Chapter 86: ② Rick and Yor
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I knew from the first time the man came.
Someone who had lost everything and still couldn't give up and was struggling to get back on their feet.
Maybe it's because he was just like me that I felt it.
"I heard you had a job for me.
The man's entire body was covered in black armor.
Covering his entire body in black armor, the covert man made a living doing backstage work, bringing his own existence as close to the shadows as possible.
But this man was like black itself.
A deep, dark, dark black.
For a moment I forgot to answer and just stared at the man.
'I'd like to see the head of this place: ......
'Oh, oh, sorry. I'm filling in for the chief now.
He never asks his covert hiding place to work directly.
Normally, he would be in secret contact with the intermediaries.
This was the first time that an outsider had even come here.
''You seem to know about us, who introduced you here? To begin with, you are ......
Before I could say what he was, the man put his right hand on his chest and bowed his head.
His behavior was so imposing that I found myself admiring him again.
'Excuse me. I'm Rick. Rick Kai. I'm the Knight Commander of the Lucia Kingdom.
Most of the covert requests have been made by the nobles of the Lucian kingdom.
Time and time again, we have been used in ugly faction battles.
However, I had a feeling that this man, Rick, would not be making such silly requests.
'All right. I'll take your request. But next time, don't come directly to me. This is a hidden village, after all. If people find out about it, we'll have to change places.
Oh, yeah. That's a bad idea. Um, .......
"Yol. No second name. It's just Yol.
That was the first time Rick and I met.
'Do you want to join the Adventurer's Guild?'
'Yeah, yeah. I'd like to see you in the top ten in the rankings if possible.
Rick's request was a strange one.
Even if it was an undercover investigation, what was the point of being at the top of the guild rankings?
''The tenth Australian Association, where the top ten guild rankings are gathered, I want you to be able to participate in that.
'The Ten Great Society? That tenth annual meeting at the Guild Association headquarters?
'Yes. However, the next Ten Australians meeting will most likely not be held at the Guild Association headquarters. The goal is not the location, but the people who attend it.
People? So that puts the guy in the top ten in the rankings.
'No, I'm not in it right now. Not yet. ......
The whole thing is not to the point.
Are you confident that the person you want will eventually be ranked?
Still, it's an unstable and uncertain request.
Perhaps he doesn't want to talk about his original purpose.
Normally, that wasn't something he would have cared about.
Covert work is just accepting and carrying out a request.
And yet I was curious to know what his purpose was.
This was probably the first time I had ever been interested in someone else's affairs.
I came to take the introductory exam for the Guild Association and was stunned.
How could it be such a coincidence?
In front of me stood the woman who had destroyed the God Descending Clan and left the village.
''You know her?''
I couldn't answer Rick.
I was in the middle of a request, and even though I knew I had to deal with it calmly, my head was burning hot with the thought of seeing Leia again, the avenger of my family.
Leia didn't even try to look at me.
It was as if I wasn't even there and she was nonchalantly going through the reception process.
That makes my head boil even more at the thought.
'Calm down. There's no need to rush.
Rick puts a hand on my shoulder.
'It's all connected. In time, we'll have to fight again and again.
I didn't doubt Rick as he spoke as if he could see the future.
He rapidly regained his composure as if he'd been hit in the head with cold water.
'What the hell are you trying to do?'
I didn't expect him to answer.
A taciturn man who never speaks in vain, he is called the shield of silence.
But Rick answered me as if he were speaking gently to a child.
'I'm trying to create a perfect world,'
I could feel something warm from the hand on my shoulder, even though it was supposed to be cold armor.
Rick and I had completed a number of guild quests together.
Our rankings were rising rapidly and we could see the top ten.
When a year had passed, Nuruhachi, who had been number one in the rankings for nearly 100 years, had fallen to number two.
Alice, a name I've never seen before, would be number one.
'Is she the person you're after?'
No. The rankings will change again.
I find myself relieved at the words.
I had always thought that the person Rick wanted was a man.
I'm so upset just thinking it was a woman.
I didn't expect to spend nearly a year living with the opposite s*x.
Before I knew it, I would be following their actions with my eyes and noticing every detail.
'Come to think of it, Rick seems to have made several other requests besides me. They all seem to be women, including me, does that make sense?
Hmm? Was it?
Yes, Linden, the secretary of the Guild Society, and Machina, the fourth ranked one.
Yeah. Did you check it out? It doesn't mean anything, it just happens to be a woman.
...... I see. Let's believe it, just in case.
In fact, there was no shadow of a close woman in Rick's life, but there was one time when he acted suspiciously.
Once a day, he would always say a prayer.
It was not so much a prayer to God as it seemed to be a gesture, as if he were talking to someone he loved.
To whom is he praying?
Just thinking about it made my heart ache as if it was tearing my heart out.
