Chapter 259
What about ?
The light reflecting on the lake’s surface stabbed my eyes with the ripples, then faded, repeating the cycle. My vision flickered white, making it feel like I was in a dream. I had pushed him, expecting to hear sothing like this. It’s true. But I couldn’t help the dizzying sensation that overwheld .
“I’m sorry.”
I can’t accept it.
I looked into his eyes deliberately and said,
“For now, I can go along with your wishes. Like attending the engagent ceremony, for example. But I can’t say I’ll stay with you for long.”
What am I even saying?
But he didn’t question my words. His wavering eyes t mine, and he barely managed to speak.
“…I see.”
“I’m sorry.”
“No, I just need to try harder. It’s okay.”
His words sent a chill down my spine. A cold feeling settled in my stomach.
I struggled to find my voice.
“…What do you an, try harder?”
“Winning your heart.”
“So, how are you going to do that?”
“It’s a secret.”
He smiled brightly, as if he hadn’t just been rejected. He had a knack for sending my mind to another dinsion. He continued with a gentle smile.
“So, you’re saying… for now, you can be with . That intention is clear, right?”
“For now, yes.”
“If one day here were just one minute outside, how nice would that be?”
……
“Then I could hold onto your heart more securely.”
I shook my head. Putting aside his unsettling idea, I had to keep acting.
“It’s enough as it is now.”
“It’s not enough. I haven’t fully captured your heart.”
“You said ti is the answer. I think so too.”
“We don’t have much ti. Once the Bishop is dead, you’ll go back to your world, won’t you?”
……
“If only we were one.”
I looked down at him silently. He was looking at my hand, then slowly raised his head.
“I’ve dragged this out too long. Let’s go eat breakfast.”
* * *
“The house is full of flowers.”
“Pretty cool, right? You wouldn’t believe how much Magic Power went into this.”
Outside, it felt like spring.
The house was decked out with flowers, but the outside was even more striking, as if the season itself had changed.
He had decorated the mansion like spring for the engagent ceremony. After eating breakfast and reading a bit, I ca out to find the world transford like this.
The Archbishop looked around and said,
“I don’t really like plants, but symbols are the best, aren’t they?”
“Sure, do whatever you want.”
It’s not my house.
I mumbled absentmindedly,
“It’s peaceful.”
Right now, we were on a small boat on the lake.
He closed the book he was reading and stared at . I was looking at him too, so an awkward silence followed. I spoke first.
“What?”
“Everything suits you so well, it’s hard to decide. Your hair down makes you look my age, which is nice, and up, it’s neat and nice.”
Out of nowhere?
He’s probably talking about how to do my hair for the engagent ceremony.
What a random thing to say.
“Then just leave it down. It’s better if we have a similar vibe.”
After saying that, I realized I’d naturally treated him as Luka’s age and asked,
“Co to think of it, how old are you?”
“I’m about your age~ My clothing style is a bit old-fashioned, so you didn’t notice, huh?”
……
He pointed to the purple corsage on his hat and laughed.
Is he saying the ‘body’ he’s wearing is around 18?
Not the thing inside, right?
Of course, I’m in no position to judge, being in a similar situation.
In fact, it’s a relief his inner and outer ages don’t match. If he were actually younger than Luka, I wouldn’t be doing this; I’d have to be his teacher instead.
Thinking of that possibility, which would’ve doubled my reality shock, sent another chill down my spine, so I changed the subject.
“Your attendant hasn’t been around for days.”
“Oh, don’t worry about him. He’s here because he can’t go back to where he ca from.”
As I silently looked around, he asked with a face that showed complete confusion.
“This is the first ti you’ve ntioned soone from this place. Do you like him? I thought Old Humans were your type?”
“It’s not exactly a matter of taste.”
As expected, ‘Lu Barre’ was a New Human. His voice was too refined for an Old Human, so I figured he was either a forr actor or a New Human.
I pushed that thought aside, tilted my head, and smiled.
“Shouldn’t I be the one annoyed? You say you like , yet you keep another New Human here. How am I supposed to take that?”
“Oh.”
The Archbishop’s face showed he finally realized sothing.
He was more flustered than I expected.
He made a bewildered expression, closed his book, and said,
“I didn’t know you’d take it that way… I was just hiding a fugitive.”
“Hm, sure.”
“I only love you.”
It was such a direct hit that I almost failed to manage my expression.
Then a mischievous glint returned to his face.
“Even if it takes a long ti, I hope one day I can be with you. Where I beco you, and you beco . How much longer would we need to spend together to love each other that much?”
“Poetic.”
The sunlight reflecting off the water made it feel hot. The light kept stabbing my eyes, and my vision blurred as if in a dream.
