Chapter 56 – Chapter 6

An eerie inn nestled in the city.

A brown-haired white man and a boy who found a suitable room inspected their weapons and kept them in top condition at all times.

A month has passed since I fell into this world.

It’s not something he’s going to say after going back in time, but he never imagined he’d end up in a fantasy world like this.

“Hold on a little longer. Wait a little longer and your energy will be recharged.”
“Huh.”

As usual, the man checked the number of remaining ammunition and encouraged the boy to keep his enthusiasm.

“Lorentz.”
“Why.”
“Can’t we ask the powerful people of this world to help us? If they have the power, they should be able to deal with the pursuers.”

Calling the name of a man named Lorenz, the boy suggested asking for help from the mighty men of this world.

“…The humans in this world are stronger than us, so there’s a possibility. But, we don’t have any compensation for them. You know our guns well.”

Surprisingly, this world was also smart about guns.
Even bandits armed with leather clothes and cold weapons ran away in surprise when they saw the gun.

So at first, it was difficult to understand this world, but now I have adapted to it and am living day by day.

“I know you’re tired of the feeling of being chased day by day. But that’ll be over in a week. At that time, the pursuer will remain in this world, wandering forever looking for us who don’t exist.”

After Lorenz inspected all the firearms, he secured them all to their special holsters.

“Get some rest. I’ll lookout.”
“But Lorenz too…”
“You are our future and our hope. If we can save you, we can endure these hardships with a smile.”
“…”
“I also often take naps when I have free time. Because I live like this on the battlefield, it’s not as difficult as you think.”

Lorenz brought the chair to the window, where it was easy to monitor, and began to be wary of the pursuer’s presence.

The boy lay down on the bed, but he opened his mouth to Lorenz again, as if he couldn’t sleep because of his sharpened nerves.

“Lorentz.”
“Say.”
“Could I really be the hope of the future? I don’t have the charisma, strength, or talent to unite humanity. I can’t believe I’ll be the leader of humanity in a future dominated by such terrifying machines.”
“I could feel that you in the future I saw said, ‘This person is the hope of our human race.’ If humans had resisted machines with only human strength, they would have perished long ago.”

In the words of the boy, Lorenz explained the future boy he saw.

“That’s why it’s strange. I don’t have the power to control a machine. If I had that power, I would have dominated the pursuers long ago.”
“It’s probably an ability you gain as you grow. For now, don’t worry about that and rest.”
“…”

Lorenz, who is said to have been sent from his future self, shouldered all the hardships alone with firm faith and trust.

A soldier who is truly prepared to give his life for himself.
However, it was tormenting the boy that he was not a great human being to the extent that such a great soldier would give his life.

‘Am I really the leader who will be the hope of mankind in the future? Could it be that something has gone wrong and I’m misunderstanding?’

The more you talk with Lorenz, the more you doubt whether the last hope of mankind he is talking about is really the same person as you.

After tossing and turning several times, the boy struggled to fall asleep.
Clint Garfield. A boy destined to become a leader who will save mankind in the future.
Lorenz recalled the past as he looked at the boy who was drowning in soma.

Upon learning that the machine side had sent an assassin to the past to kill her young Clint, the human side dispatched Lorenz armed with a strong sense of mission and mental strength.

– In the past, I never thought that I would have this kind of power. Because this power is not a natural talent, but an acquired ability.
– As a child, I will not be able to endure the gap between the me in your explanation and the current me, so I will doubt myself and have a lot of self-esteem. You will do the best you can.-
-Only you can save me young. Please.-

Encouraged by the support and request of the leader of mankind, Lorenz armed himself with the finest equipment and operated the time travel device to return to the past and succeed in contacting Clint and his parents.

Of course, at first he was treated as a lunatic, but Lorenz, who succeeded in convincing Clint and his parents through an assassin’s attack, fought desperately to protect humanity’s hopes.

Thanks to everyone working together, I thought I could somehow handle the assassin and prepare for the future, but Clint’s parents were killed by an unexpected second assassin.

The machine side sent another assassin just in case.

It was a move that anticipated that if the first assassin failed, humans would be caught off guard and relaxed.

In addition, the second assassin was working as a popular model at the time.
If Clint’s parents hadn’t sacrificed themselves in the sudden surprise attack, they would have died there too.

I used the space movement device to escape from the second unexpected assassin’s attack, but the assassin shocked me and the coordinates changed and I came to a strange world.

