Chapter 62
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 62
Chapter Title: A Spare Air Conditioner
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A Spare Air Conditioner
‘A mage from the White Magic Tower?’
Nova looked the man who’d introduced himself as a professor-level mage from the White Magic Tower up and down. No matter how you looked at him, he appeared to be in his thirties, but his tone and mannerisms were those of a man over fifty.
‘He snuck in.’
Baron Pulpuchu seemed to be thinking the same thing, nodding with a somewhat uncomfortable expression.
Nova knew a few things about the White Magic Tower.
Of the five magic towers, it was the most studious and home to the most normal mages. One of the prince’s tutors was from there, so it had ties to the imperial family.
“For one so beloved by mana, Lady Vivian, to not learn magic would be a loss for the empire.”
When the man said, “one so beloved by mana,” Baron Pulpuchu let out a loud, “Ahem.”
‘He was hiding it.’
Nova nodded at the baron’s reaction, repeating the phrase she had just heard in her mind.
“If the lady, one beloved by mana, were to learn magic, she would surely overcome the wall and leave a great mark on the empire’s history.”
“Ahem. Magic, you say.”
Baron Pulpuchu shook his head, a rare look of discomfort on his face.
The line between a mage and a witch was very fine, with no clear distinction. It wouldn’t be an issue in Casedic Castle, but if another noble decided to make an issue of it, things would surely become very troublesome.
“I, Swalloytz of the White Magic Tower, will officially recognize her as an external disciple of the tower.”
‘An external disciple!’
Nova was startled by the man’s words.
It was almost unheard of for the magic towers, the pinnacle of closed-off groups, to accept external disciples. They were groups that typically only accepted those who passed their strict criteria and kept them within their ranks.
To offer a position as an external disciple of such a place suggested the man’s standing within the tower was by no means low. It also seemed Vivian’s talent was greater than Nova had thought.
Even with such an exceptional offer, Baron Pulpuchu remained lukewarm.
If Vivian could truly become an outstanding mage, she could be leveraged for far greater gains than a simple political marriage meant to foster friendly relations.
It could be a good choice for both Casedic and Vivian.
However, Baron Pulpuchu’s reaction was not good.
He was a stubborn man, and once he showed such a reaction, he rarely changed his mind, so Nova had inwardly given up.
Just then.
“Nonsense! She is a woman whose marriage has already been arranged! What is this talk of magic! Are you trying to get her branded as a witch and burned at the stake?!”
Gerel shouted, spittle flying from his mouth.
At that, Baron Pulpuchu, who had been wearing a sullen expression, shot to his feet, his eyes wide as he turned to look at Nova.
“Nova, what are your thoughts!”
At Pulpuchu’s sudden change of heart, Nova swallowed hard, organized her thoughts, and opened her mouth.
The answer, of course, was yes.
***
Knock, knock, knock.
I grabbed my sword.
Greeted the abbot.
And woke up Choco, who seemed to have just fallen asleep, to bring him outside. Choco followed me without a word.
Warmed up.
Exercised.
And began a sparring session with Choco that resembled a game of frisbee.
*Thwack—.*
With a crisp sound, Choco went rolling on the ground.
“You’re lasting a bit longer today.”
I said, wiping the sweat from my neck with the back of my hand.
He’d lasted a few more exchanges than yesterday. It seemed he was getting his touch back pretty quickly.
“The path you’ve already walked is always the easiest.”
Choco said something uncharacteristically cool, but lying on his back with his belly exposed, it was far from cool.
“Divine power can heal wounds and scars, but it can’t resolve the accumulated toll on the body. If you keep pushing yourself like this every day, your body won’t hold up.”
The abbot went on a long-winded nag that wasn’t a prayer.
“It’s fine. For guys like us, our heads usually come off faster than our bodies give out.”
Choco winked as if seeking agreement, but I casually ignored him.
“I plan on living a long life.”
“Hmm… For someone who says that, you seem to have a lot of people after your head.”
I smiled bitterly at Choco’s follow-up.
“The sorrow of the handsome.”
