Chapter 75: The Old Woman and Red Clover (2)
Aajen felt a strange sense of fear.
It wasn’t just the steadily increasing weight on his back the deeper he went… nor the aged, gentle tone whispering near his ear.
“Won’t you keep going, young man?”
The metallic rasp of her voice vibrated in his eardrums, and the breath brushing the nape of his neck made him reflexively take another step.
At that moment, goosebumps erupted across his skin.
‘…She’s not human!’
It was instinct. The raw, primal reaction a living being has when its life is in danger.
But strangely enough, the thought “I should never have brought her along” didn’t cross his mind.
Splash, splash.
Aajen walked on—like a pilgrim enduring penance, silently pressing forward.
As he did, the eerie whispers from the old woman—like those of a demonic geoma—ceased.
“…”
But then, something else began to go wrong.
With every step Aajen took toward the far bank of the river, the water rose higher.
First to his waist… then over his shoulders… until it lapped at his jawline.
More than half of his body was submerged, and yet sweat poured from his forehead like rain.
Cramps rippled through his arms carrying the old woman, and his legs wobbled under the strain—threatening to give way even to the gentle current.
“Young man, put me down.”
Then came her voice.
“Leave me behind. It’s fine. You’re already at your limit, aren’t you?”
The woman, who had clung to him like a cicada to bark, now spoke gently.
“You’ve done enough.”
Slip.
The limbs that had held him so tightly now loosened naturally, as though they'd never meant to hold him in the first place.
If Aajen gave even the slightest push, she would come off with ease.
Splash, splash.
But he didn’t stop. As if he hadn’t heard her, Aajen walked—and walked, and walked again.
He trudged forward with blind determination.
“Young man?”
In truth, he hadn’t even heard her voice.
Overwhelmed by anxiety, fear, obsession, and stress… his focus had narrowed entirely to a single purpose.
“Huff… huff…!”
In his dazed mind, a voice echoed.
Someone repeating the same words, over and over again—
—If you encounter someone in trouble today, do everything you can to help them. With all your heart. With all your strength. Alright? You must! You must!
Lewin’s words rang in his ears, like a mantra.
—Then… this time, please believe me. No matter what.
And so, Aajen couldn’t stop here.
“…This time, I must.”
He had to keep his word. His dazed eyes sharpened with focus.
When Lewin first pointed out his shortcomings, it had felt like someone had stormed into the castle of his pride and torn it down.
Lewin had saved his life, rescued his father, and even risked his own life to fight evil alongside him…
—A favor or a grudge must be repaid tenfold! That’s the creed of the Clover family!
Aajen had believed himself to be a decent person—someone who repaid what he was given.
But when faced with reality, his ideals remained just that—ideals.
─A fair-weather opportunist who picks and chooses based on circumstance.
That was the true nature of Aajen Clover.
He was ashamed. So deeply ashamed, he couldn’t lift his head.
Ah…
And then he realized—how lacking he truly was.
He could hear the sound of his carefully built fortress crumbling. A frog finally escaping its well.
‘Why me?’
He found himself wondering—
‘Was I really someone who deserved to survive that tragedy?’
Buried deep beneath all the chaos, a long-suppressed doubt surfaced.
‘Why was I the only one who made it? Why did my comrades give up their lives for mine?’
Because he was the heir of the Clover Trade Company? Because he was the youngest?
Or maybe…
He didn’t know. No matter how long he agonized, the thoughts of the dead were forever beyond the grasp of the living.
So Aajen wished—
‘To become a better me today than I was yesterday. Better tomorrow than I am today.’
He wanted to be someone he wouldn’t be ashamed of.
‘Even if only for those who died for me…’
He wanted to tell them—those comrades who had sealed their lips and embraced death to protect him:
That the life he owed them would be lived with pride. That they would never regret saving him.
That he would become someone worthy—someone worthy of Red Clover.
“Grrghhh!”
Even as the river reached his lips, Aajen growled and lifted the old woman higher onto his shoulders.
Then, legs on the verge of buckling, he stepped forward.
“Aaaaagh—!”
He would prove it.
That Aajen Clover was no longer someone who made the same mistakes twice.
“Why won’t you give up, young man?”
The old woman, now puzzled by his desperation, asked plainly.
“I already said you could leave me. You’ve done enough. I wouldn’t hold it against you.”
“…”
Splash, splash.
Aajen didn’t respond. At that point, he barely understood her words.
His body was numb from pain. He was moving on sheer will.
“…Because I promised.”
“A promise?”
His reply was barely above a whisper.
“To help someone in need…”
Left foot—splash.
“This time, for sure…”
Right foot—splash.
“To prove… myself…”
The old woman watched him in silence.
In her emerald eyes, like a deep forest, emotions flitted one by one.
“Aajen Clover.”
A faint smile appeared on her lips.
