Bab 274: [Chapter 274] You useless child
Cledwin realized a blade was flying towards him as soon as he regained consciousness.
"Die, monster!"
He didn't recognize the face of the attacker, but he was behind the Noble Academy's Kartak One's swordsmanship classroom. The thing in Cledwin's hand was not the Duke's sword, but a common iron sword.
Swoosh, thud. The sound of the sword being drawn from its sheath was almost simultaneous with the opponent falling to the ground, bleeding. Yes, come to think of it, this happened often, Cledwin thought wearily.
Wait, why was he talking about it like it was something from the past? He questioned himself. He was still experiencing this every day…
<Dad!>
A ball of light that had popped out from somewhere called out to Cledwin, instantly blending into his surroundings like a drop of ink in a vast lake. Cledwin was startled. And the next moment, he frowned and touched his forehead.
"…My memories are fading so quickly."
The ball of light, the size of a baby's fist, fluttered around Cledwin like a butterfly, chirping.
<Dad, you're an idiot! You have to be careful, or you'll be trapped here and won't be able to get out!>
"Dad?"
He had never been called that before, but Cledwin immediately knew what the ball of light was. He asked the ball of light, feeling strange.
"You… are our child?"
It was a ridiculous question. He felt like a ridiculous human asking it, and the sentence itself was awkward. But he couldn't ask any other way.
To suddenly start a conversation with a child he didn't even know existed until recently, a child he thought he wouldn't have for his entire life. Anyone who heard it would think he was trash.
The ball of light was emitting a soft, twinkling light like a star, and when it heard Cledwin's question, it shone brighter than before. Cledwin thought the ball of light was happy.
He didn't know it because someone told him. He just knew.
<That's right! That's right! I'm the child of Dad and Mom. You know, you know, Kian told me to guide Dad. So I'm going to bring Mom and Dad together!>
The chattering tone wasn't that of an unborn baby. Cledwin didn't know how old a child had to be to develop like that, so he furrowed his brow. The ball of light asked cheerfully.
<Why are you frowning, Dad? Are you in pain?>
"No. …You, why are you so talkative?"
<I'm talkative, right? Right? I'm not the baby in Mom's belly right now, I'm a bigger baby from a few years later! Kian used a little of the power of time contained in the gray Gemstone Eye to send me here. I can't not be able to talk to Dad, can I?>
"Reasonable. So, what's your name?"
He knew it was his child, but he couldn't keep calling it a ball of light. If it came from the future, it must have a name given by its future self. The ball of light spun around a few times in place and replied cutely.
<I won't tell you!>
"Why?"
<Well, you know, you know, it's the rule. Dad hasn't named me yet, has he? But if I tell you my name now, the laws of time and space will be broken. So I can only tell you when Dad finishes everything and goes back.>
The ball of light blinked. It seemed to be grinning mischievously. Cledwin sighed.
"Alright. …Let's go see my wife. I need to wash up first, though."
His clothes were probably dirty from the blood of the assassins Abelus had sent. Come to think of it, that's why he wore comfortable clothes during this time, he thought. The ball of light floated up and sat on Cledwin's shoulder. There was no sensation, but Cledwin somehow felt like it was tickling him.
<Okay! Where are we going?>
"The lake. If we go to the dormitory, the guys will be noisy."
The trees in the courtyard had leaves, so it was early spring. It was the season when he could wash outside without dying. The school building was quiet even though the sun was high in the sky, so it must be the weekend. Cledwin headed towards the lake with the ball of light on his shoulder.
The ball of light chattered incessantly.
<You haven't said you love me today!>
"That's a bit much."
<Why? You said you loved me from the moment you met me.>
"I haven't met you yet."
Ah, I see! Well, Dad said so. He said he loved me from the moment he met me, but he loved me even more every day we were together. It's okay, Dad, even if you don't love me yet. I love you, so you have to love me tomorrow, okay?
It was strange. And unfamiliar. The fact that a being he had thought would never be his, a child, had suddenly appeared and whispered love to him. Cledwin tried not to show his agitation and replied.
"Let's see how things go."
Okay!
In the first place, was this child really 'Dad' as he claimed? Cledwin found it hard to believe. He couldn't imagine himself telling a child he loved him. Hadn't the Duke's bloodline always been indifferent to their children?
The lake in the forest where the Academy students enjoyed their seasonal games already had some visitors enjoying a boat ride. But Cledwin knew a place where he wouldn't be seen. He arrived at a quiet, small cove surrounded by dense trees, took off his clothes, and entered the water.
The blood, which had been there for a short time, was easily washed away even with a careless rinsing motion. The ball of light floated around Cledwin, chattering again.
Dad, Dad! Mom will hate you if you don't dress properly. She'll say you'll catch a cold!
Wow, Dad is a good swimmer! I want to play in the water with Dad!
Dad! Look, there's a fish! Catch it for me!
"…What are you going to do with it if I catch it?"
Cledwin hardly needed to reply, as the ball of light chattered incessantly, never waiting for an answer. But he couldn't help but ask seriously when it asked him to catch a fish. The ball of light blinked, as if smiling again.
I'll raise it!
"How are you going to raise it here? I'll catch one for you next time."
<Promise? Pinky swear!>
"You don't have fingers."
<Then I'll pinky swear later!>
"Okay."
