Ghosts of the Past (8)
The hero pondered upon his father's words.
And then he lowered his head.
- That research will probably fail.
- It will definitely succeed.
- Do you think you can complete it while you're alive?
- I don't know. Predictions are possible for established theories, but this is not such a problem. Based on the current situation... it can be completed in 30 years.
- Judgment Day will be around that time. On that day, your son has to take up the destiny of creating the Seven Disasters. Only then can the Disasters of the past be prevented. Is it worth risking the failure of the task when there's a sure way out?
- I have my son, don't I?
- Your son's bloodline is weak. Don't you know that he will be weaker than you?
- That child is smart. He understood words faster than me and learned the characters as well. He will undoubtedly understand magic quickly, so I can assert that there is still hope.
A moment of silence.
The hero asked his father.
- Why are you so stubborn?
It was a voice that he couldn't comprehend.
With a desperate face, the father said.
- How can I stay still when my son is destined to face tragedy? I want my son to be happy.
- It's an unavoidable fate. You should have been told this too. What is the reason for trying to avoid that fate?
- Because that's what family is. More than research achievements, more than people's respect for me, the smile of my wife, and the laughter of my son make me a happier father.
- It is important that everyone is happy. Sacrifice is not desirable for me either.
- Then please watch over me. I will definitely succeed and show you a result that will not disgrace you for the sake of this family.
His father wiped away his tears, and the hero quietly looked at him.
Reed, who had gone to play a prank, carefully retreated.
Five-year-old Reed was shocked.
He faced the other side of his always smiling father for the first time.
That was the weight of being the head of the family.
It was the figure of a man who tried to protect his family.
But in the end, he couldn't protect his family.
Because he died at the hands of someone.
***
As the Bolt Gun and Magic Shield were distributed, the besieged kingdom's army began to regain hope one by one.
Reed wasn't resented by the military factions and kings who were not chosen by him.
Because Reed had the potential to create attractive items for them, even if it didn't work now, they could aim for the next or the one after that.
Of course, the problem was not the idea itself.
Kaitlyn had many ideas, and Reed's storage was full of them.
What they lacked were manpower and resources.
It was a situation where resources were not abundant enough to spread their imagination or being complacent.
The cruel old heroes gradually learned what the new items were and began to adapt.
The situation was like a rubber band.
The more you resist, the more it bounces back.
It was a war that would not end until one side disappeared.
"How are things there lately?"
- It's a mess. Students are lining up to apply for a leave of absence to protect their hometown. The president had to give a speech to stop them.
"What about you?"
- I decided to go catch bugs with the professors.
There was no need to ask what the bugs were.
Just looking at the fact that she defeated the former president, she would have the upper hand against most Archmages.
"Don't push yourself too hard for nothing."
- It's not pushing myself, it's about protecting my family.
"I'm telling you to do that in moderation."
- Oppa always worries too much.
She threw a jab, but he didn't seem to dislike it.
As soon as Dolores’s call ended, Phoebe called him.
- The Tower Master of Sky Chamber has contacted you.
The Tower Master of Sky Chamber, Helios.
As soon as Reed heard that, he felt the blood drain from his body.
He couldn't help it since he had been caught recently, like a thief with a numb foot.
"Connect me."
A moment later, a heavy middle-aged voice echoed in his ear.
Reed tried his best to act as if nothing was wrong.
"What can I help you with?"
- Is the Master of the Black Sky Tower there?
"She's not here."
- Do you know where she went?
"I don't know. I'm sorry, but why are you looking for the Master of the Black Sky Tower?"
Reed was a bit puzzled by the fact that he was looking for Freesia as if she were his daughter.
He wondered if it was because she was similar to Rosaria, but fortunately, that was not the problem.
- I'm asking because you're the closest to the little girl.
Upon hearing that, Reed's eyes narrowed.
Being the closest to her...
She always came and went as she pleased, acting on her own accord, so how could they become close?
Though it was unpleasant, he didn't show it.
- So you're saying you don't know where she went?
"Yes. You don't know where he went either, do you? That's why you suddenly contacted me?
- Her secretary said she didn't know where she went either, and when I tried to connect directly, she stubbornly refused.
"Isn't it because she is out of reach?"
- I tried 35 times, so it must be intentional.
At that point, it was definitely intentional.
Reed silently admired Helios' persistence in trying to contact her 35 times.
Freesia suddenly disappeared.
Although she was a hard-to-predict character, where could she have gone if she suddenly left her position?
"Ah."
Reed muttered as if he had an epiphany.
"Maybe she went to face off against..."
- What?
"No, it's just my guess, but isn't there a Lich that swept through the south?"
The dark mage called the Ruler of the Undead, Baal.
His heyday was when he became a Lich, with a withered body.
Baal gathered an army, swallowed castles one after another, and turned everyone, civilians and soldiers alike, into undead.
"She might have gone to fight that Lich."
- She went to fight the Lich? Are you saying she went for a pride battle?
"Wouldn't that be the case?"
- Hmm...
Of course, Freesia had a different intention.
It was close to suicide if he had to express it.
There was no doubt that she went with the intention of dying if the power of the insane Lich, which had devastated half of the continent in the past, could kill her.
Since it was an emotion that ordinary people couldn't understand, Helios couldn't even guess that.
