I, Who Came From the Abyss, Will Save Humanity Again Today - Volume 2 Chapter 25

Chapter 25: The Annoying Pagos

***

In the densely constructed area of the Central Workshop, craftsmen were busily hurrying along the boulevard.

On one side of the road, I tightly hugged a large leather paper bag in my arms, sticking my head into the opening, my little nose twitching a few times.

……It smells quite nice.

Then I reached into the bag, pulled out a still-steaming small pastry, and held it up before my eyes, turning it over to examine it.

The crust looks crispy, the texture should be quite good.

Then I swallowed it in one bite.

“Chew……chew……”

A moment later, I squinted my eyes into lines like a cat, revealing a blissful smile.

“Peipei, is it good?”

A trembling voice came from beside my ear. I turned to look at Parsifal next to me with his dark eye circles. He wore a fawning smile on his face which, combined with his swollen cheek on one side, made him look somewhat ugly.

Good? Even if it’s good, I don’t want to tell you.

I deliberately frowned, and Parsifal’s expression instantly changed with it, his eyes becoming anxious again.

After quite a while, when I had finished chewing and swallowing the food in my mouth, I finally relaxed my expression and nodded at him.

“Mm.”

This bag of pastries was what he had specially run to buy from a street shop after my lengthy persuasion. It was said to be a somewhat famous snack in Winter City. Although the taste was still far from Captain Grey, it was quite good.

Parsifal finally let out a long sigh: “So are you still angry?”

“Don’t know.”

“Don’t be angry anymore — I’ve compensated you with a whole bag already.”

“You littered, trash.”

“……Then should I go pick it back up?”

“No.”

“Then don’t be angry anymore.”

“I won’t.”

Actually, how could I still be angry? I just found his expression quite amusing.

Besides, if I let him think I’m easy to appease and leave him with the impression that “no matter what happens, everything can be resolved with some food,” he might end up bullying me like Carlos does.

No, Parsifal is different from that despicable Carlos. He can’t beat me, so he definitely wouldn’t dare do that.

In any case, it’s right not to show a happy expression right away.

“Alright, now that we’re done playing around, let’s go.”

Lord Scalliger, who had been standing aside, said this and then turned to walk in front of me. At that moment, I saw him crack a smile.

What is he smiling about?

Taking another pastry from the paper bag, I took a small bite, and while carefully chewing, I recalled my previous behavior, feeling there wasn’t anything wrong with it.

He definitely wasn’t laughing at me, probably at Parsifal’s comical face.

For the rest of the way, Parsifal tried to make conversation, constantly talking about some boring trivial matters, but I maintained an attitude of not wanting to engage. Eventually, he hung his arms dejectedly and silently followed behind the Duke with a dejected expression, looking completely dispirited.

This scene didn’t last long, as we soon arrived at a special building.

The building looked like an old, somewhat dilapidated fortress. Unlike the surrounding factories that had clearly been renovated, its weathered walls were covered with various mosses and withered vines, giving it quite a historical feel.

A row of Shanter soldiers in leather coats stood on the fortress walls. They carried exotic weapons and held crossbows, immediately taking alert positions when we stepped onto the stairs. After recognizing who we were, someone immediately signaled downward.

“Creak——”

The fortress’s huge wooden door slowly opened from the inside. Duke Scalliger waved to the people above and led us into the fortress.

The interior space was quite vast. On the grounds surrounded by towering walls, people came and went pushing mine carts between piles of rubble, apparently working on sorting them. Following the Duke to the other side of the plaza, passing through an archway into the interior of the walls, countless wooden racks came into view, displaying an array of strange weapons.

I curiously stopped, holding the paper bag in my mouth, and casually took down a spear-like pole arm from the wooden rack. I balanced it in my palm to test its weight, feeling it was much heavier than ordinary weapons.

“All the weapons displayed here are prototypes of exotic weapons designed by the workshop, each one is a crystallization of the craftsmen’s dedication.”

The Duke’s words came from ahead, and I nodded, gently putting the weapon back in its place.

“However, your weapon will be personally designed by me, and it will definitely be superior to anything displayed here.”

“Thank you.”

Actually, I just wanted a sturdy scythe, as long as it’s durable would be fine. I hadn’t expected the Duke to be so attentive to my affairs, which of course had a lot to do with Engel’s request, but more importantly, I think it’s because he sees me as his daughter.

My feelings are actually quite complicated. I’m not very good at accepting kindness from strangers, just like when I first interacted with Grandma Claire. Unwarranted kindness always makes me feel uncomfortable, always wanting to quickly give something back to the other person.

But the Duke… he seems to lack nothing, and I really can’t think of anything I could give in return.

I could only continue following him inward, passing through a long corridor, finally stopping in front of a new wooden door.

The Duke raised his hand and knocked lightly a few times.

“Pagos, open up, it’s me.”

After waiting for a moment, sensing no movement from inside, he changed from light knocking to pounding.

“Pagos, are you drinking again?!”

With this shout, there was suddenly a clanging sound from inside.

“You don’t need to hide the alcohol, open the door.”

The sound of objects colliding continued, and after quite a while, the wooden door finally opened.

A giant bald muscular man with a red nose and thick chest hair, at least 2 meters tall, gently swayed the bottle in his hand, and with somewhat confused eyes slowly swept his gaze outward, seeing the Duke who was nearly two heads shorter than him, then cracked his scarred lips into a smile.

