studiobondurri Chapter 240 : Chapter 240
Chapter 240 : Chapter 240
Yuria woke up sensing a presence.A black silhouette was opening the door and entering urgently.
“Shh. It’s me, Yuria.”
“……Dad?”
Yuria, having confirmed the identity of the silhouette, opened her eyes wide.
At his sudden appearance, sleep vanished in an instant.
“Get up.”
“What? Why? No, rather, what brings you here at this hour?”
“I will explain on the way. First, get dressed and just pack simply…….”
It was then.
A cute face popped out from under the bulging blanket.
Woof!
The Half-Moon Wolf cub, Bandal.
“……So it was true. That bastard’s words were true.”
Seeing Bandal, Ianco hardened his expression stiffly.
“Ah. So, Dad, this child is…….”
“It’s fine. First, get ready and come out. We must move quietly and swiftly.”
Only then could Yuria check Ianco’s face.
Beads of sweat are forming.
Ianco was nervous.
‘Something happened.’
Sensing it, Yuria nodded.
“Okay.”
“Right. I will be waiting.”
Yuria opened her subspace ring and roughly threw important belongings into it.
Then took out her sword and strapped it to her waist. So she could cope with whatever emergency situation came.
More importantly, what could it be?
An enemy attack?
Although she didn’t know the reason, Yuria recalled that there was a scratch on Ianco’s face she saw briefly in the dark.
……Something, the feeling wasn’t good.
“What about Uncle Johnny?”
At Yuria’s question after coming outside, Ianco said something else.
“Are you planning to take that guy too?”
His gaze was fixed on Bandal held in Yuria’s arms.
Hek-hek!
“For now. We can’t raise it here, can we.”
Ianco groaned.
The Half-Moon Wolf cub was the trigger that played a decisive role in evoking Yuria’s sense of loss.
Therefore, it was not good for it to be in the same space with Yuria.
‘But I can’t leave it here either. Because falling into their hands would also be the worst.’
There was no time to ponder.
Ianco walked forward.
“Let’s go.”
“Where are we going?”
“Icata.”
“What?”
“We are going to the Academy.”
“…….”
Yuria asked, looking out the window where darkness had settled thickly.
“At this dawn?”
“Yes.”
“No, what about Uncle Johnny?”
“Don’t look for him. Because only the two of us will go there.”
Yuria, falling into confusion, stopped walking.
“There is something, right? What on earth is happening. Did you two fight or something?”
“…….”
“Dad!”
When Yuria stopped walking, Ianco looked back at her hurriedly.
“Please. Please be quiet, child.”
“Why? As if you are running away or something.”
Looking at Ianco maintaining silence, Yuria flinched.
“……Is it right? Are we really running away?”
“…….”
“Why? Dad is the mercenary captain, isn’t he?”
Even at Yuria’s continuous questions, Ianco could not speak readily.
To tell her the reason, he had to explain the coup d'état Dr. Edric and Johnny caused, and to do that, he had to tell the secret of Yuria’s birth first, but he was not mentally prepared for that yet.
Excluding that, he didn’t know from where to where he should tell her.
Even in the midst of this, in a situation where they might be discovered by the mercenaries, Ianco continued to look around and keep watch.
“Right. I know it's frustrating. You might think I’m doing this on purpose. But, you have to trust me now. It’s all an action for you. When we arrive in Roenberg, I will tell you everything.”
Ianco’s plan was to get to Roenberg City first.
If they go there and request personal protection from the City Guard until the airship to Icata takes off, no matter how great Dr. Edric is, he wouldn’t be able to do anything.
Fortunately, Yuria did not obsess over the questions anymore.
“……Okay. I won’t ask anymore.”
She placed her hand gently on Bandal’s head and stared at Ianco.
“Let’s go.”
“Thank you for understanding.”
The two people came out of the headquarters building.
Then the view of the camp engulfed in heavy silence greeted the two.
The camp excessively quiet today of all days.
It seemed everyone had fallen into deep sleep.
The guards also seemed to have gone to the bathroom.
The lights were on in the guard posts, but the insides were empty.
‘What a relief. This was what worried me most.’
Even if the mercenary group was taken by Dr. Edric and Johnny, from Ianco’s perspective, it wouldn’t be easy to point a sword at those who used to be comrades.
He had never had such an experience either.
If they had been caught by a guard, a battle would have been inevitable.
However, passing the guard post just now, such worries also ended completely.
From here on was a straight path leading to Roenberg, and except for magical beasts attacking night travelers, there were no elements threatening their safety at all.
Thinking they were lucky, Ianco entered the forest path heading to Roenberg.
Rustle!
But it didn’t take much time to realize that the relief he had felt until now was a complete illusion.
Not long after, Ianco, who was running at the lead, suddenly stopped abruptly.
In the middle of the open lot, someone was standing looking in the direction they were coming from.
As if waiting for them.
“Where are you going so busily at this dawn?”
Soon, as the moonlight that was hidden by clouds poured down, his face was revealed, and Ianco clenched his molars tight.
“Brother.”
His identity, smiling smirkingly, was exactly Johnny.
A deep sense of dismay was etched on Ianco’s face.
“To think you would betray like this even though the Doctor gave you a chance. This brother feels truly great disappointment and betrayal from you, Big Brother.”
Ianco did not answer.
Instead, he summoned his beloved weapon.
For Yuria who didn’t know the reason, a scene was surprising enough to make her eyes go wide.
“Dad. Wait a moment. What are you doing all of a sudden?”
