IPUAVNP Chapter 136

Chapter 136

 

“Why did Amidal suddenly appear near Elders’ Canyon?”

Back in her room, Brody stared into empty space with a serious expression, her gaze so sharp it was as if she were looking directly at the witch herself.

The witch who had ruined Rubinus’ life, forced her to kill and harm those she held dear, and left Eileen, the leader of the White Fox Tribe, bedridden for three years.

Brody bit her lip.

Having been entangled in the affairs of those three, she couldn’t simply ignore this.

Amidal was not the type of witch to act openly—she always lurked in the shadows, using others as tools to wreak havoc.

Just as she had once controlled Rubinus’s mind, turning the Wildlands into lawless chaos.

Brody feared that, having lost Rubinus, Amidal was now searching for someone else to manipulate.

Her anxious gaze drifted toward Kyle, who was sitting on the couch, studying a map with great focus.

“…”

Now that she thought about it, in the original story, Amidal’s appearance at this time was directly linked to Kyle.

Because Kyle, in his quest to kill Abel and obtain greater power, had made a pact with Amidal.

Of course, in the original timeline, Kyle didn’t even get to fully use that power before meeting his end at Abel’s hands…

Recalling that tragic outcome, Brody felt her throat go dry as she stared at him.

Fortunately, the Kyle of this timeline was nothing like his original counterpart—there was no way he’d make a deal with Amidal now.

…Right?

But what if Amidal tempted him with promises of restoring everything he had lost? Would he be able to resist?

The thought made her feel that Kyle’s eagerness to leave this place was perhaps a blessing in disguise.

“…Why are you looking at me like that?”

Lost in her thoughts, Brody had unknowingly been glaring at him.

Realizing her mistake, she quickly relaxed her expression and let out an awkward laugh.

But Kyle wasn’t fooled. He could tell she was stressed over Amidal.

“Brody, don’t let it get to you. That witch has always wandered the continent—she might’ve come north just by chance. Even if she does have some ulterior motive, there’s nothing we can do about it right now.”

“…That’s true.”

He was right.

But even so, knowing that Amidal was near Roden unsettled her.

What troubled her even more was that the sighting had been near the Tigers’ Territory—Roden’s enemy.

If Amidal caused trouble here, there were no powerful mages around to stop her.

The only ones capable of facing her were far away in the Wildlands or Ennea’s Forest…

Oh!

A thought suddenly struck her, and she snapped her head up.

After a brief moment of deep contemplation, she stood up and walked over to the desk.

With a determined expression, she grabbed a piece of paper and a quill.

Kyle, watching her from the couch, raised an eyebrow.

“Brody, what are you doing?”

Dipping the quill in ink, she answered,

“I’m writing to Rubinus. I’ll tell her about the rumors of Amidal and ask her to keep an eye on this place.”

If there was anyone on this continent who had both the motivation and ability to track down and eliminate Amidal, it was Rubinus and Eileen.

Both of them had lost too much to that witch.

So as a precaution, Brody planned to inform Rubinus of Amidal’s whereabouts before leaving.

It was the only way she could leave with some peace of mind.

Kyle, understanding her reasoning, didn’t stop her. He simply nodded in agreement.

Brody poured all her focus into writing the letter.

At the end, she almost added a postscript asking Rubinus to relay this information to Eileen, but she hesitated.

Wait… Have Rubinus and Eileen reconciled?

Thinking back to the last time she saw Rubinus, she felt confident that they had.

There had been a newfound determination in Rubinus’ eyes—she no longer seemed trapped in her past.

Hoping that they had indeed made peace, Brody finished writing the postscript.

 

***

 

A few days later.

Ever since his injury, Kyle had been sleeping in late.

But today, for some reason, he was already awake before dawn.

In truth, he had been up since the middle of the night, lost in thought.

Only when the first rays of sunlight slipped through the curtains did he snap out of his daze.

Lying beside him, Brody was still sound asleep.

Gently, he reached out and brushed her hair back before carefully getting out of bed.

The mansion was still quiet—most people hadn’t woken up yet.

But Kyle, as if already knowing someone else would be awake at this hour, walked without hesitation.

His destination: his father Alexander’s study.

He had never come there of his own will before.

Knock, knock.

