Chapter 8
Chapter 8
Whats wrong with this idiot?
Oww!
Lelia stood up and smashed Kalixs head against the tree with all her might.
Fortunately, making him faint was a first-try success.
I was going to try a few times if I failed this is a blessing.
[T/N: ]
Lelia breathed a sigh of relief.
Hmm, will I be able to carry him on my back?
Kalix was still a little taller than the children of his age. Firstly, it was not a matter of height, but his bones themselves were a bit thicker than normal.
I wouldnt know if a beast would appear, feed on us and run away.
Lelia was muttering something she didnt mean for others to hear.
With much difficulty, she managed to carry Kalix on her back and stand up. Still, he was only ten years old. He didnt feel that heavy. His body rose up quietly on her back.
Lelia was slender, but not weak. She was strong enough to survive, despite the hunger that made her scratch the soil and snow in search of food. And even before she was sent to the temple, the emperor gave her enough food to eat.
Ah, how do I find my way back?
She started walking randomly, couldnt think of a way to solve this magically twisted road.
She cant just stop walking. The fear that beasts might appear anytime made her senses keen and alert.
Lelia walked on, listening to the sound of leaves shaking, and birds chirping. Then, she heard a rustling sound.
Lelias spine froze for a second.
!!
Lelia tightened her arm carrying Kalix, thinking the beast might appear any second. However, she sighed in relief immediately. It was Griffith, not a beast, who emerged from the bushes.
Who are you? Griffith asked with a frown. He had a kind of light in his hand, but when she looked closely, it was full of fireflies.
He had apparently looked for light in this dark mountain, found fireflies and locked them in a jar.
Im the crown prince of Auraria.
I know. But, why are you here?
Well, its complicated. Believe it or not, a beast will appear soon. So you should leave this place with me as soon as possible.
This is the mountain where the priests come every day. There is no beast here.
If you run into a beast later, you wont be able to say such a thing anymore. Anyway, we have to get out of here quickly.
The road is twisted.
I know that too. Still, there should be an exit somewhere.
I know the way.
Really? Lelia asked happily.
Come to think of it
You went back and found out that the road was strange, so you made a light box out of those fireflies? And came back? Are you worried about Kalix Ascard?
Griffith frowned at Lelias question.
She thought he had left Kalix and went back to the temple all by himself, and cursed that he was a bad guy. In the novel, their roads seem to have crossed.
Lelia grinned while sweating.
Dont laugh.
No, you really are a nice boy, arent you? I misunderstood, Im sorry
Griffith seemed even more offended by the word nice boy, but Lelia didnt mind it at all.
What are you doing? Lead the way! Lets go.
But whats wrong with him?
Uh, he he passed out.
Hmm, weak kid who pretends to be strong.
Griffith snorted, I knew it.
[Actually, I knocked him out]
Lelia said the truth inwardly, and followed Griffiths footsteps.
Then suddenly, Griffith looked back at a great speed.
Why did you Lelia turned reflexively without asking why. She couldnt help but notice the tremendous energy she felt behind her back in an instant.
ARGH!
At the same time as she turned her back, Lelia shrieked and took a step forward. When she lowered her head, the claws of the beast were near her lower stomach, stained with blood.
[When the hell did this beast show up?!]
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!
The beast in front of them was drooling and watching them. After scratching Lelias stomach, the beast took a step back. It was probably thinking about when to rush and rip the neck off at once.
Why the hell is there a beast here!?
Griffiths looked rather bewildered. I wouldnt have been so surprised if I had seen the devil.
At the same time, he looked around to see if there was anything that could be used as a weapon, reflexively.
Lelia said, calming her trembling vocal cord, Griffith, theres theres a whistle around my neck, bring it to my mouth. Its a whistle used by the priests.
The purpose was not to call the priests to this place, but to let those, who had planned this, back down
It didnt matter what happened now.
Griffith slowly reached out to the back of Lelias neck, looking at the beast. The beast was judging the situation from afar.
