Reunion with Lua (2)
‘Why are you only speaking now?’
“Because you’ve finally calmed down. Now you know what time it is and what situation you’re in. Your adaptation is complete. It’s more comfortable to talk now than the moment I rewound time.”
The voice was unmistakably inside my head. If it hadn’t been, the guards would have burst in by now. A woman’s voice. It carried an aura of mystery laced with mischief. “My voice sounded that way?”
‘You can read my thoughts completely.’
“No big deal. Time rewinding too. That was my point.”
As I listened, her words made sense. Whoever this was possessed abilities far beyond ordinary—unimaginable, even. “I remember your proposal, don’t I?”
‘Of course. You told me to learn magic this life.’
“Right. What do you say?”
I had met countless mages in my past life, but none who could rewind time. If the woman before me was truly that powerful, learning from her might not be a bad idea. Yet…
I had reached the peak of the sword path. I was a swordsman recognized for my skill, a title I preferred over even “Hero.” I could already see how training the sword would make me stronger than before. And I was beginning to shape a plan to change the painful events yet to come. Why throw away the sword now and insist on magic?
“You’re hesitating.”
‘If I refuse, what happens?’
“It’s simple. I’ll send you back to the place your soul was always meant to be.”
‘…’
“But why hesitate? There’s no reason to.”
‘Why do you say that?’
“I told you I’d teach you magic. No other restrictions. If you want to follow the sword path, you may. The only requirement is that you prioritize learning magic.”
‘But if magic training becomes my focus, sword training will suffer…’
“Erewon.”
My name, spoken in a calm tone. No hint of mischief. Only gravity. “What are you afraid of?”
Honestly, everything terrified me. I knew what lay ahead and could prepare. But could I alone block the tide of fate? The abilities I had lost and the events yet to come—everything was terrifying. “Even if you’re afraid, is it worth trying? The Erewon I know isn’t like this. You were sent back to your childhood, but you’ve never been turned into a wide-eyed kid again.”
I had no reply. The cold voice stabbed my chest, but I was indeed afraid. “Don’t be afraid. You may entrust everything to me. You’ve already climbed to the peak of the sword using only your own strength. The one who agreed to teach you is none other than me.”
But…
‘Who exactly are you?’
When I asked, the voice fell silent. ‘I don’t know who you are either. I only know you possess the power to rewind time.’
“It seems I haven’t thought that far. I’d better tell you who I am.”
Suddenly the world fell still. Breathing stopped. Sight sharpened. Everything—except me—had frozen. Time itself had stopped. “Your expression is one of surprise. You’re shocked?”
The voice that had been inside my head now spoke from right in front of me. Waist-length silver hair swaying like waves. A sky-blue robe fluttering even though the air was motionless. A woman leaned on a large staff and smiled faintly. “Hello, Erewon?”
“Hello… madam.”
“Oh? Why the honorific all of a sudden? Just be casual. I dressed up specially to appear before you.”
“But I sense that you are no ordinary existence.”
“That’s true. But I haven’t revealed who I am yet, have I?”
“I have eyes that see and a sense that feels. If you tell me more, I’ll be certain.”
The woman smiled at my words. “You speak well and entertainingly. I like that too. Then how should I reveal my greatness…”
She leaned on her staff and began to think. Her slightly narrowed eyes were breathtakingly beautiful. The woman smiled once more. “Thank you. It feels rewarding.”
“I really… can’t hide anything from you.”
“Humans like you can’t hide much anyway. Even gods’ thoughts are obvious. How much more for your kind.”
“You can know even the thoughts of gods?”
“Of course. You are beings created by gods, but I am not. How should I put it… a transcendent?”
As she spoke, she waved the hand not holding the staff. A vivid scene unfolded before me and the woman. The courtroom I had died in. Pine wrapped around the blade piercing me. And arrows flying toward her. When my eyes shook at the sight, the woman said calmly, “I could do this if I wished.”
She snapped her fingers lightly. The arrows veered in the opposite direction. A second snap turned them into thousands, each aimed at an army. “You can do this, so why not?”
“Why should I?”
My eyes burned with fury. I was glaring at her. The woman laughed softly and waved her hand. “Snap out of it. I rewound your time only because I wanted to teach you magic early. Not out of pity. And…”
The woman’s smiling lips became serious. “Your loved ones are still alive. In this world.”
She waved her hand again. The scene vanished, restoring my room. “You’ve heard of Merlin?”
“The legendary archmage who existed in the past.”
“That’s me.”
The woman’s form had already changed. A white-bearded old man in long white hair. The problem was, I had seen that exact appearance in my past life. “You… you are clearly the one who…”
“Yes. This is our first meeting this time. I gave you Regret, didn’t I?”
***
The old man had appeared to me right after I became the Hero and was fighting the demon army. My sword had snapped. The one I had used was the finest craft of the greatest dwarf blacksmith, yet it could not endure the fierce battle. “Use this.”
The old man offered a longsword that looked plain. But when I held it, I sensed it was no ordinary blade. The moment my hand touched it, the sword reshaped itself to my grip—weight and length. “This isn’t just a sword.”
“Correct. A magi sword.”
The name “magi” made the nearby knights stir. “Old man, I’m sorry, but I cannot accept this sword. Would you accept a hero wielding a magi sword?”
“Yet you, chosen as a Hero, received nothing. Is it reasonable that an ordinary man like you was chosen as a Hero?”
“You speak so, I have nothing left to say.”
“I guarantee it. This magi sword is different from other evil ones.”
“How can I believe the words of an old man I’ve just met today…”
I stared into the old man’s eyes. Or rather, he was staring into mine. “I understand. Does this sword have a name?”
“Regret. The meaning is ‘regret.’”
“A distasteful name. I hope you never have cause to regret it.”
***
I could no longer sense who or what this being was or what he thought. So I decided to stop. “I tried to understand you, but I give up.”
“Wise. You didn’t need to understand and accept everything. I’ve been watching you since before you were born. I knew you would face that ultimate end.”
“Then why appear now? You could have come earlier and urged me to learn magic.”
“The reason is simple.”
The old man had already returned to his female form. “When there’s a reason, people learn more stubbornly. You yourself thought something like that, didn’t you? You wanted to beat yourself up for not training your body from the start.”
‘… So you waited for that miserable end to give me motivation?’
“Yes. Very simple, isn’t it?”
“It’s too simple; I’m speechless. Anyway, Merlin. The womanizer from the legend?”
The woman’s expression twisted slightly at my words. “Womanizer? That’s harsh. I simply exchanged rich emotions with people.”
“Even making that excuse is straight from the legend. I’ll believe it.”
“A little unhappy, but happy you believe through that. Then swear to me.”
“What oath?”
“Only one: Whenever I teach you magic, set aside everything else and prioritize my lessons.”
It was exactly what I had feared would clash with my desire to change my life. I had to choose magic over everything else before me. When I lowered my head to think, the woman gently lifted my chin with her hand. “Remember, don’t be afraid. Think of who your teacher is.”
A relaxed, comfortable smile graced the woman’s face. “I swear.”
“Good. My name is Merlin. Erewon von Soleil, you are now my only disciple. I’ll make sure you never regret it.”