episode_0048

I see Hiria’s two trembling eyes.

She was quite confused looking at me.

why? The question did not come to mind.

That’s because she is a transcendent and can know what the other person’s soul is like.

‘Honestly, I can’t feel it.’

From what Jaquel said, he must have been surprised at the difference from before since his soul had become perfect. So, I would like to explain.

“… Heln?”

Suddenly, another name came out of Hiria’s mouth.

Who on earth are you calling?

After thinking for a moment, I realized that the name she called was that of a warrior from 500 years ago.

‘The original me was not a perfect soul.’

Moreover, their faces and memories are different.

Nevertheless, Hiria knows that I am a warrior from 500 years ago.

In the fact that I don’t know why, but I know anyway.

My soul suddenly became whole, and I thought that maybe she called me that name because she saw my soul as it was when she knew me.

‘Maybe not.’

Seeing that she was quite shaken, there was a high probability that this would be the case.

“Hyria.”

“… Is it really you?”

Two eyes filled with anticipation.

She was asking that question as if it was really me back then.

Seeing how earnest she looks, I’d like to say that it’s true if you like her.

But that wasn’t possible.

Although I have gained some level of self-awareness, it still feels like a huge gap to say that I am a hero from 500 years ago. In such a situation, what would it mean to say that what she said was correct?

I’m sorry for breaking her expectations, but it shouldn’t have happened.

“No.”

“… ”

At my denial, Hyria pursed her lips and looked confused as to what to say. I said this as he kept moving his mouth.

“I’ll explain everything. Should I leave for a moment?”

Hyria nodded slightly.

We changed places to talk.

***

Everything was done.

However, we needed an explanation to sort out the situation, so we came to the lodging where we were staying.

This was because there was no place other than the accommodation to have serious conversations.

So, when I arrived at the hotel, I sat down on a chair.

Hiria sat down on the bed and began to explain.

What happened with Jaquel and the fight I had with another me.

Everything was explained in detail, and after listening to everything, she was speechless for a long time.

I couldn’t tell if I was shocked or what.

Because her expression was so expressionless.

It was some time later that Hiria opened her mouth.

“… That was it.

A sound of air being knocked out of Hiria’s mouth was heard.

She said with a bitter smile.

“That’s what it was… ”

Her expression looks somewhat relieved.

It was a very different face than expected.

“Is that the end?”

“Why?”

“I knew there was something more.”

“Is there anything more? Because in the end, you just realized once again that you are you. Rather, I am relieved that my purpose has become clearer.”

After saying that, Hiria lay down on the bed.

A comfortable smile graced her lips.

I asked her.

“Don’t you miss it?”

Even though we know they are the same person, their memories and appearances are different.

It was no different from any other person.

‘That’s the difference between my past life and my current life in the first place.’

The soul is the same.

However, because their lives were different, the two actually had to be distinguished as individuals and different people.

My current situation is not the same as my past life, but at least the fact that both have the same soul remains the same, and their memories are also different.

Can this really be considered the same person?

At least I thought not.

Even if the texture of memory is similar, there is a difference in what one remembers and what one does not.

People who keep memories and people who forget them.

The difference between the two was quite large, so I wondered if he would miss the guy I fought with more than me.

‘I don’t get angry or anything just because I miss you.’

Although I felt a little disappointed, I quite understood it.

Even if it’s like me, I remember a colleague I haven’t seen in 500 years, and I don’t miss someone I’ve forgotten.

So I ask.

Hyria stands up and shakes her head.

“I don’t miss it.”

“Why?”

“That’s because it’s in front of me. Even if your memories are different and your face is different, you are still you. There is no change in that fact. I don’t remember that time, so I’m a different person? Of course you can think that way. Just as past life and current life are different. But do you know what’s different between that and the current situation?”

There was no obvious answer to her question.

After thinking about it for a while, she spoke again.

“Foundation.”

“Foundation?”

“Yes. The biggest thing between my past life and my current life is that they are different from the beginning. Because you are born into a completely new environment. But you are not like that. Just as we don’t think that just because we lost our memories in our current state, we are different from before. It’s the same.”

He said that with a light smile.

I couldn’t understand how she spoke as if she didn’t miss me at all.

“It seems a little different.”

If I had simply lost my memory, I wouldn’t say anything like this.

However, considering the events involved, I could not say that I had lost my memory.

“It’s different.”

Hiria also clearly admitted it.

“Because I didn’t simply lose my memory. Many things are complicatedly intertwined. But the reason I was sure it was him the first time I saw you was because I felt that way. Even if our faces are different, our souls are different, and our memories are different. Because you are you. Because you don’t change.”

She spoke again.

“Do you need something more certain than that? The being that fought you has already been defeated by you. From that moment on, it lost meaning. No, it has become more certain. What I know is that you are who you are now.”

With those words, Hiria said no more.

It’s as if you were to decide for yourself.

I burst out laughing at that sight.

“That was a stupid question.”

“That was a stupid question.”

We looked at each other and laughed for a long time.

***

Rien, the wizard of the warrior party.

She finally took a breather as her life became a little more relaxed.

‘ha… ‘

The warrior and saint were becoming more and more devastated as each day passed.

Fortunately, we succeeded in bringing them both back.

It was so good that it was safe to say that the situation was hundreds of times better than before.

The only problem is that I still miss him.

Since erasing memories doesn’t mean erasing memories either, there was nothing I could do about it.

Still, it was much better than before, so I was fortunate to be able to live as a normal person.

If it weren’t for that, I would have been stuck in a dark room and would have died of old age.

‘But seeing them miss you like that makes me miss them too.’

It helped me a lot.

It was an undeniable fact.

Without him, not only would we not have been able to catch the Demon King, but even our departure would have been delayed.

Although she was not as shocked by his disappearance as the warrior and the saint, she also missed him just as much because she depended on him a lot.

At that time.

A newspaper can be seen in her eyes.

‘what?’

Out of sudden curiosity, I looked into it.

[Even the A-class mercenaries barely managed to escape, and the experts had to come with two S-class mercenaries to clear the fog, where an unidentified man and woman… ]

What follows roughly is that a man and a woman whom I had never heard of woke up.

Quite curious, she continued reading.

[This is news that missing children suddenly appeared with a woman at the location where the military police were stationed. The woman disappeared immediately, but according to the testimony of a military police officer present at the time, her face was said to be similar to that of the woman among the man and woman who appeared in the fog. and… ]

The story goes that the man seen during the fog was also with the woman.

The content behind it contained all kinds of speculation about what their true identity was and why they were helping people.

After skimming through the rest of the content, Lien thought.

‘It must have been teleportation magic that caused the children to suddenly appear.’

As many as 400 children were moved?

Is this really possible?

It wasn’t impossible for her, but it took quite a bit of strength to move that number of children.

‘But there are many people who say they saw it.’

After all, it was best to check it in person.

As I looked further down, I saw a picture of a man.

‘Is it him?’

Among the men and women written in the newspaper, he is a man.

As soon as she looked at the man’s face to see who it was, she opened her mouth and looked at the newspaper without saying a word.

Her eyes sparkled in disbelief.

“ too, why on earth are you coming out here!”

That was because the face of Yuchun, who had left the party, was there.