Manpower

The week of being banned from going out passed by faster than I thought.

Aria and Kane were too busy to come to the club room, and for some reason, Luna blushed every time we were alone and ran away to the library.

In the end, I spent every day training and sparring with Lacar, and the week flew by in an instant.

Whether it was because sparring with Roel was really helpful, Lacar gave me a thumbs up, saying that I had grown tremendously compared to the beginning.

As soon as the ban on going out was lifted, I left the academy. Realizing that borrowing a horse for about 3 hours a day was more efficient than finding a carriage to Turning Village, I borrowed a horse and headed to the village.

It was awkward because it was my first time riding a horse, but like a horse that had a lot of experience carrying people, it walked well on its own as long as I held the reins tightly.

Arriving at the outskirts of the village, I tied the horse to a tree in front of Rotten’s house and knocked on the door, but as expected, no one was there, probably because he had gone up the mountain.

I had no choice but to go up the mountain. When I headed to the statue where I had met Rotten last time, Rotten was doing an experiment as expected.

,Hello. Uh, Rotten-ssi.”

I didn’t know what to call him, so I just called him that. Rotten heard my voice and threw a stone he was rolling on the ground at me, getting angry.

,A guy who shows his face after a week says what? Rotten-ssi? You damn brat!”

,Well, what should I call you then.”

At my question, Rotten smirked unpleasantly.

,There’s a good word called ‘teacher’, you know.”

,I’ll just call you grandpa.”

Rotten didn’t like my immediate answer and grumbled as he asked.

,But what were you doing that made you come so late?”

,I was late returning to the academy because of you, grandpa, and I got punished. If I’m late this time, I’m really in big trouble.”

If it’s Professor Leora, if I’m late again, she might not just ban me from going out for a week, but revoke my outing privileges as warned.

,Eing, then don’t bother going back and forth, just quit the academy and become my disciple.”

,Is that something an academy senior should say?”

I said that in disbelief, and Rotten frowned and gestured for me to come closer.

,But it’s good that you came. I’ll send a butterfly, so go and pick some flowers.”

I made a dumbfounded expression at Rotten’s actions as he handed me a trowel as if it were natural, and Rotten shouted.

,You need to pick flowers to do the experiment!”

,Yes, yes.”

At Rotten’s urging, I eventually took the trowel and followed the fluorescent butterfly up the mountain. As if it had been waiting for me to come, the butterfly flew to the cliff without hesitation, and I was able to safely collect the flowers using magic like last time.

When I returned to Rotten and handed him the flowers, Rotten looked at me with greedy eyes for a moment before taking out a small dagger and carefully separating the thorns from the flowers.

As I watched him, I carefully said what I had wanted to ask last time.

,By the way, why are you researching the Stone Thorn Disease?”

At my words, Rotten stopped his hands for a moment before cursing a little later.

,Hey! Who talks next to me when I’m working dangerously! Will you take responsibility if I make a mistake?”

I sighed and answered at Rotten’s angry appearance.

,I have to go back now. If you hadn’t just told me to pick flowers, we would have had enough time to talk.”

At my words, Rotten sighed, put down the dagger, and turned around.

,More than that, what is the personal reason you mentioned last time?”

At Rotten’s sudden words, I stroked my chin, wondering what he was talking about, and then remembered that I had answered that way when Rotten asked why I was investigating the Stone Thorn Disease.

It was just a rough excuse, so there was no particular reason. But judging from Rotten’s personality so far, it was obvious that he would suspect me if I didn’t answer properly here.

As I was thinking about a good excuse, Luna’s image came to my mind, and I opened my mouth.

,The person I like is a little sick. So I found out about it while researching similar things.”

It was a lie to get out of the situation, but for some reason, Rotten flinched greatly as if he had been punched in the solar plexus when he heard my words.

,I, I see. Hmph, it was nothing special.”

Rotten snorted loudly and turned around to separate the thorns again. As I shrugged my shoulders and calculated the time to return, Rotten suddenly spoke.

,Bring that kid with you next time.”

Is he doubting whether my words are true? As I was thinking that he was indeed a formidable old man, Rotten added.

,…Maybe I can help.”

I was very embarrassed by Rotten’s sudden suggestion. Guilt about Rotten’s reaction to taking my lie seriously and the anticipation that I might actually be able to cure Luna’s body were mixed together, and I approached Rotten.

,Re, really?!”

Rotten, who was separating the thorns, got angry when I shouted in surprise.

,Yes, you bastard! And how many times have I told you this is dangerous!”

