574 - Meetings and Partings Were Destined # 2

A cold is a familiar illness.

A fever that one suffers through at least once a year in life.

When you catch a cold, there's nothing better than eating well and getting plenty of sleep in a warm place.

Paranoi fought against the sleep demon, her eyes wide as if forcibly resisting the surging drowsiness.

MnZBMElkRjFKc3ZCR0RiWklQRlA5WlZINzRaZThhUzZ1cnMyS01IbEgxWjhWUXhTUHhRdXdLM2lsRlBTVW5pbg

Paranoi spoke regarding the reason.

"This is not the first time I, Paranoi, have caught such a big cold-ssi.... Back then, I tried to sleep comfortably like this, and I ended up all alone-ssi...."

"Is that so?"

"It is-ssi.... This boiling fever.... The cold ice touching my forehead.... Everything is exactly the same situation as back then-ssi...."

"Back then?"

"If I, Paranoi, close my eyes and sleep like this, Hassan-nim, Luna-nim, and Hippolyte will all leave me behind-ssi...."

"I told you, that won't happen."

"I, Paranoi, know it-ssi...! You will surely leave me behind because you think a sick Paranoi is useless and a nuisance-ssi...!"

"Hmm...."

I had no choice but to admit that Paranoi was out of her mind due to the fever.

One could even say she was gripped by paranoid symptoms, much like when she hadn't fully drained the Cult's influence before.

Seeing how she didn't doubt for a second that everyone would abandon her if she fell asleep like this, I felt a bit sorry and pity for her.

Does she really think of herself as useless and a nuisance?

Perhaps her inferiority complex is large because she's a Nymph of the ditch water who alone failed to evolve.

Maybe it was different when we first met, but to us now, Paranoi was a comrade and family.

However, I didn't have any particular way to reassure Paranoi, so I could only keep confirming that we wouldn't leave her behind.

"You can sleep. I'll swear on the River Styx that I won't leave you. And, if you think about it, you were actually the one who left me behind before."

"What do you mean by that-ssi...?"

"When Hell was collapsing. I haven't forgotten that you left me behind."

At my words, Paranoi trembled as if she were greatly flustered.

"That... that wasn't leaving you behind-ssi...! I had no choice but to head to the surface to find a way to resurrect Hassan-nim-ssi...! It's true-ssi...!"

"Is that so."

At Paranoi's answer, I recalled a story I had heard before.

Back when I was left alone with Luna in the territory of Samsara and Chaos. They said Paranoi, who had gone up to the surface, lingered in front of my temporary grave every day.

She didn't laugh or chatter noisily like usual.

It seemed she would lie prostrate in front of that tombstone without eating, or check the faces of the Samaritans passing by.

Unlike other Nymphs, Paranoi is always bickering with me or Luna, but she must have missed us in her own way.

Even if she's loyal to me now, she won't be able to become the Marchioness of Hell.

What is the reason this girl follows me like this?

Because she can receive a salary she can spend lavishly?

Simply because I'm a god and she's my companion Nymph, like a chief of staff?

No.

It wouldn't be just for those reasons.

She has a side that slyly hides her inner thoughts, so I don't know for sure.

But I think I vaguely knew that wealth and fame weren't Paranoi's final destination.

Then Paranoi spoke.

"...Hassan-nim, Hassan-nim, is there someone you want to see...?"

"Suddenly? Well. Right now, I guess it's Elfriede."

"I, Paranoi, have someone I absolutely want to meet-ssi.... If I become famous to the ends of the sky, that person will also hear my name and...."

Sreureu-.

Paranoi fell asleep before she could finish her sentence.

Resisting the drowsiness must have reached its limit.

I decided to stay up all night by Paranoi's side until she woke up again.

"Someone she wants to meet-."

Come to think of it, the prophecy Paranoi heard at Delphi was that she would one day reunite with the person she wanted to meet while she was with me.

I knew that person was Paranoi's mother.

So the reason Paranoi was obsessively trying to gain fame and raise her name was that she hoped it would reach the ears of her mother, who was somewhere in this world.

If she became famous and great.

She must have thought that her mother, who she believed had abandoned her because she was sick and useless, might hear the news and return.

Of course, she hadn't confessed those inner thoughts to me with her own mouth.

But perhaps thanks to the long time and conversations we've shared, I felt like I knew roughly what Paranoi was thinking.

Seueuk-.

I placed an ice-cold Storm Bird feather on Paranoi's head. Then, her face, which had looked pained, relaxed slightly.

"I'll make you the most famous Nymph in the world. Just get well soon. We can't stay tied down in this city."

"Dragon's snot.... Hehe.... The digital Nymph world.... Our Four Heavenly Kings will take over...."

"Just what kind of dream are you having?"

Time passed, and it was morning.

