Chapter 125: The North (9)

“Dad. What’s wrong?”

“…..Dad?”

No. 5 glanced between me and Alice, then frowned. He then glanced at Alice’s face and nodded as if he understood something. Alice, oblivious to No. 5’s gaze, simply looked back and forth between me and No. 5.

No. 5 chuckled wryly, patted my shoulder, and said, “Let’s go upstairs to talk. I’ll get separate rooms for the ladies. It’s been a while, and I have a lot I want to discuss with you.”

Frost clung sparsely to the wooden planks. Facing the floor, I nodded, and No. 5 ascended the stairs as silently as if he weighed nothing. Lorena watched No. 5’s retreating figure and whispered to Alice, “He moves like an assassin. There’s no wasted movement.”

“He seems like one of Dad’s friends, so you probably don’t need to be so wary.”

Lorena nodded at that, but her eyes remained fixed on the top of the stairs.

My mind was still reeling. I never expected to run into someone I knew in the North. And for an acquaintance I thought was dead to greet me looking perfectly healthy… I was starting to wonder if I was drunk.

“Dad, who is that guy?”

Alice asked me. I scratched my head and replied, “An old friend. But, like, really old. Uh… I knew him back when I was a slave, and I thought he was dead, but, uh…”

I was so flustered, I couldn’t even speak properly. I was rambling about useless details even while trying to explain my friend. Both Alice and Lorena nodded, seeing my expression, and Alice hugged me tightly. My racing heart, the heat rushing to my head – all of it subsided against her warm embrace, like smothering flames with a blanket. I fumbled and reached out to hug her back just as tightly.

Alice said, “Dad, we can handle the room registration and a quick check-in here. Why don’t you go upstairs and talk first?”

I hugged Alice back and nodded. I stroked her hair, thinking how lucky I was to have such a good daughter. Then, taking a deep breath, I grabbed the banister. Even though I’d clearly seen No. 5 go up, it still didn’t feel real. It felt like No. 5 might suddenly dissipate like a snowman if I went up the stairs. Just as I’d kept my youthful face, No. 5 still had that same sharp appearance and blue hair from back then.

Even though no one was pressuring me, I found myself shaking my head while staring into space. I took another breath and let out a wry chuckle. How was I supposed to describe this kind of reunion? Blinking, I finally ascended the stairs.

Creak

The stairs were older than I expected, soaked with moisture from the snow, carrying the scent of northern moss and decay. Avoiding the holes, I slowly climbed the stairs until I saw a room with its door wide open. Through the doorway, I saw No. 5 sitting inside.

Confirming he wasn’t an illusion made me chuckle again. Was I someone who enjoyed laughing this much? Grinning ear to ear, I entered the room, and No. 5 gestured as if telling me to close the door.

“Ah, sorry. Force of habit.”

“It’s fine.”

That gesture, the kind a superior might make to a subordinate, actually lifted my spirits. Slaves certainly couldn’t afford such mannerisms. It was confirmation that No. 5 was doing alright in his high position. No. 5 pointed to the bed across from him and said, “Sit down. I’ve asked the staff to bring some tea and liquor. Let’s talk for a while today.”

No. 5 looked genuinely happy. For a moment, I caught a subtle shadow flicker across his face, but he tried hard not to show his emotions. Blinking, No. 5 asked me, “You seem to be doing really well. Bringing two women all the way to the North… If I’d known you were doing this well, I would’ve looked you up sooner.”

“You seem to be doing well too. Uh… I thought you were dead. How have you been?”

No. 5 looked up at my question. He rolled his eyes slightly, tilted his head, and said, “I was being beaten and dragged away when some knight trainee bought me and then freed me from my slave contract.”

“A knight trainee?”

It was surprising that a mere knight trainee, not even a full knight, would do something like that. Knights often had a lot of thugs working for them, but knight trainees themselves were often trash. These were potential murderers who hadn’t yet reached the age for academy admission, learning martial arts at home or in training grounds. Having just started with the sword, they could easily beat up local thugs, so they carried themselves with immense arrogance. Back when I was young, among the gang that used to bully me, there was a guy bragging about having a relative who was a knight trainee. And among those who flaunted being trainees from noble families, there was one who openly killed someone and got banned from academy admission.

