"Irene."
Irene was waiting at the promised place with Yeoboon.
It was to give me the luggage that I had left in advance.
Irene snorted as she handed over a suitcase that anyone could see was suspicious.
"Eonni..."
"Why are you crying?"
"I'm not crying. It's just tears."
......what's the difference?
Looking to the side, Yeoboon had a similar look with me.
Irene hurriedly rubbed the tip of her nose with her sleeve.
"No, I said the wrong thing. I just had a runny nose."
"Yes, yes."
"Eonni."
"Huh?"
Irene stared at me.
She said she had a runny nose but her brown eyes were wet.
"This is for the best, isn't it?"
"......."
"There's no other option, right? So, for example, if we work together to defeat a villain, it's hard to do that, right?"
"It's not that difficult."
I just didn't really want to commit suicide with Irene in that way.
Moreover, even if I succeed with luck, it wouldn't be best for me.
I reached out and stroked Irene's head.
I don't know what Irene's real hair would be like, but Ji-eun's hair was soft anyway.
"Take care."
"...."
"Here or elsewhere."
Yeoboon's presence saved my breath.
Irene eventually pushed the grubby tears out of her eyes.
"Eonni too..."
Irene whispered, sniffing.
"You have to be well."
Yeoboon skillfully pulled out her handkerchief, leaving the dripping tears untouched.
I smiled bitterly and caught the sight in my eyes.
"Why are there so many tears?"
"Because it's sad. Aren't you sad?"
"I think I'm a little less sad because you're so sad."
"......write me a letter Once you get anywhere safely, you know? There's a code that only we know. No one will ever recognize you."
Does she mean Hangul?
I nodded my head.
"Promise me. You'll send me a letter. Just see if you don't write one......"
"Okay."
Irene, who had heard the answer, continued to rummage.
I widened my eyes the next moment.
"Take this."
"This is..."
"You told me to burn it, but I didn't burn it and I just kept it. Just in case, I thought."
The enchanted cloth, Irene carried a light blue cloth that was familiar to me.
I took it by surprise.
"That's a treasure anyway. If you take it, it might be useful in times of crisis. And also..."
Irene then handed me a small pocket.
And as soon as I got it, I could see what was inside without having to open it.
"Irene!"
"I didn't give you everything. To be honest, I don't know what's going to happen in the future. It's just that it's just... Because eonni blew out a few you had for me in the past. I've only transferred that."
The feel of the hard bead was clearly felt through the palm of my hand.
I was embarrassed.
"You don't have to. You don't have to."
"I'm giving it to you because I want to."
"But this is......."
"I don't know. I already gave it to you. If you don't pick it up, I'll break it with the pocket here, so take care of it."
I blinked my eyes.
Irene, who spoke with threatening remarks, was still in tears.
"......thanks."
"This is nothing."
I finally hugged Irene.
I said I wouldn't say goodbye and hug because it seemed like a final goodbye, but now it's really the last time.
Yeoboon and I said goodbye by simply shaking hands.
Yeoboon didn't seem to know everything, but she didn't ask me anything.
Soon after, I left the two behind.
When I loaded myself back into the carriage, my head suddenly felt numb.
'Where am I going now?'
First of all, I should go to a nearby inn and change my outfit.
The maid's uniform was helpful when I left the mansion, but it was a striking outfit to get around the streets.
I change into normal clothes in my luggage bag, and I wear a wig.
'And then?'
I tried hard to roll my dazed head.
When I first planned to run away, I tried to go south.
I was going to go and get on the boat.
That's why I searched for a ship.
'But since Jungkook has gone to the south.'
It's too dangerous to go down south as originally planned, hoping not to bump into each other.
'West, or North.'
The east was a long way to the border.
When I looked at the map, the capital was tilted west rather than the centre.
"......let's go west."
Simply put, it may seem better to go north in the opposite direction from Jungkook, but if I went to the north, I have to pass through the forest in the middle.
It was quite a vast forest, not as much as it was in the south, but it was a bit cautious to guarantee safety in the process of crossing.
I decided to head to the west, where private houses continued to the border.
