Chapter 8
With the help of Mark the carpenter, Alex attached a canvas tent to the wagon to keep off the rain and crafted small furniture to use during their travels.
“Uncle! Can I bring this with me?” “Which one?”
Leo, who had been organizing his own luggage in his own way, ran over. His cheeks were flushed with excitement, looking utterly adorable.
“This is a gift for Mom, and this one is a gift for Dad.”
On top of his outstretched little hands lay a smooth, polished gray pebble and a glossy, pitch-black feather.
They were the most precious items from Leo’s treasure box.
“Of course you can bring them.”
At Alex’s readily agreeing answer, Leo broke into a bright laugh. Hehehe!
Looking at him, Alex renewed his resolve once more.
‘I will definitely find them.’
If he was willing to defeat even the Demon King for Leo’s happiness, how could he fail to find his sister and brother-in-law!
That evening’s dinner turned into a village festival.
“Here! Eat up!” “You need a full stomach before setting off on a journey!”
As for the grilled meat Leo had wanted to share with the villagers and his friends, after Alex demonstrated the cooking method a few times, the village women made it even more delicious.
“Do we just make it like this, Alex?” “Yes. That’s right.” “The recipe is simple, but it really is much more delicious!” “It’s super delicious! Mom!” “My uncle made it!”
As Leo puffed up his chest and bragged, the adults and Alex burst into laughter.
[Hhhhgh, it’s delicious!] [This is delicious, and that’s delicious too.] [Is this heaven?!]
While Alex wondered if a Lich could even go to heaven, he—having lived as a ghost for twelve years—also enjoyed the food with great delight.
“It’s going to be pretty tough once you go out there,” said Mark, who was sitting next to Alex.
“Yes. I’m prepared for it.” “Right, then that’s fine. Have a drink.”
Mark poured alcohol into Alex’s cup.
[ALCOHOOOOL!!!!]
At Lee Baek’s shout, his head felt like it was ringing sharply, but Alex tried his best not to show it.
“It’s your first time drinking, right?” “Yes.”
Normally, people had their first drink when they became adults at eighteen, but because young Leo was around, Alex hadn’t touched a single drop.
Including his ‘future’ and the present, it was the first time in his life tasting alcohol.
“Normally, you ought to learn how to drink from Serena and Glick, but I end up teaching you instead.”
Recalling Serena and Glick, Mark gave a bitter smile and continued.
“Don’t drink too much at once, and don’t drink so much that you can’t control your body. And don’t eat anything suspicious.”
Alex chuckled and nodded. Then, he took a small sip of the alcohol in his glass.
“Kuh…!” [Kaaaaah!]
The first drink was very bitter. His brows furrowed naturally.
Mark burst out laughing. He then refilled Alex’s glass.
“Let’s check your drinking tolerance today. This is something you should figure out in advance. In a safe place, that is.”
Alex agreed with Mark’s words. There was no place safer or more peaceful for Alex than this village.
“Have some snack, too.”
When Mark held out a plate containing ham, Alex picked up a piece and put it in his mouth.
Somehow, he felt like he slightly understood why people drank alcohol with snacks.
[Uwaaa! So happy!] [Is this heaven?!]
Ignoring Lee Baek, who was searching for heaven once again, Alex conversed with Mark.
“Alex, you’ll do well.”
Mark recalled the scruffy 9-year-old kid. The small boy who had appeared in the village holding the hand of his 16-year-old sister.
To think that little kid had grown up so much and was now setting off on a journey with his nephew. He felt a deep sense of pride.
“Even without Serena and Glick, you raised Leo so well. You’re good at farming, too.”
Mark’s sincerity reached Alex. Embarrassed, Alex could only smile softly.
“But it’s okay even if you don’t do well.”
Alex looked at Mark.
“When things are tough and difficult, accept help from those around you. Don’t try to do everything alone.”
Those words felt almost as if they were meant for Alex, who was going off to defeat the Demon King.
Alex felt as though the heavy burden on his shoulders had become a little lighter.
“Yes. I will.”
Alex smiled softly. He was already receiving help, though he couldn’t mention it because it was a Lich.
[Kaaah! One more glass!]
