Episode 77: Breakfast (1)
“Bind!”
Slicing through the mist, tree vines lunged outward, attempting to coil around the ulongi. However, it was too brief a moment to catch the creature. The vines failed to withstand the weight of the serpent, buying him only a tiny fraction of time.
Snap!
Rattle, rattle.
Even as the green vines snapped apart, they tried to seize the creature once more. Thanks to that, Sihyeon narrowly avoided being flattened underneath it by a hair’s breadth.
Screeech!
Boom!
The serpent crashed onto the ground, letting out a thunderous roar.
Despite the tremendous impact, it seemed entirely unhurt, as its glistening eyeballs remained fixed dead on Sihyeon. It truly meant it when it said it would only attack one target. It behaved as if it didn't care in the least that a fireball was blaring right over its back. As Sihyeon stepped backward to retreat, the creature assumed a posture to attack again.
For a snake to harbor such intense animosity toward a Druid was beyond comprehension.
“Puff, puff.”
Sihyeon lowered his stance and began channeling natural energy. If the ulongi was going to act this way, his only remaining options were either to use a mind-breaking 'Forced Taming' or to obliterate it completely.
At that exact moment, a small back blocked his view.
“Get back.”
“I can also……”
“No, this is my job.”
A firm tone. Hwaryeong was radiating fury, hovering a sphere of light that was far larger than her own body. As the surrounding temperature skyrocketed rapidly, the scenery of the vast, tile-roofed house stood revealed.
“Scorching Blaze ($열화$).”
With a flick of Hwaryeong's index finger, the light flew straight toward the creature. Instantly, his vision turned completely white, as if a camera flash had exploded right before his eyes.
Boom!!
Crash, crash!!
Kyoungggggg!
An ear-splitting shriek echoed out, only to abruptly fall silent.
The sensation of someone shaking his body.
“Theophilo. Wake up.”
His entire body was in agonizing pain. Theophilo barely managed to part his eyelids to look up at the person shaking him. It was Gerdin, an Elder of the Medicine Hall. His face was dark, bearing an urgent expression.
“You look a complete mess.”
“Elder. …How did you get here…….”
Gerdin wore a distorted expression, as if forcing a smile.
“Hurry. We must get out of here quickly.”
Theophilo shook his head. His body was a total wreck. Escaping was out of the question when he could barely even stand.
“I’m finished. If you stay here, you’ll be in danger too, Elder. Please leave at once.”
Gerdin reached into his robes and pulled out something wrapped in a green leaf. As he unfurled the leaf, a round pill glowing with a silver light revealed itself.
“…Is this? …Mistletoe. You mustn't.”
“Mustn't my foot. This was made to be used in times like this.”
Pressing his thumb against Theophilo’s jaw, he forced his mouth open. The moment the pill touched Theophilo’s tongue, it dissolved completely. A refreshing energy began to spread throughout his body.
“Tsk. I told you repeatedly not to show the full extent of your abilities. In the first place, you should never have told your master that you could use the Wrath of the Earth.”
He had brooded over it thousands of times since being thrown into the dungeon, and the Elder's words were entirely correct. He should not have revealed his full strength.
“…I should have listened to you. I never imagined Master would harm me. Cough, cough.”
“Robain is a sinister wretch. He already made a backroom deal with the Governor who occupied Londinium. He tricked you into eliminating Legatus Quintus, the Governor’s rival, just so he could hand you over to them.”
“…Cough. I don't understand. Aren't they enemies?”
“Foolish boy. There are plenty of people who would rip out their own liver and gallbladders for an enemy if it meant turning a profit.”
Every time Theophilo spoke, he felt a pain as if his lungs were tearing apart, but a sorrow far deeper than that overwhelmed his physical agony. The Medicine Hall Elder spoke rapidly.
“It will take a bit more time for the medicine’s effects to fully spread. …You children were taken in at a young age, so you grew up viewing that wretch as a father figure, but Robain merely viewed you all as property to be sold off. Like livestock that can be put out to market whenever necessary.”
The Medicine Hall Elder pried open Theophilo’s eyelids to check his condition, then took a blue vial from his robes and pressed it against Theophilo’s lips. It was an elixir of the highest grade. Drinking down the medicine, Theophilo listened to the words whispered near his ear.
“I warned that red-haired fellow as well before you all set off on the mission. In the end, things turned out this way.”
“Did Milly really die?”
“Yes. The redhead, the skinny one, the one with the buck teeth. All of them.”
