Chapter 64 · BMMAW

Chapter 64

Only the Living Feel Hungry

“W-What, what, what, what is this?!”

“Aaaagh! My ears!”

The fire mage covered his ears with both hands, but it was useless. The magical beast’s cry was so loud it felt like it pierced straight through his flesh. He even thought it might be better if he just went deaf.

It hurts, it hurts, it hurts so much!

There were no wounds and no blood, yet it felt as if someone was stirring his brain with a sharp spike.

Without realizing it, the fire mage punched his own ears with his fists. The pain from hitting himself was so small compared to the agony that he could not even feel it.

“Make it stop!”

At the fire mage’s scream, the wind mage forced his curled-up body upright. It looked like he was trying to create wind magic.

But it seemed impossible.

The pain from the sound was too overwhelming for him to focus.

That was the weakness of wind magic. Fire magic could be used simply by releasing mana, but wind magic required concentration.

Still, he could not use fire magic right now either. If the child tamer or the magical beast died, everything they had worked for until now would become meaningless.

The fire mage lunged toward the magical beast almost like he was falling forward. He stretched out his hand toward the horned rabbit, trying to shut its mouth.

“!”

At that moment, the horned rabbit—which had looked unable to move—suddenly leaped straight at his face.

Smack!

An incredible force slammed into his face.

It seemed the horned rabbit had kicked him.

The impact was so overwhelming that he could not even understand what had happened. His vision went dark, and it felt as though lightning flashed before his eyes.

The fire mage crashed onto his back.

The magical beast jumped onto his face and began kicking him at terrifying speed.

Pain exploded through him. His nose burned, and thick blood poured out.

He grabbed the small furball with both hands, but the creature clung to his face with unbelievable strength. He could not pull it off no matter how hard he tried.

It kept kicking him.

But thanks to that, the magical beast stopped screaming.

The horrible sound drilling into his brain vanished, and silence finally returned.

It seemed the wind mage could finally use magic again. The air inside the carriage began to stir.

Wind brushed past the fire mage’s face and gathered around the magical beast attached to him. Slowly, the air moved like a snake wrapping around the horned rabbit.

The horned rabbit’s body seemed to shrink slightly.

But even in that state, it still clung to the fire mage’s flesh while kicking him repeatedly with its hind legs. His brain shook violently, and it felt like the entire world was trembling.

At this rate, he was going to die.

Magical beast or tamer—it did not matter. None of it meant anything if he died first.

With one hand trying desperately to tear the magical beast off his face, the fire mage grabbed the whip hanging at his waist with the other.

And just as he was about to create fire—

The carriage door suddenly burst open, and someone grabbed his hair.

His body was yanked out into the bright outside.

Before he even understood what was happening, a tremendous impact smashed him into the ground.

At some point, the horned rabbit that had been clawing and kicking his face had disappeared.

Then the wind mage fell on top of him like a thrown spear.

“Guaaak!”

A bizarre scream burst out. He did not know whether it came from himself or the wind mage.

Maybe both.

The fire mage lay flat on his back staring at the sky, clutching his stomach. He did not even know where he hurt. He simply grabbed his stomach first.

“Hrk!”

A wind-like gasp escaped his mouth.

Through his blood-red vision, he saw the huge man driving his fist down toward him.

*Dear god!*

A fist engulfed in flames smashed hard into his face.

—

The moment Juhwan opened the door, he grabbed the man inside the carriage by the hair.

Oz cried out, “Ppiii!” as he leaped away from the man’s face. Then he immediately returned to Lizzy and Dorothy’s side inside the carriage.

They’re okay.

They’re alive.

That was what Oz seemed to be saying.

Maybe it was only Juhwan’s wishful thinking.

He threw the two men outside as if tossing away trash. The moment they were gone, the inside of the carriage came clearly into view.

“…”

The instant he saw Lizzy and Dorothy collapsed on the floor, it felt as if his head split open.

Rage surged upward in an instant, swelling like a massive balloon.

He completely lost control.

In a single moment, Juhwan’s mind crossed time and space and returned to the past.

His father died.

His mother died.

His grandfather died.

Everyone died.

When you love someone, they disappear.

They vanish from the world.

Once you lose them, it is over.

The end…

His heart stopped.

A freezing sensation spread from his head to his toes.

All he could see were Lizzy and Dorothy lying motionless in the dark space.

Once you lose them, it is over forever.

They never come back.

Memories remain, but human lives cannot return.

“Die.”

It seemed he spoke without realizing it.

Juhwan turned and charged toward the men collapsed on the ground.

He swung his fist downward.

His fist was blazing red.

