RODH Chapter 48

48.

Could someone’s earnest wish become another person’s misfortune?

Ian wondered.

He pressed the pen so hard that he didn’t realize the ink had dried and punctured the paper.

Bain asked,

“Young master, are you alright?”

“No, I’m not.”

“I’ll listen to everything you have to say.”

“Can you handle it?”

Bain nodded solemnly.

There was a quiet determination in his eyes that made Ian chuckle.

“I’m fine.”

For now.

“You always try to bear everything alone, young master.”

“I’m the heir of House Ruben.”

“Even so…”

Bain looked genuinely worried.

Still, Ian couldn’t bring himself to say it.

‘Not even if my mouth were ripped open.’

Because to do that, he’d have to explain that he’d regressed—and everything that had happened during that time. It would make things far too complicated.

And imagining Bain bursting into tears and pitying him only made it harder to say anything aloud.

“Bain, sometimes, not knowing is better.”

“I understand. But I’m your person, young master. I’ll wait until the day you decide to tell me.”

Ian smiled faintly at Bain’s loyal words.

He pulled out a fresh sheet of paper.

As he neatly summarized what Nevan had told him, he thought about the reason for his regression.

He had come to believe there were two reasons.

First, because the Bringer of Spring is free from death.

Second, because of Siena Nik Kirias’s time magic, born of her heartfelt wish.

The first was supposedly said by the Great Sage who founded the Mage Tower, according to Luke, so that was probably solid.

But the second was more ambiguous.

He didn’t know how “time magic” actually worked.

Then Ian recalled something Alvis had once said.

He’d pointed to the necklace Lucian had given Ian and said,

‘This necklace holds incredibly noble and powerful magic. How did you come by it?’

As expected of a mana master, he could instantly recognize a magical artifact.

Instead of answering, Ian had asked how such powerful magic could be created.

Though he clearly noticed Ian dodging the question, Alvis answered readily.

‘Magic born from the most positive human emotions—faith, love, hope.’

Which meant the necklace Ian received was filled with Odette’s love for her son.

That realization made it feel even heavier to carry, but it also pushed Ian to dig deeper into Siena’s magic.

If it really was time-reversing magic, it could explain his repeated regressions.

Just then, the carriage came to a sudden halt.

“What’s going on?”

Bain opened the window to the outside and asked. The coachman, visibly terrified, replied,

“A—A monster tree’s out there!”

“Monster tree?”

“Young master, you mustn’t get out!”

Ian stepped out without an escort and looked in the direction the coachman pointed.

Sure enough, a massive gray tree stood in the middle of the road—monstrous in size.

It even had a door embedded in its trunk. But after five regressions, this kind of thing barely fazed him.

“Let’s just go around it.”

“T-The thing is…”

“What? What’s the problem?”

“This is the third time we’ve gone in circles through the same spot!”

“You’re sure?”

“Yes, absolutely! I swear something magical is at work in this foggy forest.”

If it was magic, then this was Alvis’s domain.

Just as Ian thought that, the door on the tree creaked open.

Wait a minute—wasn’t the door to the Mage Tower just as shabby and ready to fall apart?

Ian, drawn in like he was bewitched, started approaching the door when Bain rushed forward and blocked him.

“Young master!”

“Bain.”

“It’s dangerous! Who knows what could be in there!”

“It’s fine.”

“It’s not fine at all! You collapsed yesterday while I was gone for just a moment—I was so scared!”

Bain was too sensitive.

Ian didn’t want to startle him again, so he made a different suggestion.

“Then let’s do the opposite.”

“…What?”

“You said going in is dangerous, right? Then let’s make it come out.”

“N-No, young master…!”

Ian shouted at the door,

“Is anyone there?”

Nothing happened.

The endless black entrance creeped Bain out so badly that he kept urging Ian to get back into the carriage.

“Please, let’s go back!”

“Just one more try.”

Saying maybe they hadn’t heard him, Ian called out again.

At that moment, an “Aigo!” rang out, and a hunched old man appeared.

He wore a floppy sky-blue wizard hat, like something straight out of a fairy tale.

Dragging matching slippers, the old man huffed and crossed his arms.

“I’m not deaf!”

With a snort, he glared at Ian.

Ian asked,

“Sir, who are you?”

“Me? Some call me the one who peers into wisdom, others the one who never dies, and still others…”

“Could you shorten it?”

“They call me the Great Sage.”

This man is the Great Sage?

Ian was speechless, staring at a completely ordinary old man—nothing like what he’d imagined.

Then the Great Sage narrowed his eyes and said,

“Wait a moment. You wouldn’t happen to be the Bringer of Spring, would you?”

“I’m not sure myself.”

“You are, indeed. Just look around you.”

At some point, deer eyes were glinting like lanterns in the misty forest surrounding them.