He didn’t even want to mention that it was a guy like this, anyway.
The next day. The day of departure had arrived.
Having loaded all their luggage onto the wagon, Alex and Leo looked around the empty house.
The walls decorated with drawings by Leo and Alex, the spot that had accidentally been gouged out while repairing it, the cute decorations on the curtains made together with Leo, down to the pillar marking Leo’s growing height. It was filled with memories.
He would surely miss it.
However, only when the world was at peace and Leo was alive could he even afford to feel such nostalgia.
“Let’s go, Leo.” “Yeah!” [Let’s go!]
Stepping outside the house, the village chief and the villagers were standing there. Even though they had packed various things for them yesterday, everyone was holding something in their hands again today.
“Leo, I heard you’re going really far away?” “They said you won’t come back for a really long time….”
Having heard from their parents this morning that Leo was going very far away and wouldn’t return for a very long time, the children looked at Leo with tearful faces.
Experiencing this kind of farewell for the first time, Leo’s face was also filled with tears before long.
“This is a gift. Don’t forget me.” “I brought something too!”
The children gave their precious treasures to Leo. Leo also distributed the gifts he had prepared the evening before. They were just stones or wooden toys, but the children’s friendship was fully felt.
“Alex, if it gets tough, come back anytime. We’ll be waiting.”
At the chief’s words, Alex nodded with a smile.
“Yes. I’ll definitely return.”
After defeating the Demon King and the demons. When the world becomes peaceful, that is.
“Ah, Chief.” “Hmm?” “I think it’s going to snow a lot this winter.” “Huh?” “If it really snows heavily, it could be dangerous, so it would be good to check on everything in advance.” “Hmm. Well, alright. I understand.”
At Alex’s words, the chief and Mark looked bewildered, but nodded as if agreeing.
Alex smiled warmly.
This winter. An incredible amount of snow would fall upon the Kaldiss Fief and this vicinity. To the extent that houses would collapse and people would freeze to death.
‘It’s better to prevent it in advance.’
Over the next ten years. Knowing the incidents and accidents that had occurred while Leo was in the village, Alex intended to send letters to the village even while traveling.
Alex placed Leo onto the wagon and took the horse’s reins.
“Then, we’ll be off. Please stay healthy, everyone!” “Goodbye, everyone! Take care!”
At Alex and Leo’s farewells, the adults and children shouted out.
“Stay healthy, Alex! Leo!” “Don’t get hurt!” “Leo! Have a safe trip!” “Buy us something delicious when you come back!”
At the last phrase, everyone burst into laughter.
“Yeah! I’ll buy the most delicious thing!”
Leo answered excitedly, and Alex also shouted loudly.
“We’re off!” “We’ll be back!”
Sitting on the wagon, Alex and Leo waved their hands vigorously.
[I’m off, too!]
Even Lee Baek, who had grown slightly attached to this village, joined in.
The villagers and children watched them while waving their hands. Until the wagon completely vanished from sight.
Just like that day when 16-year-old Leo and ghost Alex had left in the ‘future’.
“I can’t see it anymore….”
Leo, who had been leaning out to watch the village grow further and further away, spoke in a voice full of regret.
“I know.”
Alex stretched out one arm so that Leo wouldn’t fall off the driver’s seat.
“Let’s buy lots of delicious things and return later, Leo.” “Yeah! And buy toys too!”
Excited at the thought of snacks, Leo folded his fingers one by one.
“Finn said he wants a sword because his dream is to be a knight. And Nora likes flowers, so seeds of flowers she’s never seen before would be nice! Also, Tom wants a magic wand!”
[…Oh.] [Tom and a magic wand.] [That sounds like a bit of a problem?]
While Alex didn’t know what the problem was, seeing Lee Baek snicker, it didn’t seem like anything too serious.
“Uncle, when do we arrive at the Lord’s castle?” “Hmm. We’ll arrive in the afternoon.”
When Leo asked while swinging his feet back and forth, Alex answered.
“Uncle, are we raising Max now?” [Who’s Max?] “Yeah. Max pulls the wagon for us, so we have to take good care of him. But since Leo is still small, you might get hurt, so Uncle will handle it.” “Okay! But I can still feed him!” [Ah, is the horse’s name Max?]