“That’s strange.”

But since he saved No. 5, I decided that, from today on, I’d believe there were good guys among the knight trainees. Perhaps sensing the complex mix of emotions behind my simple ‘strange,’ No. 5 also chuckled and nodded.

“Yeah, strange indeed. In the end, that person became… well, not exactly a knight you’d call ‘good’.”

“Are you working under him?”

“Yeah. He destroyed my slave contract, but I decided to stick with the person who saved me. It’s not a bad gig. Pays well, and I have people I can boss around, in a way.”

“That’s amazing. You made it.”

I felt his life was far removed from the ‘life of helping others shine’ that No. 5 had originally dreamed of. He nodded at my words, but he didn’t look particularly pleased.

“Excuse me.”

A server entered, placing down drinks and snacks. It was a salad made with dried meat and cheese, common in the North, they said. No. 5 poked at the salad with his fork, then gestured to the plate with his finger, “Try some. It’s the best thing they have here.”

The crisp texture of the vegetables combined with the surprisingly tender dried meat and cheese. As I chewed, I nodded at the flavor filling my mouth and gave him a thumbs-up. No. 5 watched me, smiled, nodded again, and said, “You haven’t changed a bit.”

I swallowed the food, shook my head, and replied, “I’ve changed a lot too. I’m not just alive and kicking, I’ve got women with me now.”

“That’s true. You have changed quite a bit. I… I really didn’t expect to meet you like this. What happened?”

For a moment, I considered telling No. 5 that I was a demon. But I quickly realized how absurd that was and shook my head. He and I had been like family once, but we weren’t anymore. Interests change with time. Even if you confront the past seeking understanding, the person living in the present cannot comprehend. So, I chose to hide the fact that I was a demon.

“Just got lucky. I was sold as a slave into a noble family and even got the name Evan, but the husband there was a real piece of shit. He beat me all the time, and he beat my current wife, Isabel, too.”

The moment I said that, No. 5’s eyebrow twitched slightly. He nodded and said, “Keep going. Tell me more.”

“So, Isabel and I relied on each other a lot. Then, love blossomed between us. We… had an affair? Something like that…”

“And then?”

“Turns out the husband, Carson, was actually a devil worshipper. He got caught when he invited a priest, got exorcised on the spot, and then Isabel and I got married.”

“Talk about a turn of fortune. Congratulations.”

And then No. 5 offered me a drink. The northern liquor was sweet but potent. It went down smooth as honey until it hit my throat, then it gradually heated up as it traveled down my esophagus, turning into a fireball that churned my stomach upon arrival. After taking a sip, I shook my head vehemently and said, “Whoa, this is too strong. I can’t drink this.”

“You’re weak to alcohol, Evan. So, that woman being your daughter…”

“Exactly. She’s not my biological daughter. You were staring pretty hard at Alice earlier, weren’t you? I guess it’s understandable. I’d be pretty surprised too if you showed up with a woman your own age claiming she was your daughter.”

No. 5 laughed at that. He nodded while laughing, poured himself another drink, and downed it. I poured myself some tea to keep up appearances and clinked glasses with him. As the sound of our glasses meeting faded, we moved on to other topics, as if by mutual agreement.

No. 5 asked me, “So, what brings you here? You don’t usually have business in the North.”

I had no intention of telling No. 5 about the current operation. “I heard there’s a tanner here who makes incredible fur coats. Isabel’s birthday is coming up soon, and I wanted to get her one.”

So, I lied.

“I see. Is that so.”

No. 5 nodded with a smile. I asked No. 5 in return, “What brings you to the North?”

No. 5 replied to my question, “I came for a hunt. Did you know the meat from the northern reindeer is fatty and delicious?”

Interests change with time.

Even if you confront the past seeking understanding, the person living in the present cannot comprehend.

We looked at each other and smiled.

Without a word.