My Strange Savior - Chapter 12

Chapter 12

“It’s delicious.”

Gia’s eyes, which had previously only focused on filling her stomach, now sparkled with the enjoyment of tasty food and sights to see. It felt like a distant memory when she lived with humans in the dark underground shelter.

The clear air coming through the broken vents, the warm autumn sunlight, and the vibrant people on the streets all made the past of living in the underground shelter seem far away. 

Gia opened her eyes and ears wide, fully embracing the sensations with her entire body. This is what it means to live like a person.

Eating tteokbokki with friends after school, spending money meant for textbooks on PC cafes, and buying pencils and stationery in front of the school. 

Gia missed those carefree days when she roamed the streets without a worry. She thought she had forgotten them, but not.

Determined to prevent this beautiful place from becoming a ruin because of Morrison, Gia decided to gather her strength.

“Let’s go.”

Having licked her lips to make sure she had finished eating, Gia tightly held Rey’s hand and urged Kalion. 

Carrying cotton candy in one hand, the two of them walked, and Kalion felt like he had become their protector. It wasn’t a bad feeling, so Kalion decided not to disrupt this tranquility.

Kalion looked at the large castle as they walked slowly. As they reached the castle gate, Rockt, the deputy knight commander, came out to greet them, unable to contain his excitement.

“Commander!”

Kalion approached the large middle-aged man who was calling him with tears in his eyes and reached out, gripping his shoulder.

“Commander… Huff. You’re safe.”

As Kalion returned unharmed after securing an escape route for the members, the man’s eyes welled up with tears. His emotions, a mixture of apology and gratitude, overflowed, causing his reddish-brown irises to tremble in all directions.

The large, bearded man embraced Kalion and sobbed loudly. Upon witnessing this, Gia’s expression hardened.

‘He looks… right…’

It was as if she had seen a husband return from war, but this wife was exceptionally sturdy, with a sparse, rugged beard and a very rugged face. The expressions of the three of them who witnessed the reunion of the two were not pleasant.

“Hump. Huff. Com… Commander… never… see you again…”

Rockt, while trying to speak, glanced at the sky and then back at Kalion. His face was soaked with tears.

“Why is your face like this again… Huff.”

Upon seeing Kalion’s face that had been battered earlier, Rockt burst into tears again as if he had lost the world.

As Rockt gently wiped Kalion’s wounds with his fingers, as if caressing a precious lord’s face, Gia’s face crumpled in response.

Gia, the guards, and even Rey stood like bystanders, watching the reunion of the two men who appeared to be in a bromance movie.

Not only were tears pouring from Rockt’s face, but his beard also glistened.

Gia crammed the remaining cotton candy into her mouth in one bite. As the cotton candy quickly dissolved, it seemed to leave a bittersweet taste in her mouth, along with the sweetness.

It must be rewarding to return from the battlefield like that. It’s nice to have people welcoming you like that.

“Hmp, huff.”

“Enough, Rockt.”

Upon Kalion’s words, Rockt, who had been whimpering, finally seemed to be aware of the surrounding gazes. He covered his face with his large palm.

“How… how did you escape?”

“I received help.”

“Help?”

When Kalion glanced at Gia, Rockt also looked at the small woman and the child behind her. 

What kind of help could it have been to rescue their commander, who had collapsed and lost consciousness during the monster attack? 

Rockt turned to the benefactor with shining eyes.

“T-Thank you, miss. You saved our commander…”

Eager to extend his gratitude and shake her hand right away, Rockt’s hand was awkwardly ignored by Gia, who nodded her head with discomfort.

“Oh, well, it’s nothing…”

“How should I express my gratitude?”

Perhaps not realizing that Gia had pulled her hand away, Rockt’s persistence in expressing his gratitude eventually led to him holding her hand.

It’s… it’s a bit awkward…

“Hmm. Let’s go inside for now.”

“Yes!”

Kalion, pretending not to notice Gia’s disapproving expression, urged Rockt.

“Let’s go inside! I’ve kept our benefactor waiting for too long due to my overwhelming gratitude.”

He knows how to put it… 

Gia, unsure of how to handle the palm that went from moist to damp, raised her hand in the air and followed behind them.

As Gia walked closely behind Kalion, she secretly touched his cloak with her hand.

“What about the other members?”

“Thanks to our commander, they’re all safe. Hearing that the commander had returned alive, they’re all extremely excited.”

The voice that sounded like he was more excited than Gia herself didn’t bother Kalion too much. He just pursed his lips.

“You’ve worked hard.”

“What are you saying? It’s all thanks to the commander… the commander… Huuh.”

“Enough…”

“As I get older, all I can do is cry. I apologize.”

Gia, watching Rockt dab at his eyes with a handkerchief he had somewhere, raised an eyebrow.

He doesn’t seem like a bad guy from the beginning. 

Seeing Kalion, who has earned a lot of trust from his subordinates, Gia thought she had done well to help him. Of course, he’s frustratingly inflexible, but still, he doesn’t seem like a bad guy.

