By Zephyria 
Unfortunately, the Sylphs didn’t know the Wyvern’s lair. The small spirits couldn’t wander the Magic territory on their own as they pleased. Judging by the sounds carried on the wind, their nagging had its limits.
Instead, Kkokko, who had been eavesdropping nearby, bravely stepped forward, offering to lead the way. As far as I knew, Goblins were mere mouthfuls for Wyverns, so their courage was truly commendable.
It wasn’t just Kkokko. Strangely, all the Goblins followed me around.
“Why on earth…?”
As I began to ask, Kkokko, as if waiting for me to inquire, opened its mouth and chattered.
“Kkokko knows human. Treasure there. Mountain high. No road.”
“…What?”
“Hungry.”
“….”
Listening to its words carefully, it seemed they had previously traveled through portals opened by the Ninth God, collecting treasures and earning food from humans in exchange for errands.
They had multiplied their numbers by receiving fruits and bread and doing odd jobs for the Black magicians, including the Thousand-Faced Devil and Soho Cheon-nyeo. But after we killed the Black magicians and drove them away, the portals stopped opening, and they had lived in hunger for a long time.
My own situation was dire enough; did I have to take care of Goblins too?
However, seeing the creature’s enormous eyes rolling and looking up at me pitifully, I found it impossible to chase them away. But I couldn’t possibly take them all with me. Even if we brought a whole pack of Wyverns and carried them all, they would all be killed before we even entered the Duchy.
I recalled Mage Boulder being banned from entering the Widrow Duchy after bringing an Owlbear cub with him. I had no desire to be treated the same way.
For now, I ordered everyone except Kkokko to return to their original spot and wait. The Goblins didn’t leave immediately; they swarmed around me, chattering a few words they knew.
Hungry. Good. Human praise. Human fight. Food. Banana. Cookie.
Deeply troubled, my mind churned for a long time.
It took a full day to find the Wyvern’s lair.
Indeed, the Wyvern, upon seeing the Goblin, opened its maw wide, intending to swallow it whole. I struck it a few times on the head with my scabbard to calm it down and ordered it to carry me. Although the Wyvern and I couldn’t communicate directly, and I had to search my mental dictionary for a while, we managed to convey our intentions.
Human land. No.
Our land. Yes.
They seemed to call the Dunmel Canyon, where monsters roamed, their territory.
Still, I was pleased by the way it nodded, agreeing that it would listen to me now that I was a god.
I had no energy left for further arguments. I slung Kkokko, who was clinging to my collar, over one arm and climbed onto the back of a male Wyvern. With the cheerful spirits perched on my head and shoulders, I set off for Dunmel Canyon.
Come to think of it, didn’t I leave Monster Variants inside Dunmel Canyon? What had become of them all?
My arm must have tensed without my realizing it. It was only after Kkokko let out a piercing scream that I finally came to my senses.
No, that wasn’t right. I remained bewildered for a long time after that.
❖ ❖ ❖
Beyond the Yuil Mountains, fresh green sprouts were blooming.
It was clearly November when I went on the Floyd Expedition, but had winter already passed and spring arrived? The Wyvern, having dropped me off near Dunmel Canyon, shook its head, refusing to go further, so I sent it away and ran.
During the day, a bright sun shone in the blue sky, and at night, stars twinkled in the black sky.
I was deeply uneasy, not knowing how much had progressed in my absence.
Of course, I hoped the children could live well without me. But wouldn’t it be even better if they lived even better with me there?
It was dusk.
After running for two days and nights, I arrived at a wall that was half-collapsed.
I was greatly surprised. On that seemingly impregnable wall, Ogre handprints and Wyvern claw marks were clearly visible. So many monsters had clashed, been crushed, and fallen, that foul-smelling stains reached the very top of the wall.
Still, the faces of those coming and going were generally bright.
Mercenaries carrying monster byproducts came and went. Mages and laborers were busy rebuilding the collapsed wall. Boys and girls selling lunchboxes chattered and sang merrily.
Hundreds of Knights stood shoulder to shoulder, forming a circle outside the broken wall, staring outwards.
There was no gate, so I didn’t know where to enter. As I approached the wall, some of the Knights, with menacing expressions, strode towards me, but their steps faltered as our eyes met. Their gazes dropped from the top of my head to my chest, then immediately shot back up.
Huh. One of them had a familiar face. The one with green hair… Bin, Bin… I couldn’t recall the name. In any case, he pointed at my face.
“…You…”
“E, E, E…”
“…Yes. It’s me.”
“Young Master Ernhardt…? R-really? Why are you coming from this direction…?”
“I’m not sure myself.”
“Um, that, the Goblin you’re holding…?”
“Ah. This is… Mage Boulder’s.”
“Yes?”
Several Knights looked at each other and me, bewildered. One of them leaped up and fetched someone from the back. I waited patiently, thinking they might be bringing someone I knew. This time, I thought it would be hilarious if Shayden appeared, but alas, it wasn’t him.
