Late into the night, Pipi and I sat on the steps at the temple gate for a long time, looking up at the starry sky.
We didn’t even have to say anything to each other. It wasn’t like that. It was just nice, being able to spend the same amount of time together.
I just liked it so much that I kept laughing.
As the black sky turned purple and signaled the dawn, Lane opened her mouth.
“Did Friede tell me to wait?”
That was curious. No, I was curious rather than curious.
Why did you make me wait? 300 years? for what reason? There must be some purpose.
Unless it was really important, there was no way that Friede would have left Fifi, whom he valued more than blood and blood, in a place like this.
Everyone in the warrior’s party liked and cherished Pipi, but compared to Friede’s affection she had nurtured since she was a baby, she was nothing more than a new blood.
“This, this, this.”
Fifi shook her neck. A very small pocket hung. I was able to pull out a ring from there.
It was a ring studded with a jewel that glowed like flames, and a salt jade stone, the treasure of treasures.
I had no choice but to swallow in vain for a moment, not because of its value, but because it was a familiar object.
“This is Friede.”
“Right, right, right.”
Pippi flew up as if to follow him.
The guy’s destination was in front of the front gate of a tightly closed temple. Only worn out by the flow of time, the condition of the door made of redwood was intact.
“Have you eradicated all grave robbers for 300 years?”
“Kept, kept, kept.”
“why? no, what?”
While thinking about how to open it, Friede’s ring emitted a brilliant light.
As if resonating with the light, light radiated from the stone statues of red dragons built on either side of the main gate.
coo coo coo… … And the huge door began to open, bursting into a thick layer of dust.
I blew a whistle of exclamation, but Pipi flew inside, so I had to hurry up and follow him.
“Pippi!”
The flames rose from the candlestick hanging in the niche where Rain’s feet could reach, so there was no need to use lighting magic.
The dimly lit interior of the temple was full of dust, but the ceiling was far high, the jewels adorning the pillars were dazzling, and the red dragon statues lined up along the aisle were imposing.
It was still a cold spring dawn outside, but a mysterious warmth lingered inside, and I felt comfortable as if I had entered the womb.
“Pippi, where are you going? Pipi!”
How long did he walk following the afterimage of the flames that flew away while blood was shed?
The place where Pipi finally stopped was at the end of the long corridor, where the shrine maiden’s bedroom was located.
‘Friede’s room… … .’
After hesitating for a moment, I opened the door, and Pippi landed on the bed, bobbing her head back and forth and humming a song.
I thought it was because the owner’s smell was nice, but when I looked closely, there was something under Pippi’s toenails.
It was a luxurious ebony neck.
Let’s open the neck while feeling tension for unknown reasons… … A glass bottle wrapped in red silk appeared. Like a flame, it was a mysterious liquid that shone vividly with the brilliance of red gold in the dark.
“What is this?”
At that moment, it was not the liquid that made Lane choke on her breath, but a small piece of stationery lying on the floor of her neck.
It was so old that it had yellowed and looked like it would crumble at the slightest rough handling.
and… … A familiar handwriting was alive and breathing on the stationery.
[1168.09.24 – To Rin.]
I was startled and stopped breathing.
It was difficult to breathe because of the laughter that erupted intermittently from Mokwooldae.
‘The date 250 years ago… … .’
I took a deep breath and carefully opened the letter.
to Lynn.
I am writing this letter again this year. maybe the last one
Knowing that Rin is really bad at treasure hunting, I decided to give up hiding it somewhere because of the grave robbers.
So I left Pippi as the gatekeeper. Let this letter and gift go to Rin.
Did you meet Fifi? Gwangryong took pity on us and extended Pippi’s lifespan. I’m sorry I couldn’t see Rin’s surprised face in person.
Pipi and I are very old. Still, I still want to see Rin again. As I got older, only tears came to my eyes, and I only remembered the things I couldn’t do for Rin in the past.
I have to leave now
I am planning to follow the corps to ＜Fire Manli＞ in Antarctica. If my dream is fulfilled, I might be able to stay alive until Rin comes.
I will conclude my letter here.
I’d like to write more, but I’ll stop because I don’t know what I’ll hear from Lista or Kies.
It is our wish that we do not want to put the shackles of the past on Rin, who has to start a new life now.
Enclosed in the letter is a birthday present.
Lynn, congratulations on your 19th birthday. I promised you before. That’s dragon breath.
I will pray with all my heart that this gift will help Rin in the future journey of life.
Thank you.
And I want to see you.
– Your old friend, Friede.
The typeface of the letter was hazy and shattered. I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes.
‘What kind of respectful words do you say that doesn’t suit you… … .’
I thought so, but when I realized that Friede was 90 years old when I wrote this letter, my heart felt helplessly empty.
Only then did I know for sure.
I was holding on to false hopes. The hope that my comrades might be alive somewhere, the hope that I might meet them again… … .
You have been living your life appeasing the vast solitude with that modest hope.