What promise couldn't he make if he could get out of here safely, if Neris could wake up safely and give birth to a child…? Cledwin pondered for a moment before asking.
"You being born and growing up well means this is all going to end well, right?"
<I don't know!>
"Why?"
<Well, you know, how do I explain it to Dad? The future isn't set in stone. So Kian used a kind of assumption when she cast the spell. I didn't just come from any future, I came from a future where 'Dad succeeded, Mom woke up well, and everyone was happy.'>
"I kind of understand, and I kind of don't."
<It's hard to understand if you're not a magician! I understand because I'm the one who was summoned here by that magic. Well, anyway, if the laws of the world see what Dad is doing and think Dad is failing, I'll disappear, and Kian will pay a lot of her lifespan as a price.>
Cledwin stared at the ball of light, his eyes fixed on the word 'disappear'. The ball of light seemed a little downcast, twinkling dimmer than before.
<Dad here doesn't love me, so maybe it's okay if I disappear, but, well, Mom loves me, right? So cheer up.>
Cledwin sighed.
"The fact that I haven't met you yet doesn't mean it's okay if you disappear."
The ball of light brightened again. Cledwin, keeping an eye on the light as it darted around like a bee, focused on his clothes spread out on the branches. Judging by its talk, it seemed young, but was it okay to show a child scenes of a father killing people?
Then, he heard small footsteps. Someone was approaching.
Cledwin quietly swam away from the shore. He hid himself among the willow branches that hung low nearby. Judging by the footsteps, it was a child… and only one, so it was unlikely to be an assassin, but he still needed to be careful.
A moment later, a girl appeared from the gap in the dense trees by the lake. She was a small, slender girl with blonde hair.
The sunlight filtering through the delicate leaves dappled the girl's platinum blonde hair. Cledwin's lips curled up when he saw her. He hadn't expected to meet her so soon.
'Cute.'
She was twelve years old, judging by her appearance. Unlike her usual self, her hair was unkempt, her beautiful color looking ordinary like the feathers of a newly hatched chick, and her clothes were wrinkled, but her innocent eyes, as if holding starlight, were incredibly lovely.
Cledwin wanted to approach her quickly and speak to her. But suddenly, his body wouldn't move.
While he was bewildered, Neris sat down on the grass. She spread out the book she had brought on her lap and began to read.
Once she opened the book, she seemed to be completely immersed in the story. Her small, delicate face was focused solely on the book, smiling and crying, while the gentle breeze lifted her hair and fluttered her skirt. The pages turned rapidly.
A moment later, Cledwin felt his body moving cautiously. It wasn't his own will. First his hand, then his foot, moved on their own, heading towards the shore.
He shuddered, thinking, 'Is this body a bastard?', but thankfully, his body didn't go out of the water naked, instead, it hid in the appropriate bushes and willow branches and approached the clothes he had spread out earlier. While his body was getting dressed, Neris didn't take her eyes off the book.
'How focused is she?'
Cledwin knew that once his wife got into a book, she wouldn't hear anything around her, so he laughed. He laughed only inside, since this body didn't laugh along. He was a little annoyed. He needed to get Neris out of here quickly, but why was this body suddenly acting on its own? Was this happening because this was her memory?
The clothes, which had been wrung out well because of the ball of light's nagging, were quite dry, thanks to the sunshine. They were still damp, but not uncomfortably so. As Cledwin's body turned its head, as if trying to leave this area…
Suddenly, a strong wind blew. Neris let out a startled voice.
"Ah…"
Flap, flap, flap. The pages of the book moved so violently that it was difficult to read because of the wind. A paper bookmark, which had been tucked between the pages, floated up and came towards Cledwin. Through the gap in the branches that had opened because of the wind.
Cledwin and Neris's eyes met.
The girl's clear, bright eyes widened. Cledwin's body froze. He struggled to call out his wife's name, but his lips wouldn't open.
A moment later, Cledwin's body ran away on its own. Only Neris's youthful voice, like a sigh escaping her lips, lingered in his ears.
"Fairy…?"
Only after he had completely left the lakeshore did Cledwin regain control of his body. Before he rushed back to the lakeshore, he asked the ball of light.
"What happened? My body wasn't moving the way I wanted it to."
<Well, you know, the Dad in Mom's memory acted like that, so that's why!>
"Me in her memory?"
Neris said it as if she had no connection with Cledwin in her previous life. But did they actually meet each other like this?
"So, I can't act freely here from now on?"
<Well, this is Mom's time, so only things that Mom remembers can happen in Mom's memories. Dad can act more freely in places Mom doesn't know. The encounter you had earlier was probably a very early memory for Mom, something trivial and blurry that she's almost forgotten. But it's still in her subconscious. But not that, only when Mom can't perceive it at all!>
"Then how do I take her out?"
<Kian said so! You're an idiot, Dad! Just find Kian here.>
"I need her to release the dragon."
<No, Dad. You don't necessarily need Mom.>
"What are you talking about? I was with her, so I could release the dragon…."
Cledwin stopped talking and suddenly realized what the ball of light was saying.
Yes, it had happened once. The seal had been broken. In Neris's previous life…
"No."
Cledwin said flatly, without even thinking. Wait for her to suffer all kinds of hardships and then be killed?
"No. I'll take her out somehow before that."
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone