Chapter 107 : Chapter 107
Chapter 107 : The Cabin Father & Son (2)
Even though he answered my words obediently, the thousand-year-old young Imperial Family member couldn't easily relax his tension.
Why is this guy, who is nominally a member of the Imperial Family, so scared?
Is the ability he has really just turning into an animal?
And the animal he changes into every time is just a squirrel.
“Look here, for someone who taught me this and that, I’ve never seen you change into anything else.”
“Hmph, I don’t need to change into anything else. Because this form is the most stable.”
“Are you saying you can change into other forms, or that you can’t?”
When I asked a bit persistently, the guy narrowed his eyes.
“Why the sudden interest?”
“I told you. You won’t be able to hide your identity from Ratel forever. After I leave, are you just going to hide and watch him like you do now?”
He flinched briefly at my interrogation and frowned again.
“You talk as if you’re ready to leave anytime.”
Well, that is true.
Just coming this far was already excessive interference.
Adventures aren’t meant to be done personally.
A journey risking one’s life is only fun when you are in the position of an observer.
“So answer me. Can you turn into other animals or not?”
“......No.”
The guy, who hesitated for a moment, answered quietly.
“Then what about other abilities you’re hiding?”
“.......”
He mumbled as if he didn’t want to answer.
“Seeing how you talked about killing me or not in the capital, didn’t you have something you were relying on?”
“Why are you bringing that story up again!”
I wasn’t particularly trying to dig up the past, but he raised his voice as if embarrassed.
“If you want to follow Ratel without hiding like now, this is your chance. Because he will need your power to destroy the holy object.”
At my advice, El rolled his black eyes once.
“The owner of the prophecy won’t try to kill me, right?”
He won’t try to kill you.
Though he won’t leave you alone either.
“He won’t kill you. Because if I disappear, you will have to replace my usefulness.”
El’s expression changed strangely at my answer.
“You keep saying usefulness, usefulness since earlier. Are you saying the owner of the prophecy is a human who decides people’s life or death based on practicality?”
“About half.”
I looked at the guy waiting for my next answer, then turned my gaze to the other side of the river.
El doesn’t know how much that guy loathes the Imperial Family.
Nor how hot the desire for revenge hidden inside that guy who looks thoughtless is.
So, the fact that I’m alive could only be explained by my appearance that doesn’t remind him of the Imperial Family and my usefulness.
“What exactly does usefulness mean?”
El, who had lowered his head in thought for a moment, suddenly looked at me and asked.
“Obviously, whether one can help in defeating the Imperial Family.”
“No, not that. I’m asking what usefulness is to you, kid.”
“It would be whether it helps in surviving.”
El tilted his head as if he didn’t understand the answer that came out without hesitation.
“That’s a bit strange, kid. If surviving is your most important goal, shouldn’t you have tried to get a little closer to those children in Lucha village?”
His pitch-black and transparent eyes looked at me as if piercing through.
“I know humans very well. Humans are weak, and because they are weak, they flatter others. Because they are weak, they try to gather together. So what you should have chosen in Lucha was not struggling to distance yourself from them, but trying to get a little closer. So that they could like you even a little more. Isn’t that right?”
“.......”
I couldn’t answer rashly.
It was a sharp question, unlike the guy who only spouted arrogant words.
No, actually, I knew the answer, but maybe I just didn’t want to say it out loud.
“Are you not going to answer?”
The guy urged me.
“......You didn’t answer either. Why did you suddenly act like that in front of the river earlier.”
In the end, what I offered was not a clear answer but a cheap change of subject.
“Squeak!”
Fortunately, both he and I had many things we were hiding.
“It seems like there’s a reason we shouldn’t get close to the river.”
Seeing him turn his gaze to the river with a stiff face, I felt a small relief and lifted him up.
The inquiry started simply to change the topic and became more intense than expected as El’s resistance grew fierce.
“I’m asking what is in the river.”
“There’s nothing! I just cleared my throat a moment earlier!”
He put up a laughable defense that his mistake was just intentional.
Watching him tell such an obvious lie, one hypothesis came to mind.
Perhaps this was also a question where life was at stake depending on the answer?
“W-What is it?”
Reading an ominous energy from me who suddenly became quiet, he tried to turn around and run away, but right now I was bigger and faster than him.
I caught him as he tried to flee.
If it’s hard to say, I can just find out myself.
Given the time we spent together, I was willing to offer that much consideration.
“Hey, you crazy bastard! Won’t you put this down?!”
“Do you know how to swim?”
As I asked the struggling guy, El looked at me with an anxious expression.
“Surely you aren’t thinking strange thoughts? I believe you aren’t such a narrow-minded guy.”
El stepped back from me and revealed trust he was usually stingy with expressing.
“I trust you too. If you lived a thousand years, you must have learned at least swimming.”
At my answer, he started going berserk, but it was useless.
Even if he was a reckless guy, with Ratel right nearby, it wasn’t enough to risk transforming into his original form.
“Aaaack!!! You rude, foolish, and petty guy!! You’re doing this because I poked at you earlier, right?! I know everything!!”
Though he wailed confessing he deliberately poked at my insides, there were fewer personal feelings than expected.
This was an experiment considering a part of the original work.
This wide river fluctuates greatly once in the original work when Ratel tries to destroy the holy object.