While hurriedly taking a step back at Rotten’s actions of dangerously wielding the dagger, I just smiled with joy at the thought of finding a way to help Luna.

,Hmph, it seems like it wasn’t a lie when I see that stupid look on your face.”

,What is it? Were you doubting me?”

When I said that as if I was upset. Rotten snorted.

,Of course. That unique magic, and the fact that you’re in the combat department even though you have such magic. In many ways, you’re definitely a crazy bastard.”

,Then why are you trying to take such a crazy bastard as your disciple?”

,Birds of a feather flock together, you know?”

I scratched the back of my head at Rotten’s appearance as he smiled as if he was mocking me.

,Anyway, it’s late, so I’ll go back. I’ll try to come with her on the weekend.”

At my words, Rotten waved his hand, telling me to go away as if he was annoyed.

Even at that indifferent greeting, I bowed deeply and went down the mountain.

*

In the quiet mountains, Rotten stopped separating the thorns from the Platinang flower and looked at the place where Ross had disappeared.

An academy student who became interested in Stone Thorn Disease and came to find out about it after researching similar things for the person he likes.

At first, I doubted whether those words were true, but I could tell that those words were not a lie from Ross’s appearance, who smiled so brightly that his gloomy expression brightened up at the suggestion I threw out to test him.

Rotten could see his old self in Ross’s bright smile for a moment.

Is it because I talked to someone after a long time? Or is it because something tickling has risen in my heart that has been dormant for a long time? Rotten coughed for no reason because his throat was itchy.

I threw away my entire once-in-a-lifetime life for one goal for decades. I can say with certainty that I have never regretted it even once.

I did hundreds, no, thousands of studies. I comforted myself that today would be different and that the next experiment would be successful, and I devoted myself to research every day without fail.

It has been decades since I settled in Turning Village, which is close to the habitat of Platinang flowers. The neighbors laughed at him, calling him a crazy scholar and a smelly old man. But what was important to Rotten was research, not people’s eyes.

Rotten, who had separated all the thorns from the flower, wished for the success of the research this time and stabbed the thorns into the tail of a small lizard he had caught in advance.

Rotten, who confirmed that petrification was progressing from the tail, opened the cork of the potion bottle he had prepared in advance and poured it into the mouth of the fainted lizard.

,Is it another failure…”

The petrification seemed to stop for a moment, but Rotten sighed as he watched the small lizard, whose entire body turned to stone in an instant as if a dam that had been pooling up had burst.

As if mocking Rotten’s earnest heart every time, finding a cure seemed impossible.

The disappointment and futility that followed the failure filled Rotten’s head once again.

With a face full of gloom, Rotten organized his research and went down the mountain to his house.

The house Rotten lived in was an old house even before Rotten bought it, so the pillars rotted and collapsed. Thanks to that, Rotten’s magic maintained the shape of the house with vines and plants.

It was a house that people pointed fingers at, saying that it attracted bugs and looked like an abandoned house that should be burned down, but it was always a cozy house for Rotten and a house where Rael welcomed him.

As always, Rotten erased his gloomy expression, shook the soles of his shoes in front of the house, opened the door with a cheerful voice, and entered the house.

,I’m home, Rael.”

There was no answer, but Rotten changed his shoes and clothes as if he was used to it and put the research materials on the desk.

,The experiment failed again today, but there were still some results.”

Sitting at his desk. Rotten, who writes down the achievements of today in the research journal he writes every day, brought up the words about Ross, whom he met today.

,That guy came. The guy I said I would take as a disciple last time.”

Rotten, who took out the magic box with space magic on the desk, stored the written research journal in the box.

,Thanks to that guy’s magic, I was able to easily get Platinang flowers, which I could only get one a month. It would be a huge help to my research if he really became my disciple.”

Rotten, who said that with a regretful voice, put the magic box back in its place and got up from his seat.

,That guy. No, Ross was also researching Stone Thorn Disease for the person he likes.”

Rotten, who not only washed his hands cleanly with soap but also washed his hands once more using magic, approached Rael, who was always standing next to the bed.

,That’s why I want to take him as my disciple even more. Is this what you call a sense of kinship?”

Saying that, Rotten gently stroked Rael’s cheek. Rotten always smiled at the cold texture of the stone statue felt at his fingertips.

Rotten stroked the exquisitely carved statue of a beautiful woman as if it would come to life at any moment with a loving and careful touch.

,I couldn’t keep my promise again today, but I’ll try to keep it tomorrow, Rael.”

As if asking her to blame him for breaking his promise every day, Rotten made a promise he could never keep with a gloomy voice as always.