episode_0070

“Then how have you been practicing until now? Why did you come to me? Didn’t you already know how to meditate?”

“Because I’ve already practiced it hundreds of times.”

For the first time, the princess’s voice, as she spoke, was filled with emotion. It was a tired, exhausted voice.

However, the princess’s physical condition now, as seen by Geomseong, looked much better than when she first came up the mountain. This was because she had already refined her internal energy.

“When I first climbed the mountain, I didn’t know anything. And when I first learned meditation from you, I started from the moment I entered the door and went back to the time I learned it over and over again to get a feel for it.”

“Huh?”

She was a princess with a strange impression, but what she was saying now was the strangest of all the atmospheres.

“After I got the hang of it, I started over from the bottom of the mountain. No, even before I spoke to the teacher. ”

“Hoo.”

Although it was illogical, Jennifer, Geomseong, and the girl listened calmly.

The sun was rising outside the window.

“Refresh your mind, make your body in the best condition, climb the mountain again, learn meditation, and make your body in a better condition. When you return, your body will return to its original state, but the memories and feelings you have already learned will remain.”

“I see.”

Frederick, who was listening to the story, laughed heartily.

“That’s what it was.”

“Do you believe my story, Master?”

“You don’t believe it? Judging from your expression, it looks like you’re convinced because you heard the story.”

Above all, Jennifer’s face was smiling.

“Are you talking about turning back time?”

As if he had solved an interesting puzzle, Geomseong asked with a smile on his lips as he pulled out his chair. He finally offered the princess and her disciple a seat, and took up one side of the messy table himself.

“Yes.”

“I see. But there is one disagreement there.”

Seeing the blacksmith smiling and talking, the princess sat down in a corner and asked.

“Do you have any objections?”

“Is this your first time having a conversation like this?”

“Yes.”

Frederick nodded to the princess, who was speaking with a thoughtful expression and a slightly furrowed brow.

“Then, how about thinking about it this way? It’s a prediction.”

“To call it a prophecy… … I can turn back time at any moment I want.”

“In other words, isn’t it possible to think that you are seeing what you want to see? The future when you don’t know the future.”

“… … .”

The princess tilted her head.

“Well, even if I say this, your thoughts, having experienced it yourself, are much closer to the truth.”

There was a creaking sound. It was Jennifer sitting down on the chair.

“Oh, my, it’s too bad I couldn’t offer you a cup of tea while you were away. Sorry. I ran out of tea.”

“No.”

“Maybe he’s older than me.”

“That’s not it. I don’t think time has been turned back that much.”

“There is no frog that remembers when it was a tadpole.”

“… … What if there was a frog that remembered when it was an egg?”

“Everyone has a few memorable memories from when they were very young. And human memories are so fragile that they can be broken by just any trigger. Right now, there are magics that can affect memories, and you can count them on one hand. ”

“… … .”

Frederick looked at the princess, who was lost in thought for a moment, and then spoke.

“Are you planning to get back this memory too? Since you got everything you wanted.”

“… … .”

The princess kept her mouth shut, but her attitude said much more than what she was saying.

A slightly uncomfortable expression. Well, since he’s seen the face hundreds of times, he may have felt a certain sense of intimacy.

“It’s my first time seeing that expression. You usually don’t have any expression.”

Hearing Jennifer speak so hilariously, Frederick was sure that the girl would turn back time once again.

“So, what happens to the deal?”

Frederick asked playfully.

“If the transaction is considered to have never happened, then there is nothing left to pay us back, right?”

“… … I will compensate you in my own way for that.”

“Interesting perspective.”

Jennifer chimed in.

“We are receiving compensation when we did not even do anything that deserves compensation. Isn’t this too much of a benefit for us?”

“… … I got something… … .”

“There is no need to be too formal.”

Frederick said with a smile.

In a life span of just over 70 years, I have come across such a chance encounter. The conditions that the princess had set for the deal earlier have become irrelevant. I have seen someone who can turn back time and acquire anything, so what use would that poor swordsmanship be?

I saw a strange person who, without any talent, would try over and over again to get what he wanted, and even if he wandered around for a long time, he would always get it. I thought there was no greater reward than that.

“If you want to get information, come see me once before I die. Then I will try to guess your identity. I hope you don’t tell me anything. Riddles become boring when the person giving the answer gives too many hints.”

“… … .”

“You don’t have to turn back time just because you owe us something. Go forward as you wish. Isn’t that why you went back hundreds of times to train under me? ”

It’s not that I’ve never accepted a talentless person as a disciple.

But they soon left him. Either out of despair at their lack of talent, or out of boredom and exhaustion from the tedious training.