It really was difficult to converse with Lee Baek when Leo was around. Still, it was convenient that Lee Baek understood on his own.
Alex drove the wagon slowly so that Leo wouldn’t get motion sick.
For lunch, they ate the food packed by the village women near a nearby river.
“It feels like we’re on a picnic!”
Thanks to the wide field with a cool breeze blowing and the delicious sandwiches, Leo and Alex’s mood couldn’t be better.
[The weather is nice, too.]
Lee Baek also seemed to like the scenery of their perfect first day of travel.
A short while later. While Leo, full from lunch, took a nap inside the wagon’s tent.
Alex and Lee Baek held a magic lesson.
[This time, we’ll learn 「Fireball」.] [I considered teaching you magic of a different attribute, but since we’re traveling, I thought it’d be better to learn offensive magic first.] [Safety comes first, after all.] “Right. Thanks.” [Don’t mention it!]
Lee Baek snickered before explaining about 「Fireball」.
[There isn’t much difference between 「Fire」 and 「Fireball」. You just compress it and change its shape.] [Well, that part is the hard part, but I think you’ll do well.] [First, imagine fire.]
At that, Alex recalled the 「Fire」 he had created in the backyard not long ago.
[And then compress it. Think of gathering the force of the fire as much as possible.] [The shape should be round. The size about the fist.]
Compress, gather, and round.
[If you can’t picture the image well, it’s easier to think of it as a stone made of fire. With the intention to attack as much as possible.]
That was easy. In the ‘future’, the ghost Alex had always wanted to fight.
[Done?] “Yeah.”
Alex took a light breath and rotated the 1st Circle ring inside his heart.
“「Fireball」.”
Then, a fist-sized 「Fireball」 appeared before his eyes. Because he managed his mana well, it was exactly the size of a fist, as expected.
[Oh! As expected, you’re good!] [Now let’s try moving this. It’ll be more aggressive once it gains speed.]
At Lee Baek’s words, Alex tried moving the 「Fireball」.
It wasn’t a difficult task. Just by Alex thinking of moving it, the round 「Fireball」 moved smoothly up, down, left, and right.
[There’s no way this should be this easy.] [You must really be a natural.] [Is this what they call a genius who ranks #1 nationwide just by listening in class?]
Although Alex didn’t understand what he meant, he could clearly feel Lee Baek’s admiration.
[Do you want to throw it now?] [We should test how much destructive power it has!] “No, that’s fine. Leo is sleeping.” [Ah.] [As expected of a nephew-fool.]
Taking Lee Baek’s compliment pleasantly, Alex dispelled the 「Fireball」 and sat on the wagon’s driver’s seat.
Clop-clop, clop-clop— As he drove the wagon, Alex tilted his head.
[What’s wrong?] “The road seems different from my memory.” [Did you take the wrong road?] “Not that… it just feels a bit different?”
Alex made an ‘Hmm’ sound as he looked around his surroundings.
[Can’t you look at a map?] “A small road like this doesn’t show up on a map. Maps that aren’t for military use are just meant to show the location of where the fief is.” [Aha.]
Just as Alex was wondering if he should ask someone since he wasn’t quite sure.
The sound of a horse whinnying was heard from afar. It was a much louder sound than that of Max, the brown horse.
[Oh!! An isekai knight and soldiers!!] [It really feels like the Middle Ages!]
Just as Lee Baek marveled, a knight on horseback and soldiers holding spears were approaching from the end of the road.
“They must be heading to the village because of the wolves.”
Muttering so, Alex drove Max and the wagon to the side of the road. Then, he quickly woke Leo up.
“Leo, Leo. Wake up. A knight is coming over there.”
While they might encounter knights as they traveled in the future, Alex still wanted to show Leo, who loved knights.
At his uncle’s voice, Leo woke up with a sleepy “Uwwing…?”, but upon seeing the awesome knight and the soldiers marching in step, his sky-blue eyes sparkled.
“Waaaah! So cool!”
For some reason, at Leo’s exclamation, it felt as though faint laughter could be heard from the knight and soldiers.
