The Rebirth Of The Hero’S Party’S Archmage [EN]: Chapter 253

The Reincarnated Grand Magician of the Hero Party – Episode 253

253

I simply wanted to know the truth.

I only wanted to reach the secrets of the gods, secrets that remained elusive no matter how hard I researched and delved.

I wanted to share it with my teacher. I wanted him to be remembered as the sage of all ages.

‘But at the end of the quest, all I got was hatred and resentment towards the gods.’

What is this truth that is so immense that people cannot easily reach it?

– Then you should explore the truth of darkness.

During my wanderings across the continent in search of truth, the Lord of the Deep Sea, one of the [powerful, ancient beings], came to me in a dream.

– Light and darkness are not so different. From the beginning, the two were one.

– Go to hell. The dragons said that people will surely die if they fall into the abyss.

– Die? What a joke! Rather, you will gain immortal life. Do you really not know why the gods of creation forbade the truth of darkness?

– What?

– The day you accept the truth of darkness, your eyes will be opened, you will become like the gods, and you will know all the wisdom of this universe. Know that the abominable dragons spread such rumors because they fear that humans will become like gods.

I swear it wasn’t succumbing to the temptation of the abyss.

I was going to use the abyss.

After awakening all the wisdom of the world from the truth of darkness, I was going to teach that wisdom to my teacher so that he could ascend to the truth.

‘Yes, that must have been it…….’

But everything changed from the moment I awakened the wisdom of the universe and was liberated from the shackles of ignorance.

Why should I obey the gods, the dragons who are the minions of the gods? I have wisdom like the gods.

It was a feeling that instinct rather than reason enveloped my whole body. When I realized that wisdom, the world became so simple and easy.

Just live the way you want to live. Without being bound by anything.

The White Dragon Legion endlessly rushed to kill me just because I reached out to the wisdom of darkness because I wanted to know the truth.

‘Those nasty things…….’

Ryuken Ludwig is the same.

I just wanted to let him realize this great wisdom, but the teacher I met again…….

– It’s all my fault.

You didn’t even listen to the story of your disciple who left on a journey for you and peeked into the abyss for you.

You just blew away my body and soul with a secret technique you never even taught me.

How unfair is this? Isn’t he doing this because he’s sure I can’t attack him?

‘I hate it; respect turned into hatred in an instant. It turned into resentment.’

50 years later, I crawled out of the tomb.

That’s how I met the first pillar of the Black Church. The Lord of the Deep Sea ordered me to be resurrected, saying that I was his servant.

The day I was resurrected, I immediately went to find my teacher.

My teacher’s mansion, which had built a magical family with the blood price of killing his disciple, was several times more magnificent than it was 50 years ago.

Ryuken was sitting on the wooden floor, reading a book.

I was on edge, sensing that the same attack might fly at me.

– It’s been a while, teacher. You’ve aged horribly.

At the playful greeting, the teacher raised his head.

The moment our eyes met, tears flowed from those two eyes.

Then he lowered his head again and fell to the floor as if he was plummeting, and he didn’t move any further in that state.

That was the death of the teacher.

– Hey, teacher. Are you running away to the afterlife like this? In front of a disciple who came to take revenge?

Why was my voice trembling then?

The book that the teacher was reading was lying on the wooden floor.

It was a piece of that distant memory; Ryuken had copied the world-famous book 『Magic Theory』 one by one for Zerniques and compiled it into a book.

Evidence of the days when he was taken as a disciple and received care like a son.

I never knew why my vision started to shatter dimly at that time, why I took that book and left the mansion as if running away.

‘No, I never tried to find out.’

My teacher hated me and was an evil man who killed his disciple with his own hands. I only thought about that and lived in dissipation.

I had several illegitimate children during the millennium, but they were uncomfortable. Their existence itself was uncomfortable.

‘Especially that blood demon girl I recently took in out of curiosity…….’

I got annoyed every time they called me father.

It was as if they were trying to force me to know, and I felt like I would know if I dealt with them.

So I didn’t make a family or friends. All human relationships were just filled with pranks and games.

– The reason you’re obsessed with Bell Curios is not because of her ability.

And when I saw the world and families living happily, I got angry for no reason.

Was it really for no reason?

It must be because I had something I kicked away with my own feet.

