16. The center of the great flow (2)

“A new order has come from Balak.”

Shylock said.

As soon as I got back to training camp, he called me out.

Avoiding the eyes of others, Hermis and I came out to meet him.

He held out a piece of paper to me and said.

“To sum it up, it says to do it yourself. It’s to scare him by breaking his arm or somewhere else.”

Consistent with what was written.

[Temporary loss of function in one of target’s limbs. I will handle it more carefully than before.]

The meaning of the short text was as he said.

The handwriting was crude and rough.

He has a very meticulous personality.

I returned the paper.

Shylock said as he lit a match and burned it.

“The last order was a recommendation, but this one seems to be followed. Because Hermis isn’t always guarding her. It must mean that you will take advantage of that gap.”

That’s right.

Unexpectedly, Hermis spends a lot of time away from me.

It has no choice but to be.

This training center is a thorough group of men.

Hermis can enter the training center, but she can’t be with her every moment.

Or training time.

Time to wash, eat, etc.

In the meantime, Hermis is waiting in the guest room at the entrance of the training center.

“You must be conscious of Sir Hermis standing by my side.”

“Anyway. I wouldn’t, but… The other two will have to be careful.”

Aside from Shylock, there are two other knights under Balak’s orders.

Gaston, talent.

Gaston teaches group combat training, and Talent is a knight in charge of life rules.

I’ve run into them a few times since I was warned by Shylock.

There was no reaction to me.

“Because I can’t follow you to the shower…. We must be especially careful.”

I narrowed my eyes at Hermis’ words.

“What do you mean?”

“What are you imagining? Do you usually close your eyes when washing to make it difficult to grasp external risk factors? That’s why I told you to be careful.”

“… ….”

Let’s glare Hermis giggling.

Even in the midst of this, he is a human full of thoughts to make fun of.

But it is a surprisingly sharp point.

When you really wash, you have no choice but to become insensitive to the changes around you.

There are times when I close my eyes, and my hearing is also disturbed by the sound of water.

“Thank you for letting me know.”

“What? I am doing what I have to do.”

“Why don’t you let Sir Shylock hit me right now?”

“… What?”

“Well, I thought it would be weird if I looked too fine. Wouldn’t it be better for you to be the first to strike, then the other two would be quiet for a while? Oh, please adjust your strength.”

“Should I go that far? Above all, the goal is to get hurt so badly that you are alienated and unable to participate in training, but it’s strange to control your strength.”

That’s right.

Shylock looked down as if he wanted to see all the madmen, then shook his head.

Certainly, I tend to not care about using my body.

“Sometimes you don’t know if you’re smart or stupid.”

“Thank you for the compliment.”

Suddenly, an unfounded feeling of uneasiness reared its head.

“I’m sure the other two didn’t find out about our relationship, right?”

“I can’t be sure, but maybe. We’re under the same orders, but we’re not very close.”

“Hmm…. All right.”

*

The next knight I met after Shylock was Sir Thomas.

The engineer in charge of section 3, where room 13 belongs.

Although he is the engineer in charge of the division, it is rare to see his face.

Because most of the communication goes through Dylan anyway.

I didn’t meet him alone.

He gathered the candidates in section 3 and explained.

This time, the news is from Elijah.

The recipients are all candidates.

It is also the answer given to me.

“As of today, there has been a major change in the diet at the training center.”

It is said that the amount has increased.

The composition will also be much richer.

I can’t tell how much it has changed just by explaining it in words.

I thought that was the end, but Sir Thomas continued.

“And. New rules have been added since this month. Every month, instructors score candidates by grading their competencies. For the person in the room with the highest total score, a special meal is provided for one month.”

Special meal?

“As for special meals, we will serve food that you have never imagined before, so you can look forward to it.”

Most of the candidates are young boys.

For their own reasons, they are satisfied with the food here, but they can’t help but want more food.

Because that’s the age.

A heated air flow flowed between the candidates who were listening to the story.

