Chapter 8
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 8
Chapter Title: Once is Chance, Twice is Fate
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Mother came to visit after a long while. It had been about three months. This time, she had crossed through the Gate to celebrate Tae-jin's thirtieth birthday.
She didn't come every week like she had when he was first trapped beyond the Gate, nor did she burst into tears the moment they met.
It was only natural. The family that had fussed over him during his first hundred-day leave had gradually settled into a simple "Oh, you're back?" reaction as time passed. That was common enough.
Come to think of it, Tae-jin's current situation wasn't all that different from military life without the barracks or drills. The only difference was that there was no set discharge date.
On top of that, he was making good money, and his wealth was growing by the day. It was only natural that his family and those around him had found a subtle peace.
Mother looked at Tae-jin with pity in her eyes as she asked,
"Still no progress on the research?"
It was a frustrating reality, but Tae-jin had no choice but to nod.
"I'm not sure if there's anything new to try now. I don't even know what's gone wrong."
Mother let out a sigh.
"Who knows how many more years this'll take. At this rate, you might end up marrying someone from around here."
Tae-jin had been thinking the same thing lately. Rather than living with this constant ache in his side, why not find a girlfriend right here in Gate Frontier City?
But for Tae-jin, who spent more time staring blankly at the Great Plains or playing games at home than wandering the city streets, a natural romance felt like a distant dream.
"Who knows. Maybe."
"There are a lot of other races around here. If you ever find yourself a daughter-in-law from one of them, give me a heads-up so I don't get too shocked."
Hearing that, Tae-jin thought back to the other-race women he'd seen recently. Female orcs, female trolls, female lizardmen, female werewolves, and so on.
No matter how objectively he looked at it, "female" felt less fitting than "she-beast" for them.
The one with at least a minimal point of appeal was the female werewolf. At the very least, he liked the way their ears perked up atop their heads.
But the thick fur covering their entire bodies was an instant deal-breaker for Tae-jin's tastes.
Female elves wandered around sometimes too, but they gave him an oddly uneasy feeling. He'd seen human men who married them gradually wasting away.
It was just one case, but still.
"I don't think that's likely."
"You never know with the world. If something like that happens, just let me know."
"Got it."
Mother brushed off her clothes and stood up.
"Write often. And if the research starts looking promising, tell me. I hope it bears fruit soon."
"Sure. Take care going back."
Mother hugged Tae-jin once and headed out.
That evening, to mark his thirtieth birthday, Tae-jin invited a few acquaintances over to the house. Sergeant Lee Hong-cheol, old man Richer, his researcher buddy, and the like.
"Hey, why are you pounding them back like that today?"
Hong-cheol tried to stop him, but Tae-jin shouted in a voice thick with irritation.
"Try turning thirty stuck in a place where you can't even go home. You'd do the same."
Meanwhile, old man Richer was busily munching on snacks, and the researcher buddy was leisurely knocking back drinks like it was all good.
Tae-jin sighed deeply as he looked at the two of them.
"'It'll be a couple days at most, a few months tops,' I thought, and suddenly it's been five years. Where the hell did my life go? Am I gonna grow old and die here?"
"Nah, come on. It'll all work out."
The researcher buddy was always consistently hopeful and upbeat. But knowing how hard he was trying, Tae-jin couldn't bring himself to nag.
A few hours passed like that, and the drinking session wound down. Everyone headed off to find a spot to crash, leaving old man Richer as the last one in the living room, helping with cleanup.
"You should go to bed too, sir. I'll tidy up slowly tomorrow."
"Nah, I'll clear a bit before I go."
Tae-jin just watched the old man quietly.
"Why are you still acting so sorry after all this time? It's been five years already."
"Even without malice, if there's a victim, the debt of conscience lingers."
"I said I've forgiven you. It wasn't done with bad intent, and you've taught me magic for three years—that's more than enough."
Out of guilt, Richer had set everything aside to teach Tae-jin magic. In the last two years, he hadn't been able to because Tae-jin had caught up to his level.
"Being forgiven and shedding the debt are two different things. I've been forgiven, but I haven't cleared my conscience."
"Man, you live such an exhausting life."
The old man grinned.
"Being a bit strict with yourself ends up putting your mind at ease. Better a calm heart than a healthy body."
Tae-jin shrugged.
"Whatever floats your boat. But why didn't you drink today?"
Richer loved his booze. On the first day in Gate Frontier City, he'd unpacked and headed straight to the night market for a drink—only to run into Tae-jin.
If he'd just held back for one night, Tae-jin would have stayed oblivious, living leisurely back in Korea. He'd have joined some decent company, griped a bit, and lived an ordinary life.