“Speaking of which, why is your face so busted up? Of course, it’s better than that annoying mug you had before.”
‘Calling someone’s face busted up…’
“Got scratched up here and there.”
I answered with a small click of my tongue.
“I see.”
“Right.”
Choco didn’t ask any more, and I didn't bother to say more.
“…In any case, may a warm sun be with you on your path ahead.”
The abbot, looking somewhat fed up, muttered quietly and walked away.
Then, the Refrigerator and the Washing Machine approached.
Bermunt once again petted the Refrigerator’s head.
“Hm. Still biting. I guess even being Aron’s daughter doesn’t fix that.”
Bermunt nodded, his fingers reddened.
After a quick wash, I cooled off with a beer full of ice slush and went inside to sit at a table.
As I picked up a meat pie Hana handed me, she sat down next to me.
Then, with a determined, serious expression, she leaned her body slightly against mine and seemed to be rubbing against me diligently.
Unfortunately for both me and Hana, it was my shoulder guard.
Having exercised, walked Choco, and filled my stomach, it was time to head to work.
The familiar scent of the morning, mingled with the smell of filth, greeted me.
On the way, I ordered a few guys I passed to clean up the piles of dung and headed for the headquarters.
When I entered the headquarters, Kel was blinking his eyes with a long yawn.
“Jojang, you’re here.”
“Yeah.”
I sat down next to him and kicked off my boots. Then I took out a damp cloth nearby and rubbed my feet with it.
“Jojang, Brick never got up yesterday.”
“Really? Weakling.”
“Isn’t it your fault for hitting him too hard, Jojang?”
“I just gave him a little tap. Like this, tap!”
“Aaargh!!”
I laughed loudly at Kel, who shot up, clutching his face. He scowled deeply and muttered some curse.
Since he wasn’t a mage, his mumbling had no effect, so I just laughed even harder.
I forcibly threw an arm around the sulking Kel’s shoulders and shook him.
Kel’s expression immediately softened.
Kel and I headed to the Daejang’s room.
“Ah, Jojang Aron. My trusted Jojang Aron. Um… is that brown Aron doing alright? He looks similar to you, but being a different color, he seems a bit… off.”
The Daejang asked, his voice full of apprehension, with a hint of racism.
“Yes, he might be a bit dense, but his sense of responsibility is strong.”
Of course, the kind of responsibility I was talking about was the kind where if an unfortunate accident were to befall one of his own men by mistake, he would bury them himself.
However, I figured the Daejang wouldn’t like that, so I kept it to myself.
“Hmm… Well, if Jojang Aron says so…”
The Daejang nodded with a displeased look.
“Anyway, do a good job today. Oh, right. You know it’s Team 4’s turn for the village patrol tomorrow, right?”
‘Has it been that long already?’
The Outer Wall Guard patrolled the surrounding villages on a monthly rotation by team. With six teams, the cycle was every half a year.
“Because of the recent incident, two of the three villages are gone, so you’ll only need to stop by one. Not a pleasant story, but… anyway, that—Jones’s village.”
The Daejang went on about this and that, but I mostly tuned it out and went outside.
“It’s amazing even one is left. I thought they’d all be dead.”
“One of them is in the opposite direction, isn't it?”
“Ah.”
Kel nodded.
Today’s duty was patrol, so we first grabbed the essentials for a patrol: beer mugs.
It was similar to how office workers grab coffee to-go on their way to work.
The beer was lukewarm, which was annoying, but it was better than nothing. Suddenly, I remembered what I had asked Jackson for. Enough time had passed that he should have gotten it by now.
“Kel, you start the patrol.”
“Huh? Where are you going?”
“To pick up a workbook.”
“What’s a workbook?”
Ignoring Kel’s question, I headed for the most secluded part of District 6, where Jackson’s place was.
As expected, the middle-aged man in the same light armor I’d seen before was standing guard.
The man seemed to use dual swords, with two blades sheathed on either side of his waist, but the one on the right was strangely longer.
