Chapter 101
Chapter 101: I Want to Become Someone Like You
***
Sunlight broke through the clouds.
In the courtyard, the verdant trees danced with the spring breeze, singing a "rustling" melody.
The bearded swordsman standing under the tree cast a long shadow.
I stared at his smiling face, thinking back to our first meeting.
What was Carlos like back then... I can no longer remember.
What I can clearly recall is only the gleaming sword pressed against my neck, and within the flashing lightning and roaring thunder, those emotionless, ice-cold eyes that made me tremble from the depths of my heart.
"You're nothing but a monster crawling out from the abyss..."
That's what he said to me, and with a single thought he could have severed my head.
Back then, to someone like me who knew nothing, he was an overwhelmingly powerful existence I could never match.
Time flew by like flowing water, and in the blink of an eye, more than half a year had passed.
Gradually, I became more and more familiar with that power inside my body that even I found somewhat frightening, and this power would only grow more terrifying as time went on... Although I was now doing my utmost to suppress it, using only the bare minimum of "devouring" to ensure I didn't have problems, to the point where my relationship with eating had exceeded the original Peylo's mere obsession with being "gluttonous." Most of the time it wasn't because I was hungry, but rather a desire to "eat something."
Despite going to such lengths, the abyss continued to grow at a visible rate.
I didn't know if there would come a day when it suddenly lost control and turned things into a situation I couldn't imagine. Sometimes I felt anxious about this, but I didn't dare tell anyone.
At least... for now it was still within my control, and with each sunrise and sunset, it made me grow stronger. By today, I even had the feeling that if I wanted to, I could reduce this prosperous royal city that had stood for centuries to ruins in an instant.
No one could stop me. Not the Holy Church's knights, not that long-robed old man, not that flying woman, and even if you added Carlos who stood right before my eyes, it still wouldn't be enough.
I roughly understood now why the Gluttony Abyss from years ago, when facing 5 Pontifical Knights plus some bishop, a lineup that would have seemed invincible to me just a few months ago, could still kill 2 of them.
Back then I had no experience, so I couldn't imagine it. But now I had a very profound understanding... If 5 Pontifical Knights were to fight against me now, once I deployed the abyss's Chaos Power, I could perhaps achieve that same level of destruction.
This was also why I felt afraid of this power, yet even so...
Even so, I still felt that this bearded swordsman was stronger than me.
He was a true hero. He had slain countless abysses and saved countless people, while I... couldn't even save a girl from a village.
He was like the protagonist from those knight stories. Compared to him, I was just a passerby with power but no significance.
"...Little Syl... Little Syl?"
"...Hmm?"
I snapped back to reality to find Carlos had somehow walked right in front of me, waving his right hand before my eyes with a puzzled expression.
"Why did you suddenly space out? I was talking to you and you didn't hear a thing. What, were you so captivated by my handsomeness that you couldn't pull yourself away?"
"...As if, that's disgusting."
I showed an impatient expression and swatted his hand away, but shifted my gaze to the distant flower bed, not daring to look at his gem-like sparkling eyes again, saying viciously: "Didn't you say you were leaving? Why haven't you left yet!"
"I still have something I haven't finished telling you..."
His voice sounded quite helpless.
"...Carlospiralheavensky."
"...You can actually say such a tongue-twisting ridiculous name?!"
I ignored his slightly astonished tone and just kept my head down looking at my toes.
"Am I... annoying..."
After a moment of silence, his voice calmed down.
"Why are you suddenly asking that?"
"...I always... lose my temper. And slap your face... And the day before yesterday I wasted the sausages you bought..." All jumbled up, I didn't even know what I was saying myself. I stamped my feet in frustration, "Ugh, it's just, am I very selfish... Not likable."
"Not at all, I think you're very cute."
I wrinkled my nose in displeasure.
"...Don't use 'cute' to describe me..."
"Cute isn't good?"
"Mm... If you want to praise me, say manly man."
"...Okay, I think you're very manly... pfft, I can't even say that with a straight face, my chest hurts."
I finally raised my head, glaring at him fiercely. Seeing him clutching his chest in an exaggerated display of pain with that clumsy acting made me so irritated that I raised my hand to smack his face, but stopped halfway through the motion, then slowly pulled it back and put it behind me.
"If you keep this up, I'll never talk to you again!"
Carlos hurriedly raised his hands in surrender.
"Okay, okay, you're very kind, very... pretty?"
"Can't it be brave, masculine... things like that?"
"But you... ah, anyway you're great, that's all! Little Syl, I'm really bad at praising people, especially girls. Please spare me."
I looked at him somewhat resentfully.
I felt like the topic had veered off in a strange direction.
What I really wanted to ask was, in your eyes do I even count as human, have you... considered me a friend... Forget it, I can't bring myself to ask.
"Alright, alright, if we keep going on like this there'll be no end. The horned carriage is still waiting." Carlos's expression grew serious. "Little Syl, there's something I'd like to ask of you."
"What is it?" I asked.
"Before, when we were in Winter City, we talked about The Gate of Truth. You remember, right?"
"Mm. You mean..."
"That's right. The Gate of Truth has indeed infiltrated the royal city, and there's a high probability they're colluding with nobles here or even people from the church, but their purpose is still unclear. I've already discussed this with the Queen and found no trace of guguo grass, nor is it circulating in the market. I hope you can set aside your differences and cooperate with her to investigate this matter. You know how serious this is."
I nodded seriously: "Alright, I understand."
"You must remember, you are a Pontifical Knight, and so is the Queen. You are both heroes of humanity."
"I understand. I promise you."
He reached out and patted my head.
"Then I'm off."
"Carlos."
"Mm?"
"Will we... see each other again?"
Carlos knocked me on the head irritably.
"Don't jinx it... Of course we will."
I stood still on the courtyard lawn, gently rubbing my head where he'd knocked me, watching Carlos's back as he boarded the horned carriage. Then the beast hooves and wheels kicked up clouds of dust as it departed from Londor Street.
Only after I could no longer see the shadow of the carriage did I turn and walk toward the empty mansion.
...Carlos, you said you wanted to become someone like Sword Saint Ryan. That must be the most outstanding person you've ever encountered, right?
Although my impression of him, aside from "the strongest Pontifical Knight," only consists of what's depicted in stories, it's not hard to imagine what kind of person he was from those accounts.
How wonderful, to have such a teacher in life.
It's just that for me, the Sword Saint is a bit too distant. I don't even know him... If I'm going to set a goal for myself, it would be better to be more practical.
I want to become an upright person like you.