He had not even intended to use fire magic, yet at some point his entire arm had become engulfed in roaring flames.

Not small sparks.

If Dorothy had seen it, she would have shouted about how amazing her dad was.

That thought twisted his heart, and the flames burned even hotter.

Even if they had not died.

Even if nothing happened.

Even if Oz protected them safely.

The fact remained that he had failed to protect them.

He had finally gained power to protect his family, yet the moment he stepped away from them, they were placed in danger.

People do not come back once they die.

He knew that.

And yet he failed again.

It was always the same.

No matter what, he could always lose his family so easily.

Juhwan slammed his burning fist into the man.

This man… the fire mage.

That filthy body had no value in remaining alive.

Die.

He felt like he hit him for a very long time.

At some point, the man’s body went limp.

The places Juhwan struck had become twisted and melted like burned flesh.

Only then did a little reason return to him.

He finally noticed his surroundings.

People had gathered around him.

But nobody made a sound.

It felt as if even breathing had stopped.

Gulp.

Someone swallowed nervously.

“Uu… uu… ah…”

The wind mage let out a strange noise.

When Juhwan turned toward him, the man’s face—covered in tears and mucus—was trembling violently.

The wind mage pushed himself backward across the ground with his rear, desperately trying to get away from Juhwan.

That bastard had been inside the carriage too.

He deserved to die.

Juhwan rose instantly and kicked him in the face.

Brilliant flames exploded outward and engulfed the man’s body.

What exactly was happening to his own body?

Just like when he beat the fire mage, his leg had become a mass of fire too.

He dragged the wind mage over and threw him on top of the fire mage’s body. Then he grabbed the water barrel attached beside the carriage.

When he poured water over the two fallen mages, steam hissed from their bodies.

A disgusting smell rose from the flesh scorched and burned by Juhwan’s flames.

The fire mage, who had gone limp, groaned and regained consciousness.

“W-Which one…”

It seemed he did not understand what was happening. His half-melted lips trembled as he whimpered. He shook his head while speaking incomprehensible words.

It probably meant he wanted to live.

“Which one of you was the leader? Who suggested harming my family first? Who started this?”

Only then did the fire mage understand Juhwan’s words.

His face turned pale.

His skin was so burned and twisted it was difficult to even tell its original color, yet Juhwan could still tell the blood drained from it.

“So it was you.”

At Juhwan’s words, the fire mage frantically crawled backward.

The wind mage screamed in broken speech.

“H-He t-told me t-to do it! I d-didn’t d-do anything!”

Juhwan did not even look at the wind mage.

He grabbed the fire mage by the collar and punched him again.

Before the fist even landed, the flames struck the man’s entire body first.

One hit.

Two hits.

After several blows, the shape of the man’s face no longer existed.

It was nothing more than a twisted lump of flesh now.

But Juhwan’s rage did not fade.

It burned even darker inside him.

“Hey, Juhwan! That’s enough. He’s dead. He’s been dead for a while now. Stop.”

Someone firmly grabbed Juhwan’s shoulder.

It was Leonard, the owner of the Miller Company.

“He’s dead. You need to check your wife and child. This isn’t the time for this.”

“…”

At some point, the flames covering Juhwan’s body had disappeared.

He had not even noticed when it happened.

When Juhwan glanced toward the wind mage, Leonard spoke again.

“Leave him to me. We need information about the bandits. If I’m right, they were not ordinary bandits.”

“…”

“I promise you. He won’t die peacefully.”

“…”

Without answering, Juhwan headed toward the carriage.

His legs tangled beneath him from panic.

Through the wide-open carriage door, he could see Oz.

The horned rabbit sat quietly beside Lizzy and Dorothy.

There was nobody inside the carriage.

Nobody around it either.

Oz had protected them.

Juhwan practically collapsed into the carriage and pressed his ear against Lizzy and Dorothy’s chests.

Their hearts were beating.

Their skin was warm.

Their clothes showed no signs of disturbance.

They simply looked deeply asleep.

Both of them breathed softly with peaceful expressions, like sleeping princesses from a fairy tale.

Juhwan poured healing magic into them, but they did not wake up.

Still, it was not poison.

He could not explain how he knew.

But he simply knew.

The moment he let mana flow into them, he understood.

They were only sleeping.

*I’m sorry.*

He should have checked them first from the beginning.

Everything was backwards.

Beating those bastards was not what mattered most.

Juhwan laid the two of them on the straw bed inside the carriage, then lay down beside them himself.

Quietly, he stared at their sleeping faces.

“…”

Oz hopped over and climbed onto Dorothy’s stomach before lying down.

As if nothing had happened, completely natural.