“Don’t cry, don’t cry. Rin, don’t cry.”
Pippi urged, moving back and forth on both sides of the shoulder. He wiped his eyes and shook his head.
“are you okay. not crying It’s just because it’s funny to use honorifics… … .”
He pretended to be calm, but even holding something with his hand was difficult. I decided to get rid of it right away before I missed the dragon’s breath.
Apparently knowing that, Pippi poked the cork with his beak and pulled it out. Like heat rising from a fire, a mysterious aura leaked out of the liquid in the glass bottle.
From noble mtl dot com
Thank you, Friede. I muttered to myself, then poured all of the thick liquid into my mouth.
“… … ?!”
I felt something strange in my mouth, and the sensation going down my esophagus was painful, like swallowing a flame.
But the pain… … It’s not like pain… … It’s like a tremendous boost of energy… … .
Blood vessels bulged all over the body and glowed red, and power that had never been felt before surged through the blood vessels that circulated mana.
A sense of fullness, as if uncontrollable power is about to explode, a sense of heat as if the body is being eaten by flames.
“Pippi, my bag.”
“Bag, bag.”
“I have a diary I used to write. Unfold it.”
I felt a sense of exhilaration and felt the explosive magic circulating through my body, but a string of characters unfolded in front of my eyes. It must be Ludyen.
Gustaba: It objectifies the physical condition of the caster with mathematical values.
ㆍNote: Current mana 13,222 -＞ 26,444.
My mouth dropped wide at the ridiculous increase in magical power.
double?
Exactly twice as much?
This was a truly ridiculous amplification number. The number of magical power increases in magic pills and elixirs that the Eight Great Factions have been preparing for the next dean over several hundred years is less than 5,000.
‘Ah, such a mistake… … .’
If I had known it was this amazing, I would have made 50,000 mana and then ate it to 100,000. However, he shook his head to drive away the gloomy mind.
‘But that means I can now use the image barrier.’
As proof of that, the unique rune on the left palm wrapped in a bandage is subtly flickering, expressing its presence.
Brante.
– A new magic circuit, fulfilling the conditions for use: Flow World.
The growth of magic power is unusual, and it draws a gentle downward-sloping curve in the beginning, but changes to an upward-sloping curve once it breaks through a certain point.
It is said that the growth rate gradually accelerates when it enters a certain orbit.
So don’t be depressed in the slightest. It’s probably because the speed of magical power growth is vastly different from before.
By then the morning light was pouring blindingly through the leaded glass of the temple. He said while wrapping Friede’s neck in the package.
“Pippi, I have to go now. I have to leave now so I won’t be late for the dorm’s curfew.”
“Rin, we have to go. Rin, we have to go.”
“So that’s what… … Do you want to come with me?”
Then, Fifi’s eyes lit up, but soon she lowered her head as if she couldn’t do that.
“Pippi, Friede wait. Lin waited, now wait for Friede.”
Is it like that?
Did you promise to do that?
Does this guy have to repeat the waiting without a promise once again? I couldn’t leave it like that.
“You can wait with me.”
“Rin, together?”
“huh. Friede is so famous that if I told him he was alive, there would be a lot of uproar. I don’t have to wait here, I’m going to meet you then. Friede will be very surprised… … .”
Pippi tilted her head in confusion at first, but soon her eyes lit up and she climbed on top of Rain’s head and tilted her head back and forth.
“Together, together, together.”
As soon as I left the temple, the morning sunlight spread and colored the world brilliantly. With a thump, behind me, the huge door slammed shut by itself. Probably won’t open again.
“Pippi, do you want something to eat?”
“Corn, corn, corn.”
“Oh, right. Didn’t you like Pippi corn very much?”
It was a spring morning with still chilly air, but the conversation with an old friend warmed my body and mind throughout the way back.
Warm, warm, warm, warmed my soul.
* * *
After finishing writing the letter, Friede looked down at the letter in silence for a moment. Beside him, Pippi was pecking at corn kernels.
“Pippi.”
“Pippi, Pippi, Pippi.”
“I have to go now.”
After eating the corn, Pippi looked up and looked at the old master with clear eyes. A bitter smile formed on Friede’s wrinkled lips.
“Will you wait for Rin here? So that the child does not become a loner.”
“Pippi, Rin waits.”
“It will be a very tiring and difficult trip… … You will be all alone until the child arrives.”
Friede did not dare to fathom how painful and long the journey would be. Because I don’t know, isn’t he leaving for Antarctica right now?
“It’s okay, it’s okay.”
“Are you really okay? You can just come with me.”
“Even if it’s hard, Pippi Lin waits for you. Rin, Friede’s friend. Rin, Fifi’s friend.”
Ahh… … Friede held Pippi dearly with both hands and began to cry silently for a while.
maybe this will be the last But if… … .
“I’ll be waiting for you at ＜Fire Manli＞, Pippi. When Rin is ready to leave, tell Rin this too.”