[Rohan’s story is now unlocked.]
Though his gaze was fixed on the sky of the dungeon, the things seeping into his mind made him forget the heat bearing down on him.
Rohan’s consciousness began to drift elsewhere.
Even though he had never experienced it himself, a vivid moment started to unfold in his mind.
Was it something that had never existed before? Or was it something forgotten that had resurfaced?
He couldn’t make sense of it right away.
[Playing Classified Footage #1 for Authorized Personnel Only.]
With that notification window, his consciousness briefly flickered.
And then, instead of the dungeon, Rohan began to see a completely different place.
“..…..”
Click. Click. Click.
He was walking inside an old, elegant building of unknown origin.
Its exact location was unclear.
However, Rohan recognized it as a building that once existed in Solarea.
No.
This isn’t me. It’s someone else’s memories. Someone of the same gender, but definitely a stranger.
It was clear that he was borrowing another person’s perspective. He couldn’t interfere; he could only watch silently.
“Hmm.”
The man naturally stopped walking and gazed at a large painting hanging in the hallway.
It was an oil painting depicting the horizon at dawn. The title of the piece “Radiance” was written on a plaque below it.
Though he was unable to do anything but observe, Rohan could still sense something.
…I can feel emotions.
This man clearly liked the painting very much.
Starting the day by briefly admiring the artwork in the hallway was evidently part of his daily routine.
“Master!”
The man who had been quietly appreciating the painting turned his head at the sound of a voice addressing him. He had already sensed the presence of someone nearby.
So this is how it works.
It felt as if the person whose perspective he was borrowing was showing Rohan how things were.
The information that surfaced in his mind was absolute.
The woman approaching with a greeting was Failor’s adopted daughter.
“■■■. You’re up early.”
It certainly seemed like the man had called a “name”. Even so, it wasn’t registered in Rohan’s perception.
Moreover, the face of the woman who came looking for this man called “Master” was shattered like a mosaic.
He could only see below her face and discern her gender.
Was this an intentional blockage of information?
Or perhaps it was a result born of this man’s perception and emotions.
…Who is Failor’s adopted daughter? It’s my first time even hearing about the name Failor.
Rohan felt a powerful intuition that he needed to find out who this woman was.
He tried his best not to miss even the most trivial and minor details around him.
“Rather than saying I arrived early, I just never went back since yesterday.”
“Take care not to harm yourself. Failor would worry.”
The man smiled and turned his gaze back to the painting. He didn’t utter any more idle words.
Because from the start, the man referred to as Master had been suspicious of this woman.
Yet he was certain it made no difference.
He didn’t know why ■■■ had suddenly proposed that she wanted to work at this location, but as long as he followed one single rule while upholding the honor of his friend Failor, that would suffice.
As long as that child isn’t exposed, that’s enough.
He finished his brief conversation with ■■■ and moved on.
He checked his surroundings several times and confirmed with magic that no one was there.
No one in Solarea could evade his senses, and the same went for ■■■.
Creak—!
Only after confirming repeatedly that no one was watching did the man finally step into his office.
He flopped into a chair and let the sunlight pouring down from above warm his smiling face.
He could see the prosperous Solarea in one sweeping view. It was something impossible to witness in Abyss City.
The weather is nice.
Though the man called Master appeared entirely relaxed, Rohan could sense his emotions.”
He’s feeling uneasy. Why?
His heart was filled with only a sense of guilt.
It was an inner state that had no connection to the face he wore, which smiled out of habit.
He spent an unknown amount of time gazing at the sky.
“….….”
He stood up from his seat and positioned himself in front of a bookshelf lined with books.
When he grabbed one book and imbued it with magical power, the bookshelf turned semi-transparent.
The man then passed through it without hesitation and entered a secret space.
“Why are you so late?”
As soon as he arrived, there was a woman who scolded him.
Unfortunately, Rohan also couldn’t see this new person’s face.
But there was a difference from the previous woman. This one’s face wasn’t shattered and unrecognizable.
Rather, it was hazy, as if blurred by tears.
Still…
He could tell that she had a cigarette in her mouth.
The man glossed over her rebuke with a laugh and asked her,
“How is he doing?”
“It’s the same every single day.”
“Alright. I’m thankful you’re watching over him, but don’t smoke in front of the child.”
“Ugh… I didn’t expect to end up doing this.”
With a sigh, she stubbed the cigarette out in the ashtray.
The man nodded his head in satisfaction, then shifted his gaze to one side.
He approached with a smile.
He offered a greeting.
“Good morning.”
“…….”
A boy was seated in a chair. At first glance, he clearly wasn’t in a normal state.
