My Strange Savior - Chapter 17

Chapter 17

“Master…”

Upon Oscar’s words, Kalion tightly sealed his lips. He couldn’t do anything but remain silent, well aware of the current situation.

“So, with that mana bullet, we can capture a dragon?”

“That’s the theory.”

At Kalion’s somewhat hopeful response, Gia clenched her hands tightly.

If they were so confident and discussing it at this level, there must be some hope. They weren’t the type to talk nonsense.

“I’ve left a letter for Gregory, so it should arrive by tomorrow at the latest. But…”

Oscar, his wrinkles deepening, looked at Kalion as he swallowed his sigh.

“Monsters are becoming more ruthless by the day, so we can’t recklessly mobilize the security forces guarding the Emperor. So, should we move the knight order, or should you go alone?… That’s a matter for you to judge, Kalion.”

Mobilizing the knight order without the Emperor’s command was an act bordering on rebellion. Even if it was the Emperor who was aiming to strengthen his imperial authority, he might not hesitate to take action.

It would be fortunate if it ended with Kalion’s punishment alone. Given the involvement of Lord of Morreta, Oscar, and his family, Kalion proceeded with caution, knowing that it could become a tangled issue.

“I understand. I will think about it until tonight. Rest well.”

After Kalion showed proper respect and bid farewell, Gia also turned on her heels.

“What are you thinking?”

“I am considering whether to mobilize the knight order.”

“It seems impossible for us to handle it on our own, doesn’t it?”

“I know. However, a misstep could endanger the members, my family, and even the trusted master.”

“Why is it so complicated here…”

Even just listening was giving Gia a headache. She pressed her forehead.

“Nothing is easy.”

“I’m sorry.”

Seeing Gia, who had come from a world like that and was determined to stay and fight for a single reason, Kalion felt a sense of shame towards the empire he belonged to.

“What are you sorry for? You’re doing your best.”

“Am I doing my best?”

“Yeah. Doing your best from where you stand is your best.”

Gia stretched her arms and twisted her waist from side to side.

“What’s so special about doing your best?”

Casually using the words “doing your best” and speaking confidently, Gia’s demeanor made Kalion’s heart sink.

A mix of gratitude and remorse.

That intertwined with embarrassment.

Was he really doing my best?

It felt ambiguous to call it the best.

Somewhere in his chest, there was a twinge, as if he was feeling the burden of his conscience.

Seeing this, it seemed that contrary to what Gia had said, he wasn’t doing his best.

“I…”

As Kalion lowered his head, the words scattered from his mouth.

If he could just say it, it felt like it would become real.

Kalion, who had never felt embarrassed in his life up to this point, was now so ashamed that it was almost unbearable.

Not realizing that Kalion had stopped, Gia, who had been walking forward, turned her body backward when she felt his absence.

“Why aren’t you coming?”

Lifting his heavy head to look at Gia, who was smiling brightly, Kalion’s red eyes were shaken as hard as if he’d been hit by a gale.

Should he utter an apology?

In reality, when it came down to it, Gia had done nothing wrong, yet she was willing to take responsibility to the end…

When he managed to part his hesitant lips, Gia’s cheerful voice reached him.

“When are we going to eat?”

* * *

Ah, indeed, Koreans have a strong desire for food.

Watching Gia eagerly eating with the determination to scrape the bowl clean, Kalion, who had put down his utensils, looked at her.

“Hey! Why aren’t you eating? Is something wrong?”

In response to Gia’s exaggerated worry, as if a major incident had occurred, Kalion picked up his utensils again.

“No, I am eating.”

“Yeah, yeah. It’s a simple thing people do to survive. Huh? You’ll get sick if you don’t eat.”

Gia, who had lived in a place where there was always something to eat, was concerned about Kalion, who seemed to have no appetite and just moved his lips.

“Eat heartily, eat heartily.”

To maintain that large physique, he should eat a lot, shouldn’t he? Gia was urging him to eat more.

“And don’t worry about other things while you eat. Just focus on eating.”

“Okay?”

“What were you thinking about earlier, eating and drinking and making a face?”

“Am I doing that?”

“Yeah… you are.”

At first, she thought he had a default expression of being expressionless, but now she could see a little expression as they spent more time together.

“Actually…”

Kalion looked at Rey, who was sitting next to him, eating diligently, before uttering a word. 

“We’ll talk later… Don’t dwell too deeply. Thinking too much won’t conjure up what’s not there.”

Gia refocused on her meal. As she wiped Rey’s face occasionally beside her, whenever their eyes met, the corners of their eyes would curve in unison.

Unlike him, who is troubled by deep thoughts, Kalion finds it fascinating and unfamiliar to be in the same space with these two individuals, completely devoid of any dark shadows.

When did they become so close?

“Rey, does it taste good?”

“Yes. How about you, sister?”

“It’s absolutely delicious.”

“What does ‘absolutely delicious’ mean?”

“It means… it’s really, really tasty.”

In response to Rey’s innocent question asking about “absolutely delicious,” Gia hesitated.

She should use nice words in front of the child.

“It’s super tasty!”

Watching Rey shout “super tasty” while raising his utensils, Gia’s lips trembled.

That’s not it…

Gia pondered how to correct this with a wistful smile.