He entered the top ten in the guild ranking and completed his first mission.
At that time, the ranking was overtaken by a man named Takumi, who overtook Alice to become number one.
''Keep that man close.
I didn't ask why.
In time, Rick would tell me everything.
I'll just have to wait for the right moment.
The only thing I would ask him is.
"Are you going to be happy when it's all over?
Instead of answering, Rick slowly removes his own helmet.
There is nothing there but a headless black armor standing in front of him, holding his helmet.
By then, I won't be in this world anymore.
I reach out to the empty space.
I try to touch his face, which should have been there.
In the empty space, my hand definitely felt Rick.
'But that's okay,'
I closed my eyes and kept my face close to Rick.
He was lying buried in the grass of the prairie.
Unable to move, I could only look up at the sky as the ultimate weapon, Dam Galion, crumbled.
I could see Rick's soul being sucked into the white world.
I may never reach it again.
Still, I desperately reach for it.
...... That can't be good enough.
I had betrayed Rick.
To me, a world without Rick would not be a perfect world.
So I helped Takumi set up the Four Divine Pillars as he suggested.
"I'm sorry, but I won't let you go.
I had lost everything, and there was nothing left to lose.
I didn't think I could ever have anything important again.
And I couldn't... I couldn't stand to lose you.
Four Divine Pillars!
I wield the last of my strength.
The four divine beasts that were planted inside my body are released from my outstretched hand.
The Genbu, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird and Blue Dragon connected to my hand spiral together and fly towards Rick's soul.
''Deliver it, deliver it!
I felt as if my fingertips had touched something, just a little bit, through the divine beast.
A fragment of the soul that the divine beast must have scraped off.
Tiny white grains rained down on the collapsed Damgalion.
Just like that time, my fingertips felt something warm.
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I knew from the first time the man came.
Someone who had lost everything and still couldn't give up and was struggling to get back on their feet.
Maybe it's because he was just like me that I felt it.
"I heard you had a job for me.
The man's entire body was covered in black armor.
Covering his entire body in black armor, the covert man made a living doing backstage work, bringing his own existence as close to the shadows as possible.
But this man was like black itself.
A deep, dark, dark black.
For a moment I forgot to answer and just stared at the man.
'I'd like to see the head of this place: ......
'Oh, oh, sorry. I'm filling in for the chief now.
He never asks his covert hiding place to work directly.
Normally, he would be in secret contact with the intermediaries.
This was the first time that an outsider had even come here.
''You seem to know about us, who introduced you here? To begin with, you are ......
Before I could say what he was, the man put his right hand on his chest and bowed his head.
His behavior was so imposing that I found myself admiring him again.
'Excuse me. I'm Rick. Rick Kai. I'm the Knight Commander of the Lucia Kingdom.
Most of the covert requests have been made by the nobles of the Lucian kingdom.
Time and time again, we have been used in ugly faction battles.
However, I had a feeling that this man, Rick, would not be making such silly requests.
'All right. I'll take your request. But next time, don't come directly to me. This is a hidden village, after all. If people find out about it, we'll have to change places.
Oh, yeah. That's a bad idea. Um, .......
"Yol. No second name. It's just Yol.
That was the first time Rick and I met.
'Do you want to join the Adventurer's Guild?'
'Yeah, yeah. I'd like to see you in the top ten in the rankings if possible.
Rick's request was a strange one.
Even if it was an undercover investigation, what was the point of being at the top of the guild rankings?
''The tenth Australian Association, where the top ten guild rankings are gathered, I want you to be able to participate in that.
'The Ten Great Society? That tenth annual meeting at the Guild Association headquarters?
'Yes. However, the next Ten Australians meeting will most likely not be held at the Guild Association headquarters. The goal is not the location, but the people who attend it.
People? So that puts the guy in the top ten in the rankings.
'No, I'm not in it right now. Not yet. ......
The whole thing is not to the point.
Are you confident that the person you want will eventually be ranked?
Still, it's an unstable and uncertain request.
Perhaps he doesn't want to talk about his original purpose.
Normally, that wasn't something he would have cared about.
Covert work is just accepting and carrying out a request.
And yet I was curious to know what his purpose was.
This was probably the first time I had ever been interested in someone else's affairs.
I came to take the introductory exam for the Guild Association and was stunned.
How could it be such a coincidence?
In front of me stood the woman who had destroyed the God Descending Clan and left the village.
''You know her?''
I couldn't answer Rick.
I was in the middle of a request, and even though I knew I had to deal with it calmly, my head was burning hot with the thought of seeing Leia again, the avenger of my family.
Leia didn't even try to look at me.
It was as if I wasn't even there and she was nonchalantly going through the reception process.
That makes my head boil even more at the thought.
'Calm down. There's no need to rush.
Rick puts a hand on my shoulder.
'It's all connected. In time, we'll have to fight again and again.
