chapter 42
Episode 42
Across the bonfire, Jung-min and Leah. And there was a woman in leggings sitting there.
The leggings woman introduced herself as ‘Yamazaki’.
“Is ‘Yamazaki’ your name? Or is ‘Pocoring’ your name?”
“U-how could you do that…!”
Pocoring’s eyes widened as if tearing at Leah’s question, who had already peeked at the name and status window using the ‘Eye of Awakening’.
Pocoring bit his lower lip, then lowered his head and spoke in a low voice.
“Pocoring is the name. But you can just call me Yamazaki.”
“Pocoring is cuter..”
“…..”
“Well, I understand. Anyway, Poco… No, Mr. Yamazaki. We are from Korea looking for someone. But we know nothing about this Japan. I don’t even know where I am right now. We are in need of guides and informants. can you help us? I will pay the price without regret.”
“How to get from Korea to Japan..”
“Well, let’s say I came here using a skill. Anyway, will you help?”
“What would you do if I said you wouldn’t help me? Are you going to… kill me?”
Leah shrugged and said to Yamazaki.
“What can I do if I can’t help you? You can just go the same way Mr. Yamazaki used to go. Are we going to just kill anyone and not be some kind of indiscriminate killer?”
After hearing Leia’s words, Yamazaki stared at the bonfire and fell into thought.
Leah left Yamazaki alone and spoke softly to Jeong-min, who was listening to their conversation.
“Aren’t you frustrated because you can’t communicate?”
“Nope. Not so. Just by listening to Leah, you can guess what type of conversation is going on.”
“That’s fortunate. It would be nice if Mr. Yamazaki could help us.”
While the two whispered, Yamazaki, who was lost in thought, looked at Leia and said.
“I will help you two. Instead, you two also help me. That is the price I ask for.”
“Um… what can I help you with?”
“I also want to meet someone. So, I want to infiltrate a place. To be honest, it was very difficult to do alone, but with the help of two people, I think it will be possible. You two… are very strong, right?”
Leia nodded at Yamazaki’s question.
“Well, not very strong. like. We will help Mr. Yamazaki with his work. Once that is done, you will help us with our work. You know?”
Yamazaki nodded and said.
“Ha, but there is no guarantee that I will be of any help. I don’t even know who you want.. All I can do is give you information about the situation in Japan, or directions to places you want to go to.”
Leia smiled and said to Yamazaki.
“That’s enough. Then we will tell you about our request. The someone we’re looking for is the one with black wings and white eyes. I heard that a new religion was rampant here in Japan led by him. Is that true?”
At Leia’s question, Yamazaki sent a wary look.
“.. why are you looking for him?”
Feeling doubtful about Yamazaki’s reaction, Leah tilted her head and said.
“I need to ask you something. Is there something wrong?”
“What are you asking? Please tell me in detail.”
Leah’s expression hardened as she saw Yamazaki, who went beyond the boundary of her eyes and displayed an aggressive spirit.
“Calm down, Mr. Yamazaki. What are you so wary of?”
Surprised by Leia’s gaze as she looked at him, Yamazaki quickly regained her strength and said,
“Muh, I don’t know why you’re looking for him, but if you’re looking for something to harm him… I will never help you. You’d better just find another guide.”
Yamazaki lowered her eyes and spoke in a low voice.
Looking at her like that, Leah spoke in a kind voice.
“I don’t mean any harm to him. I’m just looking for him because I really have something to ask. In fact, he came all the way to Japan after hearing the characteristics of black wings and white eyes, but it is not certain that he is related to what we are looking for.”
“.. is it really?”
“Yes, so you don’t have to be so vigilant. But why is Mr. Yamazaki the one with those black wings and white eyes-”
“K-Liderian. Just call me Liddell.”
“.. Do you know the name?”
“Yes.”
“I guess his name is widely known in Japan?”
Yamazaki shook his head at Leah’s question.
“Nope. I am the only one who knows his name.”
“Yes? how..”
“Because I was the one who first found and saved Liddell.”
Leah looked back at Jeongmin and said.
“.. I think the story will be long.”
The bonfire was roaring.
Yamazaki was very surprised to see the bonfire maintaining the same firepower even though no additional wood was added.
Jung-min boiled water with a portable gas stove he took out of his inventory, made mixed coffee, and distributed it to everyone.
Holding the coffee cup tightly with both hands, Yamazaki spoke.
“I met him for the first time, five months before [Trial of the Gods] officially started… so, two months before the first Awoken were born and [Trial of the Gods] came to the surface. It was a time when no one even used the word [Trial of the Gods], a time when everyone was living an ordinary life.”
As if reminiscing about those days, Yamazaki looked into the void with vague eyes.
“As a novelist, I wrote until dawn, went out to go to a convenience store for a while, and found him lying in the yard. At first, I was surprised by the strange appearance and tried to report it, but I couldn’t turn away from the earnest voice in my head. Eventually, I took him home and took care of him.”
After taking a sip of the coffee in his hand, Yamazaki continued talking.
“He said he was not of this world. Well, it must be natural. White eyes on black wings! He explained that sooner or later, a terrifying event called [Trial of the Gods] will happen on Earth, so we need to prepare. I believed his words and prepared together. I gathered food and checked out places to hide.
And two months later, after the first Awoken, the number of Awoken began to increase one by one. I also woke up at that time.
In the meantime, Liddell’s appearance became known to the media by chance, and many people started to show interest in Liddell. A group of people calling Liddell “God’s messenger” who came to manage [God’s Trial] began to appear, and they began to act more and more violently in order to contact Liddell.”