The atmosphere between the two conversing loudly at the dining table felt as light as a spring breeze. Yet, for some reason, Kalion found the air unusually heavy.

Frustrated, Kalion pressed his palm against his thigh in exasperation.

After finishing their meal, Gia and Rey looked at Kalion, expressing their desire to go outside and explore what they couldn’t yesterday.

Unable to resist the eager gazes of the two who wanted to continue their sightseeing, Kalion reluctantly got up.

“Stay close to me at all times.”

“Hehe. Okay, got it. Rey, you understand too, right?”

“Yes!”

Despite repeating it two or three times, Gia responded lightly to Kalion’s earnest request.

Why does he keep worrying?

Thinking it was an unnecessary concern, Kalion wiped his sweat-drenched hand on his clothes.

“This time, I’ll treat.”

“What… treat, you say?”

“Anything you want to eat? Anything you want to have? Within limits?”

Gia raised a hefty purse she had taken from the thugs last time, laughing brightly.

Kalion furrowed his brow as he watched Gia pat her chest and spit out the words she’ll buy whatever with her emergency fund. Rey, unaware of Kalion’s feelings, cheered like a kid his age.

“Wow! Sister, you’re the best!”

Somehow, Kalion felt like crying.

“It’s okay…”

“Sister, can’t you just buy me one cotton candy, the one you bought me last time?”

Is it just about one cotton candy, considering how well-off they are with this much money? 

Gia, who had roughly gauged the market prices while wandering around the market, confidently raised her purse. They were wealthier than she had thought, thanks to the money she took from the thugs. It felt surprisingly satisfying.

Gia grinned widely and stretched out her hand. 

“Not allowed?”

Not understanding this as a refusal, Rey furrowed his eyebrows.

“No.”

“Really?”

“You can have up to five, not just one.”

“Wow!”

Grasping the fingers spread wide, Rey bounced around like a rabbit, and seeing Gia, Kalion couldn’t help but smile.

“Let’s go!”

“Let’s go!”

Following Gia, an excited Rey quickly moved his steps.

From a distance, someone watched the two walking with light steps, exuding a feeling of “I’m so excited.”

Thinking he would be sulking and crying after losing his parents, Rey was surprisingly calm, trusting, and following Gia.

Probably because of this brightness.

It felt like he had fallen into a deep abyss, wanting to cry, yet Gia was there cheerfully jabbering away, making it impossible. Maybe that’s why he forgot about the situation and found himself laughing naively.

At first, Gia seemed unusual, making impromptu decisions without understanding the situation. But now, she seemed beyond likable or unlikable.

He initially thought of her as an annoying presence, like a loose thread sticking out among neatly stitched threads.

However, the uniqueness of Gia, who brightened up everyone around her, was now apparent even to Kalion.

So, in such a situation, he couldn’t help but smile.

To catch up with the two who were getting farther away, Kalion hastened his steps.

* * *

As they emerged onto the bustling street, Gia’s eyes were wide with excitement, rolling around.

Even after looking at it again and again, she couldn’t quite adapt. Every time this happened, she realized she had truly come to a different dimension.

It was a liveliness absent in the world she belonged to.

The slightly sharp wind, heralding the end of autumn, brushed against Gia’s cheeks, but she still seemed delighted.

“Wow… Oh wow…”

“Gia, is this the first time you’ve seen a crowd this big?”

“Yeah. Totally.”

The most she’d seen after the apocalypse was hordes of zombies, so this was practically the first time she’d seen something new.

It’s crowded.

She means she’d seen things that used to be people running at her, waving their hands wildly….…

Seeing someone waving and gesturing for them to come after just one look was truly a sight she hadn’t seen in a long time.

It felt like going to an old traditional market while holding her mother’s hand.

A very old memory evoked a sense of nostalgia.

Before Gia’s mother passed away, they used to visit crowded markets and department stores often.

Thinking of her mother, her nose started to itch uncontrollably.

Her mother’s illness was cancer, a common stomach cancer.

Only stage 2. It was stomach cancer, which had a relatively high chance of survival, so her father and she felt somewhat relieved. Of course, she thought her mother would make it.

That’s when she learned that nothing in this world is guaranteed.

After her mother passed away, her father spent most of his time holed up in his lab, and most of her memories were of being taken care of by the housekeeper.

After her mother left so unexpectedly, her father immersed himself in research, reducing his sleeping hours. As a result, what was born was the zombie virus. Knowing this, Gia did her best to prevent the destruction of this world.

Although she couldn’t prevent it in her world, she didn’t want it to spread as much as it did here.

For the sake of her father and her late mother.

She wonders how sad her mother would be if she could see from up above.

“Sister!”

“Huh?”

Rey, who had pulled Gia out of her thoughts, lifted a pretty pin displayed on the counter.

The pin had a crude form with a butterfly shape made of iron, but it looked the prettiest on the display, so Rey raised it without hesitation.

“Isn’t this pretty?”

“Yeah. Should I buy it for you?”

“Yes!”

Gia, who picked up the pin painted in yellow and looking convincingly attractive, didn’t hesitate to pay.

Watching Gia make a cool deal without bargaining, the merchant grinned, showing his white teeth.

“This one’s on the house.”