If the water reacts to power, wouldn’t something unexpected happen when crossing the river?
For example, reacting to an ancient Imperial Family member’s power like his, or meeting Ratel’s power and causing a troublesome reaction.
I looked down at him, who still wouldn’t open his mouth, and said.
“The personal feeling is very small.”
“So personal feelings are included! You guy with a vessel the size of a booger!!”
El, who was struggling hard, perhaps realized I was serious, gradually stopped struggling and eventually declared surrender.
“Alright, alright! I’ll talk! I’ll just say it!”
“What is it? Wasn’t it that your life would be in danger if you said such things?”
“You ignorant guy! Since it’s better than falling in there, put me down quickly!”
As it was revealed that my consideration was useless over-worry, I relaxed the strength in the hand holding his tail.
Though that didn’t mean I released him.
Still, just by not throwing him into the river right away, he hung on my hand with a quite relieved face.
Waiting for El to catch his breath a little, I urged him to open his mouth.
He glared at me with a fed-up face.
“You selfish bastard, it was a very smart choice.”
Starting with sarcasm, he clicked his tongue and continued.
“Because you would have regretted it if you went into the water yourself. Yes, this river was created by the remaining power of Abalan a thousand years ago.”
I know that much.
This was a part mentioned in the book too.
The river drying up completely was 6 years ago, the same day Ratel lost everything.
Either way, the lake and power are connected.
El looked at me waiting quietly and continued the explanation.
“If strong power remains stagnant for a long time, a will is bound to dwell in it. It has already shown that once.”
I recalled the movement of the river described in the original work.
The river in front of us reveals its bottom a total of three times.
First was 6 years ago when Ratel’s power first manifested, second when Ratel touched the holy object, and lastly when Ratel destroyed the holy object.
“Do you understand? That thing is afraid of the power the child of prophecy possesses.”
Afraid of Ratel who intends to destroy it?
I recalled the power of the world that once went wild due to my possession.
If the power of the Imperial Family became stronger overall, the will of the river might have become stronger too.
And this time, it might not just be about being afraid and running away.
Finishing my thoughts up to there, I looked at El with a sudden question.
“But why are you scared in advance? It’s Ratel’s power that thing reacts to.”
At my question, he rolled his eyes again.
“Why? Is it difficult to answer?”
As I tried to exercise consideration again, he freaked out and opened his mouth.
“No! No! I’ll answer!”
“What is it?”
He glared at me, muttered a few curses, and slowly opened his mouth.
“Contrary to fearing the owner of the prophecy, it would try to draw in those who inherit Abalan’s blood and possess Abalan’s power. If one makes a slight mistake, they could be dragged to the center of that power.”
He gestured with his eyes to the island standing in the center of the river.
“I just used power too, but seeing there’s no movement, isn’t it a needless worry?”
Even though I, who just used the transformation ability once, was right next to it, the river showed no movement.
“It is so now but...... we don’t know what will happen if we narrow the distance more. So I’m saying touch the water as little as possible.”
I agreed with his opinion that there was no harm in being careful.
“Seeing there’s no movement right now, does it react to the movement of power after all?”
El nodded at my guess.
“Right. I’m saying there’s no harm in being careful. You should be careful too.”
He glared at me sulkily and said.
“Anyway, aren’t you an Abalan too? Besides, you have power as well. I can’t be certain what will happen either.”
It was a dissatisfied expression, but it was a worry nonetheless.
By the way, ‘dragged to the island’.......
“That could be an opportunity in its own way.”
“Opportunity?”
I stared briefly at his black eyes looking up at me blankly, then turned around.
“It’s nothing.”
He started listing complaints saying I make him tell everything but I gloss over things again, but I familiarly ignored him and headed to the room again.
***
Perhaps because of the conversation with El, my steps to Jing and Ratel’s room weren’t light.
I didn’t want to get involved in his journey more than this.
Saving the world was a job for the protagonist and his comrades.
I had no desire to squeeze in between them and play hero.
Above all, I didn’t want to see them worrying about how to dispose of me after executing all Imperial Family members.
It would be the right thing to disappear before the empty spot I leave behind becomes bigger.
Thud.
Before I could even put my hand on the doorknob, the door opened and Ratel welcomed me.
Since it was obvious he heard my footsteps, I walked into the room without saying much.
“I didn’t say come in yet.”
“If you open the door, that means come in.”
As I insincerely replied to his meaningless quarrel and closed the door myself, Jing, who was unpacking, smiled.
“Lord Ran, what is the matter?”
“There are a few things you two need to observe before we leave tomorrow.”
At my serious answer, Jing quickly straightened up and offered me the seat on the bed.
“Please sit and speak. It seems the story will be long.”
“No, it’s fine.”
Declining his excessive kindness, I looked at Ratel and Jing who had approached before I knew it, and held up my index and middle fingers.
“First, our objectives are two things. First is destroying the holy object. And second is Ratel’s growing power.”
“Is such a thing possible?”
Just as Jing asked in surprise, Ratel also opened his eyes wide as if surprised.
“Yes, it is possible. Though we have to return here with the holy object.”
Ratel regained his composure quite quickly even before the tempting proposal that his power could become stronger.
Enough to look into the source of my knowledge first.
“Is that also the content that was in the book?”
“Yeah.”
Although it is contained in the original book, not the Red Book.