Chapter 96
The evening I was officially recognized as a Gold-ranked mercenary.
We immediately started looking for a carriage heading to Laos, the port city closest to Korn.
Just as a taxi charges a late-night surcharge, we had to pay a little extra than usual to secure a carriage.
Not long after the carriage rattled to life, Heinrich bundled himself tightly in his robe, curling up like a caterpillar.
Evan, on the other hand, sat with his back perfectly straight, eyes closed in a peculiar posture. Dan wasn’t visible here because he had already climbed onto the roof of the carriage.
He said it was more comfortable to sleep up there. I didn’t quite understand it, but I didn’t question it.
“We’ve been moving pretty fast.”
Finishing all the quests a week ahead of schedule wasn’t luck.
We had minimized sleep and focused every ounce of our attention on completing the missions. After three weeks of doing that, it was natural that the main characters had passed out.
Inside the carriage, the only ones still awake were Allen and me.
It would still take a few more hours to reach the Laos harbor.
Just as I was about to close my eyes, Allen, who had been sitting quietly beside me, spoke.
“Nunaa.”
“Why are you calling me?”
“You’re heading back to the mainland to defeat the Demon King, right?”
“You know that well.”
“Why do you want to defeat the Demon King?”
It was an unexpected question, but also one that didn’t require much thought.
I was trying to return to the real world. From the moment the Epic Quest appeared, that had been my final goal.
I thought for a moment before answering.
“You’re a hero, and I’m a saint. Do you need another reason?”
“…No. You’re right.”
Allen nodded as if satisfied with my answer, then asked another question.
“And after defeating the Demon King?”
“What?”
“What will you do after that?”
“….”
I couldn’t find the words.
Allen turned his gaze toward me, waiting.
“Don’t get ahead of yourself; you haven’t even defeated him yet.”
“Still, you must have thought about it.”
“…Not really.”
I lied without hesitation.
I would defeat the Demon King, reach a happy ending, and return to the real world.
It had been too long in this world to speak of it casually. The bonds formed here, destined to disappear anyway, had grown deeper than I intended.
What would Allen do if I told him the truth? Would he be angry? Sad? Or try to stop me?
‘Rather than see that…’
It was better to return to reality without explaining anything. At least then, even if some regrets remained, I could forget them quickly.
“I want to stay with you.”
Thinking that, Allen placed his hand over mine and spoke.
“After we defeat the Demon King, just the two of us. If you stay by my side, even ordinary days would be wonderful. We could do nothing at all, just wander together. Every moment would be precious and special to me.”
He said it so casually, yet my face burned.
“I hope you feel the same way.”
With a gentle smile, he held me completely in his calm, night-sky-like eyes.
“Stop with the embarrassing talk. What if others wake up?”
“I’ve blocked out the surroundings.”
Allen said confidently.
“You’re the only one who can hear my voice right now.”
Unless it was Heinrich’s magic, could a hero block out surrounding sounds too? Even thinking back, I couldn’t recall any skill like that.
Allen reached for my forehead, brushing my hair back softly. At this point, this level of physical contact no longer surprised me.
‘Not bad at all.’
A fleeting thought crossed my mind.
Until now, I had always kept running forward. So, as Allen suggested, it wouldn’t be bad to spend ordinary days together after defeating the Demon King.
But what Allen hoped for would never come true. Too many important things had been left behind in reality.
“If you have nothing more to say, get some sleep.”
I didn’t give a clear answer and just said that. It was all I could do at that moment.
By the time dawn’s dim light appeared outside the window, the sound of hooves I’d occasionally heard in my half-asleep state had stopped. The chilly morning air greeted us as we got off the carriage that had traveled a long distance overnight.
I stretched and took a deep breath, feeling the crisp air fill my body, like after a morning run.
Perhaps because it was still early, the only activity I could see at the pier was the crew moving busily. Otherwise, it was quiet.
When I asked the crew, they said the fastest ship to Eden would depart in two hours.
“Ah! Professor Estelle!”
While wondering how to spend the next two hours, I heard a title I thought I’d never hear again.
From the direction of the voice, unfamiliar people ran over, waving cheerfully. They were students I had taught at Athens Academy.
“Legacy?”
“Yes! Regas James! You remembered my name!”
“You’ve grown so much! I almost didn’t recognize you.”
“Haha, it’s been three years.”
Regas laughed awkwardly, scratching the back of his head. Behind him, Ron, Christian, Emily, and the Shinegray siblings greeted me in turn.
Three years had clearly been long enough; they had grown so much I could hardly recognize them at first glance.
“Why are you all here?”
“Oh, you don’t know? Today, all of us officially became Holy Knights. We were lucky, though.”
“Lucky?”
“When the new Pope suddenly took the throne, they were short on personnel. So, just before graduation, we were offered positions.”
I had never heard the Church lacked personnel. Of course, I suspected why.
The first thing I did after returning from the mainland was to shake up the Papal Office.
Gerdeus, temporarily the Pope, had declared he would root out all those related to the previous Pope. Their selection as Holy Knights was probably part of that effort.
“There was an entrance exam, but thanks to your teaching, Professor Estelle, we passed safely.”
“My teaching? You did all the work yourselves.”
I had only taught them for a month. Them becoming Holy Knights during that gap was entirely due to their efforts, not mine.
When I said this with a faint smile, Regas scowled.
“No! If it weren’t for Professor Estelle, we wouldn’t have made it here!”
“Uh, okay.”
“I still remember clearly.”
Regas clenched his fists, his eyes shining.
“The guidance of Sir Baek-eun, the Knight Commander: protect yourself and defeat the enemy before your allies are harmed.”
Emily and the others nodded in agreement.
“I actually said that…?”
Evan murmured in surprise. Of course, he wouldn’t know. I had made that up back then.
Finally noticing Evan, Regas’s voice trembled.
“Wait… the person behind Professor Estelle… is that…?”
“Yes, it’s who you think it is.”
“Gah…!”
I confirmed Regas’s guess. He gasped as if about to faint, and the others reacted similarly.
“It’s an honor! Knight Commander Baek-eun!”
“I’ve always wanted to meet you!”
“I-Is it alright if I request a handshake?!”
Evan, now a superstar, seemed momentarily surprised but quickly treated them kindly.
The fan meeting-like moment ended, and they greeted Allen as well. Even in a short time, bonds between comrades were evident. Allen, too, had changed enough that they barely recognized him, but still acknowledged him immediately.
“Professor Estelle, why are you here in Laos?”
Regas asked, his expression still awed, clearly still moved by meeting Evan.
“I have business at the Wall of Light.”
“Ah! So you oversee the Wall of Light!”
“No, I’m heading to the mainland.”
“Eh…?”
Regas hiccuped several times. Was it really that surprising?
Still, meeting students I had personally taught, I felt a small sense of nostalgia.
Hearing what had happened to them over the past three years, time flew. The ship at the harbor let out a long, resounding horn.
“We reserved the next departure.”
“Really?”
“Yes! It was wonderful to meet you again, Professor Estelle! Please take care! We’ll look forward to seeing you again!”
The students waved energetically until we boarded the ship.
