“This is impossible.”
No matter how many times he blinked, the view didn’t change. The mansion in the distance was no different from his memories. These were the Baekun Mountains…
According to Lee Yoonsung’s memories, this was the land that the Fairy Dance Lee family had defended for generations, a home for many spiritual beings. Theo had wanted to come here someday, but he couldn’t help wondering why he had been transported here.
So, he asked the source, “Gluttony!”
The grimoire had been the one who suggested using Death’s Worship as a means of escape. The grimoire’s ego which dwelled inside Theo responded.
– You called?
“Of course, I called! Why did I end up all the way in the East Continent? I need an explanation!”
A magician prized staying calm in any situation, but Theo was finding it particularly difficult at the moment. Even Orta would be exhausted once he teleported across a few kingdoms; however, Theo had somehow jumped continents. Moreover, the Sun Clouds Mountain Ranges were in the middle of the East Continent.
Gluttony’s voice was as calm as ever.
– Relax, User.You can be excited once you understand the situation we’re in.
“… Okay, let’s work this out.”
Theo put a lid on his emotions. He had already learned it was useless to be emotional in front of emotionless beings. He took a deep breath and asked, “So what happened to Death’s Worship after it came out of the Inventory? Did it escape?”
Death’s Worship was a grimoire that could turn the whole continent into a kingdom of death. Theo wouldn’t be qualified to be called a hero if he had let the grimoire escape.
Theo was tense, but Gluttony dispelled his concerns.
– Of course not.The struggle was a bit intense, but I trapped it right before the space transfer.However, the grimoire will be more cautious and quicker when trying to escape next time.
“The same trick won’t work twice… Still, that takes care of the biggest worry. That’s fortunate.”
Zest might have died in the explosion, but Theo didn’t dare be that optimistic. Zest had broken Magnus’ last blow, so Theo wasn’t confident that someone of his caliber would die in that explosion. If it were that easy, Zest would’ve died to Veronica or Blundell already.
In any case, isn’t this situation good?
There was no way for Zest to get to the East Continent. But Theo looked down at his left hand with cold eyes and returned to his original question.
“Everything else is minor. I want a complete explanation about how we arrived here on the East Continent.”
– Okay.?
Gluttony started to explain.
– When we escaped using Death’s Worship’s space transfer, the destination had been set as random. If I didn’t interfere, you may have reappeared underground or in the middle of the ocean.?
Theo nodded slowly. “So?”
– I interfered enough to replace the coordinates in the formula. To do that, I used the causal string attached to User.
It was a memory that Theo had forgotten.
“Don’t tell me… the quest?”
– That’s correct.
Lee Yoonsung had wanted to see his home again, so Gluttony had used their promise as a vehicle. As a parasitic entity, Gluttony had no direct ability to cast magic, so it could only leverage Theo’s relationships to try and interfere with the destination coordinates. In that case, Gluttony couldn’t be blamed for this situation.
“… Dammit, I brought this on myself,” Theo grumbled reflexively.
However, Gluttony replied with an unexpected answer.
– Hmm, I don’t think the situation is that bad.
“What?”
– There are no threats to User around here, so can’t you rest until your Circles Overload is healed?You can also complete the quest, so it is effective in many ways.
Gluttony wasn’t wrong. Theo needed time to stabilize his circles, and it would be best if he could resolve the quest at the same time. As an entity free of relationships with other beings, Gluttony had come to a logical, if unemotional, conclusion.
“Gluttony, you… Eh?”
Theo felt Gluttony’s consciousness start to drift away.
“Why are you going to sleep already?”
Gluttony seemed to be overpowered by sleepiness.
– I used a lot of power… interfering with Death’s Worship. For the time being… waking up… is hard… maybe.
“How long until you recover?”
– A week… or a fortnight if it is longer.
Gluttony’s consciousness faded into sleep. Theo stared blankly, dumbfounded, as his only companion slipped into dreamland. He had no idea what to do with himself in the East Continent. 𝑜𝑣𝘭.𝘯𝑡
At that moment, he heard, “Ah, you’re finally up!”
It was a bright and cheerful voice, like someone who still had yet to reach adulthood. Theo turned to see a young girl with braided hair beaming at him. She looked like she was barely sixteen, but he couldn’t help feeling a sense of déjà vu.
Who is she?
Theo looked at her in bemusement.
The girl smiled while scratching her head. “Heheh, can you speak Chinese?”
“… I can.”
“Wow! Your pronunciation is so old-fashioned!”
It couldn’t be helped. Lee Yoonsung had lived over a hundred years ago, so the language had shifted over time. The cheerful girl smiled brightly at Theo and bowed. “My name is Lee Seol. This is my cabin. I found you collapsed on the mountainside!”
“T-Thank you for your help.” Theo couldn’t endure her shining eyes and took a step back. He had faced swordmasters and a dragon, but this was the first time he was being pushed back by a person’s atmosphere. Her eyes were like those of a child looking forward to a birthday party… and she said her name was Lee Seol.
Her enthusiasm soon made sense.
“This is the first time I’ve ever seen a foreigner!I read about it in books, but you are much more handsome than I imagined!”
Theo coughed. “Miss Lee Seol, you are very pretty too.”
Her hands flew to her face. “Kyah, your words are also great! Please keep calling me Miss Lee Seol! I don’t hear that often. Now, let’s go inside and talk some more!”
Theo could see curiosity, longing, and anticipation in her clear eyes. However, despite her young age and bright outer facade, he could also pick up an old, quiet, darkness in her. Still, she had rescued him from the mountain and taken care of him.
It was then that it hit Theo.
… Indeed, there was a reason for the déjà vu.
The cabin that Theo had slept in was in his memories. It was the same cabin that Lee Yoonsung had lived in for many years after being kicked out of his family. It had aged and been repaired over the years, but he could still see it in pillars and the foundation stones.
Naturally, it would feel like déjà vu.
“Hey, aren’t you coming in?”
“I’m coming now.”
Theo entered the cabin with a wry smile. He was finally entering Lee Yoonsung’s home.
***
Later that night…
Wuuuong~
The wind became cooler when the sun rose. As Theo enjoyed the wind on his skin, he thought back to the conversation from the night before.
Lee Seol, the girl with the name which meant snow, was brimming with curiosity and never seemed to get tired. Judging from Lee Seol’s behavior, the saying that Eastern people were reticent and insular seemed to be false. If Baek Dongil were a little younger and a female, would he have grown up like Lee Seol?
“… I don’t know,” Theo murmured as he looked up at the sky.
I feel closer to the stars here than when I lived on the plains.
Theo was only a few kilometers above the plains, but human senses were easily tricked. The stars studding the dark sky drove away the darkness. It was a very different sky from the West Continent, but he couldn’t help feeling like he was being welcomed home.
“Excuse me,” Theo murmured out loud, “Do you have anything to say to me, Senior?”
From the moment that he met Lee Seol, Theo had felt Lee Yoonsung’s consciousness waking up inside him.
Lee Yoonsung coughed a few times.
– Cough, cough. When did you notice?
Theo smiled slowly. “Since the beginning.”
– … You have grown a lot.I don’t know where my obedient junior has gone.
“Don’t try to distract me, Senior.” Theo kept his eyes on the starry sky. “Did you think I wouldn’t notice? Lee Seol is clearly your direct descendant.”
– Sigh. It is impossible not to notice.
The two people sighed together.
“You’re so immature.”
– You’re so immature.
Theo didn’t know what had happened over the years, so he couldn’t tell Lee Yoonsung off. Lee Yoonsung might’ve been banished, but he was a direct descendant of the Lee family and its deceased patriarch. It didn’t matter if he wasn’t recognized by the Lee family. He was just sad that he didn’t know what had happened over the years.
– I’m really sorry, Junior.?
Lee Yoonsung’s voice was tinged with bitterness. He had thought it would be a great honor to leave for the sake of his descendants in the distant future, but he hadn’t taken human greed into account. Why was the girl, Lee Seol, living in this cabin? Lee Yoonsung wondered what had happened to the Lee Family. He was so curious that he remained in this modern age.
However, before Lee Yoonsung could speak, Theo interrupted, “I understand.”
– … What?
“You don’t have to say anymore. I understand. I will take care of that child and find the answers to your questions. Until then, remain inside me and don’t disappear.”
He wouldn’t let another Satomer happen again. Satomer had missed the moment when his dream had become reality. As a magician, how could Theo not understand his bitterness? He had seen how brightly Satomer’s passion had burned, to the point where he had continued to study magic until the moment he died. Theo still felt raw about how Satomer had passed.
He had vowed never to allow the same painful thing to happen again. Lee Yoonsung could feel Theo’s determination. Theo wanted him to stay till he had completed the quest to his satisfaction, so Lee Yoonsung couldn’t deny Theo that. Lee Yoonsung would leave only when he had nothing left behind.
Indeed, Theo chose the hard way. He wouldn’t betray the great people who became his strength.
-… Thank you, Theodore Miller.?
Lee Yoonsung was only sorry he couldn’t bow to express his gratitude.
“You don’t have to do that. I would just be embarrassed.” Theo smiled as he drank in the sky above the mountains. It was a view he would never get tired of.
The mountain had good air and a good environment. Tomorrow, he would go down the mountain and buy some meat. He had enough money in his dimensional pocket to buy this mountain village a hundred times over, so he wasn’t willing to sacrifice his diet while living in this cabin.
… And besides, what could happen at this mountain cabin?
***
The next morning, when Theo saw uninvited guests climbing the mountain, he felt the beginnings of a headache forming.