Chapter 379

Chapter 379

My name is Ronan.
Ronan de Baltuerre, to be exact.
He was made a nobleman for saving the world and was given a ridiculous castle.
Mr. Emperor liked it, but I honestly don’t like it.
It’s not like I’m doing tongue rehab or anything.
I don’t know what idiot’s brain came up with the idea of prefixing names with words that should be on paper.
Anyway, that’s what happened, so let’s just call him Ronan.
“——It’s like running your brain through a dehydrator.”
Writing stopped.
I flipped the fountain pen over and scratched my head.
I didn’t realize it when I was just reading books, but writing is harder than I thought.
A chirpy voice rang out from beyond the doorway.
“If it’s too much for you, why don’t you find a ghostwriter now?”
“Never mind, this is only meaningful if I do it myself, because I want to be a cool adult.”
“That’s definitely my favorite, and I’m sure my grandkids will love it.”
My editor—no, it was Erzebet de Acalucía, who claimed to be my editor.
His voice was filled with laughter as he spoke of his grandchildren.
I’m happy for her, but I don’t see what’s so great about her.
After all, it’s Adeshan’s blood, so he’s excited.
“So how long are you going to stand there?”
“Until I get today’s manuscript, of course, but don’t worry, I have plenty of time.”
“Is that what the Dawn Demon Master has to say? I’ll take care of it, so stop bothering the poor old man and go inside.”
“You don’t look old without a single wrinkle on your face. And I’m on vacation until your grandchild is born~”
The long-winded voice was condescending.
I felt the power of time all over again.
I can’t believe how much better she’s gotten, always sensitive as a kitten in a bath.
The fountain pen spinning at your fingertips has stopped.
“Grandson—.”
It was a thought-provoking word.
The moonlight streaming in through the half-open window adds to the mood.
I’ll be a grandfather in a little while.
He was still young enough to fall into the category of elderly, but his son had done a great job of speeding.
“Come to think of it, Ronan and Adeshan were speeding, too. Is it genetic? That’s interesting.”
“Shut up, man.”
Erzebet was right.
I couldn’t blame them, even as a parent.
Now her son and daughter-in-law were waiting for the moment of delivery at Jeju General Hospital.
Since I was hospitalized ahead of time, I had some time before my daughter-in-law started pulling my son’s hair, screaming that it was all because of you that she was so sick.
‘That’s going to hurt like hell, boy, that’s going to hurt.’
That was a long introduction.
Anyway, that’s why I’ve been writing for a while now.
I wanted to give my soon-to-be grandchild a book that I wrote.
Here’s a good story that’s worth saving and re-reading.
“Then why don’t you try—.”
I grabbed my fountain pen again.
It was a much lighter tool than a knife, but it felt just as heavy.
The pen is mightier than the sword, so the adage goes.
The moment the pentagram touched the manuscript paper.
“Mr. Ronan.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Cheer up. You’ll be fine.”
“Hmm, sure.”
The corners of my mouth turned up.
It’s always nice to be cheered on by a beautiful woman.
The fountain pen began to dance on the manuscript paper.
This story is a record of the events that took place the night before I proposed to my beloved wife.
I understand what you just said.
You’d think I’d write a book about all the amazing things I’ve been through in less than 24 hours.
But I promise you.
It was definitely an adventure.
I dare to call it a grand adventure.
Take it from someone who’s fought wars with winged baldies and flown to other stars.
“I could bet my eternal companion, the Holy Sword Lin, on ——. I won’t, so stop whining.”
I’ll spare you the cheesy characterizations.
You probably recognize most of them anyway.
If you’re interested in learning more, there are many biographies of Ronan available in bookstores.
Most of them are tinderboxes of poor adaptations, but the Elsia-written and Alibrije-checked versions are pretty good.
Now let’s really get down to business.
Sunset with a cool breeze.
The outskirts of the islands, where post-war recovery efforts are underway.
