Breaking Out (part 1)

Ch. XVIII - Breaking Out (Elice)

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What should I do…?

The man who is very much responsible for the death of my people… the person who started the war by himself…

The strongest human hero, the Paladin hero.

Rake Ignicius.

He is… helping me?

Why is he here? What is it that he wants from me?

"Can you walk? Can you talk?"

He asked me again, and I snapped out of my daze. His expression tells me that he is being genuine about trying to help me. Meanwhile, I am still clouded with thoughts.

I guess… For now, it doesn't matter.

Survive… I must stay alive.

"I-I can... I can walk."

"Good. Because we might need a bit of that energy if we want to get you out of here."

The hero, Rake, suddenly says as he stood up in front of me. He lent his hand to help me get up, and I took it. He helped me stand up again, and I immediately realized how weak I currently am.

I can walk… but I can't run.

I didn't say anything, but for some reason, he noticed something just from seeing me standing up.

"Drink this for now. It will help you run for a while."

He gave me a bottle that appeared from his magic storage bracelet, and I took it from his hand. I stared at the bottle, wondering if the content was really just like what he said, or was it something else.

Either way… what can be worse than my current situation?

Even if it is poison and I don't drink it, can I even do anything with the current me?

And so, I drank it without hesitation, all the way until the bottle was empty. It's not that I trusted him with giving me this energy bottle, but because I believed that nothing can go any worse than my current condition--

"Hik!"

Suddenly, I got a hiccup.

The hero stared at me silently for a few seconds, and I turned my gaze away immediately.

T-That was embarrassing… 

But most importantly, that was rather refreshing. It works effectively as well. I can feel my entire body warming up as if being regenerated with energy.

My body feels… lighter.

What was that drink? It was not poison, that's for sure.

Was he being genuine… in helping me?

Me? Who is an ethelen.

And him, who is the human hero.

"Let's go. No matter what… stay behind me."

He said to me as he turned towards the exit, not giving me a chance to think about anything. He is already exiting the jail cell, and yet I am still standing in the same position, not moving at all.

The person… who is responsible… is now helping me out. Genuinely, as well.

I don't… understand.

"What is it that you want?"

Hearing my sorrowful question, the hero suddenly stopped moving. He didn't turn his gaze at me for some reason, and only stood silently there, outside the iron bars of the prison cell. It's like he is frozen by my words, that he didn't even turn to look at me. 

Still not facing my direction, he opened his mouth.

"Just follow me… we have to get you to somewhere safe--"

"Just tell me your goal. I won't fight back. I will comply."

Rake finally turned his eyes at me, and that's when I realized that I have made a mistake.

He wasn't helping me to get anything from me. He wasn't helping me so that he could use me for anything. He wasn't helping me because he was just acting for a certain goal.

He was… genuinely helping me. Out of pity.

Those were not the eyes of someone who is scheming or wanting to use others. Those were not the eyes of someone who deleted an entire race of existence.

Those are the eyes… that values life.

His expression is so hurtful. Miserable. Tears can be seen welling up on his red eyes, ready to roll down his cheeks at any time. But he quickly lifted his hand to wipe them off.

The hero Rake then turned around and rushed back into the cell. He arrived in front of me, and placed both his hands on my shoulders.

"Don't give up… stay alive. Don't let go."

He said to me with a low voice.

I was a little bit surprised by this sudden act of his, but I still can't help but feel negative. Seeing the face of someone trying to cheer me up like this made me feel even worse, and so I turned my face away from him.

"Please… just kill me. I don't--"

"No. Stay alive. Don't die, don't give up."

Why is he… he is only saying things again and again. It's not exactly helping as well, so what exactly… does he want out of me?

…

'Don't give up', 'Stay alive'. 

Those were the words my mother said to me.

And it seemed… that I had forgotten about it.

I see, he was merely reminding me.

After the long silence, I finally nodded at him, and he grinned. I turned my gaze at him, and found that his face does look quite handsome for a human.

If it wasn't for the bloodied eyes and cheeks, and maybe the blood splatter on his armor, then maybe he can look good. But right now, his appearance is simply similar to a devil.

Once he confirmed that I am good, he turned around and began running out of the cell leaving me.

But this time, I followed right behind him.

As we ran on the underground dungeon, I am now convinced that this hero guy was a total psychopath. The path to the outside is filled with dead bodies of human knights, all in pieces. The ground was wet from the pool of blood and I had to make sure where I'm placing my foot to step.

It's almost as if a guy with a very sharp sword and powerful sword skills has entered the dungeon. He left not a single one of them alive, and mutilated them cleanly and perfectly.

And yet, here he is not holding any sword. When he killed the captain too, he didn't use a sword. The captain just got split in half by something.

Was it… magic?

"Hey, what's your name!?"

The hero shouted suddenly as we ran past the dead bodies. I was so busy dodging the dead bodies and puddles of blood, that I had trouble answering it.

"E-Elicia!"

"Elicia, huh? Elicia, we're going to get you out of here."

Get me out of here…

Is he genuinely trying to save me?

I can't tell anymore… at this point, I'd rather go run with him than being tortured by another human interrogator.

We both arrived outside, and were immediately welcomed by a group of human knights. Their leader stood right in front of them, while Rake was in front of me still running.

"Sir Paladin hero!! What is the meaning of thi--"

BRESSHH!!!!!!

The leader who spoke just now is now in half. Rake didn't even get him the chance to finish his words, and the group leader was already sliced in half.

I nearly puked from seeing all of his insides spurted out like that, and yet the hero guy looks unfazed.

I swear… this guy is a psychopath…

"Ho-Hoi!!!"

SHRESHH!!!!

"What are you--Ghaakkk!!!!"

BOOOOOMMMMMMMM!!!!!!

The knights who were by the dungeon exit were all slaughtered very quickly by him, while I'm just watching horrifyingly from afar.

This guy is absolute bad news…

The entire scene of eleven knights standing outside the dungeon entrance, has now been replaced with a pool of blood with many human pieces all over the place. A single man was standing drenched in blood, and he quickly turned to me after he was done with the last one.

"Let's go."

He said calmly, as if there's no pool of blood right below his foot.

S-Seriously, he's a psychopath!! I'm not going near him!!!

But he is getting me out of this place… he did save me from all these knights…

I have no choice but to follow him for now.

And so, I started running following him. I circled the pool of blood, not wanting any of those things on my bare foot at all. My eyes managed to get a glimpse of a knight on the ground, who is still alive.

His face tried muttering words, but he was already dying. After all, he doesn't even have a stomach.

I held my puke back, and I felt slightly sorry for that person. Then, I continued following the hero.