Episode 902 If I Were Born Again… … . (2)
The boy and the girl were war orphans.
They were struggling to survive in a village of slash-and-burn farmers near the Kingdom of Turian.
With no one to turn to, each other was the only pillar of support left in the world.
Being a poor village, food was certainly not plentiful. There were more days when they went hungry, and even the meager food they managed to put in their mouths was earned as payment for menial work.
However, what truly weighed down the boy and girl was not hunger.
It was the way the villagers looked at them.
The number of people gossiping that they would sell the girl to a merchant guild once she grew just a little older was increasing.
Whenever that happened, the boy gritted his teeth and said,
“Once we grow up a little more… let’s run away from this village.”
“…Okay.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll protect you.”
The boy always spoke boldly, but he knew all too well how precarious that promise was.
Yet, they could not leave right now. For the two still young, even a simple journey was an adventure where they had to risk their lives.
So, every day, the boy wielded a wooden sword alone, striving to become stronger.
The boy had a rough temper. Because of this, he was often beaten by the villagers.
However, he never let his temper go. He believed that was the only way to protect the girl.
That day was no different.
He had gotten into an argument with a villager who refused to pay him for menial work, and he ended up getting beaten up badly.
He even heard mocking remarks that he, too, would one day be sold off, but the boy didn’t care.
He intended to leave this place with the girl as soon as he grew a little older.
The girl gently stroked the boy’s scarred face and asked,
“Are you okay?”
“Ah, I’m fine. This is nothing. Don’t you know I’m super strong?”
“Still… let’s try digging up some herbs and applying them.”
“No thanks. I’m really fine.”
The boy always acted gruffly.
He didn’t want her to find out he liked her, but he hated showing his weakness even more.
However, the girl knew. She knew the feelings hidden behind his rough words.
The girl had a much more mature personality than the boy.
With her small hands, the girl gathered medicinal herbs and silently applied them to the boy’s wound.
Although the boy still wore a sullen expression, he remained still, just as he always did at moments like this.
After finishing the treatment, the girl smiled gently and rested her head on the boy’s shoulder.
Then, gazing at the sunset, she said,
“It’s beautiful… isn’t it?”
The boy blushed and turned his head away.
However, the words that came out of his mouth were still curt.
“Beautiful? What do you mean? It’s not like I’m giving you food.”
The girl simply smiled at those words. Because
even without being told, she always felt the boy’s warm heart.
And so, the two of them gazed at the beautifully shining sunset for a long time. For
the evening sky viewed from behind the village was the only comfort granted to them.
It was the same life every day. Nothing was changing.
A life of barely surviving the day while being beaten, begging, and ignored.
That is why the boy wished to grow up as quickly as possible.
Because his strength was still too weak to protect the girl.
The boy and the girl simply repeated days like that, without hope or change.
Until someone came looking for the two of them.
* * *
Marquis Gideon of the Kingdom of Turion.
Having served Julian with deeper and unwavering loyalty than anyone else, he had now become the most powerful figure in the kingdom.
This was because the Turian forces that had joined the Allied Forces were still in his hands.
Naturally, countless checks and pressures poured down upon him. However, Marquis Gideon, now a war hero, did not even blink an eye.
In truth, Marquis Gideon also wanted to relinquish his military authority. But he could not.
‘The moment I lay down my military power… … I will die… …’
From the beginning, the nobles of the Royalist faction wanted to continuously eliminate Julian, who possessed immense power and popularity.
Naturally, they would not leave him alone, as he was practically Julian’s right-hand man.
The aging King was now confined to his sickbed and was no longer able to attend to state affairs.
Taking advantage of this situation, the Royalist faction put forward Julian’s half-brother and was constantly eyeing Marquis Gideon.
“……If only Your Highness were still alive.” Marquis Gideon
sighed day after day.
He had originally intended to place Julian on the throne once the war ended.
Legitimacy, competence, and even popularity—
he was the only one who possessed all of these qualities.
However, Julian was dead.
He did not even know how he died.
All that had been conveyed was the news that, at the very end, he had destroyed the Church of Salvation alongside Gisel and lost his life on the spot.
To this day, that fact still felt like a source of deep sorrow.
“I should have followed him to the very end. I couldn’t even retrieve His Highness’s body.”