He had no visible injuries, but his pupils were unfocused. He neither answered the greeting nor moved his gaze.
He looked like an empty shell of a doll.
What is this?
“Rohan, who was watching the scene, felt bewildered.”
No matter how young the boy seemed, there was no denying it. That boy was definitely Rohan himself.
“Hey. Even if you talk to him like that, it won’t stick in his memory, you know?”
“You’re the type who only cares about theory, so you wouldn’t get it. I’m sure he’ll remember.”
“Acting like a crazy bastard again…”
“Hey, you shouldn’t be swearing in front of a child.”
The man felt endless gratitude toward the woman who glared at him so sharply.
Rohan could sense it as well.
The man found at least a slight sense of peace when he was with this woman.
“And I’m talking to myself as well.”
“Idiot… Suit yourself.”
The woman let out a sigh, as though she couldn’t stop him, and pulled a cigarette from her pocket as she walked away.
She would probably go to the next room and chain-smoke.
Meanwhile, the man knelt down and took the hand of the boy sitting in the chair. He held it gently, without squeezing too hard.
Looking into the boy’s unfocused eyes, he spoke as if making a vow.
“Remember this. You must never forget this mindset.”
“….…”
“Unlike us, you’re not waging war against them.”
Never stand on equal footing with them. You can’t defeat those beings if you do.
Humanity still doesn’t truly understand the Abyss.
“You’re just hunting them down and trampling them.”
When the dark races committed their relentless sins, we were certain.
They are afraid of this power.
So they try to flood it by force.
The muddy current is churning, trying to cross the boundary.
The man sensed that some kind of end that he wasn’t sure what form it would take was drawing near.
Even so, he didn’t mind. He wouldn’t struggle.
He could gladly give up his life. In fact, he felt a kind of joy that bordered on elation.
Because the path they were creating now instilled enough fear in them to make them tremble.
“And…”
It wasn’t just a story the man wanted the boy to hear; there was something he truly wanted to say; something personal. He bit his lip, uncertain if he should speak it aloud.
They were words he had never spoken before.
Still, he decided to say them today, just this once.
“You… more than anyone else… must never forgive me.”
“….…”
“When I die, come to my grave, stab it with your sword, and resent me. That would ease my mind.”
Those words burrowed into Rohan’s mind like a scar.
His thoughts swirled as if in a vortex, and his vision began to blur.
Ah.
His consciousness flickered for the last time.
[Ending Classified Footage #1 for Authorized Personnel Only.]
…
…
“Urgh!”
Rohan, who had been mumbling absentmindedly, suddenly staggered.
Sion and Clara jumped to his side on instinct.
“O-Oppa!”
“What’s going on all of a sudden?”
Their voices, as they hurried over to support him, rang in his ears.
Rohan opened his eyes, which had been tightly shut as though his consciousness was rising from deep underwater.
Ah, the vision ended… I’m back?
He slumped where he stood and repeatedly rubbed his face with both hands.
His body and mind felt sticky as if he was submerged in a swamp….he couldn’t shake the feeling.
“Hoo…”
Maybe it was because he had borrowed someone else’s perspective and tasted their emotions, but he kept letting out heavy sighs.
It felt strangely as though his tangled senses were slowly unraveling.
“Are you having trouble moving? Could be heatstroke.”
“Oppa, are you okay?”
Sensing Rohan’s unusual behavior, Clara hesitated to approach him. She crouched down and tried to meet his eyes.
“I’m fine. I just need to catch my breath for a moment.”
Rohan lifted his head to reassure the two anxious girls, forcing a small smile.
But contrary to his own assumption that it looked like his usual expression, Sion and Clara felt it was strangely off, enough to convince them he was faking it.
“This won’t do. I’ll look for a safe place nearby. You need to rest.”
“Y-Yes, let’s do that…!”
Though Rohan repeated that he’d recover soon if he just rested, the girls ignored him.
In reality, he was too dizzy to even stand, so he really wasn’t in good shape at all.
“Clara. I’ll check inside the building. In the meantime, take him into the shade and perform first aid.”
“…First aid?”
When Clara’s tone suggested she wasn’t sure how, Sion calmly explained, handing her a water bottle of cold water.
“Treating heatstroke is simple. First, loosen his clothes, then wet his body and fan him.”
“Ah…!”
“Use this water bottle like an ice pack and place it on his neck, under his arms, and around his groin to lower his temperature.”
“!”
With that, Sion headed into the small storefront to investigate.
Clara looked back and forth between the water bottle in her hand and Rohan who was slumped on the ground.
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