It is a languid dream.
The foam of light sweeps past my vision like waves. Recording the world tinted pure white again is the memory of a strange man.
No, is he a strange man?
Before long, when I open my eyes, I find myself turned into a man.
With each breath I take, the tropical humidity is felt.
The uniquely fragrant earth dyed in a subtle red exuded a distinct scent. With every step I took, beads of sweat dripped from my forehead.
It was the Great Forest.
While I was lost in thought, that one phrase lodged itself in my ear.
“…Kyeong and Hae.”
With a sharp sound, the hand axe cleanly split the firewood in half.
Now it was something I could do with my eyes closed.
At first, it was difficult, but I had been tormented by my small master for several years now.
Before long, I was splitting firewood with a skilled stance.
With that, who would think of me as the Archmage’s disciple?
Rather, it was more fitting to call me a woodcutter.
Unaware of my inner thoughts, my master was chattering beside me.
“You must realize that principle. In the flow, everything is divided into Kyeong or Hae… If you can establish yourself and unravel others in the flow, there will be nothing your sword cannot cut.”
With that, my master puffed out the pipe he was holding.
A pungent smell of medicine spread out.
It was the scent of herbs that only grow in the Great Forest. As such, my master would always put dried herbs into the pipe and smoke them.
Usually, they were herbs with pain-relieving effects.
Without that, my master would have to suffer enough to groan in his daily life.
The barrier trapping the vampire demands many sacrifices.
He had been a demon living for several hundred years.
The Mages who gained power by contracting with the Evil God Omelos were all strong beings. Among them, the power of the vampire, a highly regarded existence, goes without saying.
With a single gesture, trees are cut down in heaps, and with a single step, it is said that one can leap a thousand miles.
There was no way such a strong being would quietly be trapped inside a barrier.
Every day, they struggled to break through the barrier, and each time, the body of the Archmage, which formed the core of the barrier, had to suffer.
That was also why the Archmage appeared as a girl.
She had taken on the body of her childhood to conserve the magical power necessary for biological activity.
Only then could she keep the vampire confined.
In the end, the power the Archmage could use had only been merely fragments of her true self.
With even that small power, she had the ability to manipulate the continent.
At least, even an Expert would not stand a chance.
Specifically, the nation, for example.
Perhaps I was just a mere rookie who still hadn’t even revealed the properties of Aura.
A troubled sigh soon escaped my lips.
“What can a guy who can’t even properly awaken Aura do? First, I need to awaken the Aura properties…”
“Tsk tsk.”
My master clicked his tongue in disapproval, seemingly displeased about something.
With his hands resting on his waist, he had the posture of scolding me.
A look of disdain filled the small girl aimed at me.
“Foolish boy, are you that anxious? Aura is the embodiment of the mind! I’ve told you countless times that it depends on your will…”
I could only let out a deep sigh at my master’s words.
After all, he was a master who had reached the rank of Master.
It was only natural for me to seem pathetic, struggling to awaken Aura.
He would want me to think broadly and look far.
But the feelings of a person standing on that nearly visible boundary were different.
It felt like being parched while knowing that a well lay right in front of me, yet being unable to find a way to it.
Especially when there was someone ahead of me.
Suddenly, a girl flickered in my mind.
“…No, but still, the apprentice has already become an archmage.”
“Right, good point. Lately, you two have been fawning over each other, treating this master like leftovers! But it seems you want to look good in front of that girl you’re worried about? Tsk, this is why boys are…”
A sharp sound echoed as my hand axe, for the first time in a while, bounced off the firewood without being able to split it.
I took a breath, looking at my master with a shaky gaze.
It was clear to anyone that I had been hit at the core.
“Hmph, what are you looking at? We’ve been together for several years now; do you think I wouldn’t notice that much?”
“No, no, no! That’s a misunderstanding! I’ve said several times that I’m not like that with the apprentice!”
Of course, my master pretended he didn’t hear my excuses.
Instead, he just raised his voice and shouted.
“Hey, the second one really likes you!”
Saying that, my master stuck out his tongue and briskly walked away.
Feeling the developments to come, my hand brushed my forehead.
Just as I let out another deep sigh, I spotted the approaching apprentice in the distance, just as I had expected.
The excited apprentice came running towards me, giggling.
“Hey, junior, were you that concerned about this senior?”
“…It’s a misunderstanding.”
My tone was firm, but the apprentice showed no signs of believing me.
Instead, she poked my side with her index finger, provoking me further.
With one hand covering her mouth, she wore a significant smile that seemed somewhat irritating.
“Come on, don’t pretend you don’t know… Hey, you know that the confession should be from the guy, right?”
“Ah, don’t tease me. And when is this? We’re in the era of gender equality nowadays.”
“Hehe, that’s true.”
Smiling, the apprentice lifted her heels and tightly clung to my arm. The soft texture brushed against my forearm. The sweet scent of femininity swept past my nose.
