Chapter 7 …
‘Now that I think about it, around this time is when the rampaging of the ghosts and monsters begins.’
It is currently 12 years before the original story’s point in time.
It’s the point where fierce battles begin to erupt again in a world that has been relatively peaceful until now.
Truly, this world was too harsh for someone like me who aimed for an ordinary, happy life.
‘Of course, I plan to live a long, long life in a safe and peaceful place!’
[Right. We need to make sure your life doesn’t get ruined first.]
Yeah, yeah.
The world’s destruction? The protagonist will probably handle that just fine!
From now on, the fights against the ghosts and monsters and the resulting damage will only grow larger. More people will die…
But I can’t stop all of that. What’s important to me is…
“I’m just going to protect myself and my Lord. Ah, and my Lord’s family too.”
[Family?]
“Because my Lord lost his family to ghosts and monsters once before. So that something like that doesn’t happen again…”
“What? Are you talking about me?”
“Eeek! You scared me!”
Startled by the sudden voice, I turned around.
My Lord was standing at the entrance to the barracks, having appeared without me noticing.
“My Lord!”
“Hey there.”
“Wow! How did you get back so quickly?”
He said he was going to subjugate the entire mountain range, so how is he back after just a few days?
At my words, my Lord grinned and raised the corner of his mouth.
“It was about that much, no big deal.”
“So, does that mean the subjugation is all finished?”
“Whoa, whoa.”
As I approached him, my Lord gestured for me to stop and stepped back.
Huh?
“Don’t come close. I’m filthy.”
“Ah.”
“I came straight here after finishing the subjugation.”
Now that I looked, my Lord’s body was stained with dirt and blood.
When I sniffed the air, I could faintly smell a stench, so it seemed he had been splattered with ghost and monster blood.
“More importantly, what were you muttering to yourself about? Was it about me?”
“Ah, that…”
Had he heard me talking to Doori? My Lord asked again.
I rolled my eyes and decided to brazen my way through this one too, just like last time.
“I was making a resolution. …To myself.”
“A resolution? What kind of resolution?”
I put my hands on my hips and declared proudly.
“That I would protect you, my Lord. Ah, and your family too.”
“What?”
“Since you protected me, my Lord, I will protect you too!”
Well, that was essentially the truth anyway.
As I puffed out my chin proudly after my declaration, I heard my Lord let out a hollow laugh.
“Well, I’ll be, huh, really…”
“Why? I really did resolve to protect you.”
“Okay. Okay, do that. Thank you.”
My Lord unconsciously tried to put his hand on my head but stopped, then pulled his hand back and just rubbed his own nose instead.
“Would you look at this reliable little runt.”
“Hehehe.”
“What a relief. Now that we have a little hero, we should be able to get to the castle safely.”
“The castle?”
“Yeah. We’re leaving tomorrow. We’re starting early, so get some sleep, little hero.”
At my Lord’s words, my mouth fell wide open.
Finally!
The next day, truly from the early morning, everyone was busily moving about, packing up the barracks and setting off!
“Wooow!”
“Hey now, careful. You might fall.”
I rode a horse at the front alongside my Lord.
After riding for a long time, the place we arrived at was…
“Here, write your name.”
A large building inside the city.
Inside the building, people were bustling about.
‘No matter how I look at it, this doesn’t seem like a castle.’
As I looked around curiously, my Lord was writing something down.
Then he handed me a piece of paper too.
“What is this?”
“A guardianship contract.”
“Huh?”
It was, in fact, a guardianship contract between my Lord and me. After finishing his signature with a flourish, my Lord looked at me and raised an eyebrow.
“What are you doing? Write your name.”
“You will become my guardian?”
“Yeah. What, did you think I brought you here to make you work or something?”
Wow, amazing!
With a pounding heart, I wrote my name clearly and neatly on the paper.
“Oho. You write well.”
“Heheh.”
After submitting the documents with my Lord and coming back outside, I saw a street packed with people, a bustling crowd thanks to the people busily moving about everywhere.
From here and there, I could hear the calls of merchants selling their wares, the sounds of haggling over prices, and general noisy chatter.
It was completely different from any scenery I had seen until now.
“Wooow…”
“Overwhelming, right? Wait here for a bit. I’ll go call a carriage.”
To me, who had lived my entire life secluded in the remote Cheonsugwan valley, this was a whole new world!
While my Lord went to get a carriage, I decided to wait for a while at the building’s entrance.
Just then, a loud voice cut through the noisy sounds.
“Have you lost your mind, you brat! So ungrateful!”
What’s that?
I turned my head towards the shout full of curses and saw a fuming middle-aged man not too far away.
And in front of him, a boy was lying on the ground.
“Just my rotten luck! How dare you suspect me?”
The middle-aged man who had knocked the boy down was shouting angrily, flying into a rage.
Passersby were frowning, but that was it. No one stepped forward; they just went on their way.
‘Is he going to kill that kid if this continues?’
My jaw dropped as the relentless kicking continued. I don’t know what’s going on, but that’s too dangerous!
“Get lost, you filthy thing! Won’t you get lost?!”
