Vol 5 Chapter 11
Kapros looked at the child's cheeks, which had turned red with excitement, and let out a deep sigh. Talk sense, little one. If he took her and she died, even if he managed to return safely from the forbidden area, the old woman would come after him next.
"What do you want to find?"
Feeling an uneasy premonition that he might end up with one more task if he wasn't careful, he asked. The child looked around like a young wildcat before opening her mouth.
"My dad's... belongings."
Belongings? Why would she go there to look for the belongings of someone who had been dead for over ten years?
"Why do you have to look for that there?"
The child seemed to hesitate for a moment, wondering whether to answer or not, but in the end, she appeared to lean towards giving a proper answer.
"The neighbor lady said before... that even if people die, things don't rot and remain, and can be sold for money if brought back. But my dad died in the forbidden area where no one can enter, right? So if I go into the forbidden area, my dad's things will still be there."
"..."
The child looked desperately at Kapros's mouth, the only part of his face visible under the hood, and added one last thing.
"It's not for the money... I don't have anything of my dad's, so I want to show others proof that I had a dad too. That's why I have to go. You have that thing from grandma that lets you go in and come out, right?"
...This kid, how much did she hear, exactly?
Kapros narrowed his eyes, trying to ignore his throbbing temples.
"If you heard that, you must have also heard that it's not a cure-all. It's reckless to go when you don't even know if the belongings are really there or not."
"What if they are there, why? Are you afraid I'll die? I'm not scared of dying at all!"
Huh... Should he call this brazen? Even Se-jong and In-woo, the notorious troublemakers at his dojo, wouldn't say such things. Kapros looked at the child while suppressing a laugh that threatened to escape, and suddenly released his killing intent.
"...Huh, huup!"
Startled for a moment, the child involuntarily inhaled and staggered backward. Confusion and fear clouded her previously bold eyes. He hadn't wanted to go this far with a young child, but judging by the degree of her obsession, it seemed this level of intimidation was necessary to make her give up.
"What you just said is recklessness, not courage."
As he spoke while looking straight at her, the child, with a pale face and clenched teeth, fell on her bottom.
"I'm going there with the intention of preventing cases like your father's."
He had said these words to the old woman just before, but then he had spoken simply as a 'gamer,' whereas now he spoke sincerely as Kapros, an adventurer and mage of the Mist continent.
Even though he knew well that the girl before him was just an NPC, somehow he felt he needed to say these words truthfully. The child's eyes widened and blinked at his words.
"It will probably be very dangerous. That's why I can't take you."
"B-but..."
- Whoosh!
As he emitted an even heavier aura, a cold wind suddenly began to blow. It felt so natural that Kapros didn't notice anything strange at the time, but in fact, this was the beginning of magic moved by image alone that he had properly succeeded in for the first time. As the chilling wind sharply swept through the eerily quiet alley, the child squinted her eyes and closed her mouth.
Kapros shook his head clearly from side to side so the child could see. It was a definite sign of refusal. The child seemed to try to find a glimmer of hope by staring at his tightly closed mouth for a few minutes, but eventually lowered her head with a disappointed expression.
Only then did Kapros withdraw all his energy. The fluttering clothes and the child's hair simultaneously drooped down. Looking at the child who remained sitting with her head bowed, he muttered quietly.
"However."
The child bit her lower lip hard and only turned her eyes towards him.
"When I go there, I could look for your father's belongings."
The child slowly raised her head. Her eyes were half-doubting.
"...You will, uncle?"
"...Yes."
Although he had decided not to mind being called "uncle," hearing it again made him feel a bit uncomfortable inside.
"Really? Can you look for them? But you don't even know who my dad is."
Ah, there was that problem.
"You can tell me. If you don't want to, then there's nothing I can do."
After pondering for a moment at his serious answer, the child vigorously stood up. Her much-improved expression was utterly serious.
"You absolutely won't take me to that forbidden area? No matter what I say?"
"That's right."
"...Okay. Then I'll really specially entrust you with bringing back my dad's belongings. And I'll tell you how to recognize my dad, so don't forget. I'll specially guide you to the path too."
The child smiled with slightly reddened eyes. For the first time, Kapros thought she looked truly childlike.
"Follow me."
Without waiting for a response, the child turned around first and ran off with light footsteps. Kapros quickened his pace and began to follow her.
The village had already grown so dark that it was hard to distinguish what was ahead. Even in such conditions, the child guided the way, turning here and there as if it were daytime for her alone. She didn't forget to chatter, disguising it as reminders to him every now and then.
"Do you know why I specially entrusted you with bringing back the belongings? It's because you seem strong. That thing just now was scarier than those underground organization guys from Bistale who sometimes come to our village and cause trouble."
"..."
"But you're not carrying a sword, so what will you do if you meet monsters or something there?"
Worried that he might lose because he had no weapon despite believing in his strength, the child's gaze flickered to his empty waist. It seemed she either didn't know what magic was, or didn't think of him as a mage at all.
"It doesn't matter."
"Why?"
Kapros smiled quietly under his hood.
"Because I use something better."
Hi, if you like the story, please rate and review this novel on novelupdates. Thanks!
Jin Soram, the top-ranked hunter representing South Korea's Rift Phenomenon Management Headquarters, is stronger than anyone else and lazier than anyone else. As soon as he arrives at the office, he buries himself under a blanket and falls asleep. When he goes out on a mission, he causes accidents and returns to the office, often shirking his duties.
"Do you know how it feels to play a game that's already messed up? ...Anyway, the next round will come, so this time, I'm just going to play it recklessly."
In fact, his true identity is someone who has regressed through three lives, trying to save the world from the Great Rift but failing each time. After repeating a life where he couldn't sleep peacefully even for a day, he became completely exhausted before this life even began.
"I know. You worked hard, Jin Soram."
And then there's Han Tae-un, the man who saved Soram and died in all three previous lives. As he did in every life, he comes to Soram's side once again. The Great Rift is approaching soon. It's impossible to resolve it in this life without any preparation. Soram vows to save Tae-un in this life and die himself. At least, he won't let Tae-un save a failure like himself again.
"For now, until then, let's sleep..."
As Soram sluggishly lives his life waiting for that moment, a gradual change occurs in his heart.
'I thought this was a messed-up round... but I want to live a little longer here.'
Leonardo Blaine, the true war hero of the Raina Logia Empire and the commander of the Armsilver 11th Squad, is dishonorably discharged for disobeying orders during the final battle that could have led the Empire to victory in the territorial war. People criticize and point fingers at him, and after being released on parole from prison, he disappears without a trace.
Three years later, his name has been forgotten by the world. The Council has been persistently pursuing him, but he has proven difficult to capture. Frustrated by this, Hugo Agrizendro, the commander of the Council's army, decides to personally apprehend him.
"Since when have you been watching me?"
Leonardo was calculative and astute, so it wouldn't be surprising if he had been observing Hugo for some time now. However, Leonardo's answer was something that even Hugo had not anticipated.
"From the very beginning."
Graduate student Yi-han finds himself reborn in another world as the youngest child of a mage family.
– I’m never attending school, ever again!
‘What do you wish to achieve in life?’
‘I wish to play around and live comforta-‘
‘You must be aware of your talent. Now go attend Einroguard!’
‘Patriarch!’
My future would be guaranteed once I graduate. For my future!
Check out these other novels as well!!!
