You! Don’t Press that Button! - Chap 120
Karhan ran quickly toward the ship that looked ready to depart soon. He stepped onto the vessel just before the chains connecting it to land were unleashed. Asmil landed lightly beside him almost as if flying.
Boom, a massive rumbling sound echoed as the ship slowly began cutting through the waves. Karhan glanced briefly at the receding land before turning his back without regret.
Standing still and looking around, he saw staff in white uniforms checking tickets one by one as they moved about the ship. They would reach the two of them soon. Karhan stared at them blankly before turning to Asmil.
Asmil tilted his head slightly and raised his eyebrows at Karhan’s gaze. As if breaking their intensely tangled gazes, Karhan moved his lips:
“You had brainwashing abilities.”
“Why bring that up?”
“Shouldn’t you make yourself useful for coming along?”
“Why should I?”
Seeing Asmil’s apparent unwillingness to help, Karhan twitched his eyebrows to show displeasure. His cold silver-gray eyes traced Asmil up and down before blinking slowly.
“I believe you said you’d help when you came along.”
“I did say that.”
Karhan steadily gazed at Asmil’s indifferent face as if talking about someone else’s business. That gaze seemed to reproach him for what he’d done so far. This time it was Asmil’s eyebrows that furrowed together, not Karhan’s.
“If you have something to say, why not say it with that burst lip?”
“Well. Since you seem to understand already, is there really a need?”
Silver-gray eyes and red eyes fiercely tangled in empty air. During their intense psychological warfare, a faint presence carefully approached from the side.
“Excuse me. Please show your entry tickets.”
The gazes that had been looking at each other with displeasure turned to face the staff member. The staff member stepped back in surprise at their rather intense stares.
Watching their bewildered face, Karhan jerked his chin at Asmil. Ha. At that gesture, Asmil let out a deflating sound as if finding it absurd.
This 400-year-old youngster dares order me around? Asmil’s lips crumpled in displeasure. He slowly exhaled a held breath and looked at the staff member.
“Do we need auction participation tickets too?”
“Ah, yes. Entry tickets and auction tickets are separate.”
“I see. You’ve already checked all necessary tickets from both of us. Write our details carefully on that paper and go back.”
The moment his low whispering voice swirled around their ears, the staff member’s navy eyes grew hazy. Their unfocused eyes wandered through empty space before turning downward. The staff member quickly wrote names on the list and nodded.
Asmil gently stroked the staff member’s hair, raising his hand in praise. Their earlobes turned red at his fingers secretly brushing their ears.
“Well done.”
“Y-yes.”
The staff member nodded and hurriedly moved away from the two. Asmil watched their retreating figure grow smaller before turning to look at Karhan. As if deliberately trying to provoke him, Karhan snorted and walked past him into the ship.
“Ha…”
Asmil followed behind Karhan, making a sound that could have been either laughter or a sigh.
Though it started well, soon after, Karhan couldn’t help but frown. Whether massive magic stones were embedded throughout the ship, he absolutely couldn’t use his abilities. He looked hopefully at Asmil, but he just pouted and shrugged.
“Magic stones are nothing short of a disaster for beings like us.”
The ‘Arma’ race had incomparably more mana than ordinary people and were equally sensitive to it. Though using magic stones wasn’t itself a problem, if one was embedded somewhere in their body, its effects were worse than poison.
Karhan bit his lip and strode quickly through the ship. At this rate, finding the auction house directly seemed much faster than searching for where Seol was confined.
However, even the auction house’s location was unclear. When he grabbed a passing staff member to ask, he only received suspicious looks and was told it would be marked on the auction ticket. Unable to use abilities, and searching this massive ship directly being foolish, they needed to take either a knowledgeable staff member or ticket holder to the deck for brainwashing.
“I’m the only one working here.”
Asmil’s voice was thick with annoyance. Though it was nice that Asdion had created something interesting, was there really any need to look for such a small bird? If he had to draw a conclusion, it honestly leaned closer to ‘no.’
Not sensing Asmil’s wandering thoughts, Karhan examined a nearby room. Judging by the wide gaps between doors and delicate decorations, it seemed more expensive than other rooms. Just as he was about to call Asmil, thinking the room’s owner would surely participate in the auction, he froze at something hard pressed tightly against his back.
“…Asdion.”
Karhan’s silver-gray eyes flashed with a cold light. He tried to turn his head but couldn’t move a finger with the hard object pressing into his waist. Though he couldn’t confirm what it was, since it wasn’t sharp, there was only one thing that could be threatening.
