episode_0246

Even after quite some time had passed, the trembling in my body continued. I stared out the window with a sense of anxiety that I couldn’t shake off. It was the direction where the captain and his sisters were.

“Sigh… ”

It was a terrible and unpleasant dream. A dream of becoming a captain and having your heart pierced by a witch. I guess I’ve been focusing too much on that lately. But there has to be a limit…

The terrible dream and delusion were growing in size. I tried my best to calm down the useless thoughts, but it wasn’t easy.

Perhaps it was because they were too vivid to be just dreams. I couldn’t just pass over anything related to them. I continued to sink into a swamp of thoughts.

…if.

If the scenery I saw wasn’t a dream, but something that really happened in reality…

“… Let’s close it.”

I regained consciousness with a suffocating feeling. It was a supposition that made me feel ridiculously bad just thinking about it for a moment.

The captain and the older sisters. Aren’t they veterans who have been on countless battlefields for over ten years?

Of course, there’s no way they would be taken advantage of by a witch like that…

“Dad… ”

“Su-ah?”

I turned around at the sound of a voice. Su-ah, who had just woken up, was rubbing her eyes. Tears were still welling up in her swollen eyes.

Did she wake up because of my presence? I covered her with the blanket again, but Su-ah didn’t close her eyes. Instead, she hesitated and stared at me as if she had something to say.

“Sua. Is there anything you want to say?”

And Su-ah, who had been hesitating, finally opened her mouth.

“Dad… Did you… work hard again…?”

“Strength… ?”

“What Su-ah…gave… ”

Was it about power and magical power? I nodded after thinking for a moment. Then I spoke with force to reassure Su-ah.

“You’re using it well. I used it a while ago too. Thanks to you… ”

“Wooo… ”

It seemed like it was the wrong answer. Su-ah lowered her head and shed tears.

“It won’t work… ”

It was a part that made my heart sink a little. There’s no way Soo-ah would know about the collapse syndrome. Is it some kind of instinct as the original owner of the power…?

“Dad… ”

After a while, Su-ah raised her head and cried out in a tearful voice.

“Not anymore… ”

“… You said no?”

“… Yeah. The power that Su-ah gave me… Now I have to use it without a blindfold… ”

I too was now thinking of being really careful. I was the one who was feeling the worsening condition of my body more and more acutely than anyone else.

Of course, I can’t guarantee that I will never use powers or magic, but I plan to be at least a little careful.

But in an instant, a strange current enveloped my body. There was something more than simple worry in Soo-ah’s eyes as she looked at me.

The first priority was to reassure Su-ah. I was about to open my mouth again.

Su-ah, who had been hesitating, spoke as if spitting out something she had been holding back.

“If I use it again…then I’ll really die… ”

And the air settled heavily.

I forgot what I was going to say and stared at Su-ah. The child who resembled Yeon-i was still shedding tears.

“Now… Even Su-ah can’t fix it… ”

It wasn’t hard to figure out what he meant. Only one word came to mind.

‘breakdown.’

For a moment, it felt as if the grim reaper was squeezing my throat, and I couldn’t breathe. Su-ah’s words meant only one thing.

Now I have no more chances left…

“… Su-ah. Can I ask you one thing?”

After a moment of hesitation, I cautiously opened my mouth. It was because a question mixed with worry and curiosity had come to mind. It was also a question that absolutely had to be resolved.

And maybe, Soo-ah in front of you might be the only person who can solve this question.

“Do you happen to know how much longer my dad will live?”

“… ”

Then Su-ah stared at me intently. She frowned and pursed her lips, seeming to be lost in thought.

Soon, Su-ah stretched out her little finger and counted something. Then she saw two numbers crossing each other repeatedly. Six and ten.

“… 60 years old?”

Does that mean I can live until then? I feel a little relieved. It seems like I have more free time than I thought.

As a wizard, he is a relatively short-lived person. His death at age 60 is far below the average for a wizard.

Of course, from my perspective, it is more than enough free time.

If you don’t overdo it, can you live a full life? In fact, a little magic might be okay. The thing that puts extreme strain on your body is when you release the highest level of combat magic.

Maybe in the meantime, a solution will emerge. Medical technology will advance, or we’ll find a way to defeat the witches… whatever.

It was a moment when such thoughts quickly passed through my head.

“Ugh… ”

Su-ah carefully turned her head. With that, the relief she had just felt melted away without a trace.

And with the same sadness, Su-ah slowly opened her mouth.

“Sixty… night.”

***

I opened my eyes to the blue light of dawn. When I looked at the time, I saw that it had only been two hours since I fell asleep.