I didn't doubt Rick as he spoke as if he could see the future.
He rapidly regained his composure as if he'd been hit in the head with cold water.
'What the hell are you trying to do?'
I didn't expect him to answer.
A taciturn man who never speaks in vain, he is called the shield of silence.
But Rick answered me as if he were speaking gently to a child.
'I'm trying to create a perfect world,'
I could feel something warm from the hand on my shoulder, even though it was supposed to be cold armor.
Rick and I had completed a number of guild quests together.
Our rankings were rising rapidly and we could see the top ten.
When a year had passed, Nuruhachi, who had been number one in the rankings for nearly 100 years, had fallen to number two.
Alice, a name I've never seen before, would be number one.
'Is she the person you're after?'
No. The rankings will change again.
I find myself relieved at the words.
I had always thought that the person Rick wanted was a man.
I'm so upset just thinking it was a woman.
I didn't expect to spend nearly a year living with the opposite s*x.
Before I knew it, I would be following their actions with my eyes and noticing every detail.
'Come to think of it, Rick seems to have made several other requests besides me. They all seem to be women, including me, does that make sense?
Hmm? Was it?
Yes, Linden, the secretary of the Guild Society, and Machina, the fourth ranked one.
Yeah. Did you check it out? It doesn't mean anything, it just happens to be a woman.
...... I see. Let's believe it, just in case.
In fact, there was no shadow of a close woman in Rick's life, but there was one time when he acted suspiciously.
Once a day, he would always say a prayer.
It was not so much a prayer to God as it seemed to be a gesture, as if he were talking to someone he loved.
To whom is he praying?
Just thinking about it made my heart ache as if it was tearing my heart out.
He entered the top ten in the guild ranking and completed his first mission.
At that time, the ranking was overtaken by a man named Takumi, who overtook Alice to become number one.
''Keep that man close.
I didn't ask why.
In time, Rick would tell me everything.
I'll just have to wait for the right moment.
The only thing I would ask him is.
"Are you going to be happy when it's all over?
Instead of answering, Rick slowly removes his own helmet.
There is nothing there but a headless black armor standing in front of him, holding his helmet.
By then, I won't be in this world anymore.
I reach out to the empty space.
I try to touch his face, which should have been there.
In the empty space, my hand definitely felt Rick.
'But that's okay,'
I closed my eyes and kept my face close to Rick.
He was lying buried in the grass of the prairie.
Unable to move, I could only look up at the sky as the ultimate weapon, Dam Galion, crumbled.
I could see Rick's soul being sucked into the white world.
I may never reach it again.
Still, I desperately reach for it.
...... That can't be good enough.
I had betrayed Rick.
To me, a world without Rick would not be a perfect world.
So I helped Takumi set up the Four Divine Pillars as he suggested.
"I'm sorry, but I won't let you go.
I had lost everything, and there was nothing left to lose.
I didn't think I could ever have anything important again.
And I couldn't... I couldn't stand to lose you.
Four Divine Pillars!
I wield the last of my strength.
The four divine beasts that were planted inside my body are released from my outstretched hand.
The Genbu, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird and Blue Dragon connected to my hand spiral together and fly towards Rick's soul.
''Deliver it, deliver it!
I felt as if my fingertips had touched something, just a little bit, through the divine beast.
A fragment of the soul that the divine beast must have scraped off.
Tiny white grains rained down on the collapsed Damgalion.
Just like that time, my fingertips felt something warm.