“Kekeke. What. Haven’t you told her yet?”
“I don’t know what’s going on, but Uncle, stop it too.”
“Oh my, it was real! Well, how could he say it with his own mouth!”
Johnny even clutched his belly and giggled loudly.
“That his own daughter isn’t human!”
Yuria’s pupils shook as if an earthquake happened.
“W, what are you talking about suddenly?”
“Exactly as I said. You aren’t human, you see. Half is human, half is Divine Beast. That is exactly your true nature, Yuria. Of course, the Big Brother over there isn’t your real dad either.”
“…….”
“Have you ever thought it was strange? That shouldn’t be?”
Then, the sense of incongruity she had felt while living until now flashed and passed quickly through Yuria’s mind.
It was so.
As Johnny said, Yuria had felt strange points several times while living.
Being able to feel and handle mana as if it were natural, and being able to use magic freely by self-studying alone without a teacher.
Also being able to feel the emotions of spirit beasts and animals and achieve communication based on that.
Even the unconditional trust and affection received from them.
Besides that, having absolutely no resemblance to Ianco, or him not telling her even when she asked about her mother, etc.
There were many times she felt incongruous.
However.
She thought it was an absurd claim.
‘A Divine Beast.’
It was understandable because to Yuria, Divine Beasts were creatures that existed only in legends.
They were existences too distant, and she had never heard of a child being born between a Divine Beast and a human.
It was hard to believe.
But the strange thing was that Ianco was only quiet without saying anything.
Yuria looked at Ianco’s back.
He could have made any rebuttal to Johnny’s bullshit, but Ianco maintained silence, and that appearance confused Yuria’s head.
‘Why isn’t he saying anything? Does that mean Uncle Johnny’s words are really true?’
It was then.
Ianco suddenly turned his body.
“Yuria.”
Meeting Ianco’s eyes, strangely her heart started thumping.
Sunken eyes.
It seems she sensed it from there.
That all of Johnny’s words were true.
Half human, half Divine Beast.
Me, born between them.
Countless questions covering her mind like waves.
‘Is my mom a Divine Beast?’
‘Is Dad really my dad?’
‘How will my body change?’
‘Then what am I. Human? Or Divine Beast?’
‘Where on earth did I come from?’
“Is it…… true?”
At Yuria’s question, Ianco answered heavily.
“Yes.”
“Really. I am a Divine Beast?”
“Yes. Your mom is a Divine Beast named Kasanne. Your dad is a human, and his name is Kazan.”
Kasanne and Kazan.
Two people with strangely similar names were really her parents.
“Surprised, aren’t you?”
Yuria’s head nodded slightly.
“Honestly, it’s hard to believe.”
“I guess so. I understand.”
Ianco put down his sword on the ground.
And took off the pendant he was wearing on his neck and held it out to her.
It was a pendant with a small glass bottle attached.
Inside the glass bottle, sparkling powder was falling like snow, and Yuria realized what it was at once.
“Fairy’s wing powder…….”
Ianco placed it in Yuria’s hand.
“I intended to give it as a birthday present back then.”
“…….”
“Still. I’m glad to give it even now.”
“Why? Why didn’t you tell me?”
Ianco smiled bitterly.
“Because I couldn’t. Because I am the one who killed your mom. Consequently, the one who took you as a newborn baby and raised you is exactly me.”
“…….”
“However, I have never thought of you as a stranger, Yuria. Divine Beast? I don’t know about such things. You are my daughter whom I gave love and raised previously. That is all.”
Yuria’s eyes opened wide.
Soon, her face, which was full of doubt and chaos, calmed down in an instant, returning to the usual coolheaded Yuria.
“Then that’s enough.”
“……That’s enough?”
“Yes.”
“You mean you don’t resent me?”
Resentment?
Of course she does.
Because it is true that he deceived her until now.
But, she buried it.
In any case, what was important was Ianco’s sincerity.
Whether Divine Beast or human, Ianco thought of Yuria as his daughter, and that heart was clearly reaching Yuria right now.
‘Isn’t that enough?’
Also Kasanne?
Kazan?
Even if they are her real parents, Yuria doesn’t even have memories in her head anyway.
It is surprising, but it means it’s not such an important part.
The person she considers a parent was only one person, Ianco.
“What about you, Dad? Do you still dislike me?”
Ianco shook his head hurriedly.
“T, That can’t be! Everything I did to distance myself from you and keep you away since the factory incident was actually for you. I can’t tell you all the background, but…….”
“Then that’s enough. I’ll hear the story later. Since we have to get out of here first.”
“……Right.”
The two people looked at the open lot.
Johnny was still waiting for them leisurely.
Ianco said in a low voice.
“Johnny and the mercenary group betrayed me. Dr. Edric. He is the ringleader of all this.”
“……!”
“Those guys want you, Yuria. Probably they covet the Divine Beast ability you have.”
Thanks to that, Yuria could grasp the rough context of the situation.
It was then.
Johnny opened his mouth.
“Looking at it, it seems like you resolved all misunderstandings. Didn’t I tell you I would help from in between. How is it, Yuria? Resolved right away, right?”
“……Should I even say thank you?”
“Well, no need to do that. Because the picture of the two of you reconciling was a picture we wanted too.”
‘We?’
It was when Yuria was drawing a question mark inside.
“Isn’t that right, Doctor?”
At Johnny’s question, the question was solved immediately.
“Of course.”
The bushes parted, and Dr. Edric, who was hiding, revealed himself.