# 34
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“Yes! Senior Kai! You remembered my name!”
When I called him by his name, Zad’s eyes sparkled even more.
"Yes, is the treatment center going well? And how is Bree?"
“Yes, big one! Miss Bree is impatiently waiting for your return. Everyone misses you!”
He answered my questions while moving very energetically.
“Let's go to Miss Berry quickly!”
Zad grabbed my wrist and pulled me with an excited face.
At that moment, a huge shadow fell behind me.
“You... who are you?”
This was the one emanating from him a hidden hatred...
Lloyd.
Lloyd approached with long steps and a terrifying face, then grabbed the lapels of Zad's shirt.
The color of Zad's face began to change rapidly.
“You bastard, what is your truth?”
Lloyd growled.
Because of the strength of his grip, Zaid's feet began to dangle in the air.
Is this... jealousy?
No, it is exaggerated even if it is jealousy.
For him to grab his collar just because we talked, this is behavior that goes beyond the limits.
The passers-by stopped because of Lloyd's sudden behavior and began to whisper.
His opponent was a healer wearing the Imperial Healers' uniform.
If this continues, the problem is sure to get bigger.
I quickly grabbed Lloyd's hand.
“Lloyd, let go of his hand. He’s a healer, one of my younger colleagues. We’re just talking, please.”
Lloyd looked at my face and then let go of his coat, growling.
Zad fell to the ground with a strong crash.
“The moment you get close to this woman, I will kill you. Remember that.”
Zad shook his head, trembling at Lloyd's brutal words, then he quickly began to run away.
Lloyd looked at his distant back and said to me:
“Avoid that man if he appears to be a dangerous person.”
No, what's dangerous here is you, Lloyd.
Do you intend to destroy all my human relationships?
"What are you talking about, Lloyd? Whether I meet my colleague or not is my decision. Who are you to tell me what to do?"
“What?”
“I tell you, do not interfere in my relations.”
“No, Kai, that man...”
“I don’t want to hear excuses.”
I quickly interrupted him.
Dabin ran towards us carrying drinks, looking startled when she saw the tense atmosphere.
"Oh, what's wrong with you two? Did you get into a fight?"
“Dabin, I'll go now. Thank you for getting me home safely.”
I bowed my head and quickly turned around.
To go back to my house.
These are people I will never see again.
I will stop at a nearby restaurant and buy a bottle of wine.
After a short distance, I heard the sound of footsteps running behind me.
“Kai, wait for me. You have to take me on a tour of Geronia.”
It was Dabin who put her hand on my shoulder.
“I'm not such an idiot, Lloyd, you haven't shown me a real restaurant yet, are you going to leave me like that?”
Well, it's not Dabin's fault.
She sighed and said:
“Do you want to drink wine with me tonight?”
Her eyes sparkled when she heard my words.
“The wine...? Great!”
My heart warmed because of Dabin's bright laugh.
Okay. Today is my first fun day in Geronia, I will spend it strong!
"Oh? Healer!"
At that moment, someone shouted as he blocked my path.
Who else?
Although Geronia is a small city, there are many who call out my name.
I raised my head and found a woman holding the hand of a small child.
"Healer, you're back! Jerome, welcome her. She's the healer who saved your life!"
I don't remember the name, but it seems I have treated this little boy by the hand at some point.
“Thank you.”
The little boy greeted me with a gentle smile.
“Heh heh, I just did my duty. Is the baby okay?”
The lady answered, wiping the corner of her teary eye:
“Yes, we were really terrified at that time! Anyway, it's good that you're back. We were just confused why the entire healing center and temple were closed.”
"What? What do you mean? Did you say close?"
Her words rang in my head like the sound of a sudden bell.
"Oh, healer. Don't you know? About a month ago, the priests began to disappear from the temple one by one, and two weeks ago a large number of the center's healers disappeared. The place was closed and there was a huge chaos.”
“Disappearance?”
“Yes, so Baron Geronia only provides treatment for emergency cases, but Geronia is now in a state of chaos due to the missing people.”
The temple, the treatment center…
I felt a shiver running through my body.
Dabin, who was watching from behind, asked the woman:
“Where can we find the list of missing persons?”
“Ah, you can confirm that at the security station in front of Baron Geronia’s palace.”
Dabin held my arm as I listened to the lady’s words in astonishment.
“Calm down, Kai. Let's go together and see.”
“Be careful, healer.”
The lady called me with a worried face, but I could not answer her because of the feeling of foreboding that overwhelmed me.
“Is it possible that Bree has disappeared?”
The last time I saw her was before I left for Durcan.
Dabin patted me on the shoulder.
