A cabin made from stacked trees comes into view.
It’s not as good as the house where Da-eun and I live, let alone the one where I used to live with Dad.
But even though it’s a shabby cabin, it was once my home, so the moment I saw it, a wave of nostalgia hit me.
“…Quite something.”
It’s old.
I raised my hand and brushed against the cabin’s wall.
I could feel the rough texture of poorly finished wood and the cracks splitting through it.
Speaking of which, how long has it been since I left home?
Hmm… a month? Two months?
I’m not the type to keep track of such things, so I’m not exactly sure, but it’s clear that I’ve been away long enough.
Still, I didn’t think it was that long for it to change this much.
I once heard that a house untouched by human hands quickly loses its vitality.
Is that why the cabin I lived in is falling apart?
Or maybe it was never in good shape, and I just didn’t notice.
“Yeah, the latter is probably more likely.”
It’s not like it was built with any special method or underwent any special treatment.
I just wasn’t paying attention; the signs were probably there from the beginning.
Staring blankly at the cabin, I opened the door and stepped inside.
Inside the cabin, dust had settled lightly, and as I absentmindedly placed my hand down, a cloud of dust rose up.
Since I’m here, I might as well grab what I can.
They aren’t crucial items, but I gathered a few belongings filled with memories and stuffed them into my bag before leaving the cabin.
As I looked back at the cabin, I thought to myself.
“Well…”
It’s not like I’m going to stay here anymore, so should I just clean it up?
It wouldn’t matter if I left it as is, but I thought it might look ugly later if it collapses into ruins.
After some consideration, I decided to leave the cabin as it is.
After all, I’ll be visiting Silia regularly, so I can come by whenever I have time.
If it looks like it’s about to fall down, I can repair or clean it up then.
I also cleared away the dead flowers.
After tidying up the wilted and shriveled flowers, the flower bed felt a bit empty, but it was much better than leaving the blackened dead flowers.
‘So many tasks to do….’
I worked hard to take care of this place.
Swallowing my bittersweet feelings, I headed toward my final destination.
I swallowed my feelings and headed towards my final destination.
The edge of the flower field.
Standing in front of Dad’s grave, a distinctly different emotion filled my heart compared to earlier.
“It’s been a while… um, has it really been a while?”
Well, if it’s been a few months, I guess that counts as a long time.
…I guess I’m not in a position to say that to Da-eun.
“Hey, Dad. I actually have memories from my previous life.”
I’m not sure if “have” is the right word since they’re faded, full of holes, and all messed up.
After hesitating for a moment, I let out a sigh that sounded a bit like a monologue.
“I went back to the world I lived in my past life.”
Right now, how should I put it? It’s like I took a brief stroll.
I never even talked this long when Dad was alive.
I stumbled over my words since it felt unfamiliar, but it wasn’t as awkward as I thought it would be.
As I kept rambling, the end of my story slowly began to unfold.
Just when the sound of the wind was getting louder than my voice.
I rummaged through my bag and took out something I brought from Earth.
“Where I live now, there’s a culture of honoring the dead and offering tributes to their… souls, I guess. Anyway, the spirits.”
A semi-transparent green bottle.
Kaduk!
I squinted my eyes at the strong smell of alcohol that wafted up the moment I opened the lid.
“Ew, eww….”
In the midst of it all, I tasted a drop that splattered on my hand and shuddered, sticking out my tongue.
I thought I had already gone through plenty of tough times, so why does this just feel so bitter?
After doing an emergency transfusion with the chocolate I had stashed in my pocket, the bitter taste that had clung to my mouth finally faded away.
If I had money to buy something like this, wouldn’t it be better to just get some sweet snacks instead?
Thinking that, I sprinkled some alcohol.
“It’s not usually done this way, but…”
There’s no one to point it out, and no one to witness it, so who cares.
“I just wanted to let you know that this exists.”
I have no idea what it tastes like, but Dad loved alcohol, so he’d probably like it.
I know he’s already been reincarnated and is living a new life.
I know that…
“Memories can still be made.”
And it’s kind of a bribe too.
Droplet…
A drop of soju fell from the bottle’s opening.
I tipped the bottle further, even holding it vertically, but after that last drop fell, nothing more came out.
