[Translator - Prøks]
[Proofreader - Prøks]
Chapter 106
"Haha, I happened to... I didn't an to eavesdrop."
The man said, waving his hands as if to plead his innocence.
Well, I wasn't particularly suspicious of that.
There was no reason for the man, who was still disoriented, to follow all the way here and eavesdrop on the conversation.
However, what bothered was his subdued voice and gloomy expression.
It seed like he had listened to the conversation in detail, and his condition didn't look good.
I led the man to the break room in the barracks and gently asked,
"Are you alright?"
"Ah, yes. I'm fine."
"Hmm."
Fine? He didn't look fine at all.
As I stared at him with that thought, perhaps feeling pressured, the man opened his mouth again.
"...It seems we were a burden to the commander."
"I think any commander would feel that way. It was during a war, after all."
"Haha, I guess so, right?"
"Are you upset?"
"Ah, no. I'm just grateful to be alive. It's just a bit bitter."
"I see."
Suddenly, the man turned his head towards and asked,
"Was it you, mage, who made the effort? To save us?"
"Yes?"
"Well, I heard it from the soldiers on the way here. That we were originally going to be abandoned..."
"Ah."
Whoever it was, it seed they had given him a pretty detailed account of the situation.
Well, there was no need to hide it, so I nodded.
"Originally, when the people from Sector 7 ca out of the rift, the order was given to eliminate them. I had a bit of trouble stopping that."
"Ah... Is that so? Thank you very much. I'm alive thanks to you, mage."
The man bowed politely and sat down.
And then silence followed.
I decided to take this opportunity to ask what I was curious about.
"You lived in Sector 7, right?"
"Ah, yes. That's right."
"If you don't mind asking, how did you end up living there?"
"Uh..."
The man trailed off.
I wondered if it was a sensitive question, but fortunately, he didn't seem troubled.
He just seed to be contemplating what to say.
Finally, he said, "I was banished for theft."
"Theft? What did you steal...?"
"It was nothing much. I stole so bread that was being sold on the street in Sector 6."
"What?"
I couldn't control my expression for a mont.
He was banished to Sector 7 for stealing bread?
Who did he think he was, Jean Valjean?
"Isn't banishnt too harsh a punishnt for stealing a loaf of bread?"
"Yes, it is harsh. I argued about it several tis, but that was the main reason for the banishnt order. They said I wasn't reflecting on my actions or sothing... Looking back, I guess I dug my own grave."
"Huh."
The more I listened, the more absurd it seed.
Even when I played the ga, I had never heard the stories of the Sector 7 residents, so this was a complete shock.
To think there was soone who ended up in Sector 7 because of sothing like this.
'Weren't most of the people there heinous criminals?'
Or those born there, like Kayla.
Moreover, my surprise didn't end there.
"So I had no choice but to live in Sector 7 with my child."
"Child?"
"Yes, my seven-year-old daughter."
He looked young, so I didn't expect it at all, but he was a man with a child.
And that child was already seven years old.
"How old are you?"
"I'm thirty this year."
"Aha."
I thought he was around my age or a little older, but thirty?
He had an incredibly youthful appearance.
Anyway...
"Ah, then where is your child?"
After hearing his story, I was worried about his child.
After all, everyone in Sector 7 had been brainwashed.
There was no way a child would be safe.
No, rather, a child would be in danger much faster.
As the man said earlier, children, won, the elderly, and then n were affected by the strange symptoms in that order.
But...
"She's not here anymore. She passed away a few years ago."
"Ah..."
The man conveyed the tragedy in a calm voice.
I was at a loss for how to react to this.
While I was searching for words of comfort, the man continued.
"The cause of death was malnutrition. It was impossible to find food in Sector 7."
That made sense.
There was a reason why Sector 7 was called a wasteland.
"Was that why you stole the bread?"
"Yes. I had no money and had been starving for days... I was desperate to save my child. Although it led to a worse outco."
"...I'm sorry."
"Haha, it's okay now. I poured out all my sadness and cried it all out back then."
"Is that so?"
He was a man who truly liked to hide his emotions.
To say that he had overco the grief of losing his child just by crying a few tis, did he expect to believe that?
Anyway, I was about to change the subject since it was uncomfortable to continue this conversation.
"May I ask you sothing?"
The man suddenly asked a question.
It seed he was curious about sothing.
"Of course."
I nodded willingly, and the man spoke as if he had been waiting for it.
"What will happen to the other residents besides ?"
"Ah, the residents."
What should I answer?
After a mont of contemplation, I opened my mouth.
"They'll all be fine soon. Just like you."
As I spoke, I felt my shoulders suddenly beco heavier.
It was as if I was carrying the lives of hundreds of people on my shoulders.