“…Why, why……”
They were family. Tears spilled over. Senior Milly was someone who would follow Master's words unconditionally, so there was no need to kill her. The Medicine Hall Elder whispered:
“Even in this state, you still have so many questions. Right now, you must flee immediately.”
“……Why is Master trying to kill me?”
At that moment, the sound of footsteps descending the stone stairs echoed out. The Medicine Hall Elder's eyes flashed.
Their master's cheerful voice drifted down.
“Allow me to answer that, Gerdin. Furthermore, it will be troublesome if the boy escapes. Theophilo is scheduled to face lions and cavalry in the amphitheater of Londinium. If he goes missing, I won't have anything to say to Gaius Paulinus. The Governor says he is bored, so I must provide at least a little entertainment.”
“You cruel monster!”
“Thank you for the compliment.”
Simultaneously, black grapevines snaked outward, beginning to encase the prison cell.
“Theophilo. You asked why I am trying to kill you, correct?”
“!”
“That is a misconception. I simply wished to cozy up to the Governor a bit. And it just so happened that you were useful.”
Theophilo’s pupils dilated.
“Then what about Senior Milly? What about the other companions!”
“They dared to defy my orders. They claimed you were no traitor and intended to testify at the High Temple. Those fools actually tried to protect you. To think they'd lack situational awareness like that, when they usually ostracized you.”
Theophilo closed his eyes tightly before opening them again. Tears continued to stream down his face, which was soiled with blood and dust.
“The traitor is you, Master.”
“I am only ever loyal to myself. Thus, I have never committed treason, my dear disciple.”
“Save your sophistry!”
Seeing the infuriated Theophilo, Robain burst into laughter.
“If you have something to say next time, build up your strength first. What meaning is there in words spoken while locked behind iron bars? Though I doubt there will be a next time for you.”
The Medicine Hall Elder stepped in front of Theophilo. Staring dead into Robain’s brown eyes, he began to sneer.
“You remain as adept at making excuses as always. When this is all because of the 'Wrath of the Earth'.”
Robain’s face stiffened.
“It's because this boy achieved what you failed to accomplish despite a lifetime of effort, isn't it? At such a young age, no less.”
“What did you say?”
“It's because you envied Theophilo’s talent. That's why you turned a blind eye to the other disciples bullying him, and only assigned him menial chores. Not that it did you any good.”
Robain’s face quivered violently.
“Me, jealous of a pathetic simpleton like him?”
“Stop pretending! Theophilo was a child who inherited that power for the first time in hundreds of years! The very 'Wrath of the Earth' that you so desperately craved.”
“Shut up!”
The hem of Robain’s robes swelled up.
Turning around, the Medicine Hall Elder spoke rapidly.
“Run.”
When Theophilo shook his head, the Medicine Hall Elder rebuked him sharply.
“Get a hold of yourself!”
Robain’s grapevines surged toward the Elder. Gerdin instantly summoned oak tree roots. The floor of the dungeon split open as the roots shot upward. Dust and a thunderous roar filled the subterranean cell. The powers of the two men aimed at each other in a tense equilibrium.
“!”
Theophilo forced his body up and stared intently at a corner.
His master had not come alone.
Out from the shadows stepped a figure in grey robes. A thick scarf lined with wolf fur caught his eye.
“Gerdin, cease this futile resistance!”
“…Legas of the North. Were you in league with this wretch as well?”
The Elder muttered, his face filled with confusion.
“Is that why you surrendered the northern border? No wonder I thought it could never be breached so easily……”
“The world outside is already crawling with Roman soldiers. Resisting will only increase the casualties. Aren't you weary of living while dealing with pirates and the Roman army alike? It is time for us to integrate and live together.”
“Oh, Cernunnos……”
The Elder lamented. Their master sneered.
“Forget the name of the old god. Start believing in Jupiter now.”
“Madman.”
“I knew you would react that way. I also knew how much you doted on that boy.”
Legas cracked his neck and waved his hand. Thorns and briars as thick as forearms crept out from the darkness. The vines of the man who once commanded the north extended toward the Druid.
Theophilo’s eyes burned with pure hatred.
“You should escape, Elder. I will deal with them.”
“Theophilo! No!”
“They are traitors. And I was played for a fool by them. The blood of thousands already flows on my hands.”
As Theophilo extended his arm, the Elder’s roots moved according to Theophilo’s command, wrapping around to shield his own master.
“You! What is the meaning of this?”
Theophilo offered a faint smile.
“It works. Go!”
“No! Theophilo!”
