~Chapter 18~
“I appreciate the sentiment, but I’m not hungry yet.”
Ivyn raised both hands to politely decline the meal offer.
However.
*Grrrooowl.*
Her empty stomach seemed to think otherwise.
“…….”
Although the holy knight showed no particular reaction, Ivyn began to fluster and ramble.
“Actually, I have enteritis right now. I can’t eat anything. The sound from my stomach just now wasn’t from hunger.”
“If that’s the case, don’t worry.”
Theodore gave a slight smile.
It was a laugh mixed with a bit of kindness towards her.
And at that moment…
“……!”
*Startle.*
Ivyn was startled without even realizing it herself.
‘Ah, that surprised me. What the, how can a person look like that?’
It was because, upon reflection, he looked incredibly handsome.
‘Now that I think about it, isn’t this the first time I’ve seen it since possessing? The male lead smiling.’
One who extinguishes the light around him with just his appearance. That was the Theodore from the original.
Even though it wasn’t directed at her true self, Theodore’s smile was enchanting nonetheless.
While she was absentmindedly admiring Theodore’s face, which looked like a statue that had briefly stepped out of a museum…
Theodore’s low voice reached her.
“I’ll use my sacred power to heal you.”
“Thank you so much… Huh?”
……?
Wait a second.
‘To eat, I’d have to take off this mask!’
“Ah, no!”
Ivyn shook her head vigorously.
“I’m fine!”
“No need to decline.”
“D-don’t do it!”
“……?”
To an outsider, it might look like Theodore was trying to harm Ivyn, given how fiercely she resisted.
But…
*Hmmmm.*
This clueless holy knight had already activated his healing magic.
“You’ll feel better soon.”
“Ah….”
I received a heal…
Why do I feel like crying?
* * *
*Tap, clack.*
*Tap, clack.*
“……Isn’t it uncomfortable eating like that?”
Theodore, who had been silently observing her, finally spoke up around the time half the soup bowl in front of Ivyn was empty.
“Thank you for your concern. I’m okay. Don’t worry. I’ve always eaten like this since way back.”
“Always… you say.”
The holy knight repeated her words in a thoughtful voice.
“Yes. In my tribe, after the age of five, we must wear this black beak mask at all times. Moreover, unless we are alone, we must never take off the mask.”
Ivyn suppressed the urge to add ‘This Is The Way’ at the end of her sentence.
‘I’m crazy, I’m a necromancer, not a Mandalorian….’
For a moment, the smiling face of Dylan, the Kinzello family head, flickered before her eyes.
‘I’m sorry, Father.’
Forgive this youngest daughter who, being a necromancer, cannot say she’s a necromancer, and who cannot call her father ‘Father’.
“It’s because of our extremist faction…… If the mask comes off or is removed in front of other living people, one is stripped of qualification… If something like that happens, you have to go down into the underground mines to restore your honor. It’s very strict.”
After the long explanation, Ivyn demonstratively parted the tip of the long beak and slid the spoon through the gap in front of Theodore.
*Tap.*
*Clack.*
Indeed.
The bizarre clacking sound that had filled the dining room all along was the sound of the beak on Ivyn’s mask opening and closing.
‘Thank goodness there’s an opening/closing mechanism inside the beak.’
There was the hardship of having to lower her head and push her elbow deep each time she put a spoon through the beak…
But at least she could preserve her life in front of Theodore!
“How do you drink water?”
“We put it in a bottle with a long neck, push it through the beak, and drink.”
“…….”
For a moment, an expression of ‘What am I hearing right now?’ passed over Theodore’s face.
“If that’s the case, you couldn’t have taken a single sip of the water I gave you earlier.”
“No, I drank it very well.”
“But how…?”
“Using the law of gravity. Like this.”
Ivyn lifted the canteen high, tilted the opening downward, and drank the flowing water through her beak.
“……I see.”
“…….”
Theodore turned his head slightly with an expression as if he’d seen something he shouldn’t have.
He seemed embarrassed.
‘Ah, do I have to live like this?’
Feeling a sense of disillusionment, Ivyn hurriedly grabbed a napkin and wiped the water splashed on her beak.
“Ahem, now that the meal is over, let’s get straight to the main point.”
Theodore cleared his throat and changed the topic.
“After looking into those who kidnapped the medical relief team’s main force, they seem to be famous bounty hunters. It appears they’ve expanded their range of activity to this vicinity recently.”
“Ah, I see…”
“We plan to organize a rescue team and raid their base this evening.”
