An Old Story (13)

Eisel would sometimes recall those memories.

The days of childish innocence.

The day she rebelliously went alone into the Morfran Forest after being scolded by the maids. It was a place strictly forbidden by her father.

"I... I remember. That day, I was being chased by a wolf demon. I thought I was going to die for sure."

Eisel followed a boy named Baek Seol-gi, who was assumed to be Baek Yu-Seol, and shared her story with Edna.

Since this was a story Edna had never heard before, she listened attentively.

"At that moment, he appeared. That man, whose name and face still remains a mystery. He was a hero in my memory. Even though we met only briefly, he saved my life."

While watching the young Eisel and Baek Seol-gi wander the forest for a long time, she reminisced.

"Perhaps after this... The knights..."

As soon as Eisel finished speaking, knights clad in blue appeared and surrounded Baek Seol-gi.

He returned the young Eisel to the knights without resistance. However, it simply couldn't erase their suspicions.

The Morfran Forest was a place strictly forbidden to outsiders.

"Looking back now, it's quite strange. How did he get in here?"

"Well, since it's Baek Yu-Seol, he must have found a way."

"That's true. He must have used some brilliant method that no one else could think of. It's a waste of energy to wonder about his methods because we'll never find out."

"Reveal your identity."

"Baek Seol-gi."

"…That's the name of a rice cake."

"That's why I hate rice cakes."

Seeing Baek Seol-gi give such an absurd answer to the knights' serious questions, Eisel and Edna were convinced.

"It's Baek Yu-Seol."

"It's Baek Yu-Seol. No one else would say such a ridiculous thing in this situation."

"Such...!"

When the knights tried to threaten Baek Seol-gi in anger, young Eisel tugged at their sleeves, shouting to stop them.

Would there be any knight in the Morfran Family who could ignore the nearly crying, cute young lady's face?

However, one high-ranking knight seemed unable to abandon his duty despite the young lady's plea.

It was urgent to find out how he had infiltrated the Morfran Forest to prevent such an incident from happening again and to uncover his identity....

"I'll tell Dad!"

"…"

"Don't laugh."

"Hm, hehe. Oh, I'm not laughing. Hehe."

"Seriously. Don't laugh."

In her translucent state, Eisel's face turned as red as a carrot, and she bowed her head deeply while Edna turned her head the other way, trying to hold back her laughter.

Honestly, she could live with showing this side to Edna. But... Thinking about showing this side to Baek Yu-Seol made her want to die out of embarrassment.

"I took the wrong path. If you show me the way out, I'll leave quickly."

Even after seeing the young Eisel's tantrum, Baek Yu-seol said calmly.

Just when she thought it was rather reassuring.

"Wait a moment."

"Ah...!"

Eisel heard a voice so familiar and dear to her coming from across the forest.

Thud! Thud!

All the knights immediately turned around and knelt, and Edna also looked at the man with a strange expression.

'Isaac Morph.'

The father of the original female protagonist in the story as she had read in the story.

"A-ah...."

Eisel's expression was already half-distorted, as if she could cry at any moment. However, she held back her tears and bit her lip.

"Hey. Are you okay?"

"... Yes. I'm okay."

She wanted to see her father. She missed him dearly, but she couldn't let her emotions get the best of her here.

Until she found out everything that had happened and the whole truth, she would hold it in.

——-

Baek Yu-Seol... No, Baek Seol-gi, was invited by Isaac Morph to join them for a meal.

For some reason, even with the exquisite food in front of him, he didn't eat at all.

The reason was probably.

"Because of the mask."

"There must be a reason he can't take it off."

They silently observed the meal. Throughout the meal, young Eisel threw a fit, smearing food all over her mouth, and Eisel's expression constantly twisted in response.

Fortunately, Baek Seol-gi didn't show any reaction, but who could predict what expression he had under that mask.

"Watching my dark past is really excruciatingly painful."

"Is that so?"

Edna quietly watched young Eisel and Isaac. Isaac would cut the food with a fork and knife and feed young Eisel, who would throw a fit every time there was a pepper or vegetable.

"But isn't it fortunate that you can see it?"

...

Thousands of thoughts swirled in her mind.

Why couldn't she have been better then?

Why couldn't she have shown more love to her father?

Why was her younger self so foolish, always throwing fits at her father?

Back then, if only she had been a bit more…

Why didn't she treat her father better?

Why did she do that?

"No, it's excruciating. So very much...."

"... I'm sorry."

Edna had a bitter expression.

Having never had parents, she couldn't fully empathize with Eisel, who had lost hers.

She thought she should keep quiet instead.

Her thoughtless words seemed to have touched Eisel's wound, and she had a heavy heart.

"I can't help but be curious about you, but could you share as much as possible?"

While young Eisel quietly nibbled on her food, Isaac and Baek Seol-gi continued their conversation.

"I'm just a wandering adventurer."

"An adventurer. That's quite a romantic job."

"Thank you."

"I heard from my daughter that you sliced through a Wolf in one sharp stroke."

This question piqued Edna and Eisel's curiosity.

The Wolf was a Danger Level 5 demon. It was powerful enough to destroy a small village alone, but he had subdued it barehanded.

Naturally, Baek Yu-Seol didn't give a proper answer. They didn't expect to get an answer so easily, but it was still disappointing.

"Well, it's a bit strange for someone who can beat a Danger Level 6 to 7 dark mage alone to be overpowered by a Danger Level 5 demon."

"That's true. Although I've never seen him fight directly, I've always thought he was hiding something based on his usual behavior."

