CH 46

After eating, we decided to close the dungeon.

It would be another thing if we were planning to start a salt farm business, but there was no reason to leave it open because it was a dungeon with no resources other than black salt.

We went out of the dungeon through the closing gate.

It was deep dawn outside, and the full moon in the middle of the sky that was reflecting on the water’s surface was now slightly tilted to the west.

“Now let’s go our separate ways.”

“…….”

Grandpa was in tears. But he didn’t stop it.

From now on, Mom is going to meet Dad and Brother after 6 years. Our family also needed a perfect closure, in private.

“I-I’ll be waiting for Thanksgiving.”

“……Go first. I’ll see you leave.”

“Y-yes.”

Grandpa walked slowly and looked back over and over again. Mom quietly watched him until the end, without any extra words.

“Let’s go too, Eli.”

“Yes.”

Mom took my hand and we headed towards the hut.

In reality, two and a half hours had passed since I entered the dungeon. If Dad and Brother woke up and found me missing, they might be worried.

“Eli! Eli, where are you!”

Not surprisingly, as I approached the house, I heard my father’s voice.

Dad, seen over the bushes, was looking around in his pajamas with a lamp in his hand. Soon after, my brother ran to my father in the backyard. 

“I’ve looked all over the house, but I can’t find her anywhere.”

“Where is she at this time of the night….”

Mom took a deep breath next to me.

A father who is in his 30s and a son who has grown up so much. She was witnessing the years that ruthless passed by as she was left behind.

I squeezed Mom’s hand tightly.

“Let’s go, Eli.”

When we took a few steps further and went out of the bush.

“Oh, Dad, Eli is over there……!”

“Where!”

Dad turned around. My father, who was trying to say something, stopped when he saw my mother who was with me.

“This……How…….”

Dad slowly approached with his gaze fixed as if only Mom could be seen in the world. Mom waited in her place with a weeping smile, and when the distance was narrowed to the point where the hands could reach.

“Oh……!”

Mom grabbed dad and hugged him tightly.

“You did a great job while I was away. I’m sorry I’m back only now, Leo.” 

“Really……Are you Elthea?”

“Yes, it’s me.”

“E-Elthea……!”

This time it was Dad, who tightly hugged Mom. His watery-drenched voice echoed through the night air.

“Why……! Where did you go, that you’re back only now……! M-Me, I thought you left me……I thought you were gone……”

“I can’t live without seeing you for a day. I wouldn’t do that.” 

“Then where were you until now? Are my eyes wrong? You……Why does it seems like you didn’t change at all?”

“That’s because I fell into a dungeon.”

“What! Dungeon? Why were you in such a dangerous place!”

“Uh, how did it happen? Anyway, the beast there was a guy who used special tricks, so I turned into a stone statue of salt, so I couldn’t come out. Well……I’ll tell you the details later.”

“Okay. You’re back, that’s all that matters. Thanks for coming back. Thank you very much. Don’t go anywhere, anymore. Stay by my side.”

“Yes, I will. I promise.”

“Elthea……”

“Leo…….”

A touching reunion was heading towards the finale.

Two people were caressing their cheeks as if trying to confirm each other’s existence. I feel like the distance between their face was getting smaller and smaller.

Hmmm.

I have to pretend I didn’t see… No, first of all, I have to cover Frintz’s eyes first… But where is brother? As I was looking around, Frintz announced his location.

“Mom?”

“……!” (Dad)

“……Oh, Frintz! My son!” (Mom)

The two came to their senses at the sound of their innocent son’s voice and fell apart from each other. Mom, who coughed to change the mood, said to Frintz, who was five steps away.

“Yes, Frintz. It’s mom. Do you remember, me?”

“I-I remember. When I was 6 years old…… You went to catch livestock with a hoe and a plow in this outfit…….”

“That’s right. Our Frintz was six years old, and he’s already grown up like this. Come here, let me give you a hug.”

“Mom!”

Frintz burst into tears and hugged Mom. The charge of her son, now a grown boy, was fierce. But Mom took it easy and even held him up to take his feet out of the ground and twirled in her place.

Meanwhile, I sneakily approached Dad.

“I’m sorry I left without saying anything. But, I brought Mom back, so can you please let me go once?”

“Eli……”

Dad’s wet eyes were sweet as always. I saw a large hand approaching me and thought he was going to pat my head, so I gave my head right away.

“Ouch!”

But he pinched my cheek.

“This is punishment.”

“So-Sowwy….”

After stretching my cheeks out like a rice cake, Dad patted my head while I was rubbing my returned cheek. 

“This is an award. Thanks for finding Mom, Eli.”

“……Hehe, let’s hug Mom too, Dad.”

I grabbed Dad’s hand and went to Mom and Frintz. Mom was wiping Frintz’s face, covered in tears and runny nose.

After I made fun of his appearance, Frintz hugged Mom to hide his face and I also hugged Mom from the other side.

And finally, Dad hugged everyone.

The four of us stayed together for a long time, hugging each other. We smiled brightly at each other with tearful faces.