"My condition has improved greatly-ssi...! As expected, something like a cold couldn't stop my path to supremacy-ssi...!"

Paranoi, who had been bedridden with a high fever, had improved significantly. Her body temperature was normal, and she showed no other aftereffects.

"I, Paranoi, am the conqueror of colds, greater than Coronoi, the Nymph of disease and medicine-ssi...!"

"Right, that's a relief."

Rather, she was jumping around here and there as if to show off her peak physical condition, making it a bit distracting.

"Paranoi! Stay quiet for a while before your cold comes back!"

When Luna clenched her fist, Paranoi immediately shut her mouth.

Thanks to that, we were able to pass through the base city of Winterswarm and board the carriage heading for the Borzak territory.

* * *

"We'll arrive at Borzak Castle in one more day-!"

I snapped out of it at Luna's cheerful voice.

Looking around, the scenery of an unfamiliar snowy field was unfolding before my eyes. Gloria and Hippolyte were asleep with their arms crossed.

Only Luna and Paranoi were playing cat's cradle inside the carriage with the spiderwebs Kungkung-i had spat out-.

"Aat-! I, Paranoi, lost again-ssi...! Luna-nim, how are you so good at cat's cradle-ssi...?"

"I play cat's cradle every day with eight-legged Kungkung-i. Kungkung-i is the cat's cradle champion of Sodomora, you know."

━Kungkung.

"So that's how it is-ssi...!"

The women sleeping languidly. The Nymph and the young goddess Luna spending time leisurely together. And even the small pet Kungkung-i.

It could be said to be the usual sight, but I felt a bit of strangeness.

"Paranoi, what day and what time is it now?"

"It's January 14th, 3 PM-ssi...!"

Time had been skipped again.

It could be described as roughly two to three days of time having vanished entirely since we packed plenty of supplies in the city of Winterswarm and left the city walls by carriage.

"Why, Hassan-. Is something wrong again?"

"No-."

After giving a vague answer to reassure Luna, who was asking worriedly.

I thought about the deletion of intermediate time that had been occurring continuously lately.

According to Luna, the power over time is likely the authority of Saturn, who was called the Titan and the King of the World before Jupiter.

In other words, the old King Saturn was my grandfather.

Why is his authority, which I've never even seen and which has already died out, affecting me?

Could it be that I have some kind of atavistic power to skip time?

No way.

I chuckled half-jokingly and half-seriously and gently closed my eyes.

From now on, I'm going to leap through time.

When I snap out of it again, I'll be on the 16th, the scheduled arrival date in the Borzak territory-.

I tried to self-suggest in that way.

"How's this, the spiderweb-shaped eight-way weave? Amazing-"

"Aat-! It's a truly amazing technique-ssi-"

The voices of Luna and Paranoi chattering while playing cat's cradle grew faint as I concentrated, as if sinking into my inner self.

Eventually, even the sounds reaching my meditation ceased.

Is it done now?

And so, when I stealthily opened my eyes-.

"This is the penguin-shaped cat's cradle-!"

"It's truly amazing-ssi...! It really looks like a penguin-ssi...!"

━Hiooong-.

I could only see Luna, Paranoi, and Kungkung-i peacefully playing cat's cradle just as before.

What-.

Was it just my own overexcitement after all?

I leaned my back all the way against the backrest with a 'thought so' feeling and languidly moved my gaze out the window.

Then, a white snowy field appeared before my eyes, with a quite bluish light swirling around it. To be precise, it was closer to a frozen waterway than a snowfield.

Probably this is-.

"It's the sea."

Before my eyes, I saw the sea with ice floes drifting about.

The frozen sea.

Weren't we running through a snowy field just a moment ago?

I asked Paranoi with a slightly flustered heart.

"Paranoi, what day and what time is it now?"

"Right now, it's the 16th, 2 PM-ssi...!"

"...."

Time.

It really had passed.

From the 14th at 3:00 to the 16th at 2:00.

Several days had passed in an instant.

I was only momentarily confused because Luna, Paranoi, and Kungkung-i were leisurely playing cat's cradle, and Hippolyte and Gloria were asleep.

I had skipped time to the point where it could be called skipping the process.

I was so surprised by this amazing power that I couldn't speak.

I did it, but it's amazing.

Just how did I do it?

Since a clock is round, did I, who was the god of circles, become able to control even time?

If that's really the case, it's a completely incredible thing.

Then, Paranoi shouted.

"Aat-! Look, a harbor has started to become visible beyond the window-ssi...! Finally, we've arrived at the unfrozen harbor, the territory of the Borzak family-ssi...!"

Just as Paranoi said, beyond the window, something like a harbor where numerous ships were docked could be seen. A large city where high-rising buildings and the presence of people could be felt bustlingly.

