Текст книги "Overlord - The Men in the Kingdom - Part 1"

Автор книги: Maruyama Kugane

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Текущая страница: 5 (всего у книги 15 страниц)

There were only strong adventurers everywhere he looked. Every one of them could easily beat Climb in a fight. Whenever he came to such a place, he clearly realized just how small he really was.

Climb stopped himself from being disheartened and moved his eyes on a certain spot in the inn.

In the farthest corner of the room, his eyes rested on the two figures sitting around a circular table.

One of them had a small stature and was wrapped in a jet-black robe.

The face was hidden not because of the lighting, instead it was entirely covered by a  strange mask with a red jewel embedded in its forehead. The area around the eyes had a thin crack so that it was impossible to even tell the color of the pupils.

And the other figure...

Although the person before had a small body, the other possessed an overwhelmingly huge physique. Enough to make one think of a huge rock. In a way, the body could be described as plump, but not because it was fat. First, the arms were as thick as tree trunks. In order to support the head, the neck was as thick as an average woman’s thighs, and the head resting on top of that neck was a square. The chin was wide as to better clench the teeth for power, the eyes for scanning the surroundings looked like the eyes belonging to a carnivore. The blond hair was cut short strictly for functionality.

The chest hidden behind her clothes was conspicuously bloated by muscles trained over and over. It was no longer the chest of a woman.

The female-only adamantium rank adventurer team– Blue Rose.

They were two of its members, magic caster Evileye and warrior Gagaran.

Climb headed in their direction. The person whom he needed to speak to nodded her head and shouted in a husky voice.

“Yo, cherry boy!”

Once more, the stares focused on Climb, but there were no sounds of jeering. As if they had suddenly lost their interest, they turned away instead, with something akin to sympathy filling their eyes.

There was a reason for the cold treatment from the other adventurers. They knew that even for orichalcum or mithril rank adventurers, showing discourtesy to Gagaran’s guest wasn’t courage, only reckless bravado.

Even while he was being made fun of, Climb calmly walked forward. Since Gagaran wouldn’t change her nickname for him no matter how often he asked, the most effective method was to pretend that he gave up and no longer cared.

“It has been a long time, Gagaran-sam—san, Evileye-sama.”

He approached the two and bowed his head.

“Yeah, long time no see. What, did you come here because you wanted to be embraced by me?”

While motioning with her chin to take a seat, Gagaran asked him with a beast-like grin across her face. But Climb shook his head with a blank expression.

This was also part of Gagaran’s usual banter. Although it was a greeting, it did not mean that she was joking. If Climb ever replied in the affirmative, even in jest, Gagaran would immediately drag him to a room on the 2^nd floor with overwhelming strength, without any chance for retaliation.

Gagaran, who would openly proclaim that plucking a ‘fresh cherry’ was her hobby, was that type of person.

Different from Gagaran, Evileye stared directly in front of her and showed no sign of turning her face. You could not even tell which direction the eyes beneath the mask were pointing.

“No. I’m here because of a request from Aindra-sama.”

“Huh? From the leader?”

“Yes. I will deliver her message.『It seems we’ll have to move soon. I will explain the details when I return. Be ready for battle immediately.』”

“I got it. Hmm, you’re sure going through a lot of trouble for something so trivial.”

Climb remembered that he had something else to say to Gagaran who wore a wide grin.

“I had the fortune of being instructed in the sword by Stronoff-sama today. He praised the high vertical strike that you taught me in the past.”

He had learned that move from her in this inn’s backyard. Gagaran smiled brightly.

“Oh, that! Not bad at all. But…”

“Yes. I will not be satisfied and train harder.”

“That’s good and all, but assume that move will be blocked and start working on a skill to come after it.”

Whether it was a coincidence or just common sense to first rate warriors, Gagaran’s advice was very similar to Gazef’s. Apparently misunderstanding Climb’s surprised face, Gagaran continued to speak with a chuckle.

“Obviously, that vertical slash is meant to be a one-hit-kill. Normally, the correct way to go about it is to choose from a wide repertoire of moves depending on the situation. But the thing is, that’s impossible for you.”

She was implying that it was because he had no talent.

“So work on a combination that consists of at least three attacks. Make it so that even if they’re blocked, your opponent can’t switch to the offensive.”

Climb nodded.