Noting this, I approached. The man’s face soured when he saw me, and he signaled inside.
“Come in.”
Jackson’s gruff voice gave permission, and the man stepped aside. He glared at me, tapping the hilt of his sword.
It seemed to be his way of greeting, so I tapped my own sword hilt and glared back, which made the man scowl.
“Work your ass off.”
I patted the man’s shoulder as I passed, and he tried to slap my hand away like a reflex. Of course, I had already moved my hand, so his hand swiped at empty air.
‘Pretty fast.’
I noted his reaction speed and went inside.
The inside was filled with smoke, just like before.
Feeling as if my own lungs were deteriorating, I waved the smoke away with my hand.
“You came at a good time.”
“Glad to hear it. Took you longer than I thought. Getting old?”
“…A magic book isn’t something you can just find. It’s because it was me that I was able to get it. If it were anyone else, in a backwater place like this…”
“Yeah, yeah. Jackson’s the best, as always.”
“Hoo—”
“You need to breathe a bit deeper than that.”
Jackson was attempting the Lamaze breathing method, so I showed him the correct way. He narrowed his eyes, and his fist made a cracking sound.
“Careful, Jackson. At your age, doing that will make your bones ache.”
“You really are… just like me when I was young.”
Jackson unclenched his fist and leaned back in his chair.
I saw Jackson subtly shake his hand and chuckled quietly.
“Doesn’t sound like a compliment.”
“Whatever. Just take this.”
Jackson, with a pipe in his mouth, pointed to his side. On a round table next to him lay a thick tome.
‘…*Beru Hyosont’s Introduction to Magic*?’
The name alone was instinctively repulsive.
“Um… Jackson, is this really a magic book?”
“You’re ignorant. Aren’t you planning on giving this to that kid you have with you? For a trash mage with no foundation, this magic book is the best.”
Jackson spoke clearly, as if reciting something he’d heard from someone else, with a smug expression.
“I see. How much?”
At my question, Jackson made a sound like he was constipated, ‘Ugh…,’ then sighed softly and spoke.
“Just take it. I heard you saved that punk Ska’s life last time. Consider it payment for that. Tsk, stupid kid. I wonder who he takes after…”
He seemed to be talking about me catching the assassin who stabbed Ska. I had expected to pay at least five gold coins for the magic book, so this was an unexpected gain.
‘Maybe I should bring Ska around with me.’
The kid was so big he probably wouldn't die easily, and if I saved him in a pinch, he might cough up another magic book…
As I was having these idle thoughts, Jackson grimaced as if his stomach hurt.
“But Ska is cheaper than I thought.”
I tossed the words out lightly.
“…What?”
“The son of the famous Jackson, and his life is only worth one magic book… Anyone would think you’re running a discount sale.”
It was just a joke, but Jackson’s face crumpled.
“You know how hard it is to get a magic book… You damn robber.”
“No, I was just curious.”
“Damn you.”
Jackson, muttering a curse as if spitting it out, pulled something from his pocket and threw it.
He must have thrown it with feeling, as it flew quickly. I caught it and waved it teasingly.
Jackson’s face, barely visible under all his hair, turned red as if it would burst.
What Jackson threw was a black carving in the shape of a tree. Touching it, I could tell it was made of wood.
‘Carving a piece of wood into a tree… What a bad taste.’
Despite Jackson’s expression of deep regret, as if he had just given away his own underwear, it was an unimpressive object.
“Aren’t you a bit old to be carrying something like this? I wouldn’t take it even if you…”
“It’s a charm that brings good luck if you carry it. If you don’t need it, give it back.”
‘These medieval folks and their blind faith in superstitions…’
*Tsk.* I clicked my tongue and carefully pocketed the wooden charm.
“Tsk, ignorant fool.”
Jackson clicked his tongue loudly.
“Thanks. I’ll take good care of Ska, so don’t you worry.”
“How old do you think he is… What do you mean, take care of him?”
The tuft of Jackson’s beard where his mouth was presumed to be twitched upwards slightly.
