Chapter 243
Chapter 243
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 243
Chapter Title: Signs of Disaster? (3)
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A week had passed since then.
“Huaaa….”
Had there ever been a time since falling into this pseudo-medieval land where I’d spent my days so peacefully?
Occasionally heading to Corin Castle to chat with Lady Corin and Lewis, patrolling the forest, and checking on the temple construction—that was the entirety of my routine.
‘Relaxing like this really loosens me up.’
Was this what a normal, uneventful daily life felt like? It wasn’t bad. No, it was actually good. It felt perfectly suited to me. Yeah! This ordinary routine was exactly what I’d wanted!
“Theo.”
-Piiiip.
“……”
But my daily life was far from ordinary. With an unidentified massive bird and a fearsome dragon by my side, that much was certain.
I pushed away the creatures scampering excitedly across my belly and rose from my seat. Huaaaam. I let out another big yawn and stretched my arms wide, and Ppippi and Legion mimicked me exactly. These guys. I placed each on my shoulders and opened the door.
“Whoa there.”
“…I was just about to knock. Sorry about that.”
Standing at the door was a very familiar elf.
Calisto.
“Breakfast is ready.”
“Cal, you don’t have to come fetch me every time.”
“It’s something I want to do, Lord Theodor.”
“Sigh…”
Just when would I get used to this? I scratched the back of my head and looked at Calisto. She held the door open, waiting for me to head down the stairs first. So much for being friendly intern colleagues—she was back to treating me like a lord.
‘Eldo seemed a bit over the top, but this one’s even more so. Way more.’
As I descended to the lower floor, Lloyd and El were already eating breakfast. And Ravan too. Every morning before starting work, she stopped by our inn to share breakfast and discuss temple construction with me. Starting the day with her passionate talk about creating a “living temple” had become routine.
“Good morning, everyone.”
I gave a light greeting and sat in an empty seat with Calisto, starting on the warm olive ciabatta.
“You said the lord returned to the castle yesterday?”
“Oh, yes. Apparently, he can move on his own now. Such a relief, right?”
Ravan smiled as she replied. Able to move on his own? I widened my eyes in surprise and looked at her.
“Wow, already? That’s impressive.”
“He’s always been so hale and hearty.”
“Still…”
It was miraculous. Even if a frozen soul returned to its original body, the weakened connection usually caused all sorts of issues, but Lord Corin seemed to have recovered splendidly. Well, his son Lewis was already bouncing around full of energy, so maybe good health ran in the family.
“Then, it’s about time for us to head out too.”
Lloyd nodded silently. True, we’d already been here quite a while…
“Today’s the last day?”
El asked, her face shocked.
“Yeah, the last. After visiting the lord today, we’ll pack up. We leave at dawn tomorrow.”
“A-ah, really?!”
“Any problems?”
“Well…”
El stuffed a softly boiled egg into her mouth, chewed, swallowed, and mumbled shyly.
“It makes me so sad thinking about leaving the inn…”
Well, the food here was exceptionally delicious. I chuckled as I looked at her.
“So, eat your fill today.”
“Yes…”
“Don’t be too sad. I’ve asked them to prepare plenty of packed lunches for the time being.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
“Thank you, Master!”
El brightly replied and began eating with relief. Just then, the innkeeper brought my breakfast too, so I picked up my fork and split the softly boiled egg in half. Then, I poked the bursting yolk with crispy bacon!
“Nothing beats a duck egg yolk.”
Bigger than a regular egg and richer in flavor. As I savored the simple yet perfect combo of bacon and yolk,
“Aren’t you going to say goodbye?”
Lloyd asked. Hm, I pondered without answering right away. We’d already received our payment, and leaving immediately wouldn’t be an issue. But…
“…Yeah, probably should.”
I was the epitome of a polite Korean man. Lady Corin had given us so much already—leaving without a proper farewell after wiping my mouth would be rude. Plus, with Lord Corin back at the perfect timing, showing our faces once more wasn’t a bad idea.
‘Might as well grab anything else on offer.’
Too selfish? But I’d invested a fair amount in building that temple here! Of course I should take what’s due.
“…It’s such a shame you’re leaving already.”
Ravan murmured with a pout. I smiled lightly and told her.
“Don’t be too sad. It’s not like we’ll never see each other again.”
“I thought you’d stay to see the temple finished… I’m confident I can make it amazing.”