The truth that Julian was the Adversary remained unknown to the world.
Gisel concealed the fact, and those who knew kept their mouths shut until the very end.
Since only the Death Squad participated in the final battle anyway, the truth was naturally obscured.
Thus, Julian remained a hero who saved the world and died a glorious death.
Even now, countless people speak his name in awe, sparing no respect or praise.
But to Marquis Gideon, it meant nothing.
Julian, to whom he had sworn loyalty, was dead, and he now held onto power merely to survive, without any justification whatsoever.
“If I die… this kingdom will fall into the clutches of greedy bastards.”
Of course, he was not yet old enough to die. Thanks to his high level of attainment, he had much more time left than ordinary people.
However, the thought of the kingdom’s future overwhelmed him with a suffocating suffocation that felt as if he would stop breathing at any moment.
He had even considered making a decisive move to wipe them all out. Or he had thought about becoming the king of this country himself.
He possessed the power to do so. It was entirely possible if he set his mind to it.
The problem was that he lacked the will to do so.
“…It is exhausting.” Marquis Gideon
had never desired power in the first place. He had
merely ended up here because he had followed Julian.
Now, he was nothing but a shell of a human being, having lost his liege and, along with it, his will.
Even the power he held was closer to a burden carried solely for survival, rather than one born of conviction.
Since the day Julian died, his time had stood still.
“…Your Highness. What shall I do now?”
But he knew. He knew
that, if only for the survival of his family and the future of the kingdom, he would eventually have to make a decision.
And he also knew that such a choice would inevitably… bring a storm of bloodshed to this kingdom.
“Not yet… not yet… Just a little longer… Let’s find another way…”
The listless Marquis Gideon endured day by day, postponing his decision.
Recalling those glorious days spent with Julian…
He had lived for many years in sorrow, clinging only to memories of the past.
Then one day,
Gisel suddenly visited Marquis Gideon and told him something completely unexpected.
That Julian had actually left behind a son.
* * *
“Hmph… Are you saying that ‘that person’ is here?”
“I’m telling you, that’s right.”
Marquis Gideon was climbing the mountain path, following Gisel.
He glanced at Gisel over and over again, unable to shake off the look of disbelief.
“It’s not that I’m doubting him, but… it still doesn’t feel real.”
“Come on, looking at your eyes, you still seem to be doubting him.”
“….”
Marquis Gideon had nothing to say.
For he was genuinely doubting Gisel right now.
Gisel’s return had shaken the entire continent.
Some cheered, while others trembled in fear.
This was especially true for those who knew of his overwhelming power and unpredictable behavior.
However, Marquis Gideon was genuinely happy.
Gisel was a friend his liege had truly cherished, and a comrade-in-arms who had fought alongside him in a long war.
So, he would have preferred to believe it if he could. But it was so absurd that it was truly hard to believe. Yet, since
he couldn’t completely ignore it either, Marquis Gideon had followed Gisel like this.
Because it was such a sudden event, countless questions were jumbled in his mind.
“Why didn’t anyone tell you all this time?”
“I was the only one who knew. Since it was wartime, I kept it a secret just in case, but I went missing for a while, so they couldn’t find me right away.”
“Then with whom on earth were you…?”
“That is a secret.”
“….”
The more he heard, the deeper his suspicion grew. Yet, it felt too unsettling to just turn back.
Following Gisel in a daze, he cautiously asked as if something had just occurred to him.
“Um, but… do you happen to have any evidence? After all, he is a descendant of the royal family; to convince the others…”
“You said you’ve known Julian since he was young?”
“Yes, that’s true. I saw him often until he went to the Tower on his own.”
“Then you’ll get a feeling just by looking at him. You’ll think, ‘Wow, blood really does hold water.’”
“….”
“Ah, I’m telling you, I’ll vouch for you?”
“I heard you dislike acting as a guarantor…”
“That’s true. But I do like it when someone else does it for me.”
“….”
“…No, I meant that I like the feeling of being trusted.” Marquis
Gideon simply gave no answer to the lame excuse.
The atmosphere grew slightly awkward.
Giselle spoke urgently again.
“It means this matter is that certain. Enough for me to vouch for it.”