“And if you find anything else related to magic, get it for me. I have plenty of money. Or I could just save that punk Ska again.”
“No, don’t save him next time. If he’s a man, he should look after his own life. Living with someone else’s help will only turn him into trash.”
I looked at Jackson for a moment at his firm reply.
His thick eyebrows, which covered half his eyes, trembled.
“Does it pain you that much? Want it back?”
“Ahem… If you’re done with your business, leave.”
I playfully waved the wooden charm, and Jackson put his pipe back in his mouth and closed his eyes.
‘See, people should live righteously.’
I nodded, looking at the reward for my good deed, and headed outside.
I was going to sit somewhere nearby and skim through the magic book before giving it to the Refrigerator, but the day was so hot I couldn't focus.
‘That place should be good.’
I thought of the perfect place to read a book—quiet, cool, Casedic Castle’s very own study cafe—and started walking.
***
‘He calls himself a close aide, yet he knows nothing.’
Razvet muttered under her breath, scratching her head in frustration.
Berman had a not-unpleasant face if you looked closely, and his gentlemanly personality made him decent company, but for someone who was Aron’s closest aide, he knew nothing about his past.
‘A gladiator? A barbarian?’
All that came from Berman’s mouth were the same far-fetched stories she had heard from the townspeople.
‘And what’s this about him being a legendary womanizer?’
It was a ridiculous story, but when she thought of the face in the portrait, it seemed plausible.
‘Still, he’s been a little quiet lately…’
Just then, Razvet felt a tingle of premonition that felt like a lie, and her hands trembled slightly.
“Oh my. It’s been a while.”
Razvet forced a smile as she looked at the man who had naturally taken a seat across from her again.
‘Why is he here? Did he find out? Does he know I approached Berman?’
Looking at the thick scar on the man’s face, Razvet’s mind raced.
‘No, there’s no way he found out. If not that, then is it because I contacted the other side…?’
The man said nothing, simply gazing at Razvet with his characteristically deep eyes.
With a guilty conscience, Razvet felt a chill on her neck from his stare and scratched it with her fingernail.
Unable to bear the continued silent pressure, Razvet was about to speak when the man’s low voice came.
“Do you happen to know anything about magic?”
“…Pardon?”
“I got a book like this, and I was wondering if it’s okay for a trash mage to learn from it.”
The man placed a thick book on the table.
Razvet narrowed her eyes, trying to discern the man’s intentions as she examined the book.
‘*Beru Hyosont’s Introduction to Magic*? It’s just an introductory magic book.’
Razvet opened the book and quickly scanned its contents.
It was a decent-level introductory text. As Razvet wracked her brain, trying to figure out why the man was showing her this, she formulated a response to his question.
“Yes. It’s a well-organized book, quite popular among introductory texts. It might be a bit difficult for self-study, but… that’s just how magic is.”
“I see.”
The man gave a small nod, took the magic book back, and began to read it slowly.
After that, the man said nothing more, simply reading the magic book at a leisurely pace.
However, Razvet, sitting directly across from him, had to endure a pressure as if she were pinned under the massive paw of a beast.
She didn’t know why the man was suddenly reading a magic book here, but there had to be a reason he was pressuring her like this.
The man’s silence was heavier than another’s shouting, and unable to bear it, Razvet spoke up.
“I heard that suspicious movements have been detected within the Society. The destination isn’t confirmed yet, but Casedic Castle is the suspected target.”
Hmm…
The man, his eyes still on the magic book, merely made a small sound.
At his reaction, which seemed to say he already knew, Razvet swallowed hard and continued. She had to throw this beast a piece of meat satisfying enough.
“I heard the three-way conflict in the city of Karzan is wrapping up, and also… a duel between two rival knights at Bolt Castle has been scheduled… The foolish lord of Blant Castle has raised taxes again, so an exodus of his subjects is expected… and also…”
Razvet quickly rattled off information about the areas surrounding Casedic Castle. Among it was information worth a price.
How much time had passed?
Just as Razvet was chewing her lip, wondering what else she could offer, the man closed the magic book.
