“Ugh…! You fool! You thick-headed brat!”
Jun snapped out of his thoughts at the old man’s shout.
“…Yes?”
“You little brat! Are you just going to stand there watching while an old man is sprawled on the ground? How long are you going to keep staring?”
“Oh.”
Only then did he realize he had been absentmindedly watching the old man lying on the ground.
Jun reached out his hand to the old man.
Anyone would have been uncomfortable being stared at in such a situation.
“I don’t need your help!”
“……”
Or maybe the old man was simply crazy.
Yet Jun couldn’t easily take his attention away from the old man.
It was because of the bracelet the old man was wearing.
“What are you staring at like that? I don’t like to be stared at by a guy with a di*k!”
“…Sorry.”
But he couldn’t ask about the bracelet right away.
If this man was connected to his master, he was someone to be cautious of.
Even now, the name of one who belonged to earth still held influence, so Jun remained on guard.
The old man had already gotten up on his own and dusted off the dirt from his clothes.
“At least you seem to know how to apologize. Now, do me a favor.”
“…Huh?”
“Didn’t you say sorry? You brat, if you’ve done something to apologize for, do me a favor!”
“…Understood. I’ll do what I can within my abilities.”
However, with so many eyes around, it wasn’t the right moment to start investigating. For now, it might be best to humor the old man’s request and establish some connection. As long as the favor wasn’t too unreasonable, that is.
“Bring your face closer. There’s something I want to check.”
Was this one really just a crazy old man?
“You, you, you brat!”
“What’s gotten into you all of a sudden?”
“You apologized just a second ago, and now your expression changes in a heartbeat!”
“And what exactly changed about my expression?”
“You looked at me like I was some kind of lunatic!”
“…….”
He seems to be aware of it.
The old man, as if frustrated, patted his chest and spoke again.
“That thing hanging from your ear! Let me see that treasure!”
“You recognized this?”
[Tear of Teya] appeared to be nothing more than a plain, unremarkable earring.
Since Jun was dressed like a mage, the accessory might seem special, but for him to point it out so specifically?
“Of course! If I couldn’t recognize a treasure like that, my eyes would be as useless as knots in wood, and I’d have no reason to keep living.”
“….…”
“Oho, impressive, very impressive! I don’t know which craftsman made it, but it’s certainly not from the outside world… and it’s definitely not something those madmen at the Magic Tower could create.”
What exactly is this old man seeing to make such a comment when he doesn’t seem to have the slightest hint of magical power?
Jun’s curiosity only grew stronger.
It seemed the old man felt the same as he continued the conversation.
“You, you’ve been wandering around this street for the past few days, haven’t you?”
“You knew?”
“How could I forget when I saw you coming out of every workshop looking like a wet dog?”
“…….”
Although Jun harbored a deep-rooted distrust toward people, as a person from Earth with common sense, he held a certain degree of respect for the elderly.
But sometimes, even that respect can shatter over the smallest of things.
Like right now.
Tch, seriously.
He thought about doing something but held back. After all, there were still too many eyes around, and you can’t fight with filth just because it’s dirty.
“Ah, there it is again. I see disrespect in your eyes, you brat! How many times are you planning to sin?”
“So, what exactly is it you want to say?”
He almost let his mercenary attitude show but held it in with great effort and asked.
If the old man spouted more nonsense, he was ready to leave then and there.
It suddenly occurred to him that lingering around the remnants of a dead man, master or not, might drag him into unnecessary trouble.
“Tsk tsk, they say every meeting is fate, or perhaps destiny. The fact that you and I have crossed paths here is nothing short of inevitable.”
Jun recalled his past life as “Lee Jeong-jun” when he barely had any conversations with girls his age.
Why was he suddenly reminded of that time when, on his way to work, a group of young women had stopped him, and he briefly thought, “Could it be…?” only for them to ask if he knew the Way?
“I’m not interested in religion…”
“The fact that you wear that necklace and I wear this bracelet means our meeting is far from a mere coincidence.”
“……!”
The old man had recognized it too.
At that moment, Jun thought of a very simple and easy way to resolve the situation.
“You, you insolent brat?!”
“…You’re quite the sharp old man.”
The old man sensed Jun’s killing intent and recoiled in fear.
“You’re committing great sins, one after another! How dare you show no respect for your elders, you worthless brat!”
“Who are you?”
“Tsk! But at least your eyes have changed into something I can appreciate. Until now, you looked like a tiger wearing a fox’s mask, eerie and strange. So, are you curious about my identity?”
“…….”
“I’m curious about who you are as well, so we should exchange information. But isn’t this place a bit too noisy?”
Jun gave a light nod.
In reality, he wasn’t very pleased with the current situation.
By now, whatever Jun and this old man were up to was surely being reported back to Chloe’s enemies.
“So let’s get out of here for now.”
At the same time, the old man revealed the ring he was holding.
Upon closer inspection, it resembled a clockwork artifact.
When the old man lightly manipulated it—
“Huh?”
“What the…?”
“They were just here a second ago…?”
People around them tilted their heads in confusion as the two vanished from the middle of the street.
Some were intrigued by the strange phenomenon, while others simply shrugged and went about their day.
“This is…”
Was it a concealment spell?
Despite standing right in front of them, no one could sense their presence, nor could they hear their conversation. This was no ordinary artifact.
“I made this artifact. Do you feel a bit more respectful now?”
“Not really. So, where are we going?”
“Bah. Just follow me!”
With that, the old man began to walk ahead and Jun followed silently behind.
The old man who had been chatty just moments ago said not a word as they walked until they reached their destination.
“This is my hideout.”
“Not exactly a nice place.”
“Which is why people don’t come here often.”
