My Strange Savior - Chapter 75

Chapter 75

“Ugh. Deputy.”

The cave, always maintained at a low temperature, prevented the bodies of the members from decomposing, and there was no foul odor piercing the nose. 

If an ignorant person had seen it, they might not have immediately thought these were corpses. 

Spencer, however, recognized Rockt at a glance due to the Deputy’s cloak being different from those of regular members and kneeling beneath it.

“Deputy.”

Tears flowed down Spencer’s face, and his voice choked as he spoke.

“Thank you for everything. I should have done better while you were still here.”

Regretting now was futile. The listener was already gone. 

The words, deeply felt, stumbled and wandered in Spencer’s mouth.

“Deputy. Ugh.”

“Spencer.”

Oscar approached Spencer, firmly gripping his trembling shoulders.

“If you cry like this, the departed won’t be able to leave peacefully.”

“Yes, I’ll… stop. I’ll try.”

With each nod, tears continued to fall.

“Farewell, Deputy Rockt.”

Oscar, with his wrinkled hand, raised Rockt’s hand that had fallen limply back to its place.

If the body had been lying here for days, it should have stiffened due to the cave’s low temperature, or perhaps due to post-mortem rigidity. But it didn’t.

Thud.

The hand, neatly gathered at the navel, fell weakly to the ground again.

The old wrinkled leader’s hand held Rockt’s hand firmly.

“I will remember the honorable death of you and your members until I die.”

The sagging eyelids contained unease. 

The hand, as soft as it could have been minutes ago, was not much different from Oscar’s.

When he gathered the held hand neatly on the navel again, this time it didn’t fall.

“Take care.”

Oscar’s final farewell echoed, and Spencer swallowed the sound of his weeping.

“Deputy, take care, please be careful. Don’t wander this time. Do you understand?”

Spencer’s reddened eyes trembled uncontrollably, unrelated to his will.

The last two eyes containing his comrades closed with difficulty.

Creak.

Bringing only the dragon’s corpse, they hadn’t brought the cart with great effort to the summit. Knights carefully placed Rockt’s body on the cart as they brought it inside.

If the cart shook on uneven ground, would it spill? 

The hands of those who carefully bound the body with a luxurious cloth to avoid any blemishes were incredibly cautious. As if that wasn’t enough, they covered it once more with a large cloth, and the cave became even darker.

“Check the cave again.”

“Yes.”

Oscar, who had gone outside after giving orders to a nearby subordinate, gazed intently at Gregory, who was busy disassembling the dragon.

His grandson, engrossed in something, seemed more passionate than before. Oscar, to settle his complex emotions, turned his gaze towards the sky.

The winter mountain.

The summit of Mount Noflan, the highest peak in the Hagria Mountain Range, was covered with perennial snow. Perhaps it was fortunate that it was winter. 

Winter mountains, harsh as they might be, were silent, just like the mountains Oscar originally knew. A winter mountain fair to all, offering the same trial to monsters.

Cold and desolation.

Monsters should have been in a deep hibernation by nature. 

Oscar, based on his long experience, guessed that something related to Morrison might have disrupted this natural order, causing monsters to emerge and harm humans.

“Haah…”

Oscar deeply exhaled, alternately looking at the endless snowy fields and the clear sky. As if by the essence of all things, white breath rose to the sky. 

The soul of a person lighter than this had probably already reached the sky.

Oscar, burdened with the weight behind him, lowered his heavy heart.

‘Farewell, everyone.’

Morreta will forever remember their names and spirits, and he will pass down their story from generation to generation so that they are never forgotten. 

Honoring the nobility of their choice for a sublime end rather than an ephemeral life, Oscar bowed his head.

“My Lord.”

“Speak.”

“We have recovered all the bodies inside the cave, including those of the villagers.”

“Good. Is anything missing?”

The swords they held until the end. 

Even if the teeth were gone, it would be a welcome possession for their families. 

Understanding Oscar’s hidden meaning, the subordinate straightened up, body tensing.

“Yes.”

“When will the dragon dismantling be finished?”

“He said it’s almost done. However…”

“Something’s wrong.”

Inquiring about the additional information, Oscar asked.

“What is it?”

“It seems difficult to load onto the brought cart.”

“Heh…”

“It’s not the size but the weight. Even if dozens more workers join, it’s impossible to drag it down to the mountain with human strength.”

An unexpected problem deepened Oscar’s wrinkles even more.

“What should we do?”

“In my opinion, the only way is to dismantle it and carry the pieces. But…”

“Why do you hesitate to speak?”

“Gregory insists that it’s not allowed…”

Knowing his grandson’s stubbornness better than anyone, Oscar, with a heavy heart, moved towards Gregory.

“Hey.”

Oscar’s voice calling his grandson was gentle, but Gregory, aware of the unspoken words within, stubbornly looked ahead.

“We must not further damage it here.”

“But we can’t bring it down as it is.”

“Hah…”

Feeling the weight of his grandfather’s persuasion, Gregory’s sigh became heavier.

“The size of the dragon is bigger than I thought. My mistake.”

