Chapter 28

Near the hearth was supposed to be absolutely safe.

No Outer God had ever invaded near the hearth even once.

This statement was like a law for everyone in Rondan, and the fact that their safety wouldn't be compromised if they were near the hearth gave them hope for life.

Indeed, for a long time, the hearth had strongly protected against all Outer Gods and suppressed their appearance.

That long-standing record was broken today.

The Vice Captain faced chaos that was causing cracks in the world and trying to crawl out by shattering it.

A dog head with numerous eyes was trying to forcibly descend into the world by inserting its head into that narrow gap and turning its head this way and that to come out.

Just facing it made the Vice Captain feel his existence becoming infinitely weak, and he could only stare at it blankly.

Even for a Greater Outer God, there had never been an attempt to directly descend into the hearth.

Although it should be solid due to the hearth, seeing it gradually breaking, the Vice Captain was dominated by the same "overwhelming feeling" he had felt once in the past while belonging to the Knight Order.

"O-Observer...!"

What the Vice Captain saw then was Tanton and Muyeon coming out of the hearth.

'Damn it...!'

To think they were drawing Tanton's weapon at this timing of all times.

Moreover, because the distance was quite close, they could get caught up in it if not careful.

Knowing this, Muyeon was gradually retreating, but one was different.

Laydan Tanton.

There was a story that he had once repelled the Observer, and indeed, the Observer in the underground prison had long since disappeared.

'Why is that guy charging towards the Observer?'

At first, suspicion.

Due to his preconceptions towards criminals, the first thought that crossed the Vice Captain's mind was this.

The Vice Captain thought of Tanton as a lucky guy.

Just a criminal who got lucky with the Hunter's help when dealing with the Observer.

But the look in Tanton's eyes as he gazed at the Observer was by no means an expression cowering in fear.

It was the same expression he himself had worn in the past, full of a sense of justice and wanting to save people.

'There's no way that guy would...'

After all, isn't he a criminal who violated Rondan's norms?

If he succeeded in making contact with an Outer God, it might bring about an even greater calamity.

The Knight Commander has gone missing, and the Imperial Princess who should control this is too soft.

Therefore, as someone in a position to protect Rondan's order, it was natural that he should do so.

But seeing the scene unfolding before his eyes, a thought arose that such thinking might be wrong.

At the moment when the wolf's jaw full of darkness opens and invades the world, and alien eyeballs shine down.

Tanton takes a step forward.

Overcoming the distortion that defines this world as its own, Tanton's hand reaches the Observer.

And then he begins to exert all his strength to banish the Observer back to its original world.

"Human! As expected, you missed me! I missed you too!"

The Observer's murderous roar continues at length.

Approaching was tantamount to suicide.

The Knight Order tried desperately to hold on, but some knights even fainted.

Had there ever been such a stubborn killing intent before?

It showed the will to somehow shatter this Rondan.

But despite the Observer's attitude, Tanton just threw out a word.

Though it was buried under the roaring sound and couldn't be heard properly, to the Vice Captain it sounded like this:

"...Yeah, I did miss you, but not now. Go back!"

The moment he heard those words, the Vice Captain thought.

'He confronted the Observer once. But, did he not fear and rather look forward to the day of subduing it once more...!'

Completely shattering the Outer God.

Was that Tanton's goal?

The righteous look in his eyes from earlier came to mind.

To think it was to protect Rondan by definitively shattering the threat called the Observer.

'No. It can't be. There must be something I don't know...'

"Fu! No! I want to play with the human! And you called me!"

The Observer's forelegs had completely touched the ground, and the space around the crack was completely distorted.

The end of the world.

That's how this situation could be described.

But was the hearth's strength that great as well?

Whether the Imperial Princess had heard the knight's report, the flame burning above the firewood became much stronger, and the crack began to close gradually.

Perhaps because it was painful, the Observer began to let out an even more intense roar.

At that moment, the Vice Captain saw it.

Tanton's eyes, filled with determination, turning golden.

"Push... harder!"

There was no will to survive in that action.

Just a young man with proper chivalry, wanting to eliminate the Observer before him as quickly as possible to protect Rondan's peace.

"────!!!!"

Tanton's eyes shine.

What kind of scene could those eyes be seeing?

Even the Vice Captain, standing far away, felt like he wanted to accept death immediately, so the landscape unfolding there where he was in close contact with the Outer God might be unimaginable.

Finally, with the power of the hearth, the crack began to close in an instant, and it seemed that even the Observer couldn't withstand Tanton's strength and began to fall into the space beyond the crack.

"Uwaaaaah!"

At the same time.

Tanton threw his own body and flew beyond with the Observer.

"Mr. Tanton!!!"

Despite Muyeon's desperate cry, Tanton couldn't return.

The crack closed cleanly as if nothing had happened.

It all happened in the blink of an eye.

"...Huh."

In just a few minutes, destruction visited the center of Rondan and peace was restored with the sacrifice of just one person.

The Vice Captain walked to that area in the infinitely quiet space.

The only thing left was the trace of a desperate battle left by an honorable knight.

The Vice Captain looked at that trace, took off his helmet for a moment, and held it to his chest.

"Laydan Tanton..."

Attempted rape of an Outer God.

He thought that someone who committed such an insane crime and was imprisoned couldn't be a proper human.

However, considering this incident, he himself who cursed him as a criminal might deserve to be rebuked.

Commemorating him here would create a weakness for himself who tried to kill him.

For his own sake, it would be right to quietly pass over this incident.

However, the Vice Captain was just a person who carried out his will thoroughly, not someone who didn't admit when he was wrong.

"Salute to honor the chivalry of the most honorable knight who sacrificed himself gloriously to protect Rondan!"

Cha-jjak.

