Chapter 42: The Second Piece (1)

[42] 7. The Second Piece (1)

Parsley’s abrupt departure threw me into utter confusion. It wasn’t just her departure, though.

Her uncharacteristic composure, a stark contrast to her meltdown last time,

The strange magic I felt the moment blood started dripping from her eyes,

And the joyful smile she had before she left…

Everything about her was a mystery. Mysteries I couldn’t ignore.

An unfamiliar bed and unanswered questions are good friends of insomnia.

“You didn’t get any sleep last night?”

Those were Feya’s first words to me when I stepped out of my tent. I answered, feeling fatigue pressing against my eyes.

“Don’t worry about it.”

“How can I not worry when your dark circles are reaching your chin?”

She frowned.

“Is it… because of what happened between you and the Captain last night?”

I frowned unconsciously.

The Captain’s promise to heal my heart

And her announcement that she would leave the mercenary group as soon as she did.

Those were also one of the reasons I couldn’t sleep.

I ran a hand through my hair, which had been suffering lately, and shook my head.

“I told you not to worry. It’s nothing.”

“…Want me to give the Captain a good whack on the head?”

I looked at Feya, dumbfounded. She grinned and added,

“Of course, I’ll do it secretly, and pin the blame on Big Nose.”

She seemed playful, but there was a hint of seriousness in her tone. I chuckled.

What am I going to do with this kid?

I placed my hand on her head and ruffled her black hair.

“I appreciate your concern, Feya, but it really is nothing.”

“Who stays up all night worrying about ‘nothing’?”

“Don’t talk back to me. First you talked about hitting the captain, and now this? You’re aiming to become the captain yourself, huh?”

“W-Waaa, stop p-petting me…! I-I carefully brushed it this morning…!”

“Seems like you’re feeling a bit better now.”

I stopped messing up her hair. Turning my head, I saw the Captain. She had a playful grin.

For some reason, it felt particularly annoying today.

“We need to finish the conversation we were having yesterday. You have time, right?”

I resisted the urge to snap back. Her stupid resolve wasn’t going to change, even if I threw a fit.

I needed to be more practical.

I forced a softer tone into my voice, I replied.

“Alright, let’s start by hearing about this ‘treasure,’ shall we?”

The Captain smiled.

“Okay, then follow me. There’s someone you need to meet.”

Someone to meet?

My face was filled with confusion, but the captain was already turning away. I had no choice but to sling my arm around Feya’s shoulder.

“Let’s go then, Feya…”

My voice trailed off because Feya stopped. I looked at her, puzzled. Why was she making such a strange expression?

“I… I have something to do…”

Her expression was a mixture of discomfort and irritation.

Then she mumbled, “I’ll go on ahead,” and walked off.

I couldn’t hide my surprise as I watched her go.

She’d usually beg to go with me…

“Vice-Captain! Aren’t you coming?!”

The Captain, who was already far away, shouted at me. I looked at Feya’s back one last time before following the Captain.

“I’m coming!!”

***

… And then I understood why Feya had refused to come with me.

A large scar stretched from her left forehead to her right jaw. She had blue eyes and red hair that seemed to clash.

And, above all, the symbol of the Central Knights was emblazoned on her magnificent armor.

I stared at her, shocked. She stared back, her eyes wide with disbelief.

“Moneybags…?”

“Period Girl…?”

***

It happened five years ago.

After being kicked out of the magic tower with a hefty compensation, I had headed toward the eastern edge of the continent and opened a magic tool shop.

There weren’t many career options for a blind, handless, tongueless mage who couldn’t even cast magic.

But being a magic tool shop owner was a surprisingly decent profession.

I settled in a rural backwater, where the only customers were young nobles who were curious about new trends and self-absorbed rich idiots with too much money to spend.

Oh, and children who were curious about the world. They didn’t really buy anything, but they were still good customers. My few joys in life came from watching kids go wild over magical devices.

Looking back, that time was probably the most peaceful time in my life.

At least it was until the Captain destroyed my shop.

That incident changed my life from that of a simple shop owner to that of a fugitive.

Mercenaries, adventurers, thieves, assassins, barbarians, outlaws…

Every skilled murderer motivated by money was after us.

And just as even among venomous insects, some are particularly vicious…

Even after everyone else had given up, two women continued to pursue us:

A Derin from the South, the ‘Dwarf Maker’ Feya,

And the Captain of the 7th division of the Central Knights, the ‘Fiery Bitch’ Sheila Ehrenheit.