Well, that was what I was aiming for in the first place.
I was determined to save those people, no matter what.
This sense of responsibility helped to keep my resolve.
"Is that also thanks to you, mage?"
"You could say that. My efforts will play a very important role."
"Ah."
What was he thinking?
The man, who had been silent for a while after hearing my words, spoke in a low voice.
"...I will definitely repay this kindness."
With a look of determination in his eyes.
I didn't bother to ask and ended the conversation there.
More than 30 minutes had already passed.
Ti was not on our side.
It was ti to go and free the residents of Sector 7 from that dreadful affliction.
***
"I'll help too."
When I told him I was going to undo the residents' brainwashing, the man rolled up his sleeves and stepped forward.
"There's not much you can do, though?"
"I'll find sothing to do. This is related to as well, so please let help."
"Ah, well..."
The man's will was firm, and I reluctantly agreed. After a brief exchange of nas with the man, I headed straight to the detention room.
As before, the detention room was in chaos as soon as we entered.
"Die! Die! Die, die, die!"
"Kekeke, a person... a person!"
"Young man! Give blood! Blood!"
Clank, clank! Clank, clank!
Along with the crazy shouts, the sound of iron bars shaking echoed from all directions.
I was sowhat used to it by now, but the man, no, Eos, was bewildered by the sight.
"What in the world...?"
"These are the symptoms of the brainwashed people. When they ca out of the rift en masse, they bit the soldiers' necks."
"So I was like that too?"
"You were worse, if anything, not better. You were very strong."
"I feel like I keep doing things to be sorry for."
I chuckled and pointed to the cell at the very front.
"Let's start from here, one by one. Please take them out and bring them to . Be careful not to get hurt."
"Yes, I understand!"
Eos replied vigorously and opened the detention room with confident steps.
As if waiting for it, the residents rushed towards him.
"Blood! Blood!"
"Dieeeee-!"
I positioned myself to intervene imdiately if things got even slightly dangerous.
However...
Thud!
It was unnecessary.
Eos's shove sent all the charging residents sprawling to the ground.
'How is he so strong?'
It was an uncanny level of strength for soone considered an ordinary person.
'Co to think of it, his physique is comparable to Uncle Thompson's.'
What was even more surprising was that Eos was from Sector 7.
He wouldn't have been able to eat properly, nor would he have had the energy to exercise, so how did he possess such strength?
The question lingered only briefly.
"Let go of ! Let go!!"
"I brought him here."
Before I knew it, Eos was approaching with a resident grasped by the scruff of his neck.
'Right, focus.'
This wasn't the ti to be distracted by such thoughts.
I sat down on a chair and said to Eos,
"Please wait a mont. This will take so ti."
Then, I imdiately channeled my mana.
Mana filled with the light attribute and holy power.
Srrrk!
I poured the mana into the old man whom Eos had brought.
At the sa ti, I felt demonic energy.
I ignored it and concentrated on finding the location of the mark.
Since I had done this once before, it proceeded much faster than before.
How much ti had passed?
Thud.
"Phew... It's done."
Finally, the old man stopped convulsing and lay down on the spot.
Soon, he would regain consciousness and return to normal.
The important thing was ti.
"How long has it been?"
"About an hour has passed."
"An hour..."
It was much faster than when I erased Eos's mark.
But there were still hundreds of residents left.
This wasn't nearly enough.
"Please bring the next person."
"Yes!"
"D-die!"
Soon, the next person was placed in front of .
Eos's monstrous strength had him bound hand and foot, unable to move.
I thought it might be helpful, and it turned out to be crucial.
Srrk!
"Uwagh! Uwaagh!"
The resident scread as I channeled the mana.
I closed my ears and concentrated on the flow of magic.
Pasasasak!
Another mark shattered and disappeared like fragnts.
"How long did it take?"
"About 40 minutes, I think."
"Good."
It wasn't enough yet, but the ti had been reduced further.
At this rate, I would be able to undo the brainwashing of all the residents soon.
"Next person, please."
"Yes!"
Eos and I gradually increased our speed.
"Th-thank you. Thank you..."
Thus, the number of normal people increased one by one, and they began to help under Eos's control.
Of course, unlike Eos, there wasn't much they could do, but that was okay.
"How could we be blessed with such a benefactor...?"
"Shh, grandpa. Be quiet. You'll disturb the mage's concentration."
"You! How dare this young whippersnapper speak to like that!"
Just seeing them having normal conversations by my side gave strength.
I lowered the corners of my lips, which had been raised in a smile, and looked around.
'About... 200 people left?'
Cold sweat was already trickling down my back, and my hands and feet were trembling, but sohow...
I was determined to finish this today.
[Translator - Prøks]
[Proofreader - Prøks]
Reviews
All reviews (0)