It was just about the size mentioned in the books. He thought it would be that size, but Gregory’s judgment was mistaken. 

The Red Dragon, which was half as large as the White Dragon they caught at that time, was insufficient to load onto the brought cart. Moreover, it wasn’t easy to carve it into pieces.

“It’s okay. It’s your first time seeing a dragon, right? Mistakes can happen. Once you realize it’s a mistake, you should know how to correct it.”

“…Understood.”

Bowing his head, Gregory reluctantly accepted Oscar’s suggestion. 

Oscar, who had been worried about what would happen if he opposed until the end, breathed a sigh of relief and gestured to his subordinates standing behind to start the work.

As the knights, once again, drew out the sword with mana stones and were about to cut the dragon’s carcass, the ground vibrated.

Thud, thud.

Was there a monster with this level of tremor not in hibernation? Or perhaps it was Morrison. 

Oscar quickly drew the sword strapped to his waist.

“Form up for battle, everyone!”

Oscar’s voice commanding people in disarray echoed through the mountains.

“Form up!”

Lieutenants led their subordinates, skillfully forming a battle formation. 

Although they had regained their composure and drawn their swords against monster attacks, the vibrations shaking the ground made their throats quiver, and sweat poured down uncontrollably.

Thud.

What was it? 

On the cloaks of the people holding sergeant ranks, there was a drawing of a black bull with red eyes. Shenanigans’s emblem fluttered in the wind, and their hands tightly gripped the weapon, akin to their own lives.

Thud, thud.

As the opponent didn’t reveal themselves easily, Oscar, guarding in all directions, regulated his rising breath.

Not wanting to hide behind his grandfather forever, Gregory, too, loaded arrows onto the bow he had carried on his back.

Kwoong.

With a dull sound, a boulder rolled down from below.

“Above!”

At Oscar’s words, everyone’s gaze turned towards the top of the mountain.

“Uh… ugh…”

“That, that is.”

Even those who had furrowed their brows against the burning sun for a moment. People murmured and, among them, some whose legs went weak awkwardly sat down.

“Oh, Lord.”

Oscar’s quiet voice burst out like held breaths.

Gregory, too, widened his eyes in disbelief at the unexpected situation.

“That… that is…”

Words that couldn’t become sentences scattered from Gregory’s famously unyielding mouth.

Chung!

Workers who couldn’t continue speaking already knelt on the ground, and the knights guarding the Morreta Territory also put down their weapons.

“Could it be the divine being… Apheus?”

At Oscar’s words, a deep moo echoed through the sky. 

While it couldn’t be identified as the cry of any specific creature, the resonance vibrated the ground, enough to bring even those standing stiffly down to their knees.

“Oh, Apheus.”

“Oh, Apheus. Oh…”

In an instant, they turned into a fanatic collective, bowing their heads to the ground. 

The immense Apheus, towering like a building, scratched the ground with its hind legs.

Even the sturdy Oscar and Gregory had no choice but to kneel before its majesty. Once again, Apheus released a long, mournful cry as it descended from the steep summit in a single step.

“Hah.”

Oscar, as if forgetting how to breathe, swallowed a large amount of air into his lungs. 

“Apheus…”

Even though Oscar spoke words like a prayer, Apheus remained undisturbed, slowly moving its feet. Creak, creak. 

With each exhale, wet nostrils released a white mist.

The colossal figure turned towards the dragon’s carcass. Observing the fragmented remains, Apheus shook its head.

As if in pain, a horn the size of a grown man was driven into the solid wall beside it. The entrance of the cave crumbled and dusty particles filled the air.

“Apheus…”

Despite Apheus’ incomprehensible actions, Oscar could only watch. 

How could a mere human fathom the heart of a divine being?

With a thudding sound, the footsteps resonated with pent-up resentment. As a result, the bodies of those who were lying down were shaken. 

How many more times did the ground tremble?

Only when the vibrations finally ceased did Oscar slowly raise his head amid the swirling dust. Through the hazy particles, Apheus extended its neck and emitted a plaintive cry towards the sky.

“It’s grieving.”

Spencer’s eyes moistened as he absorbed the emotions emanating from the divine being. It was no different for others around him. 

The trembling individuals, without realizing why tears were streaming down their faces, sobbed relentlessly.

After several bouts of weeping, Apheus, having contained its emotions, shook its head. Droplets scattered in all directions as it furled its mane.

Spencer confirmed that the creature that appeared in front of them was indeed the same as the cow he had seen before. 

It was truly Apheus. 

Spencer’s guess was correct. The cow that had guided him down was Apheus.

This divine being was not some malevolent force out to harm humans. 

Spencer, who knew this better than anyone, wiped away the tears streaming down, influenced by the enchanting emotions.

Oscar reached out to stop Spencer as he slowly stood up and approached. However, Spencer’s actions were faster than Oscar’s attempt to intervene. 

Despite Spencer’s larger stature compared to the average man, he looked like a mere child in front of Apheus.

The colossal Apheus, with its eyes rolling, observed Spencer standing before it.

“How sorrowful you are.”