106. Changes in the Returned Daily Life (6)
Aina.
My mentor.
According to the information I heard from Irina,
she lost her life to a guy called the Demon King of Envy.
'Jun. You were living for revenge against the Demon King who killed your mentor.'
'Were you that close?'
'...Yes. Though it was a mentor-student relationship, we relied on each other.'
Mentor and student.
Before I lost my memory, I had decided on revenge for my dead mentor.
I sounded like quite a devoted guy.
But the current me felt no particular emotion about revenge.
"Revenge..."
My mentor's death is sad.
However, my emotions stopped at sadness.
They didn't go further.
Since I wasn't recalling scenes I'd witnessed, but reconstructing what someone else told me,
there was no way the emotion of revenge would arise.
'This is complicated.'
I stood up from the bench where I'd been sitting after the meal.
Luna and Estia naturally stood up with me.
"Mister, where are you going!? Are you thinking of going to that woman's grave? Is that it!?"
"...No, I'm going home."
How could I go when I don't even know where the grave is?
Luna, anxious like a dog whose snack was stolen.
I tapped her head and walked toward home.
I'd healed people at the guild and met Irina to hear about my memories.
My business outside for today was done.
'But I feel like something's missing...'
It feels like I'm forgetting something.
What is it?
I can't quite remember, but
I had the feeling I'd left something out.
As I was thinking that, I heard the children's voices behind me.
"W-wait for us! Mister! You can't just hit my head and leave!"
"I'm coming too, Oppa! I'm slow! Walk slowly!"
"...Well, it's probably nothing."
Since all I've forgotten are memories from the past,
this is probably just my imagination.
"I'll hold your hand. Let's walk slowly so you don't fall, Estia."
"Okay! Oppa protects the Saint!"
"...My hand is free too."
It must be my imagination.
I held Estia's hand and walked slowly home.
For some reason, there seemed to be bookstores with the same format in every alley along the way.
"Why... why on earth...!! Even though I opened the door, he didn't come in-!!!"
Boom- Boom-
Screams filled the library that should be quiet.
Due to the Goddess's rage after so long,
Meowng hid in a corner, trembling with her beak.
"Me, meow- meow-"
"No-!! The book said he'd lose memories of the past-!! It didn't say he'd lose memories of me-!! Why did he forget me too-!!"
Once his soul recovers to a certain level, it'll be fine.
The connection between Goddess and Apostle won't be severed.
It didn't break even in that space.
However, that was only Minerva's delusion.
"Of all things-!! Why was my connection in that lost soul-!! That doesn't make sense-!!"
"Me, meow... meow..."
"Be quiet! Meowng!!"
Haa- Haa-
After venting her anger, Minerva caught her breath.
With her connection to Lee Jun-woo currently severed, all she could do was rage.
"I need to make Jun-woo come find me...!! But that bastard never does anything dangerous...!!"
Even if there was a sign on a stone bridge saying 'This is really safe. The Goddess guarantees it,'
Lee Jun-woo would definitely tap the stone bridge suspiciously.
Because that guy was unnecessarily cautious.
That's why Minerva felt like she was going crazy.
"I, I can't lose my Apostle like this...!! After all the years we've spent together...!! Meowng!"
"Me, meow-"
"Find a way. Right now-!!"
Meowng flapped her wings and rushed frantically into the depths of the library.
Minerva sat in a chair for a moment to organize her thoughts.
"...It was good that he lost part of his memory. But I didn't know the connection with me would be severed."
Sigh.
Minerva exhaled and read the future of what would happen if Lee Jun-woo continued to have lost memories.
"Hmm, the middle part isn't complete, but... the ending is the same after all."
Lee Jun-woo, who forgot his past, defeats the Demon King with the Hero Party.
After that, he lives happily for the rest of his life.
But what about Lee Jun-woo when he regains his memories?
"He doesn't exist in this world... In this case, it means he dies. Because books don't lie."
Minerva threw the book on the floor, annoyed by the ending.
Even Minerva, who loved books, sometimes wanted to tear them up.