I wished this peace could last.
Not because I love him, but because I know what’s coming at the end of this. I know everything but want to cover my eyes and forget it all. No, it’s because I know everything that I think this way. Who in this world would wish for a storm to sweep them away, knowing it’s coming?
But I won’t shy away from what I must do.
I just think about it. If he had chosen a more normal approach, this relationship might look different by now.
Of course, he’s not that kind of person. We’re like water and oil. In so ways, we see the world similarly, but in most ways, we can never mix. His ‘normal’ and my ‘normal’ are worlds apart.
His opportunistic nature, utterly devoid of sha, his extre lack of ethics, and his narcissism-driven egoism are beyond my comprehension. If I told him my analysis of him now, he wouldn’t understand why I reached these conclusions.
“Co to think of it, you look pretty tired.”
I said, looking at his smile.
After being gone for two days, he looked far more exhausted than before.
“A lot happened in a short ti… It’ll take too long to heal.”
“You’re hurt. How?”
“During reconnaissance.”
He answered, stood up, and ca toward . The boat rocked heavily.
“…?! Hey, why are you coming?! You’re throwing off the balance!”
“It’s fine~ It won’t capsize.”
He pressed one side of the boat with Magic Power and sat next to , muttering softly,
“Falling in together wouldn’t be so bad…”
“Is this water even clean?”
“Of course. But don’t people ever tell you your questions miss the point?”
“I don’t want to hear that from you.”
He laughed lightly and leaned against my shoulder.
“I wish this peace could last.”
……
“Even after attacking Ainsidel… I an, even after our engagent ceremony.”
So he’s still planning to hold the engagent ceremony despite essentially rejecting him.
For him, countless things must have gone wrong with his plans. Yet his refusal to give up is impressive.
“Just three hours from now, huh. I hope you co back alive.”
……
I looked into his eyes as he stared into the void. Even facing the possibility of death, his eyes were calm. No matter what crazy side he showed , he was indeed the Archbishop.
* * *
Ti passed like that.
He exceeded my request to stay for twelve hours, spending nearly two and a half days with . Yes, two and a half days. The coordinate system was collapsing further. My one day was now one hour outside.
During that ti, we recited poetry we weren’t particularly interested in, picked a few books to discuss, ate, went back to the lake, watched plays when bored, played poker and chess, danced to music, and asked each other questions.
And now, I’m on the verge of an engagent.
I’m in the room I’ve been staying in, being dressed up by servants.
It’s been two hours. Not even for a cara, so how can it take two hours to dress one person? And just for one person to see? I don’t know how to justify this inefficiency. It’s clearly a waste of resources.
Of course, it’s all so that one person will like it. I wouldn’t tolerate being the only one doing this, but since he’s probably wasting just as much ti getting ready, I can bear it.
“It’s done.”
One servant said, adjusting my tie that had gotten twisted while dressing.
I picked up the wristwatch artifact and pendant artifact I’d set aside. The servant in charge of my outfit seed displeased with my choice, as if they didn’t match the suit’s vibe, and spoke up.
“Uh, the watch…”
“I’ll do it.”
Before, during the cross terror incident, before turning back ti, I ntioned opening a belongings box in the hospital and finding artifacts and elixirs commissioned from Wittelsbach, along with Pai’s stone.
This wristwatch looks like the artifact I made when I first ca to this world, but its properties changed when I had Wittelsbach remake it.
I spent about 500 million won in Korean currency upgrading it. Leo told that several new technologies were invented while modifying my artifacts, so it’s no surprise how extensively it was overhauled.
Of course, it’s less that new technology was invented and more that technologies that hadn’t been used or refined before were finally polished. But that’s beside the point.
Either way, I always carry artifacts, so I can’t leave them behind.
As I stubbornly tucked the pendant under my shirt and put on the wristwatch, the servant finished adjusting everything.
Then, the bell signaling noon rang out from outside.
It’s the appointed ti.
Once this event is over, the Archbishop won’t be with anymore.
‘The end is near.’
In every sense, the end.
The servants’ faces tensed. I’m the one going, so why are they nervous?
As I stood at the door, a waiting servant opened it.
“…….”
It’s definitely space magic again.
I wasn’t in the mansion’s hallway. The sound of the door closing ca from behind, but there was no trace of the door anymore.
A grand Renaissance-style cathedral unfolded before . The sunlight pouring through the tall windows made the marble and listone interior glow a soft beige. The ceiling’s three-dinsional angel sculptures and reliefs seed to co alive, descending from the heavens. The blue frescoes painted with ground lapis lazuli added to the vibrancy. The cathedral’s pipe organ played music on its own, without a player.