This is where the story begins.
****
“Asel. I’m getting married.”
“What, what, what?! Kek!”
Asel, sipping his drink beside him, was stunned.
The sissy screams are always a treat to the eardrums.
The dwarf and I were resting after clearing five villages’ worth of ruins.
In a clearing cleared of debris, there was only a small tent and a campfire.
Cheat!
Beer from Asel’s nose and mouth sprayed onto the bonfire.
“Gah, all of a sudden you’re getting married—with Adeshan?”
“Well, who else would it be? He sounds like he’s going to get in trouble.”
“Eh, eh, eh, eh!”
I tugged on Asel’s cheeks.
I looked around frantically, but fortunately, Adeshan was nowhere to be seen.
I was almost interrogated in a friendly way.
I’m sure you’ve been asking what other bitch is on the bride list.
He was a man who never lost his temper, but that’s what made him a Supreme Court justice.
“Haha–decades late. Anyway, I’m going to propose tomorrow, and the ceremony will be after graduation. I haven’t decided where yet.”
“Well, I see—but isn’t that too soon, we haven’t even graduated yet—.”
“I certainly don’t have that feeling.”
“Well, but why? What made you decide to get married?”
Asel asked cautiously.
Instead of answering, I looked around once more.
The workday was over and the site was empty.
Silent ruins and forests.
The distant cry of a cowbird.
A blazing bonfire with flying embers.
Hmm, I don’t think you have ears to hear.
“Hey, you’re the only one who knows about this, it’s top secret and no one else knows about it except me and Adeshan.”
“What, what—?”
I pulled Asher closer and whispered.
“I’m having a baby.”
“Huh.”
Asel’s eyes widened.
It was as if he had been struck by a thunderbolt in the heart.
I don’t know what I was thinking, but my white face was getting redder and redder.
“Oh, when I say I’m having a baby, I mean—”
“I’m a dad. Shit.”
I put the cigarette in my mouth.
I took a deep drag and exhaled, and the white smoke dispersed.
I still remember the moment I became a father.
The same morning as always.
We get out of the shower together and I towel dry his hair, and suddenly Adeshan covers his mouth and gags.
Goosebumps ran up my spine.
I went straight to the hospital.
As they waited, holding hands, the doctor, who looked like an octopus, told them they were pregnant.
‘I haven’t been this excited about something since the war.
Adeshan beamed like a child.
It was so good, it brought tears to my eyes.
I think I heard him whisper, “Finally.” but I think I misheard him.
I was delighted, of course.
I’m not kidding.
It was something he’d had in mind the whole time they’d been together, and he believed that one day they’d get married, have kids, and live the Dorandoran life.
Only—it was a little faster than expected.
“Well, I see—congratulations, Ronan. Really.”
“Thank you. I’m honestly scared, but it’ll work out somehow. Didn’t you and Marja talk about getting married?”
“Uh, yeah. Not yet–I don’t know, actually. Do you think Marja would want to marry me?”
“She thinks all sorts of stupid things. You’d be in trouble if you tried to take her away, considering how much she likes you.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle.
I once overheard Marya and Adeshan chatting when they came over to my house.
It was a very crude conversation, but it stuck with me.
That’s when I first realized that women, unlike men, don’t mind talking about the night before.
“I had to know things I didn’t want to know, fuck.
Marja giggled and bragged about how she had picked that tulip (Asel’s nickname, a perfect example of information you don’t want to know).
Some of it was so low-grade that I’d never heard of it in all my years in the military.
The last part of our hilarious gossipy conversation was about how we’d like to have kids and what we could do about it.
“Poor guy.
For some reason, I felt sorry for Asel.
I’m sure there’s a harsh future ahead.
She could see herself spending days crushed by breasts bigger than her head.
Wouldn’t five kids be better?
Asel’s eyes twinkled at the realization.
“Gee, really?”
