Ch.133132. Journey (1)

# 132. Journey (1)

Quite a crowd of people.

Among them, the one who greeted us first was, of course, her.

“It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

“Well… I suppose you could say that.”

“More importantly, is this the thing?”

As she said this, she handed me a cloak.

The cloak she gave me was Dren’s item, received as a reward for Survival Ace.

“Yes, that’s right.”

I immediately put the cloak I received into my bag.

She then looked at me with a puzzled expression and asked.

“Don’t you need to check it?”

“It was obviously real at first glance.”

Perhaps because it was a relatively recently made item, the distinctive smell of new items stung my nose.

The materials of the item, and the intense smell and energy of the magical power needed to process those materials.

Once I sensed those, there was no way I could think it was fake.

And I wasn’t the only one who noticed that smell and energy.

“It must be quite a good item, huh?”

Amelia’s tone suggested she felt it too, and so did the others.

However, by my standards, it wasn’t that exceptional of an item.

“It’s difficult to process, but the material isn’t anything extraordinary. It’s worlds apart from the cloak you’re wearing now, Hero.”

“How can you tell?”

“There are ways.”

The red cloak Amelia was currently wearing.

That cloak was an artifact made by processing an incredible material called dragon’s wing.

Of course, my cloak, Dren’s artifact, had decent performance too, but it was like a chick in front of such an item.

“I’m really envious.”

If given the chance, I would like to try it on.

Just as I thought about “wanting to try it on,” a thought crossed my mind.

‘No… couldn’t I make one myself?’

Of course, the material itself boasts an extremely high difficulty to obtain, but it wasn’t impossible.

It’s extremely expensive, but I could buy it with money.

Obviously, in any case, it was still something for the distant future.

However, despite that fact, an opportunity presented itself immediately.

“Want to borrow it?”

Her tone and expression suggested that if I just said “yes,” I could try it on right away.

But I didn’t eagerly accept the opportunity.

“No, that’s okay.”

“Why? I can lend it to you for a while.”

“I’m afraid I might not be able to readjust to my original item after using something like that.”

And if it was just for a short while, it was better not to use it at all.

“I appreciate the thought.”

While Amelia and I were chatting, Aelin was talking with Ariya.

“Unni! It’s been so long!”

“Hello~ Have you been well?”

“Of course I have!”

I didn’t know when they had become close, but they seemed quite friendly with each other.

I asked her, who was watching the two with a pleased expression.

“Are we leaving right away?”

“Yes, we can get in now.”

As she said this, she pointed to the car she had arrived in.

The car was quite large and luxurious, but it seemed impossible to fit all of us inside.

Of course, that was just how it looked from the outside; the actual interior would be much larger than what was visible to the eye.

However, Aelin, who didn’t know this fact, was puzzled unlike me.

“Will we all fit in there?”

“We’ll all fit, so don’t worry.”

Among those standing outside, I was the first to approach the car.

The car had a clear separation between the driver’s seat and the back seats, and I naturally went to the back.

‘As expected.’

The moment I opened the door and stepped inside, I felt an alien sensation enveloping my entire body.

It felt like entering a dungeon, and just like a real dungeon, a fairly large space suddenly appeared.

It was about the size of an academy lecture hall, easily enough to accommodate more than a dozen people.

Many people were already inside the space.

“Hello.”

“Hi! It’s been a while.”

As expected, Her Majesty the Empress welcomed us warmly, and the reactions from others weren’t bad either.

I quickly scanned the people in the space.

‘Indeed, everyone who should be here is here.’

The Emperor and Empress, Riel and Gloria, Leo, and even the Special Forces people she had mentioned before.

Even Kail and Merlin, who were counted among the strongest of the Special Forces, were participating.

‘Merlin… is here…’

The Grand Magician who had shared the fate of the Kainis Empire from its founding until now, the first and strongest of the Special Forces.

Also the master of the Clock Tower.

Although a half-blood between a demon succubus and a human, he was someone who had worked harder for the Kainis Empire than anyone else.

Not just me, but Aelin beside me also seemed surprised by Merlin’s appearance.

“C-Could it be… M-Merlin-nim?”

Hearing the question, Merlin slowly nodded, and Aelin stared at him.

Eyes twinkling like stars in the night sky, and noticeably trembling hands and lips.

Aelin was moved by the fact that she had met her idol.

“This is such an honor…! I never thought I’d meet you like this…”

Seeing even someone like Aelin react this way, I was reminded again of how great a figure Merlin was.

And I was also worried.

As someone who had lived since before the founding of the Kainis Empire, Merlin was an ultra-elderly person who was almost over a thousand years old.

‘Even magical power can’t stop a thousand years.’

Due to the ravages of a millennium that even magical power couldn’t prevent, Merlin was now in an extremely aged state.

Moreover, Merlin had lived through all sorts of hardships during that time, and the fatigue accumulated in the process must be enormous.

‘Yet he still came…’

In reality, his condition was so poor that he had died even earlier than the Emperor who had committed suicide.

Despite such a physical condition, Merlin had participated in this journey, which could be somewhat dangerous.

And he did so with a bright appearance that made him look healthy on the outside.

“Hey… why are you staring at me like that?”

“You don’t have to push yourself so hard…”

It would be better for Merlin to conserve his strength and live as long as possible.

That way, even Bael wouldn’t be able to do anything.

Of course, he himself must know this well.

He must already know that Bael is wary of him, and that his lifespan is not much longer.

‘He must have something in mind.’

Just as I was thinking this, a voice echoed in my head.

A serious yet slightly playful elderly voice.

It was Merlin’s voice.

-You seem to know quite a lot about my condition.-

“It’s just a simple guess.”

-It doesn’t seem like that to me..-

Indeed, there weren’t many people who would even make such guesses.

After all, there were so many people who believed Merlin wouldn’t die.

Unlike such people, I knew exactly when Merlin would die.

“Five years…”

I unconsciously muttered, and Merlin seemed surprised by my words.

With a surprised expression, Merlin spoke for the first time.

“You truly are an interesting child.”

I couldn’t understand why Merlin was reacting like that.

It was as if he was saying, ‘How do you know that?’

Seeing Merlin’s reaction, I couldn’t help but think:

‘Did he already know…?’

Merlin seemed to know that he would die in five years.

He shouldn’t have any supernatural ability to see the future.

And…

‘But if he knew, why didn’t he do anything about it?’

When Merlin left this world, he did so without taking any measures or leaving any last words.

If he had known when he would die, he could have easily done so, but he didn’t.

‘Why? And… where and why did he die in the first place?’

Come to think of it, not a single person knew these things.

Not even Kail, Merlin’s son.

With that irony born from the question, our journey began.

The car’s engine started, and the scenery outside the window began to change little by little.

‘A journey…’

***

A man and a woman waiting for a train, having packed only essential items.

They too seemed to be setting off on a journey, just like the others.

Both were looking at their respective phones, and among them, Eve was the first to speak.

Looking at the message that had just been posted in the group chat, Eve asked Chris.

“Are we also on a… journey?”

“Look at them traveling, while some of us are heading to a battlefield…”

The owner of that message was Albert, the sub-party leader.

He had sent…

-Departing now.-

Along with a selfie taken with her and Aelin.

Looking quite peaceful and happy, they wore smiles that could brighten the mood of anyone who saw them.

However, for Chris, who was about to leave for a battlefield soon, there was nothing more annoying than that.

“Are they going on a vacation or something?”

Though he knew they weren’t just going for fun, the photo made it seem that way.

Of course, Eve’s thoughts were a bit different.

“That can’t be. If anything, they work harder than we do.”

“This time will be different. I’m really going to work hard this time and catch up.”

Chris seemed firmly determined, and so was Eve.

“Alright, do your best. I’ll work hard in my own way too.”

“Not just in your own way, but really intensely, I’m telling you.”

“I know.”

As they were discussing their thoughts, the train they had been waiting for arrived, and Eve and Chris boarded it.

It was certainly the train they had taken every weekend during the semester.

But this time, the feeling was quite different.

Chris enjoyed that unfamiliar feeling as he stared blankly out the window.

Then, in a low voice, he muttered.

“A journey…”