“I see… I sincerely hope you return safely and with caution.”
Just as Ivyn sent him a sincere message of support…
“You should prepare as well.”
“Yes, I should also prepare…”
Unconsciously following Theodore’s words, she trailed off.
Wait a minute.
Did he just tell *me* to prepare too?
So…
He means… come with?
As she looked at Theodore with a ‘surely not’ expression…
“You’ve waited patiently and well. Now our side is ready too.”
The conversation was getting more and more complicated.
What on earth did he understand?!
The place I want to dive into isn’t the bandit den, it’s home! Home!
“N-no!”
Ivyn shot up from her seat, clenched her fists, and shouted loudly.
“I can’t go with you!”
As Ivyn shouted, Theodore’s lips hardened slightly.
Then, as if understanding something, he nodded deeply and looked at her—or did he?
‘Oh no… Did he figure out who I am?’
Just as Ivyn was regretting her slightly emotional, intense reaction…
“Don’t say such foolish things.”
Theodore frowned slightly and muttered.
“Going to the mountain stronghold alone is a reckless act. Of course, I understand well that you’re very excited right now and proper judgment is difficult. And that you don’t want to be indebted to our side because of this incident.”
No.
It seems there’s a serious misunderstanding…
Anyway, that’s…
That’s not it.
“On my honor, I will definitely rescue your comrades.”
“Ahh…”
Ivyn felt the world spin before her eyes and staggered on the spot for a moment.
“Hey, are you alright?”
“I-I’m fine… I just felt dizzy for a moment…”
“Would you like some holy water?”
Please stop…
Please, just stop…
—Kekekeke. Owner fell down! Fell down!
O-Bok circled around her, chuckling to himself.
—O-Bok… Don’t just laugh, do something…
—What you want me do!
—Send an SOS to Grandpa…
—Really? Bring Old Man? Then here… that would be huge! War!
—…….
Better dead than suffer, better dead.
With a heart that wanted to cry, Ivyn weakly let her head drop.
* * *
“The sun will set soon. We’ll wait in ambush.”
*Caw, caw.*
Around the time crows were circling in the air, emitting bleak cries…
Snow began to fall over the Holy See soldiers lying in ambush.
“…….”
Standing awkwardly at the very back of the formation was Ivyn, holding a farming tool in her hand.
—I’m sorry, we have no spare weapons. Will this be okay? I’ve imbued it with holy power to increase its durability, so it shouldn’t be a problem to use as a weapon.
Yes…
Thank you…
So much…
It seems like it’ll be a great help…
Just as Ivyn let out a hollow laugh, remembering the past events…
“Charge!”
At the command of Vanguard Theodore, the soldiers drew their respective weapons and rose from the darkness.
The assault had begun.
“W-what’s this?!”
“Sound the horn! The horn!”
The bandits, caught by surprise, grabbed any weapon they could find and began mixing with the soldiers, but they were helplessly pushed back.
“Gyaaaah!”
“Ugh!”
Around the time the rescue team was quickly subduing the bandits…
Taking advantage of the confusion, someone was steadfastly moonwalking, stepping backward through the battlefield…
‘Now is truly a heaven-sent opportunity.’
*Thud!*
Without hesitation, Ivyn hurled the farming tool in her hand to the ground and began to flee.
How far did she run?
Around the time a metallic taste began to fill her mouth…
A piercing scream flew to her ears.
“Help! Help! Someone’s trapped here!”
Her footsteps halting at someone’s cry for help was almost an instinctive reaction.
“Huff… huff…”
Ivyn bent over, placed both hands on her knees, exhaled roughly, and looked around.
Two choices simultaneously arose in her mind.
‘Ignore it and keep going, or go back and check.’
The bandits will be annihilated.
The problem is…
‘Whether all the prisoners will be safe until then.’
Her diaphragm hurt as if torn from running fast, and her mind was only getting more confused.
What should I do?
If I go now, can I do anything?
I’m just a beginner necromancer who barely coats a mana heart with Tenebris…
*Clench.*
As she bit her lower lip, lost in thought…
“Kkiiyak!”
A sound like something breaking, followed by a scream, erupted from nearby again.
“……!”
In that instant, Ivyn reflexively turned and started running towards the source of the sound.
After retracing her steps a bit, iron bars appeared, lined up in a long row at the edge of the mountain stronghold.
Dozens of civilian-like people were trapped inside the iron bars.
“S-save us!”
