61
“Your Excellency. …I’ll prepare to depart again.”
As Yeon Ji-ho and Set’s conversation seemed to deepen, Shango tactfully rose from his seat first. As he headed towards the horses connected to the caravan, Set turned his head back to Yeon Ji-ho.
“Novel? Do you mean that book you mentioned before?”
Set recalled the book he had heard about in passing. The book that was written with Hadad as the protagonist.
At that time, he had readily accepted that the book’s protagonist was Hadad, not himself. After all, he was known as the ‘demon of the century,’ while Hadad was the beloved, hidden prince.
“Yes, the prophecy Gliese just mentioned was related to that book. But…”
But why ask for support for Set, who was the villain?
Yeon Ji-ho couldn’t bring himself to say those words and bit his lip. For him, this place was no longer just a fictional world, and Set was no longer just a character in a novel whose death he would lament.
As Yeon Ji-ho finally couldn’t continue speaking, Set intuitively understood his thoughts.
“But the prophecy asked for support for me… not Hadad.”
“…That’s right.”
As Yeon Ji-ho nodded, Set also fell into thought for a moment. If the prophecy was related to the content of that book, who on earth wrote it?
“Ji-ho. Where is that book now?”
“Ah, at home… Yes, it’s at home.”
To be precise, the book wasn’t really at home. What Yeon Ji-ho had read was an e-book, which he had purchased and downloaded from a web novel platform on his tablet.
However, unable to explain all these complex facts to Set right away, Yeon Ji-ho simply nodded. After pondering for a moment, Set said firmly:
“Let’s look at that book together when we return.”
“What? The book? But that book…”
If Set were to see it directly, he would be surprised at how detailed Hadad and Gliese’s life stories were written. That’s why Yeon Ji-ho had deliberately not shown the book to Set.
After all, even if he read it, Set was always portrayed as the demon of the century, the villain, and the mastermind.
“I suppose not much good is written about me.”
Set could guess why Yeon Ji-ho hesitated to offer the book readily. As he smiled bitterly, Yeon Ji-ho also looked troubled.
“But Ji-ho, you’ve already read the book, haven’t you?”
“…Yes.”
“Then it’s fine. I don’t care much about how I’m written in that book.”
Saying this, Set gently stroked Yeon Ji-ho’s hair with his large hand. With Set’s gesture and words, Yeon Ji-ho felt his unease ease considerably.
“Then, I’ll show you when we return. That book.”
Yeon Ji-ho hadn’t opened that book, or rather the app, since meeting Set. He hadn’t had the chance, and somehow it felt disrespectful to secretly read the book in front of the person involved.
“Alright. If there’s any incorrect content, I should tell you.”
“…Do you think there might be errors?”
“Even if not errors, there might be hidden details. Like how the Gorgon Knights rebuilt villages after ravaging them during the war.”
“What?! That happened too?”
Set spoke as if it was nothing special, but Yeon Ji-ho’s mouth fell open in disbelief.
“It was done under the surface, so it wouldn’t have been easy for ordinary people to know. It wasn’t done in Gorgon’s name either.”
“Why, why did you do that? It’s a good thing.”
In fact, no matter how hard one looked, there was no mention of any good deeds done by the Gorgon Knights in “The Star of Hadad.” The only stories about them were about waging war, invading, or tormenting the protagonist.
“Who would accept support in Gorgon’s name?”
“Ah…”
“We had no intention of taking credit, so it was easier to hide ourselves than to explain. That’s all.”
Set said it was already in the past, but Yeon Ji-ho’s lips unconsciously protruded in regret.
After all, Hadad had solidified his position as a hidden prince by opening relief centers in his name and caring for the poor. The fact that he, who had lived as a commoner all his life, could ascend to the throne was largely due to the fervent support of Asterra’s people.
It’s not that Hadad’s actions were wrong. But it was just regrettable.
Even if not as much as Hadad, if Set had also publicized his good deeds, he might not have been called names like ‘demon of the century’.
“It’s alright, Ji-ho. It’s already in the past.”
“But I still feel regretful…”
“If you understand, that’s enough for me, so it’s fine.”
At times like this, Yeon Ji-ho regretted why he had only met Set after the novel had ended. In typical possession stories, the protagonist would always go back to their childhood and change their entire life.
The Set he met after everything had ended had nothing left. He couldn’t turn back time for things that had already passed.
“…From now on, I won’t let you hear such things.”
“What?”
“Being called a demon, or a murderer… You won’t have to hear such things anymore.”
So the only thing Yeon Ji-ho could do now was just one thing.
To make Set’s remaining life as happy as possible. Yeon Ji-ho comforted himself, soothing his aching heart. What’s past is past, now he only needed to think about the future.
***
The five-day journey to the Village of Time passed in an instant. Thanks to the caravan, the four of them were nearing the northern region without even facing the cold night air once, enjoying warm meals.
“Your Excellency, I asked Shango, and it seems we’ll arrive soon if we continue like this.”
“Any message from Isquis?”
“None at the moment. It seems he’s still looking for Baal.”
Isquis, who moved more easily alone, should have had more than enough time to reach the imperial palace. It was questionable that there was no message from such a person yet, but given the distance to the north, they decided not to think much of it.
Meanwhile, Yeon Ji-ho, sitting by the window inside the caravan, looked outside with curious eyes. Set, who had finished his conversation with Apophis, approached him and asked:
“Is the snow that fascinating, Ji-ho?”
“Ah, no. It’s not that the snow is fascinating, but I’m amazed at how quickly the weather changes depending on the region.”
Asterra didn’t have “seasons”. The central region where the imperial palace was located was always warm spring, the north was cold winter, the south was hot summer, and the west and east were generally cool autumn.
As a result, since entering the northern region yesterday evening, heavy snow had started falling. At first, they worried that the caravan might not be able to move because of the snow, but fortunately, Apophis had solved that problem.
“With snow falling so heavily like this, you’re saying it doesn’t snow in the Village of Time?”
“That’s right. Time stops where they live. The village begins where the snow stops falling.”
Sometimes it felt like they had entered an ordinary medieval era, but hearing Set’s words like this made it feel real that this was another world. Yeon Ji-ho leaned his head on the windowsill and closely examined the outside.
Suddenly, Yeon Ji-ho lifted his head. He had spotted something out of place.
“There! It’s not snowing over there?”
“We’ve arrived.”
Apophis, who was looking at where Yeon Ji-ho was pointing, stood up first. It was to prepare as they would soon arrive. As he did so, Apophis’s face began to harden.
“…Your Excellency.”
“What is it?”
“That place… Isn’t it burning?”
Hearing those words, Set immediately flung open the panoramic window of the caravan. Cold air rushed in, but he didn’t care.
Set leaned halfway out and focused on the distant place where snow wasn’t falling. And as the caravan approached it, an acrid smell began to sting their noses.
“Your Excellency.”
Apophis’s low voice called Set. However, Set focused on the outside scene without even glancing at him.
“Your Excellency. There’s a flag planted at the top of the clock tower.”
Yeon Ji-ho was also watching the scene from the side. Although the Village of Time was always moving and its appearance changed each time, they had just one unchanging structure.
It was the clock tower.
And now, a flag with a familiar emblem was planted on top of that clock tower. Apophis, looking at the flag fluttering in the flames, muttered while grinding his teeth:
“It’s the… imperial family’s emblem.”