Then, a sweet whisper suddenly warmed my ear.
“…So, how about ‘I-an Rainelle’? It’s better than ‘Elsi Perkus’, right?”
I paused for a moment in thought.
‘I-an Rainelle’ and ‘Elsi Perkus’.
Neither seemed bad.
While I was caught in conflict, the apprentice continued her persuasion.
“We should think about our children too… Rainelle fits very well with any name. Among our siblings, there are some unique names as well.”
Just as I was about to mindlessly think of choosing ‘Rainelle’, I suddenly snapped back to reality and flicked the apprentice on the forehead.
With a sound, a high-pitched scream escaped the apprentice’s lips.
“…Aack! Why are you hitting me?!”
The apprentice, who had allowed me to strike her, raised her voice in indignation.
However, I only shook my head and gave her a warning.
“A grown girl shouldn’t cling to men so recklessly, apprentice.”
At my words, she wore an incredulous expression and stifled a laugh.
Then, she started kicking the ground in frustration.
“Ugh, do you think I do this with just anyone… And, it’s not even apprentice!”
As always, she was flustered by the term ‘apprentice’.
I could only smile wryly at her cute demeanor.
On a day when I was living in this now-familiar routine, my master made a request.
“Hey, first, you need to go to the city with the second one.”
It was the day after the Emperor of the Empire visited the Great Forest.
With a thud, my heart raced violently.
Only then did I open my eyes and take in rough breaths. The sound of my panting stood out loud.
It was a dream again.
The blurry unfamiliar memories now reflected concrete scenery.
For the first time, someone’s name was explicitly mentioned.
With the names ‘Elsi’ and ‘Rainelle’ being thrown around, it had to be Senior Elsi.
I never expected that ‘me’ from the future would also have a connection with her.
Truly, the world is unpredictable.
Frowning at the hangover that felt like a needle piercing my brain, I staggered to my feet.
Taking a sip of the cold water from my canteen made me feel slightly better.
Wondering if there was something different, I scanned my surroundings and spotted a letter on the desk. It was the same letter with the hastily scrawled Glances added to the back.
There, indeed, was another new sentence written.
“There is no next time. Impossible.”
It seemed that it was now impossible to summon him as I wanted.
Though I didn’t know the exact circumstances, he had always briefly borrowed my body and disappeared.
I could only guess that there must be some reason.
Still, I had managed to break through a critical situation, making the most of my ability.
Time and again, when the personality from the future possessed me or when I peeked into his memories, I had used alcohol or drugs to lose consciousness; it had been a makeshift method.
To be honest, I wasn’t certain.
I had only experimented with it once when I got information about the ‘scammers’ in the alley last time.
That day, too, I had gotten thoroughly drunk and fallen asleep, only to find another unfamiliar phrase added to the letter.
Of course, that alone couldn’t prove my theory, so it was a gamble like any other.
Asking Emma for powerful anesthetic poison had been nothing more than a spur-of-the-moment idea. I had intended to use it only when there was no way out.
It had just happened to come earlier than I expected.
Since I found myself on the bed, it seemed my assumption was correct.
With a sigh of relief, I prepared to head out of my room.
Though the smell of alcohol lingered, time was of the essence. I needed to hear what had happened during my absence.
In just one day, the atmosphere in the manor had completely changed.
It had originally been a leisurely and tranquil place. However, today, I sensed an inexplicable anxiety and impatience among the servants.
While it was puzzling, I figured that it would be resolved once I got some explanations.
The first person who caught my eye as I hurried was the Lady Virgin Saint.
Her brilliant silver hair reflected the morning sunlight.
She was praying in front of the Heavenly Deity statue typically placed in the lobby. Her expression was both sorrowful and poignant.
Any man would be curious about her story.
Should I call out to the praying Lady Virgin Saint, or should I not? Just as I was contemplating this,
The Lady Virgin Saint slowly opened her eyes.
They were a lovely pink color that tickled the heart.
As if sensing my presence, the woman subtly turned her gaze to me. Then, she examined my face closely for a while.
She seemed confused about who I was.
Finally, I awkwardly smiled and raised my hand slightly.
“…It’s been a long time, Lady Virgin Saint.”
“I-an.”
The Lady Virgin Saint called my name softly, like a breath, and then stood up from her prayer.
She approached me with a worried expression.
Apparently, I had caused her quite a bit of concern.
Seeing such a capricious Lady Virgin Saint treating me so kindly was a surprising sight.
Yet, it soon became clear that it was merely my misunderstanding.
With a sudden squeeze, my face was buried in something.
It was a soft and resilient sensation, a feeling I had experienced before.
The sweet scent of the woman invaded my brain.
For a moment, I could feel my thoughts coming to a halt.
“Pitiful I-an… If you ever face hard times, you must never hide them, understood?”
The Lady Virgin Saint had pulled me close and offered me those comforting words.
It was none other than her.
So, I unconsciously muttered to myself.
What is this?