If it were a childish fight that even an elementary school student would do, it would be credible for Freesia, so he just let it pass.
And soon after, whether he found out Freesia's location or not, Helios answered.
- As you said, the Master of the Black Sky Tower is observed near Baal.
"I'm glad I could help."
- Indeed, asking you was the right answer. The other tower masters wouldn't even pretend to know.
There was no need to ask why they wouldn't even pretend to know.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that their lives would go downhill the moment they got involved with him, who couldn't hit the brakes.
- Anyway, I've figured out her location. Thank you.
"You're welcome."
Reed said so and sighed with relief.
'Fortunately, it wasn't a conversation about teleportation.'
As if reading his mind, the connection, which seemed to be cut off, reconnected.
- I think we need to talk about teleportation usage as well... but it doesn't seem like an immediate issue, so let's discuss it later.
"…Yes."
It was as he expected.
Since the situation was urgent, he had set aside minor issues like how he used teleportation.
Still, knowing that, his body felt much lighter.
Since that day, Reed began to use teleportation magic without any need for discretion.
***
In a chaotic era when one couldn't even go out freely.
A man walked across the open plains of the southern region.
He was known as the 'Ma-gun', Freesia's secretary from the Black Sky Tower.
The place he was heading to was where the Ruler of the Undead, Baal, was located, and at the same time, where Freesia had moved.
Since the Tower Master had been away for a long time, he had come out of the tower to bring her back forcibly.
He looked out at the plains under the distant black sky.
"You've had quite a fight..."
Skeletons, ghouls, zombies... Common undead monsters and high-ranking undead monsters were all scattered about.
The green plague gas, which instantly turned humans without resistance into undead, lay heavily like a fog over the quiet lake.
Despite the deadly gas, he entered, making a slight grimace as if smelling rotting garbage.
Unable to find any traces of Freesia in the midst of it all, Ma-gun finally began to shout in the center.
"Tower Master, where are you?"
Moments later, some of the piled-up corpses stirred.
The Ma-gun rushed to the spot and cleared away the corpses.
Inside was Freesia, wearing torn gothic lolita clothes.
"Ah, you're noisy. I was having a great sleep, why did you wake me up?"
"It's noon right now."
"What are you talking about? It's dark."
"That's because you haven't withdrawn your magic."
Freesia scratched her disheveled hair and stretched her right index finger towards the sky.
Following her fingertip, the dark clouds scattered.
"Really."
Seeing the sun in the middle of the sky, she frowned.
"Where did your clothes go?"
"I don't wear clothes when I sleep."
"If you were going to sleep, why not come to the tower and sleep there?"
"Ma-gun, if you keep being tactless, I'll cut off your head."
He closed his mouth at the quiet warning.
Freesia scratched her head like a girl who just woke up and flicked her finger.
Shadows at her feet wrapped around Freesia and restored her torn clothes.
She looked at the object in her hand and threw it to the Ma-gun.
"Ma-gun, catch."
The Ma-gun caught the object thrown by Freesia without knowing what it was.
It was the head of a dried-up mummy.
"What is this?"
"The head of the bastard who created these trash."
"Wow, is this the famous Baal?"
The Ma-gun looked at the treasure from all angles as if observing it.
With the head of a Lich, which could be called the final form of a dark mage, in his hand, curiosity came before fear.
He was both intrigued and curious about the reason for having that head.
"What are you going to do with this head?"
"I'm going to give it as a gift. Ma-gun, blue? Red?"
She showed the colors of the strings in her hands.
"I'll go with red."
He thought she was going to decorate it with flowers, but the use of the string shocked the Ma-gun.
She began to tie the string to Baal's head.
She tied it tightly with a ribbon, like a precious gift box.
It couldn't be to decorate the old Lich's head.
"Ah, and Ma-gun, I'll be back in a bit."
"You're leaving without saying anything and now you're saying you're going somewhere again?"
"I'll be back soon, so don't worry about your sister and take care of your siblings at home."
He tried to stop Freesia, but it was an absurd act with his physical strength or magic.
He looked up at her flying on a staff.
'Why is she so excited...'
It's been about 20 years since he started working at the Black Sky Tower.
She was more excited than ever.
***
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Dream big tl dot com
***
Freesia's destination was the Silence Tower.
There was a reception room for external guests, but Freesia didn't obediently go to the reception room.
She went straight to the office and kicked the door open.
"Reed, I brought a gift~."
Sensing unease instinctively at the sight of Freesia's beaming smile, Reed frowned.
"There's a better-decorated reception room, why are you coming into this sweaty place?"
"You look sexy when you work, Reed."
"Do women see it that way?"
"I wish you hadn't listened to my nonsense."
The one who said that looked disgusted, and Reed was at a loss for words.
"What's the matter, in this chaotic situation?"
"I brought a gift. For our Reed."
"A gift?"
Freesia proudly showed off Baal's head.
As soon as Reed saw Baal's head on the desk, he backed away.
If there hadn't been a chair, he would have undoubtedly shown an even more pathetic sight.
Not knowing whether she knew Reed's startled heart, Freesia continued proudly.
"I, for Reed, brought this kind of—."
"Are you crazy!"
Reed shouted before Freesia could finish her sentence.
"...What?"
The atmosphere turned cold.