Ian sighed softly and asked the old man,

“What exactly is the Bringer of Spring? Can they really break the curse of Kirias?”

“Calm down now. You’re as impatient as my disciple used to be. Come in and have some tea.”

“Bain, let’s go.”

Ian calmed the wide-eyed coachman and entered the Great Sage’s house.

Inside the tree, the space was unbelievably large—so much so that it reminded Ian of the Mage Tower.

“Have a seat.”

“Thank you.”

“You’ll probably like chamomile tea. And for your attendant—hot chocolate.”

“…Excuse me?”

In the blink of an eye, the drinks appeared.

“Although, I can’t guarantee the taste.”

“Pfft—”

Bain took a sip of the hot chocolate and promptly spat it all over the floor.

Ian asked with pity in his voice,

“Is it that bad?”

“It’s like drinking water someone used to wash a dwarf’s feet.”

“Kekekeke!”

The Great Sage laughed like he hadn’t heard a good joke in ages.

Ian set his teacup down and got to the point.

“Can the Bringer of Spring really break the curse of Kirias?”

“Of course. Because that’s how the Demon Lord who cast it made it.”

“Then why me?”

“How should I know that?”

What kind of Great Sage was this?

Ian had hoped to get clear answers, so his disappointment was even greater.

Sensing Ian’s mood, the old man spoke again.

“Look at this teacup. Life goes round and round like this. The reason your life is circling the same path is partly because you’re the Bringer of Spring, but mostly because of someone’s wish.”

So… he knows about the regression.

Ian asked in a roundabout way so Bain wouldn’t catch on.

“Then am I cursed?”

“Gasp! Young master, are you cursed?!”

“Bain.”

That was his way of telling Bain to be quiet for a moment. Bain shut his mouth.

The Sage blinked his wrinkled eyes and said,

“Cursed? Winter has finally met spring—how could that be called a curse? This is not a curse. It’s a blessing. A blessing!”

Yeah right, a blessing, my ass.

Ian thought grimly about his regression.

Looking back at the past four lives, there had never once been a connection with Nevan.

Siena’s wish had two parts: that Nevan be spared from the curse, and that he meet the one who could break it.

The first depended entirely on the second. So it was probably the second wish that kept dragging Ian back through time.

It sucked, but even Siena likely hadn’t foreseen things turning out like this.

Ian quickly organized his thoughts and stood up.

“Thank you for the tea.”

“Hm? Leaving already?”

“I’ve finished my business here.”

“Ah, wait. About the sword you’re carrying.”

“You mean Hallow Knight?”

“Yes, that one. That sword is a cursed blade. It’s only reacting to sensitive people like you right now because it’s broken.”

So it is a cursed blade. Then Nevan had been wrong.

“Is there something wrong with it?”

“Once the sword is completed, the Demon Lord will awaken.”

“……”

“You have one job. Finish the sword and deliver it to the Grand Duke. Do more than that, and…”

“And what happens?”

At Ian’s provocative question, the Great Sage slowly pulled his lips into a smile.

‘I’ll probably die, huh?’

Ian couldn’t shake the feeling that, no matter how powerful this so-called Great Sage was, he gave off the vibe of a quack doctor.

Probably die?

Either I die or I don’t—what kind of answer is that?

While Ian fumed inwardly, Bain, who had been sitting quietly beside him, had gone pale.

He’d already witnessed Ian nearly die once before, so the mere mention of death made his face darken with fear.

In the awkward silence that followed, something landed on the roof of the carriage.

Bain jumped and shouted,

“Young master! Something’s on the ceiling!”

“What?”

Before Ian could respond, Lucian’s voice rang out as he hung upside down at the window like a bat.

Frowning deeply, Ian snapped,

“What did you say?”

When Ian opened the window, Lucian blurted out something completely absurd.

“Get engaged to me, Ian!”

“What kind of nonsense is that?!”

“Just say yes! Otherwise, you’ll end up being the Crown Princess forever!”

There was no way to have this conversation hanging out a window, so Ian pulled Lucian into the carriage.

Wasting no time, Lucian slithered in like a weasel and claimed the seat right next to Ian.

“What are you talking about? How am I suddenly becoming the Crown Princess?”

“The Emperor found out that you’re the Bringer of Spring.”

“How did he…?”

“He probably had someone spying on you. That fox!”

The thought that someone had been watching him all along made Ian shiver—but that feeling quickly faded when Lucian explained the rest.

From what he said, it seemed Ian was about to be made the Imperial Crown Princess, like it or not.

“…Alright. Fine, let’s do that—for now.”

“You said yes?”

“Then why are you leaning so close to my face?”

“Well, because…”

Without warning, Lucian bit Ian’s lips and swallowed the kiss.