“Enter the room.”
Asdion pressed the gun barrel against Karhan’s waist and pushed his back. Blinking slowly, Karhan had no choice but to open the door and enter. Despite their situation, warm air wafted thickly.
After walking forward slowly to create distance, he turned to look at Asdion. He still had the elegantly gleaming black gun barrel aimed at Karhan.
Karhan shifted his gaze sideways to look at Asmil who had entered the room with them. He just smiled as if enjoying the situation, showing no intention to help. Since they were essentially on the same side from the start, Karhan didn’t feel particularly resentful.
“You can’t leave here until the auction ends.”
Saying this, Asdion raised his gun-holding hand higher to aim at Karhan’s brow. He kept his index finger on the trigger as if ready to shoot at any moment.
As silence settled at their feet, the clock’s ticking grew louder. Karhan hid his anxiety and glared at Asdion with unwavering eyes. Even after the auction ended, he would have a chance to find Seol while the ship was still on water.
Asmil leaned against the wall with closed eyes, curious to see where this conversation would lead. If Asdion kept control of this situation, it would pass futilely as Karhan’s defeat.
Since a boring ending isn’t my style, should I help a little? His slowly opening red eyes took on a deep light.
“Asdion. Is this all you prepared?”
“…Master.”
Though Asdion glanced sideways at Asmil approaching him, he didn’t turn his head. He kept his wariness and rage deeply pressed in his heart, ready to shoot at any moment.
Seeing the predatory eyes full of anger fixed on him, Asmil pulled up his mouth corners more deeply in a smile. With beautifully curved eyes, he raised his hand to tickle Asdion’s rigidly set jaw.
“Though I’m somewhat pleased, I’m curious what you’ll do next.”
Despite Karhan listening from the front, Asmil casually asked about the next plan, making Asdion’s lips press tightly closed. As the creeping hand lightly pressed his lips, his expression softened slightly. Asdion looked at Asmil with pure, unsuspecting eyes and said:
“Next—”
The moment Asdion opened his mouth, Karhan bent his waist to dodge the gun barrel. He extended his right foot wide to close the distance in one breath and slightly opened his scabbard to strike Asdion’s solar plexus hard with the handle.
Hit suddenly in a vital point, Asdion let out a “kuk” sound, dropped the gun, and collapsed to the floor. Though he quickly tried to get up by planting his hands, the extreme pain threw off his balance and he slumped back down.
“Urgh…”
As he let out a small groan and held his head, a cold shadow fell over his fallen body. When he carefully raised his head, Karhan had already vanished from the room, and Asmil was standing close, looking down at him.
“Master…”
Asdion knew Asmil had deliberately questioned him. But his straightforward eyes toward Asmil showed not a trace of resentment.
When he called out pitifully, Asmil bent his legs and carefully stroked his poor stomach. Though the warmth couldn’t possibly reach through his many layers of clothes, Asmil’s hand felt like burning fire. It felt like he might get scalded.
Asdion carefully raised the hand that had been planted on the ground and covered Asmil’s hand that was stroking his solar plexus.
“Master… I’ve served you for hundreds of years.”
He murmured softly as if making a confession.
“You know me well, Master. What I like and what I hate.”
Asmil already knew that Asdion’s feelings toward him weren’t just the loyalty a subordinate should have. And though he had deliberately pretended not to know, Asdion had noticed this too.
His voice lowered thickly with moisture.
“I also… I also know you well, Master. I knew you would act like this.”
His yellow eyes wavered greatly, filled with moisture. Seeing Asdion bare his heart, Asmil felt an inexplicable ache in one corner of his chest. He felt around wondering if something was wrong, but nothing could be grasped.
As he sat with round eyes and a hand placed on his chest, Asdion suddenly jumped to his feet.
“You were curious about what plans come next, weren’t you?”
He showed a faint smile and turned around.
“It will be interesting. Enough to pour all your attention on me.”
Then he left the room without a moment’s hesitation. His hurried footsteps grew increasingly distant. Yet they seemed to keep ringing in Asmil’s ears. Asmil, who had been staring blankly at the closed door, tilted his head.
“How strange.”
Was it because they’d been on this magic stone-equipped ship for so long? Asdion’s moisture-filled eyes kept flickering before his eyes. Though he raised both hands to press his eyelids firmly and massage them in circles, yellow eyes kept flickering even above his closed eyelids.
He sat dazedly staring at where Asdion had been sitting. It felt like he might catch warmth if he touched it.
Asmil, who had remained still for a long time, only moved again when an ominous sound rang out from far away.
