The Return of The Mythical Archmage [EN]: Chapter 376

The Mythical Archmage’s Rebirth-377

After returning to Korea using Umbra [a technique allowing travel through shadows], I headed straight to my father’s study.

“…Young Master?”

Mr. Seokhyun, who was waiting in front of the study, called out to me with a slightly surprised expression.

“Weren’t you supposed to be in Saudi Arabia?”

It was understandable that he was surprised, as someone who had reported arriving in Saudi Arabia five hours ago suddenly appeared before his eyes.

“If you had come through the airport, there’s no way I wouldn’t have known… You used Umbra, didn’t you?”

Mr. Seokhyun’s expression turned serious.

“Did something happen?”

Of course, Mr. Seokhyun knew very well about my ‘Umbra’.

He knew everything, from the fact that I could hide in shadows with Umbra to the fact that I could make a long-distance space jump once every three days.

That’s why he was saying such things.

Using a long-distance space jump that could only be used once every three days meant that something significant had happened.

“Yes. A little… no, a big problem has occurred.”

Mr. Seokhyun’s expression darkened even further.

He must have realized the seriousness of the situation through my expression of a ‘big problem’.

“What happened in Saudi Arabia?”

“I’ll explain in detail once we go inside. Is Father inside?”

Actually, this was a question that didn’t need to be asked.

Mr. Seokhyun being here meant that Father was inside the study.

“…No. The head of the family is currently absent.”

However, contrary to my expectations, Father was absent.

“Father left with Mr. Seokhyun?”

“It’s a bit different.”

Mr. Seokhyun took out the portable tablet PC he always carried, manipulated it, and handed it to me.

“It’s not that he left me behind. He moved with me, but sent me back first.”

The screen of the tablet PC Mr. Seokhyun handed over displayed Father’s schedule for the day.

These days, as the Madoshin family’s position continued to grow, the schedule was unbelievably tight.

The schedule for a month was almost divided into minute-by-minute segments.

“…It was today. The day he was supposed to have dinner with the President.”

Among such a tight schedule, only today’s schedule was unusually empty.

Only three words were written: ‘The Blue House’ [the presidential residence in South Korea].

“Did the President issue an expulsion order?”

“Yes. The President said there were things he wanted to discuss with three people, so I returned first.”

“Three people? Not two?”

“The Blue Magic Tower Master is also included in this banquet.”

“Ah, so it’s the three of them.”

I understood.

“Then, I won’t be able to contact him.”

“Yes.”

Seeing that even Mr. Seokhyun was expelled.

The President must want to keep everything said at this banquet confidential.

Of course, he wouldn’t allow them to bring phones or anything like that.

Without a phone, it would be difficult to contact Father.

“Should I go to the Blue House and speak to him directly?”

“No. There’s no need to go that far.”

I could go directly to the Blue House, but that would complicate things in many ways.

There was no need to do that.

“I can tell Father later.”

The current situation wasn’t one that required ‘discussion’.

Nor was it a situation that required a quick response.

It was just a simple report, so there was no need to rush.

“Where are Adela and Soonchan right now?”

According to the schedule, they should have arrived in Korea by now.

“Those two are currently in Japan.”

“…Japan?”

Why were the two who were in charge of Europe and the Americas in East Asia, Japan?

“While trying to return to Korea, a request for support came from Japan. They said that mana, which seemed to belong to a dragon, was detected, and they requested support.”

“…So they went to Japan.”

“Yes. Originally, I should have contacted you, Young Master… but the two of them said, ‘Is there any need to make someone who is so busy do such trivial things?’…”

“Judging by the fact that they called dealing with a dragon a trivial matter, that must have been Soonchan who said that.”

“You are correct.”

“…Then, the only one left in Korea is probably Commander Charles.”

“No. Well, Commander Charles also went to Japan.”

Mr. Seokhyun smiled wryly.

“He said he was feeling stiff from lying down for too long… and that he would go help out to loosen up a bit…”

“…I know he hasn’t fully recovered yet.”

“The doctor did say that he needed a little more rest, but he said that resting any longer would be a loss…”

“That’s just like Commander Charles.”

It was such a Commander Charles-like action that I couldn’t even laugh.

“The only one in Korea right now is Miss Stella Vinoche.”

Mr. Seokhyun’s expression darkened.

“But she’s just ‘there’ in Korea, literally.”

I could tell from his expression.

“Is Stella… still the same?”

“…Yes.”

