NOVEL NEXT Chapter 76
Jeongjae did not ride in a carriage but relied on his horse to dash to the Harker Count Territory. He wasn’t a master of horseback riding by any means, but since coming to this world, he learned that knowing how to ride was essential in emergencies, so he had picked up the basics of equestrian skills.
It wasn’t as difficult as he expected. The main reason was that he was the greatest wizard in this world. With the convenience magic adding comfort to the saddle, along with the anti-fall spell, the horse, equipped with speed magic, became a remarkable means of transportation that was even more comfortable than a motorcycle when moving solo, albeit slightly slower.
Have you ever seen the royal knights perform a lance charge with horses equipped with speed magic in their hooves? When you see each horse wearing armor like a cataphract rushing in at car-like speed, it makes you wonder why tanks haven’t appeared in this country. Maybe they don’t even need such things at all.
If the figure leading the incoming disaster hadn’t armored his horse, the fear would have multiplied. Rose Caprice, who never let armor leave his body, didn’t particularly like the idea of placing armor on his own horse.
Anyway, Jeongjae, with such a friend like Rose, could ride but didn’t pride himself on being good at it. Even Margaret, who could perform near-legendary feats of marksmanship from a galloping horse, was left in awe of Rose’s equestrian skills. Well, it’s not hard to guess how rigorous and harsh Jeongjae’s riding instructors must have been.
Thanks to the benefits of magic, Jeongjae arrived back at Harker Count Territory in no time. At the entrance of the Count’s domain, a guard approached and halted Jeongjae first. Following the guard’s instructions, Jeongjae stopped his horse about 100 meters away from the entrance and dismounted.
“Are you Baron Harriet? I’ve been informed there was no official invitation today, so do you have urgent business?”
It was rare for a noble from another region to arrive on horseback without a carriage, so the guard’s expression was filled with tension. Given the issues surrounding vampire sightings and the ongoing military intensifications, encountering a grand mage unexpectedly from a nearby territory would understandably raise alarms.
“It’s a personal matter. Can I see the Count?”
“C-Could you please wait a moment? The procedures for unscheduled visits are quite complicated…”
“I’ll wait. Just let me know when I can enter.”
“Yes, Baron! I’ll arrange it right away!”
One of the guards waiting at the entrance hurriedly dashed into the territory. It seemed he intended to inform Harker Castle of the news directly.
Jeongjae quietly stood beside his horse, stroking its mane while waiting for a response.
Not long after, two figures appeared from the direction of the entrance. To his surprise, one of them was none other than Count Harker himself.
Jeongjae rushed forward and shook hands with Count Harker.
“I apologize for making you wait! I came out myself as a gesture of apology. Our territory’s security procedures are quite strict.”
“It’s nothing, Count. I came to visit suddenly, so I appreciate your coming out to greet me.”
“Right, what brings you here today? You haven’t run into issues with the books I sent, have you?”
“I received them well. The female transport merchant sent by the royal family delivered them properly.”
“He seems to be a skilled driver. In any case, I’m glad to hear that. Perhaps while reading those books, you came across something that piqued your interest? I can answer anything I know, so come on in.”
Jeongjae and the Count stepped inside the territory. Jeongjae slightly nodded his head and replied.
“That statement approaches the truth, but it’s not something to discuss in a place like this.”
“I understand. Then let me hurry and guide you to my office. As you know, even my staff can’t casually enter, so it’s the most secure place.”
Jeongjae and the Count hurriedly moved and entered the Count’s office.
The Count still seemed to dislike ventilation, and the room’s air was stuffy, but for Jeongjae, who was accustomed to being cramped and familiar with scholarly pursuits, it wasn’t much of a problem.
As the Count sat down, he gestured for Jeongjae to take a seat.
“Please sit down. Can I get you anything?”
“No, it’s fine. I’d like to get to the point quickly.”