“……Ah, yes.”
In the end, it meant there was no evidence whatsoever.
Marquis Gideon continued to sigh as he followed Giselle.
And finally, they arrived at a small village.
As unfamiliar nobles and soldiers burst in, the atmosphere in the village froze instantly.
The soldiers searched every house, gathering people and dragging them out.
Even the boys and girls doing menial work were no exception.
Soon, everyone prostrated themselves before Giselle and Marquis Gideon.
Not knowing why, and daring not to even breathe.
Marquis Gideon looked at Giselle.
Giselle merely shrugged her shoulders and smiled brightly.
Sighing again, Marquis Gideon spoke in a low voice.
“Everyone, rise and show your faces to me.”
The villagers rose and cautiously raised their heads.
Since there were not many of them, Marquis Gideon was able to scan their faces in no time.
Then, his gaze stopped at a boy.
“…Huh?”
Marquis Gideon trembled as if he had suffered a great shock.
The boy’s face was all too familiar.
As if he had traveled back in time, or perhaps been reincarnated.
The young Julian was standing there.
When he first heard Gisel’s words, he thought it didn’t make sense.
He had tried hard to suppress his doubts, fearing that he might get his hopes up only to be disappointed.
But now… he could not deny it.
“Uh, uh… uh…”
Only trembling breaths escaped Marquis Gideon’s lips. Tears poured from his eyes before he could hold them back.
Stumbling as if his legs had given out, he walked slowly toward the boy.
One step, and then another.
After walking with such difficulty, Marquis Gideon…
collapsed to his knees before the boy and sobbed uncontrollably.
“Your Highness!!!”
At that cry, the knights and soldiers standing behind him also knelt in unison.
Thump, thump, thump, thump.
A heavy and solemn sound echoed one after another across the dirt ground of the village.
The boy looked at the situation with a bewildered gaze.
It was because he simply could not comprehend what was happening.
The boy instinctively gripped the girl’s hand tightly and took a step back.
It was an instinctive movement, determined to protect her at all costs, no matter what happened.
Giselle stepped forward and spoke to Marquis Gideon.
“Will you believe me now?”
Marquis Gideon let out a trembling breath and nodded repeatedly.
“Of course, of course. I certainly believe you.”
“What will you do? Will you take him to the Kingdom of Turian? Or will I take him to our kingdom myself…”
“I must escort him! He is the one who will one day become the King of our kingdom!”
Marquis Gideon was sincere.
He had lived in a state of profound loss after losing Julian.
He no longer knew what to live for or what to do.
But not now.
For he had found the true heir to the kingdom and the liege to whom he would devote his entire life.
Marquis Gideon made a resolution.
‘I will place this man on the throne without fail.’
Even if it meant killing every single one of those who opposed him.
His eyes, having finally regained his will to live, blazed with fire.
Seeing this, Giselle nodded.
He was well aware of the loyalty Marquis Gideon possessed. However, taking only the boy was not enough.
Giselle pointed at the girl and said,
“Let’s take that child with us, too.”
“Yes, since she seems to be a friend, let’s take her along, even if only as a maid…”
“She is the child who will become my spouse.”
“…Yes?”
“She is also the daughter of my old friend who saved the world with me. We were originally supposed to marry her to Julian’s son. It was already decided. Shall we call it fate?”
Of course, it was a lie. But Giselle pushed forward without the slightest hesitation.
After all, those two were inseparable.
If they were forcibly separated, we might have to witness the birth of a new Demon King.
The rigid Marquis Gideon wore a troubled expression.
How could he possibly accept a mountain child whose identity was unknown as the King’s spouse?
However, Giselle’s next words came faster.
“In return, I will become that child’s godfather. In other words, this means that she is now a member of the Rutania Royal Family. Wouldn’t that be enough?”
Marquis Gideon was taken aback by these words.
If Gisel were to become her godfather, status would not be an issue at all.
No, on the contrary, all the kings of the continent would have to be wary of that girl. For
if they displeased her even slightly, Gisel and the Kingdom of Rutania would take action.
Marquis Gideon asked with a look of disbelief,
“Are you, really so?”
“Yes, the Kingdom of Rutania and I will spare no effort to protect those two children.”
Gisel was sincere.
