421. Freedom Underpass (3)
As we leave Regina, the proper road is cut off, and soon a desolate wasteland unfolds before our eyes. The hay wagon ran non-stop through that dark, rough field.
Rattling.
Every time the carriage shook, a thick dust billowed up from the dry ground.
“The top is not the main route. “I can’t see a single signpost, so I don’t know if the coachman really knows the way.”
Masain is wary of his surroundings and whispers softly.
Just as he said, as soon as we left the sleepless city, people disappeared like a lie. The places where small villages once stood have been demolished, leaving no traces of houses, and the land where a road once would have been laid out is now a tangled mess of rough grass and gravel.
“You don’t have to be so nervous, Sir Martha.”
“But isn’t the North already a lawless zone? In this defenseless state, I am passing through a road that is wide open in all directions. “How can we not be on guard?”
“hmm.”
Seongjin hugged the moderately heated devil’s lamp and adjusted his posture.
“Lord Masaine. Hey, do you see the mark engraved on the corner of the carriage? “There will be four small dots in the shape of a triangle.”
Masain looked back to where Seongjin was pointing. When I looked for a while with my aura to sharpen my eyes, I could vaguely see some graffiti that resembled a triangle with a dot in the center.
“It just looks like a stain. Does that make sense?”
“Not at all. “As long as it’s there, it means we’re safe.”
“… “Why is that so?”
“It’s because this carriage is a sign that it belongs to the Freedom Underpass. “The bandits know full well that trying to loot isn’t very fun.”
Unlike the upper level, the carriages in the free underpass do not carry valuable items. The only things they ‘deliver’ are felons who can’t find a place in the Empire, or fanatics from underground cults. So no matter which side was touched, it did not do any good to the bandits.
Masain was roughly satisfied with the explanation, but somehow another question seemed to arise.
“But you. How on earth did you do that… … .”
Masain tried to ask a question. Well, it looked like he wanted to ask me something from earlier.
However, when Seongjin turned his gaze and looked into the distance, he also realized the silent rejection expressed by the prince and silently kept his mouth shut.
[I’m bored, Seongjin Lee. Can I take a little walk around the area?]
“Stop it, devil. “If you suddenly start flying through the air, what will that coachman think of you?”
[Can’t we just burn the whole carriage?]
“no.”
[Tch!]
The night passed very slowly.
Meanwhile, Seongjin looked up at the starless cloudy night sky, and sometimes talked to the devil in silence.
The coachman, who had repeatedly called him annoying, didn’t even look back after arguing with Seongjin several more times. This is probably because she painfully realized that opening her mouth for no reason would only lead to bad comments and nothing to gain.
Then, around dawn, they arrived at a small hut standing in the middle of the wasteland.
“Howdy!”
At that moment, a middle-aged woman who was sitting in front of the door burning a pipe, when she saw the carriage, raised her hat and greeted me. She smokes very poor quality tobacco, and the foul smell of smoke fills her nose even from afar.
“hey. Why did you come this far? “The ‘hay’ delivery is from Rubel.”
Then the coachman jumped off the coach seat and spat on the floor.
“Ah, this delivery is a ‘special delivery’. “Take over the luggage like this and transport it to Verdron.”
“Special delivery? “Yeah?”
The woman glanced at Seongjin and his group for a moment with puzzled eyes. Looking closely, she was clearly an unusual person who could not be hidden by shabby clothes and soot.
“It’s rare. “I was wondering if I would take a break today, but it turned out to be all right.”
That was the end of the conversation. The driver disappeared into the cabin, leaving the hay wagon alone.
Meanwhile, a woman came pulling another carriage. It is a small wagon filled with oak barrels.
“Did you hear? “Hurry and load your ‘baggage’ this way.”
After hearing those words, Seongjin quickly got up from his seat and moved to the carriage. As Owen and Martha Yin moved to sit next to her, a small spark appeared in the eyes of the woman who was watching her.
“Hoo.”
She climbed onto the carriage seat with light movements and spoke to Seongjin in a slightly cheerful voice.
