Chapter 114 – Reunion (2)

When I opened the door, Rosie was frantically scooping up mint chocolate chip ice cream.

She must have sensed my presence, but she was still with her head down, spooning away.

Only when I sat in the seat opposite her did Rosie offer a perfunctory greeting.

“You’re here? Commander Ji-han?”

“Yeah. You look better than when you were at the Sword Family.”

Of course, she didn’t even look at my face.

Just like that, Rosie took one spoonful, two spoonfuls, three spoonfuls…….

Only after scraping the bottom clean did she continue speaking.

“It’s nice being out of the Sword Family because there’s no interference from you, Commander Ji-han, but I also dislike it.”

“Dislike it?”

“Yeah. You might not believe it, but I missed you, Commander Ji-han.”

With that, Rosie sucked up the melted bits left on the spoon.

“I’m touched that you missed me. By the way, I liked your old face better.”

It suited Rosie’s character well, too.

In contrast, her current face was just pretty.

“There was a bit of a troublesome incident. But isn’t that why you came, Commander Ji-han?”

“That’s right.”

The hottest issue on the internet these days.

The story that the hunters of the Titan Guild had been beaten to a pulp on the street by a young girl.

“Commander Ji-han. Don’t look at me so scary-like. I kept my promise, you know.”

“The part about not killing people?”

“Yeah.”

Rosie was very confident.

“Still, it’s an act that deviates from general norms of behavior. You don’t beat people up like that just because they accidentally made you drop your ice cream.”

“But it was mint chocolate chip!”

“Mint chocolate chip or whatever, you can’t do that.”

As I put a little force into my gaze, Rosie’s lips jutted out.

“It wasn’t just that I dropped the ice cream, I really hated how they were acting all thuggish. They didn’t even apologize and were about to just walk away. Snickering amongst themselves.”

Well.

It was a fact that among warriors, there were many who had thrown their manners out the window.

Since they were people with power, they probably never had to apologize to ordinary people in their lives.

“Still, you can’t cause trouble like that from now on.”

“Commander Ji-han is nagging again!”

“You said you missed me. Didn’t you miss the nagging too?”

At my words, Rosie pouted her lips again.

“I hate to admit it, but now that I think about it, I guess so. It’s quite strange when you think about it.”

“What is?”

“The fact that I become obedient just by standing in front of you, Commander Ji-han. If it were anyone else, I would have burned them to death or frozen them to death, or done something.”

“Rosie.”

“I know! I know! It’s just an expression, I’m not really going to kill them.”

With that, Rosie made a slightly sulky face.

“Anyway, you promise, right? That you won’t cause trouble from now on.”

“……Alright. Commander Ji-han.”

“You have to nod your head too.”

Nod, nod.

Perhaps because it has been a while, she was being particularly obedient today.

Now, then, for the more important matter.

“Rosie. And there’s something I want to ask you.”

“Huh?”

Her expression showed that she had sensed something.

If she hadn’t been sitting, she looked like she would have taken a step back.

Rosie was reluctant to talk about the Abyss.

“Rosie. First, shall we order another mint chocolate chip?”

“Yeah.”

Just like that, disarmed in one second.

The power of mint chocolate chip was amazing.

“What size?”

“Double family!”

And a short while later, the ordered ice cream arrived.

I resumed the conversation only after Rosie had taken a spoonful.

“Listen while you eat. It’s nothing much.”

“Yeah.”

“Rosie. Do you know about all the dimensions connected to the Abyss?”

“Well, I guess so.”

Slurp!

Rosie answered readily to a question asked in passing.

But this was quite important information.

Because it meant she also knew about Nekarion’s Castle, which I was about to ask about.

Furthermore, even the unknown places I would continue to explore in the future.

“Cough! Cough!”

Rosie, realizing her mistake, started choking.

I wiped the corner of Rosie’s mouth with a tissue.

“That’s cheap, Commander Ji-han! You aimed for a moment when I was off guard!”

“Since you’re off guard anyway, just eat some more for now.”

“Hmph!”

Once again, her mouth was smeared with ice cream.

I took my spoon, cleaned the corner of Rosie’s mouth, and popped it into her mouth.

Rosie did not refuse and sucked on it.

“Then do you happen to know about Nekarion’s Castle as well?”

Rosie made a serious face and then let out a deep sigh.

“Now you’re just asking outright.”

“Rosie. It’s easier if you just admit it. That you’ve been disarmed today.”

“Alright. But only for today!”

I nodded my head.

Although it would be the same next time.

“But how do you know about Nekarion’s Castle, Commander Ji-han?”

“Because I obtained a portal map of the Abyss.”

“Again?”

Of course, it wasn’t mine but Yoon Joo-hee’s property.

“Yeah. But if I go there, would it be possible to go outside the castle?”

“That’s a bit of a strange question. You’re not curious about the inside of the castle, but the outside?”

It was a sharp point, uncharacteristic of Rosie.

In fact, to me, the outside of the castle was much more important than the inside.

Because Nekarion’s Castle was connected to my homeland, Kalia.

“As expected, your way of thinking is different, Commander Ji-han. To be curious about something like that.”

“First, just give me an answer. Can I go? Or not?”

“No.”

“Why?”