“Do you have any information on magic?”
“Pardon? Yes.”
Wanting to get rid of the man as quickly as possible, Razvet took out envelopes containing information related to magic from her bag and handed them to him, along with a paper explaining the interpretation method.
“That’ll be one gold.”
“Cheap.”
The man tossed two gold coins as he had before, and Razvet received them with a light flick of her hand.
‘Broke it again.’
When she looked up again, the man was gone.
‘He knows exactly how to pressure someone.’
And his methods were becoming more and more vicious.
Razvet massaged her tingling hand as she looked at where the man had been sitting just moments before.
Then she looked at the gaping hole in the wall and sighed softly.
It wouldn’t be good if word got out that the Information Guild’s wall had been broken again, so calling someone was out of the question.
‘There’s no way I was demoted…’
Gazing at it forlornly, Razvet crouched down and began to pick up the stone fragments.
***
‘It really is nice and cool.’
As expected of an information guild, the atmosphere was perfectly suited for reading. Moderately cool, quiet, and filled with the scent of paper—it felt like a medieval study cafe.
I skimmed through the magic book and found that even though I knew the letters, it was hard to understand. It was the toughest opponent I’d met since University Mathematics (1).
Still, giving up right after opening it would look pathetic, so I held back a yawn and endured for a bit before getting up.
The kind study cafe librarian provided all sorts of information like background music, which helped me kill some time.
There was some useful information about the Society’s movements, but something else was more important.
‘Looks like there’s a wind element.’
Glancing through the magic book, I’d spotted the word ‘wind,’ and my heart fluttered with the thought that I might finally be able to install an air conditioner.
I found Kel in front of Hana’s tavern.
Kel was grumbling nonstop, shaking his beer mug. Looking closely, I saw there wasn’t a single piece of ice in it.
I had just patrolled Districts 5, 6, and 7 while visiting Jackson and the Information Guild, so I clicked my tongue at the sight of Kel slacking off.
Unlike Kel, I had worked hard, so I figured I deserved a short break and sat down.
“Ah, Jojang, you’re here.”
“Yeah.”
“What’s that, Jojang?”
Kel asked, pointing to the magic book in my hand.
In response, I theatrically opened the magic book and pretended to read it intently. I only read two sentences, but a wave of drowsiness washed over me.
“Jojang…? What’s wrong with you? This is scary. Just go back to being the usual ignorant Jojang…”
Kel clung to me, his voice horrified as if I’d been possessed by a demon. I felt like I would actually pass out if I read any more, so I closed the book.
“This is called reading. Food for the soul. I’m different from ignorant fools like you.”
“Yes, we don’t think we’re the same as you either, Jojang.”
Kel’s reply was strangely irritating. I narrowed my eyes at him, and he cleared his throat and looked away.
Just then, Kanna came out with a huge beer mug. The mug was piled high with ice slush. It was piled so high that it looked more like shaved ice than beer.
“Hey, she wouldn’t make one for me…”
At Kel’s aggrieved muttering, I raised my beer mug and smirked. The Refrigerator, standing next to me, also smirked at Kel in the same way.
“Ha… seriously… what the.”
Kel muttered in disbelief.
“Ah, perfect timing. This is a gift.”
The magic book had been heavy to carry, so I handed it to the Refrigerator who would soon become my air conditioner.
“…?”
The prospective air conditioner took the book, her eyes trembling as they darted back and forth between the book and me.
“It’s your salary.”
I couldn’t think of anything else to say, so I just mumbled something. The prospective air conditioner clamped her mouth shut, her cheeks trembling.
“Th… thank…”
Muttering in a small, trembling voice, the prospective air conditioner moved stiffly, as if broken, and disappeared into the inn.
‘Did I do something wrong?’
I scratched my cheek, wondering if I had made some kind of mistake…
Yeeeaaaaaah!!
A cheer full of joy and the sound of something scurrying around came from inside.
“They could just be happy out here. Why go inside to do it… Isn’t that kid a bit weird?”