“It looks quite familiar to using the underpass, doesn’t it? But no matter how much I think about it, it’s strange because it’s my first time seeing this face. Kid. Do you by any chance know what ‘express delivery’ is?”
Unlike the previous coachman who completely ignored the ‘baggage’, there was a slight sense of composure in the woman’s attitude. Seongjin, who was quietly assessing her level of power, responded.
“know. “It’s a good thing if you can get there quickly without any intermediate stops.”
“Haha, yes. “Then you understand that packages that are delivered exceptionally quickly usually never leave the world, right?”
I flinch.
As Owen and Masain tensed at her non-threatening threat, Seongjin’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“Well, at least you know this one. “We’ll probably be facing some pretty high-ranking middle managers, and there’s a good chance they’ll be the first to tell us that they’ve broken the ‘delivery’ rule.”
“… … .”
“Bethelah. “Do you know that middle-level officials who are fired from the Freedom Underpass usually never leave the world?”
“… “Oh my, I was just trying to scare you a little, but I didn’t even get the hang of it.”
The woman shrugged and took the reins.
“Then, shall we start express delivery? “Hey!”
Rattling rattling.
As the carriage begins to move, the empty oak barrels that were loaded on it bounce helplessly. Seongjin roughly pushed them aside and spoke to the two who were very nervous.
“It looks like this coachman will go all the way to Verdron without stopping. “It will take well over half a day to arrive, so both of you, at least get some sleep.”
“… … .”
Owen and Martha seemed to have a lot to say. However, Seongjin was the first to close her eyes as he held her devil lamp, and reluctantly they each settled down comfortably between the oak barrels.
And so, in silence again, the group began to be quietly ‘delivered’ for a while. It was around that time that the text window he had been waiting for appeared before Owen’s eyes.
Grumpy!
[Surprising Quest – History is made at night! (complete)]
* * *
The air at dawn on an autumn day was very cold.
Nodding.
——————
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Seongjin, who had been dozing off for a while leaning on the warmth of the demon king’s lamp, opened his eyes to the sight of Owen, who was rolling his eyes busily.
“… Why are you looking around so much? “If I can’t sleep, I close my eyes.”
Seongjin’s voice was as small as a whisper. This is a measure that takes into account the person who ‘delivers’ them. Unlike her previous coach, that woman had quite useful Auror activity.
“huh? Oh, just… … .”
Owen must have been aware of that too, as he glanced sideways at the coachman’s seat and responded quietly.
“I was looking for your informant somewhere. No matter how much I look, I can’t seem to find any sign of him. Is this okay? “Are you sure you’re following along well now?”
“Dasha?”
Seongjin got excited for a moment and looked for signs of Dasha. Strictly speaking, it was not a presence, but rather a detection of the absence of an unnatural aura flow.
Seongjin, who soon identified her location, leaned against the oak barrel and spoke.
“don’t worry. Dasha is the most elite agent. She has mastered Auror concealment to an almost perfect level. “It’s rather strange that you can find it so easily.”
“I see. Auror concealment… … .”
What was he thinking? Owen’s expression suddenly became gloomy.
“Now that I think about it, I have something to confess to you. new… Mores. Actually, what I showed you earlier was not proper Auror concealment. “I don’t know how I succeeded, and I can never be sure when I’ll be able to do it again.”
This is a fact you already know. However, Seongjin listened to him silently without showing any signs of expression.
“So what if, what if. “If I have any part to play in your revised plans, I’m sorry, but you’d better not think I can do the same trick again.”
You felt like you had no energy, but were you still worrying about that? Seongjin tilted her head and responded.
“are you okay. “I didn’t really expect that from you.”
“Yeah, really?”
Owen’s eyebrows visibly drooped. Hey, wait a minute. Why is your expression getting worse?
“So, anyway, you are the heretic at the center of this ‘delivery’, right? “It means there is no need to hide your presence.”
Seongjin quickly added before he became even more gloomy.
“Furthermore, Auror concealment does not suit your Auror operating style. “Perhaps it would be quicker for you to become a Dekaron Knight than to learn proper Auror concealment?”
“Dekaron Knight?”
