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Chapter 102

“Was the room okay?”

“Yes, it was nice.”

I felt a bit guilty. I had entrusted the overall renovations of the orphanage to Claire, but I had secretly requested her to redo my room like this.

“Well, I’m glad to hear that. I’m grateful for the repairs and for sending so much money, but…”

“Oh, it’s nothing.”

Yeon-woo blushed as he spoke to Claire, who had her head down. I wanted to tell her not to feel too sorry since it was all for my satisfaction.

“…But why isn’t she telling me?”

“…Huh?”

Suddenly, chills ran down my spine. It felt like something cold was creeping up my back. Claire raised her head, still smiling, but she also looked like she was about to get angry.

Something was off. Realizing this, Yeon-woo tried to back away, but Claire’s arm shot out and grabbed him.

“S-Sister!”

“I told you to call me if something happened, didn’t I!!”

With that, Claire’s arm whipped through the air and struck Yeon-woo’s back repeatedly.

The pain was the same level as when I used to get hit for causing trouble as a child, and Yeon-woo was taken by surprise.

“Ow!?”

“Then, of course, I hit you to hurt, not to not hurt, right!?”

Now that Yeon-woo had mana, his body was sturdier and tougher than an ordinary person’s. Yet despite that, feeling pain at almost the same level meant Claire was controlling her strength precisely.

People who had just awakened their mana often ended up breaking doors when they tried to push them open, and it took a considerable time to return to a normal level of everyday life. This shows how tricky it is to control mana.

The fact that Claire could deliver pain exactly the same now as when Yeon-woo had no mana at all revealed her astounding control.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry! I’ll definitely contact you next time!”

“Are you really going to?”

“Yes, yes! I will for sure!!”

“The problem is I heard that from you last time too.”

Snap! With a sharp flick of Claire’s wrist, her palm struck Yeon-woo’s back again. Ah, there’s definitely going to be a mark there. Yeon-woo stifled a scream in his mouth, predicting this.

“I’ll let you off with this one. But next time, it better be real!”

“Yes….”

One might forget to make a call, but since Yeon-woo had just recently called concerning the orphanage repairs and hadn’t mentioned anything then, this was undoubtedly his fault.

“Now that you’re on break, take a good rest. And if you have any questions, just ask anytime. Got it?”

“Yes, I’ll do that.”

The question about whether he had anything curious was probably related to swords. He thought he should ask for a sparring session sometime.

But first, there was something he had to do. He had to find the Gate.

“Is it here?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

Before he returned, the Gate had been shining down in a place that diverged from the city, away from the orphanage.

It wasn’t hidden anywhere. It sat right smack in the middle of a tree, as if asking to be discovered.

“…It’s not here.”

“Right.”

Though expected, the Gate was indeed not there. If it had been at that place, it would have been a Gate that was ten years old.

Of course, recalling what she had said, there had been people coming through the Gate from time to time, but it couldn’t be said with certainty that this was the place.

“Well, there must be a way!”

He forcibly cut off the disappointment welling up inside. He knew that Shar would be just as disappointed as he was.

“Right!”

As if understanding Yeon-woo’s feelings, Shar tried to put on a brave front as well.

It must have been disappointing. It could have been a chance to meet their mother. But some things are just unavoidable.

Meanwhile, Tae-oh, who had been quietly watching, nervously spoke up after some hesitation.

“I hope we get to meet someday… um, Mom.”

Tae-oh mumbled with embarrassment, hiding his face in Yeon-woo’s pants leg.

“…Okay, I’ll make sure we meet.”

*

Slowly, the thick skin covering her eyelids was lifted.

Golden eyes resembling a snake scanned the dark cavern around her.

True to expectations, there was nothing in the unchanging cave.

‘…What could it be.’

For a brief moment, a familiar… no, almost nostalgic mana had been felt. Though there was no one around to evoke such feelings, it still lingered. Once her eyes opened, she calculated the time. Observed the weathering of the cave and the growth of moss.

‘Did I sleep for about a hundred years this time?’

Stretching her body lightly was a risky move that could cause the cave to collapse, but she couldn’t help feeling cramped.

After loosening up, she gently circulated her mana to cleanse the stagnant air and dust.

‘Now, where should I check on my daughter?’

Thinking thus, the woman began to scan the cave. She glanced toward her egg, stored in the realm connected to this cave, with near-omnipotent sight.

‘…Hmm?’

…It’s gone.

The egg is not there.

*

Yeon-woo first returned to the orphanage with the children. Though he wanted to explore all over, it would be better to stay close to the orphanage at least on the first day to avoid making Claire feel disappointed.

