Chapter 35: 35 New Start. 

Darkness stirred in his consciousness, and light began to flicker. Jin opened his eyes and saw the interior of the familiar room. A ray of warm sunshine shone through the room, casting a soft caress that healed his tired body.

‘My room again’. Jin tensed his muscles only to frown, noticing how weak and powerless he felt.

Slowly, as his scattered mind grouped, Jin recalled his last memories of bloody battle, searing heat, tearing flesh and hovering between death. He recalled it as he raised his torso to sit.

A white blanket slipped past his body, Jin’s mouth agape, seeing that his body was wrapped in gentle bandages all over. The smell of bitter grass filtered through his nose; it came from the potion soaked bandages wrapped around him.

Jin looked around and found no soul accompanying him, which gave him a slight chuckle. Never in his life could he feel this lonely about being alone.

The door was knocked, and he glanced at the source as it quietly creaked. The figure of a little angel peeked out, her adorable emerald eyes blinking in surprise to see Jin regain consciousness.

“Big brother Jin, you are awake?”.

“Nina, good morning.” Jin’s voice cracked. It was desert, but he still flashed his gentle smile as all the gloomy feelings he held were washed away when he saw the girl saved.

Instead of answering, Nina turned around, leaving Jin in emptiness, hearing her pitter-patter steps that slowly faded. He chuckled and tried to slip away from his bed before a loud stomp echoed within the hallway. ‘I need some water!’

The door slammed open, jolting his body. He turned to the door and saw Marina with Iris, whose appearance was still ambiguous. They looked at the boy in deep exhalation, and Marina reached out, wrapping her hand around the boy’s back.

“Jin, I’m glad you’re awake”. Marina, sniffing between her tears, gently wrapped her hand around Jin.

Jin’s breath quickened in wonder at why his mother suddenly behaved like that. He turned to the side and found Iris and Nina also had tears accumulating in their eyes, which led him to conclude that the matter was not simple.

After a few minutes, Marina had her fill. She reluctantly released the boy and sat on the bed beside Jin.

“Are you feeling okay, sweetheart?”. She touched the boy’s cheeks.

“…I feel sluggish”.

“I see, but it was good that you regained consciousness”. Marina carefully tidied up the boy’s hair, which was still unkempt for the long rest.

“um, what is… *cough!”.

“Here, take some drink first, before we talk”.

Iris took a clear glass of water from the round table in the room and offered it to Jin. He took the glass and slowly appeased the barren land with a bit of moisture, giving him a bit of leeway in controlling his pitch.

After emptying two more glasses, Jin finally could feel his body rejuvenated and glanced at his mother, seeking an explanation.

“Mother, how long have I been unconscious?”.

The atmosphere stilled for a moment as Marina and Iris held their breath and bit their lips. It was palpable until another party entered the fray and calmly announced the news with a solemn tone.

“It’s a month”. Ryan, followed by Irena behind him, entered and approached Jin’s bed.

“…Father?! ” Jin choked on his word. He could feel the prickling sensation on his skin, pinching his consciousness awake to face his angered father.

The word month hammered his consciousness, slamming him downward toward the pit of speechlessness. Jin looked toward the other members, yet he only received a gaze of relief and a bit of anger mixed in, especially from his father.

‘A month, that was ridiculous. Is that how bad my wound is?’. Jin gulped his saliva as he looked down.

Marina, who didn’t like his husband’s tone, shot him a glare that made his body flinch. But as a father who worried about his son and the one who could represent the mood in the room, he stormed forward, dragging the chair as he sat before the boy.

“Look at me, boy!”.

His father’s solemn voice jolted Jin’s body as he slowly lifted his gaze and faced his father head-on. Seeing his father’s shrunk sharp eyes, he could feel his body shivering in the cold.

“What happened? No, what were you doing back then?”.

“?!”. Jin’s lips clammed, unable to spit even a word in the face of his father’s wrathful silence.

