Paradoxical Insomnia
It's a type of insomnia where you wake up suddenly, even though your human body hasn't gotten enough proper sleep.
People's reactions in this situation usually fall into one of two categories: either they wake up furious and complaining about being tired.
Or, surprisingly, they feel incredibly refreshed from that short sleep, thinking they don't need to sleep anymore.
Right now, I was in the latter situation.
As soon as I opened my eyes, I could see the window with a blizzard raging outside, and a lantern glowing softly like a night light.
All of this confirmed that I hadn't woken up in a prison cell.
Slowly piecing my memories together, the events with the Gardener finally started coming back to me.
After returning to the branch with the leaf and dandelion the Gardener gave us, the Vice-Captain was gone, and the masked woman I'd seen in the prison before was there to meet us.
White Mask... I think she was called.
I handed the dandelion to the Isolation God, and it disappeared smoothly into my pocket, like a squirrel storing food.
After perfectly hiding the dandelion, I offered the leaf to White Mask. She looked back and forth between me and the leaf as if suspecting something, and at first, I thought I was in trouble.
But she soon nodded and said, 'You've worked hard. Get some treatment and rest.' Then she guided me to this room.
Even Muyeon, who had said it would be fine, was trembling like a leaf, which was quite baffling.
I really couldn't understand what was going through their minds, but anyway, just being provided a room felt like a blessing, so I lay down on the bed.
I'm not sure how I ended up in such a pitiful state.
There's no point in resenting it now, since the entity known as 'Raydan Tantun' is already gone. It's just frustrating.
I tried closing my eyes to get more sleep, but my mind was already clear and filled with distracting thoughts, making lying there more agonizing.
If that's the case, maybe it's better to just walk around the room a bit.
Deciding to do just that, I sat up, and that's when I heard a rhythmic breathing sound from somewhere.
At first, I thought the Isolation God had come out of my pocket and was sleeping, so I looked around in a panic, but soon identified the source of the breathing. Thankfully, it wasn't that.
Instead, it was embarrassing in another way.
Because the person sleeping soundly, leaning against the bed, was Muyeon.
There were bandages nearby and even a glass vial containing what I presumed was healing medicine.
In game terms, a potion.
In Snow Castle, they call it Fire Essence.
According to community knowledge, it's precious at first, but later you end up drinking it like water.
Muyeon was fast asleep, seemingly in a deep slumber.
She said I had a hole in my stomach... was she trying to heal that?
Only then did I feel something wrapped around my abdomen and confirmed it was neatly bandaged.
So, she had been nursing me all night.
Probably out of guilt for abandoning me and running away.
She must have been more tired than I was.
I thought, She must have had no choice; at heart, she's a good person.
"You didn't have to go this far."
I muttered quietly, looking at Muyeon and smiling. Perhaps her sleeping position was uncomfortable, as Muyeon also slowly began to open her eyes.
Slowly sitting up and stretching, Muyeon saw I was awake and at first made a 'Huh...?' sound, looking dazed.
Then, her expression shifted to one of belated surprise, and she brought her face close to mine.
"A-Are you okay?! Y-You're not dead, are you?"
"Yes, I'm fine, so don't worry. See? We can communicate, right?"
"Ah, yes. R-Right."
Seeming embarrassed, Muyeon made a subtle expression and pulled back, then let out a sigh of relief so deep it seemed to drain the floor.
"Thank goodness. You passed out as soon as we returned, and I was worried you might not wake up..."
"Haha, you worry too much, Ms. Muyeon."
"...Is that something for someone who had a hole in their stomach to say?!"
I was just lightly teasing her, but she looked a bit angry.
She was being serious.
"Uhm... Sorry?"
"Ah, no... I was being too sensitive."
I don't know why she's apologizing again.
Suddenly, an awkward atmosphere began to hang around us.
To be precise, Muyeon was clearly feeling awkward, which made me feel awkward too.
Trying to break the ice felt like it would make things weirder, so I stayed quiet.
About a few minutes passed like that.
Muyeon was the one who spoke first.
"But... are we really going to be okay?"