When Juhwan stretched out his hand, Oz gently nibbled on his fingers.

It felt as if the creature was telling him it was okay.

That the two of them would wake up soon.

Oz had warned him of the danger.

Oz had stayed beside Lizzy and Dorothy.

Oz was comforting him now.

Thinking of all those things together, Juhwan quietly said,

“Thank you, Oz.”

Oz stopped nibbling, tilted his head, and cried softly.

“Ppii.”

Juhwan looked back at Lizzy and Dorothy.

They still did not move.

Only their faint breathing proved they were alive.

“…”

He was tired.

So tired of losing people.

*Don’t scare me like this. Please wake up. Please open your eyes soon.*

But Lizzy and Dorothy did not wake up until the city was right before them.

A full day and a half later.

—

Hungry.

Her stomach felt empty and hollow, just like when she was a child.

“…”

Suddenly Lizzy’s eyes snapped open.

That’s right—Dorothy!

Someone had come to the carriage.

Someone other than her husband tried to open the door.

Dear god!

What happened?

This was no time to sleep peacefully!

She sprang upright and noticed someone sitting in the dark carriage.

“Kyaah!”

A small scream escaped her.

But the black silhouette did not move.

It simply sat there quietly.

Her vision was blurry, like someone who had pressed on their eyes for a long time.

Still, the shape of that body looked familiar.

Could it be… her husband?

“Juhwan?”

The husband who always answered her gave no response.

Fear suddenly filled her.

Was it not him?

*But that large body is definitely Juhwan’s…*

As she curled up and stared carefully, her vision slowly became clearer.

Lizzy gasped and leaned forward awkwardly.

Her husband was crying.

Light from the driver’s seat shone into the dark carriage, revealing glistening tear marks.

“What’s wrong?”

As she tried to crawl across the straw blanket on her knees, her body suddenly tilted forward.

Her arms had no strength.

Juhwan’s large hand shot out and caught her.

Then he pulled her tightly into his arms.

Holding her firmly, he continued shedding silent tears.

“Juhwan, are you okay?”

Still in his embrace, Lizzy wrapped her arms gently around his waist.

In a choked voice, Juhwan said,

“…I think you and Dorothy were hit with sleeping drugs. You slept for more than a day. I’m sorry. I should have been beside you. This happened because of me.”

“…”

Anxiety suddenly rose inside her.

What exactly happened?

Surely another man did not…

It felt as though all the blood drained from her body.

As if sensing her thoughts, Juhwan tightened his embrace.

“Nothing happened. Oz warned me, so I came immediately. Dorothy’s okay too. Both of you were just asleep.”

Thank goodness.

Really, thank goodness.

The moment relief washed over her, her stomach growled loudly.

“Wait a moment. I’ll bring something to eat. I kept boiling jerky in water because I didn’t know when you and Dorothy would wake up.”

Still speaking with tears in his voice, Juhwan fumbled toward the water container in the corner.

As if her stomach understood his words, it growled again and again.

It seemed to demand food immediately.

A little embarrassed, Lizzy looked away.

Juhwan poured some meat broth into a bowl and handed it to her.

“Your stomach’s empty, so drink this first.”

Listening to him, she took a sip.

As the lukewarm broth entered her body, her hunger only grew stronger.

Her stomach rumbled even more frequently.

Just as she took another sip—

Dorothy suddenly sat upright and shouted,

“Meat!”

At the same time, the child’s stomach let out an enormous growl.

Lizzy burst into laughter without realizing it.

But Juhwan did not laugh.

For some reason, her husband looked like a frightened child.

Like a child who had only grown large on the outside.

“Juhwan.”

Lizzy took his hand.

When she lifted her face close to his, the tear marks still glimmered there.

“I’m sorry. You were worried, weren’t you? But we’re okay.”

“…”

Dorothy suddenly jumped to her feet and threw both arms high into the air.

“Dad! Dorothy saw it! Dad made a huge fireball this biiiiig! It was amazing! So strong! So cool!”

Even inside the dark carriage, Dorothy’s eyes sparkled brightly.

“Haha.”

Her husband finally laughed.

But there was no strength in it.

It sounded almost like crying.

“But Dad… I think Dorothy is suuuper hungry. Dorothy wants meat too.”

At the same time, both Dorothy’s and Lizzy’s stomachs growled loudly together.

Only then did Juhwan finally relax.

In a tiny voice, he muttered,

“Only the living feel hungry.”

The voice was so quiet it was almost impossible to hear.

Just barely understandable.

Why?

That sentence pierced Lizzy’s heart like a thorn.

It sounded unbearably sad