“Yeah. Have confidence, boy. You’re the one who’s going to be the archmage. If it wasn’t for you, we would have all died in that war.”
“Well, that’s–hehe. Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.”
We sipped our beers.
The spring breeze is cool on my forehead.
It’s just around the corner, and the blooming season is upon us.
I looked up and the sky was colored the same scarlet as my eyes.
“It’s a sunset.
As I’m watching the sunset, my mind wanders to other things.
Becoming a father was another matter.
I pursed my lips and called out to Asel.
“…Hey, Asel.”
“Huh?”
“There is a man who was born with a peculiar limb, and when he dies, he is doomed to return to his childhood with his memories intact. If he dies, what happens to the world he came from?”
“Huh? All of a sudden that’s not what—.”
Asel scowled.
It was too in-depth for a question that came out of the blue.
After three rounds of regression, the colossus came to an end here.
Or, what happened to the world after she died.
Will it be reset along with her?
Or does it live on after death?
I knew it was uncharacteristic of me, but I couldn’t stop thinking about it.
I was just trying to tell him to pretend he didn’t hear me.
“Interesting topic—hmm, I guess the world will remain after he’s gone.”
“Doesn’t time go backwards and disappear?”
“Yes. It’s a school of thought that it’s impossible to go back in time. Most likely, he didn’t go back to his childhood, but traveled to a parallel world. Of course, that’s also surreal.”
“—Parallel worlds? I’ve never heard that word before.”
“It’s a popular theory in the industry, the idea that a world similar to the one we live in might exist in a parallel universe. Why, we all imagine wanting to go back in time with our memories intact, right? It’s a hypothesis that came out of taking that to its logical conclusion.”
It was an interesting topic, and Asel didn’t stutter.
For a moment, I realized I shouldn’t have asked.
If that hypothesis is correct, then a world with Adeshan dead and gone would have a bleak future.
Of course, nothing was certain, so it didn’t mean anything.
“I see. Thank you.”
“Hehe, I didn’t know Ronan was interested in this stuff. Do you want to know more about parallel worlds theory?”
“No. Just chug it down and get some sleep. We’ve got a lot of work to do tomorrow.”
“Oh, yeah.”
Asel grunted.
We toasted and downed the rest of the beer in one gulp.
There was still a lot left to clean up and fix.
I wiped the corner of my mouth with my sleeve and got into my sleeping bag.
It was earlier than usual, but I had to get up earlier to finish my quota because tomorrow I have a proposal to make.
“Ouch.”
Suddenly, I realized that we’re all stealing from each other.
Adeshans use people or animals to carry loads or work on documents.
Marja rolls on top of the wagon, dozing off.
Schlieffen and Erzebet would be in charge of their respective families, while Braum would be just brute force.
It was time for the vampires, led by Ophelia and Archduke Shadow, to wake up.
They start working at night when we’re all asleep.
“Abel, you fenugreek—.”
Suddenly, I’m angry.
This whole ordeal was all because of that son of a bitch.
If you were going to die in penance at the end, you should have been restored, not just shitfaced and bouncing around.
Reaching into his pocket, he grabs the sphere Abel left behind.
Touching it is strangely soothing, and I’ve been doing it out of habit lately.
I blurted out in a groggy voice.
“Captain—.”
My eyelids were getting heavier and heavier.
****
“Mmm.”
I opened my eyes.
I saw a night sky full of stars.
The sun was not yet rising.
Asel was sound asleep in his sleeping bag.
I woke up much earlier than usual.
The nearly extinguished bonfire swayed in the sky.
“Damn.”
My irritation flared.
I’m going to be up all night.
Lately, I’ve been having a hard time falling back asleep once I wake up.
I wonder if it’s because I have more to worry about.
Suddenly becoming a father was bad enough, but the parallel worlds theory was making it worse.
“It’s just delusional.
I seriously wondered if I should seek psychiatric help.
Worrying about something that didn’t mean anything to me was a symptom of early dementia.