– Aren’t you just trying to become Ryuken’s blood relative even if you have to do that?

Ah, damn it…….

It’s exactly what this impudent guy said.

I’ve come this far because I couldn’t be honest with my own feelings even once.

‘Actually, the reason I went to Ryuken after being resurrected was…….’

I wanted him to be angry at what I did, I wanted him to scold me, and I was going to kneel down and apologize.

Why did it turn out like this? What I really wanted was, yes, to walk the same path with him until the end…….

「But.」

How ugly.

How dirty.

What a distorted ending.

「So what do you want me to do?」

In the light of creation that melts his soul and body, Zerniques glared.

「Did you think that I, Zerniques, would come all the way here and shed tears and repent!」

That bastard…….

Lin’s eyes narrowed.

He’s holding out in that light? Could it be that he can now send this power to another dimension?

「If I have any fault, it’s just that I truly pursued the truth to the end!」

The dimension around the guy’s line distorted painfully, tangled, and began to scream.

「And, the reason everything is so distorted is because the gods hid that damn truth so that no one could see it and lined up the wizards! What’s the difference between the truth I know and the truth you know!」

No, it’s clear that the light is swallowing that body. So that’s his last struggle, before he disappears completely.

「It’s completely different. What you know is not the truth! It’s just the crystallization of your ambition!」

「Shut your mouth, you brat! I! This Zerniques! The truth! Just the truth! More than anyone else, the truth───!」

That was the guy’s last scream.

The moment the light reached its peak, everything disappeared and was restored in the light…… Is this how my journey ends?

‘But wait……?’

Why is my consciousness, why, gradually…….

* * *

Beyond the darkness, I can see the back.

Comrades I can’t meet now that I’m dead…… Chief Tinker Nils Blantz, Demon Slayer Cassel Ringkan, Palace Kies.

Naturally, I was about to take a step forward with the thought that I should join that line, but two hands grabbed both shoulders.

“Lin.”

“Not that way.”

The moment I heard that voice, the darkness lifted and my hazy senses awakened.

“Huh……?”

For a moment, I thought I was crying, but it was too hot, sticky, and stinging to say that.

“Abuuuu!”

“Abaaang!”

Yes, of course this would be the development.

From both sides of the soggy open field of vision, Aki and Nen were drooling and rubbing their heads all over my face.

“Aki, you bastard, how old are you that you’re still drooling…… Ah, you’re not even two years old yet.”

As I muttered in a listless voice, a red hand grabbed the two baby dragons by the scruff of their necks and lifted them up. The baby dragons became flat.

「Oh my, you guys. Who taught you that ladies can drool?」

Hearing that familiar voice again, I think I really cried this time. Thank you, God of Creation.

“Who are you.”

“Who are youooooooo.”

Aki and Setsunen tilted their heads and asked who they were, and Friede raised her eyebrows very seriously.

「Me? You don’t know me? You really got a terrible home education! But you don’t have to know. Then just call me Aunt Friede.」

“Friede Auntie?”

“Auntieoooooo.”

「Kyaa, so cute, so cute, so cute, so cute.」

Friede kissed the two baby dragons on the cheeks as if she was going crazy with love, and Pipi, who was sitting on her shoulder, poked Friede’s side of the face with her beak.

「Ah, of course our Pipi is the cutest in the world. You know that without me saying it, right?」

It felt like it was the first time in a long time that I saw Pipi so happy.

Not to be outdone, Serwebone even stretched out a vine and rode on Friede’s back.

I’m a little sad; why didn’t you give me that performance when we met again?

Everything was just complicated and confusing.

Also, how did I get back into this body? I mean, Rain Ludwig’s body.

Did Friede do something?

“After defeating Zerniques, Black Sheep Lin emitted an enormous light. That light sucked in Lin’s soul.”

The person who clearly explained that question was Shirin, who came here with Miria.

“I think that brought Lin’s soul back there. That’s what the teacher judged. Everyone was worried because you didn’t wake up for a long time.”

At that time, Rista…… I couldn’t help but be mistaken for a moment.

Not only the hair color that had turned white, but also because she spoke in the elegant vocabulary of the imperial aristocracy that Rista often used.

“You’re back.”

And she grabbed my hands with both hands, which was also an action closer to Miria than Rista.

“No, hey, you…….”

