Chapter 309
Lean didn’t respond to Yu-hyun’s words but instead dragged out the chair opposite him and sat down.
It was Bella who was surprised by his unwillingness to avoid the conversation.
“Lean, you…”
“Bella. I’d like to talk alone for a moment.”
“…Alright, I understand.”
Bella left without another word. Once she was gone, Yu-hyun addressed Lean.
“There was no need to send Mrs. Bella away, was there?”
“It’s not something she needs to hear.”
“So, you’re saying you’ll explain most things to me?”
“If I don’t, who knows what you might do? You have a history of punching Frechen in the jaw. Even I have to be cautious.”
“I don’t regret that action.”
Yu-hyun replied with a smile, and Lean, still expressionless, responded.
“What do you want to know?”
“Hmm. Let’s see. What do I want to know… I have many questions.”
Yu-hyun had many things he wanted to ask if he ever met Lean. Though he hadn’t expected to meet him so soon, he had already organized his thoughts.
“First, let’s start with something simple. How long can this city last?”
“…What do you mean?”
“I heard that the magic circle keeps the temperature warm and allows for crop cultivation. But that can’t last forever, can it? No matter how much power is put into maintaining it.”
“…”
“There’s no eternal magic circle. Even if you somehow keep infusing power into it, there’s a limit. So how much time is left?”
“68 years.”
Yu-hyun was a bit taken aback, not expecting Lean to know such an exact timeframe.
“You know precisely.”
“The barrier can only be maintained for 100 years. Even with continuous repairs and maintenance, the maximum time is 100 years. It’s been 32 years since the Curse of the Frozen Land began, so 68 years remain.”
“Then what exactly is this Curse of the Frozen Land?”
All Yu-hyun knew about the Curse of the Frozen Land was that it suddenly covered the world in ice. He also knew that Frost Giants appeared and killed people indiscriminately as remnants of the curse.
In his mind, the Curse of the Frozen Land was very similar to the apocalypse he experienced in his previous life on Earth, just with a different focus.
“I don’t know.”
“You don’t know?”
“We organized the Explorers because we don’t know.”
“I see.”
Although the Explorers were said to look for potential survivors or other settlements, Yu-hyun sensed something was off. But if they were searching for the origin of the Curse of the Frozen Land, it made more sense.
“Not knowing means you haven’t found it yet.”
“Correct.”
“I heard the Curse of the Frozen Land started in the north. Can’t you just go there?”
“No one knows how vast the northern continent is. Even if the direction is roughly north, the search area is enormous. It’s been 32 years since the curse started, and we haven’t found any traces.”
Besides the continent being excessively large, the harsh external environment and the limited number of Explorers also played a part.
“Moreover, the number of Frost Giants increases as you go north. Even Explorers are at risk when encountering them. The Frost Giants are formidable opponents even for the mighty Gardian warriors.”
“What about the south? Any survivors?”
Lean shook his head. It wasn’t that he didn’t know, but that survivors were hard to find.
“The Curse of the Frozen Land didn’t just engulf the northern continent. It froze the entire world. Even the supposedly hot deserts in the south are covered in cold snow. We heard this from a survivor who came up from there.”
“So there are survivors.”
“The one I know of was the only one. His place couldn’t withstand the cold and collapsed, forcing him to come up. Out of over 2,000 people, we found only one.”
“…Where is that person now?”
“He died. Fifteen years ago.”
“…”
The situation was more dire than Yu-hyun had imagined. To think that the world had changed so drastically in 32 years.
Even if they tried to do something over those 32 years, the lack of personnel and the dangers outside left them helpless.
Despite that, they formed the Explorers, clinging to the hope of survival.
A desperate effort to stave off extinction.
“…How old are you, Lean? Judging by your words, you seem to have witnessed everything from 32 years ago, but you don’t look it.”
“That’s true. This cursed body doesn’t age over time.”
Yu-hyun frowned at Lean’s self-deprecating comment.
If he called his own body cursed, there must be a reason for it.
“You’re not an ordinary Gardian, are you?”
“Exactly. I can’t even be called a Gardian.”
“Then what are you?”
Who could he be to live for so long without aging and to hold such power?
Lean clammed up. It was clear he wouldn’t divulge more.
Revealing personal secrets to someone you just met was foolish.
Yu-hyun understood Lean’s silence.
‘But why does he look at me like that?’
Lean’s gaze towards Yu-hyun was filled with sorrow, longing, anguish, and hatred.
Kaira was said to be the eldest of the Great Five Sisters. And the Great Five Sisters were known to follow the gods.
What relationship did Lean, who didn’t age, have with Kaira, one of the Great Five Sisters?
‘The first assumption is that they were lovers.’
That would explain his reaction. And Lean likely possessed different powers due to his connection with the Great Five Sisters.
Though curious, Yu-hyun decided to suppress his curiosity for now.
“No matter how much I ask, you won’t tell me what I want to know.”
“…”
“So I’ll stop asking questions. How about a deal instead?”
“A deal?”
Lean asked, wondering what he meant by that.
“You know, don’t you? I won’t last long if I continue like this.”
“Two weeks, wasn’t it?”
“Right.”