“…Dear, can we just?”. Even Marina’s plea just got brushed off as Ryan never left the boy’s sight, boring a hole into his deep consciousness.

“Um, My lord, You shouldn’t blame the young master, Jin; this was all on…”. Iris came from the side and tried to interfere, but with Ryan’s raised hand, she swallowed back her words.

“Tell me!”. Ryan’s calm yet terrifying tone resonated within the room.

“I…” Jin’s mouth agape, then shut, before he inhaled a deep breath, forced his lips open, and started to tell everything that had happened back then.

The memories were still fresh. Nina’s kidnapping and chasing were undoubtedly based on his personal will. Well, there was also the intention of an unknown party from the system, but Jin couldn’t reveal the things that were not proven yet, so he told them what he felt back then and what mission he had to do—it was to save Nina.

“Do you realize how stupid that is?”. Ryan’s flat rejection after Jin’s tell everything made the room’s mood frozen solid.

Jin, Marina, Irena, Iris and Nina shuddered to hear him. They looked toward the two father-son duo with conflicted expressions. Hands tied, unable to do anything to help the boy’s helpless fate.

“But, if I didn’t do anything, someone’s life might be in danger”.

“Then why are you not contacting the adult first!”.

“You kidding? All of you were busy with the monster wave. How should I contact you? Should I call a servant whose job is only to do chores in this house?”.

“There are several guards outside in this house, and if you think a servant’s job is to do only chores, then you are simply mistaken. Besides, Irena is there! She was in the house. Irena, a former Mithril-rank adventurer with much more experience and abilities than you, is in the house!”.

“…” Jin’s throat tightened, he clenched his fist tight, searching for argument. But, nothing came to his mind.

“What else do you want to object to me?”.

Ryan’s forceful tone abruptly ended the discussion while Jin’s head hung down meekly, holding back the tears that had accumulated in his eyes.

“…”.

Marina, who had run out of patience, glared at her husband, tears streaming down her cheeks. She gestured to her husband to stop this blatant intimidation.

Ryan, who also realized that he was out of line, exhaled and loosened all the tension in his body. Carefully, he gripped the boy’s shoulders, which gave him a bit of fright.

“Listen, Jin! I’m sorry for being mean to you! But, do realize this: at that time when your mother and I saw your life was on the brink of death. Do you know how frightened and sad we are?”.

The room muted as the words Ryan said rang in all their consciousness.

“…I thought that you were already dead, but thanks to Iris and Irena, also Nina, who kept healing you and taking care of you for the past month, all of their hard work paid off, and our grief and anxiety finally relieved on our shoulders seeing you awake”.

Marina embraced Jin from the side and brought the boy’s trembling body closer, telling him how thankful they were for him to wake up and not leave them first.

“…I’m sorry.” Jin’s trembling voice echoed in the room, and Ryan and Marina held back their tears as they watched their kids grow.

“It’s okay, Jin. Me too, I’m sorry!”. Ryan stood up and wrapped his hand around his wife and son.

“*sob, *hic! I’m sorry…”. Jin, who couldn’t hold back his tears, started to cry inside the warmth that enveloped his body and the hearts that came from his parents.

For the first time in his life, Jin poured all of his fear, doubt, and anxiety into his future. He never thought that having the figure of parents who would scold him when he is reckless and care for him when he is saddened would ease the burden he puts on himself.

“Jin, don’t try to take everything alone, okay? Your mother here is willing to jump off the cliff to save you, the same also with your father. So, don’t worry and just cry your hearts out”. Marina’s gentle words soothed Jin’s heart while she also caressed the boy’s head.

“I know you are a strong kid, but next time, rely on your parents or someone near you. That way, even if you are in a dangerous situation or wounded, you have a reliable comrade who could help you, flee from the scene, or take your wounded body to be cared for”.

“*hic… Um, mother, father, I’m sorry and Thank you!”.

#####

[Character Quest complete!]

Reward: Skill Item Box added to your status

#####

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep