But the darkness made it almost impossible to tell their appearance.
All that could be seen was a faint outline of their face.
It was a familiar face.
ââŚwhat are you doing?â
âCanât you see? Iâm making a statue.â
As he gave this answer, Kasajin continued to sculpt the statue. All he had in his hand was a rough carving knife that seemed to be made from animal bones.
âThatâs unexpected. Have you always been able to sculpt?â
âNo. I learned it for the first time in this place.â
âWhy did you learn it?â
âBecause this canât be taken away.â
ââŚâ
He didnât really understand what that meant. But this was not the time to ask. Kasajin was wielding his carving knife with the serious expression he usually had when he trained his body.
Since it was a bit tiring to keep standing, he decided to sit in front of him as he watched.
Phew.
After a while, Kasajin brushed some dust off the statue and let out a slow breath before turning to look at Lukas.
âYou look like sh*t.â
âA lot happened.â
âI know. Thatâs why you came to this place.â
ââŚâ
âTell me. Iâll listen.â
His manner of speech hadnât changed at all.
âŚHe missed it.
Although it wasnât the time, Lukas couldnât help but let out a soft chuckle.
ââŚdo you remember? A long time ago, when we were fighting the Demigods⌠I told you that it wouldnât matter even if no one remembers what we did.â
âI remember.â
âThat even if our footsteps were never recorded in history, it would be fine as long as we didnât forget.â
âRight.â
ââŚbut, itâs not.â
He fell silent for a while.
At some point, Lukasâ smile had become bitter.
ââŚI donât want to be forgotten. I donât need to be praised for what we did. We didnât save humanity, the continent, and the world because we wanted fame or rewards for it. We didnât fight against the Demigods just for that.â
A desire for success, fame, or wealth.
If they had just been fighting just to satisfy those desires, then they would have given up a lot sooner.
The reason they did it was because they thought it was wrong. Because they knew the things the Demigods did werenât right. So they kept fighting.
âŚNo. It wasnât just that.
Lukasâ gaze turned to Kasajin.
âI was only able to hold on because of you guys. Because even when we were struggling desperately, we knew we were doing it together. It was that sense of camaraderie that comforted me. But I didnât realise.â
That it would hurt so much if no one remembered him.
Lukas didnât add the last part.
He didnât want to show how much those words affected him to Kasajin.
It was better to call it his last sliver of pride.
âYouâre wrong.â
âWhat?â
Kasajin got up from his seat.
It was only then that Lukas was able to see his full appearance.
ââŚyou.â
He didnât know what to say.
It was a body so weak that he couldnât imagine that this was Kasajin.
His wrists were so thin it looked like they would snap with a touch, and the legs that supported his body looked frailer than twigs in the middle of winter.
But the look in his eyes.
If it wasnât for that fierce gaze that was almost synonymous with Kasajin, he might not have recognised him.
âNot everyone has forgotten you. Your life wasnât that short, and your achievements werenât that small.â
ââŚ!â
âAt the very least, I will always remember you in this place. Always.â
He could feel the emotion hidden in Kasajinâs voice.
His heart ached,
ââŚKasajin, where is this place?â
Heâd thought that it was a dream, or that he was reflecting on the past.
But that wasnât the case.
This placeâŚ
Kasajin smiled faintly.
âItâs a place you donât need to know about just yet.â
Paht-
Lukasâ body was flung out of the cave. Lukas tried to grab Kasajin to stop himself, but Kasajin shook his head and stepped out of reach.
âYou shouldnât come to this place. Not yet.â
âKasajin! YouâŚ!â
âLukas, you just said it yourself. You saved our world. Do you understand what that means? The universe couldnât survive without you. Itâs impossible even for God to make those achievements disappear.â
âWhat are you talkingâŚâ
âOne more thing. You werenât just âLukas Trowmanâ.â
Kasajin chuckled.
âYou should have had another name as well.â
* * *
ââŚâ
Lukas woke with a slightly hazy mind.
âŚA dream.
Had it been a dream?
His head spun. He was incredibly thirsty. He also had chills as if the condition of his body was not good.
Was he still dreaming?
âŚAnother name.
The other name he used in this world�
âFrey, BlakeâŚâ (Note: Pray BlakeâŚ)
Crash!
A loud noise came from beside him.
Lukas forcibly opened his eyes and looked over.
A man was standing beside the bed and staring at him with a shocked expression.
It was Peran Jun.
* * *
When he opened his eyes again, it was dark.
Lukas couldnât tell if it was the middle of the night, or approaching dawn. He decided to get up first.
To an extent, his body, which had been stiff and shivering before, had regained its original condition.
ââŚthis bodyâŚâ
He couldnât remember being this sick even after staying in his workshop for months on end studying magicology. But heâd stayed in the library for just two days and gotten soaked by a bit of rain, and now heâd gotten so sick he could barely move.
Although he knew how weak his body was, he couldnât help but feel surprised.
ââŚâ
His chest still felt like a heavy piece of lead had been placed on it, but his mind felt a bit clearer. Perhaps as his sickness cleared up, so too had the bad thoughts in his head.
ââŚI feel like something important happened.â
As heâd laid on the bed, heâd woken up and fainted several times. Thanks to that, his memories were still unclear. He felt like something had happened, but he couldnât remember.
He let out a sigh.
He had completely lost control of himself. He felt like even if he kept scouring his memories, he wouldnât get what he wanted, so Lukas decided to let it go.
His gaze turned to his right.
There, on a small round table, were a suitably wet towel, a bowl of soup, and a cup of lukewarm water.
Traces that someone had been caring for him.
âWas it Snow?â
Lukas thought of the cool touch that heâd felt on his forehead, but sheâd told him that she would only wait one more day. Even though he was unconscious, he was aware of the fact that it hadnât just been for one day.
Snow had probably already left.
Creak-
But at that moment, the door opened, and it was none other than Snow that walked into the room. Lukas was a bit surprised.
Not only because of her sudden appearance, but also because of her expression.
Usually, she had a smile on her face. Whether it was a mischievous smile or a confident smile, most of the time, the corners of her lips were raised.
But at that moment, the Snow that entered the room was visibly upset.
ââŚhmph.â
She glanced down at Lukas and crossed her arms.
For a while, she didnât say anything and simply stared down at him with an annoyed gaze.
Seeing that she didnât intend to speak up first, Lukas opened his mouth.
âHow did you know I was awake?â
âHa.â
Snow snorted.
The expression on her face, which was as white as the moonlight, changed.
It was to the point where he could almost hear her thinking, âwhat did this bastard just say?â
âIs that all?â
âWhat?â
âThe first thing you say when you fully regain consciousness. Iâm asking if that is all.â
ââŚâ
Lukas looked down at the table.
ââŚthanks.â
ââŚâ
âIâm really in your debt.â
ââŚâ
âYou saved my life.â
He spoke with sincerity, but Snowâs expression didnât relax at all.
She still looked annoyed, but eventually let out a sigh as she looked at Lukasâ face.
ââŚright. Well, I guess itâs natural to say thank you, but Iâm not the one you should be telling it to.â
0
âThen the personâŚâ
âIt was Peran. But he left the academy a few hours ago. You missed it perfectly. He seemed to want to talk to you about somethingâŚâ
Snow narrowed her eyes for a moment before shaking her head.
ââŚin any case. Do you remember what this Queen told you?â
âYou mean about waiting for a day?â
âSo you remember. For reference, four days have passed since then. 96 hours to be exact.â
Blood flowed into Snowâs pale white face.
Lukas gently bowed his head.
âIâm sorry⌠By the way, not that I intend to make excuses or anything, but why didnât you just leave when I didnât wake up in time?â
âBecause I wanted to hear what would come out of your mouth. But if I knew youâd say something like that, I would have just left.â
ââŚâ
She really had a fickle personality. To the extent that he pitied Peran, who was her assistant. Of course, since Lukas was completely at fault in this matter, he wisely remained silent.
Snow smiled once again, and only then did she take her annoyed gaze off of Lukas.
âYour condition seems to have improved a bit. Last time I saw you, you looked like you were going to die.â
ââŚyou saw that?â
âRight. Anyways, Iâm glad youâre better. Timeâs a bit tight, so weâll leave right away.â
âWeâre leaving? To where?â
âThe best place to train you.â
âWhere is that?â
Snow finally smiled.
âAmalgam Forest.â
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