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The Hero and the Awkward Journey (part 3)
My name is Leon, the Hero Leon.
After intense vomiting, I still remained in my spot.
“Although I want to pass this body on to Zhai he, I don’t know what I should do.”
I repeated this sentence in my mind.
I felt vaguely unwell. It was not like the exhaustion of oil running out and a dying fire, nor was it from the decay of time. It seemed to have the force of a fire igniting, burning and exploding.
I breathed in deeply. All I could hear was the sound of my own breathing. It was ragged, and with it brought the scent of rusty metal.
Leaning on the branch for support, I slammed my head again and again on the tree trunk.
Dong, dong, dong.
Dong, dong, dong.
With a paca sound, the tree bark split open and blood trickled down my forehead.
The sticky blood travelled down my eyebrow and into my eyes.
Really, I really am not honest at all.
I laughed.
Tears streamed from my eyes.
Bastard. Bastard. Leon you bastard!!
I unceasingly cursed myself.
Just now, when I felt Zhai He returning, I firmly fought back against him.
Although I didn’t know if the dizziness was a sign of changing personas, at that time, I had tried my hardest to keep my awareness. I said I wasn’t scared to die, but I don’t want to leave right now.
I only had to close my eyes for Ailee’s smiling face to appear clearly in my mind.
I was someone who was avoided by others. I was someone who was hated by others. I was someone who couldn’t exist in this world.
I understood all this, but I still could not forget Ailee.
“Get out of here,” “Why are you still here.”
I have always endured such gazes. Other people would not tear into me, and chase me out, but their eyes held the disdain they would for a dog begging for food, waiting for it to leave with its tail tucked between its legs.
Coincidentally on a certain level, I really was a stray dog.
I closed my eyes and imagined Ailee’s smile. My mood gradually calmed and my bitterness faded away.
It was a very beautiful smile; soft, yet still elegant. A smile from the bottom of the soul. A slight curve formed by the curling corners of her mouth. Pale gray eyes framed by dark black lashes, radiating a warm and gentle light. Generally, people who saw that enticing smile – including me – would feel warm for no reason. It was a smile like a spring day, and the owner of that smile was an angel.
In the royal family of Sheng Qiao Yi, Ailee was not the most beautiful princess, but my fiancee was definitely the most beloved girl.
No, I shouldn’t say she is my fiancee.
Ailee was my former fiancee.
Two years before, after I had died, Ailee must’ve been remarried. Actually, I can’t say remarry, because we were never married in the first place.
It was just a change in the wedding contract’s partner.
Ah, Ailee, Ailee.
Is your expression as gentle as it was two years ago? Would you still accept someone like me?
No, I don’t have any desire for your forgiveness.
I just want to see you. To see your elegant manner again. To see your beautiful face again. To see you dress for travel. To see you after you have pressed your face to my shoulder. It’s probably pointless to hope for those things. I only want to see you, apart from the crowd, in a far away place. Just one look.
I steadied my swaying body. The sky had already grown black, and a sliver of the sun hung from the red clouds. The slanting light had already grown cold. I shivered, liked on the snowy nights of before. My blood was cold, I was still just a dead person. It wasn’t my body that had died, but my inner soul that had already decayed.
Over the past two years, not much left had remained of my existence. I had already become blurry in people’s memories.
I had already become forgotten. Ailee was probably the same, having already forgotten me.
Ailee, Ailee……
I held my forehead as I inched forward slowly. The workers had lessened, and the two guards had relaxed.
With this opportunity, I dragged my feet forward silently, slowly advancing.
“Halt. Who are you?”
How troublesome.
The two guards speedily raised their lances at me who was staggering.
I closed my eyes slowly, condensing the magic power in my body.
I wanted to see her. No matter if I’ve already been forgotten.
When I opened my eyes, I was already inside the city. My body was plastered against the back of a building.
From behind came the incredulous shouts of the two guards.
“Dis-Disappeared!”
“How is this possible, that guy with a cloak was just here……”
“Could it be that we were just seeing things?”
“……”
“It’s probably just us seeing wrong. If he really had that kind of speed, he would be on the level of the Expedition Regiment.”
“Haha, yeah true. As part of the royal patrol, spending a whole day interrogating people, we were really tired.”
I walked slowly.
This was my first visit to the city of Svalundine. I was not very familiar with its layout. Anyways, I had to go find the inn first and prepare to meet with Elan and the others.
The city was bigger than what I had imagined. The buildings at the heart of the city brushed the clouds. The city walls seemed to been half-evolved out of a fortress. Many battlements were set along the ramparts. Gigantic cannons propelled by magic and platforms made for wizards to stand on dotted the walls. The moat dug around the city was deep and wide.
Several decades ago, this place was attacked by the demon race. At that time, Svalundine was able to last as a stronghold up until the last moment, when the Expedition Regiment arrived and purged the demon race. They were under siege for two years, so the entire city had a dense military flavor.
It was a very famous event known by the other countries as “The Miracle of Svalundine.” Except for the capital Dwolensaus, this was the second biggest city. It was also famed as “The City of the Sky on Earth.” In the most center of the city lived the high-ranking nobles and ministers.
To make a comparison, the center was constructed like an umbrella. The top part of the center was a gigantic disk-shaped floor that covered everything like an umbrella. Outside of this were countless rings. Buildings were set row after row out of the center of the city, tightly packed together in a beautiful way. The main street radiated outward from the center, wide enough to fit ten carts abreast.
The pedestrians passed through the roads in an unending stream, dressed in thousands of permutations. If you walked along the road, you could see old beggars and frlocking youngsters. You could see a wide variety of restaurants, serving every kind of delicacy. The scent of the flood floated very far. You could see the weapons polished and gleaming, the flowers and vegetables in season. You could see the heroes carrying their weapons on their backs, their chests puffed out and their heads raised high as they were filled with fighting spirit.
In short, this place had everything. It was a flourishing city without any faults.
Moreover, there were countless numbers of investigation officials in white uniforms here. They all wore the same uniform – a shirt pressed clean and pants without a single crease. On their breasts were red crosses outlined in gold and with eye-catching gold stars on their epaulettes. It was slightly different that Carolina’s clothes. It seemed that there was some kind of celebration preparations underway.
There were innumerable numbers of masked heros like me, walking on the road. Svalundine was too big, the number of strange people too plentiful to be counted. A bare-chested, husky fellow wrapped half of his face in bandages. There was also a woman with makeup like a clown wearing all sorts of strange things. There was a warrior holding a long sword while chewing on a piece of grass. There was also a frivolous boy laughing as he waved his sword about. There were shouts of “Don’t block the road, bastard I’m gonna kill you” along the street from groups of bully-type people The next second, an expressionless and cold man kicked them flying.
These were all heroes. As they say, the strong heroes are all a bit eccentric.
So, even if you dressed weirdly or acted strangely, it would not attract the suspicion of the investigation officials. Only if you started up a brawl or provoked conflict will the special police come to maintain order. They did not consider a mysterious traveller like me wrapped in a cloak as any sort of danger.