Feeling slightly awkward, he raised his hand and knocked.

A moment later, a voice from inside responded.

“Come in.”

After a brief hesitation, Kyle pushed open the door and stepped inside.

“…Kyle?”

Alexander, who had been preparing for the day’s work, widened his eyes at the sight of his son.

“…What brings you here at this hour?”

Though his voice remained composed, there was a hint of surprise he couldn’t quite conceal.

Kyle walked over to the chair opposite his father’s desk and slowly replied,

“I have something to tell you.”

A heavy silence followed.

Kyle hesitated, unsure of how to begin.

In the suffocating silence, both men exchanged uneasy glances, neither comfortable in the heavy atmosphere.

It was Alexander who finally broke the tension, speaking hesitantly.

“Well… what is it you wish to say?”

Kyle lifted his gaze to meet his father’s.

As the hesitation faded from his blue eyes and his resolve solidified, he finally spoke.

“I plan to leave Roden within the next few days.”

Alexander’s eyes wavered at his words. This time, he couldn’t hide his shock.

“Where… are you planning to go?”

Even though he knew this wasn’t simply a trip, he couldn’t help but ask.

Kyle swallowed hard at his father’s inability to immediately accept the truth, then reiterated.

“I’m leaving with Brody.”

Alexander had no words.

He stared at his son, struggling to comprehend his decision.

Kyle answered the unspoken question in his gaze.

“You already know I can’t stay here. That’s why you drove me out before.”

“Kyle.”

Alexander urgently called his name, as if to explain himself.

But before he could say anything more, Kyle’s next words froze him in place.

“This time, when I leave, I won’t be coming back.”

Even after attacking his brother and being banished to the countryside, Kyle had fought his way back.

Even after being thrown alone into the distant Asgard continent through a magical gate, he had risked everything to return.

Yet now, he was saying he would never return to Roden again.

“Don’t think it’s because I hate my family. I spent my whole life filled with resentment and hatred, but I won’t live that way anymore.”

For the first time in his life, Kyle Roden looked his father in the eyes without hostility and continued.

“I refuse to let my present be destroyed by the misfortunes of my past. From now on, I’ll devote myself to happiness with the person I love.”

Every word he spoke carried the weight of his sincerity.

Seeing his father rendered speechless, Kyle let out a bitter smile.

“Lately, I’ve even come to think this way—That if you hadn’t abandoned me, I never would have met Brody. If every misfortune I’ve endured was just to lead me to her… then I should be grateful.”

There was a slight tremor in his voice as he spoke.

The heart that had been frozen in eternal winter had finally begun to thaw—

All because there had been someone who had shone upon him like the sun in every season.

And so, for the first time, Kyle allowed himself to dream of something he had never dared to want before.

“If Brody allows it, I’ll marry her. We’ll have children together. And I will make sure—”

His throat tightened as a surge of emotion threatened to break through.

“…that I become a good father to my children.”

It was his final resentment.

And at the same time, his first and last promise to his father—one he would stake his entire life on.

As Alexander, utterly shattered, sat in silence, Kyle wiped the tears from his face and spoke with quiet finality.

“I will live well, wherever I go. So you don’t have to suffer over your unworthy son anymore. Live your life in peace.”

With that, Kyle turned and left the study without a moment’s hesitation.

The child who had once desperately craved love, seeking it in all the wrong ways, had finally become an adult.

And without regret, he left his nest—leaving behind his past.

His words—’I won’t hate anymore’—did not mean he had forgiven.

It simply meant that his family was no longer worth the effort of hatred.

That they were no longer worth any emotion at all.

At last, Kyle had severed his ties with his past—his family.

This time, he was the one doing the abandoning.

And so, left behind among the things discarded, Alexander could only stare at the empty space Kyle had left.

‘And I will make sure… that I become a good father to my children.’

Memories flashed through his mind—of all the times he had failed to be a good father, of all the years he had done nothing but chastise and blame his son.

Memories that shattered and crushed him.

Unable to contain the sorrow welling up inside, Alexander finally broke down, consumed by the regret and remorse that came far too late.

Too much time had passed to change anything now.

All that remained for him was to carry the burden of the past Kyle had abandoned and live the rest of his life in endless regret.