“Well, if you’re against monsters that have eight arms and such, it may not work. But it should be fine against humans. Even though having a pattern will be the end of you if it gets found out, it’s still pretty effective against opponents that you meet for the first time. Think of something that will let you push forward over and over and over.”

“I understand.”

Climb earnestly nodded his head.

This morning, only once could he push forward into Gazef like that. Everything else was blocked and countered.

But did that shake his confidence? No.

Did he fall into despair? No.

The opposite.

It was the opposite.

An ordinary person was able to get that close to the strongest warrior in the Kingdom, no, the surrounding countries. He also knew very well that his opponent had not been fighting seriously. But to Climb, who was walking a pitch black road completely devoid of light, it was more than enough of an encouragement.

It told him that that his efforts were not in vain.

When he remembered that, what Gagaran was trying to say touched his heart.

Even though he wasn’t confident about whether or not he could successfully come up with a combination of attacks, the burning urge to do it still rose up from the bottom of his stomach. The next time he fought the Warrior Captain, he wanted to be strong enough to make him a bit more serious.

“…Now that I remember, didn’t you ask Evileye for something awhile back? Was it magic training?”

“Yes.”

Climb glanced over at Evileye. Back then, it was turned down by a scoff from inside the mask. No doubt that bringing up the same topic when nothing has changed will have the same result.

However—

“Kid.”

He heard a voice that was difficult to read.

Even disregarding the fact that it was through a mask, it held a very mysterious tone. Even with a mask, as long as the sound was not too thick, it should be possible to somewhat make out the timber of the voice. However, you could make out neither the age nor emotion behind Evileye’s voice. It was barely enough to just recognize the voice as female. It sounded like both an old woman and a young girl, flat and emotionless.

It was because Evileye’s mask was a magic item, but why did she go that far in order to hide her voice?

“You don’t have the talent. Try something else.”

A crude remark, as if that was all that she needed to say.

Climb himself knew at least that much better than anyone.

He did not have any talent for magic. No, not only magic.

No matter how much he swung his sword, no matter how much he bled and hard his hands became from the blisters, he could not reach the level that he wanted. The wall that those with talent would easily overcome, even that became an absolute obstacle that he could not traverse.

Even so, that was not a reason for him to be lazy with his efforts to cross over that wall. As long as he was talentless, the only thing he could do was believe that his efforts will allow him to take at least one step forward.

“It seems you can’t accept it.”

As if she read Climb’s emotions beneath his expressionless iron mask, Evileye continued to speak.

“Those who possess talent have it from the very beginning... Some claim that talent is simply a bud that has yet to bloom and that everyone has it… Hmph. I see it as nothing more than envy. Words like that are so the inferior can console themselves. The leader of those famous thirteen heroes was the same.”

The leader of the thirteen heroes; there was a legend that in the beginning, the hero was just an ordinary person. Although that person was weaker than anyone, the hero became the strongest by endlessly swinging a sword despite being covered in wounds. The hero possessed a power that could rise without end.

“But that person’s talent had simply not bloomed at that time. You’re different, even with effort you’re still only at that level. Talent undoubtedly exists. There are those who have it and those who do not. So… I won’t tell you to give up but at least know where you stand.”

Evileye’s cold words brought a curtain of silence. And it was she herself who broke that silence.

“Gazef Stronoff… now that one is a good example of a human with talent. Climb… do you believe that you can fill the difference between the two of you with hard work?”

His words wouldn’t come out. It was only this morning that he experienced the distance between them which couldn’t be overcome with training.

“Actually, he might not be a fair comparison. The only ones I know of who can rival his talent with the sword are the thirteen heroes. Gagaran here is fairly skilled but still can’t beat him.”

“…Don’t ask for the impossible. Gazef-ojisan is someone with one foot in the realm of heroes.”

Gagaran replied to Evileye’s words with a laugh.

“Hey, hey, Evileye. Weren’t the heroes considered to be monsters with talent that was in a different league– the type transcending the realm of humans?”

“… I won’t deny it.”

“And I’m only human. It’s impossible for me to reach the level of those heroes.”

“… But you still possess talent. You’re different from a human like Climb. Climb, don’t try to reach for the stars.”

Climb knew that very well. But it was true that being told that he had no talent so repeatedly would make him feel disappointed. Even so, he had no intention of changing his ways.