The city of Borzak, boasting a population of about a hundred thousand like Sodomora or the royal capital Jeruite, appeared before us.

At Paranoi's fuss, Hippolyte, who had been sleeping with her arms crossed, slightly opened her eyes.

"We've finally arrived. In Borzak, the city where a dragon is said to live."

When the carriage passed the inspection of the port city.

"I heard news that you were coming to this city, so I personally came out and was waiting."

Contrary to our thoughts that it would be a quiet journey, a grand crowd welcoming us was seen gathered.

Princess Nike Borzak, who ruled the liberation army, had come out to meet us, perhaps having heard news that we had come to the north in the meantime.

Thanks to that, we were able to rent the best room even in the drawing room of the Borzak family mansion located on a high hill, and unpack our luggage with the help of over ten Elf servants.

When I finished unpacking and stepped out into the lobby, Princess Nike, wearing a black dress under the chandelier, asked me.

"It's the first time since the wedding. Has it been fifteen days, or a month-?"

A month. Has time already passed like that?

Because I came while skipping times, it only felt like about a week had passed at most to me. However, I thought I'd be treated like a strange person if I said such a thing, so I decided to just be vague.

"You seem to have been doing very well. I knew you came to the wedding, but there were so many people that I couldn't greet you properly. Even if it's now, I'll give you my sincere thanks."

At my thanks, Princess Nike waves her hand.

"I know well how busy and hectic a celebrity's wedding is. Anyway, you are welcome to the Borzak territory."

Sreureuk-.

Then Nike Borzak caressed her stomach.

"It seems my child also welcomes its father-."

Child. Father.

At those two words, my head momentarily made a 'jjung-jjung' cracking sound like a river freezing over.

While wondering what that meant, I ended up remembering that I had played a terrible prank on Princess Nike when my sexual desire was exploding.

This woman didn't doubt for a second that one gets pregnant by kissing. And I had fondled her breasts under the pretext of checking for pregnancy.

In the moment when my heart felt like it was about to drop, wondering what I had done, Nike spoke quietly.

"I'm keeping my oath on the River Styx not to tell anyone, so you don't have to worry."

"...That, what is it-. I see."

"It would be troublesome for you if your wives found out you got another woman pregnant. And it would be troublesome for me, who has no intention of marrying. Since I only want the superior seed of an outstanding man-."

"Hassan-! You came out quickly-!"

Just then, Luna, Hippolyte, and Paranoi, who had changed into comfortable clothes, appeared from afar, and Princess Nike changed the subject.

"The harbor will probably thaw in about two days. Until then, everyone should rest comfortably in this Borzak territory-. Oh, and there's someone who wants to meet you."

"Someone who wants to meet us?"

"Yes. Sir Lockheed, the hero of the north, is waiting for you at the training ground. The two of you have experience meeting in Winterswarm-."

"Ah, Hassan-!"

Princess Nike was trying to say something more.

But only the words that a white-haired man was waiting for me at the training ground reached my head. I walked without hesitation and headed toward the place called the training ground.

In the training ground where white snow was piled up, I saw a white-haired old man standing in the middle of the sparring arena.

His long hair fluttering in the whistling wind.

I stood facing him.

"...."

"...."

Neither he nor I said a single word. Even without speaking, we instinctively felt that we would meet like this.

What should I ask?

From what.

While I was thinking that, before I knew it, people including Luna, Paranoi, Hippolyte, and Gloria flocked to the side of the training ground and surrounded us.

"Are the two of them going to fight?"

Luna's voice is heard from behind, and to that, Gloria's voice is heard responding appropriately, "It seems so-."

Are we going to fight now?

No, I just want to ask.

Who you are.

What you want.

As if reading those thoughts of mine, the old man opened his lips hidden by his beard.

"You must have many things to ask me."

And then he draws his sword from his waist with a 'seureung' sound.

"Beyond the Door, beyond the Door your father is guarding. Everything you wished for is there. But, can you really defeat your father?"

"...Are you the Traveler?"

"Yes. I have traveled many worlds, many times. To meet you, who can go beyond the Door. For a long, long time that you cannot even imagine-."

Kwaaaaang-.

Just then, a powerful aura erupted from the man. Simultaneously with the snow that had been surrounding him scattering in all directions.

Time stopped.

Literally everything around us had stopped. To be precise, it's correct to say we entered an accelerated world so fast that all objects seemed to flow slowly.

In this sluggish world that can only be broken through when the Agility stat reaches 16, the realm of the gods-.

The old man spoke in a slow but clear voice.

"Since I've blocked the ears of the onlookers. I'll say it clearly. Hassan, you cannot defeat your father as you are now. You can't save Elfriede either. Nor Luna. Nor Hippolyte. Nor Paranoi. Someone will surely die."