And…
“Impressive.”
A low voice ca.
I looked at the altar adorned with flowers in front of the crucifix. The Archbishop stood there in a royal blue ball gown.
Normally, wouldn’t he co in after ? But this isn’t a wedding, and I don’t know if that’s standard in any country or era, so I didn’t bother pointing it out. What does it matter now?
He clearly spent as much ti getting ready as I did. He was the most beautiful person I’d seen in this world.
Maybe it’s the effect of the drug.
He looked at with a gentle face, his eyes shining.
I walked toward him slowly.
There was no priest to bless us. With the Archbishop here, why would we need one?
He turned toward and continued.
“…More than I expected.”
“You too.”
I answered, looking into his shining eyes.
He mirrored my smile. The organ’s lody lingered softly in my ears. Soon, his calm voice echoed through the cathedral.
“If one fails, two shall withstand, for a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”
……
“You said you still don’t know what position I hold in Pleroma.”
He took my hand and spoke.
“I’m a bishop.”
……
“The diocesan bishop of the Freiburg Archdiocese in the south of this country. Did Sir Nicolaus Ernst already know?”
Instead of answering, I said sothing else.
“What’s an Archbishop like you doing trying to get married?”
“Indeed.”
The Archbishop responded to my words with a playful smile, then recited another scripture.
“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins.”
……
He said no more and looked at . It was my turn. I smiled and recited a different verse.
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.”
“It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”
The Archbishop imdiately followed my words.
“I respect your wishes. So, today is less our commitnt and more my courtship.”
……
“I know you don’t quite love yet. But I never thought you’d be easy, so this is enough for . For now.”
I looked at him silently. I had no words. This was practically his solo declaration.
He stroked my hand with his fingers and said,
“I’ll co back after settling everything.”
……
“Will you wait for ?”
I didn’t answer.
Because for , this isn’t a beginning but an end, so I won’t wait.
Instead, I took his hand and kissed the ring.
He smiled with a face that made it unclear whether he understood my intention.
I lowered his hand and looked into his eyes. Silence lingered. Then he smiled at , snapped his fingers, and sothing appeared in his hand that wasn’t there before.
I looked at the ring case, the sa color as his dress, then at his face.
Another ring when I already have one?
Before my question could settle, he opened the lid and held it out to .
I saw two shining sapphires and fell silent.
Earring artifacts.
“Put them on for .”
Change them.
I knew it would co to this. When he insisted on an engagent ceremony despite already giving a ring, it wasn’t hard to guess he had sothing else planned. It wasn’t difficult to predict he’d add another symbolic gesture.
Changing them isn’t hard. He probably thinks so too on the surface. After all, the person who gave the artifacts I’m wearing is just a friend.
The problem isn’t who gave them to . It’s that these are the only tools connecting to the outside.
‘Of course, with this much ti…’
I’ll trust in my friend’s abilities. To be my superior, he should have that level of speed and skill.
I smiled and asked,
“Do my artifacts bother you?”
“I just want you to promise one last ti. Can you leave your old world for ?”
The old world.
To him, the Wittelsbach artifacts are my link to the world I ca from. He must have figured it out. No, he didn’t just figure it out now—he’s known for a while.
I don’t know what functions these artifacts he’s offering have. But the symbolism hit hard.
“You know how I feel right now? Like I’m staring at a pogranate.”
“Oh, so I’m Hades? That’s harsh~”
I laughed and closed the lid of the box he was holding.
Then I removed one of the artifacts from my ear.
I felt the Magic Power wrapping my heart weaken. This was the tool that kept fearless despite being in the heart of enemy territory. Only now did fear start to creep in, my heart racing. I tucked the artifact into my jacket and returned the box to his arms.
“This is as far as I go for now.”
……
“Before I accept your gift, there’s soone I want to et right now.”
His eyes were on my bare ear. Then he slowly looked into my eyes and spoke, his voice slightly wary.
“Who?”
“I want to et Lu Scheller. Right now.”
“Why that person…?”
When I didn’t answer, he frowned, smiled, and shook his head.
“No way. Why does an attendant need to be involved in this mont?”
“There’s a conversation I had with him last ti. I want to ask him more about it.”
……
“Please let et him. Otherwise, I can’t accept your gift.”
The Archbishop stared at silently for a long ti.
Then he nodded.
“Just for a mont. Five minutes.”
“Alright.”
I pulled him by the waist and hugged him.
“Thank you.”
……
He looked at expressionlessly, then gave a faint smile. An indescribable emotion flickered in his eyes.
Then he stomped his foot loudly.
Boom—!
Another space magic unfolded around .
