Stupid Steps to End
Chapter 12: The Goodness of Ogyruan

"Did your daughter have experienced it?"

"Yes, once. It's not a big deal. Please don't tell my daughter about this"

I brought Mr. Ogyruan to the bed. Lying weak, he went through a critical period. I put the back of my hand on his burnt forehead. Turns out he had chickenpox from 3 days ago.

"You should rest and drink plenty of water. Do you have Paracetamol?"

"Is that some kind of medicine? We don't have any of those drugs at home"

"Then let me compress you. This will help bring down the fever"

Without wasting any more time, I went down to the kitchen to cook the water and prepare the needed items.

Mr. Ogyruan can't be okay. He underestimated the disease to the point that he was almost unsteady from the chair. Plus, it does not store medicines for common ailments. Isn't it to be a specialist you have to be a general practitioner first?

Speechless—— The only word that can explain what I feel now.

...****************...

Ogyruan POVs

One night, my daughter brought a young man as thin as a piece of wood and as white as paper into my house. He said he found it on my doorstep. He said the young man ate the heart of the devil because of hunger.

As a father, I knew my daughter was lying and I shouldn't have let her approach an unknown person. But as a doctor, it is my duty to give my whole to those who need me.

So I wrapped her body in new clothes and bathed her on the edge of the times. Check it out, it's the first time I can't diagnose a patient. The heart beats weakly. The young man took out a rotten miasma. My gut feeling is never good every time I see dark smoke around my patient's body.

—— He won't last long in this world.

'I found a letter from his friend explaining his condition. She is a witch from a neighboring kingdom who came to defeat the demon lord. I didn't see any guns on him. He shouldn't be dangerous.'

My daughter threw that shit. His words made my heart weak. Anyone could see this young man was not a witch. His clothes were not fancy, he was not wise, boundless ignorant, small thin like a log..

He was just an ordinary man who was in a pinched state.

'Dad-Where are you going to take him?! What are you doing?!'

One night, I found a young man so pitiful. He is neither great nor famous. If it was true that he had come to defeat the demon lord without carrying a weapon, he was none other than a peace fighter.

And maybe that's what this corrupt empire needs. It's not just silly dreamers with big mouths or politicians. This nation had no future even though the demon lord was defeated.

They were stolen by a group of corruptors pretending to be the king and his people!

"Sir, have you gone? You slept long enough"

".... I'm not okay"

I looked at the young man beside me. He's a good young man. Throughout history, no one had ever wanted to show hospitality to this executioner's family. He was probably the first person I met who treated us like humans.

"Son, there's something I need to tell you"

But he has to go. All I could do was watch his journey from a faraway place. At least I should tell you what happened that night.

"Son, I risked my life to save you. I made a pact with 'her' to exchange my time in the world for yours that night "

"!! 'He?' S, Who?"

"I can't tell you right now.. In that agreement, he asked for your life in return for saving you on the brink of death. I can't refuse it"

—— So the only thing I can do is bet with him.

I hope he doesn't scold me for playing with his life as a game. This is the saddest step I can take. As an executioner, I should be ashamed of myself for making this deal.

Unfortunately I have no time but today. As soon as the clock shows at 12 'he' will pick me up. I told him something I shouldn't have told him. I've broken the agreement I made with 'her'.

"Son, I'm sorry I couldn't give you the last order.. That order could have saved you from 'he', and I haven't even made it at all"

"You don't have to apologize. I've been very grateful to you"

The young man smiled gently as his hand raised my right hand. Saying a word of thanks, he gave a salim on the back of my hand and knelt beside me.

".. Sir, I'm honestly just a bum on the side of the road. I'm sorry I tricked you"

"I.know.. I knew from the beginning"

"Then why do you still decide to risk your life with the devil for this bum? You deserve to live longer and better than anyone "

"So is you"

I realized my first move out of the house to look for 'her' was a fatal mistake. I'm not a good person. My body was covered in the smell of blood.

Bringing you to 'he' will kill me. It's not that I don't know the consequences. I ruined my life for a foreigner.

Even so, I have no regrets. Believing my daughter's lies led me to hope the world could change. The world will be more open and friendly. I don't know, only he knows.

"In the first place, I didn't ask why I was helping you.. I believe someone doesn't need a reason to help others"

I only give my best to help those in distress. That's not wrong.

"I'm old and you're young.. You must see that the world is wider than this forest..."

My eyes darkened. My ears caught the ticking of the clock moving static. Closing my eyes, a flashback of my life swirled in my mind.

I will not go where my beloved wife is. I'm sorry for making you wait in vain. This man is too dirty to be with you in the afterlife.

Guinevere, my dear daughter. I'm sorry I couldn't say goodbye to you. I can't give you the life you want. I don't expect you to forgive me. I wish you could be okay without me in the world.

"My daughter. Keep my daughter... Tell him that you love him.."