Stella still couldn’t get up. Unable to overcome her sadness and despair, she was curled up in the abyss.

“I’m very worried. She doesn’t eat properly… and if we force her to eat anything, she throws it up right away…”

“…Has it gotten worse?”

“Yes. According to the doctors, it has gotten much worse.”

Time is medicine.

No matter how great the sadness, if the medicine of time works, it will gradually get better.

So, I naturally thought that Stella’s sadness would also gradually get better with the passage of time.

However, it seemed that my thoughts were wrong.

“They say she can’t sleep properly either. It seems like she has nightmares whenever she falls asleep.”

“Nightmares?”

“Yes. The maid who is taking care of Miss Stella said that she often sees her. Miss Stella is sweating profusely and only repeats that she is sorry. Perhaps… she is dreaming of her friends, family, and servants who were with her in France.”

“If she’s even hallucinating… it’s a really dangerous level.”

Certainly, time is medicine.

But even the best medicine can become a deadly poison depending on the situation.

Time, if used incorrectly, can also become a deadly poison.

The current situation was exactly like that.

She was reliving her nightmares, and her guilt and despair were overlapping.

At this rate, she might really become a wreck.

“Where is she now?”

“If it’s Miss Stella, she’s in the guest room in the annex right now.”

“I understand. I’ll go see her.”

“…I wonder if it will be meaningful.”

This wasn’t the first time I had visited Stella.

Whenever I came to Korea, I had visited Stella.

However, I had never had a proper conversation with Stella.

No matter what I said, Stella showed no reaction.

She had completely closed her heart and was curled up in her own world.

“I still have to go.”

Even if it was meaningless, I had to go.

I couldn’t face Sein-nim like this.

I had to somehow make Stella come to her senses.

I turned around and headed towards the annex.

“I’m sorry, but I’ll explain what happened in Saudi Arabia after the two in the Blue House or Adela and the others who went to Japan come back. It’s too complicated, and I don’t have the confidence to explain it three times.”

“Yes. I understand.”

Mr. Seokhyun nodded.

I left Mr. Seokhyun behind and headed to the annex.

* * *

Arriving at the annex, I was guided by a maid to Stella’s room.

Knock knock.

“Miss Stella. Shin Hayul has arrived.”

The maid knocked and announced my visit.

Of course, there was no answer.

If I could get an answer this easily, I wouldn’t be so worried.

“Should I knock one more time?”

“It’s okay. I’ll just go in.”

Knocking was meaningless.

“Yes. Then I’ll go back. Please call me if you need anything.”

“Yes.”

The maid bowed slightly and returned to her original position.

I glanced at the maid for a moment and then looked back at the room.

“Stella. I’m coming in.”

I slowly opened the door.

“…Huh?”

And at that moment, my body froze.

Seeing the scene inside the room, my whole body froze.

“…Don’t come. Please… stop now. I don’t want to see you.”

Stella was curled up on one side of the bed, trembling.

In a pitiful gesture like a dying puppy, she was hugging her knees with both hands, her head buried in her thighs.

It was clear at a glance that she was much worse than before.

That sight was quite a shock to me.

However, it wasn’t something that would shock me so much that my brain and body would freeze.

It was just a bit of a shock. Just that much.

“How…”

There was another reason why I was surprised.

“How are you here…?”

Standing in front of Stella, who was curled up like a pill bug, was Sophia-nim.

With an expression of great shock.

With eyes that couldn’t contain her sadness.

As if unable to contain her anger, her hands were trembling.

She was looking at Stella with a gaze that seemed to contain all sorts of emotions.

“Sein-nim?”

I could tell just by that reaction.

It was Sein-nim who was moving Sophia-nim’s body right now.

“Ah, are you asking why I’m here? I thought you would return to Korea, so I came straight here.”

Sein-nim’s voice was trembling more violently than I had ever seen before.

“With the Black Magic King’s temporary truce proposal, the penalty for meeting you has disappeared. There’s no need to keep our distance.”

As if trying to act like nothing was wrong.

As if she was okay.

“The distance was quite far, so I ended up using Space Cut seven times. To move such a distance in an instant. Your magic is still amazing.”

As if trying to reassure me, she was pretending to be calm.

“Ah, is the name Space Cut new to you? Space Cut is, as the name suggests, a sword that cuts through space. You can use it to jump through space.”

Sein-nim’s appearance was so pitiful that it was hard to watch.

“It’s my sword, but I think it’s a sword worth praising. I like the naming too. You think so too…”

Sein-nim stopped talking and lowered her head.