Just like an assassin.

‘If the Earth’s coordinates hadn’t been recorded, he would have been so desperate that he wanted to commit suicide.’

It’s been about a month since I ran away from the assassin’s pursuit.
Now, with only a week or so, you can recharge your energy and return to the original world.

‘I can feel his presence. I can feel it That an assassin is watching us.’

Lorenz mustered all his energies on the idea that he could hold out for a week.

However, after falling into an unfamiliar world and an unfamiliar environment, his body, which had all its nerves on edge, was gradually eaten away by fatigue.

*                           *

Kaicent, who was in charge of important tasks such as managing supplies and books, keeping the Wolf Mercenary Corps running smoothly.

‘I’ll just do this and go to practice magic.’

Kaicent, who learned how important skill proficiency is thanks to Akina, decided to practice the magic he learned through the scroll.

‘It has been confirmed that you can learn magic with magic scrolls, but high-level spells are expensive even with scrolls. I worked harder… Huh?’

At that time, a group of mercenaries with familiar faces were found heading to the barracks where Lillian and Frederick were looking for the next job.

‘What? There’s something unusual about the atmosphere?’

Kai Sent summoned the tamed crow, Ming-Ming, and moved him right above the barracks, synchronizing his senses.

“Captain. I have something to tell you.”
“I thought it would come soon.”
“Heh. As expected, you’re the leader.”

Kaicent, who can only hear, tilted his head at Lillian and Frederick, who responded as if they had already prepared for this situation.

“We received a scout offer from another mercenary group. At a fairly high cost.”
“That’s right. Even if you’re a low-class mercenary who has mastered the Mana Road, it’ll be useful in many ways.”

‘It’s because of me!’

Mercenaries who had never learned anything systematically would have taken months to get a basic understanding.

Not only that, but even if you go through all kinds of trial and error to learn it, and finally get a satisfactory result at the end of the hard work, if you are unlucky, it will take 5 years.

However, as Kaicent used the Mana Rod, which was easy to understand and even improved, the mercenaries were able to quickly become stronger.

“Are you here to say goodbye before leaving?”
“Um… That’s what you mean…”
“We’ve been talking to each other…”

I thought I came to say goodbye for the last time, but the mercenaries start to hesitate.

“If you raise the weekly wage little by little, I will stay in the mercenary corps.”
“What?”
“Any other mercenary company would have made a much better offer?”
“Right. A few people who aren’t actually here are planning to leave tomorrow.”

In response to Frederick’s question, the man representing the mercenaries said the names of the mercenaries leaving tomorrow.

“But even if we’re chasing money, it’s only meaningful when we end up dying, right?”
“Because I came over here from another mercenary company?
“The wizard of the mercenary group I was in was quite strong, but he openly treated us as meat shields.”

The mercenaries from other mercenary groups complained about the wizards in their mercenary group.

“But there’s a Kaicent over here, isn’t it?”
“You’re young, but sincere and talented.”
“And not conceited. I switched mercenaries with wizards twice and came here, but this is the first time I’ve received auxiliary magic from a wizard.”

The mercenaries who received the help of magic for the first time, and the mercenaries who recognized Kaicent’s ability because they saw other wizards’ abilities up close.

They all learned how comfortable it was to have the assistance of a great mage.

When they received a scout offer from another mercenary group, they talked among themselves and shared the information that if they went to another mercenary group, they would be mobilized for dangerous work even if they received more money.

“Okay. I’ll raise your weekly wage. Since you’ve learned the Mana Road, you should treat it that way.”
“As expected. If you were the leader, I thought the words would work.”
“Since there’s Kaicent, let’s take on a high-paying request.”
“Doesn’t that kind of work come easily?”

Lillian and Frederick sent mercenaries who were satisfied with the increased weekly wages.

“Honestly, I thought I’d leave at least half tidy.”
“So. It’s common in this world to be scouted by another mercenary because you’re blinded by money…”
“It was Kaicent that brought about the crisis, and it was Kaicent that helped overcome the crisis.”

I expected this situation, but the result was unexpected.
If you learn the mana load, the ransom will naturally rise.
In addition, as he recently gained fame, other mercenary groups became interested.

I was prepared for the main mercenaries to escape, thinking that it would happen one day, but Kaicent created several variables.

It made the mercenaries stronger than expected, but at the same time, it also showed how comfortable it was to have a mage’s backup.

