My Illusion Is Survival - Chapter 32
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 32
“What do you mean?”
Facing that suspicious smile after so long, the rejection ingrained in my body rose up.
‘He’s been quiet for a while. Is he picking a fight again?’
When I pursed my lips and slightly raised my eyes, Simoer answered with that same smiling face.
“Master will never acknowledge your existence until the very end.”
“Because he doesn’t trust me?”
“No. Because he knows what will happen the moment he acknowledges you.”
“What happens when he acknowledges my existence?”
At my sharp response, Simoer’s smile only deepened.
“He’ll crumble. Without a trace.”
However, the eyes hidden behind that smile were cold.
“I don’t think he’d crumble just because of me. You saw just now, didn’t you?”
Even at my self-deprecating answer, Simoer’s gaze remained unchanged.
“Well. But if Elpis truly thinks so, I won’t add any more words on this matter.”
Suddenly his demeanor became even sharper.
“Shall we return to the main point?”
“Main point?”
“I find Elpis’s existence very interesting. But separately from that, I find your existence unwelcome.”
“…The reason?”
“Because Master’s goal has been delayed due to you.”
His low voice was still gentle, but honest enough to raise goosebumps on my skin.
“How many people in This Place would truly welcome your determination to prevent the world’s destruction?”
“Not many, I suppose.”
“Right now, everyone is keeping their heads down because Master permits your existence. However, no one knows how long this situation will last.”
“That’s possible. So what do you want to say?”
At my question, Simoer tilted his head and smiled.
“Don’t start what you can’t take responsibility for. Otherwise, before you can save the world you cherish so dearly, you’ll end up regretting it.”
I stared at Simoer for a moment without saying anything.
“I don’t understand why you’re suddenly saying this.”
“It’s not sudden. I’ve been thinking I should tell you this someday.”
At that slimy smile, irritation suddenly surged up.
“Is that so? Then can I also say something I’ve been meaning to say?”
“Please go ahead.”
“Stop messing around, Simoer.”
“…Pardon?”
“Don’t try to test people with such pathetic excuses.”
For the first time, cracks appeared in Simoer’s smile.
He tapped one ear as if doubting what he heard, but I had long since seen through even that act.
“I’m sorry it sounded that way. I was just—”
“I told you to stop messing around, Simoer. Do you think I don’t know you?”
Simoer’s smile, which had been pretending to stiffen, finally drew a long arc.
“What do you mean?”
“You don’t care whether the world is destroyed or not.”
“That can’t be. If that were really the case, I wouldn’t have said such things.”
“The reason is obvious. You were hoping I’d panic at your threat and carelessly let something slip, weren’t you?”
And then you would have used that as leverage to extract more information.
It was obvious without even looking.
“You must have had quite a hard time finding information about me. For you to resort to such methods.”
Targeting someone when they’re psychologically vulnerable—truly befitting a former assassin.
‘Cunning bastard.’
Simoer finally burst into laughter.
“Ha! Haha! I’ve been caught. I didn’t expect to be seen through so quickly—you’re sharper than I thought.”
As if my trembling attitude amused him, his eyes curved into perfect crescents.
“Is this funny to you?”
“There’s no need to use formal speech. Personally, I preferred your earlier tone.”
“I have no intention of catering to your preferences, so don’t even dream of it.”
“Oh dear, what a shame.”
The tense atmosphere dissolved in an instant.
However, the Simoer before me was the type who would change his expression and pounce the moment I let my guard down.
Therefore, I couldn’t relax my vigilance for even a moment.
‘Still, thanks to this, my mind is much sharper now.’
I admit it.
I had been thinking too lightly about this whole situation.
‘When I should barely have enough energy to worry about my own life, I was getting swayed by Azel and letting my guard down like this.’
However, now that I had once again realized the reality of my situation, the confusion in my head settled much faster.
“So, do you really have no intention of telling me anything? I heard there was something interesting happening outside—purification or something?”
“I absolutely have no intention of telling you, so give up.”
“Oh dear.”
“But I’ll tell you just this one thing.”
“What might that be?”
I added quietly toward the expectant Simoer.
“I’m not trying to prevent destruction because I cherish the world.”
“…!”
“There’s ‘one person’ who has to live in this shitty world who I cherish too much, I cherish that person so desperately much, that’s why I want to protect it.”
That one person,
naturally meant ‘myself.’
“I don’t care about this world. I just want to protect that one person.”
“Even though that person doesn’t even remember you?”
However, Simoer seemed to have misunderstood my words.
He thought the ‘one person’ I mentioned was Azel.
But there was no particular reason to correct him.
“I don’t think I need to answer that far.”
I cut off my words and turned around.
As I walked toward the door opposite to the direction Azel had gone, Simoer stopped me.
“Where are you going?”
“To the Garden.”
“The Garden?”
“Aigres said he was waiting for me. The conversation went longer than intended, so I should hurry.”
When I indirectly indicated I had no more desire to continue our conversation, he no longer held me back.
‘From now on, let’s not think about anything else. I’ll focus only on survival.’
The fluttering of my heart wasn’t more important than my life.
I deliberately ignored the aching in my heart and left through the door without looking back, just as Azel had done earlier.
*
After Elpis left.
Simoer stared at the tightly closed door for a moment before moving to the opposite side.
Click. Thud.
Soon, the door he had grasped by the handle and slowly pushed open caught on something.
“So that’s how it is.”
Though it was a statement without beginning or end, an immediate response came from the man who stood blocking the doorway in a daze.
“It was a pointless act.”
It was Azel.
“Is that so.”
“I didn’t want to know.”
“I see.”
“I didn’t want to know such things, not even a little.”
Slide— Thud.
Finally, Azel’s body collapsed to the floor.
Azel’s figure, sitting with his back against one door, looked pitiful.
However, Simoer loyally maintained his position instead of criticizing his master’s disgraceful behavior.
“What will you do now?”
“….”
“Shall I look for someone else instead of the priest who came today?”
“If the healing priest couldn’t figure it out, bringing others would yield the same result. As she said, her body is probably fine.”
As she said.
A self-deprecating laugh escaped at the words he had unconsciously uttered.
“What good is it if only her body is fine.”
Her insides must be completely rotten and festering.
“It’s horrible.”
All of these things surrounding him were horrible.
Not only Elpis, who was foolish and pitiful,
But even himself, who still dreamed of salvation in the end.
“It is not your fault, Master.”
At Simoer’s words, Azel squeezed his eyes shut.
It was something that would be branded on his heart and cause long-lasting regret.
*
-Grrrrrrowl!
-Gruk! Hissssss!
An untimely crowd had gathered like clouds in the vast garden.
“Ron! P-please calm down first!”
“That’s right! The young lady will be here soon, so please put that down first!”
It wasn’t because of the two Aigres that were fiercely struggling.
In the middle of the crowd that had gathered like clouds, Ron was confronting someone.
“Waaaah! How could you do this to me, old man!”
His opponent was a servant named Dekan.
Though he probably wasn’t a real servant.
“Ron, please return Dekan’s sword first. That guy has been restless since earlier, worried that his beloved sword might get damaged.”
“That’s right! Give it back!”
“Didn’t I say I was just borrowing it for a moment.”
Dekan’s cheek was swollen bright red, and the reason was close at hand.
“You didn’t borrow it, you took it!”
“Same difference.”
It was because he had been beaten after rushing at Ron to get back his stolen beloved sword.
Then why had Ron taken someone else’s sword for no reason?
Finding the cause wasn’t difficult.
-Grrrrrrowl!
-Grrrrowl! Grheng!
The Aigres were growling fiercely at Ron.
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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