Episode 22
> “I hope my daughter can find the gifts I hid and live a happy life. These gifts will help and support you for the rest of your life.”
Just reading that made Miel feel like she already had someone helping her.
> “And once you collect all the gifts, come and find me. You don’t have to come right away. Do your work, enjoy your journey. At the end of the road, I’ll be waiting for you.”
It meant she didn’t need to rush. She could do her work and then go on her journey when she had time. That was just like her father.
> “Miel, I always love you. No matter what happens, never forget that. Until the day we meet again…
> – From your father, Liad Karlaren.”*
Miel already knew how much her father loved her. Even without his words, she would never forget.
> “P.S. The other letter inside is for the Master of the Magic Tower. Please give it to him.”
After reading her father’s letter, Miel folded it carefully and kept it safe. Then she looked at the second letter.
It said on the envelope: “To Tower Master Shade.”
> “Father wrote a letter to my teacher…?”
Her hands were itching to open it. She really wanted to know what her father had written. She thought about secretly opening it… but then she put it down.
> “I’ll give it to him tomorrow.”
It was already late at night, and she was very tired. Miel threw herself onto the bed, with the big book her father sent.
The book was called “The Treasure of Karlaren.”
> “The Treasure of Karlaren… it’s been a long time.”
It was also known as “The Great Sage’s Treasure,” a famous children’s book. Almost every child knew it.
The story was simple: the great sage Karlaren used treasures to save the world.
But the book Miel got was not a fairy tale. It was a big, thick book.
> “So this book is a hint…”
Miel wanted to read it because she wanted to know what gifts her father had prepared.
But her eyes were heavy. In the end, she fell asleep.
–
The next morning, Miel went to the Tower Master. She delayed her reading until the afternoon.
She was very curious about the letter her father sent, so she went to her teacher right away and gave it to him.
> “This is from my father.”
> “…The Great Sage?”
> “Yes.”
> “To me?”
Jade was surprised and stayed quiet for a moment. He stared at the envelope and thought about the past.
Once, Miel had tried to give him something from her father, but he ignored it.
> “Was it this letter back then?”
Now, Jade quickly opened it. In the past life, he didn’t even look at it, but now he was very curious.
—
> “To the Tower Master,
It’s me, Liad Karlaren. How are you doing? I’m sure you’re doing well, as always.
I’m writing this because recently, I felt a big magical power at the tower.
Not just from Miel, but also from you. It was very strong.
I’m sure something strange happened to you too, didn’t it?”
Magical power… something strange… Jade already understood what this meant.
“Time reversal” — or “returning to the past.”
The Great Sage seemed to know that Jade had come back in time. How?
—
> “You must be very curious. I’m curious too—was this fate or just a coincidence?
So I want to meet and talk with you in person.
But I can’t go to you right now. So I want you to come to me—with Miel.
She knows the way to find me.”
Jade had kept quiet about the time-travel. He thought it didn’t matter anymore.
But if the Great Sage was connected, and knew something important, Jade had no reason not to meet him.
He was curious. Even if his life was peaceful now, he wanted to know the truth.
—
> “Just in case you don’t want to travel with Miel, I’ve made preparations.”
FLASH!
Just then, the letter gave off a black light.
The light turned into a sharp shape and quickly entered Jade’s chest.
It happened so fast—he couldn’t stop it. But it didn’t hurt.
—
> “I didn’t want to use magic like this… but it’s the only way to change your path.
I’ll wait for the day we meet again.
– From Liad Karlaren, the Great Sage.”
That was the end of the letter. Jade set it down.
It had a spell on it. But Jade couldn’t tell exactly what kind of magic it was.
To cast a spell through a letter… that was something only the Great Sage could do.
—
> “Teacher, what was that? That magic just now…”
> “Looks like your father cast a spell on me.”
> “What?! My father did?! What kind of spell?”
> “I’m not sure yet. I can’t break it right now. But it doesn’t seem dangerous. I feel fine. And since the Great Sage wants to meet me, he wouldn’t harm me.”
Still, it bothered him. What kind of spell was it?
Suddenly, Jade felt something moving inside his body.
Then he understood—his magic wasn’t flowing like before.
The black energy was blocking his magic. Not fully, but just enough to stop him from using very strong spells.
> “So he used magic just to make sure I go with Miel?”
Jade knew he could break the spell—but it would take time. The Sage must really want to meet him.
And Jade, too, was curious about the Sage. About the time travel.
Maybe not now, but he wanted to meet him someday.
—
> “Miel, in the letter, it said you know the way to the Great Sage. Is that true?”
> “Yes, it’s true. He told me about it.”
Jade leaned back in his chair and nodded.
> “I see. He must want me to go with you to meet him.”
> “My father?”
> “Yes. That’s why he cast the spell. In case I refused to go with you.
I could break it slowly, but it would take a long time. Meeting him would be faster.”
> “Father told me I could come slowly after finishing my own work… but now, because of the spell…”
> “It’s okay. We don’t need to rush. It’s not hurting me, just stopping a few high-level spells.”
—
> “So, what’s the way to the Great Sage?”
> “Ah! This!”
Miel gathered magic in her hand and used a spell. Then, a big book appeared in the air.
“The Treasure of Karlaren”—the book her father sent last night.
> “Treasure hunt!”
> “Treasure hunt?” Jade asked, confused.
Miel smiled and handed him the book. Jade read the title.
> “Isn’t this a children’s book?”
> “The fairy tale version is called The Sage’s Treasure. But this one is the original, I think.
It’s much thicker and looks very old.”
> “Hmm… I see. What’s in the book?”
> “I just got it, so I haven’t read it all yet. But I think it talks about Father’s real treasures.”
> “So to find the way to the Sage, we have to follow the treasures in this book?”
> “Yes! This book came with his letter, so I think that’s the path.”
Jade opened the book and looked at the table of contents.
He recognized the names of the treasures from the children’s story. But this book had many more pages.
> “Looks like this one explains everything in detail.”
> “Yes. The fairy tale only tells how the hero beats bad guys with the treasures.
But this book explains where the treasures are, their history, and background.”
> “And it seems very old…”
Jade didn’t even need to check the year. The smell and color of the old paper made it clear.
—
And so, the real journey was about to begin.