“Good to hear. I’m clumsy when it comes to serving tea. If I had asked for it, it would have been a disaster.”
Count Harker made a joke that didn’t quite sound like one. Jeongjae, with a serious expression, presented the note he had brought with care to the Count.
“Do you recognize this? It was a note tucked between the pages of a book.”
Receiving the note, the Count squinted lightly and examined its contents. He shrugged his shoulders.
“It contains some intriguing information.”
“How do you know that, Count?”
Jeongjae asked with a doubtful tone. Harker blinked for a moment, then grabbed his forehead and leaned back in his chair.
“Have I been fooled again? So, the answer I should have given was, ‘I cannot read this script?’ That’s troublesome. In the end, you’ve come to probe me again, haven’t you?”
Jeongjae silently observed the Count’s expression and waited. It seemed like the Count was waiting for an opportunity to further elaborate, but he focused solely on suppressing the anxious look creeping in without adding any further explanation.
Unable to hold back, Jeongjae spoke first.
“That’s true, Count, but we might be able to get over that initially. You seemed suspiciously knowledgeable about our world, and if you were indeed an ancestor that crossed over from Earth, then it’s reasonable to assume you learned the language somehow…”
“If that’s the case, what’s the problem?”
“Why do you think you’ve been fooled, Count? Why don’t you immediately clarify your explanations right there? If it were true, it should come to mind instantly, yet you seem to hesitate and ponder something completely different?”
“What are you trying to say, Baron?”
“I won’t beat around the bush, Count.”
Jeongjae stood up abruptly and slammed his hand down on the Count’s desk. Harker was startled and looked up with clenched fists.
“I suspect that you are the same individual who received this note 120 years ago.”
The Count briefly lost his words, and his eyes widened. Suddenly, Arthur Harker burst into laughter and shook his head.
“Though I am a friend of the fairies, have you lost your sense of reality? A human cannot live in a steady state for that long! Not even if magic is used.”
“Is that so? I can’t be sure. The disappearance of the Hero, the injuries to the Harker family, our world’s script—all the circumstances are filled with suspicion. Count, you know this world too well to merely be a descendant or grandson of people who lived here. No, rather, those habits are deeply ingrained in you.”
“To say it’s ingrained…”
“Even if you studied Earth, coming from the Audrich Empire, whenever the topic of another world comes up, it’s only natural to feel a sense of alienation. Just knowing the Latin cross isn’t the issue. But if you’ve read it in books left by your ancestors, you should feel a sense of déjà vu before answering. You may be able to read English, but if it’s not a script you commonly use, you should notice the awkwardness.”
“Stop, Baron.”
“This isn’t something that can just be brushed aside! It’s not solely because you are suspicious, but…”
Jeongjae slammed his fist down on the table. At that moment, he was surprised by his unexpected emotional outburst and the stinging sensation in his fist.
Tears were streaming from his eyes.
He wasn’t even sure what had triggered his emotions. He felt confused. Although Jeongjae had experienced hardships after coming to this world, he usually had a reason to cry.
When witnessing a lone child left behind in the ruins ravaged by demons. When looking at the refugees who were forcibly relocated due to the imperial army’s tactics.
When directly handling the remains of soldiers who perished in war. But why was it at this moment? He had thought he had grown numb enough not to weep even in the Castle of Flame, and yet, why did his emotions surge forth now?
“It was loneliness.”
The Count spoke.
“Loneliness, you say?”
“I’ve live in this world for three years, but you haven’t forgotten your hometown. It’s only natural. Even if you’ve died and left that world, there’s no way for you to give up or forget it. Loneliness may just be loneliness, but…”
Harker nodded thoughtfully, stroking his beard for a moment. Jeongjae sank into his seat and wiped his tears.
“You’ve desperately searched for a way to alleviate that loneliness, the traces of the only world where you feel a sense of belonging. I can see why you tried to get close to Walter Hellhound among your friends. He is a descendant of the English. As a foreigner, he was the only one you could feel psychological closeness to, wasn’t he?”