“You'll be fine, Kai.”
But I was never fine.
I tried to force myself to be optimistic as I walked towards the security center, and there I found a list full of names of people I know.
“Bri…?”
Starting with my colleague Bri, the names of the priests I was friends with in the temple, the new healer Micah, the elder Sandal, and my close fellow healers...
All the names on the list of missing persons were of people I know.
Is this really possible?
“Where did they go?”
Tears fell from my eyes without my will.
“That… we don’t know. They all suddenly disappeared…”
The knight at the security center looked confused.
“Isn't there a single witness who last saw them? How could all these people disappear at once?”
When Dabin pressed him, the knight saw the crest of Hilderius on Dabin's robe, so he straightened his stance and replied:
“Ma’am! There is still no witness. They suddenly disappeared in the middle of their daily life.”
When the knight finished speaking, I suddenly fell to the ground, motionless.
My feet can't carry me anymore.
“They disappeared after the sudden death of Apostle Tirena two weeks ago, and people started saying that the god was angry...”
“Wait, the Messenger...? Did you say that the Messenger died?”
“Ah, yes, he died suddenly in the capital. Since he was old, it was expected...”
I was in shock and couldn't think of anything.
I remembered the last moment I had with him.
“It is a saffron flower. I found it on my way.”
The image of the Apostle offering me the beautifully wrapped flower was my last memory of him.
I ignored his words when he always told me to be careful, thinking it was just ordinary advice.
Why did you do that? That was our last conversation.
Not a single cry came out of me, but tears fell very silently.
“Kai...it's not your fault. Hold on, Kai.”
Is this a dream? Or a reality?
During the ten years I spent in Geronia, this situation never seemed real to me.
Geronia, which was my comfortable home, suddenly became a stranger.
I cried silently in Dabin's arms.
It's a dream, really a dream.
After a while of crying, and when I regained my calm, I found myself sitting with Dabin in the port of Geronia.
The sun had set and it was sunset.
“Ah, it's evening. If you don't have anywhere to go, would you like to see my room?”
I asked Dabin while wiping my swollen eyes.
If I entered my house alone now, I would probably die of loneliness.
“Mmm, compared to Hilderius Palace, it is very small and modest. Heh heh, prepare to be shocked.”
“I don’t care. Let’s buy some food from the restaurant you said was delicious and take it with us.”
“Ah... the owner of that restaurant too... he's disappeared...”
Dabin quickly changed the subject upon hearing my words.
"Hey! Lloyd, did you hear? Kay is going home. You got lucky!"
Lloyd was standing in the place where Dabin called him.
“Let's go, the air is cold.”
I shook my head and got up.
Okay. Let's go home.
After a short distance, the building of the room in which I live appeared.
I pointed to the twins and said:
“That's the building. Mmm, it's old and small...! Come in after you get ready.”
But for some reason, their facial expressions were not good as they looked at the building.
What is there? Is it very old? Well, for members of a noble family, the building looks dilapidated.
I thought, “Will they be more shocked when they walk in and see how narrow and old it is?”
And at the moment I was about to open the entrance door leading to the upper room.
“Wait!”
Dabin suddenly grabbed my shoulders and prevented me from entering.
Meanwhile, Lloyd quickly opened the door and entered to inspect the place, then nodded to Dabin.
What in God's name is happening? They were very careful, as if they were entering the entrance to an unknown cell.
There's nothing inside, guys.
I shook my head because they were treating me like a patient again.
I quickly went upstairs and said:
“I'll go first. The stairs here are a little old and there are parts you should avoid. For your information, my room is on the last floor of this building.”
“No, I will go first.”
Lloyd grabbed my arm and stepped forward.
Lloyd is in front of me, Dabin is behind me. They were looking around as if some monster would come out to guard me.
What else is this?
Is this a new kind of interest?
I felt puzzled by their strange behavior and went up with them.
When we reached the upper room at the end of the floor, the scene was even more strange.
When I took the key out of my bag to open the door, Dabin stopped me forcefully and dragged me away from the door.
Lloyd looked at Dabin, then suddenly took out a sword from the space.
What is really happening?
In that moment of astonishment, Lloyd opened the door with a sword.
The door opened with a loud creaking sound.
He came in with a serious expression and started searching the house. I could hear the doors opening forcefully.
Are you acting in an investigation series?
After a while, Lloyd came out the door and nodded to Dabin.
“Let's go in, Kai.”
The view of the room from inside was exactly as I left it before I went to Durkan.
The only difference is the accumulation of thick dust on the furniture, which indicates that no one has entered the house.
Bree, you really disappeared.