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Chapter 84

Woo woo, woo woo.

The Relin’s Warehouse fitted on my left hand vibrated. Did something go wrong? I focused my mind.

As I mentioned before, artifacts could be used even without mana.

For example, by concentrating my consciousness, I could check what was inside Relin’s Warehouse, and if I thought of an item I wanted to take out, I could retrieve it by stroking it gently.

Of course, since there are various types of artifacts, some have magical activation methods like this, while others, like weapons, might require pressing a switch on the handle. Some even need rituals drawn on the ground, even if they don’t require mana.

In that sense, Relin’s Warehouse proves to be an excellent item that operates simply enough to be used in combat. Since the items can be manipulated around the body, surprise attacks using warehouse items could be possible.

I gave my long-time friend, whom I hadn’t seen for two months but felt somehow different, a gentle stroke. There was only one item inside. A single sheet of paper. It was said to be brand new. Was this a second-hand scam??

As soon as I picked up the paper, a voice echoed in my head. It was Riley’s voice.

– Ah, you received it. This is the user manual I mentioned.

Huh? What? Is this a phone call?

– Yes, you can say it like that. I can hear you well. You’ll understand when you read the manual, but it has the functionality to build a communication network with the archive.

Oh, I see. So I just need to talk to it like I usually do with Shar? Am I supposed to create a walkie-talkie in my head? Line 1: Shar, Line 2: Tae-oh, Line 3: Riley…

I forcibly pushed away such silly thoughts and concentrated on the ring as I spoke in my mind. Regardless of the joke, I definitely needed to learn how to communicate separately.

‘Sorry, I’m going to test it. Shar, can you hear me?’

– I can hear you, yes.

This time, I focused on Shar and tried speaking. After trying this test three or four times, I discovered that if I’m not focusing on a target, I can speak to everyone; if I am, it goes to that specific person. If I get tangled in between, it goes to both.

‘Thankfully, there’s no trick to this. Or maybe I’ve gotten used to manipulating mana. Dongja Sam and the Sword Heart Training are helpful.’

Until now, it felt like Shar had been blocking the path for privacy, but now it felt like I could control that path from my end.

When I had tried before, nothing worked, but now it did—this was a clear sign of Dongja Sam’s effectiveness.

– Then, may I provide a bit of supplemental explanation based on the manual?

‘Yes, please tell me.’

Feeling a bit more mature, I answered cheerfully. After a slight pause, I imagined Riley nodding from the other side before she continued.

– First, could you please look at the manual?

I glanced down at the luxurious paper in my hand.

Fortunately, over the past few months, while talking and dealing with Earth, I had the chance to learn its language, so Riley had written it in broken Hangul.

To summarize the important points, the abilities of Relin’s Warehouse boiled down to about five things, aside from the spatial storage I mainly used before my regression.

The first was magic bestowal. According to Riley, there was currently a 2nd-tier protection magic bestowed upon it. The deeper the bestowal’s magical understanding, the more spells they could bestow simultaneously.

That meant it’s not just an artifact but also a versatile magical tool, and I felt an immense sadness that I hadn’t known that before my regression.

The second was command over the magical beings inside, represented by the ability to browse the magic books. To put it simply, it was like an e-book. If the books inside the archive are e-books, I became the e-book reader.

It was a simple joke unrelated to any specific ideology, but the added remark from Riley stating that they would obey any command from the administrator felt a bit creepy.

And the third was the authority to connect with the archive, which could also alter its structure if needed. It would connect the warehouse with a parallel world created using Relin’s magic, and if desired, reflect that parallel world’s structure onto the reality of the archive.

‘I have no idea what this is about.’

Even with a decent understanding of magic, the third point was difficult to grasp.

Create something with magic? A parallel world? Is that even possible…? I knew Relin was an exceptionally powerful sorcerer, but honestly, it didn’t resonate with me unless I directly visited that world.

And Relin belonged to a different dimension, not connected to Earth, so while I could find traces here and there in various gates, I had never visited his home dimension, even in my past life.

– That’s about it. Did it help you?

‘Of course. I’m especially fond of the magic bestowal.’

– If you ever get chased by Shar or Tae-oh, or even your spouse, feel free to come to the archive without hesitation. There’s plenty of empty space.

‘…Haha, sure.’

It was a sinister phrase imagining such a future, but all I could think was how I hoped that day would come. How wonderful it would be to be with Nea in this world.

Having fun, playing, and laughing with the kids sometimes made me imagine such things, leaving a bittersweet ache in my heart, just as much as the joy gained from those moments.

In that volatile yet hopeful future, I decided to share my story with Riley while I was at it. I wondered if it would be better to do this face to face, but the thought of Riley giving me a cold look because of it made me feel a bit sad.

‘Riley, I have something to say.’

– What is it? Are you saying you’ll accept the warehouse but don’t want to be the administrator? Can you face Shar with such inhuman conduct?

‘Please stop the wild assumptions. I’m being serious.’