In front of the orphanage, a playground was set up. It was a portion he had particularly focused on while renovating. He had added various toys for kids around Jun-woo’s age, but children ages five or six also loved playing on the playground.

In fact, some of the kids were indeed playing there. Tae-oh and Shar decided to let them play on their own, watching them intently.

“Take good care of my younger siblings.”

“…! Leave it to me! Do you want to come along, Tae-oh!?”

“Yeah, if you want to play together…!!”

Saying this, Yeon-woo gently pushed the backs of the kids who were looking to him for confirmation. It was a relief they weren’t feeling too shy. Healthy kids are the best.

After sending the kids off, Yeon-woo entered the orphanage’s entrance. Jun-woo was probably in that room. There was a room set aside for electronic devices collected for the kids.

“Hey, guys.”

“Welcome back, hyung!”

Jun-woo, who was enjoying games on the computer, turned his chair around to face Yeon-woo. The reason he had sought Jun-woo out was multifaceted. He needed someone who could adequately explain things to the kids in his place, and Jun-woo, who seemed normal at the moment, was a goal in itself.

“Though I bought it, try to adjust it a bit before Sister catches you using it too much.”

“Of course, I’m being careful. Cleaning and running errands too.”

In response to Jun-woo’s words, two kids, who were busy with the computer and didn’t even look back at Yeon-woo, raised their hands in a V. Such funny little kids.

Anyway, Yeon-woo explained the general situation to Jun-woo. Some parts were embellished, while others were the truth.

“Is that really the case…?”

“Yeah, right.”

Honestly, after going around in circles, even Yeon-woo found it hard to believe this connection himself. He wondered how many people had passed through the Gate where Nea was. Wasn’t it entirely possible that all of those folks ended up dead, leaving this opportunity to himself?

Moreover, it was an unbelievable coincidence that the Gate opened near the orphanage at such a critical timing.

“Got it. I’ll explain the situation to the kids as well.”

“Thanks, but… um, and… could you gather any info related to Artifacts?”

“Well, it’s possible… but why all of a sudden look for Artifacts?”

“Just, you know, thinking of buying one if the opportunity arises. Preferably one related to Gates.”

“…Hmmm, I could sort some out and send them weekly.”

Jun-woo looked at him with suspicion but nodded. Regardless of everything, Yeon-woo had helped him a lot, and Jun-woo was also interested in that field himself.

Of course, the reason Yeon-woo was searching for Artifacts was to find a way to retrieve Nea from the Gate sooner than ten years.

Recently, while talking with Riley, he had gathered some clues about how Nea could come over to this world. Now all he had to do was prepare and figure out a way to open the Gate before ten years passed.

For such a method, relying on Artifacts was the only idea he had, so Yeon-woo made sure to ask Jun-woo for help.

Before his regression, Jun-woo had made quite a name for himself as an information source. However, due to a mishap related to a Demon King cult, he lost his life around three years prior to his regression.

To prevent that future and to save Nea, Yeon-woo thought preemptive investment was necessary, which is why he was repairing the orphanage while starting to support Jun-woo and his friends.

“Well then… how about taking a break? You look pretty… hurting right now.”

“Really? Got it. Have fun.”

Had his expressions shown too much? Yeon-woo forced a bitter smile and exited the room. But eventually, some truths can’t be hidden.

He had expected it, but it was tougher than he thought. It seemed he was missing her far more desperately than he ever realized.

Letting out a deep sigh, Yeon-woo stepped outside the orphanage. He glanced back at the two kids who seemed distant yet slowly meshing in with their little siblings, then approached Claire, who was happily watering the flowers.

“If the kids ask where I went, could you tell them I went to practice my sword?”

“That’s fine, but… are you okay?”

At Claire’s worried question, Yeon-woo nodded. He was curious about what expression he wore that made her so concerned.

The road connected to the orphanage, but above it, there were no paved paths. He walked up the bumpy mountain road. Exactly one hundred and thirty steps from the back of the orphanage. At the fifty-second step, he turned around a lightning-struck old tree to find an open space waiting for him.

What stood there, lonely, was a massive old tree, filled with traces of being shattered—already dead long ago.

“It’s been a while.”

As he looked around, he spotted furniture made of wood. It hadn’t been there before. Thinking this, he opened the door to find several wooden swords inside. Had Sister Claire prepared these?

He took one out and stood before the tree, his old comrade who had accepted his sword for ten years, allowing him to concentrate like never before.

In order to shake off the heart-wrenching longing, Yeon-woo wanted to swing his sword without a single thought.

(To be continued in the next episode)

 

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