Chapter 48: Something That Can Never Be Inherited (Conclusion)

After everything had ended, we returned to the capital.

It all happened so suddenly that by the time I came to my senses, everything was already over.

Currently, I found myself in a waiting room-like space where the servants gathered.

Winter had arrived, but the fire in the hearth kept the room warm, so I didn’t feel cold.

If I held my breath and listened carefully, I could hear the faint sound of servants chatting in the adjacent room.

It wasn’t surprising that news of the saint visiting the warrior’s mansion had spread—it was bound to stir up rumors.

The more you deny a rumor, the bigger it grows. Well, it’s not like I could fully confirm or deny it anyway.

As I caught the scent of burning wood, a strong and lively voice suddenly reached my ears.

“Sera?”

It was likely the warrior’s voice. There was no one else here who would call out to me.

Still, I felt a bit flustered. Couldn’t he lower his voice? Being greeted with such enthusiasm made it hard to lift my head.

“Oh, sorry. My body hasn’t fully recovered yet.”

The warrior burst into the hallway, only to stumble and fall on the stairs.

It was already December—autumn had passed, and winter had arrived. Yet, the warrior’s body showed no signs of returning to normal.

The warrior gave an awkward smile, brushing it off as something I shouldn’t worry about.

But his wounds, which refused to heal even with divine power, were concerning. Even if not now, in ten years, his body would surely suffer.

This is why people say you shouldn’t endure hardships in your youth, even for money.

Not long ago, I would have thought he deserved it. But now that I considered us allies, I couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

It was to the point that I’d rather return to the inn where those loud nightly moans never ceased.

“Sigh. So, why did you call me here?”

“Haha, are you going to take off the mask?”

I removed the cape coat I was wearing and sat on the sofa.

The scarf had left my neck damp with sweat, making me feel incredibly uncomfortable.

The warrior took my coat and began brewing tea, sneaking glances at me like a pervert.

No, he’s always been a pervert. I keep forgetting the obvious.

“Everyone’s gone. You know, playing the saint is no easy job.”

“So, it’s a secret just between us?”

“Don’t even think about tattling. It’ll cost you more than me.”

“Yes, yes, I understand.”

“Yessir, I get it~.”

Lately, I felt like the warrior was teasing me more often.

Does he think holding onto my secret gives him power over me?

It didn’t matter. I was thoroughly maintaining my saintly facade in public, and no one would believe him even if he said I used rough language in private.

Is the warrior a bit dumb? For the first time, I began to genuinely worry about his intelligence.

I can’t work with an idiot.

“So, what’s the deal?”

“Well… it’s…”

“Is it important?”

“It’s important… I guess.”

There was a brief silence.

The perceptive servants had already left the mansion, leaving just the warrior and me in the room.

In this space for just the two of us, it quickly became quiet if neither of us spoke.

“Stop dragging it out and tell me already. I’m a busy person, you know.”

Winter nights come quickly.

I had left my house in the afternoon, so the sun was likely setting now.

Walking through the streets on a cold winter night was something I hated, so I wanted to get this over with as soon as possible.

“Hurry up and say it—ouch! That hurts!”

Oops. Was it because I came in from the cold to a warm room? I accidentally bit my tongue.

The warrior chuckled as he began explaining the situation. Could he stop laughing already?

“Want to go out together?”

The warrior started listing nonsense reasons: it’s already December, snow falling at night is beautiful, moving around will help with recovery, the servants are gone so there’s no one to keep him company.

Summing it up, he was asking me to take a walk with him in the snowy night.

This idiot. Should I just push him down the stairs?

“Sigh…”

Without waiting for my answer, the warrior began preparing thick clothing.

His right arm still wasn’t moving properly and looked stiff, and his leg, pierced by Fran’s dark magic, was still limping.

Even with the saint’s divine power, which could reattach severed limbs, heavily corrupted wounds couldn’t be fully healed.

All I could do was trust the warrior’s natural healing ability.

By the time I regained my senses, the necessary first aid had already been completed.

That crazy woman who destroyed her own heart had been taken down single-handedly by the warrior.

He truly was the best force in the fight against the Demon King.

Not long ago, we were enemies. Now, there was no reason to suddenly develop any special feelings for him.

Still, seeing him struggle so much made me feel sorry enough to lend him a hand.

“Give me that. You’re so bad at dressing yourself.”

“Haha, thanks.”

Laura was still in Edirne, wrapping up loose ends.

Natalia had shut herself in the training hall and showed no signs of coming out.

That left only me to keep the warrior company.

“Stretch out your other arm now.”

“This is a new experience.”

