Chapter 213: An Old Story (10)

Chapter 213: An Old Story (10)

Today was a very strange day for Eisel.

After finishing lunch as usual, she tried to sneak a cake behind her maid’s back, but due to a housecleaning day, she got caught by the maids.

While secretly reading comic books in her hidden spot, a cat barged in and startled her, which made her scream and get caught.

Moreover, she wanted to play ball today for some reason, so she played alone, but when the ball flew over the fence, she went to retrieve it and got tangled in a special magical barrier, losing her way back.

As she wandered through the forest, she encountered a terrifying wolf demon.

She really thought she was going to die.

How many times can a seven-year-old child feel the emotions of fear and despair from a life-threatening situation?

Her lips turned blue and her whole body trembled. And her heart pounded wildly, but now she could at least calm down a bit.

A masked stranger.

Although she didn't know his name or face, she strangely felt safe being with this person.

".... So, are we going the right way?"

Baek Yu-Seol, who was following behind, asked.

Eisel was confidently leading the way and hurriedly nodded.

"I-I think this is the right way."

"The direction you mentioned earlier is northeast, but this is northwest. The directions are different."

"T-That can't be!"

Eisel appeared confused and rolled her eyes. She was sure they had come this way, so why was the direction different?

"Sigh.......”

It couldn't be helped.

In the future, Eisel might be smart and capable of everything, but right now, she was just a seven-year-old.

It might even be a bit scary if she were overly smart at that age.

While Baek Yu-Seol was contemplating how to handle this situation, a message was transmitted through the Sentient Spec.

**[Analysis complete]**

**[The forest is equipped with the 'Wanderer's Rule' magic that reduces the sense of direction of living creatures.]**

“...... What?”

Baek Yu-Seol’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Although he had the knowledge from the spec, he had also studied magic to some extent and knew how absurd that statement was.

*‘Are you saying the entire forest is covered with magic......?’*

Wasn’t that too crazy?

Then, a sudden thought struck him.

*'Wait... Disorientation magic?'*

Magic.

*'Then it's possible to analyze it, right?'*

**[It is possible as your sensory abilities vastly exceed the barrier.]**

**[Analysis complete.]**

After a short wait, it seemed like the forest split open, revealing a clear path before his eyes.

"Oh...... Something......"

**[Starting route guidance.]**

**[Go straight for 7.3 km.]**

**[Then turn right.]**

*‘... Is this a navigation system?’*

It felt like his mood was completely ruined. Anyway, finding the way was no longer a problem.

"Hey, follow me."

"Wha...?"

When Baek Yu-Seol, who had been following behind, suddenly took the lead, Eisel hurriedly followed him with a bewildered expression.

"W-Wait! My dad said that outsiders would get lost in this forest."

"You got lost too."

"T-That's because... I forgot the method my dad taught me...."

Well, at that age, kids tend to half-listen to what their dads say. She probably didn't focus properly and forgot the method.

"That’s really dangerous.........."

Despite Eisel’s nervousness, Baek Yu-Seol continued walking confidently.

Occasionally, dangerous beasts or demons would appear, and he would defeat them with a single strike, causing Eisel’s eyes to widen in amazement.

“Wow...”

It felt gratifying, like a cousin bragging about his game ID to a younger cousin, but then he realized this power wasn’t truly his and felt a pang of self-deprecation.

*'... When I return to the present, I won't eat and just focus on training.'*

How long had they wandered through the forest?

When Baek Yu-Seol, who was leading, suddenly stopped, Eisel questioned him.

“Is there a problem?”

“Looks like your friends are here.”

“Huh?”

Soon, the bushes parted, revealing a group of magical knights in blue uniforms.

Baek Yu-Seol recognized the crest of the Grand Duke Morph Family instantly and smiled.

“... Identify yourself.”

A man who appeared to be the highest-ranking knight among them approached, pointing his staff at Baek Yu-Seol.

Baek Yu-Seol lowered the staff and pointed his thumb at Eisel.

“She got lost, so I was escorting her home.”

The knight looked at Eisel as if asking if this was true, and she hastily nodded.

“It’s true. He even took care of all the demons!”

“I see. Miss, please come this way.”

They say the Morfran Forest was thoroughly sealed off by a special magic barrier to prevent just anyone from entering. It wasn’t because there were great treasures hidden inside, but rather because a terrible beast was slumbering there.

It had been sealed for over a hundred years now, so it had been quiet, and because of that, the vigilance had lessened and no one noticed Eisel entering the forest.

It was an intrusion from within the mansion, not from outside, which made it all the more understandable.

Of course, the guards on duty probably lost their jobs due to Eisel’s accident.