"In what way?"
"About the... Gardener situation..."
"It was fine, just like you said, Ms. Muyeon. They didn't even seem suspicious."
"W-Well, that's true..."
Why is she so worried after saying it herself?
"More importantly... We didn't actually defeat the Gardener, and we even made contact."
"That violates the second tenet of Rondane's ironclad rule: 'Thou shalt not worship false gods.'"
"I don't know what prompted you to show them kindness, Mr. Tantun, but this is clearly a criminal act. We shouldn't deceive..."
"Shh, that's enough."
I brought my finger to my lips to stop Muyeon.
It's true that Muyeon, being a knight of Rondane, has to be sensitive to these tenets.
The idea that a knight's code must be pure is a common theme in any media.
"Let's think of it this way. We defeated the Gardener while rescuing a pitiful soul we encountered on our path."
"So, let's consider it not 'contact' but 'subjugation.'"
"But that's a lie! If it ever comes out someday..."
"Conversely, it's a story only we know, so it can remain a secret forever as long as no one spreads it."
"And we really did help someone pitiful, right?"
Seeing Muyeon's face crumple as she said, 'Well, that's true...' I continued.
"And you're a knight, Ms. Muyeon. It's only natural to show compassion to someone pitiful."
"...But how do you know those Outer Gods are pitiful..."
"Uhm, Ms. Muyeon."
I gave her a friendly smile.
"I think it's better not to try to know everything just yet. I'll tell you when the time is right."
"...Okay."
I still needed to be cautious about whether Muyeon was someone I could trust with everything.
After all, she is a knight of Rondane.
"So, stop worrying and get some sleep. If the Gardener decides to lie low, the Knight Order won't find out anyway."
"..."
Now that the Gardener's problem is resolved, she has no reason to cause a commotion.
Muyeon wasn't saying anything, but she seemed deep in thought.
Since Muyeon is such a coward, she's probably thinking carefully about the potential consequences here too.
Finally, she seemed to make up her mind, nodding as if convinced.
"B-By any chance... the reason you take the Outer Gods' side so much..."
"No, it's not that!"
How long are you going to keep bringing that up?!
I protested vehemently, but her still-doubtful expression was heartbreaking.
How does this coward know how to make such a look...!
Despite her still-innocent eyes, she broke the tension with a sigh.
"I understand for now..."
"Good, then you should go get some sleep..."
"Let me just change your bandages before I go."
Huh?
"Ah, no need. I can handle this much myself..."
"No, you're hurt."
What does that have to do with anything!
I'm embarrassed!
"I'm really fine...!"
"I'll be done in a moment."
With a worried expression, Muyeon undid the bandages anyway, and then she looked surprised.
"Uh, Huh?"
"What is it?"
"The hole... it's gone?"
I wanted to check myself after hearing Muyeon, but due to Super Coward Mode, I had no way to confirm.
So, it really works on an HP system, huh.
When you take a major wound, your HP drops accordingly, and as long as you don't die, you can recover fully by resting.
In summary, my body is no different from a game character's.
Did it always have this function too?
Perhaps this Super Coward Mode strengthens the more I interact with various Outer Gods.
Anyway, it's a very good thing.
If I can just figure out my HP limit, it could be a huge help in surviving physical fights later.
As long as I don't die, I can keep moving—it's such a cheat ability.
"Ah, ahaha. The healing potion must have worked really well. You should go get some sleep now!"
"Uh, huh? Was it really that effective...?"
Well, effective is effective. For other reasons, I managed to push Muyeon out and was finally alone in the room.
Even though she'd already seen me undressed while bandaging me, it's different when I'm conscious.
Whew.
So embarrassing.
"Alright, alright."
I decided to sleep on it and think tomorrow.
Tomorrow, I should be able to see some familiar faces.
As soon as morning broke, following Muyeon's guidance, we headed towards the Furnace.
The firewood, the pillars supporting the Furnace.
After the continent was plunged into a massive blizzard by the Outer Gods, only the cities possessing Furnaces survived this desperate situation. Thus, the Princess who maintains this Furnace is akin to a god to the territory's people.