That was the same for me.

A special meal that you can look forward to.

Probably, it is expected to be the food provided by Elijah’s mansion.

That luxurious and sumptuous meal eaten for breakfast and dinner.

‘You can eat that at the training center?’

You can’t do that unless your mouth waters.

‘By the way, no matter how limited the number is, it will continue to be provided…. It will cost a lot of money.’

Um.

It’s funny how I, a lowly citizen, worry about Elijah.

‘It’s a special meal…. Nice to meet you, but I’m not sure if I’ll get one.’

The method of determining the target of the special meal is not individual, but room-by-room.

In other words, it means that no matter how good one person is, if the room average is low, they will not benefit.

I am not at the top of the entire training camp.

I did beat Gulliot, one of the top ranks, but it wasn’t a result achieved only with my skills.

From noble mtl dot com

This is thanks to a combination of coincidences and luck.

Also, room 13 is not at the top of the training camp as a whole.

Roughly mid-level?

In other words, it is close to impossible for me to eat that special meal at the training center.

‘I’m kind of pissed off….’

Strictly speaking, I was the one who changed the diet at the training camp.

Because I told Elijah.

I liked everything until the regular diet was changed.

By the way, it’s very inconvenient to hear that I can’t eat the added special meal.

Someone else is eating what I worked hard to change?

No, you can eat it. Because that’s what I changed.

By the way, I can’t eat it, but only other people eat it?

That’s okay.

‘Are you doing this on purpose….’

Are you expecting me to do something again?

‘Wait a minute. Is this self-consciousness?’

Haven’t I already eaten up thinking about what Elijah wants from me?

I shook my head and put my thoughts away.

Just do it normally. As usual.

Special meal. It’s a pity, but anyway, I eat breakfast and dinner at Elijah’s mansion to my heart’s content.

There is no need to be overly greedy.

However, I couldn’t help but feel strangely irritable.

*

Lunch break after morning training.

I saw with my own eyes how much the diet at the training center had changed.

‘I didn’t feel like I was just talking about it, but this much….’

All the candidates receiving the food are surprised.

A group of people whispering among themselves.

“Wow…. Can you eat this much?”

“There is meat floating in the soup….”

“Is the bread soft? It’s also much bigger.”

“Isn’t this a special meal?”

That’s right.

Compared to what I usually eat, I wonder if the regular food that came out today is a special meal.

Not only has the quantity increased, but the overall quality has also improved.

The thin soup was thicker than before because it was oily, and the ingredients were increased.

It’s harder than the ones given at the mansion, but the bread is softer than before.

This proves that Elijah put a lot of money and nerves into it.

‘I didn’t expect such a dramatic change…. Thank you.’

The co-workers in Room 13 who are eating together also have bright expressions.

Argon blurted out.

“Isn’t this also thanks to Judas?”

How did you know?

“Don’t you think the young lady made changes for Judas?”

… Ah. Was that an approach?

I am already famous for being favored by Elijah at the training camp.

The candidates in the other rooms don’t seem to like it very much.

Our room. So, the candidates in Room 13 have different thoughts.

Until now, Elijah hadn’t even paid attention to this escort training center.

I started to take an interest in her after I entered the hospital.

It is the logic that since Elijah’s attention has been received thanks to me, it is beneficial to everyone as a result.

That’s a pretty plausible reason.

It’s embarrassing to say with my own mouth, but there are many parts that are right.

‘I can’t ignore the influence of the cookies and chocolates I’ve brought so far.’

Anyway, everyone in the room is kind to me.

“That makes sense.”

Richard agreed with a giggle.

This was followed by a conversation between idiots who dream of writing a romance novel.

I ignored everything and ate.

‘But what…. Thank you for caring so much….’

The soft, fluffy texture of the soup-soaked potatoes melts in your mouth….

‘Brother, it’s hot!’

Looking at me cooling my tongue, Richard clicked his tongue.

