“That day, I boarded a ship at the Luana Harbor, arrived in Gosanjer, and met my mother. Then I crossed the southern border and went to the Neo Kingdom.”
“So you made it to Heremos safely?”
“Yes. Thanks to you.”
Heremos was the name of a hidden village deep in the mountainous region of the northwestern part of the Neo Kingdom. It means “abandoned valley” in the local dialect.
It was a village formed by war refugees decades ago, and its existence was unknown to the outside world.
According to the original story, Heremos was the place where Sylphia, who had escaped from Clyde, sheltered for several years.
To reach Heremos, the help of a guide who knew the location was needed.
I had written the details of this information in the letter I handed to Clyde and his mother.
According to the original story, the guide not only guided them to Heremos for a fee but also provided a place to live within the village.
It was a perfect place for the mother and son to stay, as no one would ask them where they came from or their original names.
With the magical item I provided, it wouldn’t be easy for him to be exposed as a half-demon like before.
‘It was kind of ironic that Clyde was using Heremos as a hideout, considering the original storyline….’
In the original story, Clyde, who finally found Sylphia, intends to turn Heremos into a battlefield.
Only to be stopped by Sylphia.
“And then what?”
“…….”
Clyde lowered his gaze silently.
“Nothing much. I stayed there for a while, and then I came back to Palma to find you this time.”
“Is that true?”
“Yeah.”
“How did you get the money? This mansion alone must have cost you quite a bit of money to rent.”
“I did some mercenary work. I hunted monsters and used the power obtained from the blood of demons. It wasn’t too difficult since I had the strength of a half-demon. However concealing the fact that I’m a half-demon was actually more challenging.”
“When did you awaken your magical powers?”
“About three years ago.”
It was at around the same time as the original.
“How? What triggered it?”
“There wasn’t any particular reason. One day, I just woke up and felt a burning sensation in my body, as if it was on fire. It took some time for me to gain control over it at first, but now I’m completely accustomed to it.”
Clyde spoke casually, as if it were nothing.
I felt a strange sense of discomfort.
In the original story, Clyde’s awakening of magical power was much more dramatic.
It was triggered by the extreme pain he felt during torture. As he awakened to his magical power, the entire laboratory exploded, and half of the mansion collapsed.
Julion tried to kill Clyde, but failed and lost track of him.
Years later, Clyde returned with a great army of demons and destroyed the Palma Empire.
Of course, considering that fate had already changed in many ways compared to the original story, I couldn’t conclude that a special trigger was necessary this time as well.
It could have been possible that he simply awakened from his power without any reason. Alternatively, in the original story, he may have awakened at the right time without any actual connection to the torture.
There was no way to confirm either scenario.
Clyde’s expression and gaze were completely composed.
I couldn’t honestly gauge whether his words were lies or not.
“…And your mother? How did she end up dead?”
To be honest, I didn’t want to ask this question if I could avoid it. But if I wanted to understand why Clyde had become so obsessed with me, I needed to know everything that had happened to him.
“Oh, that. I lied.”
“What?”
“It’s a lie. My mother is perfectly fine and well in Heremos.”
I stared at Clyde in disbelief, unable to find my words.
“What are you talking about? It’s a lie? Why would you tell such a lie?”
“I thought that if I lied, you might feel more sorry for me. But then I realized that I resent you for lying to me, so it didn’t feel right for me to lie as well.”
“…….”
Clyde smiled lightly, as if this was all a joke.
“…Are you serious?”
“Yeah.”
“Look me in the eye and tell me straight. Are you really telling the truth, not just about your mom, but about everything you said today?”
“Yes. If you don’t believe me, I’ll put my finger on it.”
“…….”
I was frozen and couldn’t utter a word in response.
Clyde chuckled softly.
“Just kidding.”
“…….”
“Don’t give me that look. I don’t resent you anymore. Of course, as long as you don’t leave me again, that’s the premise.”
“…Clyde.”
“It’s okay even if I don’t know your real name or face. For now, it’s enough for you to come visit me once every few days like this.”
Clyde pulled me into his embrace, resting my head against his chest.
I could hear a slightly rapid and powerful heartbeat thumping in my ears.
My small body fit perfectly in his arms, as if it had always been that way. Yet, I didn’t feel any sense of suffocation or discomfort.
“I don’t mind if you want to lie again. I’ll be deceived as much as you want. As long as you’re by my side, that’s enough for me.”
Clyde whispered in my ear.
He buried his face in my hair and took a deep breath, then gently pressed his cheek against my forehead. And with a sigh that sounded like a contented purr of a cat, he exhaled slowly.
I couldn’t say or do anything.
I simply relied on his embrace, and nothing else.
*****
After Ruby left, Clyde sat on the floor as if he were a lifeless doll.
Clyde’s eyes suddenly glanced at the slice of peanut pumpkin pie left behind by Ruby. Slowly, he reached out his hand and picked up a piece of the pie. Then he took a bite.
It tasted as if he were chewing mud, without any flavor.
A melancholic smile appeared on Clyde’s lips. The slice of pie slipped from his hand and fell to the floor.
He would lie as much as he could if it meant being by her side.
Whether it was about his own body or his mother, anything.
The morning sunlight streamed in through the open window, as if time had passed quickly.
Clyde closed his eyes quietly.
*****
A few days later.
It was a normal day in the department of Magic.
Count Delma Mazenkir, head of the Research Department, had called the entire department together.
Count Mazenkir adjusted his glasses, which were almost as thick as Cecile’s, and spoke.
“A ruin has been discovered in the Decoswan Canyon of Andela. We’ll need to investigate to be sure, but it appears to be a relic from the Chauntriya Empire era.”
His words caused a stir among researchers.
The Chauntriya Empire was a kingdom that existed about 1,000 years ago, and it was known as the foundation of all modern magic.
If the ruins were indeed from the Chauntriya era, there was a possibility of finding clues to ancient magic that had been lost long ago.
As the war with the demons continued, this opportunity could be seen as not only an academic endeavor but also a valuable chance for immediate power augmentation.
“His Majesty the Emperor has ordered an investigation team to be dispatched urgently. The entire Magic Department will participate, but of course, the core will be our Research Division. For now, we’ll be accepting applications on a first-come, first-served basis. Since this mission may take several months, or even more than a year, only researchers who are able to go on long-term assignments should apply.”
Without realizing it, I raised my hand.
“Yes, researcher Rojasis. What is it?”
“Will the Head of the Magic department accompany the investigation team?”
Count Mazenkir blinked as if he was puzzled by my question.
“No. The head is not going. The investigation team will be led by the deputy leader.”
“I see.”
Since my father became the Head of the Magic department, he has never gone on a long-term assignment. So I thought it was unlikely, but I had a faint hope of asking just in case.
Andela was a province in the northernmost part of the empire, a ten-day carriage ride from the capital, Trachen.
If my father had joined the expedition team, it would have been a perfect opportunity to keep Clyde away from my father for nearly a year.
