Chapter 46 Where Does My Story Belong?
This is the life story of a pair of brothers. They both used to live a life of hardship, but they were both very close. They are Gil and Gilbert.
Like children in the city in general, their parents are just ordinary laborers. So, even Gil and Gilbert were struggling to find food. Even in this difficult situation, they work hand in hand for a living.
But the relationship between Gil and Gilbert began to crack after the change in character in Gilbert who had reached maturity.
One day, Gilbert suddenly started to have a vicious streak. He started beating people and forcing them to give him money. Such a bastard trait came along with Gilbert's strength.
Gilbert became one of the few commoners who possessed Mana. As a Mana user, of course, he has power above the average person in his area.
One day, Gil realized that Gilbert had joined a crime organization. And that is the Black Box organization.
And that's how their relationship ended. Gilbert just left Gil and his parents. Then it was only natural that Gil would have animosity toward Gilbert.
Time passed, and after both of Gil's parents died of old age, Gil went to Ryam city. Unexpectedly, he was able to become a servant in Baron Warwick's household after a series of struggles.
Long story short, he was chosen as the Mesties' servant.
While being a servant, he also has another task given by Baron Warwick.
Like most aristocrats, there is a dark side to the aristocratic household that the common people don't know about. Likewise with the noble household of Baron Warwick.
Things like silent killing, coercion when making trade agreements, or other things continue to be done by Baron Warwick, like nobles in general. And to do that, Baron Warwick needed a 'tool' so as not to spoil the image of a noble.
It's clear that the tool is a criminal organization, the Black Box Organization. And somehow, Gil was chosen as the intermediary between Baron Warwick and the Black Box Organization.
Even though he looked like a fool, but he realized that it was not good luck, but bad luck. Because, if something happens, then he can be destroyed just like that. Even so, he still followed Baron Warwick's orders.
Actually, without him knowing it, he had become the most unfortunate servant since he had been targeted by his master.
One day, with his master's command, he went to the Black Box Organization headquarters to meet the leader of the Black Box Organization in the slum area. When he met the Boss of the Ryam City Branch of the Black Box Organization, he felt like someone who had just been struck by lightning.
The biggest shock of his life filled his brain like a bolt of lightning. Yes, who would have thought that the Boss of the Black Box Organization would be his brother whom he had not seen for a long time?
Nonetheless, Gil could not back down and refused Baron Warwick's orders. He was afraid that if he refused, he would be killed because he already knew Baron Warwick's secret.
Reluctantly, he stays in touch with his brother in order to fulfill his duties. In fact, he was really reluctant to meet his brother. In the world of thoughts in his head, he already identified himself as the person his brother betrayed. It was only natural that he would be reluctant to meet the person who betrayed him.
As he currently did, he was forced to meet his brother so he could deliver Baron Warwick's message.
"Damn. Looks like I have to wait here for a long time as usual. When will he get here."
He continued to mutter in annoyance. His feet kept moving as he thought about the series of his past in his head.
Currently, he was in a warehouse on the edge of the village walking in circles. Occasionally, he would kick the ground like someone whose girlfriend had just dumped him. He felt irritated because right now he was waiting for Gilbert's arrival.
But he was relieved when he finally felt the presence of the person he was waiting for.
"Huh. You've finally come. But I didn't expect you to get here so quickly. I guess I should have waited a bit longer."
Gil got up and approached the person he saw. He was sure that the person who had arrived was Gilbert, his brother. As he got closer, he saw that it was indeed Gilbert, but someone else was helping Gilbert walk.
Gil ignores a mysterious figure helping his brother walk. He was more focused on seeing Gilbert's state which looked very pitiful.
"Hey, what happened to you?"
"Explain... Message...."
Every footstep Gilbert took seemed incomparably difficult to take. The injuries on his body were obviously very severe. Even Gil, who had hated his brother, felt pity now.
But Gilbert didn't seem to hear Gil's worried voice and immediately asked what was the matter until Gil asked to meet. Surprisingly, Gil throws out the reason why he came here and starts making a worried face instead.
The feelings he had before, where he felt like he had been betrayed by his brother, were now being thrown back. Now, there is only a feeling of worry and confusion.
"Hey. Wake up. What's wrong with you? Explain it to me first."
Gil urges his brother to come up with an answer to his confusion. From the moment he saw his brother's state, he could guess that his brother had gone through a fierce battle.
In a rush, he tried to patch up every wound on his brother's body as best he could.
Not long after, Gilbert spurted blood from his mouth.
Seeing his brother vomiting blood, Gil couldn't help but feel anxious. Especially seeing his brother's body wrapped in cloth like a package. He was bewildered by the state that lay in front of him. This state was already beyond what he could imagine.
Even though he kept asking questions and forcing Gilbert to answer and explaining how it got like that, he never received an answer from Gilbert.
In the end, it was the mysterious person who responded to it.
"Let me explain to you."
"Wh-who are you?"
***
I spoke to Gil using the hood covering my face. I even slightly changed the tone of my voice, becoming a bit hoarse. It was all so Gil couldn't find out I was the Mesties.
Previously, I followed Gilbert from behind to confirm the state of the meeting place.
I had suspected that this was a trap, so I didn't want to do anything reckless. It could be that this place was already surrounded by Baron Warwick's soldiers, but after I checked the surroundings, it didn't seem like that.
'I didn't expect that the two of them were really a pair of brothers.'
I saw the state of Gil who hugged Gilbert regardless of the blood that would stick to him. But strangely, there was a look of annoyance mixed with sadness on Gil's face. I don't know which is more, whether sadness or anger.
Gil keeps looking at me questioningly, but I just give him a simple answer.
"If I told you that I was the one who saved him, would you believe it?"
"Can you show any proof that what you said is the truth?"
"Why should I?"
Did he think that he had another choice? Even if he doesn't believe me, I don't mind. But I'm sure he will believe what I say after he investigates it himself because what I'm about to say isn't a total lie.
But before I can tell Gil, a system message pops up.
[Your connection with Mind's Puppet is lost.]
It suddenly dawned on me that I could no longer control Gilbert. It would be dangerous if Gilbert regained his senses and told the truth that I was controlling him.
This is indeed the worst-case scenario, but I had anticipated this. What I have to do is kill Gil and Gilbert.
But before I pulled the sword out of the Inventory, it hit me that Gilbert seemed to have lost the ability to speak, aka, he was in arogany.
I looked into Gilbert's eyes which before seemed lifeless but now started to have a light of consciousness in them.
As for Gil, he, who was previously focused on me, was now completely focused on Gilbert.
"Gil..."
With eyes that already had the light of realization, Gilbert tried to pronounce Gil's name with all his might. Even though his mouth was full of blood, he still managed to make a sound.
Too bad indeed, after mentioning Gil's name, he immediately breathed his last.
As soon as he heard his name being called, a trickle of water flowed so profusely from Gil's eyes.
I don't know how to deal with both of them. This is just my view, but I assume that Gil is old, so I feel strange when I see him dripping tears from his eyes.
I didn't want to hear his whining that kept echoing in my ears, so I went outside first.
Even so, the last word that came out of Gilbert's mouth was the name of his younger brother before he finally breathed his last.
"What a moving brotherhood. Is that how a character's despair scene in a novel should be made?"
Even if this world completely belonged to the protagonist in the novels I've read, I guess every living thing residing in this world has its own story that can't fit into the novel where the protagonist is.
So, where does my story belong?