"Lie a little! You stupid book! This is so frustrating!"
"Meow- meow-"
"Who are you to talk, Meowng!"
"Meow-"
Meowng handed over a book held in her beak.
"You want me to read this?"
"Meow- meow-"
"Hmm, alright."
Thud-
Minerva took the book from the beak.
Then she silently focused and read the book.
Though she hadn't turned many pages, Minerva's eyes lit up.
"I found it...!"
A new method.
A way to reconnect with Lee Jun-woo.
A way to raise the Hero Party while keeping Aina forgotten.
"...I'm sorry to Aina, but. Those who should live must live. I can't let my Apostle Jun-woo die."
Let Jun-woo go now, Aina.
Minerva read the book several times and waited for night to execute her plan.
Dawn.
A time when the night air is cold and darkness envelops everything.
Normally, once Estia fell asleep, she didn't wake easily.
But this dawn was different from usual.
"Mmnya- mmm-"
Tap- Tap-
"Ueh- what is it..."
Tap- Tap-
The window making regular sounds.
Estia woke from sleep and rubbed her eyes.
The window kept being struck by pebbles someone was throwing.
"Who is it at this hour... disturbing the sacred Saint's sleep...!"
How impudent!
Estia got out of bed and headed to the window.
She checked outside to scold whoever was playing pranks.
However, there was no human form there.
"What...? Who was throwing pebbles...?"
Did I mistake it for a dream...?
Estia thought she'd been mistaken and tried to move back to bed.
Bang- Bang-
"Who is it again...!"
However, the mysterious intruder refused to let her return to bed.
Looking at the window again, there was still no human form.
Estia narrowed her brow and grumbled.
"D-demons trying to torment the Saint... I'm not scared...! As long as Oppa is here. I, I'm invincible...!"
Estia declared boldly with a trembling voice and turned away from the window.
She moved away from the window and slowly headed toward the door.
Though her words were full of bravado,
honestly, she was scared.
"Tonight I should sleep next to Oppa..."
Estia grabbed a pillow from the bed and headed to the hallway.
"Hi, hiiik..."
The hallway spread with darkness and cold.
Though goosebumps rose all over her body, Estia stepped forward.
"If I don't go forward because I'm scared... I can't...!"
A realization from experience.
Estia walked slowly toward the stairs.
One step.
Two steps.
With each step forward, her fear decreased, and midway she even thought:
'What...! It's nothing...! Is this the Saint's power...!'
Having overcome her fear and safely arrived on the first floor,
now she just needed to head to Mister's room.
Suddenly, she stopped walking and looked in another direction.
Estia's complexion wasn't very good.
"...I need to use the bathroom."
After waking from sleep,
the bathroom she inevitably had to visit.
As her tension released, Estia naturally sought the bathroom.
"The bathroom first...!"
She turned away from Mister's room and headed to the bathroom.
Tap- Tap-
Estia walking with quick steps.
Forgetting even the fact that it was dark around her, Estia headed to the bathroom.
"H-here's the bathroom...!"
Click-
Estia grabbed the handle and pulled the door without hesitation.
'B-bathroom...!'
Was it because she was in a hurry and in darkness?
She didn't notice that the bathroom door looked different from before.
And so, opening the door and entering what she thought was the bathroom, before Estia's eyes...
"Uh, huh...? Where is this...? A library...?"
"Welcome, Saint. This is our first meeting, right?"
A Goddess who looked the same age as her,
and a magnificent library spread out.
Was the situation too sudden and shocking for Estia?
"Saint, I'm sorry for calling you suddenly, but there's something you need to do. This is something only you can do. Listen to me- wait, you...!!"
"Uueh... wh-where is this..."
In the end.
Trickle-
"S-send me home... *sob*..."
Estia spilled holy water on the floor.
It was the most humiliating thing since becoming a Saint.
Minerva and Estia sat facing each other at a desk, exchanging glances.
Goddess and Saint.
Bound in an intimate relationship.
The first to speak was Minerva.
"...The Saint is a bed-wetter?"
At Minerva's words, Estia convulsed and replied.