“Pass.”
And then it happened—something truly strange.
“I wanted to see what kind of soul this generation’s Clover child had…”
Her voice, once soaked with weariness and age, now brimmed with youthful joy.
Her wrinkled hands smoothed into soft, pink skin. Her silver-white hair shimmered into golden light.
The old woman turned into a radiant young lady with a bright laugh.
“You say the sweetest things, dear.”
The tattered rags she wore shifted into a deep green dress, elegant and flowing.
Whooosh!
A sudden gust whipped through the air, and the hem of her gown billowed high.
Shooooo!
The river, once rising and roaring, surged into the sky. In the blink of an eye, the deep water vanished—transformed into a towering pillar of water.
Aajen’s eyes flew open. A miracle was unfolding before him!
“Come on now, let’s keep going, hmm?”
Somehow now beside him, the woman gave him a playful push on the shoulder.
“Uh, wha—?”
Stumbling forward, Aajen took several steps and collapsed to the ground.
“Congratulations, dear. You made it.”
Her voice was as warm as spring sunlight.
Aajen lifted his head dazedly…
Standing before him was a woman of dazzling beauty.
“Who… are you?”
He’d never seen her before. If he had, someone so breathtaking would have left at least an impression.
But for some reason, the moment he looked at her, something stirred within him.
Familiar.
A powerful déjà vu flooded him. His entire body trembled with it.
And he felt certain—that she felt it too.
“Wh-Who are you?”
Aajen asked, voice trembling.
A woman who appeared in this secluded place, could transform at will, and command nature itself—surely, she wasn’t ordinary.
“…”
But she said nothing—only smiled.
Then slowly, she raised her hand and gently cupped his cheek, caressing it like it might break.
Like she was memorizing it.
“It was wonderful to meet you, dear.”
So tenderly.
“My beloved Mothe’s child… I thought I’d never see you.”
“E-Excuse me…!”
“This is my gift to you. It will help you.”
She gently pressed something into Aajen’s hand, and kissed his forehead.
“May luck be with you on your journey.”
And then—darkness.
“…Over here! Found him! …He’s unconscious—quickly!”
When he opened his eyes again—
“Hey! You awake?!”
“…Where am I?”
His lost companions—the members of Spero—stood before him.
“Whew! You disappeared so suddenly, you scared the life out of me. …Well, at least you’re back.”
“Aajen! Where were you?! We couldn’t find you even with magic! Are you okay?!”
“…Are you hurt anywhere?”
Their concern showed in different ways. Aajen gave a soft smile.
Not a bad feeling at all.
“H-Haha. So, actually… I…”
He laughed awkwardly—he barely knew what had happened himself.
But just as he opened his mouth to explain—
“Huh? What’s this?”
He suddenly noticed something tightly clutched in his hand. Raising it up, he blinked in confusion.
At the base was a long, slender stem—deep red, like it had soaked up a rose’s color.
Higher up, five lush clover leaves encircled it like a corsage.
And at the top…
Shine!
A single radiant red flower. It glimmered in countless shades of red depending on the angle, like a miniature sun radiating warmth and power.
“…Huh?”
Realization struck Aajen. His green eyes quaked.
His fingers trembled uncontrollably.
“R-Red… Red Clover!”
The rest of Spero’s eyes also widened.
Its beauty was so awe-inspiring that not a soul could speak.
“This is Red Clover…? It definitely gives off a mystical aura I can’t explain in words.”
“Beautiful. No wonder they call it the legendary flower.”
“Wow. I wonder how much that would sell for.”
“…Is your head filled with only dust and coins? Do you lack even a shred of sentimentality?”
“What’s with the attitude? Everyone experiences beauty differently. Besides, rich boys like you wouldn’t understand the value of money.”
As Gale and Calix began bickering once again, Sercia sighed heavily and turned her gaze.
To the one most likely to put an end to their nonsense.
“Sir Lew—Lewin? Those two are at it again. What should w—…huh?”
“Eh? Where’d the brat go?”
“…Sir Lewin?”
But when they turned, he was gone.
They frantically searched the area, but as expected—
Not a single trace.
“Great. We finally find one guy, and now another disappears?! What the hell?!”
“I didn’t expect Lewin to vanish. Was he kidnapped?”
“Unlikely. Someone as strong as him wouldn’t be taken quietly. If anything, he probably left on his own for some reason. Might be a personal mission.”
“Hmm. That sounds plausible.”
As Sercia and Calix exchanged thoughts calmly—
“Grrrrgh!”
Gale, head lowered, couldn’t hold back anymore.
He didn’t really believe Lewin had been kidnapped either…
“IF YOU’RE GONNA LEAVE, AT LEAST SAY SOMETHING FIRST, YOU DAMN SPONSORRRRRR—!”
His furious roar echoed far across the land.