'Haah.'
I felt like I used all my heart in the process of deciding which way to go.
I changed my clothes and wore the wig at the inn that arrived a little later.
The maid's uniform, which I was wearing, was secretly disposed of by the inn employee after giving her money.
Then, before leaving the inn, I suddenly looked in the mirror.
A shaggy brown hair with a slight covering of the neck, plain men's casual attire that is not noticeable.
I didn't cover his face, but I looked like a different person at first glance.
I made eye contact with a stranger me in the mirror.
"...."
It suddenly hit me.
That I'm running away.
I have abandoned everything that has been going on in my life and I am running away without anything.
"...Ah."
I let go of the doorknob in the inn I was holding.
I couldn't walk among people who were crying for getting attention to advertise or something like that.
I couldn't.
I stayed there long before I could get out of the room.
* * *
Knight Ilada Xst, who was formally admitted two years ago, had one long-cherished wish.
'Wait, you Axis of Evil.'
It's to give cold-blooded retribution to an evil monster that afflicts human life.
Of course, it's too much to do alone.
Monsters are scary anyway.
He already knew that it would be difficult for him to do so in his own power.
'So he volunteered for this subjugation.'
In fact, it was quite a conflict at first.
It could have been dangerous.
Ilada wanted to draw the sword of justice towards the monster, but at the same time, he wanted to be safe.
To be honest, it was really his wish that he would use his last time to draw his sword for the monsters who killed almost everyone else.
'I didn't trust the Count a little bit in that respect. He's a man of record, but no skill, and more than that he's old, and I'm not sure if he'll be able to take the lead in sweeping the monsters.......'
For that reason, even though the long-awaited opportunity for the monster conquest was just around the corner, he could hardly make up his mind and continued to be torn to the brink.
It was then that he heard the news that the leader of the subjugative force was changing.
Something really happened to Count Ilada.
He lay down on his bed because of chronic disease.
So the new leader.......
Ilada led the pack from the lead, glancing at the moving black horse and its rider.
'The Duke of Jeon.'
There was a smile on Ilada's lips.
'This was a complete relief.'
As soon as Ilada heard that the person in charge had been changed to a duke, he submitted an application to the subjugative force without any worries.
He bet there were quite a few people like himself.
He said, 'That's the Duke of Jeon'.
No one in the article doesn't know about the Duke of Jeon.
Sometimes he was treated like a fool.
But The Duke of Jeon was a monster.
Those who saw him using the sword in person said that.
That talent was God's gift, or it must have been stolen from the devil.
'The point was that either way he is not human.'
Surely there were too many human beings who felt sorry for putting that skill into the category of human beings.
Including Ilada himself.
Anyway, it was a monster subjugative force led by such a duke.
Is there really a safer and sure guarantee than this?
'I'll just have to follow behind and remember to check and shoot the monster to death.'
Sometimes if there's some monster who's not out of breath, he'll definitely cut it off.
Perfect.
This is it.
Ilada was already excited before he even reached the South.
Easy, quick and safe wish fulfilment was finally at hand.
"Ah, by the way, the Duke family knights must have been part of the subjugative expedition. I was also curious about their skill, but I'm sorry.'
It was when Ilada Xst had just thought so.
"Purrung!"
".......!"
The Black Horse stopped moving. Something blocked the front.
The opponent, who appeared to block the horse's course, was armed with black clothes.
Though suspicious at a glance, Ilada did not rush forward.
As soon as the opponent appeared, he bowed his head to Duke Jeon.
Ilada did not miss a glimpse of the perfect beauty of the Duke of Widgreen.
"I'm sorry, Master. - No, sir. I know I'm just showing up like this without permission, but it's too urgent to......."
"What is it?"
The opponent who raised his head delivered a letter to the Duke.
The Duke read the letter with a dry touch.
'What's that about?'
Ilada slipped his head out of curiosity.
But even when he widened his eyes, he couldn't see the letters on the paper well.
It was the next moment.
"...?!"
"Your Excellency!"
The Duke of Jeon turned his head.
No one could catch him who was suddenly leaving his seat.