“…Is it impossible to cover it up with acting?”

Under her lowered head, Sein-nim’s distorted face could be seen.

It was too hard to even act any longer.

“Haha…”

Her throat was choked, and she couldn’t speak.

That was the expression she seemed to be making.

“…I heard about the end of my homeland. I found out four hours ago.”

When France was destroyed, Sein-nim must have been busy fighting with the Black Magic King’s soul.

It was understandable that she didn’t know about France.

“Do you know what I felt at that time?”

“I think you must have been furious.”

She must have been furious at the dragon that had devastated France.

She must have been furious at herself, feeling helpless and powerless, and she must have been burning with anger.

“No. That’s not it.”

Sein-nim shook her head.

“When I found out about the destruction of France. The emotion I felt wasn’t anger, but relief.”

Sein-nim slowly approached Stella.

“On the day France was destroyed. When I heard that my daughter had escaped the disaster, I felt deep relief and gratitude.”

Sein-nim’s eyes trembled.

“It’s not like I have a strong sense of patriotism.”

Sein-nim’s definition of justice was directed towards the knights, not the country.

Even if the country was destroyed, if the knights remained, she would be satisfied.

“The deaths of my juniors. The seeds of the future were sad, but that was all. It was enough if my daughter was alive. That’s what I thought.”

Sein-nim sat on the edge of Stella’s bed and brought her face closer to Stella.

“…Foolishly.”

Her right hand slowly moved towards Stella.

Sein-nim’s hand touched Stella’s head.

Stella’s body flinched.

“I forgot that I taught my daughter to protect the country. I forgot that I taught her to protect the knight school. I forgot that I taught her to protect the family.”

“P-Please stop… Please stop. I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I’m sorry, so please…”

A trembling voice filled with fear.

The person who was stroking her head was scary, so scary that she couldn’t bear it.

With such an expression, Stella shed tears.

“I didn’t think about what my daughter, who had lost everything, would feel. How much despair and sadness she would feel. …I’m a failure as a mother.”

Stella was thinking that the Sein-nim in front of her was a hallucination.

Especially since she was speaking like Sein-nim with Sophia-nim’s face.

She had completely decided that it was a nightmare.

“I don’t want to… I don’t want to anymore… I don’t want to live… There’s no reason to live.”

Stella buried her face in her thighs.

“I don’t have any reason to live… so, please stop. You don’t have to torment me like that… I’ll die soon anyway. I’ll go to hell… and suffer…”

A pitiful appearance and words that were hard to watch.

Sein looked at Stella again and slowly stepped back.

Swoosh-!

The sound of a sword being drawn filled the room.

“…Sein-nim?”

Was she going to cut her?

I hurriedly moved to block Sein-nim.

“Stay there.”

At that moment, Sein-nim stopped my movement.

“Stay there. Just watch.”

The determination in her gaze towards me was heavy and awe-inspiring.

The moment I saw that look, I knew.

Sein-nim wasn’t going to cut Stella.

“How many nightmares must she have had about me to react like that?”

It was only natural.

There was no way that Sein-nim would harm Stella.

“How much must she have hoped and how much must she have despaired to shed so many tears?”

Sein-nim was just trying to do what she could do.

“My voice won’t reach you anymore. You’ve already tasted so much despair that you’ve closed your heart to avoid having any expectations.”

Sein-nim’s sword slowly rose upwards.

Stella’s gaze slowly moved towards the sword.

“Therefore, this is all I can do.”

The sword was speaking.

“Look.”

Heart Sword [a technique that uses the sword to convey emotions].

“I am your mother and your idol.”

The sword of the heart was shouting loudly, filled with her heart.

“Sein Vinoche.”

A sword that was swung casually.

A sword that was very insignificant to the eyes of an ordinary person, and even to the eyes of a talented person.

“Ah…”

Just that insignificant sword was unfolded in front of her eyes.

Just that was all.

“Ah, ah…”

Light returned to Stella’s eyes.

The light of hope illuminated her eyes.

“That sword…?”

Because it was clearly Sein Vinoche’s sword.

Because it was the sword of her idol and goal. Because it was her mother’s sword that she had seen in front of her eyes her whole life.

There was no way she could mistake it.

“Now you have eyes worth looking at.”

A swordsman speaks with a sword.

“It’s been a while, my daughter.”

“Mom. Mom…!”

The message contained in Sein Vinoche’s sword reached Stella Vinoche’s heart.