"I figured it was about time for me to head home too. That's what I wanted to talk about."
"Back to your homeland? You said it was the Empire, right?"
"Yeah."
"That's gotta be far."
"A good long way down. Two weeks by carriage to the border from here, and then even farther to the imperial capital."
Tae-jin recalled a map he'd seen once. The Gate was at the northeastern edge of the continent in the Kaiso Kingdom, while the Empire sat more toward the center.
"Pretty distant."
"It's just that the Kaiso Kingdom is tucked away in a corner. The land's not small."
"Eh, geography's not my thing. Anyway, you're leaving? Should've given me a heads-up sooner."
Richer burst out laughing.
"This is the heads-up. Not leaving today or tomorrow. I'll be here at least a week before heading out."
"Oh, yeah? Sounded like you were off first thing tomorrow. Anyway, safe travels. We've built up some fondness, grudging or not."
Richer paused thoughtfully, then broached the subject.
"How about coming with me?"
"Go where? I need to stick right by the Gate to be the first to know about any research breakthroughs. Once mages can return to Korea, I'll be the first in line."
"No guarantees on that anytime soon, right? Why not take a more proactive approach?"
"Proactive how? Can't go from mage back to civilian, and even a top mage might get turned into Swiss cheese crossing the Gate. How?"
Richer thought for a moment before replying.
"The odds are low, but this Gate might not be the only way."
"What do you mean? All other Gates just connect within the continent, don't they?"
There were nine Gates on the continent. Eight linking points within it, and one to another world.
The only Gate to another world led to Korea.
"Right. But from what you told me last time, a Gate connecting Korea and this world has opened not once, but twice."
"Yeah."
The first small Gate had linked a forest in the continent's midlands to a university cafeteria in Seoul, spat out one elf, and closed.
It was the only known one-time Gate discovered so far. And that elf from the first Gate was on close terms with Tae-jin—they'd played games together, worked together, and he'd even visited Gate Frontier City a few times just to see him.
Richer spoke with a serious expression.
"One occurrence can be chance. But starting with the second, it's inevitability. There has to be some reason, and a third is bound to happen."
Tae-jin had heard something similar before. Proverbs from Earth often had parallels here on the continent. Guess people are the same everywhere.
"So, you're saying a third Gate might open somewhere?"
"It might. Whether someone deliberately creates it or it's coincidence, we can't know. But two openings mean a third is possible."
It was simple, intuitive, and it set Tae-jin's heart racing.
Why hadn't he thought of this until now? Why had he just waited for others to solve it?
If a new Gate opened, he could slip into Korea unnoticed. Even if it led abroad, magic offered endless ways to get back home.
A one-time Gate would be fine too. Once he crossed and it closed, no evidence left behind.
Of course, he might end up in prison in Korea or get deported back through the Gate again.
But one thing was certain: it beat clinging to the Gate, torturing himself with false hope.
"Who do I ask about that Gate?"
"You could dig through ancient records, or seek out transcendent beings."
"Transcendent beings—you mean the dragons rumored to be here and there?"
"Dragons, demigods, even gods. You said your homeland has none, but this world certainly does."
Tae-jin already knew about gods' existence. Naturalized humans were rejected in two categories: mages and priests. Mages wielded unknown magic, priests divine power—and that power came from transcendent beings, the gods.
"Which one do I talk to?"
"That's for us to find out."
Tae-jin pondered deeply, then asked the most crucial question.
"Can you even talk to gods?"
"Records say some could, but I don't think any can now."
Tae-jin deflated a bit.
"Then what's the point?"
"Not at all. Demigods or dragons might offer advice. Not god-level, but they hold knowledge beyond humans."
"Sounds dangerous as hell. What if I die?"
"That's fate. It's not mandatory. You could lounge by the Gate a few more years comfortably, and a way might appear. But from what I saw today, your patience seems to be at its limit."
Lately, Tae-jin would boil over inside and head to the plains to scream it out. The result of prolonged stress, no doubt.
"Yeah, pretty much."
"And not all paths are dangerous. The imperial capital has the grand library—plenty of materials to sift through there."
"Didn't mages know nothing about Gates?"
"Who knows everything? Some book tucked away from centuries ago might hold all the answers."
Tae-jin fell silent in thought, and Richer continued.
"Anyway, if you decide to seek a way yourself, coming with me is an option. No need to choose now. I'll leave in a week—decide by then."
Richer finished cleaning up and lay down on the sofa.
Tae-jin turned off the living room lights but couldn't fall asleep easily.