Chapter 66
They might even suspect something like, *'Maybe one of those kids is a purification sorcerer.'*
"Once this is over, you can't play innocent anymore. If it gets out you're an amazing hero, it could be dangerous—are you really okay with that?"
Looking at the soup secretly hidden in the room, Iri thought.
"Yeah! It's fine, so we gotta save them!"
"Why?"
"It doesn't make sense not to save them when I can!"
Unlike other heroes who only pursued their own selfish lives, Iri was different.
But that's why Cookie couldn't understand Iri.
"Still, they're people you have nothing to do with."
"But they're people I can save!"
"What're you talking about....... I don't get it at all."
"I'm not a cowardly kid! I'm a super duper righteous hero! Regent said it too! Fight the flames, child! Like this!"
"Who's Regent? Some great person?"
"Animation protagonist! Anyway, no time! Let's go!"
Iri shoved Cookie back into her pocket.
Then she resolved to boldly push through every situation.
Now it was time to enter the cube with everyone, so she had to bring her friends from the parlor!
But the moment the bedroom door opened, someone was standing right there.
"Uh, Lady Iri. I have something I want to talk to you about for a sec."
It was Karhen.
His expression was so serious that Iri tilted her head.
"Sure! Come in!"
Karhen cautiously grabbed the edge of Iri's sleeve.
"I-I have an ability too. Like the other kids."
Karhen was small and weak.
But there was one thing he could do for Iri.
"Compared to others, it's nothing much and kinda creepy, but I-I can alter, manipulate people's memories."
As Iri sat speechless in surprise, Karhen murmured softly.
"......A way to, help......"
The moment Karhen's face turned bright red.
Iri's eyes widened as she shouted.
"Whoa! That's the best!"
Cookie shouted via telepathy too.
[Total super-lucky! Like a gift from the heavens! Shower him with kisses!]
Karhen, who had never once received praise like 'the best,' looked flustered.
"Wh-what do you mean......"
"Karhen is suuuper cool! Th-then, can you help me?"
Iri stuck out her hand like she wanted a handshake.
Karhen cautiously grabbed the tip of Iri's hand and shook it.
Iri's words to him so far swirled in his ears like a vortex.
"I came to save you!"
"Does it hurt a lot......?"
"Karhen is really cool!"
The first time he was saved, he hadn't held hands.
But now he could.
With his ears red, Karhen stared at Iri's outstretched hand.
Iri grandly lifted one of the soup bowls filled with her purification power.
"First, gather all 7 Musketeers, comrade!"
* * *
Inside the 'Subspace of Dissolution' where the White Knight Order was staying.
After isolating and sealing themselves away.
The knights lay sprawled on the floor, dying.
Since their bodies were already filled to the brim with magi anyway, they ate nothing.
They didn't even drink water as they shared their final conversations.
The captain tried to liven up the mood.
"Everyone, cough, hack....... Remember that time?"
"What time, sir......?"
"The memory of fighting alongside Yelsnada-nim."
They had slain countless monsters.
They recalled the time they lived solely for peace in the North.
The evil magi that devoured their will to live came crashing down.
As the sensation of being crushed by magi intensified, their surroundings slowly darkened.
He planned to slowly drift into sleep.
But then, the door to the strictly sealed subspace clearly opened.
*'What the heck, that damn cube. Is it defective?'*
He recalled the face of the person who had strongly insisted, 'If you're ever in mortal danger, get into the cube without fail.'
With an irritated expression, he opened his eyes.
"Who is it. We're all dying, so close the door."
Otherwise, the magi trapped in their bodies could attack the intruder.
That's why he deliberately made a more unpleasant face.
It was then, as he glared at the doorway with his narrow, blurred vision.
Two tiny silhouettes bowed politely in greeting.
"Hellooo-mikka?"
"......?"
Seeing the kids who appeared out of nowhere, he looked baffled.
"Wha......t......"
The magi in their bodies clearly writhed.
But it didn't attack.
There was only one answer.
"......You kids monsters?"
"We're monster hybrids."
"So...... pretty much the...... same...... Kill us quick if you're gonna, then go. Tired......"
Dying as it was, he couldn't muster more words.
His eyelids kept drooping.
*'Why aren't we dying already.'*
The monster hybrids exchanged flustered glances.
Then, a card peeked through the door crack.
The monster hybrids hurriedly looked at the card and slowly read it.
"Starved for over 3 days. Poor mister. Full of magi. Lots of prepared soup quick!"
Belkuan made an absurd face. But Dinan's action came first.
"Our names are Belze and Dinan, Lirid and Karhen. We have something our master prepared for you."
His head was already spinning, and it was full of incomprehensible nonsense.
Belkuan muttered.
"Whatever, just kill us quick......"
"The menu prepared for you is one. Orc-flavored soup."
"Orc?"
A name he didn't want to eat even in death.
Who named food that?
As if reading his dubious expression even on the brink of death.
Karhen bowed and held out a plate.
The unidentified liquid on the plate had mugwort and other weeds floating in it.
"This....... what is it? Soup from monster corpses I killed?"
Iri, who had been eavesdropping from outside the door, fumed.
But the 5 Musketeers, including Karhen, were different.
They thought they had to fulfill the mission for 'the purification sorcerer-nim who acknowledged them.'
So with resolute faces, they offered the soup again.
"Here, please eat."
He had no intention of eating food handed over by some random intruder in the subspace.
Then, Belze raised a spear from his pocket and said chillingly.
"Eat."
He chuckled.
A veteran who'd been through it all.
No way a spear or dagger threat would make him blink.
"Threats with that stuff won't wor...... urk, guh!"
He thought it'd just stab his throat with the spear.
The creativity of a child was truly astounding.
The soup plate flew like a spear and forcibly stuffed his mouth full.