I felt like I needed to go for a walk to calm down.
The car was just about to take a step.
As I gazed out into the uninhabited forest, I caught a glimpse of something.
“——what?”
A ghost licked the nape of my neck.
The hairs on my arms and legs stood on end with goosebumps.
I jumped out of my seat and ran in the direction I was looking.
Asel is not broken.
The bonfire turned into a red dot in the blink of an eye.
That “something” was rapidly approaching.
“Nebula Clasier.”
I was stunned, like I was possessed by something.
Mana glittered like stardust throughout the dark forest.
It was definitely a sign of the bastards.
I thought I had it wiped out, but what happened?
Before I knew it, I was in the middle of the forest.
Upon closer inspection, I realized that a few trees were broken.
The ground was dug up in several places, showing signs of fighting.
“It’s new, it’s still here.
A hand went to the hilt of his sword.
The enemy was nearby.
I was about to start tracking in earnest.
Kwazik!
One of the inyoung jumped out, breaking the tree in front of him.
“Eek!”
In-young performed a skillful fall.
Moonlight spilled into the spot where the tree had fallen.
Darkness fell around me, and for a moment I forgot to breathe.
“——!”
Inyoung’s identity was a fierce-looking elven woman.
Shimmering mana leaked out over her shoulder.
Its slender limbs were shrouded in darkness, even in the moonlight.
“That’s ridiculous.
I’m not sure who I was fighting with.
In his left hand, he clutched a sword of darkness.
It was me.
The technique of using shadows to create armor has been used in the past.
In the Baidian Mountains during a torrential downpour.
On the night Sarante was turned to stone.
The stuck lip finally fell off.
“….brigia?”
“What—who are you?!”
Brigia looked at me and frowned.
The first Nebula Clazier branch leader you kill.
I’m pretty sure I killed him, but somehow he doesn’t recognize me at all.
Her fingertips twitched.
“Eight, get out of the way!”
Personally, I wanted to get to the bottom of this mystery, but Brigitte didn’t seem inclined to make a public statement.
Thorns made of shadow flew toward my throat.
It was almost as bad as the attacks we’ve seen in the Baidian Mountains in the past.
In other words, it was yawn-inducingly slow.
“That’s what it says.”
I didn’t even have to spend mana.
I twisted my head slightly, dodging the thorns.
The sword drawn silently drew a semicircle.
Scoop!
Brigia’s arms shot up into the air.
“Oh?”
Brigia’s eyes widened.
His stunned face showed that he had just realized his arm had been cut off.
Blood gushed from the clean cut.
“It’s probably safe to cut off the legs.”
“Kyaaaaah! Now, wait!”
An agonized scream rang out.
Of course, I didn’t care.
I don’t know the details, but I’m guessing he’s not the same bad guy he was before.
He was about to swing his sword, aiming for her leg.
[Ronan. Wait].
“What?”
Suddenly, I heard a voice in my head.
The gravelly voice sounded vaguely familiar.
The blade stopped short of Brigia’s thigh and a sheet of paper.
At the same time, a blue beam of light shot out from the direction she flew.
The beam of light pierced Brigia’s chest.
“Kuck—.”
Quack-!
A thunderous boom rang out.
It was electricity-based magic.
The tanned Brigia leaned forward.
I turned my head toward where the beam had come from.
“What the hell.”
I still held the hilt of my sword.
A man stood with his back to the moon.
The ears that grew out of the sides of his head were as long as Brigia’s.
He spoke in the same tone I heard in my head.
“It’s been so long, I don’t know where to begin.”
“What the—!”
When I saw the man’s face, I froze in place.
The paralysis was three times as intense as when I saw Brigia.
It was inevitable.
This time, it was someone I knew.
A man who turned himself to stone and an apostle of Senniel.
The high elf Sarante Remathion stood, dressed in a black suit.
“Sarante.”
“Nice to meet you. Ronan.”