Chapter 375: 375
While on our way to the audience chamber, I continued to engage Bilston in conversation . "Sir Bilston . By any chance, have you lost anything recently? Maybe often, as well? For instance, an empty cartridge . . . . "
"Pardon?"
[A term not fitting the worldview has been used and therefore . . . . ]
"I mean, such as misplacing a portable magical explosive . . . . "
"Your highness, do I look like such a pathetic fool capable of doing that?"
I just couldn't think of what to say here .
When looking at that stiff walking posture or the firm pectoral muscles, or even that slightly dopey expression on his face, this guy was definitely Yi Hyeon-Seong, but… . But, according to 'Character List', he was not him, but the character of this world's setting, 'Bilston Framer' .
I re-read the 'Overall Rating' portion at the bottom of the Character List .
- Once upon a time, there used to be two souls living within this body . He was a knight of the kingdom, and at the same time, a shield of someone else .
The 'knight of the kingdom' bit must be referring to 'Bilston Framer', while the 'shield' bit must be referring to Yi Hyeon-Seong .
- The shield waited for his master to appear . He waited, and then, waited some more . Finally, the master of the shield has appeared after a long wait, but the shield can no longer perform its role anymore .
The most important portion was this part . I kind of realised that Yi Hyeon-Seong had been waiting for other companions to arrive .
The issue here was with the number – just how much time was this 'long wait' thing implying here?
"Your highness?"
I couldn't help but feel complicated when looking at the man staring back at me with those dopey eyes .
There were only two things I could be sure of at the current juncture .
One, Yi Hyeon-Seong had been entered into this scenario far earlier than me .
Two, he had been swallowed up by this world's Great Fable and his ego had disappeared .
[Great Fable, 'Kaixenix Archipelago', is smacking its lips in your direction . ]
['The 4th Wall' is glaring at 'Kaixenix Archipelago' . ]
In that case, could the others who didn't possess [The 4th Wall] have ended up in the same state as Yi Hyeon-Seong?
"Your highness, did something happen?"
I wordlessly stared into Bilston's large eyes .
This guy was definitely Yi Hyeon-Seong . But, could he really be called 'Yi Hyeon-Seong' right now?
"I'm sorry, Sir Bilston . "
"I beg your pardon? Why so suddenly . . . . "
"I must've put you through a lot of hardship . I know that it was difficult for you to protect me until now . "
I wasn't addressing Bilston Framer right now .
"I always used the excuse of being too busy and didn't take good care of you . Even though you have saved my life several times already . "
Yi Hyeon-Seong helped me out many times during our journey towards this scenario . I had enough chances to share a deep, meaningful and personal conversation with him, but as it was the usual case, his spot in the queue continued to get pushed back under the pretext of me preparing for the next scenario .
I believed that we understood each other without the need to say something . I believed that the Fables we earned together could ably sub for us in that regard .
And the end result of that was this .
Bilston must've thought of something after he heard me because he wiped his nostrils while shifting his gaze to the outside view .
"Your highness, you really do possess a warm, gentle heart . "
[Character, 'Bilston Framer', has been moved deeply by you . ]
… . I wasn't trying to impress him but someone else, though .
Without saying anything else, we continued down the long hallway .
Portraits of the previous kings lined up the walls of the hallway in sequence . The one that caught my eyes the most among them was a depiction of a lone man holding up a broken sword in the middle of a storm .
- The First Ancestor, the Storm King Ulysses Kaixenix the First .
I stopped walking for a moment and studied that painting .
"It has been my honour to serve you throughout my life, your highness . "
I turned my head around, and Bilston began telling his tale as thick teardrops formed around his eyes . He locked his gaze at the distant parapets of the castle and continued on .
"Can you still remember it? I almost lost you when you were around seven years old, your highness . "
" . . . . Mm?"
"Just by recalling the sight of you precariously dangling on the castle's parapet still causes my heart to tumble to the pits of my stomach, your highness . Was that all? When you were thirteen years old, you went to the lavatory and then . . . . "
Hey, hang on a minute, this dude… . He's way too similar to Yi Hyeon-Seong, wasn't he?
"But then, you're still worried about this lowly one even until the last moment . . . . "
"Last moment??"
Bilston stared back at me with sorrowful eyes, before quickly avoiding meeting my gaze .
" . . . . . We've arrived . Let us go inside . "
The doors to the audience chamber were before us already; they opened up to reveal the royal guards lining up on either side of the red carpet . And the captain of the guards, decked out in the silver crest, stood proudly in the middle .
"Sir Bilston, why are you so late?"
"I was sharing a final goodbye with his highness the prince . "
There were several spots in their conversation that I wanted to butt in, but thanks to the overall atmosphere, I couldn't squeak a word out .
Bilston, who had been in a tearful mood only a minute ago was now carrying a grave, serious expression . The gazes of two people growling at each other collided in mid-air .
The captain continued on . "A final goodbye, is it . A traitor found guilty of high treason dares to enjoy unnecessary luxury . "
"You better watch what you say . "
The two of them got into a battle stance simultaneously . Bilston pulled out a bastard sword, while the captain… . Eh?
… . Why was this person carrying that sword?
Indeed, the weapon held in the captain's hands was something that I was intimately familiar with . I personally collected the materials and had it crafted for the sake of a certain someone, after all .
[Sword of Judgement]
"Sir Bilston, do you wish to become another dewdrop of the execution ground alongside your prince?"
The captain's red eyes wavered threateningly from beyond 'his' helm .
⸢"Oh, my king… . If you will it, then so be it . . . . "⸥
⸢"Dok-Ja-ssi, you're trying to do it by yourself again . . . I told you not to do that, didn't I?"⸥
I knew who this person was .
"Stop, both of you!!"
Bilston heard my urgent cry and stopped gathering momentum, and stepped back . Meanwhile, the captain of the guard, glaring at me with hostile eyes, removed 'his' helm .
And 'his' face matched exactly that of Jeong Hui-Won's .
[Exclusive skill, 'Character List', is activating!]
+
Name: Erich Striker (???)
Age: 37
Constellation Support: None
Exclusive Attributes: Loyal Servant, Swordmaster
Exclusive Skills: [Demon Slaying Lv . 10], [Kingdom's Royal Swordsmanship Lv . 10] . . . .
Stigma: None
Overall Stats: [Physique Lv . 75], [Strength Lv . 80], [Agility Lv . 90], [Magic Power Lv . 70]
Overall Rating: Once upon a time, there used to be two souls living within this body . 'He' was the Guard Captain of the kingdom, and at the same time, a sword of someone else . The sword waited for that someone to appear with the shield . 'He' waited, and then, waited some more . Finally, the sword met the one he'd been waiting for after all this time, but 'he' can no longer remember him .
+
Bloody hell, even Jeong Hui-Won was in that state, too?
The captain staring at me with quiet, still eyes eventually spoke up . "It seems that the prince is aware of the situation he is in . Guards, place the criminal under arrest . "
… . . Under arrest?
I was caught by the guards without a chance to resist . But then again, I couldn't fight back even if I wanted to, what with this body's average Stats being only 10 .
I could see the guillotine beyond the lines of the guards . Only then did I realise why I was brought to this place in the first place .
It was quite likely that this scenario would begin with my execution .
*
Among all the novels I read in the past, there was this genre referred to as the so-called 'hooligan tales' .
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