It was the only thing that had to be done.
This world owes a debt to those two people. Without them, the world would not have been able to avoid destruction.
Therefore, no matter what the world offers, no one should consider it a waste.
At Gisel’s assurance, Marquis Gideon quickly changed his stance, smiled broadly, and said,
“Understood! I will serve you with all my heart!”
“I will visit often, but just in case, I will send the kingdom’s superhumans, knights, and mages to protect the two of them.”
“That is exactly what I wanted.”
Marquis Gideon is the supreme ruler of the Turian Kingdom. Therefore, there was actually no problem at all in protecting the two.
Besides, with Gisel behind them, who would dare to harm them?
However, if the full force of Rutania were to arrive, placing the boy on the throne would become much easier.
He had no ulterior motives, so there was no reason to object.
The villagers who had overheard the conversation between Gisel and Marquis Gideon turned pale.
They had treated the boy and girl so cruelly all this time. But to think they were actually children of immense status!
Everyone glanced nervously and prostrated themselves before the two. It was an attempt to save their lives.
However, the boy and girl paid no attention to the villagers.
With eyes still wary, they simply retreated little by little.
Seeing this, Gisel approached slowly.
The boy tried to back away again. But the girl stopped him.
“…….”
The girl’s eyes turned toward Gisel.
It was strange.
Even though I was seeing this person for the first time, a corner of my heart felt strangely warm.
At the same time, an inexplicable longing and joy washed over me.
As if they were a precious friend
I had known for a very long time .
The same was true for the boy. That was why he couldn’t simply take the girl and run away immediately.
Finally, the girl cautiously opened her mouth.
“…Who are you, sir?”
Giselle remained silent for a moment, gazing at the two figures who resembled Julian and Deneb.
Then, he slowly knelt down to meet their gaze.
“I am…”
His voice trailed off.
He reached out his hand as if hesitating for a moment, then carefully embraced the two of them. As if
he were facing a treasure finally recovered after
a long journey,
after losing and losing countless times.
Soon, a low voice, unable to suppress his emotion, flowed out.
“…I am your friend.”
Giselle closed his eyes.
On his lips, the joy of finally meeting the two again lingered.
He had returned to the past to protect his loved ones.
And he had also changed the predetermined future.
So, please, from now on…
may everyone be happy.
* * *
Rattling, rattling, rattling.
The carriage swayed along the uneven road.
Inside, the girl stared silently out the window.
She had heard that they were the children of some noble people.
She couldn’t fully believe it, yet she had no choice but to believe it. Otherwise, there was no way they would treat orphans like her with such reverence.
However, that wasn’t the reason the girl believed. It was
the man who promised to be her godfather.
The emotion that had risen deep within her heart for no reason the moment she faced him.
She had simply trusted that warm, longing feeling.
The boy, too, did not push the man away for a similar reason. In
any case, as long as he was with the girl, it did not matter where they stayed.
The mere fact that they could leave that wretched village immediately made them feel lighthearted.
And so, the two of them rode in the magnificent carriage toward the Kingdom of Turian.
The girl gazed out the window, continuing to ruminate on that inexplicable feeling.
Then, suddenly, something occurred to her, and she spoke.
“What happens after a person dies?”
The boy thought for a moment, then answered curtly,
“I don’t know, I’ve never died.”
“I heard there’s talk about being reborn.”
“Then, next time too…”
The boy stopped mid-sentence and closed his mouth.
The words “I want to see the girl again” welled up to his throat, but he swallowed them, feeling inexplicably shy.
It was then.
The girl quietly reached out and took the boy’s hand.
The boy quickly turned his head away to hide his flushed face. However, he did not pull his hand away.
Instead, he tightened his grip just a little more.
Watching this, the girl smiled softly.
Then, in a gentle yet confident voice, she said,
“If I am reborn…”
The girl tightened her grip a little more as well.
“We will always be able to meet again.”
At those words, the boy’s gaze slowly turned toward the girl.
Like someone who had finally found the place they belonged to, no matter how long they had wandered.
Their eyes met.
Sometimes, there were things conveyed without words.
Holding each other’s hands tightly, the boy and the girl looking at one another… …
looked happier than anyone else in the world.
— The Returned Mercenary Has a Plan
