Chapter 1295. The Magic Tower (8)

All of a sudden, it felt like my plan had unexpectedly shifted.

“Isn’t there something wrong? Damn it! Carlton! Don’t you know anything?!” Big Boy shouted.

‘Why’s this guy making such a fuss? I was just spacing out.’

“If I knew, would I be messing around with a bow instead of working as a mage? Be specific. What exactly happened here?” Carlton asked.

“I don’t know. He just zoned out all of a sudden... It’s hard to explain. The retainer brand is no longer active, right? Right?” Big Boy asked.

“I said I don’t know, damn it! How would I know? Let’s just check first,” Carlton suggested.

After stopping the carriage, Carlton, Yoojin, and Big Boy barged inside without another word. They pulled up my shirt and stared at my stomach for what felt like a long time.

“H-Hyung?” I said. However, they couldn't hear my voice at all, as they kept examining my stomach with serious expressions. Then, they stepped outside to talk in hushed, heavy tones.

“But what’s with the wound on his stomach... Big Boy?” Yoojin asked.

“I don’t know either, damn it. Maybe that dumb brat tried to erase the brand himself. Anyway, do you guys know anything?” Big Boy asked.

“I’ve never seen that mark before...” Yoojin answered.

“Of course it’s different. He said he was some mage’s retainer in the Magic Kingdom. Must’ve been a high-ranking retainer. It’s not like we can recognize every single brand... Damn it... Are you sure the color hasn’t changed?” Carlton asked.

“Yeah, I don’t think the color changed,” Big Boy answered.

“What about the temperature? Was it hotter than usual?” Carlton asked.

“I don’t know. I didn’t check. I was too out of it...” Big Boy replied.

“You should’ve checked, you idiot,” Carlton scolded him.

“Big Boy...” Yoojin called out.

“What is it, Yoojin?” Big Boy answered.

“Could it be some kind of aftereffect?” Yoojin asked.

“

Huh?

”

“I think I’ve heard that... retainers who escape after their master's demise sometimes suffer aftereffects caused by their brand. Some even end up crawling back to the retainer market on their own...” Yoojin explained.

“What?”

“I’m not completely sure... I just remember hearing it. You know that every brand has a different nature and purpose, right? Well, this kid doesn’t seem like a combat retainer.

"When I first saw him, I knew he was too well-groomed for a retainer... That mage must’ve treasured him quite a bit. If spacing out is the only symptom, maybe the aftereffect isn’t that serious,” Yoojin continued.

“So what’s your conclusion?” Big Boy asked.

“I’m thinking... that his brand might have some kind of hypnosis or brainwashing spell in it,” Yoojin answered.

“What?”

“If the symptom is suddenly going blank and losing focus, that’s the only explanation I can think of. Since he's a mage’s retainer, he probably took part in all sorts of experiments. Experiments to erase memories... change someone's personality... or alter their perception and beliefs to make people easier to control.

"This brand could also be the result of an experiment concerning hypnosis spells,” Yoojin explained.

W-Why the hell would they do something like that? Damn it?” Big Boy questioned.

“Do they need a reason to do that? Let’s say you had to carry out an unbreakable experiment. Something no sane person could endure. You’d hypnotize your experimental subject so that they'd accept it as something natural.

"They had to enjoy what should be hated, and they had to feel like what is forbidden must be done. They had to feel like the cruelest thing in the world is the best and most enjoyable thing to do. Their minds must be twisted,” Yoojin explained.

“That’s... possible?” Big Boy asked.

“Don’t you know what mages are like? Even Jung Ha-Yan transformed the lands into an ocean. Need I say more?” Yoojin asked.

“...”

“Anyway, magic that tampers with the human brain is just that sensitive... and that is very difficult to pull off. If you botch the spell, the target could end up becoming a vegetable.

"There are plenty of real cases like that, too. And like you suspected, this brand is a far cry from a normal brand.. I’d bet that a huge amount of time went into inscribing it. That means that bastard has put a lot of effort into it,” Yoojin said.

“Sh-Shit... If they put that much work into it... doesn’t that mean the Magic Kingdom might come looking for the kid? We’re in big trouble right now, right?” Carlton asked.

“Shut your mouth, Carlton. That’s not going to happen,” Big Boy said.

“No, but—”

“I said shut it, you idiot. So what do we do, Yoojin?” Big Boy asked.

“Well... wouldn’t removing the brand solve it?” Yoojin asked, sounding uncertain.

“Damn it... you just said it’s not an ordinary brand. You think we can even find a mage who can erase it?” Big Boy asked.

“Since when has money not been able to solve something? If we search long enough, we’ll find one. The real question is... can we afford it? For now, let’s just get moving again... Sitting here talking about it won’t change much. We need money first, right? Let’s just finish this job first,” Yoojin suggested.

‘Wow... they’re really making a big fuss all on their own.’

Still, the air was heavy. I had no idea what sort of picture they were painting in their heads, but from the way things sounded, they had already cast me as a poor kid whose mind was broken by hypnosis spells.

However, it wasn't a bad situation for me. Becoming someone they worried about was nice, and if I could stir up a little pity in the people acting as my protectors at the moment, it would be for the better.

Sure enough, when Big Boy and Yoojin came back into the carriage, they looked gloomy. Perhaps they couldn’t figure out what to say because they just sat there in silence, staring out the window with faces so dark that one would think that

they

were the ones under hypnosis.