But this girl wasn’t like that.

Of course, one could assume that there was an ability to turn back time… but even so, I wondered how many people would actually use that ability to ‘make an effort.’

You could go to the racecourse right away, buy a bunch of betting tickets for the horse that would win, and then increase your wealth and live comfortably. There was also a way to make everything that happened in the world work out to your advantage and live comfortably.

But this girl was walking along the difficult path as if nothing had happened. Why?

Someone with one purpose.

I don’t know what its purpose is, but it must be something precious to that girl that cannot be exchanged for anything else.

And Black Frederick did not dislike those who went after the one thing he wanted. If he didn’t like such people, Frederick would have hated Jennifer and not let her into the room.

“Is that the final condition?”

“Yes. I don’t remember, but if you’ve been under me for that long, you’re my disciple too. Think proudly wherever you go. The Sword Master doesn’t accept many disciples. Well, it’s a place where not many people come.”

Princess Silvia Pangriffin found it strange that Frederick was laughing. That made Frederick even happier. Even if he didn’t remember, the Frederick who laughed like this would remain in this girl’s memory.

And, I thought that maybe this girl thought of me as her teacher, so she would come back to me someday.

“Okay, I’ll make sure to remember that.”

“My thoughts are a little different.”

And Jennifer, who had been quietly watching the somewhat warm conversation between the swordsman and the princess, opened her mouth.

“To be honest, I wish you would honor my terms. I’m a pragmatist.”

“… … .”

The princess quietly looked at her teacher, then nodded.

“… … Okay.”

“Well, even if you don’t do it, there’s no way I can know.”

“Then, when I go down this time, please tell me what I should do and where I should go. I will remember it.”

“Hmm.”

Jennifer looked at the princess as if she found it amusing that she had to say something like that, then shrugged her shoulders.

“If you want to do it, then do it. If you don’t turn back time right now, it would be fun for me as well.”

“… … .”

The princess didn’t answer at all.

If there had been a teacup in front of him, he would have sipped it without saying a word, thought Frederick.

And that appearance would have suited the princess very well.

*

To fulfill part of the ‘conditions’, the two disciples went down from the mountain, and Frederick sat quietly in the quiet hut, muttering.

“If you have something to do, come in.”

“… … .”

The person who opened the door and came in without saying a word was a young man with red hair.

“You have a blank expression. You’re young.”

The young man who had been blankly staring at him clicking his tongue walked over to the table where Geomseong was sitting and sat down on the chair.

“Sorry, there’s no car.”

“There is no such a noble hobby.”

“That’s fortunate.”

Geomseong said with a bright smile.

“Are you the inspector the princess mentioned? You could be on the same level as me.”

Indeed, Frederick thought to himself as he looked him over.

It’s not just about having talent.

Perhaps, even at this moment, this young man’s level could be one level higher than Geomseong’s. Even higher than Geomseong, who had lived for over 70 years.

“That’s great. Don’t you want to cross swords with me?”

“… … Anyway, time will pass sooner or later, right?”

At those words, Frederick burst out laughing.

“You look like a child who has figured out the secret of a magic trick. Why, do you feel empty, as if you can never go back to the days when you were so amazed?”

“… … .”

The inspector stood up from his seat, leaving the young man with a look of horror on his face.

Then he strode briskly to the fireplace, took down the swords hanging there one by one, and began to put them on his waist.

“Anyway—”

“Look here, young man.”

The blacksmith spoke in a firm voice, cutting through the rough grumbling.

“Even if our world ends and is remade, aren’t we still sitting here talking like this? I think there will still be a few hours left.”

“… … .”

“Even if the world ends tomorrow, shouldn’t the living continue to live? If we remember, think, and if this moment where we existed is here, no one can deny that fact. Even if they are the goddess up there.”

“Geumseong said, placing his hand on the hilt of the katana.

“Even if you turn back time and forget your own memories, that’s just a result. How can the result eliminate the cause? Even if time were to turn back, it would just flow in one direction for that girl.”

Frederick had a bold smile on his lips. His back was straight, and his feet were firmly rooted in the ground.

That dignified appearance is truly that of a blacksmith.

There was no such impression of the good-natured grandfather from a little while ago.

“So, young man. Won’t you try to compete with me for the remaining time?”

The red-haired young man, who had been staring blankly at the sight with his mouth slightly open, laughed briefly, “Hahaha.”

“Maybe it’s because you’ve lived a long time, you say nice things, old man.”

Any sign of emptiness had already been erased from his face.

“Okay, let’s have some fun for the remaining time.”

It was a confident attitude that could be called the next swordsman.