It was clear I didn’t want to take on the role of an administrator. As I thought this, I took a deep breath, overwhelmed by the pressure.

Two months ago, when Kim Hyun-soo delivered his pronouncement, did he feel something similar?

‘Soon, hunters will be rushing into Relin’s Archive.’

I spoke with a definite and strong tone. Knowing the power of Relin’s Archive, I believed they could manage it, but the desire not to be disliked made me speak quickly.

‘I’m sorry for deciding on my own. It has nothing to do with you or the books, Riley. But please believe me. If it’s you guys, you can do it. For your sake….’

– Shall we pause for a moment, Yeon-woo?

‘Yes, yes.’

Feeling like I was rambling, Riley let out a sigh and interrupted with her grounded voice. It was a relief; if I spoke any further, I might say something even weirder.

– Was that a command from the administrator?

‘…No, it isn’t.’

– Then you can give a command as the administrator. Any of the kids, including me, will follow your words without complaint.

At that, I felt my heart racing faster.

I knew that I could give commands as an administrator. Although Riley, the previous administrator, had never used such authority, I understood.

At some point, I began to feel a slight fear regarding this gate-administering artifact, more so than the joy of simply possessing an artifact.

The more I learned about this artifact’s capabilities, the more I realized that the title of merely “administrator” carried far weightier implications than I had anticipated.

Command over the magical beings inside. Everything that exists in the archive is a magical being as well as a magical creature. Riley isn’t excluded from this classification. She’s an artificial being born from magic.

This meant I had gained the right over the life and death of every existence in the archive.

The authority to alter even the structure of the archive if I wished. Everything inside Relin’s Archive is indeed part of the archive. Even the slightly homely boss room is surrounded by books.

Furthermore, it meant I had full spatial control over the gate known as Relin’s Archive. Just like before my regression, whether the magic books would act like resistance fighters was entirely up to me.

The lives of Nea, Shar, and Tae-oh felt heavy, trembling under their weight, and suddenly millions of books and one life were resting on my shoulders.

I steadied my ragged breath. My vision blurred. Still, I stood firm.

I boasted about saving the world. I wanted to save people and bring light to a crumbling world.

It wasn’t about wanting to become a hero or a champion, just wanting to be someone who could support a real hero, even briefly.

If that’s the case, I couldn’t crumble over something like this. I wouldn’t undermine the value of life…

‘…I can’t allow that.’

– Why not?

‘Because I want to be a good dad to the kids.’

That’s all I could say. Those grandiose words I always throw around were just a mask to hide my insignificant inner self.

Before my regression, I simply wanted to repay Claire, who raised me in place of my parents.

Even after my regression, I just wanted to appear admirable to my child and wife; I was merely showing off.

A guy, and I, as a person, are just that.

There are no noble causes or righteous vows. Everything is merely a step in the process of the journey that begins from the lowest point.

– …That’s a response I’ve never imagined.

Coincidentally, Riley couldn’t help but recall her father as she heard Yeon-woo’s voice.

She still remembered. The pure joy-filled eyes looking down at her in a flask. Riley recognized that the old man with white hair was her parent.

Yet, the day she would call him “father” never came. The only title she was granted was “master.”

Thus, she concluded. If it was the same with her blood, then how trivial family ties were.

Yet this boy showed a markedly different disposition. Knowing that the blood of a man did not run through the two children, why was this boy so obsessed with the term “father”?

‘Under normal circumstances, I would have scolded you by saying it’s a nuisance if there’s no consent from the parties involved, no matter how much you want to help others…’

With such a soft-hearted master, isn’t it cruel to say that?

– If you say so, I, the armor-wielding librarian Riley, will respond to your expectations.

*

“Dad!?”

“Why, why are you crying… Don’t cry…”

“No, it’s just a yawn. Why would Dad be crying?”

Though they seemed to have a rough idea of what was going on, I felt grateful they played dumb. At my answer, the two kids nodded, turned around, and began whispering to each other.

Recently, I’d often noticed them secretly talking instead of playing. What were they even discussing?

I rubbed their heads affectionately and moved over to Yuri, who was sulking with a serious expression as she scattered papers.

“Please start teaching me swordsmanship from tomorrow.”

“Didn’t you say to stop because of the midterms?”

“If it’s late, I have to put in even more effort.”

At that, Yuri sighed quietly. She could see through the foolish thoughts of her less-than-perfect student as if grasping them in her hand. She must have felt inadequate.

She was a child who knew lots, with diligence and effort as her strengths. Though her talent may be lacking, she had two irreplaceable virtues.

‘And such children are the ones who easily become blindly devoted.’

But a human, if they don’t experience it personally, wouldn’t know that they must pursue their own happiness before others.

The ninth student. There was a child who took care of others before themselves. Only Yuri knew how that child had changed.

“…That’s fine. But don’t overdo it.”

So, in front of her tenth disciple, the sword master could only say that.

(To be continued in the next part)

 

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