I smacked Kel on the back of the head for bad-mouthing my prospective air conditioner, who would be responsible for my summer.
As I was enjoying a brief moment of respite in my busy day, a group of strangers I’d never seen before came running up.
They all had nasty expressions, so they were clearly the type to eat rice balls.
“What is it?”
Kel stood up, blocking me, and gripped the hilt of his sword.
‘Sloppy.’
I clicked my tongue at Kel’s back.
“Large build, scar on the face, fierce impression… Excuse me, are you Sir Aron?”
One of them asked with uncharacteristic politeness.
“Jojang, they’re looking for you.”
He knew I could hear perfectly well, but Kel deliberately turned his head to ask me again. It looked cooler that way.
I tried to cross my legs in response, but my armor was too thick to do it properly. I managed to cross my ankles and spoke.
“What is it?”
“A message from Dante of the ‘Lone Wolf’!”
A guy with particularly thick eyebrows dropped to his knees and presented a large box to me. As he did, he looked up at me, his eyes filled with fear and awe.
‘…Who’s Dante?’
I thought for a moment before remembering he was the new leader of the ‘Lone Wolf’ and nodded.
I took the box and examined its contents. There were a few pieces of paper, a finely wrapped letter envelope, and a large pouch.
I checked the most important item first, the pouch.
Inside, it was filled with brilliant gold coins.
I estimated there were about ten.
‘Ten gold coins a month? This isn’t a goose that lays golden eggs… it’s a gangster.’
Considering that a knight, considered a quasi-noble, earned five gold coins a month, this was an enormous sum.
‘I should pay a follow-up visit to Karzan.’
I hadn’t planned on going back, but if he was spitting out this much gold, I was willing to stop by monthly and tend to him like a cactus.
‘My wallet just keeps getting fatter.’
I had bills stuffed in various places in my armor. Feeling quite flush, I pocketed the pouch of gold and unfolded the remaining scraps of paper.
It was a letter written in crooked handwriting.
‘This is Dante. Currently, Karzan is…’
It was about the current situation in Karzan and the Lone Wolf.
The executives of the Lone Wolf had all resigned due to an unfortunate accident, leaving them slightly vulnerable, but he had filled the gap by bringing in capable men from other organizations he had connections with—a humblebrag about his own abilities.
‘He certainly was a capable guy.’
The end of the letter read, ‘Everything is proceeding smoothly. As the business stabilizes, the amount sent will increase, so you need not worry. I was concerned you might make the precious trip to Karzan…’
‘He wants me to come.’
I nodded, tore the paper to shreds, and put it back in the wooden box. There was one more elegant-looking envelope in the box. I opened it to find a letter from Shone.
‘Are you well! Aron! I am Second-Class Administrator Shone! Thanks to the gift you gave me, Aron…’
The letter described how he had crushed those who looked down on him and how he had literally punched the arrogant ones in their snooty faces.
However, the content was so enterprising that I was confused whether this guy had become a second-class administrator or a mercenary.
‘Was he always like this?’
The handwriting was strangely stiff and the letters large, as if written with great force. It was unsettling how the gentle guy’s personality seemed to have changed, but the word ‘O-range’ at the end made me laugh.
“It is an honor to meet you! The Revolutionary of Karzan, Sir Aron!”
“What is this crazy bastard talking about?”
The man’s dangerous exclamation was filled with emotion. I quickly shut him up with a punch.
‘A revolutionary.’
All I did was take off a few guys’ heads. I didn’t know how I got a nickname like that, but in the empire, it was a word as dangerous as ‘witch.’
“…Jojang. Was Casedic not enough, so now you’re extorting the Karzan guys too?”
Kel asked in a small voice, a fed-up look on his face.
“Extorting? They’re bringing it themselves out of gratitude.”
“So why are the ‘Lone Wolf’ guys grateful to you, Jojang…”
I waved a hand dismissively, cutting off Kel’s question.
“Kel, you hang out with these guys for a bit.”
“Yeah, sure.”
“You guys stay here for a bit.”
“Yes, sir!”