A prim Mage with hair and eye color identical to the one I’d recently captured.
Edwin Kiadris was here.
He stood at a distance, watching me for a long time, then took a couple more steps and watched me again. The suspicion in his eyes and the way he pointed his staff, which reached his shoulder, at me was utterly absurd. Dumbfounded, I asked,
“…What is it?”
“That’s what I should be asking you. What are you?”
“No, this is… Duke Widrow’s castle… Why are you, Senior Kiadris, here?”
“Are you the zombie you’re talking about?”
“…Yes?”
“Show me your ID.”
“Well…”
Naturally, I raised my wrist, but the graduation certificate that should have been on my wrist was gone.
There was no way such a trivial Artifact would survive a god-level battle. Everything I wore was tattered and worn. The clothes I wore were also riddled with holes from when my skin was torn by metal shards.
The only thing intact was a single sword, which had been constantly enveloped in sword energy. I presented it, but Edwin Kiadris had no way of recognizing my sword. He took half a step back with a look of clear displeasure.
His gaze lingered on Kkokko in my arms for a long time. I should have left it behind.
“… ”
“…Do you really not have your graduation bracelet?”
“Not at the moment.”
“…It seems you’re not Young Master Ernhardt after all. Get lost.”
“Don’t joke, Senior.”
“I genuinely can’t believe it. Where have you been and what have you been doing?”
He grumbled but then took off the cloak draped over his shoulder. Once I had wrapped myself in suitable cloth, I felt more confident facing the surrounding gazes.
He started walking, and I understood his gesture to follow, quickly standing beside him.
“How long has it been since I disappeared?”
“It hasn’t been three years yet. A little over two.”
“…What?”
“You disappeared in November, and today is February 24th. So, it’s about that long.”
What?
There was no unfilial child like this.
The thought of delivering the news made my vision go dark. A portal, I needed a portal. Where was Spiritus hiding now? Come to think of it, how had they managed to mend the torn world so well? And perhaps again…
While my mind was in turmoil, Edwin clicked his tongue.
“You should have come three months earlier.”
“Three months?”
“Yeah. We held your funeral on November 20th last year. I couldn’t attend because I was busy.”
“… ”
My jaw dropped.
He continued to chatter.
“So, if I brought this beggar here claiming he’s Young Master Ernhardt, it would cause a huge uproar. You look like such a beggar…”
“…Is my appearance that unbearable?”
“Of course, it is. I’d believe you if you said you wiped the entire bottom of Dunmel Canyon with your clothes.”
“… ”
“There’s a guy among the Knights who’s about your size, so I’ll get you some clothes first. After you change, go straight to Duke Widrow. You’ll need to prove your identity, have your status restored, and get a permit for inter-territorial travel before you can go to the capital…”
His words were appreciated, but I had something more urgent.
“Ah… More importantly, just one Ranunculus.”
“Go ahead.”
“…Two.”
“Sure, take them.”
“No, three…”
“…Are you messing with me now?”
To quickly send news to my family, Ruben, and my friends, I needed three. How long would it take to run from the Widrow Duchy to the capital? A Ranunculus could travel there in two to three days. Wouldn’t it be faster if I ran myself right now?
Anxiously, I brushed back my hair that kept falling down. Seeing my worried state, Edwin nudged my shoulder.
“Well, it’s good you came back. I never thought you were the type to die somewhere else.”
“…Mm.”
After pondering for a moment, I asked again.
“Do the others… do they all think I’m alive?”
“Uh… Honestly? Or politely?”
“…Honestly.”
“Would they? They think you’re all dead. I was a bit surprised too, you know. So, Wesley. Did you catch him?”
His malicious nature hadn’t left him. I felt a surge of anger and wanted to scold him, but I suppressed it, fearing he might interfere with borrowing the Ranunculuses. Taking a breath, I asked what I was curious about first.
“Yes. But why are you here, Senior?”
“Do you know that right after you went on the Floyd Expedition, all the monsters went mad and headed south?”
“… ”
How could I know? I just shook my head. He continued,
“November 9th. The Magic Tower named the mutated monsters that descended on the day of the Floyd Expedition as being in a berserk state. They were incredibly annoying, difficult to stop even for a regular Sword Master.”
“… ”
“That was the first wave. And the ones that descended the day before yesterday were the sixteenth wave.”
“…What? What are the gods doing?”
“The really troublesome thing is this: Spiritus immediately caught and killed the woman who first caused the monster berserk state. But apparently, she had five disciples. Anyway, because of that, berserk monsters keep descending, and Widrow and Grimsvein are still on the front lines.”
“…Ah.”
“We’ve caught three of them so far, but two remain. You probably know one of them.”
“…Me?”
“Yeah. A guy named Raul. You met him in Owen, right? Marianne said so.”
“… ”
It was a name I had long forgotten.