After closing the lid and putting it back in the bag, I reached out.
I closed the lid and tucked it back into the bag, then reached out.
The grip felt surprisingly familiar.
With a slight tug, I felt a peculiar warmth from the handle, and the sword, which had been stuck in the ground, was pulled out effortlessly.
At the same moment, as if it was reveling in its newfound freedom, a brilliant red light sprayed everywhere.
“Yeah, you must’ve been frustrated too.”
Born from the hands of a skilled craftsman, it had once traversed the world in the hands of an exceptional swordsman, and now it was abruptly stuck in the ground. No wonder it felt so stifled.
I totally get that feeling.
It must have faced the elements without me, yet the blade still exuded a sharp, fierce aura.
“Crimson Aegis.”
As the name suggests, it was a sword meant to protect what one loves.
But given that I couldn’t protect anything, I felt unworthy to wield it.
-Until now.
“But now I have something to protect.”
So don’t go complaining too much about me taking you.
It’s for the sake of protecting the world where Dad lives.
I even offered a bribe, so I hope you’ll forgive me.
As I sheathed the Crimson Aegis and turned away, I said, “I’ll come again.”
Next time, I’ll bring better alcohol.
That’s way better than some trivial food, right?
As if agreeing with me, a subtle warmth radiated from the sword at my waist.
*
Where a barrier once stood, created by a sage, now loomed a wall made of mana.
It’s good to block entry, but just leaving it alone won’t do any good either.
After all, it’s a pseudo-barrier made of magic.
As I placed my hand against the black wall, it crumbled in an instant, returning to its original form.
Having completed the process of replacing some and directing others toward where Edel was, I paused to think for a moment.
“What should I do?”
I need to safeguard this place from being ruined by others.
I’m not gifted like a sage, so while I was deep in thought, a good idea popped into my head.
The final battle with that guy.
Thinking back, I learned something useful back then.
I began to draw based on the insights I gained.
Shaaah—
Before I knew it, the space distorted and blended along the tip of the drawn sword.
Once I sheathed the sword, the chaotic space returned to normal as if nothing had ever happened.
On the surface, everything looked perfectly fine.
It seemed like if I just put my foot forward, I could step into that flower garden beyond.
It looks like I could reach the flower field over there, but…
As I tentatively stepped forward, the scenery before my eyes twisted in an instant.
When I pulled back my foot, the landscape returned to its original state.
“Hmm, hmm.”
I nodded happily at the satisfactory outcome.
It distorts the space, causing those who step in to lose their way.
If anyone tries to push forward without giving up, an invisible wall will block their path this time.
Most would fall out at the first step, but this double-layered trap is made for those who might luckily get through.
If someone breaks through this, there’s really nothing that can stop them apart from me standing in their way.
But I don’t think many people will be doing that.
It’s a security device crafted from the mysteries of space, after all.
At the very least, you’d need to reach a master level to even make a proper attempt!
Those who aren’t qualified cannot enter.
After leaving behind this device filled with hard-earned insights, I turned my back.
“…?”
But what’s this?
As I turned my back, unfamiliar things caught my eye.
White bouquets arranged in gentle curves.
Many are wilted, but plenty are still intact.
I tilted my head at the traces that can only be seen as artificial.
“Uh, I don’t get it.”
Eventually, I lost interest.
Maybe a strange trend formed while I was gone.
Packing up my stuff, tidying the flower field, and crafting security devices.
I had spent a lot of time on these things, leaving no room for dawdling.
Well, I never thought I’d be doing this kind of work.
When I came over to catch the dimensional beings, I couldn’t help but notice little annoyances creeping up, one by one.
It was something that needed to be done as well.
One good thing is that it doesn’t take long to reach what used to be the capital of Grasis.
When I walked with Da-eun, I had to match her stride, but now that I’m alone, I can speed up as much as I want.
If it comes down to it, I could even jump through dimensions like the sage did.
The reason I don’t do that is because it’s something I’ve never attempted before.
Thinking about what I just did, it seems possible, but who knows what could happen?
‘If I had known this, I should have practiced a bit.’
Quite some time has passed since I recovered.
With a bit of regret, I launched myself forward.
Towards the place at the foot of the mountain, where my old home used to be.
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