Yes, this fucking bitch standing in front of me.

Sheila Ehrenheit, arms crossed, smirked.

“Still looking like a walking corpse, Rem.”

“And you still look like you’re on your period all year round.”

“What did you just say?”

Her face contorted with fury at my words. But I ignored her and looked at the Captain.

“Captain, why did you bring me here to see this bitch? No, why is she even here?”

I’d thought she had been demoted after the incident with us. I looked at the Captain.

“Why else, Because I’m the captain of the Central Knights now.”

However, it wasn’t the Captain who answered, but Sheila. I turned to look at her and let out a sigh.

“Ah.”

“What? Touched to hear about my promotion? Do I look different?”

“No, I’m just starting to understand why the Central Knights still can’t deal with a single bunch of cultists.”

Sheila, who had been smug, now looked furious. She stomped toward me, her fist raised.

“You…! Really…! After four years…! ”

“Woah, woah, calm down before I have to call Feya over.”

“…!”

Her fist stopped. Muscles in her face twitched and trembled.

The scars on her face probably stung at the mention of Feya.

That diagonal scar slashing across her face was a gift from Feya.

*Clap!*

At the sound of the clap, me and Sheila, turned towards the Captain, who was now grinning mischievously.

“Well, I know you’re both happy to see each other after so long, but how about you stop there? Sheila, can you explain things now?”

Sheila’s demeanor shifted instantly.

“Yes, Ms. Rosalia.”

Her annoyed look vanished, replaced by that of a soldier. She pulled a scroll from a shelf and spread it across the table.

I recognized it instantly. It would have been hard to miss.

Because there couldn’t be two such grotesque monsters in this world.

It was a drawing of the monstrous cultist fortress that’s currently strolling across the plains and spewing monsters.

“This is a blueprint of the cultists’ moving fortress, ‘Planer’s End’.”

She tapped a spot on the drawing with a scarred finger. It was the deepest, most hidden area.

“And, right here, we have the power source of this fortress. That is to say… the ‘treasure’ that you are looking for, Ms. Rosalia.”

“Treasure” again.

Furrowing my brow, I asked,

“What the hell is this treasure?”

“An artifact that can rewind time.”

This time, it was the Captain who answered, not Sheila.

I frowned, failing to understand her words at first.

But when I finally did understand, I had to suppress a scream.

There was only one thing in this world that could rewind time.

“…Alain’s pocket watch…?”

The Captain smiled.

“As expected from a magic tower graduate. You caught that right away!”

“B-But, isn’t that just a legend? How is it here?”

Sheila shrugged.

“How the fuck are we supposed to understand the minds of those creepy cultists? It was just there when we checked.”

It was just there when they checked?

That thing, that disappeared 300 years ago after Alain’s ascension?

And what did a time-rewinding artifact have to do with my broken heart?

Then, realization struck like a bolt of lightning.

I looked at the Captain, my eyes wide with disbelief. She smiled at me.

“No way…”

“That’s right. I’m planning to use that artifact to rewind your body’s time.”

Her blue eyes shined brightly.

“Back to four years ago, to when you still had your heart.”

***

I left the tent where the Captain and Sheila were talking and started to walk around the camp. My hand was on my chin, and I was deep in thought.

Thoughts bloomed with every step I took.

“[In a week, when the supplies arrive, we’ll launch a full-scale attack.]

[We’ll use that opportunity to assemble a strike team and raid the place where the artifact is stored.]

[Then we’ll run, leaving everything behind.]

[Sheila will handle all the ownership issues regarding the artifact.]

[Then we’ll use that watch to, ta-da! Get you your heart back.]

[See? A perfect plan!]

The Captain grinned, ending her explanation.

Well, honestly, the plan wasn’t bad.

The Rose Rem mercenary group was small, but all of its members were veterans. Infiltrating a fortress and stealing one artifact wouldn’t be difficult for them.

Use a watch to get my heart back?

That wouldn’t be a problem, either.

I was called a genius of the century in the magic tower. As long as that watch could really rewind time, as the legend said, then this kind of miracle was possible.

Was the anxiety I felt because I was worried that the Captain would leave me after keeping her promise?

No, I shouldn’t feel anxious. I should be angry. And I already had a plan to prevent that from happening.