✠

A month after that.

The Golden Ivory Tower, a holy land for alchemists located in the Principality of Hispenril, was experiencing a period of hardship for the first time in its 300-year history.

‘Ah, it can’t go on like this! The Golden ivory tower may be ruined in my mandate!’

The Tower Chief, Karlon Logos, who now bears the responsibility of the Golden Ivory Tower, was about to die.

It started about a month ago. The huge donations and research grants that came in every month to the Golden Ivory Tower were cut in half.

This is because Prince Hispenril, a big shot in the world of sponsoring, abruptly announced the suspension of sponsorship.

It wasn’t just that. Various regulations sprung up in the principality one after another, all in the name of managing the quality of craftsmen’s products and the integrity of the distribution.

The first application target was the healing potions.

The Ivory Tower, which had made huge profits by selling the low-quality potions made by the apprentices during the practice session, was inevitably damaged.

‘The money line is dry! At this rate, the Golden Ivory Tower will be crushed! Ah, why did something like this happen when I was the Tower’s chief……!’

It didn’t end here.

Recently, tax inspectors from the Duchy even stormed into the laboratory and private residence of the tower chief, Karlon. 

They apologized, but they rummaged through his space in front of him, saying they had no choice because an anonymous tax evasion accusation was received.

If it was another alchemist there were possible grounds for suspicion, but out of all people, they were targeting Hickim Sarmatan, who has walked a life focused only on research, and in which even dust doesn’t come out when he shakes it.

Karlon knew immediately who the anonymous accuser was. He thought, trembling with humiliation.

‘You fucking Duke, you bastard! Why the hell are you doing this to me!’

As a result, Kalon immediately wrote a letter to Prince Hispenril.

The gist of the letter, written in a fluid style comparable to a love letter, that took up to fifty thousand six-character to complete, was as follows.

‘If you have any complaints, speak up, bastard!’

The Prince also sent a solemn and respectful reply.

‘Okay. I will go to the place where the old geezers flock.’

Thus, the two met at the Golden Ivory Tower.

Sushh.

Kalon, who aged ten years in a month, poured tea by his own hand.

It was an expensive tea made by brewing seven types of herbs grown only with holy water and used in top-notch healing potions.

The dessert to be served was decided as a muscle supplementation pill according to the Prince’s taste.

Of course, it was difficult to use the one made in the ivory tower, and it took a much effort to find his preferred pills made by Alchemist Rodel. It tasted and looked like raw chocolate, and it went well as a refreshment for tea time.

The Prince, who still had a nice and artistic muscular body, sat across from him and lifted his cup.

“Hmm! Long time no see, Tower Chief.”

“Yes, long time no see, sir.”

“By the way, I think your face has shrunk to half the size. Are you eating well and exercising? Muscles are important as you get older, do you want me to teach you some weight training suitable for your age?”

“…….”

Pretending to be worried while you are the one who made me like this!

‘Until you became a tyrannical crazy Duke, I was jogging five laps of the ivory tower every morning!’

Karlon groaned but held it in. Sadly, he didn’t have any patience left to exercise, so he rushed to the point.

“The prince will be busy protecting the peace of the principality, so I will get straight to the point. It seems that the reason for your discomfort is in our Tower, if so, please tell me exactly what the problem is. I will correct it.”

“Hmm! It’s a misunderstanding that I feel uncomfortable. I feel as good as my great thoracic muscles these days.”

The Prince fluttered his arms, showing off his wriggling chest muscles while striking a pose.

Karlon just wanted to leave his seat, whether the survival of the Tower was in check or not.

‘Should I just retire?’

It seemed like a good idea. He, who had only studied, was too innocent and pure in order to face such a dirty political exercise of power.

‘Okay, let’s give up the Tower Chief’s position to Hickim Sarmatan and run away!’

Although Hickim was a guy with endless greed, looking at the research results he has published so far, his ability was solid.

Above all, in terms of using the disciples to favorably wash public opinion, win the favor of the wealthy, suck up donations, and form factions with alchemists in the tower, there was no other to face him in terms of politics.

While Karlon was thinking about escaping from reality, the Prince picked up the pill and ate it.

“Hmm! Very good!”

“Well, do you like it?”

“Of course. My son-in-law and granddaughter made it.” 

“What?”

I’ve never heard of it. 

“Son-in-law? What do you mean by…Perhaps, did you find the princess?!”

“Yes. I found my daughter after 13 years, and that’s not all. I found my daughter and got a son-in-law, a granddaughter, and a grandson!”

The Prince chuckled.

If I make him feel better here, things will work out. Karlon was motivated once more. 

“Oh, congratulations! Now that you mention it, it seems that your son-in-law is alchemist Rodel. He seems to be a great talent that is hard to find even in the Tower. What do you want me to do? If it’s okay with you, I’ll make a seat for him in the tower right now….”

In an instant, the cheerful smile on the prince’s face was completely bleached of vigor.

“You kicked him out and now, you want him back?” 

“Huh? What……?”