◈ Episode 191. The Gift (1)

At least until they were in bed.

The smile never left Lee Yerim’s lips.

His only brother.

She couldn’t wait to make fun of Hoyeol.

“Hoyeol, you really got caught.”

Let’s just say that sending a long letter every day is a good thing. I know you’re usually busy, but if you’re on vacation, isn’t it your duty to show your face at least once?

“They’re worried about you, even if you’re not a prick.”

Of course, mom and dad would say.

-“I’m going to bother my younger brother again.”

-“Yerim, if anyone hears this, they will think that I have a dutiful daughter.”

-“Our third daughter. “Be nice to your daughter and your mom.”

Somehow, the arrows were pointed at me.

Still, Lee Yerim had something to say.

A giggle, a chuckle, a laugh.

“There is no formality in sight, my brother.”

She knew Ho’s position outside the house very well.

A hero of humanity, a symbol of peace, whatever.

They should have been talking about him on TV.

But as I told my sisters.

At home, Ho was still the little brother.

I’m happy to see you.

Just as the name implies.

Our youngest child, whose very existence alone brings joy.

The corners of Lee Yerim’s mouth turned upward even more.

“…… This sister is a delight to imagine.”

I can’t wait to bully…….

No, because I’m thinking about meeting face to face.

Why, it was a pleasure she hadn’t felt since Hoyeol grew up. Lately, when I see him, I’m suddenly reminded of old times.

Lee Yerim furrowed her brow and pondered.

“Surely, I’ve heard that tone before…….”

It had been more than a decade ago, so she couldn’t remember much, but for some reason, she didn’t recognize that tone. While reminiscing, Lee Yerim suddenly muttered.

“I think I’ve heard the same long name before.”

……What was Romeo?

That must have been a long, difficult name.

Okay, I’ll ask him about that tomorrow when Hoyeol comes.

The next day.

It was eight in the morning when Lee Yerim woke up.

But when she walked out into the living room, she was stunned.

“……What, what?!”

Mrs. Choi was furious at the deafening scream.

“Oh, shut up. Hoyeol just came and left!”

“What, at what time?!”

“Five in the morning!”

“Da, five o’clock?! Are you crazy, man?”

Wow!

This was the moment when Lee Yerim’s grand plan fell apart.

*

Three older sisters.

The youngest son of a daughter’s rich family.

Me, Lee Hoyeol.

As I’ve said before, to survive among my sisters, I’ve had no choice but to evolve, and I’m proud to say that I ended my vacation without a shred of shame.

Why, I said I’d come and see you tomorrow.

It’s not a lie if you show up at five in the morning, is it?

Nor did I move early to avoid an encounter with Wensu out of pride.

It was just me, sleeping less thanks to the effects of the Blessing of the First World Tree.

Always.

I had always been up since dawn.

Lee Yerim, I wonder if you can catch it.

-“Your face is halved, my son.”

My mother, Mrs. Choi Kang-hee, embraced me as soon as she saw me.

She didn’t say so, but I know she was sleepless with worry for her son. I know this because my sisters told me.

“You’re a little bigger now, Hoyeol.”

My father, Mr. Lee Junwook, told me that he cut and clipped every newspaper I appeared in. Anyway, it was typical of him to try desperately not to reveal his true feelings.

“I should have come to see you earlier.”

Is it because I write a letter every morning?

It hadn’t occurred to me that it had been a long time since I’d seen him face to face.

Moreover, more than anything else, there was something wrong with my family.

‘Until I went to the first and second.’

Calling my eldest sister or second sister “sister” and being respectful to her…….

Yes, I can tolerate it.

But respecting Lee Yerim.

I can’t stand it, because it’s so formal.

‘In that sense, you’ve done well, Hoyeol.’

She’s always been like that, sleeping in late even on weekdays.

It’s been the same for a long time, my wensu.

Anyway, I headed straight to the tower.

It was already seven in the morning.

I got home at 5am.

The time flew by as we caught up on things.

By the way, I can’t believe I said that in front of my parents.

I felt like I was going to die of embarrassment.

Our Mr. Lee, said something really nice.

-“They say that position makes the man, and you’ve gotten serious. Yeah, you should have that kind of weight when you’re in that position.”

Dad.

Thank you so much for clearing up that misunderstanding.

I was genuinely relieved.

‘……I don’t want to be found out for my black history.’

I want to avoid shame in front of my family at all costs.

Soon, I entered the manifested portal.

When my vision came back, I could see the Magic Tower’s office.

Shhh.

I ran my fingers across the desk.