In that sense, the Furnace, representing the heavens, is above, while the Knight Order that supports it is stationed underground, within the firewood.
So, I heard the Vice-Captain is down there now, or something.
Getting closer to the Furnace, the heart of the territory, its majesty was truly impressive.
The flames I saw rising from a distance became even clearer up close, creating an overwhelming atmosphere.
Coupled with the faint sound of the burning firewood, which subtly soothed the mind, it made me understand why people rely so much on the Furnace.
As we were about to enter the Furnace's entrance, I let out an involuntary sound of surprise upon seeing someone.
"Ah!"
"...You managed to survive. Well, if you could defeat a Watcher, an Average Outer God must have been too easy for you."
It was the Hunter, standing there chewing on a smoking lollipop, and our eyes met.
Well, isn't that an overstatement?
But since it's more advantageous for me if the Hunter thinks highly of me, I'll let it slide.
And, true to his protagonist status, it seemed the Hunter had easily handled an Average Outer God himself.
Maybe it was a sense of camaraderie from surviving the Watcher together, but I felt genuinely happy to see him, like seeing family.
"Wow, seeing you like this really makes me happy! Should we have a heartfelt hug?"
"Don't be ridiculous."
Hah, that's the stuff.
I missed this taste of his blunt, sharp tongue.
Come to think of it, if he dealt with an Outer God, there should have been a knight with him.
Before I could ask, Muyeon spoke up first.
"Um... the knight who went with you..."
"Died."
"Huh?"
His tone was so calm, as if he'd just had a meal, that for a moment I thought I misheard.
At my questioning look, the Hunter let out a long breath, and smoke billowed out.
It seemed the lollipop was a transformed version of a cigarette.
"Said he'd follow my methods, then charged at the Outer God on his own, showing off, and got himself killed in the end."
"Because of that, things got a bit more complicated."
In the end, it's just about extermination anyway.
I could only scratch the back of my head while looking at the Hunter, who continued speaking.
Well, they were trash humans anyway, so they deserved to die.
But hearing about it in such a flat tone felt quite ironic.
Muyeon didn't seem too shocked either, since they were knights sent to be killed anyway, but she still looked a bit uncomfortable.
"Going to see that Vice-Captain bastard, aren't you?"
"Ah, yes."
He pointed with his chin towards the inside and put the lollipop back in his mouth.
Seems like he was waiting for me to arrive.
...Someone might mistake him for a worker at the Furnace.
As I was about to enter the Furnace, I asked the Hunter about something that seemed odd.
"Hunter. By the way, where's Agartha?"
"So, you haven't run into the Rogue."
Maybe she's inside waiting.
Considering her personality, she'd probably be chattering away with the Hunter at the entrance otherwise.
"I'll finish this and come in. You go ahead first. I don't want to see that bastard's face for long."
"Likewise, so please come down quickly."
With that, I headed into the interior of the Firewood first.
Upon entering, I felt an intense heat.
Inside was the core of the Firewood, pulsating redly as if burning wood.
Looking up, the heat was so intense that the stairs seemed to shimmer.
It looked tough to climb barehanded.
Is the Princess up there?
A spiral staircase formed around the core. Going up led to the Furnace; going down led to the Knight Order—that much was clear.
"You must be the visitor expected today."
"We've been awaiting your arrival."
Turning towards the voice, I saw a pair of twins there.
Two girls who looked like they were split between black and white.
Or were they two boys?
Their pre-pubescent bodies made it hard to tell at a glance.
"I am Alpha. Please follow me."
"I am Beta. The Vice-Captain is waiting."
So, the black one is Alpha and the white one is Beta?
Their voices were thin too, making it even harder to distinguish their gender.
Guided by them, I descended the stairs and reached a round table. The Vice-Captain, seated in the second seat, said this:
"The Rogue is dead."
"...What?"
In response to my words, the Vice-Captain wore an arrogant expression and said,
"That just means your share has increased. Isn't that a good thing for you, boy?"
At this absurd statement, I couldn't help but grimace.
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