Naturally, the best move was to ask a question with the most innocent face.

“Hyung... d-did something happen?”

“No... it’s nothing,” Big Boy answered.

He forced a bright smile and roughly ruffled my hair. Anyone could see he had no talent for comforting people.

“Well...

uh

... so...” Big Boy mumbled.

“Yes?” I asked.

“I mean...” Big Boy muttered.

“

Uh...

yes?” I asked again.

“I mean! Who told you to zone out in the carriage?! Damn it!” Big Boy shouted.

‘Why’s he getting mad now?’

“I told you before we set out! This isn’t a game; this is an expedition! You’re here to keep watch... to see if anyone’s coming and check for anything unusual! That’s why I brought you along!” Big Boy shouted.

“

Ah!

I-I’m sorry, hyung,” I mumbled.

“Damn it! Useless brat,” Big Boy mumbled.

“I’ll do my best from now on,” I said to him.

I exaggerated my effort, leaning out to look around outside the carriage with great seriousness. He turned away from me. He didn’t seem to be crying, but I guess he couldn’t quite hide his feelings.

“Damn it... bring me some hambier jerky. Yoojin, get some for the kid,” Big Boy said.

‘No, I don’t want any.’

“H-Hambier...” I stuttered.

“I’m giving it to you because I like seeing you work hard, got it? Look at this kid. His eyes go all wide the second hambier gets mentioned. You can keep working hard, right?” Big Boy asked.

“Y-Yes!” I answered.

Putting everything else aside, how did I end up in the “kid obsessed with hambier meat” role? At least there wasn’t any sauce with flies buzzing around in it, so I had no choice but to take it, pretend to devour it hungrily, and shove it down my throat.

While lost in thought, I figured that if they were going to keep pestering me like this, it was better to at least look like I was focused on the hambier meat.

‘Shit. I can’t even think straight because of these guys.’

“Yoojin! Grab some more hambier jerky. This kid’s loving it,” Big Boy said.

“...”

“Breathe while you eat, will you? Breathe...

hahaha

!” Big Boy laughed.

‘I’m holding my breath because it stinks, you idiot.’

On top of that...

‘Damn it... how am I supposed to calm down...’

I acted like nothing was wrong, but honestly, my head was a mess, and there was a good reason behind it.

“...”

“...”

‘It’s different.’

I realized that there were some differences between what I knew about the first life and what actually happened. From the similarities between the rumors I heard and the events I had witnessed to thinking about Kim Hyun-Sung’s period of seclusion in Heren, there was no denying it.

Jo Hye-Jin’s death wasn’t just some rumor. It was a story with some serious credibility. The whole thing felt like a naturally flowing chain of events, and yet... it was straying from my plan.

‘Wasn’t Jung Ha-Yan first?’

From the rough timeline I heard from Kim Hyun-Sung, I was sure he told me that Jung Ha-Yan had ended up dying first. I had just checked on her earlier by using the Telescope on the Magic Tower, but I could still see her, standing alone, looking out at Lindel.

‘She’s definitely alive.’

She

had

to be alive. It was far too early for her to die. In the first life, she was a Deus Ex Machina; even the masked scum wouldn’t be able to take her down easily. She would survive right until the fall of Lindel.

She would be in the middle of a restored Lindel, where she would explode alongside a mana bomb.

Kim Hyun-Sung hadn’t lingered much on her death when he told me about the first life, but he brought up her transcendent spells more than once. She had also spoken about just how incredible she was during the Outer Gods War.

To endure long enough to drag this disaster of a first life to mutual destruction with the Outer Gods, her existence was indispensable. Frankly, without her, humanity would have died on the spot.

The change in my plan was..

‘Jo Hye-Jin's death before Jung Ha-Yan.’

The events were the same, but the timing and the sequence were different. Major incidents were jumbled together in a tangled mess. This wasn’t like Jung Jin-Ho’s case, where only the process had changed slightly.

This was something different altogether. Strictly speaking, the first life I was in at the moment was probably not the same first life Kim Hyun-Sung had experienced.

Whether the God of Sacrifice and Revival was writing a story or merely riding along with it, I couldn’t say for sure. I understood that, in the end, all histories could converge on the same conclusion, but there could still be clear differences along the way.

After all, the event that triggered my move to the first life wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t planned to make this continent independent. Same, yet different. Different, yet the same.

From the perspective of an ordinary person, it was incomprehensible, but from a higher vantage point... it was something one could nod along to. This world was being reassembled, readjusted, and wasn’t that the very reason I was here in the first place?

First of all, I needed to confirm whether Kim Hyun-Sung was truly hiding in Heren, and then I’d have to confirm whether Jo Hye-Jin was really dead.

‘I’ll have to check it myself.’

At the very least, I needed to see with my own eyes if Jo Hye-Jin was truly gone.

“

He... hehehe

. Slow down, kid,” Big Boy said.

“...”

“Look at those cheeks stuffed full. You like that hambier that much,

huh?

” Big Boy remarked.

“...”

“Just look at him go... I brought a whole box, so take your time eating it,” Big Boy said.

‘Might be a bit tricky to slip out while eating...’

Since they were coming up with their own assumptions, there wouldn't be any real problems.

“

He... hehehe...

” Big Boy laughed.

After all, there was already a perfectly good backstory in place. The brainwashing spell and hypnotic brand were endlessly tormenting little Ki-Young.