All knights stood up, turned towards the direction the Vice Captain was looking, and saluted simultaneously.

In the process, no one made any noise.

***

Alright.

Let's first organize the situation I'm in now.

I got a weapon, used it, and the Observer appeared and almost destroyed Rondan.

It's truly the crime of all crimes!

Oh... This Tanton, good heavens.

Tanton was an exclamation to lament his own utterly ruined situation.

Yeah, there probably isn't a worse situation than Tanton's past life.

As I patted the Observer's head and asked where exactly this space I'm in is, the Observer's answer was ridiculous.

"Here? Where we are!"

...was all she said very simply.

Right, what could I expect from a doggy.

An aura of 'forgive me because I'm cute' was overflowing.

Sigh.

According to the Observer, "where we are" means this place is probably where Outer Gods are, and all these cute appearances must be the result of the mode being applied.

Is it an area isolated by distortion phenomena, or a case of reality being eroded like with the Gardener?

If I put something in my mouth just because it looks like candy, some problem might occur.

"Here too... Hmm..."

At the Observer's words as she pressed her cheek against my hand, I just stroked it.

"Grrrr..."

Is she really a dog?

As I thought that unconsciously, I organized the clues.

That means the space was distorted due to the Observer's descent, and it was barely holding on with the power of the hearth, but it was resolved when the Gardener helped me and the Observer come to this side...

Huh?

Does that mean I'm screwed?

Nah, it can't be that bad, right?

The reason I'm thinking this is because it wasn't good at all to let such incidents pass with time.

It would be better to go and resolve it quickly.

"Here too..."

"...Not there!"

I sternly refused as the Observer suddenly lay down and gestured for me to rub her belly.

Then the Observer made an expression with tears welling up.

"The kind human is supposed to do everything!"

"If I touch there, it feels like I'm giving up on being human..."

"Human? Then you don't have to be human!"

"Then I'll die?"

"Eeng?! That's not allowed!"

The Observer quickly returned to a sitting position and pressed her cheek against my hand again.

"Then I'll be satisfied with this..."

If she wasn't just a very pretty woman in appearance, I would think there's no cuter dog.

...Get a grip, me!

Was 'Laydan Tanton's' true heart about to come out!

I almost fell for the secret technique all dogs have: 'Love me, human!' spell without even realizing it.

You know best that this isn't the time for this!

"Observer friend..."

"That's not my name!"

That's not what's important, but she didn't seem like she would listen unless I asked for her name, so I exercised patience and asked.

"Then what's our friend's name?"

"Pung pung pung pung pung!"

Oh.

I can't understand a single bit.

Is this censored too?

A different form of censorship than what the Gardener mentioned.

Seeing the Observer say "pung pung" is kind of cute.

"Who gave you that name...?"

"A friend!"

The Observer's friend.

Then of course there's no way humans could understand it!

"Let's just go with Observer..."

"I don't like that..."

Her dejected expression seemed to indicate that she didn't like the term Observer itself.

Is it because it's a word used when people refer to her as a target to be dealt with?

"Then shall I give you a name?"

"Good!"

I was a bit taken aback by how easily she agreed.

Right, let's quickly give her a name and convey my business.

It's time to show off my writing skills from reading various literature collections.

"Since you have many eyes, how about Mokgu (Eye Dog)?"

"That's lame!"

I thought it was a rather novel name, but to be rejected immediately!

The sound might not be great, but there's no need to dislike it this much!

"Then how about Aji?"

"Too plain!"

"Hmm, I got it! Slightly modifying Observer, in the sense of observing well, how about Overlord..."

"Grrrr..."

What a picky dog.

Just as my already lacking naming sense was giving me a headache.

"...What's this, if you're going to be like this, there's no point in me helping."

A third voice that wasn't mine or the Observer's.

The Gardener spoke into my mind.

"You might be curious, so I'll tell you in advance. You've stepped into an area outside the human domain, another Outer God's domain."

Does that mean outside of Rondan?

Looking closely, ice crystals are falling over clusters made up of numerous candies.

Is it because it's an Outer God's domain that the snowstorm doesn't affect it?

It's like the principle of spreading a domain to counter a domain.

Then the Observer's voice was heard.

"Ah! Human! I'm gradually disappearing!"

The Observer frantically licks her body that's turning into light.

"What on earth is happening?"

As I was dumbfounded, the Gardener answered in my mind.

"We're not beings of this world, so to descend, we need an anchor to bind us here. That's especially true for powerful beings like us."

Right, come to think of it, the Observer had a bone, and the Gardener had a friend.

"We either send a part of ourselves to that world to erode it, or perform a suitable ritual. What could bind us was probably your flute. It's becoming a form of anchor that temporarily binds Outer Gods based on you."

I see.

So this is the power of this party flute.

"Ah, no! I've gone back!"

I heard the Observer's voice, who had completely retreated, in my head.

I tried blowing the flute again, but the Observer didn't appear.

"The path is too narrow!"

Is there some kind of cooldown?

I'm not sure if it will get stronger as my skills improve in the future, but thinking about the future, the potential of this party flute was truly limitless.

I look around.

A landscape decorated with a variety of foods not from this world piled up in layers, carbonated rivers flowing, and desserts.

Sigh, does this mean I have to escape this wonderland now?

"Friend."

The Lesser Outer God poked its head out of my pocket.

"Where's the place we can escape from here?"

The place the Lesser Outer God points to.

There's probably an Outer God there.

I walked towards that place without hesitation.

"Human, let's play again soon!"

"Play with that dog after this is over. I'll help you once when it's dangerous."

The Outer Gods, who had been nothing but disasters until now, felt reassuring today.

"I'll call you if you don't cause the same trouble as before."

In a world destroyed by Outer Gods, only I can form relationships with Outer Gods.