When I woke up, Su-ah was nowhere to be seen. The only traces were a few soft strands of hair and the moist, rough sensation of her lips.

Is this the kind of treatment that Su-ah was talking about?

I don’t know the principle, but I was sure that Su-ah had been taking care of me without me knowing.

If it weren’t for that child, I would have turned to ashes and disappeared long ago.

I am only grateful to Su-ah. However, it is a bit disappointing that her efforts no longer shine.

I mechanically put on my school uniform and prepared for my schedule.

Then I recalled my conversation with Sua yesterday.

Surprisingly, there was no disturbance in my heart. Rather, my head was calm and settled.

Is it because it’s already out of my hands? Or maybe it’s because I don’t really feel it’s real yet.

Two months… It’s been 59 days now? Anyway, it’s no different from a mayfly. But my body is so fine. If I had just been lying in bed groaning in pain, I would have been able to realize death a little.

Although it was a bit daunting, I don’t really have any regrets. I gave it my all at every moment and got the best results every time.

That’s all.

The schoolyard was bustling with students going to school. Everything was as usual, to the point where I wondered if it was okay.

The only difference is that the gazes directed at me are more harsh than usual, perhaps because of yesterday’s events.

“Oh, a celebrity is here.”

And in the classroom I entered, a large, noisy male student greeted me. He was Choi Woo-jin, the younger brother of Choi I-re, the head of the student council.

It’s been quite some time since I’ve had a chance to talk to this guy. Is it the first time since we searched through the cradle together that day to find Professor Shin Jae-yu? Oh, I saw his face splitting apart from afar yesterday…

“This is amazing every time I see it. How do you update the incident every time… ”

“Shut up. It’s noisy.”

This guy probably doesn’t even know that I saved his life. I don’t really intend to show off, but it’s a little annoying.

I’ll just punch them in the face a few times before I die. Not a bad idea.

The lecture begins with the professor calling out his name. Since the principal returned, the cradle has quickly regained its former appearance. Life went on as if nothing had happened.

And even after the lecture started, Choi Woo-jin continued to express his curiosity in a small voice.

“Hey. You rascal. Let me ask you one thing. That cute girl. Is she really your daughter… ”

“Is she my daughter? Think about it and tell me. She must be Baek Seo-yeon’s younger sister or a relative.”

“Hmm… ”

The guy who had been drooling for no reason nodded as if he understood.

“Well, even if he was a hopeless bastard, he wouldn’t have touched the golden jade leaf of the fallen heavens like that. He wouldn’t have been prepared for an all-out war between families… ”

“Who is the one who is so desperate… ”

“Oh, and did you hear the news?”

Choi Woo-jin pretended not to hear me and changed the subject.

“News?”

“Senior Baek Seo-yeon and Senior Yeon Min-ha. I heard that the disciplinary room schedule was extended by one more day… Didn’t you know? ”

It was the first time I heard this news. The guy, who still had a sly smile on his face, continued talking as if he was happy.

“The disciplinary room was almost completely destroyed. The two of you clashed inside.”

“… What?”

“They say it was a situation that was almost like a war zone. Haewolhwa was furious when she heard the news. Well, considering that, maybe adding one more day to the disciplinary room was a cheap deal… ”

Damn, could that distant noise I heard before going to bed have been the disciplinary room breaking apart?

It feels like the homework I’ve been putting off is now right in front of me. On the other hand, I was able to recognize a little bit of the fragments of the reality I’m in.

How should I explain my death to them? I had no idea where to begin.

I haven’t felt any sense of reality yet… so maybe that’s natural.

There is only one thing certain in this situation.

Right now, I am in a position where I cannot choose anyone.

“So, which one?”

“What.”

“Which one of you?”

And this guy was scratching me without any regard for others. Why was it that I was left with only the seat next to him?

“You know that ‘both’ are not allowed no matter what, right? If you do that, you’ll be shot as a public enemy.”

“Please shut up. I can’t hear the professor because of you… ”

-Bam!

And my words, which were being hurriedly spoken, were cut off with the door swinging open. A man with a messy appearance was leaning on the threshold, panting heavily. Soon, everyone in the classroom was focused on him.

The old professor, clearly upset because the lecture had been interrupted, frowned at him.

“What are you doing in the middle of class right now… ”

“Urgent report from the front…!”

But the shout that came out of his thoughts buried the professor’s anger. There is only one place in the Republic that can be called the front line. The North.

And there was only one urgent message to be delivered from there.

“The great invasion of the demons… The barrier has been breached… !”