R4STWH - Chapter 105
Chapter 105
To think that Baeksa and Yumi, who fought constantly, were Pairs!
Honestly, their relationship wasn't much different from Zero's and mine. No, at least Zero never raised a sword against me...
'To think it was all fake. That 'Zero' went to such lengths to deceive me!'
Was his life's greatest joy simply making a fool of me?
I felt bitter about all the anxiety and fear I'd suffered after hearing about him in the S-rank dungeon. And then...
'I met the Second Princess for nothing...'
I felt embarrassed now about deceiving Elias to buy underwear as an excuse to meet her and scare her. It turned out there was nothing between them at all!
'That bastard... I won't let him get away with this!'
However, there was something I was too curious about right now to focus on punishing Zero.
"Can I ask you one thing?"
"Of course."
"The child... what happened? If it was mandatory, you must have had one."
Baeksa shrugged at my question.
"Dead. Our child was in the communal nursery when it collapsed."
I covered my mouth again at Baeksa's answer.
As someone who had witnessed the world's destruction from the front lines, learning that my comrades had lost their child at that moment was incredibly shocking.
Even though I wasn't on their team at the time, still...
"Are you... okay with that?"
"Enough time has passed."
I stared blankly at Baeksa as he spoke so calmly.
"But I..."
My true feelings slipped out before I could think.
"If someone hurt the child Elias and I made, I think I'd want to shatter everything related to pieces."
Baeksa laughed softly and shook his head.
"You and we are different. First of all, there was no love between that woman and me, and it wasn't a child we wanted to have."
Still... From what I could see, even if not love, there was at least camaraderie between them.
After all, when death came, hadn't they unhesitatingly thrown away their lives for each other?
However, given how Baeksa's emotions bordered on hatred and contempt when he referred to Yumi as 'that woman', I tactfully avoided bringing up that incident.
'They must have had a really big fight this time...'
The content of their quests would surely be different from mine, and it was common sense not to ask about them, no matter how close we had been as comrades.
From what I could guess, it seemed they would receive a reward comparable to destroying this world, and I had a feeling Ermitar might be the key to it all.
After all, they wanted me to talk to the one whose throat I had personally crushed in our world.
'Zero always did whatever he wanted, but Yumi must have had some reason...'
That girl always pretended to be strong and nonchalant, but inside she was completely different. She was a child who would brood over past events when no one was watching, hurting over her own choices.
'I wanted to do whatever Yumi asked... but why did it have to be this kind of problem...'
Unlike Zero, whom I wanted to beat up thoroughly just at the thought of meeting him, I wanted to talk with Yumi.
If there was a way to fulfill Yumi's wish while preserving this world, I would make any effort necessary.
Just as she had cherished me when I was as empty as if my heart had been removed...
In any case, meeting Yumi would have to wait until after talking with Ermitar.
Trying to persuade her without knowing anything would be foolish.
"Is Crow still with the First Princess now?"
"He should be, unless he's been kicked out."
"Kicked out...? Why?"
"That knight... He's much more innocent than expected. Maybe he's never even met a woman before."
I wondered what on earth he was doing so diligently when I'd only asked him to show his face.
"So, what's your plan? Going to search the First Prince's palace?"
"Yes, that's right."
"Want me to come with you? He might have set a trap to lure you in..."
I shook my head at Baeksa's offer.
"No, you'd better not leave the First Princess's side. It would be really troublesome if she joined in."
It wasn't a question of whether we could win or not. I just wanted to talk to Yumi first, and didn't want to create any conflicts before then.
"Alright, I'll do as you say. But take this, just in case."
What Baeksa handed me was a bracelet intricately woven with magic stones.
"'Noisy Promise.'"
Though not an S-rank item, it was actually more useful because of that. Meaning it was relatively easy to obtain.
"Right. You know how to use it, so I don't need to explain."
"Of course."
After confirming that I put it on my wrist, Baeksa left the temple.
Originally, Baeksa wasn't the type who liked moving around like this. The one with the heaviest bottom among us had somehow become the busiest.
'I should get moving too.'
After briefly looking at the dormitory building where Elias would be sleeping, I shifted my gaze to the eastern sky. Dawn was already breaking.
'I wonder how far you think I can go.'
In the moving carriage, Zero stared out the window, thinking about Ilesha.
Ilesha was his first regret and failure.
Though his willful personality had earned him quite harsh punishments before, even then Zero had never repented or regretted his actions.
Instead, he would just sneer and upset the executors.
But Ilesha...
The mistake he made with her was something he regretted so deeply that, if he could, he would beat his past self to a pulp over and over.
So much so that he thought perhaps he had used up his lifetime's worth of regret on that one incident, leaving him unable to feel anything for anything else.
When he first drove her away, no, when he wouldn't even let her set foot inside the house, Zero's inner self was filled with fierce rebellion against the institution.
He had mistakenly thought they had brought in just anyone from outside to tame him since he kept causing trouble.
Even when other guys grumbled about not liking their Pair partners, or cried because they weren't matched with someone they had feelings for, Zero considered it completely irrelevant to himself.
Most children born in their world had their fates decided within three years of birth.
Children who seemed to lack talent and would only waste resources were mercilessly abandoned outside the city, while others received support according to their abilities as they grew up.
Among such children, Zero was special.
CODE NO.0.
As that name given to him at just one year old proved, there was nothing about him that wasn't exceptional.
Though he had to respond to annoying examinations and publicly demonstrate his abilities from childhood because receiving so much meant he had to give back, he could endure that much.
After all, it wasn't his fault he was born so brilliant.
Adults gave him whatever he wanted, and there was nothing lacking in his life.
So he thought he would be able to choose his Pair partner too, someone he liked at a time of his choosing.
Not just have her dropped off at his doorstep with a mere notification document!
In his rage and sense of betrayal toward the institution, Zero didn't even properly look at that skinny, shabby-looking girl.
When he suddenly thought of her during a meal and put out a piece of bread like giving alms, she ate it so well that he threw her the whole bag before losing interest.
The next morning, when his anger had subsided somewhat and he went out thinking he might have been too harsh, she was already gone.
The institution also contacted him again saying they would look for a new woman to be his Pair, so he just forgot about it.
He never imagined that day would become a thorn that would torment him for the rest of his life.
'You should have shattered my soul stone right there, Hayang. You're too soft-hearted as always.'
Instead of taking it out of the inventory to happily chatter about other men, instead of breaking into that happy laughter he had never seen or heard before.
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