124 – Prince of Ashes #1

124 – Prince of Ashes #1

“Half of you are the same fairy as these people?”

Seo Ga-eul frowned at Yoo Yeoreum.

Yoo Yeoreum was actually the daughter of a fairy.

“I found out today too.”

Yoo Yeoreum scratched her chin, seemingly indifferent but subtly showing off.

The daughter of a fairy, she seemed like a character from a fairy tale, and I was a bit envious.

But-.

What Seo Ga-eul was most concerned about was something else, so she headed to the Grand Shaman’s tent amidst the noisy banquet.

Then, the High Priestess welcomed Seo Ga-eul as if she had been waiting for her.

“Owner of ‘Maple’. I have been waiting for you.”

Of course, Seo Ga-eul could not understand the High Priestess’s words.

However, ‘Miracle’ has a way of making impossible conversations possible.

Seo Ga-eul asked the High Priestess, who was pointing at her sword with her hand.

“Do you know about this sword?”

“That is a sword created by the Witch of ‘Fate’ to perform some ‘task’. She was my distant ancestor. Yes, if you think of her as a being similar to the Witch of ‘Life’ that you have with you, you might understand.”

Amidst the incomprehensible array of words, Seo Ga-eul could read goodwill and a bit of sympathy in the High Priestess’s gaze.

So Seo Ga-eul decided to ask honestly.

“Grandmother, you said we smell like fairies. Doesn’t Han Nam-jin also have that smell? He’s actually a half-fairy too, right? Han Nam-jin. Fairy.”

The High Priestess could not understand Seo Ga-eul’s language either.

However, the High Priestess could read the emotions in the girl’s eyes that would be understood by people living in any era or world.

A small emotion like a tender sprout, but an emotion that stands out like a flower blooming in a barren desert.

It could be called interest or affection.

The object of the girl’s affection would be the boy.

So the High Priestess could easily grasp the meaning.

“That boy is human. An ordinary human. That’s why he is an extraordinary child. He is still burning with willpower in a human body that should have reached its limit and collapsed long ago.”

Crackle, crackle.

The High Priestess looked at the flames burning inside the tent.

The flames were faint and weak, as if they would go out soon if more firewood was not added.

“Already burnt ashes cannot catch fire again, but there are always exceptions. It is rare to meet a man who is so strict with himself.”

The High Priestess Midgal knew well how difficult it was to handle the ‘concept’ that was too much for an unqualified body.

She too was writhing in pain, living in the moment inherited by ‘Fate’.

Moreover, a human body pushed to its limits like the boy’s would inevitably collapse mentally, unable to endure the bone-crushing pain.

Such people were called demons.

“Is he not becoming a demon for the sake of honor? For the desire for revenge? For anger? Perhaps it is because of a trivial and ordinary promise. That boy likes you too.”

The High Priestess Midgal took out a small dagger from her bosom.

“The era of the red kings that seemed to burn forever has passed, and now the era of ashes is coming. Give this to the boy of ashes. It will surely be of help.”

Seo Ga-eul could not understand a word of what the High Priestess Midgal was saying.

But she could tell that she was very sleepy.

“My role ends here. Now I can finally rest. Finally…”

After handing the dagger to Seo Ga-eul, the High Priestess closed her eyes.

She was trying to sleep.

It was just a matter of sleeping all at once, something she had postponed for a long time.

Then, far away in the darkness trapped behind her eyelids, she saw her mother and father, whose faces she could no longer remember, waving at her.

─Midgal!

─My daughter!

The body of the High Priestess Midgal, who had aged like an old tree, became as light as when she was a young girl.

She ran towards her parents.

It was at that very moment.

“Grandma! Don’t sleep, teach me the fairy language! The fairy language!”

“What a cheeky girl. What word do you want to learn?”

Ten minutes later, the High Priestess reunited with her parents in her dream.

Leaving behind the old woman who was sleeping peacefully like a girl dreaming of love, Seo Ga-eul gripped the sharp dagger, as sharp as the fangs of a large beast, and left the tent.

Seo Ga-eul stopped walking towards Han Nam-jin, the boy who was sitting by the campfire, silently watching the people. Without a word, she handed him the dagger.

“Grandma said to give this to you.”

“Ho, I can name it Speedy No. 2. It even has a concept attached to it? This is quite a rare and useful treasure. It will be a great asset in defeating the ‘Red King’.”

The boy smiled contentedly.

But to Seo Ga-eul, that smile somehow felt unsettling.

“About fighting the ‘Red King’. Do we really have to do it alone? We can gather people and go together like we did during the Nam Woo-joo subjugation.”

“They say he has the ability to control people. Nam Woo-joo was also dominated that way. If there are many people, it will only be disadvantageous because there will be more enemies. You know that well, don’t you? Or is there something you’re worried about?”

There were many worrying factors.

Seo Ga-eul thought for a long time, and suddenly felt foolish and a bit resentful that she was the only one worrying about this, so she decided to be honest about everything.

Some things are surprisingly easy to solve just by being honest.

“The me in the mirror told me. That meeting you and the ‘Red King’ would turn everything in a better direction.”

“Now you even talk to the mirror? That’s a queen’s role, not a princess’s.”