Leaving Kel and the men behind, I stood up to borrow a pen and paper for a reply.
‘So inconvenient.’
I clicked my tongue at the inadequate facilities of the medieval era and headed for a place likely to have a pen and paper—the study cafe.
When I arrived at the study cafe, the chest massage woman was crouched next to the wall I had broken earlier. I saw she was picking up the fallen stones and placing them back in the hole.
‘What is she doing with the money she received…’
I clicked my tongue softly, and the woman looked up at me, her eyes widening.
Her complexion instantly turned pale, and her legs seemed to give out as she fell backward, her body trembling violently. She looked just like a bug sprayed with insecticide.
Feeling a bit sorry, I headed for the door this time. However, the door was locked, so I knocked.
The woman, a look of utter bewilderment on her face, opened the door.
She moved her lips as if to say something, but then bowed her head and stepped aside.
I excused myself and went inside.
I scribbled a message on a piece of paper on the table.
‘You’re doing well. Keep it up.’
I wrote the sentence containing the core of life on two sheets, folded them, and took them with me.
When I went to the door, the crouched woman was touching the hole in the wall with a forlorn hand.
“You can’t just stack stones. You have to apply some mud like this.”
It seemed the woman didn’t know how to build a wall, so I showed her how to place a stone and apply mud on top before heading back to the inn.
“Why… just why……”
She muttered something behind me, but the distance made it hard to hear. It probably was a word of thanks.
I went back to the inn, gave the letters to the men, and sent them on their way.
“By the way, Jojang, since we’re going to Jones’s village, shouldn’t we bring something?”
“We can just take a few of the idle coachmen.”
‘Jones’s village.’
I answered, scratching my cheek at the name I hadn’t heard in a while.
Just then, I felt a sudden cool breeze from my side.
I turned my head to see the prospective air conditioner, her mouth quivering as if holding back tears, her eyes welling up, extending a hand toward me. A cool wind was blowing from her small hand.
‘Already? How long has it been since I gave her the magic book…’
Was she really a genius?
I was savoring the feeling of a stock I’d bought while drunk hitting the daily limit when—
*Pat, patter—.*
Small pieces of ice pelted me.
I narrowed my eyes and saw that tiny bits of ice were being sprayed from the trembling palm of the prospective air conditioner.
The wind was incredibly strong, so even though the ice was small, it repeatedly struck my face like a ball thrown at full power.
‘A hailstorm air conditioner…’
The ice pellets were quite painful, but the hailstorm air conditioner’s expression was so serious that I had no choice but to endure it.
*Patter-patter-patter—*
*Patter-patter-patter—*
Under the unseasonable hail massage, I seriously contemplated whether it might be better to just live with the heat in the summer, as nature intended.
***
A village near Casedic Castle.
Lunin, a boy from the village called ‘Jones’s Village’ after the Jones family who had been village chiefs for generations, was looking up at an old man he had never seen before.
The man was so tall that he had to crane his neck back to see his face. Lunin’s jaw dropped in awe.
Even Hanson-hyung, who was called a giant because of his size, seemed no match for this old man.
“Grandpa.”
“Yes.”
“You’re really big.”
“Ho ho.”
The old man’s aura reminded him of his deceased grandfather, giving Lunin a sense of comfort, so he lingered around him.
“Little boy. Is this Casedic?”
“No, this is Jones’s village. You have to go a bit further for Casedic.”
To ask if this shabby village was Casedic Castle—Lunin giggled at the silly question and answered.
“I see.”
Even though he had clearly told him he was in the wrong place, the old man’s reaction showed no sign of regret, which made Lunin tilt his head in confusion.
However, the old man was about to walk away, so Lunin hurriedly grabbed the hem of his clothes.
“What is it?”
“Come to my house and eat with us.”
The old man seemed to ponder for a moment, gazing into the distance.
Lunin, sensing the old man might leave, tugged on his clothes again.
“Alright, alright. This must be fate as well.”
Only then did the old man turn his gaze to Lunin and nod.
Lunin beamed and led the old man toward his house.