Judging by Lean’s response, it was certain that previous Tellers had all failed to achieve something within two weeks and died.
There was no need to ask about their end.
“So what’s the deal?”
“I only have two weeks left to live. But I don’t want to die.”
“Tell me what you want.”
“Let me join the Explorers.”
Even Lean, whose emotions were worn down, seemed surprised by this request and flinched.
He looked at Yu-hyun with eyes that asked if he was serious.
Having encountered Frost Giants, Yu-hyun should know how dangerous the Explorers’ mission was.
It was hard to believe this wasn’t a bluff.
‘Does he think he’s that capable?’
None of the previous Tellers had volunteered to join the Explorers. Yu-hyun was the first to make such a request.
Though he knew Yu-hyun was different, this was beyond his expectations.
“The Explorers’ mission is dangerous. It’s not an easy place to go. You…”
“Because I’m a Teller who can’t fight?”
“…Previous ones were all like that.”
“Then let me ask you one more thing. Do I seem like the previous ones?”
“…”
After some thought, Lean shook his head. From the moment Yu-hyun punched Frechen, Lean realized she—no, Yu-hyun—was different from the previous Tellers.
Frechen often provoked and picked fights with him, but despite his aggressive nature, he was shrewd and an excellent fighter. If they ranked by strength, Frechen would undoubtedly be second, just below Lean.
Even though he wasn’t a Gardian, Lean, who was both blessed and cursed, was the strongest warrior among the Gardians. And Frechen, though caught off guard, had been knocked out by Yu-hyun’s punch.
At least he could believe that Kaira, who looked like Yu-hyun, was qualitatively different from the others.
“Still, being an Explorer is out of the question.”
“Does it matter if I die on my own?”
“…Are you serious?”
“I don’t lie or bluff about such things. Look at me now.”
Yu-hyun pointed at himself.
“I have two weeks left. Everyone sees me as a witch. In such a situation, should I just sit in this inn for two weeks, waiting for my end? Did my predecessors accept that?”
“They didn’t.”
They struggled and fought to the end, never accepting their fate quietly.
However, their efforts were misguided. They couldn’t shed their arrogance and tried to command others, leading to their demise.
“I’m not like that.”
Yu-hyun was different.
She intended to act on her own and handle things herself.
“How can you be so sure?”
“I can’t explain it. I have to show it.”
“You speak as if you’re confident.”
“I wouldn’t say it if I wasn’t.”
“…”
Lean stared at Yu-hyun. A strong aura emanated from him, pressing on Yu-hyun.
Yu-hyun didn’t flinch and met Lean’s gaze.
‘He resembles her.’
The more Lean talked with Yu-hyun, the more he saw the face of someone he could no longer see, even in his dreams.
Kaira, who appeared in the past, never fundamentally changed. She was selfish, arrogant, and looked down on others while trying to use them.
Despite that, she always met her end after two weeks, begging for her life.
In the form of his beloved.
He had seen her degrading and tragic end countless times.
He was tired.
‘I vowed not to care about who comes next.’
But Yu-hyun was different. When Ringug brought her, he thought it was just another inevitable event.
His perspective changed when she confronted Frechen.
Yu-hyun stood tall and
punched Frechen.
Now, she faced him boldly.
-Lean. You can do it.
The memories of a forgotten past resurfaced.
Crunch.
Lean clenched his teeth and stood up abruptly.
He ignored Yu-hyun’s bewildered gaze. If he continued to look at her, something he had suppressed might break. He didn’t want to remember the past.
With his back to Yu-hyun, Lean spoke in his usual cold voice.
“Do as you wish.”
“…Does that mean?”
“I won’t stop you from joining the Explorers. If you insist, I won’t prevent it. But what happens after is up to you.”
“I don’t expect more.”
“I’ll send someone to guide you.”
With that, Lean left the inn. Unlike the first time when he abandoned Yu-hyun, his departure now seemed agitated.
“Lean, is he gone?”
Hearing the door close, Bella appeared from the kitchen.
“Don’t mind his cold demeanor.”
“I understand. Considering his relationship with the original owner of this body, his reaction is understandable.”
“You knew?”
“Who wouldn’t, with such a reaction?”
“…I’m sorry for keeping it from you.”
“It’s not your fault.”
Bella sighed and slumped into the chair Lean had used earlier.
“Please understand. It’s already overwhelming for him to protect and lead the city, and now he keeps seeing people who look exactly like his deceased lover.”
“Indeed.”
It wasn’t just their appearance. From what Yu-hyun could tell, Kaira, as the eldest of the Five Sisters, seemed noble and likely caring and compassionate.
Seeing Tellers who looked like Kaira die horribly must have been painful for Lean.
What must he have thought, watching those scenes?
And the Tellers, being no fools, would have realized the special relationship between Lean and this body.
They would have tried to manipulate Lean with sweet talk, mimicking Kaira.
“I feel sorry for him.”
Using the body tied to his memories must have been painful.
The world was at fault. If the system hadn’t interfered, promising survival, perhaps he wouldn’t have suffered.
Knock, knock.
At that moment, there was a knock on the door.
The guide Lean promised arrived sooner than expected.