“okay. Looking at your auror activity, haven’t you probably accumulated about 9 floors? So, if you just practice a little more, it will be easy.”
Then Owen stared at Seongjin for a moment. It was as if he was trying to gauge whether or not the words were empty.
“why?”
“No, my Auror level is the 9th floor. But being a Dekaron Knight, that’s not something that just anyone can do. new… Mores, do you think I can really become a Dekaron Knight someday?”
Seongjin raised his eyebrows. What, why does this pale young guy have so much spirit?
“So, you weren’t planning on doing it?”
“No, it’s not as easy as you think… … .”
“Why not? Dude, why do you keep saying such weak words when it’s not enough even if you erase all your random thoughts and work harder? Now that you’ve become somewhat stronger, do you think you can start being lazy?”
Take an example from Logan. He already became a Dekaron Knight a long time ago, but he still devotes himself to training with the Lilium Knights every day!
Owen, who had been dazed for a moment by Seongjin’s nagging, laughed lightly.
“… haha.”
But there is no sound in the laughter either. Somehow, wasn’t it just an illusion that I thought things were a little strange earlier?
When Seongjin furrowed his eyebrows and examined Owen, he smiled bitterly and rested his chin on his knees.
“It’s laziness… Maybe you’re right. I’ve always thought this might be appropriate. “It can be quite useful on the front line, but it is not too noticeable.”
“Why is that appropriate?”
In response to Seongjin’s question, Owen hesitates for a moment and looks back at Masain sitting across from him.
After confirming that he had closed his eyes and was breathing evenly, Owen answered quietly. It was spoken in Warsaw, a language that no one could understand except Seongjin.
“Even if that were possible, what good would there be for the Empire if I became a Dekaron Knight?”
“… … !”
From that single word, Seongjin was able to infer quite a few things about Owen. The reason why Owen seemed particularly gloomy. And the real reason why I didn’t dare to avoid Seongjin’s attack earlier.
Perhaps, when Seongjin’s sword came rushing in front of him, Owen may have thought he saw a foreshadowing of a fierce battle for the throne that might take place in the distant future.
Owen was struggling to grasp with both hands the unexpected happiness that had suddenly come into his life, lest it be taken away.
But despite such desperate efforts, I also know very well that that happiness will disappear completely with just the slightest crack.
“… “Owen.”
I’m in a situation where I can’t help but always have a little anxiety in my heart. Seongjin was able to understand Owen’s feelings more accurately than anyone else in the world.
“I think you’re misunderstanding something. “I didn’t mean to attack you earlier.”
“Yeah, I know. “You didn’t know my identity because I was hiding as an Auror.”
“That’s not what I meant. “What I was trying to eliminate was the medium of strong heterogeneity at the center of that trivial concealment phenomenon.”
“huh? medium… … ?”
Owen made a puzzled face. No, how on earth should I explain this?
“hmm.”
Seongjin, who was pondering, briefly caught sight of Lord Masain.
The image of a loyal knight pretending to sleep and listening to Seongjin’s words while holding the golden Misra in one hand.
Naturally, the word Barsha comes out of Seongjin’s mouth.
“Well, at least know this one thing. “Nothing you worry about will happen in the future, Owen.”
Why? At least for now, I thought I didn’t want Masain to hear this answer.
“If they are truly family, no matter what happens, they will never point their swords at each other.”
As Seongjin said that, he touched the corner of his mouth with some subtle sentiment.
Even though I had already spoken it out, the small sound of that answer still seemed to be lingering around my mouth.
* * *
On the other hand, there was someone that Seongjin and Owen had completely forgotten about until then. The Barça warrior was in great shock when he realized that Owen had disappeared from his dorm.
“Ugh… . “The Delcross people are such faithless people!”
Purma’s Bartoja.
He crawled under the imperial carriage, biting his dirty fingernails. His instinct was to hide himself as much as possible from the sight of the imperial people.
“Owen! The eldest son of the Delcross tribe! “Where on earth did you go, leaving Bartoza alone in a limb?”
As if responding, a box at the back of the carriage shook slightly. The movement was so subtle that even Bartosa, who was right below, did not notice.
… Shake!
fantasy,