As Lelia lowered her gaze, she could see her ragged clothes scratched by the claws of the beast. What was inside must be terrible.
Nevertheless, Lelia stood upright with Kalix on her back.
Arent you afraid? Griffith was surprised.
Moreover, she looked straight into the eyes of the beast. Rather, she did not blink at all, as if she would never lose the fight against the beast.
In fact, it was a result caused by extreme fear, but in Griffiths eyes, it seemed as if Lelia was trying to eat the beast.
Griffith succeeded, very slowly, in passing the whistle to Lelias mouth.
And then
WHOOSH!
When Lelia blew the whistle as hard as she could, the drooling beast rushed towards her. At the same time, Griffith lifted a long branch that he had found earlier.
Lelia stood there, not avoiding or turning her back, even as the beast rushed towards her. Kalix was on her back. She could never show her back.
Kang!
It happened in an instant. Griffith swung the branch, blocking Lelias way, and at the same time a white light shone.
What Griffith murmured, unaware of the sudden action, the white light emitting from his hands.
And Lelia
Oh my God! Im alive! Good job, Griffith!
It looked like Griffith awakened the divine power.
In the novel, it was mentioned that he had awakened his divine power just before returning to his home country
Lelia had heard that when you are on the verge of death, ordinary people can use miraculous power. She guessed this was the moment for Griffith.
But the miracle didnt come twice.
!!
The beast rushed back towards Griffith, and he could not use the sacred force he had used earlier.
ARGHHH!
Griffith!
The beast ran and bit Griffiths arm, who screamed and tried to shake it off.
A light poured out of Griffiths arm. It was on spur of the moment.
GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!
The beast, who bit Griffiths arm, confronted them again. Saliva and blood dripped out of the beasts teeth.
It was Griffiths blood.
Urghhh.!
Are you all right, Griffith? Lelia asked, helplessly with regret.
It was then
Ugh what are you Oww my head
A low voice rang from behind Lelias neck. Kalix was awake.
[Now what?!]
Kalix blinked as soon as he opened his eyes. There was a beast growling in front of him. It was a real beast. It was not a dream. It was real.
And
Arggghhh!
He noticed he was on someones back. There was a high probability that this back would be Prince Leos.
Kalix stepped down from Lelias back and pushed her away. It was hard to have strength because he had a severe sprain in one foot, but Kalix stood upright and took out a small dagger from his arms.
No!
It was at the same time, Lelia, who was pushed aside, screamed, but couldnt stop what happened in an instant.
[Thats how I tried to protect you!]
Cant the fate of the novel be changed?
Lelia closed her eyes tightly.
For some reason, her heart seemed to boil with anger. Her own helplessness was pathetic. She was a fool when she thought she could save Kalix when she had no power. Rather, it did more damage to Kalix. It was all her confidence
Its my fault
The moment she closed her eyes for a while, it felt like a very long time.
In the story, Kalix loses an arm to the beast on this day. Nevertheless, Kalix becomes a great warrior by defeating the Dragon, while holding a big sword with his other hand.
On the top of that, he plays the most important role and makes irreparable sacrifices. Although he was not dead, he was a victim that no one could be happy with.
So Lelia couldnt turn away from Kalix.
[At least one arm]
[I wish I could save that one arm]
Even though he became one of the heroes who saved the world, she wanted to give back that arm to Kalix, who lost everything.
However, it was a failure.
[I am so useless.]
[I should have thought more about it and acted]
Tears trickled down, her eyes tightly shut with guilt.
However, from now on, there is nothing she can do about that is inevitable.
[At least I have to help Kalix not to get hurt anymore.]
Lelia woke again with a firm heart. However, what Lelia saw when she opened her eyes was a little different from what she had expected.
Ka- Kalix
Kalix was shivering , holding his dagger tight and stabbing it into the beasts neck. His arms were fine.
Lelia seemed to have lost strength in her legs. A shudder ran through her whole body.
The beast, having suffered a seizure for a while, soon breathed its last breath.