I knew from the first time the man came.Someone who had lost everything and still couldn't give up and was struggling to get back on their feet.Maybe it's because he was just like me that I felt it."I heard you had a job for me.The man's entire body was covered in black armor.Covering his entire body in black armor, the covert man made a living doing backstage work, bringing his own existence as close to the shadows as possible.But this man was like black itself.A deep, dark, dark black.For a moment I forgot to answer and just stared at the man.'I'd like to see the head of this place: ......'Oh, oh, sorry. I'm filling in for the chief now.He never asks his covert hiding place to work directly.Normally, he would be in secret contact with the intermediaries.This was the first time that an outsider had even come here.''You seem to know about us, who introduced you here? To begin with, you are ......Before I could say what he was, the man put his right hand on his chest and bowed his head.His behavior was so imposing that I found myself admiring him again.'Excuse me. I'm Rick. Rick Kai. I'm the Knight Commander of the Lucia Kingdom.Most of the covert requests have been made by the nobles of the Lucian kingdom.Time and time again, we have been used in ugly faction battles.However, I had a feeling that this man, Rick, would not be making such silly requests.'All right. I'll take your request. But next time, don't come directly to me. This is a hidden village, after all. If people find out about it, we'll have to change places.Oh, yeah. That's a bad idea. Um, ......."Yol. No second name. It's just Yol.That was the first time Rick and I met.'Do you want to join the Adventurer's Guild?''Yeah, yeah. I'd like to see you in the top ten in the rankings if possible.Rick's request was a strange one.Even if it was an undercover investigation, what was the point of being at the top of the guild rankings?''The tenth Australian Association, where the top ten guild rankings are gathered, I want you to be able to participate in that.'The Ten Great Society? That tenth annual meeting at the Guild Association headquarters?'Yes. However, the next Ten Australians meeting will most likely not be held at the Guild Association headquarters. The goal is not the location, but the people who attend it.People? So that puts the guy in the top ten in the rankings.'No, I'm not in it right now. Not yet. ......The whole thing is not to the point.Are you confident that the person you want will eventually be ranked?Still, it's an unstable and uncertain request.Perhaps he doesn't want to talk about his original purpose.Normally, that wasn't something he would have cared about.Covert work is just accepting and carrying out a request.And yet I was curious to know what his purpose was.This was probably the first time I had ever been interested in someone else's affairs.I came to take the introductory exam for the Guild Association and was stunned.How could it be such a coincidence?In front of me stood the woman who had destroyed the God Descending Clan and left the village.''You know her?''I couldn't answer Rick.I was in the middle of a request, and even though I knew I had to deal with it calmly, my head was burning hot with the thought of seeing Leia again, the avenger of my family.Leia didn't even try to look at me.It was as if I wasn't even there and she was nonchalantly going through the reception process.That makes my head boil even more at the thought.'Calm down. There's no need to rush.Rick puts a hand on my shoulder.'It's all connected. In time, we'll have to fight again and again.I didn't doubt Rick as he spoke as if he could see the future.He rapidly regained his composure as if he'd been hit in the head with cold water.'What the hell are you trying to do?'I didn't expect him to answer.A taciturn man who never speaks in vain, he is called the shield of silence.But Rick answered me as if he were speaking gently to a child.'I'm trying to create a perfect world,'I could feel something warm from the hand on my shoulder, even though it was supposed to be cold armor.Rick and I had completed a number of guild quests together.Our rankings were rising rapidly and we could see the top ten.When a year had passed, Nuruhachi, who had been number one in the rankings for nearly 100 years, had fallen to number two.Alice, a name I've never seen before, would be number one.'Is she the person you're after?'No. The rankings will change again.I find myself relieved at the words.I had always thought that the person Rick wanted was a man.I'm so upset just thinking it was a woman.I didn't expect to spend nearly a year living with the opposite s*x.Before I knew it, I would be following their actions with my eyes and noticing every detail.'Come to think of it, Rick seems to have made several other requests besides me. They all seem to be women, including me, does that make sense?Hmm? Was it?Yes, Linden, the secretary of the Guild Society, and Machina, the fourth ranked one.Yeah. Did you check it out? It doesn't mean anything, it just happens to be a woman....... I see. Let's believe it, just in case.In fact, there was no shadow of a close woman in Rick's life, but there was one time when he acted suspiciously.Once a day, he would always say a prayer.It was not so much a prayer to God as it seemed to be a gesture, as if he were talking to someone he loved.To whom is he praying?Just thinking about it made my heart ache as if it was tearing my heart out.He entered the top ten in the guild ranking and completed his first mission.At that time, the ranking was overtaken by a man named Takumi, who overtook Alice to become number one.''Keep that man close.I didn't ask why.In time, Rick would tell me everything.I'll just have to wait for the right moment.The only thing I would ask him is."Are you going to be happy when it's all over?Instead of answering, Rick slowly removes his own helmet.There is nothing there but a headless black armor standing in front of him, holding his helmet.By then, I won't be in this world anymore.I reach out to the empty space.I try to touch his face, which should have been there.In the empty space, my hand definitely felt Rick.'But that's okay,'I closed my eyes and kept my face close to Rick.He was lying buried in the grass of the prairie.Unable to move, I could only look up at the sky as the ultimate weapon, Dam Galion, crumbled.I could see Rick's soul being sucked into the white world.I may never reach it again.Still, I desperately reach for it....... That can't be good enough.I had betrayed Rick.To me, a world without Rick would not be a perfect world.So I helped Takumi set up the Four Divine Pillars as he suggested."I'm sorry, but I won't let you go.I had lost everything, and there was nothing left to lose.I didn't think I could ever have anything important again.And I couldn't... I couldn't stand to lose you.Four Divine Pillars!I wield the last of my strength.The four divine beasts that were planted inside my body are released from my outstretched hand.The Genbu, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird and Blue Dragon connected to my hand spiral together and fly towards Rick's soul.''Deliver it, deliver it!I felt as if my fingertips had touched something, just a little bit, through the divine beast.A fragment of the soul that the divine beast must have scraped off.Tiny white grains rained down on the collapsed Damgalion.Just like that time, my fingertips felt something warm.