Protecting Gerdin, the oak roots tore through the ceiling and shot up toward the surface outside.
Watching that happen, Legas spoke with a appalled expression.
“What insane talent. You should have coaxed him better.”
“Shut up. Gerdin must have fed him an elixir.”
“That ability isn't entirely due to medicine. Thanks to that, it looks like we're both going to die.”
Their master and Legas attempted to move, but Theophilo effortlessly wrested away their control. The grapevines and briars began to attack their own masters.
“This works too, I see?”
“You little bastard!”
Their master, who had always been elegant and poised, frantically batted away the vines with his staff, while Legas pulled a dagger from his robes to hack through the thorns. The underground dungeon, shedding chunks of earth, looked as though it would collapse at any moment.
From afar, a strange sound echoed.
Vroom—
Vroooom—
The ground began to vibrate and shake violently.
Robain screamed.
“Don't tell me you!”
“Yes. This is the 'Wrath of the Earth' that you desired so much.”
“That is a power that must not be used recklessly! Stop this instant!”
Theophilo let out a chuckle.
“Didn't you say that if I have something to say, I should build up my strength first?”
The two men could now barely even stand on the ground. They tried to escape multiple times due to the trees attacking them, but failed. Ultimately, the two began to beg.
“Let us go. I will explain everything properly. I'll tell them you didn't commit treason!”
“Hey! At least let me go! I didn't do anything wrong!”
Tears trickled down Theophilo’s face.
“Because of you, Lord Legas, do you even know how many civilians died at the northern border?”
“Argh! Let me go!”
“Let us go together.”
Boom!!
Crash, crash!!
“Are you alright?”
He felt a small, warm hand.
“Puff. Hufff.”
“Were you deeply startled?”
Sihyeon stood in place for a long while, catching his breath. Those damn memories chose to show up at the most random times, putting a person in a difficult spot.
“Come here. Let’s sit down for a moment before we go.”
“…Yes.”
“You were doing so well. What’s wrong?”
Hwaryeong's expressionless face drew near as she inspected Sihyeon’s eyes.
“Wipe your face. You're crying.”
“Ah. I’m sorry.”
“No. I am the one who is sorry. I should have warned you in advance to be careful.”
Sihyeon pulled a wet wipe from his bag, wiped his face, and blew his nose thoroughly. His mind finally felt clear now.
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
“No. A memory suddenly resurfaced.”
Hwaryeong narrowed her eyes.
“I intended to use shock therapy, but I didn't expect you to recall it like this. Is it a painful memory?”
“It's painful, and it also leaves me feeling empty.”
“Is that so? Did you remember everything?”
Sihyeon pondered for a moment.
“I'm not sure about everything, but I remembered almost all of the parts I was curious about.”
“…Time will take care of the rest.”
“Yes.”
Hwaryeong nodded quietly.
Only then did the scenery of the tile-roofed house truly enter his view.
With the mist entirely cleared away to reveal a blue sky, a neat, spacious Hanok and a beautifully arranged garden stood out.
“By the way…… I don't see any signs of a fight? No snakes either.”
“Yeah. I’ll explain later. I also have a few things to ask you.”
Hwaryeong pushed herself up from her seat.
“If you're up for it, could you check what kind of state this house is in? It’s fine as long as there are no unstable or awkward parts.”
“Yes, ma'am.”
Sihyeon dispersed his natural energy in all directions. As the dense natural energy was absorbed, his mind grew considerably more at ease.
“Just a moment. One more time.”
Sihyeon crossed the yard and walked up to a pine tree. He gently placed his hand on the tree and verified the surrounding natural energy as well. For now, there were no issues whatsoever.
Hwaryeong nodded as if satisfied.
“Let’s go. The ferryman should be here.”
“Has it already been that long?”
Come to think of it, the sunset was gradually fading.
“Yes. Aren't you hungry? Technically, you've skipped about two meals by now.”
“Pardon?”
He hadn't given it much thought, but hearing her say it made him realize he was incredibly hungry.
“Let’s go. The breakfast at this hotel is delicious.”
“Breakfast? It should still be evening over there, right?”
“I told you time flows quickly here. If we go now, the timing will be perfect. The manager should have set up a table by the window for us.”
“Ah. ……By any chance, is it a buffet??”
“Of course. There are also dishes made right on the spot. They have sunny-side-up eggs, bacon, toast, and probably seaweed soup too.”
Sihyeon extended his arm toward the front gate.
“Let’s hurry up and go.”
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