The place they arrived at was the underground sewer system of the fortress.
It was, quite literally, a sewer.
When Jun followed the old man deeper inside, they came upon a completely blocked wall.
The wall was covered with filthy moss, making it something no one would want to touch. However, the old man walked straight through it.
“What are you doing?! Hurry up!”
“There’s actually things like in Harry Potter, huh…”
Jun recalled some things from Earth and then followed the old man through the wall. Inside, a space that was somewhat livable revealed itself.
“How did you make this place?”
“I didn’t. It was already here. It seems like someone else used it before and then abandoned it. When I found it, it was already empty.”
The wall, which appeared solid, seemed to be an illusion created by a magical tool.
“Well, shall we introduce ourselves now?”
“Isn’t it a bit too late for that…?”
“You’re as cautious as a tiger. Fine, I’ll go first. I’m Shylock, the former Tower Master of the Zenkhar Magic Tower.”
“What… what?!”
Shylock, the Tower Master of Zenkhar Magic Tower.
Jun didn’t recognize his face, but the name triggered an immediate reaction.
It was impossible to forget.
Once, it was the name of the NPC that Lee Jeong-jun had searched for so desperately.
However, at that time, Lee Jeong-jun never met Shylock in the game.
Because, in the game’s setting, Shylock was already a dead man.
“Hey! Tsk tsk. How rude, how rude! Just how many times are you going to show such disrespect?”
Shylock burst out in anger again when Jun didn’t respond, even after he had introduced himself.
Jun who realized this too late finally revealed his own name.
“It’s Jun. I run the White Whale Mercenary Group.”
“Jun? Ah, I see! So, you’re the one who exposed that corrupted Fairy Queen to the world?”
“That’s right.”
“Hehehe. I see… I see… I knew something was off. I thought things had gotten completely tangled up.”
“……”
Jun hadn’t felt at ease talking to Shylock from the start.
It wasn’t just the old man’s speech that bothered him; there was a strong sense that Shylock was controlling the conversation from above, as if he were speaking down to Jun.
Maybe that was why Jun had felt so uncomfortable with the old man all this time.
Regardless, Shylock continued speaking.
“The movements of the stars have twisted. A history that should never have happened was taking place, starting from a very small crack….”
“The movements of the stars? Are you talking about fate?”
Jun knew a bit about witchcraft as well.
It was thanks to the memories of his past life.
Perhaps it had been triggered when he got involved in a curse trap set by a curse mage; back then, his memories of witchcraft that were once as hazy as mist had partially resurfaced.
Witchcraft also made use of fate or the movement of stars in its rituals.
“Some call it fate, others call it the flow of the world. Brat, do you know why I’m talking to you?”
“Didn’t you say it was because of this necklace?”
“Close, but not quite. That’s just the reason that came about. There were countless passersby who saw me there, yet don’t you think there’s a reason I singled you out?”
“…Was it because of fate?”
“Yes, that’s right. My fate was supposed to end soon. But then, the movement of the stars reflected in the night sky began to twist. I followed that path and came here, where I met you—the man who bears the same curse around his neck and yet still resists it.”
The stubborn glint in his eyes had shifted into the wise gleam of someone who could read beyond the passage of time.
Jun noticed the change and carefully adjusted his tone.
“Do you know about my master?”
“Your master… yes, I see. Brat, you’re the one who caused this cursed star to explode.”
“……”
“In answer to your question, yes. To be precise, a wretched bastard who has been following the thread of my fate asked your master to put this bracelet on.”
“Because of your power?”
“You seem to know about me as well.”
Of course he would.
The man standing before him was one of the reasons why, in the past, Lee Jeong-Jun had fallen in love with the mage class.
Jun quietly opened his mouth.
“King of Enchantment Shylock. One of the few tower masters granted the title of king directly by the Emperor. How could I not know your name?”
“Kuku. So, my name hasn’t faded just yet.”
“After the mysterious incident that caused the explosion of your magic tower, you’ve been missing for 15 years. What brings you here?”
“It’s a long story. And now is not the time to tell it.”
“……”
“The moment will come when you seek me out again. But it’s not now. The starlight says as much.”
It was broad daylight, and there wasn’t a single star in sight. They were in a dark underground sewer, and even looking up revealed nothing but a ceiling covered in mold.
But Shylock spoke again with eyes filled with insight.
“But this meeting shouldn’t be dismissed so easily. I’ll give you one piece of advice. It will be invaluable to you.”
“What is it?”
“That artifact won’t be solved just by pouring magical power into it recklessly. It’s far more extraordinary than you think. It’s like human relationships. If one side tries to approach too forcefully, the other side who doesn’t know anything will only step back.”
“……”
“Remember these words. I’ll tell you the rest of the story at our next meeting. When the time comes, come find me here.”
***
The chance encounter (although Shylock called it fate) ended as abruptly as it began.
There were still countless things Jun wanted to ask, but Shylock merely scolded him to leave and refused to entertain him any longer.
In the end, when the time Shylock mentioned arrived, he would have to come back.
Of course, that didn’t mean he walked away empty-handed.
He had grasped a clue about the growth of the artifact, something even “Lee Jeong-Jun” didn’t know.
Was that all?
According to the game’s lore, Shylock was someone who had been granted the title of “King” by the Emperor himself.
Building a connection with someone like that was certainly not a bad thing.
Or maybe not. If I get too involved with a fallen tower master, won’t I end up tangled in some complicated mess?
However, he didn’t dwell on the thought for long.
After all, he already had plenty of enemies and now there was more.
“I’ve found a lead on the enemies.”
This was because the merchant guilds and the magic tower that Chloe had mentioned weren’t entirely unrelated to Shylock either.
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