Chapter 71
At the words offering help, Leon let out a small breath that had been caught in his chest, then calmly began to recount what he had experienced.
‘A man came to the village with the sole purpose of killing Peyton.’
Sophia’s expression darkened as she sat silently on the bed, listening to the story.
Ollie. It wasn’t enough that the name of the person who once wished for Peyton’s happiness with a smile had come up—now that very person had come to kill him.
They said Peyton had killed Ollie’s lover, and this was revenge. But it wasn’t hard to guess that someone had manipulated that truth.
‘He said it was just hide-and-seek, a harmless game. He told me to run to Silver Village.’
Prising away Peyton’s desperate grip, Leon had told him not to worry, that everything would be fine, and left those words behind as he drew Ollie’s attention to buy Peyton time to escape.
But Peyton never ran. He witnessed everything—from the moment Leon was captured by Ollie to the moment his neck was caught in the tree.
‘Peyton was in shock, out of his mind. Too weak to even run….’
Peyton, too, was soon captured by Ollie and met the same fate as Leon. But he did not die. The flames that had soared fiercely enough to swallow the sky were swept away by a flood that surged even higher and wider.
‘That’s everything I went through.’
“The water…”
‘According to Hemil’s memory, that was caused by Lang. He flooded the entire area and took Peyton away. That’s all I know.’
The flood stopped exactly at the Silver Village boundary; the southern region was spared, but Rosedet Village and some areas north sank beneath the water.
The southern villages, including Silver Village, merged to form what is now Mesios Island.
And of course, there were those who barely survived near Rosedet. Like other villages, they worshipped the Evil God, so they remembered clearly who had caused that tidal wave.
Whether in writing, pictures, or words, those memories were passed down and eventually became the foundation of Mesios Island as it is today.
Sophia thought and thought again about how to resolve the current situation.
‘Wait until his stamina runs out….’
After all, he was human—eventually he would tire and collapse. But something about that plan didn’t feel right.
“No, does it even make sense for a human to move like that?”
Ollie was from Geul Village. So how could he slaughter people nonstop upon arriving at Rosedet Village without the slightest sign of fatigue? Did he have the stamina of a monster?
“Even if he doesn’t return to Rosedet, that’s still a problem. Ollie is searching for Peyton, isn’t he?”
If Ollie’s stamina wasn’t waning for some unknown reason, then a battle of attrition would only put her at a disadvantage. Besides, if he kept searching for Peyton, he could attack other villages too.
“I should go to the village first—”
“I’m coming with you.”
…Huh?
“We have to go together.”
When she turned toward the voice, she saw Peyton peeking his head through the slightly opened door.
“…Do you even know what I’m talking about?”
“Nope!”
“…Hah.”
“But if Leon’s going, then I have to go too. I’m basically Leon’s guardian, aren’t I?”
“…Why are you the guardian?”
“Because you call me Grandpa! Grandpa is a family title, right? The oldest one!”
He smiled brightly, shrugging his shoulders with a confidence that seemed almost ridiculous.
“So since Leon’s younger than me, I have to look after you as your guardian!”
Only at times like this does he act like an elder.
Peyton stepped closer to Sophia, bending his knees slightly to meet her eyes.
“Leon.”
“….”
“I’ll try my best to help, so can you tell me what’s going on?”
Ah, why didn’t I notice this sooner?
“I want to help you too.”
Stop trying to do everything alone.
Sophia couldn’t bring herself to argue.
She never imagined that even someone who knew nothing would say they wanted to help her. With Rune, it was easier because he understood the nature of this world. Peyton didn’t.
He knew nothing, didn’t understand the situation she was in—so she thought it was pointless to explain anything.
That’s what she had always thought. She was the only one repeating these regressions, so she never expected understanding and shouldered everything alone.
She thought she had changed a little after spending time with Rune, but… old habits die hard.
“Grandpa.”
“Yeah.”
She couldn’t waste time any longer. Time was running out.
She had to move quickly.
“You can make me not feel tired, right?”
If her memory was correct, Peyton could remove human fatigue.
“Of course.”
“Then keep me from getting tired.”
Peyton tilted his head in curiosity, not understanding why that magic was needed.
“I have to run without stopping—there’s someone I need to meet before the people of Rosedet Village do.”
The timing would be tight, but if she ran nonstop, it was possible.
If she left now, it would take four days to reach Rosedet Village. By then, Ollie would just be arriving and starting his massacre. If she got there before that…
She could do it.
“Hmm… okay! I’ll do my best!”
“Wait for me outside. I’ll be right out.”
“Okay!”
Peyton answered energetically and closed the door—just as Leon’s voice thundered in her head.
‘Are you crazy? I told you not to meet that guy, not to return to the village, and now you’re planning to meet him first?’
“What else can I do? Even if I don’t go to Rosedet, Ollie will keep searching for Peyton and cause trouble in other villages.”
‘That’s….’
“You don’t want this village to be harmed, right?”
Leon didn’t answer, probably because he agreed but didn’t like it.
“The tidal wave is coming anyway. I just have to hold out until then.”
‘Easy for you to say….’
Well, I have to say it easily. Otherwise, I won’t have the courage to face this.
Sophia stood up and muttered to herself.
“I’ve wondered for so long.”
Lang—what did he look like? What kind of person was he?
“I’d gladly meet him if I could.”
What kind of life had he lived for the magicians to despise him so much? Why did Loreina and Sion loathe him? She wanted to know what kind of man he was—even if only in this dream.
Because this dream was built on reality.
Please let things go as planned, she prayed as she ran without rest and finally reached Rosedet Village.
It looked just as peaceful as when she had left for Silver Village, but that peace concealed something suspicious.
A figure who clearly didn’t belong among the villagers.
No wonder—it was someone wearing a robe.
The robe seemed familiar, but that wasn’t the important thing right now.
“Let’s turn back.”
“Huh? Wouldn’t it be faster to cut straight through the village to the other side? You said that was the quickest route.”
“This feels wrong.”
Her instincts screamed that she must not let that robed figure see them.
If she had known, she would have skipped Rosedet entirely and taken the only forest path from Geul Village to Rosedet, even if it was a detour.
But it was too late for regrets now. Sophia hid herself with Peyton and moved toward the village entrance.
They were almost out when a sword scabbard suddenly blocked Sophia’s path.
“Doesn’t sneaking around like a rat just make you more obvious?”
A cold voice scraped against the back of her neck.
The robed figure she had tried so hard to avoid now stood before her. Peyton, standing behind Sophia, instinctively grabbed her hand and spoke the man’s name.
“…Wheel.”
“Long time no see, Pey.”
The one called Wheel spoke Peyton’s name as he pushed back his hood. Short black hair spilled out, and his eyes—like pomegranate seeds—never left Peyton for a second.
“…You being here means…”
“That’s right.”
Peyton’s voice trembled slightly, thick with fear, and Sophia squeezed his hand even tighter, trying to share her warmth with him.
But another voice shattered that fragile effort.
“How strange.”
A smooth tone drifted from behind Wheel as another figure approached.
Wearing the same kind of robe. And now Sophia realized why it looked so familiar.
“You arriving in this village so early wasn’t part of the plan.”
“The plan Jay made—does it make sense for it to fail because of you, Peyton?”
The second figure pushed back their hood, revealing long, flowing hair like soft waves of pale violet, and eyes a deeper shade, glimmering like ripe grapes.
Sophia and Peyton spoke the name almost at the same time.
“Skyel.”
“Lang….”
