Human Touch

As I came to my senses and opened my eyes, I couldn’t help but scream at the sight of an old man’s face, wrinkled as hell, right in front of me.

,Uwaaaak!

,Euaak!

The old man, who had screamed like me, unfolded his cowering body, frowned, and suddenly struck my forehead with his palm.

Paak-!

,Why is this crazy bastard screaming as soon as he wakes up?

I was dumbfounded by the old man’s words, narrowing his eyes and looking at me as if I were pathetic, so I retorted.

,Well, who wouldn’t be surprised to see a face like that as soon as they open their eyes?

Paak-!

I was about to get up, infuriated by the old man’s action of hitting my forehead again, but the old man swung his staff and bound me with magic so I couldn’t move. When I looked at him with a dumbfounded expression, the old man grinned.

,Stay still. I’m not sure yet if you’re not a demon in disguise. You’ll have to stay like this until I sprinkle holy water and confirm it completely.

,Seriously, who the hell are you to do this to me? And why has everyone been calling me a demon since earlier? Anyone can see I’m a person!

As I asked, pressing the issue, the old man scratched his temple with his staff. His seemingly leisurely behavior was grating on my nerves.

,Hmm? Well, it’s our first time meeting, so it’s understandable that you wouldn’t know. I’m Conrad. I’m called the Harmonizer of the World.

I, who had been secretly manipulating magic to break free from the binding, stopped resisting upon hearing those words.

,Conrad…? Are you really the Archmage Harmonizer?

Suddenly, I felt like I could see a dignity in the old man that I hadn’t noticed before. Looking at him again, his wrinkles seemed a bit cool, and his actions seemed relaxed. As expected of an Archmage.

Conrad, who nodded at my question, tapped my forehead with his staff.

,Isn’t it obvious why people suspect you’re a demon? Because someone who died has come back to life unharmed.

,Wh-what did you say?

Wondering what kind of bullshit he was spouting, I was staring at Conrad when someone opened the door and came in. Then, without saying a word, they approached the bed and suddenly poured water on my face.

Having been subjected to a sudden water torture while still bound, I stared at the person who had poured water on me with dumbfounded eyes. It was a person with a sharp, snake-like impression. Why is this person here?

,…Raelan?

,Hmm? I didn’t expect you to know me.

I said in an irritated voice at Raelan’s action of repeatedly pressing my cheek with the end of the bottle, as if he was amazed.

,How could I not know you. Please, is there anyone who can explain to me in detail what’s going on? No, just… call Roel for me.

It would be easier to listen to Roel’s excessive explanations than to talk to these crazy bastards. Raelan, hearing my words, removed the bottle he had been pressing against my cheek with a strange look in his eyes and asked.

,…Why are you so eager to meet Roel? Is there a voice in your head ordering you to meet Roel or something?

I sighed and said, under the sharp gazes of Raelan and Conrad, who were observing my expression.

,What the hell… I just thought it would be better to meet Roel and get an explanation of the situation. There’s no voice ringing in my head or anything. It’s clean.

As soon as I finished speaking, Raelan and Conrad exchanged glances, sandwiching me, who was lying on the bed, between them. Raelan, who naturally placed the empty bottle he was holding on my stomach, said.

,Judging from the fact that you’re not reacting to the holy water containing the Saintess’s power, it doesn’t seem like you’re a demon in disguise. It’s highly likely that you’re a person, as Roel said.

,Indeed… I couldn’t find any particular problems when I checked with magic either. And you don’t have the skills to endanger Roel.

I sighed at Conrad’s answer and joined the conversation.

,You guys haven’t forgotten that I’m lying right under your noses, have you? I can hear everything.

At my words, the two people’s gazes fell on my face. Raelan, who had been staring at me blankly, asked.

,Why were you in such a place?

,…I don’t understand the question.

As if he thought my answer was stupid, Raelan frowned and said again.

,I heard it from Illia. You were alone, without even a magic camouflage device. Why were you doing that in that place? Was it to lure the Chaos Worm? Or was there another reason?

Raelan asked as if he were interrogating me, but unfortunately, I couldn’t give him a proper answer. Magic camouflage device? And what’s a Chaos Worm? Is that the name of the bug that attacked me? I felt frustrated, like I had become a moron.

,I don’t know what a magic camouflage device is… And is the Chaos Worm the name of that giant bug?