Then where was this anxiety coming from?

The answer was obvious.

It was too convenient.

How did Alain’s pocket watch, lost for 300 years, end up in the hands of cultists?

And how did Sheila find out about it?

No, to begin with, why would they use such a powerful artifact to create something like a stupid walking fortress?

It might just be my paranoia, but I couldn’t shake the feeling I was missing something.

It feels like I’m being dragged into a meticulously designed trap.

But if that were true, then who set it up?

“Mr. Rem?”

A husky voice.

I looked up. I didn’t recognize the woman standing in front of me. She looked completely different.

Her hair, usually neatly brushed, was messy and flying everywhere. She was wearing only pajamas and a coat. Her usual suit was nowhere to be seen.

“Ms. Irene…?”

I eyed her suspiciously.

“Is everything alright? What’s…”

“I need to speak with you. Are you available?”

Her tone was her usual formal one, but she seemed overwhelmed by emotion.

Without thinking, I nodded and said,

“Yes, I’m available, but…”

“Then please follow me.”

Before I could say anything more, she grabbed my arm. I tried to resist, but she was surprisingly strong.

She practically dragged me into a tent.

And her strange behavior didn’t end there.

As soon as we were inside, she let go of my arm, and then she… began to literally seal the tent.

She spread a sticky substance over the entrance to block any light and then used strange mucus to seal up any gaps or holes.

And then, as if that wasn’t enough, she took out a magic scroll and activated it.

Silence. A spell that prevented all sound from escaping.

Only then did Irene seem satisfied.

At that sight. The word “paranoid” came to mind.

I couldn’t help but ask, dumbfounded,

“What is this…”

“Just some light precaution. More importantly…”

She stopped.

Her face contorted, and she covered it with her hands.

I instinctively knew that it was an expression of inner conflict. Words, too heavy to bear, didn’t come out easily.

So I waited patiently, because I understood how she felt.

How much time passed like that?

Finally, Irene’s hands slid down her face. Her blue eyes, filled with a desperate plea, met mine.

“Bruce?”

…But what escaped from her mouth was something I didn’t understand.

Her eyebrows furrowed, as if realizing that I didn’t understand what she’d said.

She looked at me, her eyes filled with even more desperation, and spoke again.

“…Bruce.”

But no matter how many times she repeated herself, I couldn’t possibly understand something I’d never heard.

What in the world did she mean by “Bruce”…

Wait, Bruce?

The thought hit me like a shot on a pool table, the idea bouncing off the sides of my mind again and again before finally settling on a single place.

But even then, I couldn’t bring myself to speak.

Because… that was just ridiculous.

It was a wish I had forgotten about a long time ago.

But life never lets you hesitate for long.

Irene, a gloomy look on her face, lowered her head.

“I’m sorry, just… never mind. It was nothing.”

She turned and quickly walked toward the entrance.

I didn’t think. I just spoke.

“Way… ne…?”

Irene’s back trembled. She turned, surprise on her face.

“Pat… and…?”

This time I asked.

“Matt…?” (TL Note: Cartoon Show)

Irene’s eyes trembled. She answered. Then she took a step closer.

“Infinite?”

“…Challenge…” (TL Note: Korean reality show)

I grinned, even though I still couldn’t believe what was happening.

Irene seemed to feel the same because her eyes trembled.

“Youtube, Naver, Twitch. Mobile Games.”

“Korea, Tteokbokki, Samgyeopsal, Kimchi.”

Words buried deep within my memories,

Words that only I knew in this world,

No, words I thought only I knew *until now*.

My vision blurred. I felt dampness on my cheeks.

Tears welled up in Irene’s eyes as well.

I suppressed the urge to cry. Finally, I spoke.

“Dobong-gu, Seoul, South Korea.”

Then Irene, laughing, with tears streaming down her cheeks, answered.

“Re…public of Korea… Su… won… city… Gyeonggi Province…!”

We rushed toward each other.

Overwhelmed by a joy that rose from deep within our hearts, we embraced tightly. I could feel my chest becoming wet from her tears.

“I-I… I thought I was… a-alone all this t-time…!”

I couldn’t answer. My voice was choked with tears.

I just hugged her tightly and thanked God,

Thanking him for showing me that I wasn’t alone.

After 25 years of being reincarnated, I had finally met someone from my homeland.