The Return of The Mythical Archmage [EN]: Chapter 300

About two and a half hours passed.

We arrived safely at Jeju Island.

I was worried that something might happen since we were crossing through tens of thousands of monsters.

Fortunately, nothing of the sort occurred.

‘It’s a good thing the monster we rode was Behemoth.’

If we hadn’t been riding the sea overlord Behemoth, we wouldn’t have been able to pass through the Abyss Sea so easily.

If it weren’t for Behemoth’s overwhelming charisma and intimidation, someone would have picked a fight.

And starting with the injury of one of us, new monsters smelling blood would have started to invade, leading to a series of battles.

If that had happened, we probably would have…

‘Let’s not think about it.’

It’s horrifying just imagining it.

“Hey.”

Then Terun tugged at my sleeve.

“I’m sorry, but could I stay here for a few days?”

He looks somewhat uneasy.

“I don’t mind, but… weren’t you going to return right away?”

Originally, he said he would go back immediately and focus on his research.

What sudden change of heart could have caused this?

“I’d like to go back if I could, but… that…”

Terun glanced at the sea. I could sense fear in his subtly trembling pupils.

‘He’s scared of crossing the Abyss Sea again.’

While riding Behemoth, we were directly exposed to the sticky bloodlust emitted by tens of thousands of monsters.

Even Terun, who can’t directly sense the mana or presence of the surrounding monsters, couldn’t have been unaffected by those energies.

Asking him to go back to the Abyss Sea in his current state is too cruel.

“Okay, then we’ll arrange for you to stay here.”

Terun’s expression brightened instantly at my answer.

He looks very relieved.

“However, the house we borrowed isn’t very big, so I can’t provide a separate room for your research. Your sleeping room will also be a bit small. Please understand that.”

“Of course. I’m not that inconsiderate. Just preparing a room for me is enough. For research, I can just adjust the small things I can do in my room.”

Terun started muttering to himself, adjusting his future schedule.

‘…How long is he planning to stay?’

Just from listening, it seems like he’s planning to stay for at least a week.

Was he that scared?

I did provide some magical protection, and Behemoth seemed to sense Terun’s trembling and suppressed his intimidation.

It shouldn’t have been that scary.

‘Is it because he has a tamer’s bloodline, making him sensitive to the atmosphere of the surrounding monsters?’

He doesn’t seem to have had any training as a mage, but his tamer’s bloodline must still be there.

He’s also controlling Behemoth, and his talent as a tamer is top-notch.

So, he might have been acutely affected by the presence of the monsters in the Abyss Sea.

“Are you going to keep Behemoth nearby?”

“Yeah. I told him to play around nearby. I told him not to go to the southern part of Jeju Island, so he shouldn’t get caught on any radar.”

“He can perfectly execute even such comprehensive commands.”

“Amazing, right?”

He’s talking so casually about something that would make other tamers clutch their necks and collapse.

“Then, I don’t have to worry about Behemoth for now.”

“Yeah. You don’t have to worry about that. He was actually hiding in the South Sea for three years, and no one knew, right?”

“…He was hiding in the South Sea for three years?”

“They say if you want to hide a tree, hide it in a forest. There’s no better place to hide than the Abyss Sea.”

Certainly, there’s no better place to hide a monster like Behemoth than the Abyss Sea.

“Then, I really don’t have to worry.”

I said that and held out my hand to Terun.

Terun tilted his head slightly.

“You want me to hold it?”

“Yes.”

“…Even though I’m older than you, even with this physique?”

He looks like his pride is quite hurt.

I think he’s misunderstanding something.

“I’m not treating you like a child.”

“You’re not saying, ‘Let’s hold hands because you might get lost’?”

“Why would I get lost? In this quiet country road.”

“That’s true, but…”

Terun looked up at me with eyes that seemed to say, ‘Then why are you asking me to hold hands?’

“The destination is quite far. If we don’t use magic, we might not arrive before sunset today.”

“Ah, so that’s why you wanted to hold hands…”

Terun nodded, looking like he was saying, ‘Was it such a simple reason?’

“I thought you heard from Charles that I’m directionally challenged… Ah.”

He stopped talking and closed his mouth with a flustered expression.

“You’re directionally challenged.”

“…”

I didn’t know that.

Certainly, then he would have such suspicions.

“I’m not directionally challenged. I just get a little confused about directions, and sometimes I can’t find my way home when I’m lost in thought. I’m really not directionally challenged.”

It was a lame excuse with no persuasive power.

“Yes. I understand. I misunderstood.”

That he’s more directionally challenged than I expected. I understand very well.

“You have a face that clearly says you don’t understand!”

“That’s not true. I 100% understand.”

“No. Anyone can tell you don’t understand. You sit right there. Sit down and listen to me. Then you’ll understand.”

Terun started making excuses with frantic hand gestures.

“Look. When you’re doing research, you get tired, and there are times like that, right?”

“There are.”

“Imagine you went to the convenience store. Isn’t it normal for anyone to get a little lost then? It’s not that I’m directionally challenged, it’s just that I’m tired…”

“Ah, yes. I see.”