“I’m not joking right now. I met my future self in the mirror. She said you would make an important choice in the future, and that I should trust you.”

“What, you met ‘that guy’? How? Was that even possible? Being able to talk to your past self, you’re really something. Amazing…”

The moment he mentioned ‘that guy’, the boy’s eyes sparkled like stars.

Just as the High Priestess felt an emotion in Seo Ga-eul’s eyes, Seo Ga-eul also felt an emotion in the sparkling eyes of the boy Han Nam-jin that he couldn’t hide.

It was something that Seo Ga-eul had never shown before.

‘What? You said you liked me all this time. But you liked another version of me. You were thinking of another woman while looking at me.’

Somehow, she felt angry as if the boy had deceived her.

Emotions she had never felt before were creeping up from deep within her chest.

“Han Nam-jin, you’re really stupid. You didn’t even realize she was using you for her own good and just went along with it. I’m telling you this because I know. She’s like a nine-tailed fox.”

“You’re different from her. You lack experience. Your chest is smaller than hers. She’s like an older sister, but you’re like an immature younger sister. In about five years, you might become somewhat similar.”

“What…!?”

“She’s my benefactor. A hero everyone respected. So don’t insult Seo Ga-eul carelessly. She’s like a fairy who lost her winged clothes, living gracefully and elegantly even when alone!”

For whatever reason, she was the benefactor who saved him from the trash heap.

The boy seemed to genuinely think so.

“What are you talking about! A fairy? She scratches her belly when she’s alone and makes funny faces in the mirror! I know! Sometimes she lies in bed all day looking at her phone when she’s lazy!”

“You brat! How dare you talk back? Don’t insult my idol! What do you know! Seo Ga-eul only eats dew and sings while watching the bluebirds in the garden!”

Han Nam-jin flared up.

He seemed sincere.

To Han Nam-jin, Seo Ga-eul, who had given him back his life, must have felt like a great benefactor.

At this point, Seo Ga-eul became curious.

“What happened to ‘Loser’ Han Nam-jin? What kind of person were you? What did you do that made you defend me even though you knew you were being used?”

“……”

The boy closed his mouth.

Seo Ga-eul felt more pity than satisfaction seeing him, who had spoken without hesitation even in front of powerful business leaders and politicians, now silent.

“…I am ‘Bread Pitt’ Han Nam-jin.”

“Even now, you’re saying that?”

“I introduced myself like that on TV, but no one calls me that. That’s how nicknames are. They’re not easily given, and you can’t change them at will.”

# # #

In a world where law and order had disappeared, I did many things to survive.

I did many bad things.

Of course, at that time, everyone did bad things.

The good people had already left the world, and only those who could and had already done bad things were still living on the earth.

The world of ashes was a world of villains.

I was one of them, and perhaps I was exceptional.

To avoid being seen as a joke, an awakened one with an injured leg had to become ruthless,

‘That’s how everyone lives.’

The fortunate thing was that no one morally condemned me.

It was a society where morality and law couldn’t be considered.

But inside me, there was no doubt that some rules, lines, or what could be called my pride, were slowly breaking down.

That’s why “Supernova” was amazing.

Even in difficult situations, they didn’t abandon their honor as humans.

They were enough to be called men.

Then what about me?

Ash that extinguished before it even blazed.

A piece of junk in a pile of trash.

Loser. It was a fitting nickname.

The one who found me was Seo Ga-eul.

He investigated me, and even though he knew what kind of person I was, he came to me and gave me a second chance.

“If the positions were reversed, if I were in your place, I would never have chosen myself. That’s why I want to keep my promise with you.”

Seo Ga-eul must have had plenty of reliable comrades.

Yet he chose me.

I had to respond to that trust.

“…That wasn’t me.”

Seo Ga-eul clenched his fist tightly.

He looked at me with eyes full of dissatisfaction and even hit my shoulder with his fist.

“You idiot!”

“Ouch! Seo Ga-eul, your punch is really strong!”

That was the end of our conversation.

After that, the acting chief Moro provided us with various supplies.

“This is a ‘Fairy Biscuit.’ It’s black bread that’s been dried and hardened. If you dissolve it in water and eat it, it won’t taste good, but it will fill you up quickly. It’s hard, so you can use it to hit enemies if necessary.”

The supplies were being replenished rapidly!

My eyes turned to a butterfly fluttering around.

“And this is a ‘Guide Butterfly.’ It will find the way out of this underground world and lead you to the surface. It originally lived on the surface, so it has a tendency to return.”

The girls’ eyes sparkled as they looked at the crystal-lit butterfly.

However, I still felt unsatisfied.

“What is the weakness of Grand Knight Hamern?”

“This. Tea leaves brewed from the herb of ‘Silence’. Those who drink this tea can neutralize the rats controlled by Grand Knight Hamern. But be careful, even without the rats, the Grand Knight is strong.”

“Moro, are you worried about me?”

“Not you, but the king you are carrying with you. After the king left, this den has been in utter chaos.”

━Gyuiing.

The fact that Yingying is the king of monsters is still a funny story.

So, we left the village of the black fairies and headed up to the Great Labyrinth.

Now, it’s really time for the final battle!

If we dawdle any longer, the pursuers targeting Mibangi will make things troublesome!