“You should feel embarrassed. How can a grown man grin like that over something so trivial?”

I held the clothes to help him dress more easily.

When I forcibly shut the warrior’s grinning mouth, the sound of crackling fire filled the room.

“Perfect.”

The warrior, fully dressed, evaluated my work.

Should I burn him? My annoyance grew, and my tone rose with it.

Despite the cold winter night, the streets were bustling.

Street vendors had set up everywhere, and drunken old men were sharing stories of the past.

Are these people all fools? I couldn’t understand why they’d willingly suffer in this freezing winter.

“Here, it’s a snack you’ve never seen before, right?”

“…It looks like dalgona.”

“Pfft…!”

Why are you laughing?

“No, it’s just that I can’t imagine anyone else saying that.”

The warrior, struggling to stifle his laughter, ended up choking and coughing instead.

To be honest, the snack he brought really did look like dalgona to me.

Shaved ice mixed with maple syrup, stirred together until it forms a candy-like texture, and wrapped around a stick—it was apparently called snow taffy.

But to me, it was just dalgona, plain and simple.

Speaking of dalgona, it reminds me of how, back in the day, getting a golden fish shape was something to boast about in front of your classmates.

Then you’d share it with everyone.

“Yeah, exactly. You couldn’t eat it all by yourself, and if you did, your parents would scold you for sure.”

“But I hated sharing, so I’d always hide it in my locker. Later, when I checked, it was all sticky, and I had such a hard time cleaning it up.”

The books in my locker got stuck together, and when I tried to sneak it home, my clothes and bag got sticky too.

By the time I brought it home, the golden fish-shaped candy was so dirty I didn’t even want to eat it.

I got scolded by my parents so badly that I barely escaped death.

Telling this story now, the warrior burst into laughter on the spot.

Sure, laugh until you die.

I don’t even know why I brought this up in the first place.

“You were really greedy as a kid, huh?”

“Well… yeah, I was. Honestly, I was such a brat. Once I decided something was mine, I’d never share it. Probably still the same now.”

“…Is that so?”

The warrior suddenly turned his gaze elsewhere.

Seeing him break into a cold sweat in the middle of winter, I figured he must be in more pain than I thought—or maybe he felt guilty for mocking me earlier.

“So, what are you going to do now?”

“About what?”

“…Are you planning to make any progress?”

“Tonight?! Well, I mean, if you’re okay with it…”

“What are you talking about? I’m asking about what the warrior party should do next.”

“Oh, uh… yeah, right…”

Tonight? What nonsense. It’s already nighttime.

Sometimes, I just can’t keep up with the warrior’s conversations.

Honestly, Kim Soo-hyun is completely clueless.

Is he planning to make progress or not?

According to the game’s storyline, this should be the point where the elf heroine gets introduced.

The more strong allies we have to defeat the Demon King, the better, so we really need to move forward quickly.

“The White Mirage Forest. We should meet the elves there.”

“Knew it.”

“Yeah, we need the dragon’s breath, the elves’ life force, and the courage of humans. That’s what Laura said.”

“Uh… okay.”

What kind of nonsense is that, you damn otaku?

Lately, I’ve been thinking the warrior knows more about this game than I do.

No matter how much you like a game, how do you remember every little detail like that?

Meanwhile, I don’t remember anything except the adult scenes.

“Oh, Sera, look at the sky.”

“The sky? Why? It’s nighttime.”

While discussing our plans, the warrior suddenly pointed upward.

Sure, the night scenery in this world is beautiful, but there’s no need to make a big fuss about it… or so I thought.

Then, with a loud boom, countless fireworks began painting the sky in vibrant patterns.

A magical fireworks show—a truly spectacular sight I hadn’t seen in ages.

“You really didn’t know? Today’s December 25th—Christmas. Looks like this world has a similar festival.”

Well, of course. It’s a game world. Wouldn’t it be stranger if the festival dates didn’t overlap with reality?

“Wow…”

I was glad I had come out after all.

How long had it been since I enjoyed a festival like this?

Quite some time had passed since I entered this world.

Places that once felt uncomfortable were now places I could genuinely enjoy.

“…Sera, what was your name in the original world?”

“My name? Why are you asking that all of a sudden?”

“I just got curious.”

What would he even do with my name if he knew it?

Well, it’s not like telling him would kill me.

Maybe I could share it as a little token of appreciation for the fireworks.

“Hmm, listen carefully. My name is…”

“Sera?”

“What was it? Wait… my name… my name…”

I remember that this world is part of a game.

I remember that I was originally a man.

I remember living in a country called South Korea.

But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t recall my original name.

It felt as though it had evaporated from my memory entirely.