how precarious the Hero family is right now? We need another icon. We need someone who proves why the Hero family deserves the privilege. I heard that your achievements in the North are staggering. I heard the story of defeating the evil demon army and rescuing many blacksmiths and tanners.”

“I heard about hunting down some of the demons through Operation Decoy. It was an amazing operation.”

“…That wasn’t a decoy operation.”

Orlando said in a very serious tone. Fabian was surprised by his thick voice and solemn demeanor. It was because the Orlando he remembered was a more insignificant person than this. He did not see people without power as people, and people who were servile in front of money.

But now there was no Orlando like that. The two men also shrank as if they were intimidated by Orland’s words. Then, after glancing at each other, they continued their conversation.

“Think again. How much have you suffered here and now? Are these people here so important? People in the capital need hope. We need a new symbol like you. You too sang about wanting to be like Hero Wolf. If you go back with us, Wolf will give you a hug too.”

“Nothing like cancer. You will become Wolf’s successor.”

Orlando ignored the two of them. Then he cast his gaze at Fabian and said. He had closed the door and sat in the seat across from Orland, watching the conversation. The dim lighting and the blizzard hitting the windows gave Fabian a gloomy look.

“Who? You are.”

“Fabian.”

Orlando frowned. He had never heard of the name Fabian. Not only that, but Fabian knew the names of all famous noble families. I don’t know what he looks like or what kind of person he is, but I know very well that he is the owner of the thieves guild and an assistant to the hero party.

Fabian took off his hood and said.

“This is Fabian, who followed the hero Wolf and defeated the demon king.”

A blush appeared on both men’s faces. Orland looked at Fabian with contempt and disgust. The men said

“You are right! Wolf-sama sent you to support us! Even if you are forced to bring this Orlando!”

“Okay. I am here to let you know that Saint Alexander’s army will arrive soon!”

The two chimed in and demanded an answer from Fabian. Fabian looked at the two of them alternately, then shook his head.

“The army is not coming.”

A sigh filled with sighs, anger, and despair spread. The two men glared at Fabian once with resentful eyes, and Orland hung his head and held his breath. The men said

“You got it wrong! They obviously decided to send troops!”

“Cancer! Saint Alexander’s army is coming! Are you sure!”

“I will be leaving in a month. By the time the army arrives, this village will be annihilated.”

Fabian’s remarks seemed to pour cold water on the burning fire. The two shouted, pointing at Fabian.

“Why are you here? Yes? For what purpose did you come!”

“In the first place, are you for real? Uh? No one knows Fabian’s face, so you could be a fake!”

And the wind roared loudly against the windows. In an instant, the candles went out and blizzards and ice pounded the walls. In the dark room, Orlando sat with a firm posture. He blinked and heard a faint scream.

“Ah!”

“Oops… !”

And footsteps were heard. The dry wooden floor made a mark even with just a little weight. The light came on again with a faint signal as if the cat was moving.

The two men who had been trying to convince Orland a while ago were rolling on the floor. The two collapsed on the floor, clutching their faces, and Fabian said while caressing the light.

“Do I have to kill you guys to prove myself?”

“Oh, no… ! Oh my… ! Aigoo… !”

Writhing in pain, the men shook their heads. Fabian half drew his dagger and put it back in. Orlando asked.

“Why are you here?”

Fabian looked at Orlando.

Suddenly, a childhood memory came to mind.

“Why are you here?”

“I do not know.”

Orlando said so. At the remark of not knowing, Fabian tilted his head. Orland faced the question that appeared on Fabian’s face and added,

“I am here because I cannot leave. I don’t know why.”

With the words Orland knew, he couldn’t express his feelings clearly. Only old words, long forgotten, could explain his actions.

Fabian knew the word. His friend used the word as a joke.

“For love and justice.”

Orlando laughed.

“You are foolish. It wouldn’t be because of such outdated stories.”

Fabian nodded his head.

And she laughed

Orlando asked again.

“So, what brought you here?”

Fabian recalled his childhood.

[I want to become a star.]

She said so His eyes were watching the setting sun. The boundary between the light blue and ultramarine sky was filled with deep blue like silk. Like scattering sparkling jewels, the stars with their backs to the sun then shone towards us. Fabian had said that while looking at the stars through the window.

Fabian looked at Orlando and said.

“I came here to become a star.”