—It was because his body was for the princess—

Sensing something akin to martyrdom from Climb, Evileye clicked her tongue behind her mask.

“…I guess you won’t stop even if I say it like this.”

“No.”

“You are foolish, truly foolish.”

She shook her head, unable to understand him.

“Moving forward with an unreachable wish will definitely ruin your body. I’m repeating myself, but know where you stand.”

“I understand what you are trying to say.”

“But I see you have no intention of listening. You are beyond foolish. It will lead to an early grave. … Won’t there be someone who will cry if you were to die?”

“Huh? What’s this, Evileye? Were you bullying Climb because you were worried about him?”

Evileye’s shoulders slumped at these words. She grabbed Gagaran by the collar with her gloved hand and shouted as she stared at her.

“The meathead needs to shut her mouth!”

“But I’m right though, aren’t I?”

Evileye could not say a word to Gagaran who remained calm even when she had her by the collar. She leaned deeply into her chair and, trying to change the topic, turned her arrow to Climb.

“First, master your knowledge of magic. If your knowledge improves then you may be able to predict the moves of your enemies who use magic. Then you will be able to respond appropriately.”

“Hey, you know how many different spells there are and you’re telling him to study all of that? Aren’t you being too cruel?”

“That’s not true. There is a common pool of spells that a magic caster typically focuses on. He can start by studying those.”

Evileye implied that if he couldn’t even manage that, he should give up.

“No matter how many there are, he’ll probably be able to manage if he can study the spells up to the 3^rd tier.”

“…Hey Evileye, you said magic goes up to the 10^th tier and that no one’s managed to master them. But there’s information on those? Why is that?”

“Hmm…”

With the air of a teacher instructing a student, Evileye moved around in her robe. As she did so, suddenly, the noise from their surroundings fell distant. It was like a thin curtain had been draped over them and the table.

“Don’t be alarmed. I merely activated a trivial item.”

Just how cautious was she of others listening in? Realising that Evileye’s answer to Gagaran’s question was important enough to warrant using an item, Climb fixed his posture in anticipation.

“In an old legend– one of the stories passed down, there exist a group called the Eight Greed Kings. Some call them beings who stole the power of God and ruled this world using their absolute strength.”

Climb knew the story. As a fairytale, it was quite unpopular, but anyone who was somewhat educated knew about it.

To sum it up, the Eight Greed Kings appeared 500 years ago. Taller than the sky, the likeness of a dragon, the Eight Greed Kings destroyed numerous countries and ruled the world with their overwhelming strength. But in the end, their greed pitted them against one another and resulted in their demise.

Although the story was obviously unpopular, there were differing opinions on whether it was fact or fiction. Climb himself felt that the story was overly exaggerated. However, there were many among the adventurers who felt that they did, in fact, once exist; with power greater than any that currently exist in present time.

The basis for their belief was the existence of the desert city far to the south. It is said that the city was built to be the capital back when the Eight Greed Kings ruled the continent.

While Climb was deep in his own thoughts, Evileye continued to speak.

“It is said that the Eight Greed Kings had a countless number of powerful items. And the greatest among them was an item called the ‘Nameless Spellbook’… A grimoire by that name exists. There is your answer.”

“What? So you’re saying that the spells are in that book?”

“Right. That magic item holds power beyond comprehension. They say that all magic is recorded in that grimoire. I have no idea what kind of magic it uses, there is a rumor that even newly created magic gets automatically recorded.”

He knew about the legend of the Eight Greed Kings but it was the first time that Climb had heard about such a book. He vaguely understood just how rare such an item was and remained silent while listening carefully.

“With it as the foundation, we were able to discover the existence of 10^th tier spells. Of course, there are only a few who know of this story and the ‘Nameless Spellbook’.”

Climb gulped loudly.

“Y-you do not have any plans to obtain that ‘Nameless Spellbook’?”

It was a question he wondered because they were the highest class adventurers.

But Evileye snorted back a laugh, as if he had said something idiotic.

“Hmph. According to the person who’s actually seen it, the strong magic guarding the grimoire prevents anyone without a strong sense of justice from touching it. An item that’s worth a country will carry with it dangers to match. I know what I can and can’t do, and I would rather not die a fool’s death like the Eight Greed Kings.”