“If it’s a drastic action…”
“The act of breaking the glass of a house and breaking into it. Of course, I’m also an Awakener, and I’m also a triple-level Awakener with three skills that are good for combat, so I used to block and respond well… but I couldn’t help it when I set the house on fire. I came out with Liddell to escape the fire and was ambushed, and Liddell was kidnapped by them.”
“Didn’t that Liddell rebel? If he has the power…”
Leia asked Yamazaki, thinking of the black wings in Elan, where she summoned a shield to block her attacks.
Yamazaki shook his head weakly and said.
“He had no strength. Except for his unusual appearance, he had powers that were lower than those of ordinary people. They say that when he was banished from the world he lived in, all his powers were taken away.”
“You were banished?”
“Yes, he said so.”
Leia was lost in thought after hearing Yamazaki’s words.
‘Listening to Mr. Yamazaki’s story, it’s clear that Liddell is of the same species as the one I encountered in Elan. Saying things that resonate in your head with your appearance… But what happened to you being deported? Anyway, it’s clear that meeting him will solve our questions.’
While Leah was thinking, Yamazaki’s words continued.
“After Liddell was taken away, a religion called ‘Kuroi Tsubasa’ was born in Japan. [Trial of the Gods] began in earnest while the religion was rapidly gaining in power. Rather than trying to destroy the gate, ‘Kuroi Tsubasa’ devoted himself to absorbing the surrounding forces with strong power and power. In the end, now many shelters and guilds in Japan have been placed under ‘Kuroi Tsubasa’. This is the current situation in Japan.”
“okay. So, is the person that Mr. Yamazaki is trying to sneak in and meet is Liddell?”
Yamazaki shook his head at Leah’s question.
“Nope. I don’t know where Liddell is now. This is what I heard when I went to Tokyo where ‘Kuroi Tsubasa’s headquarter is located to find Liddell, and it is said that Liddell is being dragged around all over Japan for propagation activities of ‘Kuroi Tsubasa’. “
“Proselytism?”
“..This is a propagation activity, actually an activity to occupy forces in other regions. Anyway, that’s why I can’t figure out the exact location of Liddell. However, the person I’m trying to infiltrate and meet. ‘Kenji Sakamoto’ should know. He was a high-ranking official of ‘Kuroi Tsubasa’, but he was expelled and demoted to the head of a large guild here, so I came here to meet him.”
“Ah… that’s why you asked for help. But why do you have to infiltrate and meet that Sakamoto? Can’t we just go to that guild and apply for an interview?”
“that’s..”
Yamazaki lowered his head and spoke to Leah.
“Actually, I have already visited Sakamoto. They said they had the information they wanted, so they asked me to pay for it. So I gave away most of the food I had. Still, he wasn’t satisfied… he wanted more.”
“More?”
Yamazaki lowered his head and said with a red face.
“Yes.. he… wanted my body. And they tried to force it on me. I managed to escape by using my skills while trying to catch me by mobilizing my subordinates.”
“…”
A cold look appeared on Leah’s face.
“So I decided to change my method. Sneaking in, putting a knife to Sakamoto’s throat, and finding out information about Liddell. My skills are specialized in stealth and assassination. That’s why I met you while I was preparing for it.”
After hearing all of Yamazaki’s words, Leah nodded and said.
“I guess so. OK. let us help you Anyway, our purpose is to meet Liddell, so we can act together.”
“You really don’t mean to harm Liddell or do anything, right? If it’s false…”
“Because it is not. Anyway, why are you trying so hard to find Liddell? Listening to the story, it seems that we’ve only been together for a month or two, but did we become that close?”
“We are not just close friends.”
“…?”
“We… we love each other. It’s a lover.”
Looking at Yamazaki, who was slightly embarrassed, Leah’s mouth dropped open.
Yamazaki shouted at Leah, who was surprised.
“His appearance is, of course, different and different from ours… but he is very friendly and affectionate. Except for his appearance, he is a person who is no different from us!”
“I-I don’t think it’s strange. I was just a little surprised. That’s why I tried so hard to find Liddell.”
Leah said as she picked up a wooden stick and searched around the unquenchable bonfire.
“Then we’ll help you get into the guild that Sakamoto is said to be. When would be a good time to go?”
At Leah’s words, Yamazaki said while stroking Jeong-min’s stomach.
“Actually, now is the perfect time. It’s late at night.. but my body condition is not in the best condition right now.. how about tomorrow night?”
“Then take a good rest today and let your body recover. Let’s go tomorrow morning.”
Yamazaki was surprised by Leah’s words.
“Tomorrow morning? How can I sneak in the morning…”
“There is no need to hide. You just have to enter through the front door. What kind of place is that Sakamoto’s guild?”
“It’s a place where he can be a guild leader. It is a garbage dump.”
“Then there would be nothing to shy away from.”
“.. Would it be okay? It’s not a shelter class, but it’s a large guild. The number of Awoken is enormous…”
“Don’t worry. Our Jung-min will take care of it.”
Jung-min, who was staring at the bonfire without participating in the conversation, looked at Leah in amazement.
“Yes?”
“Let’s do the bad practice tomorrow, Mr. Jeongmin. Did you find it difficult to control your power? Tomorrow, I’m going to practice power control. I think I’m going to smash a guild tomorrow, but Jung-Min will deal with all the awakened people there. Let’s practice dealing with the awakened ones and controlling the power. You know?”
Seeing Leah talking nonchalantly, Jungmin nodded his head bewildered.
“I know you are strong. But alone… you’re not such an easy opponent!”
Looking at Yamazaki, who was shouting anxiously, Leah said.
“No need to worry, Mr. Yamazaki. Because Jung-min is the strongest person in the world.”
Leah grinned and added.
“Among Earthlings”
Episode 42