"Hmm... Are you talking about me?"

"Yes."

*‘What should I talk about? I definitely shouldn't mention that I came from the future, but saying I'm still a student feels off.’*

"I’m just... A wandering adventurer."

The most common, easily disguised, and hardest-to-identify profession.

An adventurer.

In other words, a beggar, an unemployed person, or a homeless person.

"An adventurer. A profession filled with romance."

"Thank you."

"I heard from my daughter that you slayed a Sharp Wolf with a single stroke."

"Yes."

"A sword... I've seen many adventurers who use swords, but I've never in my life seen anyone who could hunt a Sharp Wolf with a single swing of sword."

That's a natural thing. It was common sense that a sword couldn’t properly cut through the skin of a beast enveloped in mana.

Baek Yu-Seol could only do it thanks to his Mana Accumulation Retardation.

"Even with a good magic sword, at best, you could handle a Danger Level 2, or maybe a Danger Level 3 if you're working together... That’s typically what street adventurers can hunt."

"That's right."

"But the beast you hunted was a Danger Level 5, a threatening demon. Even veteran magic warriors need to be extremely cautious when hunting such creatures."

*‘Ah! I see the intention behind the question.’*

"Furthermore... There's something strange about you. Typical mages tend to leak a bit of their internal mana. I have a special ability to sense that."

Was there such a thing? There were hardly any records about Isaac Morph even in the Sentient Spec, so he didn't know.

"But I can't sense any mana from you at all. It's as if you are someone disconnected from the world. Even that mysterious aura surrounding you, I can't fathom what it is."

By now, Isaac Morph had put down his fork and knife, clasped his hands, and was staring at Baek Yu-Seol intently.

"Who exactly are you?"

What should he answer here? The only option was to repeat what he said.

"... As I said, I'm an adventurer."

"I see. I understand."

He nodded as if he had sorted out his thoughts, then turned to Eisel with a gentle smile.

"Princess. Are you done with your meal?"

"Yes. I want to go to my room."

"Call for the maid, Pescila."

Eisel glanced at Baek Yu-Seol and then left the dining room with the maid Pescila. Even as she was leaving, she kept looking back at him as if something was bothering her.

"Now that my daughter has left... I have one straightforward request."

A request from Isaac Morph. Sensing the weight of the atmosphere, he nodded with a serious expression.

"First, I need to tell you this."

After a brief silence, he spoke.

"I won't live much longer."

"... What?"

His sudden statement left him speechless for a moment.

"What do you mean...?"

"I hope you understand that I can't explain the reason. However, please know that this request is sincere. I won't be able to protect my daughter for long. If she stays by my side, it might harm her. When that time comes..."

Duke Isaac Morph looked directly into his eyes.

"Could you protect my daughter even if just for a little while? Until she can stand on her own... No, even if she just stays alive, that would be enough..."

His request was so sudden, absurd, and out of the blue that Baek Yu-Seol could only listen in silence without any response or reaction.

"Do you know why I’m asking such a favor of someone whose identity and face I don't even know?"

Baek Yu-Seol thought for a moment, but he couldn't figure it out.

"... It’s because I'm that desperate."

"..."

It seemed Isaac Morph knew about his fate. That's why he was preparing like this.

Baek Yu-Seol couldn't bring himself to look into his sorrowful eyes and bowed his head.

"I can understand a person's nature by talking with them. You may be eccentric and free-spirited, but you don't have a bad nature. Rather... You could be called righteous."

Isaac sighed, stood up, and looked at the wall. There hung a family photo taken long ago with his wife, who had departed to the heavens, and his only daughter.

"So, I'm asking you this favor. If you refuse, there's nothing I can do..."

"I'll do it."

"...!"

Baek Yu-Seol had tried his best to avoid getting involved with future connections.

But... falling into this specific time period where such a significant event happens and meeting Eisel and Isaac Morph, was it really just a coincidence? Or was it fate?

He didn’t believe in either coincidence or fate. Even so, if he had the courage to refuse in this situation, he would be a heartless person.

"... Thank you. Truly."

Isaac nodded briefly and stared blankly at the framed picture. Then, as if reciting a spell, he muttered something in a small voice.

"It can't be helped. It can't be helped. But... Even for the greater good, I can't sacrifice my daughter..."

He wasn't talking to Baek Yu-Seol. But to himself. Isaac Morph was hypnotizing himself.

What could be so terrifying that someone like Isaac Morph would tremble and go to such lengths?

If he didn't know anything, it might have been better, but knowing a bit about him made his heart ache.

There was probably nothing Baek Yu-Seol could do.