Then a voice spoke.

“There’s no need to dust it off.”

So much for being neat and tidy, Grandfell.

Your clothes were all wrinkled when Mrs. Choi hugged you.

I don’t know how you stayed so still then.

And why is the water boiling as soon as we arrive?!

“You can’t skip a meal.”

Tsk.

What I put down on the desk is something wrapped in a cloth.

“Among other things, breakfast rivals afternoon tea.”

I should have just said I was hungry……!

Anyway, I unwrapped the furoshiki.

There was no way I was going to pack a lunch in a wrapping cloth.

It was the breakfast that Mrs. Choi had packed for her son.

Why does the wrapping cloth look so impenetrable again?

“Silk with regularity and irregularity coexisting. Wonderful.”

Don’t make meaning out of common carvings, Grandfell.

It’s just a matter of time before I tackle it like I always do.

Tok-tok.

There’s a knock at the door.

I’m not one for unscheduled meetings.

But on my first day back, I may need to be flexible.

Well, it doesn’t look like it’s Bensch.

I opened my mouth.

“You may come in, Marcelo.”

“Good morning, my lord…….”

Marcelo looked at me and paused.

“My goodness, have you been eating?”

“That’s right.”

“I apologize, I should have told you beforehand.”

“I was not absent, never mind.”

“No, it doesn’t. It’s not urgent enough to interrupt your meal.”

House Simuard, Curse of the Terminal Illness.

Marcelo is free from his pact with the demon.

This gave him the stamina to focus on his research like never before.

Judging by the stacks of papers in his hands.

‘That must be some kind of anomaly.’

Upon my return, I was hit with a work bomb!

It reminded me of a time I’d forgotten.

Pride can’t keep you from doing your job.

Besides, I can’t overlook a study of anomalies.

“It’s a anomaly that worked on the high-ranking Demon King, Gamigin.’

At the time, I was surprised that Gamigin resisted the Anomaly.

Now that I think about it.

I should have been surprised that the Anomaly went through Gamigin.

In that sense, it’s worth digging deeper than other wells, Anomaly.

‘By the way…….’

Marcelo, clutching papers in both hands, looks shaken.

‘No, the curse of the terminal illness is gone.’

Why, you’re still nothing but bones, Marcelo.

I doubt he’s eating.

“Have you eaten?”

“I didn’t eat because I was in a hurry.”

Really?

I guess we should show Mrs. Choi’s taste again.

I said to Marcelo.

“If you don’t mind, why don’t you join me?”

“It’s ……?”

“It’s not a good idea to skip breakfast.”

Marcelo paused and looked at the side dish on his desk.

He looks curious, wondering what this is.

There’s nothing like this in Arcana.

It’s understandable that he’d be curious.

It’s not hard to explain.

“It’s a combination of grains, meats, and vegetables from the fields, and it takes a lot of care to prepare. The way it’s cooked also changes its flavor dramatically, so, to use a magical analogy, it’s a completely different food depending on what you add to the interference process…….”

Wow.

;Even though dumplings and steamed dumplings taste completely different……!!!’

I don’t think anyone else would use that kind of words to describe dumplings, Grandfell!

But there’s no denying that Mrs. Choi puts her heart into her dumplings.

The flavors are also the result of raising four children.

So these dumplings are not for everyone, Marcelo.

“……Do you think I should be allowed to eat such precious food?”

“You deserve it, Marcelo.”

“Well, then, I’ll take a chance and join you.”

“What do you think?”

“Ooh……!”

“Indeed, no words are necessary.”

“Rather, Sir…….”

“?”

“May I ask for a drink as well?”

……No, why not?

It’s 300 won a cup, so what’s the difference.

Why is even Marcelo looking for tea bag green tea?

*

The Iron Castle.

The dwarves looked down at the continent in awe.

“Three, oh my!”

The continent of Arcana.

The Zero Mountains, a presence even in their lair, had disappeared. The leader, Chainwalker, spoke in a serious voice.

“We expected it.”

The last survivor of Akshan and an adventurer.

Interacted with Hoyeol.

Thanks to this, Chainwalker had some knowledge of the Rift.

The rift was the passage between the continent of Arcana and the world of adventurers.

That the Zero Mountains had disappeared from the Arcana Continent meant that…….

“Then, does that mean that the Zero Mountains have appeared in the World of Adventurers?”

The dwarves shouted at Chainwalker’s words.

“They must be safe, right?”

“I don’t know. The Zero Mountains are huge, aren’t they?”

