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After finishing the consultation and just when I was about to set the schedule, it was already late and the sun had long set.

Soon, it would be time for the dinner banquet to begin in the Great Hall. Karem declined Iona’s suggestion to go together. Although he was indeed hungry, the fatigue outweighed it. He had gone through too much in one day.

Iona nodded as if that made sense and suggested they walk together only as far as the overlapping path. Karem didn’t refuse this.

“I want to eat Mammoth Meat right away, but it’s too late to do anything about it now.”

“Shall I relay it to the kitchen for tomorrow?”

“No. My pr… I mean, ugh. Who should I send…”

“Or I could cook it for you.”

“Oh? You?”

“Yes. I’d just consider the taste overall.”

Iona nodded with a pleased expression, her cheeks puffed out with her thick beard.

“By the way, Karem, I know I’m asking a little late, but are you feeling alright?”

“Me? Aside from some aching joints, I’m fine. It hurts much less than before.”

“Well, I’m glad to hear that. Do you know how panic-inducing it was? You looked like you aged ten years after just a brief absence! And to think it was because of the Curse of Aging?”

“I really almost died.”

Karem’s dry laugh turned distant, haunted by the horrific pain he felt only hours ago.

Iona seemed to share the sentiment, tapping her forehead with her hand as if it gave her a headache just to think about it.

“I know from knowledge that you were essentially dead. There are two Grand Wizards, but even that wouldn’t be enough.”

“Perhaps it’s thanks to Lady Skadi’s blessing?”

Karem’s words were undeniably valid and sounded pleasant to Iona as a believer, causing her to nod continuously.

“Thinking that way, she wouldn’t have given you such a holy relic otherwise. It seems the Winter’s Lady has taken quite an interest in you.”

“True.”

“And she swiftly takes sacrifices each time, granting such a tremendous holy relic and divine power too—”

Just then, Iona’s eyes sparkled as if she had realized something. Whispering lightly so only Karem could hear, she asked, “By any chance, I’m asking just in case… could I inquire if you had an encounter while unconscious?”

Unsure whether to speak on it, Karem felt Iona had a strong conviction, her beard twitching in admiration.

No, in fact, Iona was certain.

Understanding the malice of the Curse of Aging was quite easy with knowledge.

Two Grand Wizards, an incredible holy relic, and the mysterious green energy of a young maiden that blossomed in the greenhouse? He certainly had experienced the first two. Though impressive, Karem thought it was insufficient.

But if, as he suspected, the three goddesses, specifically the goddess Skadi, lent a hand? It would make sense to suddenly awaken such monstrous divine power.

“Well, I didn’t see the two of them directly.”

“Oh.”

Iona seemed disappointed and immediately tilted her head as if realizing she had misheard. “Didn’t see them? Both of them? No way!”

“Their voices were definitely—”

“If you mean the Ascendant and the Lady? Ah, that’s a real pity. It would be tragic! To have the faith and divine power to hear both of their voices separately. Could you tell me what they said?”

“Uh.”

Karem understood the difficulty in his expression.

How could he casually reveal that Tuatatis and Skadi whispered the gospel into his ear? Iona had just been curious about the content.

‘What if I say it and she ends up disappointed?’

Of course, it was divine speech.

But it certainly didn’t feel holy or divine enough to make her so gleeful.

‘-It was quite the dazzling sight, yet it also turned into a real torment. And to claim you are the reincarnation? Don’t you know the feelings you harbor for your own master?-‘

‘-P-please let go of me! I earned this plight after you threw the holy relic to deter it! If anything, this is… maybe it’s for the better—’

Honestly, it was a feeling much like a viewer on the edge of their seat in a drama with ridiculous build-up, almost bursting with frustration.

Yet, saying that outright felt too sacrilegious. Especially when Iona looked at him with such expectant eyes. But lying felt wrong too.

“It felt distinctly holy and divine just to hear. But the content…”

Karem decided to mumble.

“Indeed, the divine gospel you hear in dreams is hard to remember when you wake up. Sure enough, they must have whispered in your ear.”

“Yes. It felt holy just to hear it. Initially, I was unsure, but it was the same voice I heard from Lord Tutatis last Wintersend, and I realized it late.”

“Ah, such a pity.”

Iona couldn’t hide her admiration and kept glancing at Karem while rubbing her beard.

“Really such a pity.”

“What’s so pitiable about it?”

“Don’t you truly have any desire for faith? Karem, I can assure you, you could easily become a great priest in no time. Given your age and divine power, you could aim for a priest position! Or…”

“Thank you for the suggestions and blessings, but I simply have no intention for faith.”

Life’s strangeness was captivating, apart from any connection to religion, but that was all there was to it. Karem really had no interest in faith.

Of course, he was grateful for the relic and appreciated it, but if someone were to ask if he was willing to wholly devote himself to religion, he would shake his head firmly.

“The grace received from Sir Atanitas is too overwhelming, you see.”

“Hmm… Certainly, Karem. I understand your point upon hearing that.”

Suddenly, Iona’s eyes twinkled.

“I’m sure there are other feelings too, right?”

“Seems the path splits here. I will head in.”

Choosing not to respond to Iona’s statement, Karem walked briskly past her. The warm gaze that lingered behind him vanished as he exited Winterhome’s estate.

“Ah, damn. I was worried about that.”

Karem didn’t slow his pace, rubbing his face. That warm expression quickly cooled down.

Yes. Karem didn’t deny it internally. And as that consciousness began to dawn on him, something felt embarrassing. And when he calmed down, an unfamiliar warm feeling would unexpectedly arise, catching his attention.

Yet he had no plans to turn it away.

Iona had stated that ignoring it would be the worst.