“Nekarion’s Castle is like a secret place. It’s surrounded by magic, so you can’t enter or exit by normal means.”

As expected.

It was definitely the same Nekarion’s Castle I had visited during my Johan Raven days.

Even back then, I was only able to find that castle with the help of a magic circle. And that was purely by chance.

“Then it means I can only do quests inside the castle.”

“Probably so?”

I had expected it to some extent, but it was a shame.

I had even thought that I might be able to go back to Kalia.

Nevertheless, my motivation to go to Nekarion’s Castle with Yoon Joo-hee still remained.

Because there, I could obtain what I needed right now.

“Alright, I understand. Thanks, Rosie.”

“Yeah! Then, I’ll finish what I was eating!”

Actually, there was one more thing I needed to ask.

This was because Nekarion’s Castle had one more unique feature.

Nekarion’s Castle, though it seemed to be one, was a mysterious space where numerous castles existed simultaneously.

And among those numerous castles, the one you could enter was only a single one.

The problem here was which castle Yoon Joo-hee’s Jeongjin Sword Family had entered nine years ago.

If we didn’t know that, we would end up in the wrong place.

It didn’t matter to me, but it was an important issue for Yoon Joo-hee.

She had to find traces of the Jeongjin Sword Style there. If that proved difficult, she would have to at least recover the bodies of the Jeongjin Sword Family members. To do that, we had to find out the place they had visited nine years ago.

Slurp, slurp!

Rosie was devouring the mint chocolate chip greedily when she suddenly stopped her spoon.

Then, she spoke with a meaningful smile.

“Commander Ji-han. Let me tell you something interesting. Nekarion’s Castle seems like one, but it’s not.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah. But you’re not asking what that means?”

“I was just about to ask.”

Rosie was being unnecessarily sharp today.

But today, she was also readily telling me what I wanted to know.

And I was slightly touched.

To think she would stop eating mint chocolate chip, even for a moment, to tell me this story.

Moreover, she had exquisitely mentioned what I wanted to ask.

Since the topic came up, I naturally took out the map.

“This is the map. Someone tried it nine years ago and it was left unresolved.”

“Hmm.”

Rosie touched the map for a moment and then continued.

“It’s understandable why they failed. Among the many castles of Nekarion, this one is the worst.”

“What on earth is it.”

“The castle ruled by the Mad Lord.”

Grin.

I smiled triumphantly.

I now had all the information I needed.

Furthermore, the Mad Lord was someone I had met during my Johan Raven days.

“If you’re thinking of choosing the Mad Lord, I recommend you don’t go.”

“Rosie. Are you worried about me?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s unexpected. You once said you wouldn’t care if I died.”

“If you die, Commander Ji-han, there’ll be no one to buy me mint chocolate chip like this.”

“What. Was that the reason?”

“Yeah. And to be honest, I’ve grown a bit fond of you now, Commander Ji-han.”

Rosie was surprising me several times today.

To think she would say something like this.

“There’s nothing to worry about, Rosie. Just finish what’s left and eat comfortably.”

With that, I stroked Rosie’s head.

“Then again. You’re the kind of person who would come back alive even if you were put in front of a red dragon, Commander Ji-han.”

This time, she even touched upon a sore subject.

“You still don’t have any thoughts of returning to the Haewon Sword Family?”

“No. I miss you, Commander Ji-han, but life outside is too much fun.”

“I knew it. It’s fine if you don’t come back, but don’t cause any trouble.”

“Are you leaving already?”

“I’ll just watch until you finish eating.”

Then I took out a new mobile phone and placed it on the table.

“Are you giving this to me?”

“Yes. We can’t always meet like this.”

“This is like putting a dog collar on me.”

Rosie was being sharp today.

“You don’t have to think of it that way. In the human world, a smartphone is very useful. For example, you can find good restaurants by searching the internet. You can even find places that serve your favorite mint chocolate chip.”

“Really?”

“Yes. This isn’t the only place that makes good mint chocolate chip.”

For a moment, Rosie’s eyes sparkled.

I taught Rosie the basic usage of a smartphone.

At first, she said she didn’t like it because it was like a dog collar, but it didn’t take long for her to master its functions.

Before long, Rosie had even set a few YouTube channels to subscribe.

She even adeptly handled the like and notification settings.

Watching Rosie like this, I even felt a sense of satisfaction.

***

My friend. Are you really thinking of meeting the Mad Lord again?

Like Rosie, the Holy Sword Bastian also seemed very anxious about me going there.

But there was no reason not to go.

The gains were great, and the risks were small.

Of course, it seemed the Holy Sword did not agree with my thoughts.

I might not worry if it were the you of the past, but it’s impossible for you now! Moreover, the Mad Lord is not one to show mercy. You know he’s dangerous, don’t you!

Since when had the Holy Sword become so worried.

“You seem to have forgotten. I’m the one who bestows mercy. Not the one who receives it.”

It was the same when I went to Nekarion’s Castle in the past.

If I had not shown mercy at that time, the Mad Lord would not have existed until now.

The reason I was planning to go there so casually this time was also because of my past memories.

The Mad Lord would surely remember what happened back then.

‘It won’t just be a memory.’

Because I had engraved an unforgettable fear in him.

The time had now come to bring out that memory again.

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