Ch.256EP.56 – The Obvious Story He Wants to Hear (4)

It was as precarious as the gait of a newly hatched baby bird.

“Huff! Huuuff…”

It looked like a child who had only been able to crawl was now toddling about, and seeing a grown adult walk like that was endlessly comical.

However.

“Keep going, Iliad! Just a little more!”

“You can do it, Father!”

“Just a few more steps, just a little…!”

“Ooh! Excellent!”

Far from laughing, people earnestly cheered him on, ecstatic about his walking.

Drip…

“Haa, haaa!”

Iliad was drenched in sweat, perspiring profusely.

The uncontrollable spasms in his legs were clear evidence of how difficult and painful this was for him.

It seemed like they should help him now, but if they did, all his tremendous effort would be meaningless.

Therefore.

“Just a bit, just a bit more…!”

Cheering was all they could do.

“!!”

With a fierce shout as if grinding his teeth, he managed to take ten more steps.

Thirty steps in total.

-Waaah!!

Having successfully left thirty magnificent footprints, Iliad raised both hands as if roaring in triumph, and people rushed to him, shouting with joy to congratulate him.

And at this sight.

“…Anyone watching would think he’d just won the World Series.”

Ihan could only sigh.

Of course, he was undoubtedly happy too, but.

“I told him to take it easy for a while… He really doesn’t listen.”

It would be stranger not to sigh when this had been going on for a full three hours already.

…Ihan thought he could somewhat understand the feelings of doctors struggling with patients who wouldn’t follow instructions.

* * *

It must be stated clearly that Iliad’s body had been completely ruined beyond repair by this incident.

Before becoming a Main, he had simply been unable to use his legs, but after the transformation, permanent disabilities far more serious than mere leg paralysis had been left throughout his entire body.

In a way, this was an inevitable process.

Using life force mercilessly to forcibly repair the body naturally put strain on it, and to make matters worse, his lifespan had been exponentially shortened.

Additionally, even his heart had been destroyed and restored, so its durability had inevitably decreased.

Miraculously, thanks to the Aura user’s treatment, his depleted life force was replenished and his heart regenerated without major complications, but even so, a body that had been destroyed couldn’t possibly be normal.

Aura wasn’t omnipotent, and the world doesn’t resolve everything positively like in fairy tales.

In reality, Iliad was in a position where, far from walking, he should have been worried about whether he would survive another day.

“Th-the family head is walking!?”

“???”

…That should have been the case, but as soon as word spread that Iliad was toddling around in the training ground, people flooded the area.

Would you believe that it took less than five minutes for people to pack densely into a training ground roughly the size of three baseball stadiums combined?

In a sense, for the Ophen family, Iliad walking again was nothing short of a miracle.

[Waaaaaah!]

The same cheers as before erupted.

Ihan had jokingly compared it to winning the World Series, but wasn’t this far more intense excitement?

“Is this the Super Bowl?”

“What is that?”

“…It’s a thing. But why are you here? I thought you were busy cheering for your son.”

“My encouragement wouldn’t reach Iliad right now anyway. He’s too focused.”

“Oh, so you do have some awareness?”

“…That’s clearly disrespectful, but I have too much bad karma to get angry.”

It was Felinshia grumbling, and Ihan wasn’t particularly surprised to find her suddenly beside him.

However, unlike his lack of surprise.

“…How did you do it?”

“Do what?”

“Iliad. How is my son walking again?”

“Ah, that. It’s nothing special really…”

“Nothing special? My heart is still racing…!”

Felinshia, on the other hand, couldn’t hide her amazement, still feeling like this reality was both joyful and dreamlike.

Once again, it must be stated that her son…!

“Was completely ruined. Yet you made him stand again…”

Felinshia was overjoyed about this.

The level of joy was comparable to when she gave birth to Iliad.

But at the same time.

“I can’t help but be curious.”

Having lived for over 90 years and explored about a third of the entire continent, she was none other than an explorer.

This meant she had accumulated deep and diverse experiences that would prevent her from being surprised by ordinary things, but even she had never seen anything like this.

To raise someone who was completely broken back to their feet…

What kind of miracle was this?

“Could it be that you’re a saint?”

“Do I look like a devout person to you?”

“No. You’d sooner swing an axe at the heavens.”

“…I’m not that extreme.”

“More importantly, tell me quickly. How long do you plan to keep this old woman in suspense!”

“It’s not like you entrusted me with anything…”

Ihan was dumbfounded, but he understood that suppressing human curiosity isn’t easy.

Especially when the phenomenon happened to one’s own son.

Therefore.

“There’s nothing particularly special about it. That man is now essentially in a puppet-like state.”

He was able to provide an answer quite easily.

* * *

What Ihan had done was really nothing special.

“I just made him feel the [Gyeong], that’s all.”

“Ah, you mean that martial art you created?”

“It’s not grand enough to be called a martial art…”

The principle was simple.

Drawing out the primordial power within humans.

Extracting strength from organs such as muscles, bones, tendons, and internal organs.

And Ihan.

“I taught him the basic sensation of Gyeong. In other words, I showed him a new path.”

“…And that alone makes him move like that?”

Felinshia grew more puzzled as she listened to Ihan’s explanation.

She understood the principle, but couldn’t believe that Iliad could walk with just that.

Honestly, such a thing might have been possible with Aura too, it wasn’t a difficult process.

In other words, this was something Felinshia had already tried, which was why Ihan’s explanation didn’t resonate with her.

And as per her doubt.

“Of course it would be impossible for you. Not unless you properly understood the complex system that is the human body.”

“Huh?”

“I’m what you’d call an ‘expert.’ I properly understand the movement of muscles, bones, the functioning of organs, and complex bodily systems including nerves.”

A confidence that only he could accomplish this was evident in him.

But this was a natural confidence.

Does dismantling bones and muscles look easy?

Do you think teaching techniques to others is simply easy?

This is all possible because of experience and hundreds of repeated experiments.

‘I experimented a lot as a spellcaster back then.’

In that sense, there are few experts as proficient in bodily systems as Ihan, meaning there are skills only he can perform.

“I put two things inside Iliad. One is a core that can feel Gyeong, and the other is a mechanism to transmit power.”

“Mecha… what?”

“It’s a thing. Simply put, his legs and arms aren’t moving naturally right now, but are being manipulated like a puppet.”

Countless invisible threads controlling the legs, arms, waist, and shoulders.

It might sound easy from the explanation, but…

“It sounds easy, but if you asked me to do it, I couldn’t. This kind of thing requires an extraordinary brain.”

It’s only possible for that person.

Manipulating the Gyeong spread like threads to stimulate muscles, understanding the role and structure of those muscles, and only then being able to move one step at a time.

Even for Ihan, this isn’t easy.

After just 10 seconds, his head would burn and his nose would bleed.

But that man is different.

In terms of talent, he possesses a brain that would be counted among the top in the South.

“For an ordinary person, it would probably take over three months just to take one step.”

“……”

“It’s only because it’s him that he can walk so much now. But there’s something you should know. From now on, he won’t be able to use sword auras or sword energy. He’ll need to use all his bodily energy just to move. Also, don’t forget to stimulate his body daily with Aura and replenish his life force. Until his skeletal muscle mass exceeds the male average, he’ll be like a bottomless barrel.”

He laid out additional advice, making it clear that this was all he could do.

…However.

“Why?”

“?”

“Why… are you doing all this?”

Felinshia was grateful but couldn’t understand.

Even if he was her child’s teacher, even if they had some connection, they were ultimately strangers, weren’t they?

Yet…

“Why are you doing this so meticulously? Aren’t I and Ophen just bothersome to you?”

In the end, he received nothing.

He didn’t want money, and he vehemently rejected honor.

He even tried to distance himself from Aura users, calling them a nuisance…

Despite all this, he readily taught them his vision.

He made her son walk again.

“W-we haven’t done anything for you…”

Guilt and remorse.

As she fidgeted with her fingers in self-criticism…

“Because you are ‘good people.'”

“…Huh?”

“I helped because you’re kind.”

“……”

He recited his reason for helping them quite nonchalantly.

As if it were a trivial reason.

“You know, even when I watch fairy tales or plays, I prefer happy endings. And my favorite happy ending is when good people who live honestly live happily.”

“……”

“But unlike fairy tales, reality isn’t like that. Good people die unreasonably early or despair more often than bad humans. No one helps them. Conversely, bad humans live well. They have a lot because they’ve lived badly.”

“……”

“But that really irritates me. So I thought, if possible…”

I should help the good people around me.

“I just need to help a little bit. I find it rewarding when that help turns a gloomy story into a comedy.”

Yes, that’s the kind of story he wants to see.

Where good people become happy… a story so common and predictable.

But.

“I want to see that predictable story, that’s all.”

“……”

“It’s a silly reason, isn’t it? But what can I do? It’s already like this.”

“……”

“Ah, in that sense, there is something you can give me in return.”

“…Something I can give?”

“The ending.”

“??”

“Remember what I advised you? Try it now.”

“???”

*

*

*

…Iliad was in agony.

Walking was painful, and with each step, his head throbbed and felt like it was burning.

Probably until he got used to it, or even if he did get used to it, it would continue to be painful.

Even so…

‘I, I’m just beginning now.’

Iliad was grateful that he could ‘make an effort.’

He was immensely happy that there was a possibility of being rewarded for his efforts.

A life where you can be rewarded for effort is infinitely more brilliant than one where you can’t even try.

Iliad smiled happily…

“-Iliad, my son.”

“Mother?”

Drenched in sweat, Iliad expressed confusion at his mother suddenly blocking his path.

Was she going to tell him to rest now? That he had pushed himself too hard?

Iliad was about to wave his hand dismissively.

To say that this was nothing, that he wanted to enjoy this joy a little longer.

He was about to say that.

…He was about to, but.

“I, I’m proud of you…”

“──.”

“I’m so proud of you.”

…For a moment, Iliad thought his ears were deceiving him.

He couldn’t understand why his mother was suddenly saying such things in the middle of the crowded training ground, and he understood even less why she was suddenly praising him.

No, from the beginning.

‘…This is unfamiliar.’

Wondering why he was so taken aback, Iliad realized he had never heard such words from his mother.

He seemed to have heard things like being a genius or being excellent, but such praise…

“I’ve been proud of you at every moment. When you were first born, when you started walking, when you showed talent with the sword, when you showed me the first picture you drew, when you became the family head at a young age, when you gave me a grandchild, even when you became a Main, I was always proud of you. There wasn’t a single day when I wasn’t proud of you.”

“……”

“I, I am proud of you. You are my treasure, my pride.”

“……”

…What expression was he making right now?

Iliad couldn’t understand it at all.

Was it distorted? Was he perplexed?

Or.

Drip…

“…I’m sweating too much. So much sweat-.”

“You need to wipe it.”

“Yes, I’m sweating too much. It hurts my eyes…”

“…Yes, it seems so…”

The mother and son stood facing each other for a while, exchanging meaningless conversation, and people quietly made way for them.

…After all, it would be mischievous to watch as a mother and son who had been dishonest and lacking in communication were finally showing sincerity.

“Well, are you satisfied now?”

“I’d rate it 6 out of 10.”

“…You’re being mischievous.”

“Mischievous?”

Snicker.

“-That’s a high score for a predictable story.”