MDCR 18

 My Black Curtain Duty Lo

Chapter 18

Telescus, who didn’t even know his own fate for next month, kept babbling on.

“Everyone fears you! Ha, of course they do. You’re such an alien and powerful being. The people around you don’t understand your worth. No one understands your worth! Ha, hahahaha!”

I leaned my chair back and looked at Irix. Irix grabbed the backrest and pushed the chair upright again.

“You have hidden talent, and the authority to overwhelm this world. You are a being too great for this world! I have come here to cherish that talent of yours, ha!”

His “ha”s came so frequently that I couldn’t find the right moment to throw him out.

Just throw him out already, please, Irix. Throw him out! You brought him here, so you’re the one responsible.

Telescus continued to babble.

“Follow me! Ha, I can give you a chance to become a new being, a new existence. I can turn you into someone everyone bows to! Ha!”

Now. Throw him.

But Irix’s eyes darkened.

What the hell is that?

Telescus’ words could be divided into nonsense and crap depending on the standard, but something in them seemed to have struck Irix.

I had to look at him suspiciously. The chair leaned back again.

Irix grabbed the backrest, straightened the chair, and clenched his fist tightly.

“Stay still.”

“…….”

Telescus continued talking without pause.

“I am the one who can make you reborn. With my help, you will be reborn. You will become the most powerful being in the world! And I will become the foremost apostle of that one!”

Ah, right. That’s it.

That sentence contained a fairly important fact.

The fact that Irix was an alien being born from the marriage of a duke and a foreign woman.

One day, Duke Berckart, the head of one of the empire’s most prestigious families, suddenly announced that he would marry this strange woman, whom no one had ever heard of.

Everyone was stunned. A man who could even marry a princess had brought an unknown foreign woman as his bride.

The family fiercely opposed it, but the duke pushed through with the marriage.

If only they had lived happily ever after—but no. One day, Irix’s mother suddenly disappeared, leaving Irix behind.

The duke never searched for his wife. He never legally settled the matter. He lived as if she never existed, never speaking a word about her.

He treated Irix—the child his wife had given birth to—like an object. No love, no attention.

Irix was extremely lonely.

Just like room 301.

A boy who was alive but brought no joy to anyone, who was merely still alive. He and Irix were alike.

Of course. Irix was the boy’s mirror and his clone, and the embodiment of his anger.

“Irix.”

I tried to lean my chair back again, but it wouldn’t budge. Hmm, Irix is strong.

“Stay still, I said.”

I asked him carefully.

“You were tempted by what that pervert said, weren’t you?”

“……Am I insane?”

…Right.

But I couldn’t say anything more.

Suddenly, the window shattered with a loud crash. Glass shards flew everywhere. Wind rushed in.

Telescus laughed loudly.

“Oh, an intruder! But Lord Peregion’s power protects you and me. Look, behold his greatness!”

Telescus’ huge hand enveloped us.

He probably only wanted to protect Irix, but since Irix was holding me tightly, he had no choice but to protect me as well. Correction—he protected the backrest of my chair, not me.

As glass shards poured in, huge pebble-like objects began pounding on the giant hand’s back. The identity of those objects was quickly revealed: paper birds. The ones belonging to the Church.

They were supposed to be allies. Why were they attacking? But the birds looked wrong. They weren’t smooth and sleek like usual. They were covered in lumpy clumps.

Irix’s eyes widened.

That’s not a good sign. Irix being startled means it’s really bad.

Bang bang bang— The train collided with the birds like a stone striking an iron plate. The train walls dented repeatedly, then tore like aluminum foil. The sound of metal ripping was tremendous, ringing in my ears. Beyond the torn metal plates, wind rushed in as a massive number of birds poured in. The train was completely covered by the birds.

A speaker turned on, and an urgent announcement played.

—Passengers, the train is currently… being attacked by monsters.

Telescus’ eyes widened. If even he’s surprised, this is truly bad.

—The monsters from the gorge… the monsters are attacking the train. Everyone evacuate… ah!

The contaminated birds fiercely attacked the black hand. The hand swelled greatly and crushed the birds against the wall.

While the hand was busy fighting the new enemy, the legion it was holding was freed. The agile Meimon ran over quickly.

“Master! Are you—”

Irix cut him off.

“Stop. Meimon! Listen carefully. The train is being attacked!”

“Is this the author’s doing?”

Meimon pointed at Telescus.

“No. Someone like him wouldn’t do something like this.”

Irix’s voice was filled with disgust.

“It’s monsters.”

“Monsters? The ones from the Great Gorge?”

“Yes. A corrupted type. The birds that the Church brought were contaminated by monsters.”

Irix pointed at a bird flying, covered in brown clumps. Meimon’s eyes filled with determination.

“Did a magician do this?”

“If it were a magician, it’d be better. At least the user would be sane. This is just naturally occurring monsters. Like a swarm of insane bugs. They must all be eliminated.”

Meanwhile, the birds continued to rampage. The train shook violently each time they collided. The serpent swayed its head. Finally, birds that would’ve been good to eat appeared, but they avoided the serpent first. The serpent kept biting the air.

Meimon threw a chained dagger at the swarming birds. The black blade connected to the chain transformed into a fireball. The birds struck by the fireball instantly burned and disappeared. Other birds targeted Meimon’s back.

“Danger!”

Irix shoved Meimon’s body away. A bird slashed across Irix’s arm. Blood splattered down.

Irix staggered. I grabbed his body as he tried to fall. Irix looked startled as if he was about to leap.

“I’m fine. Let go now.”

“Wait.”

I pulled Irix’s hand back. Blood poured from the wound. My goodness, Irix got hurt while saving someone.

I decided to believe the rumor that he shared the same name as someone else. I pulled a handkerchief from my pocket and pressed it against the wound. Appropriately, it was a clean cotton handkerchief. Thankfully, Elpini was prepared.

I quickly wrapped the wound with the handkerchief and treated it.

“You’re really good at this.”

Irix said in admiration.

“I’ve done it a lot.”

“Where were you that you had so much experience?”

But I couldn’t say more.

Kwah-rung, bang—

A massive number of birds concentrated and broke the window again, tearing off the train’s roof. Not just this carriage—other carriages were also under attack. Each time a bird struck, the carriages shook. It felt like the train was about to be destroyed completely.

Telescus shouted.

“Lord Peregion, protect us!”

Whoooosh—

The black hand grabbed a handful of birds. The serpent salivated with envy.

Crunch crunch—

The birds in its grip were crushed. The contaminated birds began attacking the giant hand in force. Their attacks intensified, and the carriage shook even more.

Eventually, the force pushed the train into the bridge. The bridge’s frame bent completely. The birds’ attacks continued, and the carriage was gradually pushed outward. Beyond the torn train wall, the Great Gorge was visible.

This is not just a gorge. It should be called a “Great” gorge five times over. It’s enormous.

Again, Kwah-ang—!

More birds swarmed and collided with the train. I and Irix were both thrown upward.

“Senior!”