“Who steals and eats?”

He smiles and hands you cold water.

As I was drinking, I happened to see Dylan sitting in a corner.

He was eating in silence.

It was as usual.

The head of Room 13.

Although Richard, the top senior, holds the center, it is Dylan who eventually brings them together and leads them.

A quiet and responsible person.

He’s a leader, but he doesn’t talk much.

It’s rare to be close to someone in private or to see them smile.

‘Hmm….’

By the way, I’ve never looked as downtrodden as today.

It’s a slightly different atmosphere from simply not matching.

‘Is it because of my mood?’

Sometimes in life, there are difficult days for no apparent reason.

There may be personal reasons.

I turned off my mind and focused on my meal.

*

A short break before afternoon training.

Richard called me aside.

“I got my money back.”

It was an unexpected topic.

But I figured it out right away.

It’s about the nursery school.

“They came right away that evening. Take all the money you took with you. They also said that they would do building repairs for free.”

In one day Elijah gave the order, a lot was done.

‘It’s a world where it takes days or even months to complete administrative procedures….’

Young She realized the prestige of Elijah for some strange reason.

The direct power of the Bebel family is formidable.

“Benny noona liked it too.”

Beninita.

The woman who manages the nursery school.

She wept at the news that her debt had been forgiven.

She seemed to be an adult, but she was young.

It must have been difficult for her to manage alone.

Richard tapped me on the shoulder and laughed.

“Thank you. Men and horses. She called to talk about it.”

I also looked at him and smiled.

“What is this?”

“You are unlucky if you are too modest.”

“But honestly, the lady did everything, isn’t it a little funny that I am confident?”

“That’s right again.”

Richard chuckled and asked in a slightly serious voice.

“Hey, but…. Isn’t Dylan a bit strange today?”

“Yes? Did you feel that way too?”

“Uh, you too?”

We made eye contact for a moment.

A look of similar realization.

Compared to his rough personality, Richard is quite delicate.

In particular, he seems to have a good understanding of Dylan, whom he has been with for a long time.

I thought it was simply because of my mood, but it wasn’t.

“Has anything happened over the weekend….”

“Can’t I ask directly?”

“I asked in the morning, but nothing special. But is it clear to me? It’s a problem because he’s not the type to talk about himself.”

“Hmm….”

We shared our concerns.

But neither I nor Richard had a sharp edge.

You can’t force yourself to ask Dylan until he answers.

I returned without much income.

And I found out the reason after the afternoon training.

*

After the afternoon training.

Dylan said he had something to do, so he headed to a place other than a restaurant.

“Judas.”

“Yes?”

“Let’s chase it.”

“Are you going to follow your roommate?”

“Uh.”

“Let’s go now.”

Me and Richard followed after Dylan at a distance.

I didn’t want to be found out, and I didn’t want to look suspicious to others.

I had to put a lot of distance because of that, and I missed Dylan sometimes.

“Where have you been, kid?”

But I have a special ability.

[Hunter’s Sense]

Only Dylan’s footprints shine clearly.

“I think it’s this way.”

It feels like a new thing, but the training center is really wide.

If you go around, there are still places I haven’t been to.

The more we chased Dylan, the more serious Richard and I got.

I was heading to a place I didn’t think I was going to at this time.

A place so remote and secluded.

A dark alley where even the footsteps of patrolling knights cannot easily reach.

“Why is he in a place like this….”

I turned the corner listening to Richard’s muttering.

The back of the building.

It’s dark and dull, like an alley.

I saw a group of people.

It’s an unusual atmosphere.

Me and Richard quickly hid behind a wall.

I stuck out my head and peeked into the alley.

I felt my face harden.

“… ….”

There, Dylan was beaten by someone.

We were beaten as a group by about 10 people to be exact.

“… ….”

I can’t hear you because it’s far away.

However, even while being beaten up, Dylan was steadfast.

I didn’t distort my expression or scream.