The man, who was in a furious rage, ran into his shop and came back out holding a club.
Even seeing that, the boy didn’t resist or run away. He just slowly got to his feet.
The boy who stood up seemed to be in his early teens. He still clearly looked like a child.
Since his back was to me, I could only see his profile slightly.
I noticed his slightly tanned skin.
“I took you in out of pity, and you, a foreign brat, don’t even know gratitude!”
The man raised the hand holding the club towards the boy. The thick club swung down swiftly towards the boy.
“Gasp!”
A startled scream escaped my lips when I saw that.
If he gets hit, he’ll die! If that hits him, he’ll really die!
‘DooriDooriDoori!’
This is just not right!
I shouted Doori’s name and reached my hand out towards the boy.
A light shot from my fingertips and flew towards the boy. The light quickly formed characters above the boy’s head.
A Guardian Talisman (守護符). A talisman that protects the body.
‘At least protect his head!’
I swiftly sent the talisman flying and then ran towards them.
Just as the light of the Guardian Talisman enveloped the boy transparently, the club struck him.
Thwack—! A dull sound was heard.
“Just my rotten luck!”
The man who had swung the club spat, Ptooey!, and went back inside his building.
‘…Is he okay?’
I was about to check the boy’s condition when he suddenly whipped his head around to look back.
Despite being young, his features were clear and distinct.
His slightly dark, tanned skin, a characteristic of foreigners. Short, neatly cut black hair.
“…!”
In an instant, my eyes met the boy’s. I gasped in surprise.
‘What?’
Why is he looking this way all of a sudden?
The talisman shouldn’t be visible to others…
But the boy’s eyes were fixed precisely on me.
Eyes wide open in surprise.
Only one side of the boy’s face was lit by the sunlight.
The eye on the side not touched by the light appeared black, while the one in the light seemed like a dark purple.
‘Huh?’
Purple eyes, then…
In that instant, a piece of information flashed through my mind.
A foreigner status, rare purple eyes. As far as I knew, there was only one person with these characteristics. It couldn’t be…
“San?”
The protagonist?
It was the original story’s protagonist, ‘San’.
Without realizing it, his name slipped out. Then, the boy’s purple eyes wavered.
‘Did I just run into this novel’s protagonist?’
Just as my mouth was about to drop open in shock, I felt someone grab my shoulder.
“Kid!”
“Eeek!”
Startled, I quickly turned my head and saw my Lord, who looked equally surprised.
“What the. I told you to wait quietly. You weren’t in front, so you gave me a scare.”
“Ahh… You startled me.”
“Let’s go. The carriage is ready.”
“Ah, wait a moment!”
Stopping my Lord, who was holding my hand and leading me away, I turned to look back again.
“Huh? Where did he go?”
But the boy—no, San—had disappeared somewhere in the meantime.
“What is it?”
“No, there was a boy here? Where did he go?”
“A boy?”
“Yes. A boy, a foreigner with purple eyes… About this tall?”
At my words, my Lord frowned and looked around.
“I didn’t see him. Do you know him?”
“Well…”
Do I know him?
I couldn’t tell the truth. I just made an excuse.
“No. It’s just… He was getting hit, and no one was paying any attention.”
My Lord, who looked in that direction, clicked his tongue as if he understood.
“The war ended decades ago, but still.”
“The war?”
“There was a big war a long time ago between a country called Pyeongguk and Garyeoguk. In the end, Garyeoguk won, and Pyeongguk was destroyed. It was such a fierce war that there are still people who dislike those from Pyeongguk.”
Discrimination against people from the destroyed Pyeongguk was a topic that came up in the original story too.
‘But I didn’t know it was this severe.’
In the original story’s timeline, the protagonist was already grown and possessed remarkable abilities. While not everyone viewed him favorably, his skills were acknowledged.
Maybe that’s why.
Seeing this scene of direct discrimination and contempt towards the protagonist happening right before my eyes was a bit shocking.
“What, are you bothered by it?”
“……”
I had been lost in thought for a moment, but at my Lord’s question, I shook my head.
“No. Let’s hurry to the carriage!”
The protagonist had already disappeared somewhere, and anyway, there was no immediate way to help him. Besides…
[Meddling in the protagonist’s life recklessly is dangerous too.]
I nodded at Doori’s words.
The protagonist had a lot to do in the future. He was a character with the mission to save the world from the brink of destruction by fighting the evil spirits!
‘He has his own life plan too.’
The protagonist in the original novel was a regressor.
After numerous failures and regressions, the protagonist devoted himself to defeating the final evil spirit.
Repeating death and staking his entire life on it, he ultimately succeeded in protecting the world.
‘So rather than messing with him just because I’m curious, it’s better to leave him be.’
…It would be a lie to say I wasn’t curious. Having made up my mind, I turned away.
“Wow! Now we’re really going to my Lord’s castle!”
Finally!
Down a narrow alley branching off from the bustling street, someone came running in.
“Huff!”
The alley was much less crowded.
Finally stopping his run, the boy let out a heavy breath.
In a place where sunlight didn’t reach, blocked by the buildings. The dark-eyed boy, San’s, pupils shook.