“It’s impossible even for the party whose leader possesses a weapon of the thirteen heroes?”

“… In a different league, that one. Well, this is something I heard offhand as well so I can’t be certain. The talk has gone off topic. Anyhow, there’s your answer, Gagaran. Do you understand?”

And for some reason, Evileye showed a brief moment of hesitation before opening her mouth.

“Climb. Even if you desire power, don’t give up your humanity.”

“Give up on my humanity…? Are you speaking of the likes of demons that appear in stories?”

“That and others like turning into an undead or magic life forms.”

“A normal human cannot do something like that.”

“That’s true… but turning into an undead will often twist your heart as well. Desiring perfection, becoming an undead to achieve one’s ideal… the heart will be tempted by the changing flesh and the resulting transformation will be terrifying.”

A tinge of pity could be felt from the voice behind the emotionless mask. Evileye looked as if she was staring far off into the distance. Gagaran watched her and spoke out cheerfully.

“Won’t the princess be surprised if she wakes up one day and Climb became an ogre?”

As if she understood what was hidden behind Gagaran’s comment, Evileye reverted back to her unreadable voice.

“…Well, that’s also another method. Transformation magic can be made so that its effects are only temporary. To put it simply, it’s one way of raising your physical strength.”

“I would like to pass on that.”

“In regards to becoming stronger, it’s quite effective. The physical capabilities of the human body are not very impressive. With the same talent, a stronger body would be more advantageous.”

That was obvious. If the skills were the same, the side with more power would have the upper hand.

“In reality, there were many among the thirteen heroes who were not human. Even if they are called the thirteen heroes, they numbered far more. It just so happens that only thirteen had legends attached to them. …The battle against the Demon God was one that transcended the racial barrier. Those who wanted to put the focus on humans would be rather hesitant to perpetuate a legend where those of other races played an active role.”

Evileye spoke with a cynical edge to her voice. The atmosphere then immediately shifted and she continued on, her tone heavy with nostalgia.

“The wielder of the cyclone axe was the Warrior Captain of the Air Giants. If any members of the elf royal family who possessed traits of the old elves were there… it would be Dark Knight, the original owner of Kilineyram– our leader’s demonic sword. The Knight shared the blood of demons, a mixed blood."

“The Four Swords of Darkness…”

It is said that one of the thirteen heroes, the Dark Knight, wielded four swords: evil sword Hyumilis, demon sword Kilineyram, necrotic sword Colocudabar, and death sword Sufiz. The leader of Blue Rose, Lakyus, possessed one of them.

“Demon sword Kilineyram… the strongest Sword of Darkness that is said to be created from condensing endless dark energy. Hey, Evileye. Is it true that if you unleash its full power, it can shoot out enough darkness to swallow a country whole?”

“What are you talking about?”

Evileye seemed perplexed.

“Our leader said so awhile back when we were alone. She was grabbing her right hand pretty hard and said something about how only a woman of faith like her can suppress its power.”

“I’ve never heard of anything like that…”

Evileye tilted her head, thinking it odd.

“If the owner says so then it could be true.”

“Then the thing about dark Lakyus who was born from her dark consciousness must be true too?”

“What?”

“When was it, she was muttering that to herself while she was alone. I don’t think she knew that I was there so I eavesdropped a bit. ‘I, the source of the darkness will take over your body once you let your guard down and release the demon sword’s power.’ Or something like that, it sounded pretty dangerous.”

“That’s… not impossible I guess. Some cursed items do take over their owners. …If that happens to Lakyus then it won’t be a laughing matter.”

“She told me to keep it a secret, but that’s a little… you know? I asked her about it personally but her face got really red and told me to not worry about it.”

“Hmm. She must have been embarrassed that a cleric like her was controlled by a cursed item. They’re the ones who lift those curses, after all. Maybe she didn’t want to worry us? That girl, she’s been worrying about it alone.”

“I haven’t seen her do that since then but… just think about it, ever since she got that sword, didn’t she start wearing those pointless armor rings on all five of her fingers?”

“I thought it was fashion, are you saying that those are sealing magic items or possibly a catalyst?”

Climb could not maintain his poker face and frowned.

The current conversation drove him to think that Lakyus was possibly being slowly dominated by an evil item. Thinking of where she was just recently only served to increase his restlessness.

“…Renner-sama might be in danger.”