After finishing her assessment of Kalion, Gia passed through the entrance of the large castle, where people were waiting to greet them.

“Have you arrived?”

The elderly lord, with a seemingly friendly face, bowed his head, and Kalion nodded in response.

“It was inevitable for me to incur a debt.”

“This old man is just grateful that you’ve returned safely.”

“Have you sent word to the palace?”

“Yes. I hurriedly sent a messenger to the palace, which is why the reception was delayed.”

Just a few days after sending a letter informing the disappearance of Duke Bower’s second son, the lord’s wrinkled face straightened nicely when he wrote a happy letter about his return.

“You must have been worried.”

“No, not at all. Is there any place where you are injured?”

“I’m fine.”

Worried eyes settled on Kalion’s face. He nodded, saying that he had improved a lot thanks to Gia’s temporary treatment.

“Still, just in case, I’ve called for the best physician in case you need it.”

“Thank you.”

“But behind…”

The lord, looking at the woman and child who had followed Kalion, asked.

“Since this might take a while, let’s continue inside.”

“Understood.”

Realizing that there were limits to discussing things here, Kalion cut the conversation short and led the way inside.

* * *

Having glanced around the magnificent interior of the castle, Gia followed Kalion. Young Rey had disappeared with a servant, and Kalion and Gia were heading for the drawing room.

As they opened the door and entered, the fragrant aroma of tea wafted in, and a luxurious leather-clad sofa caught their eyes.

“You seem quite close?”

“He was my martial arts master when I was young.”

“Oh… is he a trustworthy person?”

Gia, whispering to herself, cast a sidelong glance at the elderly man serving the tea. She had been waiting to see what Kalion would say, so her gaze scrutinized the old man.

Such a nonsensical and enigmatic story required someone who could believe it. 

Next to Kalion stood Rockt, and on the same sofa, opposite Gia, the lord was sitting, pouring tea himself.

“I hope it suits your taste.”

Kalion, who had taken a sip of tea, looked at his former master, who he would have to tell a lot of stories about.

“Master.”

Kalion, who had cast aside his pride, looked up with his red eyes and faced his former master. 

Oscar, who stared at his former disciple with eyes burning with urgency, swallowed hard beyond his parched throat.

Kalion’s gaze, which had cleared away the burden of being a changed lord and the commander of the Royal Knights, became solemn.

“I know how unbelievable and difficult to believe what I’m about to say maybe, but I hope you’ll listen until the end.”

“What on earth are you trying to say…”

Knowing Kalion’s habit of speaking with weighty words rather than casually, Oscar furrowed his brow as Kalion continued his explanation. 

For a while, Kalion’s explanation went on, and Gia, who was sitting next to him, silently stared at the elderly man who sat there in deep thought.

Unlike the deep wrinkles that hinted at the passage of time, his eyes continued to shine brightly. Seeing this, Gia’s palms became sweaty. To make things run smoothly, they needed help. 

If necessary, they would have to mobilize the knights of this world to stop what needed to be stopped.

After listening to Kalion’s words for a while, the elderly man’s gaze turned to Gia.

“Is it true? That you came from another world?”

“Yes.”

Gia replied calmly, undaunted by the sharp look in his eyes.

“That someone named Morrison… tamed a dragon…”

Oscar’s hesitant voice finally fell heavily.

“Do you have a way to stop him?”

“There is no surefire way.”

Upon hearing Gia’s words, his wrinkled eyes deepened even further. Oscar seemed reluctant to accept the idea that at the end of such an unbelievable tale, there was no solution.

His voice trembled as he spoke in resignation.

“If that’s the case…”

“We have to mobilize the people here, if necessary. We have to do whatever we can.”

How could someone tame a dragon? How could one stop them with mere human strength? 

Oscar fretted, his fingers nervously tapping as he pondered.

“Is this really… true?”

“Yes, Master.”

Kalion’s heart grew heavy as he acknowledged the truth in response to Oscar’s question, filled with hope that it might not be true. 

He had done nothing wrong, but Gia also had no choice but to accept the weight of the situation. 

Even if these people turned their backs on him and resented him, Gia had no choice but to accept it all. That’s how it had always been.

Perhaps these people would also want to vent their resentment on someone. Could that someone become him?

Gia picked at a speck of dirt between their fingernails.

“For now… for now…”

Oscar struggled to find words as he gingerly rose from his still-strong body.

“You should receive treatment first. I can’t make any unilateral decisions by myself.”

Oscar looked down at his once-loyal disciple’s face, which was now devastated, and stumbled out of the room.

“Commander… is everything you said true?”

After Oscar left, Rockt, who had been staring at Gia, finally managed to speak. It was clear that Gia wasn’t speaking nonsense, but believing in the current situation was incredibly difficult.

“Yes. It won’t be easy to accept. I couldn’t believe it until I saw it with my own eyes.”

Kalion, too, only truly grasped the situation after witnessing a dragon take flight. 

What Gia described could happen in this world. 

If he hadn’t seen it for himself, he might have hesitated and forcibly taken Gia to the palace.

“So… everyone must steel their hearts.”