It was dark, but enough to identify the perpetrator’s face.

I recognized one of them.

Envinyl.

A guy from Giudecca like me.

And a spot a few steps away from the beating.

A young man arrogantly looking down at Dylan with his arms crossed, as if he were the center of the crowd.

He’s the guy who was staring at me when I went to Room 5.

‘Looking at it now, these are the guys from room 5?’

From behind, I heard a crunching sound.

There is nothing more to see.

Why is Dylan doing that?

Why are they beating Dylan?

I don’t know.

Although the possibility is small, it is possible that Dylan is the enemy and the villain who did bad things to those 10 people.

However, emotions move ahead of that thin rational reasoning.

His fists kept getting stronger.

What to do right now is clear.

Cut in there.

Prevent one-sided beatings.

You can listen to the story later.

I took the lead in silence.

“Are you going to crash?”

Richard asked in a subdued voice.

“Yes.”

“Me too.”

He stood next to me.

“Let’s go now.”

Me and Richard strode into the alley.

***

Gaston sighed as he washed his face dry.

‘I don’t have time to be like this….’

Although he had to carry out Balak’s orders, his original purpose was different.

I shouldn’t have come to this training center in the first place.

It went smoothly until he tricked Balak with his disguise and went to Elijah’s mansion.

The purpose was to deliver information about Elijah’s mansion to the Moonsin Church.

Not even Gaston knows what to do with that information.

It is the back boat that created an elaborate camouflage identity enough to deceive Balak.

I shouldn’t have thoughtlessly guessed.

I am just being faithful to my duties.

However.

As Judas and Cale pointed out the problems at the training center, personnel changes occurred.

That’s when I was put in.

‘I’m going to follow the orders well and ask Balak to change my place of work. Although the possibility is low, you have to practice diligently to avoid getting caught…. Huh? That one?’

He suddenly raised his head.

Two boys chase after something, pretending not to be aware of their surroundings.

Judah as pointed out in Balak’s directive.

And his colleague was Richard.

Gaston watched them suspiciously.

The direction they were heading was the backwaters of the training center.

That is also where the children he bribed were located.

You are probably actively executing orders by now.

Gaston stealthily followed them.

*

Dylan clamped his mouth shut.

His mouth was watery.

He breathed heavily through his nose.

I felt like I was going to burst into moans when I opened my mouth.

I didn’t want to breathe in pain.

I had no intention of providing that kind of sadistic pleasure to my opponent.

Even though violence was permitted.

Why did this happen?

Shouldn’t have done that then?

It may be his own excessive obstinacy.

If I had left it as it was, this might not have happened.

But if that was the case, wouldn’t Judas have suffered a blow?

Is that a better result?

Judah is a strong kid.

Compared to the young and low rider, it is strong and hard.

I’m not bragging, I really am.

But even so, he couldn’t move on even knowing the misfortune that would befall him.

There may not be something like loyalty or affection worth sacrificing on behalf of Judas.

Dylan laughed at his weak thoughts.

What is the importance of that?

If a colleague and friend might be in danger, it’s only natural to step forward.

The perpetrators burst into laughter at that laugh.

“It’s amazing that you can laugh even in the midst of this. Is it Dylan?”

Salaman.

A strong player in the top 10 in the current training center.

First place in Room 5.

No matter how Judas is, it can’t defeat this human….

“… What are those?”

Someone looked at one side of the alley and said.

They turn their heads one by one.

Dylan’s gaze.

Then he noticed two people walking with their backs to the light.

A familiar face.

Richard. And Judas

Dylan blankly blinked his eyes.

‘What happened… ? Tailing? No way?’

I didn’t want to be seen like this.

While bemoaning his own frailty, Dylan felt a strange sense of hope.

A crazy guy who doesn’t cover his face when touched.

Not just one, but two are approaching with strides.

Judah’s expression sunk coldly in the shadows, and Richard’s was ferociously contorted.

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