Evileye stopped Climb who was about to run off.

“Don’t worry. It’s not as if something is going to happen immediately. Even if she were to fall under that dark power, there is no way that it could happen before the person herself noticed it. If she didn’t want us to know then she most likely judged that she can keep it in check. I don’t doubt her willpower, but… to think that sword had such an ability… I had no idea.”

“Should we send word to Azuth-san just in case?”

“It’s a bit frustrating to seek help from a rival… but since it’s a problem about his niece then I guess it would be for the best.”

“Ok, then should we get moving? I need to find out where he is.”

“Yes. We have to be prepared to support Lakyus at any time.”

“Only adamantium can stop adamantium, after all.”

“—Hmm?! Ah! I just remembered, Gagaran. A third adamantium rank adventurer team is supposed to be residing in E-Rantel.”

“What, really? That’s new to me... Did you hear it at the adventurer’s guild this morning?”

“No, that’s… Oh, right. I apologize. I forgot to tell you. From what I hear, their color is black.”

“Black? We have red and blue so I thought the next one would be brown or green.”

“Black is a color used in the faith of the Six Gods so there is nothing strange about it. The next team might be white.”

“I’m not really a fan of the Slane Theocracy though. Because of that one incident, we fought those guys who looked like they were from some secret unit.”

Despite Climb feeling that he had heard something incredibly dangerous, the conversation ignored him and continued on.

“You do not like them, Gagaran? …Although this may seem ironic, I can sympathize with their policy. Well, it’s more like I feel that the role of the guardian of the human race that they impose on themselves is just, at least from a human’s perspective.”

“What? So it’s okay for them to kill innocent elves and demi-humans?”

The disgust was apparent on Gagaran’s face. Her eyes burned with an intense hatred. Evileye answered her animosity with a mere shrug.

“Around here, there are several human countries like the Kingdom, the Holy Kingdom, and the Empire. Gagaran, did you know? The farther you venture out, there are less and less countries that are made up of humans. Depending on the location, there are countries where humans are used as slaves. One of the biggest reasons none of them are near us is due to the Slane Theocracy hunting down the demi-humans.”

With her anger cooled by Evileye’s words, Gagaran sullenly muttered to herself.

“Well, demi-humans are stronger than humans after all. Humans won’t be able to do anything if they unite and advance their civilization.”

“If you are human, you must evaluate those from the Theocracy highly. Of course, they may have a cruel side, but there are none who are more beneficial to humanity. ...Well, it would be a different story if you were to ask the same of the minorities that are being purged. Not only that, there’s a very good chance they were the ones who formed the original adventurer guild.”

“Really?”

“Maybe. The truth is unknown but there is still a high possibility. The adventurer guild was formed after the battle against the Demon God and in those days, humans were weak. They preserved their strength and, as to not cause friction between them and the kingdom, formed the guild so they could provide support.”

When she finished talking, a peculiar silence covered the table. Climb could not endure the atmosphere and opened his mouth.

“Forgive me for interrupting, Evileye-sama. You said that new adamantium rank adventurers had appeared. What are their names?”

“Hmm? Ah, right. It was– Momon. The leader is a warrior who’s called the hero in black and apparently the name of the team hasn’t been decided yet. It seems they’re just called Black.”

“Heh~ and the other members?”

“I hear it’s a two-man team with the other member being called Beauty Nabel, a magic caster.”

“What? Just two? What’re you saying? They must be idiots overconfident in their skill… No, that’s why they’re adamantium. They must be hiding something amazing. So? What kind of feats did they achieve?”

“Apparently it only took them around two months. First they took care of the incident in E-Rantel regarding the thousands of undead that spawned. Then they exterminated the coalition of goblin tribes from the north, gathered an incredibly rare herb from the Tove Mountains, subjugated a Gigant Basilisk, and exterminated a group of undead that spilled over from the Karche plains. I also heard that they defeated a powerful vampire.”

“Gigant Basilisk…”

Climb groaned.

With characteristics of both a lizard and a snake, the Gigant Basilisk was a giant monster measuring ten meters. It possessed a petrifying gaze with deadly poison coursing through its veins. What was worse was that its thick skin was as hard as mithril. It was truly a terrifying existence. If they were really able to defeat a monster that could destroy a small town, then it would not have been strange for them to rise to adamantium.