“If something like that fell in the middle of nowhere……. it would be the equivalent of tens of thousands of blasts from a magic cannon.”

Dwarves, creators of complex mechanical devices.

Perhaps that’s why.

I could see the damage that would be done if the Zero Mountains appeared out of nowhere.

Of course, that was only true for dwarves.

The residents of Dredsen, who had been listening, whispered.

“……Mr. Gardner. Can you believe it?”

“Is that possible, Lansha?”

“I think something is really happening.”

Where the Zero Mountains used to be.

It was so flat that there weren’t even any hills in sight.

“……I’m worried about this in more ways than one.”

A ship in the sky.

The Iron Castle was headed for Antonium, the capital of the Empire.

The intention was to resettle the people of Dredsen in Antonium.

‘A ray of light in the infinite darkness…….’

His name, she was told, was Lord Hoyeol.

During her stay aboard the Iron Castle, Lansha learned of Hoyeol’s exploits.

Recently, you have dealt a fatal blow to the demons, causing them to cower. Lansha, even with her own eyes, it seemed that the demons had indeed become less active.

‘I’m less worried about the demons, but…….’

I wondered if we would fit in well in the Capital, Antonium.

Worries prevailed.

Dredsen was a small, poor town that was ignored by everyone.

But Lansha clenched her fists.

‘Because we survived.’

Diend, the Dark Spirit.

She hadn’t forgotten his words of pride.

Lansha could afford to worry about Hoyeol.

The dwarves’ expressions were grave.

“I hope you’re okay?”

Lansha didn’t know much about shock doses and such, but…….

Just thinking about it, it didn’t seem like something out of the ordinary.

If a person jumped into a river, the water surface would still move.

How rough would the surface of the water be if the Zero Mountains fell on it?

Gardner closed his eyes tightly.

“I guess we’ll just have to hope he’s okay.”

Hoyeol, the Dredsen’s savior.

All they can do with what they have.

All they can do is pray that their savior is safe.

And spread the word of his heroism throughout Antonium.

Chainwalker looked at Lansha and Gardner.

“As you say, I cannot help but be concerned for the safety of Lord Hoyeol’s world. The impact of the arrival of the Zero Mountains will be devastating, even if he can somehow contain it.”

Gulp.

Chainwalker swallowed dryly.

“The Zero Mountains are dangerous in their own right.”

The continent of Arcana, where many mighty men have been born and lived.

Yet no one had ever reached the top of the Zero Mountains.

That’s because of the dragon that guards the top of the Zero Mountains.

‘…… I don’t doubt Lord’s abilities.’

Wasn’t he also a human?

Human and dragon.

It was safe to say that the weight class was the difference between earth and heaven.

“Hoo-hoo.”

But the dwarves knew.

His natural weight.

Because they were shorter and thicker than anyone else.

And they knew better than anyone how to overcome it.

Chainwalker’s eyes flashed.

“The time has come for my lord to be equipped!”

The dwarves were already forging equipment for Hoyeol, especially his armor, which was being elegantly tempered under Hiel’s spell.

Magical platinum.

High-purity magic stones.

Indigo butterfly thread…….

The armor was made of the rarest materials in the dwarven treasury, and its performance was the best the dwarves had to offer.

“Something to look forward to, my lord.”

Suddenly, Chainwalker’s gaze shifted to the closed iron door.

“… … Well, except for the weapons.”

Wallswale, the best blacksmith in the Dwarves.

It had been dozens of days since he’d locked himself away and forged the noble iron.

It was inevitable.

The iron gate, the voice through it.

“Not good enough. Not enough!”

“Shut up. The forging is not yet finished.”

“Dwarf, think of the enemies he must slay!”

I’ve been searching and searching, and I’ve found nothing like that. ……?

Gwicheol’s voice continues.

Chainwalker closed his eyes grimly.

“I must become even sharper. I need to cut the star in the sky, Evil Eyes. The grindstones of this continent are not enough. I need you to sharpen me with a sharpener that literally fell from the sky, the Milky Way Whetstone!”

On the topic of minerals.

So much to know.

You demand more.

“I want it, the Milky Way Whetstone.”

It’s the stuff of legends, even among the greatest dwarves.

How in the world am I supposed to find it and forge it?

.

.

.

……Wait a minute.

The Milky Way Whetstone?

Suddenly, Shegwin’s voice rises.

-“Who wears that crown is none of my business. I merely lent my services to the feudal lords to obtain a magic item, the Milky Way Whetstone.”

I thought you said that was in the storage room of the Imperial Palace of Antonium?