(EP-258.1) Like the Wind #3

258 – Like The Fleeting Wind #3

Elga has a fiery temperament.

Hot, intense, and sometimes even violent or coercive.

Because of this temperament, Elga once caused a scar on my eye. When I think back to that incident, my eye still stung.

Nevertheless, after entering Ark with Queen Aira, she has softened a bit through various experiences.

You could even say she’d been tamed.

Like a cat that had been domesticated by humans.

So, I was quite taken aback after a long time.

“Answer truthfully. If you lie about even one thing, I’ll break your neck.”

─What?

I couldn’t tell if it was a joke or not. Break my neck? Had Elga been in such a bad temper lately that she would say something like this?

So, I decided to find out Elga’s feelings first.

“Elga-nim, I don’t know what’s going on, but you seem agitated. Please calm down first…”

“Look at this.”

Rustle, rustle.

Elga handed me a stack of papers. The contents of these papers were likely what made her so angry.

“What is this all about?”

I took the bundle of papers with a nonchalant attitude, and took a look.

As I did, I saw it was filled with incomprehensible diagrams, equations, and numbers, causing my brow to furrow immediately.

What was this?

Noticing that I didn’t understand, Elga spoke up in a low voice to explain.

“They’re identification results.”

“Identification?”

“It’s proof that you’ve been lying to me and everyone else, Theo Gospel. Do you know about Promised Mana?”

“Promised Mana?”

“It’s God’s gift to humans. It’s red and has a high magic purity. Some people are born with this red mana.”

Elga’s sudden explanation about mana confused me. But I figured there must be a reason, so I tried to understand as best I could.

“But red mana within the body is difficult to control. Even if only about 10% of it is present.”

“…….”

“But there were people who had more than 50% of that red mana in their bodies. Those people claimed to be chosen by God. This is the story of the Angmar family.”

“So you’re saying…”

“Yes, I’m talking about you.”

When a person is extremely flustered, their eyes would light up. That was what happened to me now.

According to Elga’s explanation, there was a trait unique to the Angmar family. And it seemed she secretly investigated this and received the results.

「You have calmly judged the situation!

You have gained experience points through the talent 《Calm Thinking》.

All job experience +5」

My panic was brief, as cool rationality settled in my mind, allowing me to carefully consider my options.

But before I could speak, Elga spoke first.

“Give me a reason why I shouldn’t kill you right here.”

“…….”

“I trusted you. But you mocked me to the end. Words can’t describe it, but it feels like I’ve been thrown from heaven into the depths of hell!”

Pudeudeudak-.

At Elga’s shout, the birds resting in their cages began to flutter. Amidst the chaos, my mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, like a flock of migratory birds in flight.

Even the cooling effect of Calm Thinking couldn’t quell the confusion. This was a first.

“Theo Gospel, I’ll kill you, and then kill myself!”

There was no room for lies.

Elga had already confirmed my true identity.

If I chose the wrong words, Elga would strangle me right here. And it wouldn’t be surprising if she threw herself off this high tower afterward.

I needed to calm her down.

“Elga-nim, please calm down. I was planning to tell you everything.”

“When were you planning to tell me…!”

She couldn’t hold back her anger any longer and grabbed me by the collar, lifting me up high. I could hardly breathe, but all I could do was struggle.

“Speak!”

“A-after having a child…. ugh….”

“… Child?”

“More importantly, please let go. I can’t breathe…”

Just as my vision started to blur, I felt Elga’s grip on my neck loosen. Collapsing to the floor, I took a deep, ragged breath and rubbed my throat.

“I was going to tell Elga-nim after you had the baby.”

“Why!”

Elga glared at me on the floor. She looked like a beast waiting for the right moment to bite my neck, but it seemed like she was willing to hear me out for now.

“Why only after the baby was born…!?”

“So that Elga-nim wouldn’t try to kill me, like now.”

“You think I wouldn’t kill you if I had the baby? What kind of nonsense is that…!?”

“I know. It sounds strange even to me. But I really thought that. If Elga-nim had the baby, we’d be family. And then you wouldn’t kill me.”

At the time, it seemed like a very plausible idea.

“… What kind of nonsense is that! Are you mocking me right now?”

But Elga was furious, as if she had been deeply insulted. Her voice echoed like thunder and lightning.

“Now everything makes sense! Everything that’s happened fits perfectly! You’ve been looking down on me, trying to use me for your revenge or whatever!”

“……”

If this continued, the guards might come due to the commotion. If that happened, I’d end up bound and thrown into a dreadful dungeon.

To go from a hero who stopped Opal’s plot to the worst kind of traitor in a single night was something I desperately wanted to avoid, so I had to explain myself.

“Do you remember the story of the angel and the hunter? The bear hunter hid the angel’s halo and returned it after having three children, but the angel flew away.”

“What about it?”

“It’s the same idea. At least I wanted to wait until we could be a family who could be open with each other. Otherwise, either Elga-nim would fly away, or my head would fly off, won’t it?”

“…….”

Edited by: faker