Getting lost at a convenience store near home. He’s more directionally challenged than I could have imagined.

I understand very well.

I should avoid scheduling him to go anywhere alone in the future.

He might become a lost child.

“Nooo…”

“I understand, so let’s hold hands first. Let’s move before it gets any later.”

Terun still has a dissatisfied expression. It seems he has no intention of holding my hand willingly.

Then, I have no choice.

“Excuse me.”

I immediately grabbed Terun’s hand and pulled him towards me.

And then I held him in my arms.

“Y-you said you’d just hold my hand!”

“I thought it would be faster this way.”

Instead of holding hands and using magic twice to run, it’s much more efficient to just enhance my body and run while holding him like this.

“Then, let’s go.”

“Hey, wait a minute. This position is a bit too much… Kyaaak!”

Before Terun could say anything more, I kicked off the ground.

The scenery changed rapidly.

Terun screamed, startled by the sudden speed.

“Hey, hey, hey, hey! It’s too, too fast! And too high!”

“You’re also afraid of heights.”

“It’s not that I’m afraid of heights… Kyaaak! W-was that a spiderweb? D-did I just hit a spider?”

“Hmm. You’re also afraid of bugs.”

He has many weaknesses.

It reminds me of Adela.

Adela, who seems to have invested all her stats in magic.

And Terun, who seems to have invested all his stats in research.

Are geniuses all the same?

I thought that and increased the speed a bit more.

“Fast, high, fast, highhhh!”

Terun’s screams got louder as the speed increased, which was a bit amusing, so it’s a secret that I increased the speed more than necessary.

* * *

After that.

We arrived at the accommodation after about 40 minutes of full-speed running.

As soon as we arrived at the accommodation, Terun collapsed as if he had fainted.

It seems his fear of heights is really severe.

I only increased the altitude to about 5 or 6 stories of an apartment building.

But he’s already passed out like this.

His reactions were so good that I increased the altitude more than necessary. It seems like his soul has completely left his body there.

No. But even that wasn’t even 10 stories high.

If he faints to that extent… how did he even get on the plane?

It’s a mystery.

“Then, please rest well. I’ll go look around for a bit.”

I laid the fainted Terun on one side of the room.

And I immediately went outside.

And then I used ‘Factio’ to summon Miho.

Miho hugged me as soon as she was summoned.

“Did you rest well?”

Miho cried ‘Mii~’ as if she was in the best mood.

“You rested well, didn’t you?”

Looking at the slightly pressed fur on her head, it seems she was really sleeping without a care in the world.

She buried her face in my chest and acted cute for about 3 minutes.

Then she lifted her head and started looking around.

“The scenery is nice, isn’t it?”

The quiet atmosphere unique to the countryside and the lush green trees that fill the surroundings.

Miho was looking at the rural scenery, which creates an atmosphere that cannot be felt in the city, with a longing gaze.

It seems she’s thinking about the Vaitener Empire era.

No, it would be more accurate to say that she’s thinking about her teacher through the Vaitener Empire.

“We’ll be able to meet again soon.”

Once I find the Book of Dantelroa, we’ll definitely be able to meet again.

“Then, let’s go.”

Miho nodded with a determined expression and got out of my arms, taking her place in front of me.

Then she started walking slowly as if telling me to follow her.

I slowly followed Miho.

About 10 minutes passed like that. We arrived at the entrance of Hallasan Mountain.

“It’s in Hallasan, as expected.”

I expected it, but it seems the Book of Dantelroa is indeed sleeping somewhere in Hallasan.

“Hmm~ Jeju Island is really nice for traveling, isn’t it? Don’t you think so, honey?”

Then, I heard a woman’s voice from afar.

I immediately hid myself, holding Miho.

“Hehe. It is nice.”

The two men and women soon appeared.

Judging by their clothes and expressions, they were clearly tourists.

‘It seems difficult to use the main hiking trail after all.’

Despite the Abyss Sea, Jeju Island is still a tourist island with many tourists.

Immediately after the Abyss Sea appeared, not only tourists but even the residents of Jeju Island fled to the mainland.

After that, they realized that the Abyss Sea had no effect on Jeju Island, and it slowly regained its role as a tourist island.

Naturally, many people are camping out at Hallasan, a famous attraction in Jeju Island.

For me, who needs to search Hallasan with Miho, it’s a rather troublesome situation.

‘I’m fine since I’m changing my face with Face Change, but Miho is too noticeable.’

With my current skills, it’s impossible to change Miho’s appearance.

Should I just walk around in a constant state of stealth?

No, if I do that, Miho’s free exploration will be impossible, which will hinder the search in many ways.

My mental strength isn’t infinite either, so it’s hard to maintain stealth for more than 30 minutes.

Should I just aim for dawn to search?

‘Too many people is also a problem…’

I was lost in thought when it happened.

Miho licked my cheek.

When I lowered my gaze, I made eye contact with Miho.

Her eyes were trying to tell me something.

“You have a way?”

That’s a piece of cake.

Miho’s eyes were saying that.