"St-stop it! You bad Goddess! You're not even a Goddess!"
"I gave you clothes, how nice am I? Why am I not a Goddess?"
"Don't mock others' pain! You bad Goddess! I won't pray!"
"Don't. You're the only one who loses, you stupid Saint."
Goddess and Saint competing in childishness.
Still, the Goddess, being the elder, blushed as if aware of her embarrassment.
"Ahem. Anyway. There's something you need to do."
Minerva cleared the atmosphere with a cough and spoke.
About what Estia needed to do.
"You know Jun-woo is my Apostle, right?"
"I know, stupid Goddess."
"Keep that up. I'll replace you with the Hero..."
Estia, who has divine power and is easy to summon.
Though she could also summon Luna, who possesses the Holy Sword, to the library,
Minerva called Estia because it would consume too much power.
"Anyway, the connection between my Apostle Jun-woo and me has been severed."
"Why?"
"It's all because of you guys! Because of you! The unrecovered part of his soul! Was connected to me!"
"Mmm, really?! Then the reason you called me..."
"Restore Jun-woo's soul. I called you to ask for that."
"But I want to restore Oppa too, you know?"
However.
"The other kids are too scary! They're not normal!"
"Your entire Hero Party isn't normal."
"I'm normal! They don't want Mister to recover!"
"I'm the same. I don't want Jun-woo to regain his memories. If he regains his memories, Jun-woo won't be happy."
He'll roll again.
Keep rolling.
He'll choose death.
That's how the ending is set.
Estia asked in surprise.
"O-Oppa will die if he regains his memories...? Why...?"
"It's a long story. You'll know later when you become closer to being a Saint. So just pray well. Prayers toward me, Minerva, rather than other Goddesses! Other Goddesses are all trash! Got it!?"
Nod- Nod-
Estia nodded for now.
However, her questions about Lee Jun-woo's death weren't resolved yet.
"Why would Oppa die...? Is Oppa sick? Who said he could die?"
"He decides himself. You could say he's sick if he's sick."
"...If he's sick, I can heal him!"
"You?"
Snicker-
Minerva laughed and answered.
"It's severe, so you can't heal it. It's impossible unless it's that woman. That's why I'm trying to make him forget. For now, go back and try this."
Minerva placed a book on the desk.
"What's this?"
"A book. While Jun-woo sleeps, try doing what's in this book. It'll help restore his soul."
"If Oppa's soul recovers, his memories will return! Then Oppa dies!"
"No, this is different."
If you use divine power according to what's in this book,
you can connect the Goddess and Apostle from the lost soul,
and separate the memories.
"You go into the memories and find the key, Estia. You can do it because you're a Saint, right?"
"Of course! I'm a Saint, so I can do it!"
Estia declaring confidently.
But her heart was still full of questions.
And the most important thing was separate.
Estia held the book to her chest and held out her hand.
"..."
"Why, Saint? Why are you silent?"
"Reward!"
"What?"
"Oppa gives rewards for good work! What will you give! Goddess! Give me a present!"
"...You don't need holy water?"
"I don't need it if I have Oppa!"
"...Why is the Saint so bold?"
Thwack-
Minerva pressed her forehead with a headache.
Having no choice, Minerva handed over a series she'd been saving,
'Lee Jun-woo's Otherworld Adaptation.'
"This is something I treasure..."
"Not bad! I'll take it!"
After checking the contents and being satisfied, Estia turned and left the library.
Estia holding two books to her chest.
As she left the library, she thought to herself:
'Even if I return his memories! If Oppa is sick, I can heal him!'
The reason he couldn't be healed
was because the previous doctor was wrong.
'I'm a Saint! So it's possible!'
Estia, overflowing with confidence
and brimming with hope.
'So, since Mister's soul is sick! It's right to heal it! When I was sick, if no one healed me! How sad would that be! The other kids must have felt the same!'
With that mindset, Estia left the library.
If she had known in advance that facing a patient she couldn't heal despite being a Saint,
and that excessive hope would turn to despair,
Estia certainly wouldn't have even thought this way.