“Scalliger! Ha, wh-what wind brought you here?”

Saying this, he was about to give the Duke a bear hug, but was disgustedly pushed away.

“Cut that out, how much have you drunk today?”

“Not much, not much, just a few bottles hic! Parsifal, you little rascal, why did you come along too… hey, what happened to your face?” The muscular man stepped forward, his rough large hand vigorously rubbing Parsifal’s head, messing up his hair, “Did you go harass hic, some family’s little sister again, and get beaten up badly by her father? Haha, you’re really something kid.”

“That’s not it, Uncle Pagos……”

Parsifal smiled unnaturally, secretly glancing at me from the corner of his eye, but quickly looked away when I glared at him, tidying his hair as he said: “I don’t do those things anymore……”

Pagos slapped him on the head.

“Bullshit, don’t try to fool me. Winter City’s famous playboy hic, could change his ways so quickly…” He was halfway through speaking when he noticed me standing quietly to the side, “Eh, this little sister hic, looks somewhat familiar.”

Pagos first showed a puzzled expression, then a few seconds later, his eyes suddenly opened as wide as copper bells, shaking his bald head in disbelief, forcefully blinking his eyelids a few times, then looking at me again.

“……Peipei! You’re little Peipei!”

The rough voice instantly startled me.

How does he know Peylo too… wait, what are you doing……

Under my terrified gaze, Pagos became wildly excited and charged at me like a wild bull.

Wh-wh-wh-what——!!

I trembled in fear, immediately wanting to turn and run away, but Pagos was too fast. In a few quick steps he was already in front of me, raising his large hands to pat my shoulders, the huge force almost making me fall face-first onto the ground.

“Peipei, you’re back! Haha hic, haha——”

His breath carried a strong stench of alcohol that made me dizzy and nauseous. The hands gripping my shoulders were very rough, and I immediately crouched down and curled into a ball, clutching the paper bag tightly to my chest.

“You’re, hurting me.”

Really, what is this big guy doing, using such uncontrolled force, I really want to hit him in the face with a big ice spike.

“Oh oh, sorry Peipei.” Pagos scratched his bald head embarrassedly, then laughed carelessly again, “Hahaha! Scalliger, you hic, found your daughter back.”

“Pagos, let’s talk inside.”

“Right, look at my hic, head, hehe! Come in quickly, it’s cold outside.”

Seeing the Duke follow Pagos inside, I slowly stood up, reaching out my small hand to smooth out the wrinkles in my clothes, then opened the paper bag to check that the pastries hadn’t been squashed, before reluctantly entering the room.

The room reeked heavily of alcohol, with empty bottles scattered everywhere on the table and floor, boxes piled up messily all around, it was absolutely terrible.

“When did Peipei come back, where did you find her?”

“It wasn’t us, the Holy Church found her in Sylgaria, just recently.”

Looking at Duke Scalliger’s smiling face, I felt somewhat hypocritical.

He’s not even denying that I’m Peylo.

“Hahaha! Little Peipei, what did you go hic, go to Sylgaria for, did you go play with the Crown Prince?”

……Huh?

Who’s the Crown Prince? Was Peylo close with him?

“Pagos, can you drink less? If you keep talking nonsense, I’ll send you to work in the mines.”

“Hahaha! Scalliger, when did you become hic, become so petty? I just haven’t hic, seen Peipei for so long, I’m just happy.”

If you’re happy then be happy, but don’t just go crazy like that really.

“Come, Peipei, let uncle have a good hic, look at you.”

Wait, what are you going to do… don’t come over here!

Pagos’s huge body completely overshadowed me who only reached his lower abdomen. Looking up at the fierce-looking giant before me, I hurriedly hid the paper bag behind my back, just wondering what he was going to do when——

He reached out both hands to pinch my cheeks, then pulled them apart.

“Peipei, have you missed your hic, Uncle Pagos?”

!!!!!

That hurts!

This old bastard dares to pinch my face!

“You——!!”

Anger instantly surged into my chest, I was about to explode with rage, and threw a punch at his abdomen.

With a dull “thud”, Pagos immediately released his hands and stepped back, then rubbed his belly, showing a puzzled expression.

“You hurt me when you pinched!” I shouted, though feeling slightly uneasy inside.

That punch just now wasn’t light, yet he only stepped back once, and seemed like nothing happened?

“Peipei, how did you hic, get stronger?”

Pagos scratched his head, seeming to want to make another move, but the Duke quickly held him back.

“Pagos, she doesn’t remember things from before.”

Pagos widened his eyes at these words.

“Ah? Peipei, what, what happened to you, you don’t recognize me anymore? I’m your gentle hic, Uncle Pagos, I even changed your diapers when you were little hic—”

“Don’t know you.” After thinking, I added, “Hate you.”

Changed your sister’s diapers, how dare you call yourself gentle?

Really too annoying, this person.

Pagos instantly turned to stone at my words.

Seeing the situation seemingly developing in an unpleasant direction, the Duke quickly changed the subject.

“Pagos, I need a piece of Moonstone.”

“Moonstone?” Hearing the Duke’s words, Pagos’s attention was immediately diverted, “What do you need Moonstone hic, for? Could it be……”

“Yes, planning to make the Thirteenth Moon.”

“Thirteenth Moon! Haha, is the Central Workshop finally hic, going to make the Thirteenth Moon Blade, who is it prepared for this time?”

The Duke pointed his hand at me.

“For her.”