“I know. I’m really sorry too… But I’ll come back soon to see it. The ‘living temple.’”
“No one but you could have made this possible, Lord Theodor. Truly.”
“You flatter me. I just provided the ideas. I’ll always cheer and pray for you, so do your best to finish it, Miss Ravan.”
“I’ll definitely send a letter when it’s done.”
“Good. I’ll be wandering, so send letters to ‘Khalid’ in Solen.”
“I will, Lord Theodor.”
“Please take care, Miss Ravan.”
And so, we finished our bittersweet yet simple breakfast and headed to Corin Castle. Ravan parted toward Sequoia Forest, looking regretful she couldn’t join us.
Upon arriving at the castle, the now-familiar guards greeted us warmly. Though it was familiar territory, we followed the butler’s guidance to the lord’s chamber.
“You’re here!”
Lewis welcomed us. He must have been exhausted helping his mother manage the territory—his face looked noticeably gaunt after just a few days. But his enthusiasm was impressive; his sparkling eyes were almost intimidating.
“We heard the lord has returned. Is he alright?”
“More than alright. He even went to his office himself this morning—he’s in great shape.”
“That’s a huge relief.”
“It is. I was planning to invite you for dinner anyway… Thanks for coming!”
Dinner? That I hadn’t expected. In original world terms, it was like throwing a celebration party right after discharge from the hospital. A doctor would probably say, ‘Don’t overdo it.’
I exchanged glances with Lloyd before slowly shaking my head at Lewis.
“Grateful for the offer, but we’ll have to decline.”
“Why?”
“Today…”
“Surely not.”
“Yes. We have preparations to leave.”
“Already?”
The deep regret in Lewis’s voice was utterly genuine. He looked at me and my companions with eyes full of brotherly sorrow.
“But, there’s still…”
“No, my work here is done. And with the lord back…”
“……”
“It’s the perfect time to go.”
It really was.
Staying in Corin was comfortable and nice, but lingering longer wasn’t wise. Interfering too much would shift us from ‘guests’ to something else, and from there, ‘obligations’ would arise, and with ‘obligations’…
We’d end up tied down here.
Then, no more freedom. Putting down roots somewhere meant exactly that—comfort, but no freedom.
Right now, I wasn’t a tree. I was lamb’s quarters, drifting until I reached my destination.
“What a shame.”
The voice from behind Lewis was unfamiliar.
‘Lord Corin…!’
Opening the door to the secret chamber, Lord Corin walked slowly toward us. It was hard to believe this was the man who’d been bedridden and unconscious just recently—his steps were full of vigor.
The lord showed no hesitation in revealing the secret chamber. Perhaps he figured hiding it from us, who already knew all the castle’s secrets, was pointless.
Despite his age, he had a robust build and upright posture. He clearly resembled Lewis. Nothing like the scholarly Dawood. He carried something wrapped in black cloth preciously, placed it on the desk as he approached us.
“I’ve heard much about you.”
“It’s an honor, my lord.”
“Without you, who knows what fate would have befallen Corin.”
“I’m embarrassed. It wasn’t just me.”
I gestured lightly to my companions. Lord Corin examined Lloyd, El, and Calisto’s faces carefully before giving a faint smile.
“Enough humility.”
“……”
“You asked for nothing in return, I hear?”
“You promised a temple for the Goddess Rinshaka, and that’s enough…”
“That’s an offering to the goddess.”
“……”
“You hold nothing in your hands.”
Well, I’d taken plenty of magic stones. Strictly speaking, I hadn’t received formal ‘payment.’ But as promised, the temple was…
“Still, we can’t just let someone like you leave empty-handed.”
“……”
“We can’t shame Corin.”
The lord stroked his beard briefly, then removed the black cloth from the object he’d brought. And inside…
“This is…!”
A gleaming golden rhinoceros horn appeared. The size of an adult’s head, intricately crafted as if alive. Red rubies were embedded in its eyes, and the horn itself shone a milky white, as if made from a real rhino’s horn. A treasure worthy of being called artwork.
“Our house has a prophecy passed down through generations.”
“……”
“Prepare a golden rhinoceros horn for the hero who arrives in Corin.”
If true, the inscription on the edge of the mahogany base holding it read: ‘Dedicated to Corin’s Hero.’
“At one time, I thought my sons might be the prophecy’s subject.”
“……”
“But it seems the master of this golden rhinoceros horn is you.”