Episode 110. Robbing an Empty House (5)
The storekeeper stopped trying to sell his fruit, pulled out a chair from the inside, sat in front of me, and quietly listened to my questions.
I had prepared the questions in my head on the way here. They contained information that could immediately derive the Returnee’s identity if the people of the other world knew of their existence.
“So, if I put together what you’ve told me… There’s only one person that comes to mind.”
He seemed to have thought of an individual, as I intended. I was relieved. If this man didn’t know, I might have wasted more time wandering around.
The storekeeper put his hand on his chin, thinking for a moment, and soon started to speak.
“Well, I didn’t expect anyone else to ask me this. Most people who have lived here for a long time will think of one person when they hear your questions. You’re probably spending a lot of money to figure it out because you’re an outsider and don’t know the details.”
“So other people are asking similar questions… Did anyone else come looking for someone like that?”
“There used to be a lot. After all, such a great person did something terrible overnight and disappeared……. So people searched out of vengeance, and also many people who missed or needed the person. The Emperor here also had people looking for the individual for a while.”
“A great person… What do you mean ‘disappeared overnight’?”
The person fit the criteria for a ‘Returnee’ even more. I narrowed my eyes and asked more about it.
“That person could control the world if they wished to. The individual appeared out of nowhere and founded a kingdom based on their powerful ability and the forces they led. It was an ideal kingdom, enough to be called a Utopia. A lot of people moved there, and many other kingdoms wanted to win the King’s favor.”
“And you said the King disappeared overnight? What was the terrible thing?”
“Ask one question at a time, please. Hmm… I guess I had better tell you about the terrible thing first.”
He bit down on one of the fruits he had on display. Then, he also handed me a fruit.
“It was a peaceful, large kingdom. It was superior in all regards, such as wealth and military power. But it collapsed like a pile of sand overnight.”
“It collapsed….”
“Yes. Not only the people who lived there but also the splendid and beautiful buildings—all turned to dust. They say the children and women turned into puddles of blood, and the men and animals turned into sand and covered it up. It was bizarre. Apparently, it caused quite a stir over the whole world.”
“…….”
“And then a wizard from some kingdom found some traces there. The wizard discovered that the King who founded and led the kingdom, who people called the ruler of the world, was the one who committed such a terrible act.”
“Oh….”
I nodded and sighed quietly. With the power to blow up a large kingdom, how strong would the Returnee be? The Returnee must have used some weapon or employed the help of something else, but it was hard to think of the Returnee as an ordinary human being.
“Hahahahaha.”
“……?”
I was deep in thought when the man looked at my face and suddenly burst into laughter.
“Why the serious face and wonder? It’s a story famous in this kingdom, just a story.”
“A story…?”
“Yes, it’s a legend that children and adults who enjoy fantasy novels find interesting. I heard it’s an ancient tale. Roughly… 200 years?”
“So you’ve been telling me a local legend all this time?”
“Wasn’t that what you wanted to know? All of your questions were pointing to the main character of the story.”
The storekeeper laughed for some more time. Then he scratched his head and said.
“Anyway, the era of magic and swords was a long time ago. Why are you bringing it up?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Even if you’re an outsider, how can you not know? What, are you from the north, across the ocean? Or are you playing a stupid joke or something?”
“I’m asking because I really don’t know.”
The man let out a deep sigh.
“…Phew. Fine, I’ll tell you.”
“…….”
“The story you heard is the ‘Alice Legend’. They say that about the time when the legend was born, magic and the sword aura of great knights completely disappeared from this world.”
“…What did you just say?”
“What now?”
“Alice Legend? Can you pronounce it again?”
“Sigh… you keep making me do weird things.”
The store owner lamented, but I glared at him regardless. He couldn’t help but open his mouth.
“Alice Legend.”
I opened my eyes wide. The man had been talking in the language of the Empire, but his pronunciation became similar to English when he said Alice, though clumsy.
“Do you know the origin of the name of the Alice Legend?”
“What origin? It’s just called that because the hero of the legend called themselves Alice or whatever weird word. The King fell from the sky and lamented being in the same situation as some Alice from some Wonderland, a fairytale that doesn’t even exist.”
“……!”
The storekeeper said casually, but his words left an impression. I had found a clue. There was a chance that I could take everything that a Returnee had left behind a very long time ago, by this world’s standards.
“Where can I find information about the legend?”
* * *
“Mr. Si-woo, how did you do that? You were just listening and then suddenly you started to speak like a local! Did you analyze the language and figure out the underlying rules? Wow….”
“No, it was thanks to my Characteristics.”
“…Your answer is too boring.”
“I’m making it clear so you don’t make strange assumptions. I never analyzed a language, but I’m analyzing this book right now, so don’t bother me, just go over there.”
“Okay, okay.”
I pushed aside Han Yeon-soo, who kept clinging to me, and turned my eyes back to the book.
The Alice Legend.
It was an officially recorded book about the legend. The Akashic Records even taught me the written language, so I could read the contents easily as if I were reading Korean.
The story was similar to what the store owner said, but many parts were different.