Jeongjae hesitated to answer. However, as soon as he heard the Count’s words, he knew they were true. The Count’s tone carried the emotions he had felt himself.
“That… seems accurate. Yes, that’s right. I apologize for my shameful behavior, Count. How can I possibly control myself in front of someone who may very well come from the same world as I? Even if you’re a foreigner from over a century ago, you could possibly be the closest person to me on this continent.”
“I think I can understand the boundaries. Regarding matters of rudeness, don’t worry. Given the solitude felt in this hellish empire, it’s fair to say that excitement of that sort is a sign of having controlled oneself well.”
The Count replied in a thoughtful tone. Jeongjae was grateful for the Count’s words, but that was that, and this was this.
“Then I suppose you should provide an answer about how humans can live such long lives, Count.”
Jeongjae asked seriously, his expression shifting. The Count lightly averted his gaze and pressed his lips together.
“Count, this isn’t a matter that can be dismissed lightly. It’s certainly not something that can be passed as a matter of common interest. We cannot move on without considering the possibility of forbidden magic or malevolent spells being involved.”
“This isn’t just my problem, Baron. Please wait until I’m prepared mentally.”
“I am someone fighting to end the war on this continent, Count!”
“Then so am I!”
“How can I trust what you say? If you only conceal the most significant and darkest secret about yourself, how can I believe you are not an entity that has succumbed to evil forces?”
Harker bit his lower lip at Jeongjae’s naked suspicion. He understood that he was under suspicion but looked troubled as there was no way to clarify.
This was the pivotal reason Jeongjae was reluctant to bring Jenis along today. He had initially expected to confront Count Harker strongly.
“My wife was one of the greatest wizards in the world.”
The Count said.
“Trust me. This isn’t just my problem.”
“Are you saying revealing the secret could harm Jenis?”
“It could distract her from the path she must take.”
“In that case, I will keep the secret from her.”
“How can I trust you? How can I believe that a clever yet foolish man like you can keep secrets from my daughter who possesses the cunning of a fox?”
The Count’s point had merit. Jeongjae, upon recalling Jenis, found it harder to push the Count further and fell silent for a moment.
“Believe me, Baron. If I truly harbored evil intentions, the moment you approached to pry into my little secret today, I would have done harm to you.”
“Harm? Are you serious?”
Jeongjae looked down at his hands.
“Count, this may be your land, but even if I were bound and blindfolded, I could smash through the ceiling and you would not stand a chance against me. I have the power to send you flying outside the castle merely by thought.”
“I know. But what if I did this?”
Count Harker suddenly revealed his open hand toward Jeongjae. Jeongjae was startled to see the white light sparkling in the Count’s palm.
Once the brief brightness faded, he could confirm that a silver cross necklace was dangling from the Count’s hand.
“That’s… divine power. Like Walter’s sword light.”
“It’s the great power of a unicorn, considered so rare here that it’s deemed a fantasy. What do you think? Even if I had no chance to win against you head-on, if I were to use this power to attack you while you were crying and overwhelmed, even a Baron wouldn’t survive.”
“That’s a reasonable statement.”
Jeongjae, who clearly understood the holy sword’s power through Walter’s exploits, acknowledged it. If he were to be caught off guard by such radiant power, it would indeed be difficult for Jeongjae to survive.
Jeongjae sighed and shook his head.
“It’s true that I still find it hard to fully trust you, Count, but it seems you’ve already shown your most potent means to me. With such a display, I can no longer press you. I will let this go for now.”
“Thank you for understanding, Baron.”
“But Count, there are still questions lingering.”
Jeongjae shrugged.
“Why don’t we have a cup of tea? About the contents of this note, I would like to hear some back from you to a certain extent. I should at least have something to tell Jenis when she asks what we talked about when I returned.”