I slowly looked around. It was a room with a similar vibe to the cathedral. All it had was a table and a couple of chairs.
Breaking this space magic would reveal the cathedral.
As I turned toward the door, wondering if I should open it, I heard movent behind .
“I heard you called for .”
I turned to see the attendant I’d seen a few days ago warped in front of the table. He looked quite startled, probably because I summoned him so suddenly.
Looking at his face, I spoke.
“I’ve been thinking.”
“About what, sir?”
“You’re clearly the sa person, yet ‘another ’ doesn’t know , while ‘yet another ’ does… I was curious about the reason.”
It wasn’t what he expected, and a strange question appeared on Lu Barre’s stiff face.
“What do you an? Didn’t you say you had sothing to discuss about our last conversation?”
Yes, I have sothing to say about that too. But not now.
I continued my earlier point and approached Lu Barre.
“It’s like a limiter switch. In so way, there had to be a need to restrict information from each body so it doesn’t automatically transfer to a single soul. Especially for soone in a high position like your master, they’d need to guard against the possibility of information being stolen by Divine Power, so they’d make information exchange between bodies difficult.”
“I don’t know what conversation you had with His Excellency. This doesn’t seem like sothing to discuss with .”
“The problem is, such technology doesn’t exist in this world.”
……
“It makes sense that it wouldn’t. People usually have only one body. How could they develop a limiter artifact to prevent mories from transferring or to selectively transfer only desired information? That thought seed pointless. After all, didn’t you all use this abundant ti resource to achieve anything?”
“Anything?”
Lu Barre slightly furrowed his brow. As I stepped closer, he kept backing away until his body hit the table.
“Anything.”
I answered, grabbing his left hand.
And, just as I did with the Archbishop, I pulled him by the waist.
He looked at like I was completely insane, but more than that, he seed overwhelmingly shocked. He was slipping into panic.
I muttered to the New Human, whose eye level was close to mine.
“Now, the key is figuring out where it is.”
Click—Boom—!
I pushed Lu Barre hard, slamming his head onto the table.
“…! What are you…?!”
He looked at in panic, then realized one of his hands wasn’t free and fell into shock. I looked at his wrist. My watch artifact had turned into a Magic Power restraint device, binding Lu Barre’s wrist to mine.
It felt like my heart was seizing. It was the strongest restraint I’d ever used.
Anyway, Wittelsbach’s technology is impressive. Even the Archbishop didn’t realize my watch was this kind of artifact. Of course, I ordered it that way from the start.
The Archbishop probably thought it was just a Magic Power regulation artifact I’d been using since the start of the sester.
“No, what are you…!”
Lu Barre was ridiculously strong. As expected of a New Human. I checked his ears first. Nothing. Too conspicuous, maybe. Since it’s a public setting, he could’ve just worn it. My hand moved to his wrist. Nothing there either. No trace of Magic Power.
Now, only one possibility remained.
I grabbed the necklace cord inside his collar and yanked it hard.
Snap—
“…!”
I threw the broken necklace to the floor.
His body jolted for a mont. His eyes went blank, then refocused.
“This is it.”
……
“Right? Say it yourself.”
I brushed the hair from his forehead with my right hand, pressing his head to the floor. His black eyes turned to . His eyebrows crumpled, and his mouth twisted. I probably had the sa expression. I pressed my knee harder to pin him down and asked,
“Alright. Do you recognize now?”
“You’re mistaken…”
I shook my head.
That’s not the answer I wanted. It shouldn’t be the answer. All my deductions would be for nothing.
I brought my face close to his. My hair touched his forehead. His breath reached . Noon sunlight filtered through the shadows. The shape of his iris was clear. I saw his pupils dilate. It wasn’t a familiar face. Definitely.
But the muscles of his face, freed from the limiter, moved like those of soone I knew…
And he was pouring emotions into my ears that only he would have.
My heartbeat was loud. I pressed down on his pulsing heart under my palm.
“Sorry for not living up to your expectations. You like this much, but I don’t have much to give back.”
“Ha…”
Lu Barre turned his now-red face aside and exhaled.
“…Hahaha… Hahahahaha!”
He burst into maniacal laughter.
Then, exhaling heavily, he stared into the void.
“…I.”
“Yes, go ahead.”
“I clearly said I only wanted to show you my best self.”
“You did. It’s fine.”
At my words, his eyes moved to . I looked at him and shook my head.
“Sorry to say in this situation, but let’s call off the engagent.”
Lu Barre’s eyes now carried the sa authority as the Archbishop’s.
I spoke to those eyes, gleaming as if they’d devour , to the soul within.
“I don’t have a hobby of getting engaged to terrorists.”
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