I struggled in embarrassment, but suddenly I had that thought.

If I had been able to break out of the ice 300 years ago, we would have reunited like this. We could have reunited like this.

That’s why I stopped struggling and was saying this.

“I don’t think I’m the only one who’s back.”

Then the two women whistled. The first to whistle a clear whistle was Friede.

「When you look at the recent romance novels, they always share a long and sticky kiss in scenes like this. Should I show you?!」

Rem immediately agreed with a playful whistle.

“Those old people have already filed their paperwork and had two children, so there’s nothing to be shy about. They’re spreading sesame seeds every night [a Korean idiom for being lovey-dovey].”

Only then did I realize.

The best prankster in the Rista party met the best prankster in our party…….

「Should I show you?! Should I show you a really hot 300-year-old kiss?!!」

“What is a kiss?”

「It’s a good thing.」

“Is it good?”

「Yes, absolute good. With just that, you can revive the world again. In novels.」

“Aki is curious about what a kiss is!”

「Aki and Setsunen want to see it?! Kiss! Kiss!」

Please stop.

My face is so red that I feel like I’m going to explode. Miria missed the timing to fall [failed to interject].

That’s why I can feel my heartbeat.

“…….”

If it were Rista, she would have responded to Friede’s prank with an even bigger prank, but Miria cleared her throat with a red face.

“It’s just troublesome and not fun to make strange assumptions just by hugging once. I’m already tired from dying and coming back to life, and I’m not in the mood to joke around.”

“Ah, yes, yes. So grandma, are you going to kiss?”

As Miria raised her fist and chased after Rem, a large, thick hand was placed on her head. Now there was no need to look back to see who the owner was.

“Bart.”

“Should I use honorifics because he’s a 300-year-old grandpa?”

“It’s okay. My heart is still in my teens. I guess it’s because I’ve never been in my 20s.”

“Hmph.”

“Ha.”

As I shared a silly laugh with Bart, Bart’s right arm, which was particularly clean, caught my eye.

“What?”

“I don’t know. It flew to Zerniques.”

“What?”

Bart swung his arm, which had no armor and no clothes stuck with blood.

“When I came to my senses, it had grown back. I think I was actually hallucinating.”

Hallucination?

Was Zerniques a hallucination magician?

As I frowned, Aki and Setsunen ran up and clung to both sides, and Friede’s voice came from above.

「It’s all your power.」

“My power?”

「Can’t you see that the city has been completely repaired? It’s the same with that too.」

“Huh.”

「I became a dragon through the guidance of the Fire Dragon, but you, hmm, maybe you became a demigod through the guidance of Karen Den? But you can’t live forever.」

A demigod…….

Maybe it’s not something so grand. Anyone who lives in this world can reach this realization.

If you live like a human, you will vaguely know it. You just don’t know that it’s a precious truth.

“Friede became a dragon?”

「Yes, it’s only a half-dragon, so it’s not eternal immortality. But look, I can now breathe without cigarettes.」

“Breath, breath, breath.”

“Cough, cough, cough, ah, I’m suffocating, stop it.”

“If you bully Daddy, Aki will get angry at Auntie.”

Looking at Friede laughing at Aki’s confident words, a heart-wrenching joy surged again.

“Are you going to wait for me?”

Then Friede burst into laughter as if she had heard the funniest thing in the world.

「Funny! So funny, so funny! Who would become a dragon to wait for a kid like you who has no cuteness at all, is always crooked, and causes annoyance whenever you do something? It’s because of our cute Pipi.」

“You son of a…… Do you have to ruin the mood like that to feel better?”

「You’re not cute, you’re crooked, and you’re annoying, but you’re still much more tender-hearted than you look.」

Suddenly, Friede’s eyes were filled with sincere joy. It’s Friede’s mature smile that I’ve always missed.

「I was sure that you wouldn’t be able to forgive yourself for not keeping your promise. Even if we all left letters saying we were okay.」

“…….”

「So, I thought I should meet you again and say this on behalf of all of us.」

I wish you would stop coming out now.

I’ve cried so much since we met again, I wish the tears would stop flowing now.

「We’re really okay.」

I barely held on to my expression, but there was no way to fix the dam of overflowing heart that was burning my eyes and overflowing.

「Lin, please forgive yourself now.」