The conversation grew more complex and prolonged, and since young Eisel finished her meal, she started yawning as if she was getting sleepy.

Eisel wanted to tell her not to leave and stay longer, but that wish couldn't be conveyed to the young Eisel.

"Princess, have you finished your meal?"

"Yes... I want to go to my room."

"Call maid Pescila."

Thus, young Eisel left, and Eisel's 'memory' was completely cut off there.

It was so long ago that she couldn't remember it properly, but…

"Now that my daughter has left, let me ask you a straightforward favor."

Isaac Morph lowered the mood and looked at Baek Seol-gi with a serious expression.

Baek Seol-gi listened intently.

"First, I have to say this."

After a short silence.

"I don't have long to live."

"… Huh?"

Thump!

Eisel's heart sank.

"Wh-what do you mean...?"

Of course, it was true that her father passed away not long after, but she had no idea he suspected his death long before.

"Wh-What do you mean, Dad…"

Eisel asked desperately, but unfortunately, Isaac couldn't hear her.

"Please understand that I can't explain the reason. But this request is sincere. I can't protect my daughter for long. If she stays with me, it might even harm her. When that time comes..."

Isaac looked straight into Baek Seol-gi's eyes through his mask and said, "Can you protect my daughter, even for a short time?"

"No, Dad, please…"

"Until she can stand on her own... No, just keep her alive..."

At that moment, Isaac looked more desperate than anyone else in the world.

"Please protect my daughter."

His last request.

To Eisel, it was a curse.

——-

The night wind in the forest was chilly.

While Isaac and Hong Si-hwa, along with other mages, were having a strategy meeting, Baek Yu-Seol secretly slipped out of the tent and approached a place laden with the aura of a dark mage.

He adjusted his mask to avoid being discovered. It would be troublesome if he encountered the dark mages he would meet in the future.

"This place..."

Dark mages infiltrated human society and perfectly assimilated by disguising their identities.

So, he thought this dark mage was also disguised as a soldier or knight, but it was not the case at all.

The place where he felt dark magic was deep in the forest, far away.

As Baek Yu-Seol pushed through the forest terrain, which was completely unfriendly to humans, he heard a cracking sound as something snapped.

Crack!

'Ugh!'

A giant tree formed a fist with its branches and suddenly struck the place where he was standing.

Boom!

He quickly jumped back, and this time, dozens of branches came at his feet from behind.

'Is it a Living Tree?'

A tree that moves.

It grew by absorbing animal blood and was also called 'Blood Tree' since it drew red blood when cut in a similar manner to humans.

Living Trees usually live in groups in one place, so discovering one often meant death, but it was a slightly different story for Baek Yu-Seol right now.

[Flash]

Thanks to the blessing of New Moon Silver, he gained an additional flash, allowing him to move four times in a row. He flew high into the sky and landed on the tallest Living Tree.

What's the next move?

None needed.

Even if he just waited quietly like this, they couldn't catch him.

The strength of Living Trees lay in their overwhelming numbers that could bind even the strongest beings, but their weakness was... They couldn't extend their branches higher than their own height.

He used that fact to secure a safe place without having to fight properly.

As he sat at the top of the still writhing Living Tree, catching his breath, a voice echoed beside him.

"Impressive."

The voice was deep and resonant. Turning his head to check, Baek Yu-Seol saw an unexpected figure.

'What...?'

It was so unexpected that his mind went blank for a moment. He recognized the face.

Professor Raiden of the Stella Academy. He was known in the lore as a dark mage and a Class 8 mage, and a close aide to Archie Hayden.

Loyal to the leader of the Dark Mage Alliance, he acted solely for that person... In some ways, he was one of the most devout individuals in this world.

'Professor Raiden...'

He was sitting on the tree, dressed in a neat uniform, and gazed into the distance where the human command tent was located.

"Did you come to find me?"

Baek Yu-Seol nodded without answering. Even a single word could make him remember his voice, which could cause a serious error and completely distort the future.

"I don't intend to harm you." Baek Yu-Seol aimed Argento at him, but thinking it would be troublesome if caught, he took out a backup staff and pointed it at him instead.

It would be difficult to win if they fought, and it would create problems with the timeline, but he made a gesture of threat nonetheless.

"Impatient, aren't you? All human mages are like you."

"I have no intention of fighting you. Rather, I came to save you."

He had a slightly different air from Professor Raiden who used to teach at Stella. He couldn't pinpoint it.

"..."

Baek Yu-Seol waved his staff up and down once, as if to ask 'What do you mean?'

Raiden parted his lips to speak. It seemed he also didn't want to fight him.

"Mages are about to bring calamity to this world once again. You label us dark mages as evil, but it's the opposite. You have always threatened the world, and we have always saved it from the shadows."

He said this and then stood up.

Quickly turning his head to look at the command tent, Baek Yu-Seol saw people dispersing as if the meeting had ended.

Using his Sentient Spec to zoom in, he noticed something strange.

Isaac Morphe and Princess Hong Si-hwa were not coming out of the tent. They were staying behind, talking privately. He felt uneasy, suspecting the conversation wasn't pleasant.

"I do not hate mages. Because there is still a chance for you all to be saved."

With those words, Raiden disappeared into the mist.

'Religious nonsense. Does he want me to confess or something?'

The way he kept mentioning 'salvation' at the end of every sentence made it clear he wasn't in his right mind.

"Phew..."

Baek Yu-Seol put away his staff and looked up at the night sky.

The sky was unusually dark.

It appeared to be signifying the uncertainty of tomorrow.