Raelan flinched at my annoyed question. Then he stretched his lips into a long smile. I felt uneasy for no reason at that sight.

Raelan asked.

,How old are you?

,…I’m twenty.

At my answer, Raelan’s lips seemed to curl up slightly.

,Then what month is it now?

,Isn’t it December…?

Winter vacation starts at the end of November, and it’s not even past the middle of December yet. So I’m still twenty. But unlike before, Raelan asked with a strange expression, as if my answer was not what he had expected.

,…Not July?

At Raelan’s question, I frowned this time. Suddenly, July? Looking at the thick clothes that Conrad and Raelan were wearing, it was clearly winter.

,Then do you have any memories from August until now?

,Of course I do.

Raelan scoffed and shook his head at my immediate answer.

,No, you can’t. If you recall the memories in your head, aren’t the events out of order, or are you remembering them from someone else’s point of view? You should definitely feel something strange.

I felt like I wanted to refute Raelan’s conviction that I was lying.

I said mockingly.

,Not at all. Why are you asking that when you know what I did in the first place? If your memory is hazy, ask Navier.

,…You know Navier? I heard you’ve never even talked to her.

I could finally sense something was wrong at Raelan’s reaction. The Raelan I knew was someone who enjoyed wearing black suits that revealed his cold and calculating personality. But now, he was wearing a thick coat with traces of having been sewn up several times, and a fur vest underneath.

Can a person change this much in a few days? When I thought about it, Illia’s appearance was also different from what I remembered last. I asked with a trembling voice, wondering if it could be.

,…What year is it now?

Raelan answered, his eyes shining at my question.

,It’s February 13th, Imperial Year 627.

,627, ha….

The Empire, which unified the continent, continued to use the Imperial Calendar that they had been using since before the unification. If it was Imperial Year 627 now, as Raelan said… there was only one answer. Where I was, it was December of Imperial Year 622. In other words, I had come to the future, five years later.

The question of whether time travel was possible with space magic arose, but understanding the situation came first. While I was rolling my eyes for a moment, Raelan twisted one corner of his lips.

,It seems you’ve noticed something strange.

I was hit right on the mark, but I maintained a nonchalant expression as if nothing was wrong.

,Rather than something strange… I’ve realized what the situation is.

,Hoo, then can you explain it?

I decided to go on the offensive at Raelan’s question. I deliberately spoke in a sarcastic tone.

,You forcibly bound me to the bed like this, even subjected me to water torture, and now you’re asking me to explain without even an apology?

,Then should I personally adjust your crooked mouth for you to speak?

Conrad threatened me, holding his staff to my mouth, but I answered with a playful expression.

,Release the binding first. Isn’t that the basic thing to do? It’s been revealed that I’m not a demon, and you said my skills aren’t dangerous. You’re not secretly afraid, are you?

Conrad, his face contorted, glared at me for a moment before waving his staff. As the magic that had been suppressing my body disappeared, I raised my hand and swept back the wet bangs that were bothering me. As I shook off the water on my face with my hand, Raelan said.

,I’ll take you to Roel.

Conrad stopped Raelan.

,Hey, wait a minute. This guy isn’t completely safe yet. Meeting Roel could be a trap in itself.

Raelan shook his head at Conrad’s wariness of me until the end.

,Either way, His Majesty will want to hear the explanation directly. He’s already waiting outside the door.

As Conrad and I turned our heads towards the door, the door opened as if he had been waiting, and Roel waved his hand slightly.

,Ross, long time no see.

I scratched my ear, feeling embarrassed for no reason at Roel’s voice, filled with longing. If this was the future, five years later, Roel would have defeated the Demon King and saved the world.

Roel, five years later, hadn’t changed. His handsome face was the same, and his heavy presence was still there. Yeah, Roel had finally reached a happy ending as originally planned. A smile spread across my face without me realizing it, filled with satisfaction.

I also raised my hand slightly to greet him, and Roel approached me with a happy smile. As I looked at Roel, I felt one strange thing. And soon, I was able to realize the identity of that strangeness. The place where Roel’s left arm should have been was empty. The smile that had been on my face disappeared in an instant.

,Hyung…?

Roel, noticing that my gaze was fixed on his missing left arm, gave a playful smile as if it was nothing.

,Now I have a bit more of a human touch, right?

I couldn’t laugh at that joke at all. Roel becoming a one-armed man was a variable that hadn’t appeared anywhere in the novel’s ending.