And whether it was anything else, he surely agreed with that advice. Rather than dragging it out with excuses, standing straightforwardly against it was… what should he call it?

‘I still need some sort of catalyst or opportunity, though.’

While contemplating, he soon arrived at the Wizard’s Tower. Upon entering the first-floor lobby, a wizard scribbling on some papers glanced up, tilting his head.

“Huh? There shouldn’t be any reservations at this hour.”

“Oh, it’s Karem.”

“Huh? Karem? Wait, was the rumor true?”

“Yes. How surprised do you think I am that I’m the one involved?”

Fortunately, the defense magic and traps of the Wizard’s Tower didn’t judge by appearance, allowing Karem to pass by the bewildered wizard without trouble and ascend the stairs.

“I ate so much earlier, yet I’m hungry again.”

Karem clutched his growling stomach. He had felt perfectly fine when accompanied by Iona, but now there was a deep emptiness.

To be honest, he had devoured enough Mammoth meat earlier that it felt outrageous to be hungry already. He couldn’t help but be astonished by his body. Perhaps his brain was mistaking hunger, but the pangs of an empty stomach were all too real.

‘Come to think of it, was it similar around this time in my previous life?’

It certainly felt very plausible. They say children in their growth phase eat as much as their body weight, and that teenagers could chew on rebar, right? So it makes sense to be hungry after eating that much.

As he reflected on what to eat next and started toward the refrigerator next to the kitchen, Karem sensed a presence from the bustling kitchen and changed direction.

“Karem, my junior. You’ve come.”

“Mary? And Sir Atanitas?”

Catherine sitting at the dining table lifted her hand slightly, while Mary placed a basket full of ingredients onto the table.

“Aren’t you supposed to be at the Great Hall?”

“I’m too tired to feel like going that far. My condition is h-”

“Huh?”

“Hachoo!”

Catherine jerked up dramatically, turning her head sharply.

She had an adorably cute sneeze that suited her appearance.

Speaking of which, it seemed Catherine hadn’t been in good shape since returning to Coldon. She had sneezed in the greenhouse too. Fearing the worst, Karem glanced at Mary, who nodded.

“Indeed. The Contractor has a cold.”

“What in the world is this spectacle in front of the seeds?”

“You already saw it all, didn’t you?”

“What do you mean?”

“I didn’t say anything.”

With a sharp look, Catherine’s gaze glared at Mary, who smoothly shrugged it off, but there was still another barrier standing in her way.

“Then we should prepare dinner.”

“…Oh no.”

“Now, now. Move aside.”

“You should have prepared faster…!”

“Since it’s late, I won’t hog it all myself.”

As expected, Mary quickly blocked any attempt to snatch the work away and checked the groceries she brought.

“At first glance, I see boneless chicken, onions, carrots, garlic, celery, a bottle of wine, and lemon, orange, lime? Cinnamon? Don’t tell me I’m supposed to do this again?”

“Tsk, tsk. What were you planning on making?”

“Chicken soup and mulled wine ingredients.”

“Oh.”

Karem finally realized the identities of the ingredients.

He thought there might be a cinnamon fruit sauce or something.

And his expression crumpled instinctively.

Mulled wine—he had no issues with a common thing called vin chaud.

However, chicken soup? He understood. There was a prevailing notion about the benefits of eating samgyeopsal when one had a cold, similar to that in his previous life.

‘But even eating that wasn’t enjoyable.’

He recalled having chicken stew out of curiosity a couple of times in his past life, and those were disappointing. So disappointing, the memories of those meals were still vividly fresh in his mind.

It was just boiled chicken meat, shredded into threads with vegetables thrown in, making it a clear broth.

He smacked his lips, doubting if the foreigners were sane.

Had they at least made a stock by boiling bones for a stew, perhaps?

Karem turned his head just in case. Mary, observing the shift in Karem’s expression within a short span, tilted her head in curiosity.

“I’m asking just in case… Do you have stock?”

“Of course. I started boiling it right after finishing organizing the items.”

When Mary pointed to the stove, Karem opened the pot sitting there, finding it lukewarm but full of sticky fat and a rich, opaque broth with various vegetable scraps, chicken bones, wings, skins, and large chunks of bone trodden in it.

“Your preparation is thorough.”

“Heh, the basics of soups and stews begin with the stock, so it is only natural. I boiled the chicken by roasting the mammoth bones first.”

“Mammoth bones? That does pique my curiosity… but if you had boiled the meat in advance, the chicken soup would have been much softer and tastier. Why only stock?”

“I forgot while making your clothes.”

“Oh.”

Karem lowered his head, briefly examining the clothes draped around him and nodding gratefully.

Kaboom—!!

An explosion erupted, shaking the kitchen with a violent tremor.

The epicenter resided below somewhere under him.

Amid the clattering sounds from the shelves, Karem quickly secured the stock pot lid and held it tight against his body to keep it steady.

Generally, when an explosion and tremor occurred in an establishment, it would usually signify an intruder or urgent evacuation; yet Karem was just an ordinary person, and even Mary and Catherine didn’t take any further action beyond gripping the nearest dishes or baskets.

Instead, the three slowly tilted their heads toward the kitchen floor.

“What an inconvenient time for an explosion to happen.”

Mary sighed, but contrary to that, she appeared giddy.

“Are you not overjoyed about the extra work caused by the explosion?”

“Of course not, Contractor. My heart is solely filled with the sense of duty to tidy up this messy tower space.”

And surely, there was joy in there too.

That much was obvious even without seeing.

“Karem, my junior.”

“I can guess what the content is. Go ahead and say it.”

“Though I truly find it unpleasant, I shall entrust the preparation of dinner to you entirely.”

“No, this was originally my task—”

“That’s it for now.”

Mary suddenly vanished on the spot.

 

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