■ Sense of Isolation □
She, who had changed significantly from the memories I held, quickly regained her composure from a flustered expression and asked.
“What brings you here?”
“I came back to my hometown after a long time and heard from Timmy that you had returned to the village, so I thought I’d drop by.”
Helen muttered, “That Timmy…” but then opened the door and said.
“Come on in. I can’t leave an old friend standing at the door.”
“Thank you.”
I expressed my gratitude to her for welcoming me into her home despite the potentially awkward visit and stepped into the red-brick house.
It was a typical home with a large living room, a kitchen, and two small rooms.
As I entered, the children playing with dolls on the sofa and the older child noticed me and widened their eyes.
“Who are you, mister?”
I felt a surge of irritation at being called ‘mister’ again, but since they were my friend’s children, I half-resignedly replied.
“I’m your mom’s childhood friend.”
“Wow~”
The older child exclaimed in surprise.
I noticed how much they resembled Helen in her younger days and smiled warmly, asking.
“Shall I show you some magic?”
The children’s eyes lit up.
“Magic!”
“Mister, are you a mage?”
“I’m a very successful mage in the capital.”
As I spoke, I created a small whirlwind in my right hand.
Although wind is not a visible element, by imbuing it with magical energy, even ordinary people can see it like other magic.
The swirling wind in my hand twisted and turned, fascinating the children who watched with their mouths agape.
“This is also possible.”
I clenched my fist, causing the wind to burst, and then opened my hand to reveal a flame.
The flame that bloomed on my palm transformed into various shapes as if it had a life of its own before returning to its original form.
The children clapped in amazement.
“Sorry, I don’t have much to offer at home.”
Meanwhile, Helen, who had prepared tea in the kitchen, brought a teapot and cups on a tray to the living room.
I extinguished the flame on my palm and asked.
“Where is their father?”
Helen smiled bitterly and said.
“He was conscripted during the Human-Demon War and died.”
“I heard he was from a well-off family. How did that happen?”
“Someone from the family had to serve, and since my husband was the second son, he went to the battlefield in place of his older brother who was to inherit the family.”
I realized anew the impact of the war between humans and demons on the world, thinking of both Helen and my stepmother.
“So, the reason you returned to the village…”
Helen nodded.
“At first, I thought I should stay with my in-laws, but they started to neglect me more and more. So, I returned to my hometown with the children.”
Hearing this, my gaze naturally fell on Helen’s hands.
Her hands, which once might not have seen a drop of water, were now filled with scars and wrinkles.
Even with her parents’ help, raising two children alone as a woman couldn’t have been easy.
Thinking this, I couldn’t help but feel pity for her as a friend, even before considering her as my first love.
But I tried not to show these feelings and said to her.
“You’ve changed a lot since I last saw you, Helen.”
Helen, sitting across from me, chuckled and looked at me.
“You, Caldlasth, haven’t changed much, have you?”
I shrugged and said.
“Well, I’m a mage, so I age slowly.”
The abundant mana in my body keeps my cells healthy, making it possible.
I sipped the tea she had prepared and asked.
“What are the children’s names?”
Helen stroked the heads of the two children clinging to her side and said.
“The older one is Lena, and the younger one is Niki.”
Hearing this, I waved slightly at the children.
Lena, the eldest, resembled her mother with her reddish-brown hair, while Niki, the younger, had slightly dark blonde hair.
Perhaps her late husband had blonde hair.
Helen sipped her tea and said.
“Honestly, I’m still a bit dazed. I never thought I’d see you again. And I thought you wouldn’t recognize me since I’ve gained so much weight.”
I chuckled at her words.
“Indeed, you’ve gained a lot compared to when you were young. What are you doing now?”
“I run a small bakery in the village.”
“I see.”
I understood why Helen had gained so much weight.
It was all due to carbohydrate addiction.
“Well, it’s not my place to say after not seeing you for ten years, but if you have leftover bread, don’t eat it because it’s a waste. Instead, lower the price a bit the next day and sell it. It would be better for your health.”
“Really, it’s not your place to say.”
“Well, I expected that reaction.”
As I shrugged, Helen looked at me incredulously.
“You’re as shameless as ever.”
“That’s one of my few virtues.”
“About that… let’s not talk about it.”
Helen quickly ended the conversation, probably because her young daughters were listening.
Having finished my tea, I decided it was time to leave.
“Anyway, it’s good to see you healthy. It was nice seeing you after so long.”
“I was glad to see you too, after all this time.”
We decided to end with a handshake.
The rough hands of both of us bore the marks of time.
But there was no shame in it.
My hands were the result of harsh training, and hers were filled with a mother’s love.
It felt like a badge of honor.
“Then, I’ll be going.”
“Alright. Take care.”
I told Helen not to see me out and left the house alone.
Meeting my childhood first love left me with a strange feeling.
Although much had changed, the face from the past hadn’t completely disappeared.
Feeling nostalgic for the past, I returned to Timmy’s tavern where my wives were waiting.
“So, how was it? How do you feel after meeting your first love?”
As I entered the tavern, the question came flying at me.
Hearing Dorothy’s words, I naturally looked at Timmy.
After all, he was the only one who would know that Helen was my first love.
Timmy subtly avoided my gaze.
He must have been interrogated by Dorothy and spilled the beans, but as a friend, I couldn’t help but feel a bit betrayed.
Anyway, since the cat was out of the bag, I saw no reason to hide it and sat down next to Dorothy at the bar.
“Honestly, I’m still a bit unsettled.”
“Why?”
“Helen took a direct hit from the passage of time.”
Timmy, who was wiping glasses behind the bar, burst out laughing.
He understood what I meant.
“What is it? If it’s a funny story, let’s laugh together.”
I shrugged at her question and ordered a whiskey.
“It’s a bit hard to explain in detail since it involves my childhood friend’s honor, but to put it simply, she’s changed a lot from what I remember.”
“Ah~”
Dorothy finally understood.
Well, since I didn’t mention the subject, it should be safe.
I fiddled with the whiskey glass Timmy handed me and said.
“Honestly, most people around me age slowly or not at all. So, I expected her to look pretty much the same as in my memories.”
“But she didn’t, right?”
“Exactly.”
After answering, I gulped down the whiskey.
The hot fire flowed down my throat.
“Dorothy, have you ever experienced something like this?”
Dorothy, sitting next to me, raised her eyebrows as she drank her beer.
“Hmm~ Not really. Unlike you, Caldlasth, I was born and raised in the Ruby Tower as a pure-blooded witch. Actually, Barnett would know better than me.”
Hearing this, I looked around the tavern.
But Barnett was out, nowhere to be seen.
“Barnett went to meet your stepmother. They seem to have hit it off since they met yesterday.”
“Really?”
I was hoping to consult with a life mentor, but unfortunately, it didn’t work out.
Timmy, who had been quietly listening to our conversation, asked curiously.
“Caldlasth, am I not included in that story?”
“Honestly, I last saw you when you were very young. On the other hand, I met Helen after ten years.”
Seeing someone you know completely different from your memories.
Although it’s a similar case, seeing Helen, who had turned from a maiden to a matron, was more shocking than seeing Timmy, who had grown from a child to an adult.
It must be because I was thinking based on me and my surroundings.
‘No wonder Master was always reluctant to make friends.’
I felt a sense of alienation, as if time had stopped for me while everything around me moved quickly, making me feel abnormal.
No wonder high-level mages become reclusive as they age.
I had a surprising realization.