Throughout the book, parts of the story seemed to imply that the story’s main character was a Returnee.
“…How can he read that? Amazing.”
Yoo Ji-yeon mumbled in admiration. I didn’t reply and concentrated on the book for a while longer.
“Okay, I found it.”
And while I was turning the pages, I found a paragraph written on one page and immediately closed the book. Only after reading the book from cover to cover three times was I able to find a definite clue.
“What did you find?”
“A clue. I think I know where the Returnee’s possessions are. Come on, let’s move. We don’t have any time to waste.”
I shook Yoo Ji-yeon to wake her up. She was dozing off in her seat.
“Oh… are you done? Did you find everything?”
“We have to go find it now. Wake up.”
“Ugh….”
I didn’t have much time to spare. Taking all of one Returnee’s possessions wasn’t the end of it. I was going to find holes like this and grab each Returnee’s belongings.
That way, I could become much stronger than I saw in the future that the Great Sage showed me. Only then could I wholly face the guy that would appear once the Returnee Situation was over.
“Wake up and draw up your mana. See that mountain waaay over there? Let’s go over there.”
“Uhh… Okay. Hold on tight.”
“Wait, you’re fully awake, right? Pull yourself together for a bit before… Agh!”
Yoo Ji-yeon, who was rubbing her eyes, snapped her finger once, and our bodies soared into the air. The Empire’s residents wandering the streets nearby stared at us. But without a chance to check their reactions, we flew towards the top of the high mountain, accompanied by a strong wind.
* * *
“Don’t bring the two of us next time. If you’re going to bring me along, come with Hyun-woo, not her. I think I’m going to throw up. Ugh.”
“It’s just because I wasn’t fully awake. Heh heh.”
Yoo Ji-yeon smiled brightly at Han Yeon-soo, who was retching and looked queasy.
I also massaged my stiff neck and smiled wryly. Yes, if I needed transportation, I was never bringing Yoo Ji-yeon along again.
“At least we got here quickly.”
From the summit of the towering mountain, I could see the entire landscape of the continent, including the Empire and the kingdoms and vast forests nearby. It was an eye-catching view, but I didn’t come all the way here to enjoy the scenery.
I looked around the summit, recalling the paragraph I saw from the book earlier.
[‘Outstanding Insight’ has been activated.]
[‘Information Access’ has been activated.]
“Si-woo, what are you doing?”
According to the book, where the ‘biggest mountain range’ stands tall near the forest, the peak of what was called the Sky Mountains was where the survivors buried the vanished Returnee’s belongings.
They were bound to be somewhere here. The collection of objects that gave a 1st class Awakened person enough power to blow up an entire kingdom.
“Get up off of that for a second. That… looks a bit weird to be a rock.”
“What? Oh… I see. I thought it was a comfortable rock to sit on, but it does look strangely smooth.”
“Too strange to be weathered by nature.”
Han Yeon-soo stood up from the rock she was sitting on. When I looked around with my Characteristics activated, I found nothing strange. Tall trees, weeds covering the ground, and some bugs crawling about.
The only thing suspicious was that rock.
“Hmm….”
I put my hand on the rock and stroked it. There was no feeling of roughness. It was clear that human hands had crafted it. It also seemed to have gone through a complicated process.
I stroked the rock and found a deep groove dug in the middle. Was it formed over time? No, the sensation on the tips of my fingers was consistent. It was an inscription of words.
As I cast in my mana, the grove was filled with blue light. It was a short sentence written in the Balstan Empire’s language.
-In memory of the Great King, who vanished like dust.
“What does this mean? Hmmph!”
Thud thud thud!
Even before I could attempt to interpret the meaning, a deafening boom rang under the rock.
“Si-woo, what have you done?”
“I just read the text.”
“Ah….”
Han Yeon-soo looked pale. And the moment we were trying to talk and figure out the situation.
Thud!
On the way up to the mountain peak, something began to approach us from below, near the dense trees. It wasn’t an ordinary Monster. Judging by what seemed like the sound of its steps, it was at least as big as a large-specie Monster.
The three of us focused on the direction the sound was coming from. And soon, a deep voice and the owner of the footsteps appeared through the trees.
“No one can dare take away the Great King’s legacy. Those unqualified shall be found guilty by a mere glimpse. Are you followers or tomb raiders?”
It was a tall conglomerate of rocks, dozens of meters tall. A Golem.
It looked like a being that humans couldn’t defeat. Feeling the overwhelming presence of the Golem, we opened our mouths to speak.
“…Should I destroy it, Si-woo?”
“No, Si-woo. I’ll take care of it. I was bored, anyway.”
None of us were nervous.
A Golem dozens of meters tall? It may be a powerful guardian in this world, but it wasn’t enough to be a source of terror by our world’s standards. Unfortunately, hordes of more powerful Monsters swarmed our world every day.
“Let’s decide with rock-paper-scissors.”
Standing in front of the proud Golem, Yoo Ji-yeon and Han Yeon-soo started to play rock-paper-scissors.
That game of rock-paper-scissors would probably be a much more intense match than the battle against the Golem.
“…….”
The Golem watching us looked somewhat sad.
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