Chapter 118:
Otto waited patiently until Head Maid Olive had finished feeding Quran.
There, good boy. Ah.
Ah.
Olive finished serving him his porridge and slipped him a piece of Alsatian candy, then looked back at Otto.
Youre back.
Ah, yes.
You looked like youve been in a lot of mischief, and it looks like youve gotten stronger.
Olive, a member of a northern barbarian tribe, was an enormous woman, so her size and muscle were quite imposing.
*Flinch!*
Otto didnt dare to meet her piercing gaze and quickly avoided looking at her directly.
Olives eyes were like the beady eyes of a warrior described in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, and it was a struggle for him to even look at them.
Uh, whats the old mans condition?
Neither good nor bad.
Really?
Hes gotten a little out of it, but hes still lucid for about two or three hours a day.
Um, isnt that a bit severe?
However, Otto didnt dare say it out loud, as there were no need to scold him.
Its bad enough that he sometimes argues that hes not a Dragon.
Haha hahaha.
Anyway, if youre here to see the Elder, Ill excuse myself, Ive already fed him anyway.
With that, Olive strode away, her footsteps loud and heavy.
Shes physically like a man, but shes very detailed and meticulous in her work. Its not for nothing that shes the Head Maid of the Arad Empire. After all, ones outward appearance is not necessarily a reflection of ones abilities.
Of course, theres a saying, Physiognomy is a Science.
Are you feeling well, old man? Its me.
Uhh?
.
Nuh-uh! Im hungry! Im hungry! Give me food! Why arent you giving me food!
You just ate a little while ago.
Dont say youre hungry with a piece of candy in your mouth.
Otto was disoriented when Quran started acting up, but he still managed to mollify him.
Old man, you just had a meal, and youre chewing on a candy in your mouth.
Eh?
Look here. Your stomach is so round.
Otto was very skillful in dealing with Quran.
His grandmother had suffered from dementia in the past, so he was no stranger to dealing with dementia patients.
After a couple of hours of this, Quran stopped fussing.
Hmm? Youre Otto, arent you? What are you doing here?
Quran woke up.
Yes, old man. I just wanted to say hello and ask you some questions.
Hehehe, you peculiar kid!Findd new stories at novelhall.com
How are you doing these days?
Im not sure if its good or bad because my mind is constantly wandering. Mm-hmm.
Im glad you were able to settle back down, though. I hope you didnt have anything major, because its worse if youre physically hurting.
Look at you, Hahaha!
Quran was rather happy when Otto worried about him.
In a way, he was like a child to Quran, who had dementia and no one to take care of him.
By the way, what do you want to ask me? Ill answer anything.
Yes, old man. Its just that according to the ancient texts of humans, Dragons are a wise and great race, and capable of penetrating the essence of the soul is that true?
You mean Dragons Eye?
Yes. That.
Of course. We dragons can see the essence of the soul with great accuracy.
Then Do you think you can have a look at me?
Otto mused as he uttered the words.
Its probably a request for some sort of contemplation.
The scene came to his mind of an elderly man, always interested in things like the four cardinal directions and the principal stars, saying, Let me see and adjusting his glasses.
That shouldnt be too hard. Okay, let me have a look.
Qurans eyes lit up and he stared at Ottos face.
Huh?
For a moment, Otto felt as if he was being scrutinized.
How could he describe it?
It was like having ones soul pierced by a spear.
It was a very strange feeling.
A being that realized that Otto wasnt actually from this world, but from another.
Maybe the secret that brought him to this world.
And whether this world was real or if it really was just a game.
It was like being presented with the answer to a question hed never been able to ask anyone.
I am.
Otto asked Quran in a shaky voice.
You mean Im not from this world?
I see it now, huh? On closer inspection, yes. Your soul, essentially from a different world, has been possessed by a body from this world.
Ha!
Somehow, from the moment I first saw you, I sensed that you were foreign, so theres a reason for that.
But Quran didnt seem surprised.
Otto thought that was odd, so he asked him again.
Doesnt that surprise you?
What do you mean?
That Im not a native of this world, but someone whos been transported from another world?
I know its not common, but it can happen, so I didnt think much of it?
What?
Otto.
Quran smiled and spoke to Otto as if he were tutoring his young grandchild.
Do you think your world is the only inhabited place in this vast universe?
Thats.
In this universe.
From Qurans mouth flowed a secret known only to dragons.
There are more planets than you can count, and on each of those countless planets there are many different kinds of life.
I see.
Among them would be this planet where we are now meeting, bonding, and talking, and the planet from which you came.
Ah!
Think about it.
Quran turned to Otto with a question.
Otto, how long do you think it would take for you to get to this planet from the planet you came from?
Well, I dont know, its not like we have an address in space, and besides, its pretty far away, isnt it? Even traveling at the speed of light, it might take hundreds of millions of years?
Right?
Quran smiled at that.
So, would it be easier for you to travel all the way there, or just your soul?
Thats huh?
The body is a precious vessel that allows us to live our lives as living beings. However, the body limits us. The shackles of the living. It binds us to the laws of life and death.
Im not sure I quite understand, but I think I do.
The soul is much freer than the body to travel from planet to planet, world to world. Because the universe is so vast, youd have to travel an awful lot of distance to get from one world to another physically.
I see.
Thats why its so rare for a being to travel to another planet. Its just not physically possible. But its not uncommon for souls to move, although its rare.
To be honest, Otto didnt entirely grasp what the Quran was saying.
The universe, traveling between planets, time, souls, etc..
These concepts are so advanced and abstract that it was impossible for the human mind to comprehend what he was saying.
So Otto decided to put aside his other questions and ask one first.
So is this world real, and not just in a game?
A game? In what way?
I mean.
Otto told Quran the story about Earth and about the game.
Hmmm, I see.
Quran nodded as if understanding.
I see what youre saying. It must have been very confusing for you, I understand.
Are you saying this is the real world and not a game world?
Of course.
Quran replied, smiling at Otto.
Baby, why are you whining again?
?
Is it because youre craving that minotaur you ate last time, and you want your brother to get you another one?
Otto silently covered his face with his palms.
** ** **
TL/N:
1. Alsatian or Alsace is a part of France. Its borders have not always been clear. The region has been passed between French and German control several times since 1681, when Strasbourg was conquered by French forces. As a result, Alsatian culture is a unique mix of French and German influences.
At least you now know why some names are from French and why those like Elise and his Grandfather have Von in their names.
[Updated: 12/12/2023 Typo Kuran changed to Quran, and some other stuffs]