However, there was a problem. That was—

“That’s… incredible. But did they really beat a Gigant Basilisk with only two people? Isn’t that impossible with just a warrior and a magic caster? Not a chance.”

—Indeed. With only two people, it was close to impossible, especially if it was only a warrior and a magic caster. They did not have anyone to heal them. Not only would there have been no way for them to defend against its petrifying gaze and poison, but also the variety of other attacks at the monster’s disposal.

“Ah! I apologize; I don’t think you can classify them as only two. From what I heard, they tamed the Virtuous King of the Forest by force.”

“…Virtuous King? What kind of monster is that?”

Climb remembered hearing that name in one of legends. However, interrupting here would have been the height of discourtesy.

“I’m not exactly sure either. According to the legend that’s been passed down, it is a demon that has been living in the Tove Mountains. It’s supposed to be strong beyond comparison. In the past, an acquaintance… right, apparently it hadn’t been there 200 years ago when that person visited the mountains.”

Evileye shrugged as she said the number 200.

Although it was an age possible for an elf, by her behavior, it may have just been a joke.

“Heh~. So, how much of that is actually true? Rumors usually come with a bit of an oomph,

don’t they?.”

That’s how it was. While telling the story to others, the person doesn’t even notice that they are exaggerating the facts. Bodies that have been chopped to pieces makes it difficult to get an exact head count. At times, the adventurers themselves spread rumors to promote their name.

But Evileye raised one finger and waved it side-to-side in a dismissive gesture.

“At least this incident is most likely true. According to the first rumor that came from E-Rantel, he exterminated an undead giant with his sword and broke through thousands of undead. This is from the reports of the sentries who managed to survive. Their reports were all nearly identical so they shouldn’t be exaggerated. Apparently it was confirmed that they defeated the two responsible for the incident from their corpses farther in. What’s more, it was after they defeated two Skeletal Dragons.”

Seeing Gagaran’s mouth hanging open, Climb asked.

“Is that difficult even for you, Gagaran-san?”

“If there were thousands of zombies or skeletons, then they wouldn’t be a problem. It’s possible to break through them. Probably could have done something about the two Skeletal Dragons too. But I’m not too sure about the two masterminds behind such a huge incident. I’m not confident I could win when I don’t even know their abilities.”

“There were even some remarks that they may have been from Zuranon.”

“Really, Evileye? Man~ if they were the Disciples of Zuranon then it would’ve been over right there. Beating them after breaking through the swarm would be hard. And if you make even a small mistake and get poisoned or paralyzed, then it’s over. What did those guys do for healing? Did they rely on potions? This Momon warrior guy could be using faith magic like our leader. Or maybe it’s the Beauty?”

“I can’t deny the possibility.”

Evileye nodded her head with an umu umu motion.

“But still, a Gigant Basilisk… that’s still impossible. For a warrior… that’s the worst enemy for someone who fights in close range. Even if I can use Gaze Bane, it’s still hard without backup.”

“Did you hear, Climb? It’s impossible for Gagaran alone. In other words, it depends on the skills of that woman Nabel. If they fight together then it would be possible… maybe?”

“Ah~ it would be easy if that Nabel person was as strong as you, Evileye. Wouldn’t it be simple for you to solo it if you just fight from afar?”

“That’s asking too much. I would have to fight seriously.”

“If you were there in the same two incidents with me, then the best I could take on would be… the Skeletal Dragon. But then I would be relying on you too much, Evileye. If I paired up with an orichalcum rank magic caster and it was just us two… then that’d be impossible.”

Climb had a strange thought.

Just how strong of a magic caster was Evileye? A normal team would be made up of members with similar strength and experience. Was there that big of a difference between them?

“That is not true. I know how strong you are, Gagaran-san. You would not fall behind a group of newcomers.”

“Wow~ thanks for the praise. Okay, wanna do it?”

“No, I will have to decline.”

“And that’s why you’re still a virgin. Didn’t you hear that it’s disgraceful for a man to refuse a meal that’s been laid out in front of him? Why are you still carrying it around like it’s something good? What’re you going to do when you actually do it with a girl that you like? Do you want to be told that you’re clumsy? Is that what you’re into? Are you an M?”

Digging into Climb without even giving him a chance to respond, Gagaran let out a big sigh.