However, the mercenaries did not naively decide to remain in the Wolf Corps with only these thoughts.

‘Strangely, when I’m with Kaicent, I don’t feel like anyone is going to lose.’
‘He looks timid and weak, but it’s reassuring to think he’ll support you.’

The dragon’s aura that Kaicent unknowingly exuded was attracting the people around him.

If he walks the path of a ruler, he will receive the loyalty of many people and emerge as a new force, but he exerts an influence in this way because his nature is gentle and timid.

‘I’m becoming more dependent on people than I thought…’

Kai Sent, who had been overhearing all of their conversations, was surprised to see his face burning with the evaluation.

Because of his timid personality, he humbled himself and never imagined that other mercenaries would think this way.

After finishing synchronizing Ming-Ming’s senses, Kai Sent began to think about how to be more helpful while organizing supplies.

*                           *

Next day.

As the mercenaries who came first said, the mercenaries who wanted to transfer to another mercenary group headed to the scouted mercenary group without saying goodbye.

A few mana rod users disappeared, but the number was smaller than expected, so the atmosphere of the mercenaries was not too bad.

Still, it was unavoidable that the atmosphere was slightly depressed, so Lillian and Frederick tried to return the atmosphere to normal by completing the request as casually as usual.

Deciding to find a suitable request, the two headed to the Mercenary Guild with Kaicent.

Since Kai Sent creates a great synergistic effect as knowledge accumulates, he is good at anything, so he was encouraged to accumulate various experiences.

“That’s why the Vex acted like that yesterday.”
“Pu-huh. The Vex guy, you can swing it subtly.”

Kaicent chattered incessantly toward Lillian, who was heading to the mercenary guild.

Lillian listened to Kaisent’s chatter and continued to discuss various topics.

How friendly they were, to the point where Frederick, who was with them, had no time to intervene.

‘Lillian, I’m spending more time with Kaicent these days.’

Perhaps if Kai Sent had a tall, grown-up appearance, he would have doubted the relationship between the two.

‘Are you projecting the child you couldn’t have for revenge? It’s not bad to solve it this way, but I hope you don’t rely too much on it.’

However, Frederick, who had never imagined that Lillian and Kaicent were ignoring him because they had an appearance that seemed to have a large age difference, was walking in a different direction.

“And… Uh?”

Just as she was about to move on to the next topic with Lillian, a woman looking somewhere caught Kai Sent’s eyes as she habitually glanced around.

Mature-looking fair milky skin and hair like the evening sunset.
The hash cut gives a rough yet alluring feel at the same time.
On top of that, her straight body, like a model designed to be liked by the vast majority of men, was so perfect that it would not be an exaggeration to say that it was touched by a god.

If Lillian had the beauty of her health, the woman had the body to please the man’s eye.

As evidence of that, she shows off her style enough to catch the attention of men walking down the street, even though she wears casual clothes.

“Ka.I.Sen.T?”

Lillian momentarily threw off her mask as a wolf and she vented her anger as a woman.
Does she lose her eyes on another woman while talking to herself?
She’s pretty in her own eyes, but that’s not polite!

“That woman, a human…No, not a creature.”
“What?”
“What are you talking about?”

However, when he was suddenly told that he was not human, the two tilted their heads and asked for more information.

“In my home world, there were a lot of machine-made servants, so I can feel the subtle difference between machines and humans.”
“Is that woman made of machines?”
“Yes. You can tell especially by looking at the eyes. People’s pupils keep moving very minutely, but that woman’s…”
“You’re not even moving.”

If you look closely, you can see the non-human parts one by one.
Lillian and Frederick felt an unpleasant chill,

‘Poor…’

Even though Kaicent came to this world, he felt very sorry for the robots who carried out the commands embedded in his artificial intelligence.

‘Like Skynet, humans and machines could coexist and live.’

Skynet, who initially said he would kill all organisms in the universe and create a world of machines, learned the joy of living with organisms thanks to his father’s persuasion (physics).

In particular, seeing the situation flow unpredictably with irrational and irrational behavior that only organic life forms can have was a game only Skynet could enjoy, calculating all possibilities.

It is a pleasure that only machines can feel when all the possibilities he predicted are unexpectedly flowing by the existence of emotions.

However, the mechanical man Kaicent discovered was nothing more than a doll that faithfully followed only the commands injected into him, let alone such pleasure.