"So. I’m. Telling. You. The Young Master never died in the first place."
The attendant stared intently at Varlach with a face full of confusion as he spoke.
What the hell is this guy talking about?
Varlach scratched his forehead and responded.
"I’m telling you, I died..."
The attendant let out a deep sigh.
"Think about it. How can a dead man talk?"
"Talk?"
"Yes, you’re wide awake and talking right now. Is that even possible for a dead person?"
"Well, I mean, normally it’s not..."
What is this? What the hell?
I’m saying I died because I died, so why does that guy keep insisting I’m alive?
'Don’t tell me... is this a dream? Or a near-death vision?'
Varlach blinked, then pinched his cheek lightly.
But...
Ouch!
Contrary to his expectations, a stinging pain spread and heat rose in his cheek.
'Why does it hurt?'
Then, could this be...
'Not a dream?'
Varlach's eyes began to tremble even more.
No, he was definitely fighting Shagrath just a moment ago, wasn’t he?
His mana circuits were shattered, and there was no way to survive no matter what he tried. So how was he breathing just fine right now?
He scratched his head roughly, then looked straight ahead again and spoke.
"Ughhhh. Hey, you, attendant—what’s your name?"
"My name? Why do you want to know that?"
"Just tell me. Hurry."
The attendant frowned and answered.
"Gadolph, of course. Gadolph. You don’t even remember my name? I’ve been serving you for years."
What? Served me for years?
‘This bastard’s got some nerve.’
It’s the first time I’ve seen you, and now you’re claiming to have served me? You’re lying so easily without even wetting your lips.
A long sigh escaped Varlach’s mouth.
‘Well, putting that aside for now.’
That wasn’t the important part.
Varlach narrowed his eyes and asked again.
"Alright, Gadolph... so, did you save me?"
"Save you? What kind of ridiculous thing is that?"
"I’m asking if you brought me back to life. Are you with the Empire’s priesthood? Or... a black mage?"
When Varlach asked seriously, Gadolph frowned.
"...I have no idea what you’re talking about."
"Which part?"
"You didn’t die, so what would I have saved you from? Are you sure you didn’t have a nightmare?"
Varlach let out a long sigh and said,
"I collapsed while trying to take down the Demon King. I’m asking if you people brought me back. What about my father? What happened to everyone else?"
"Young Master, what on earth is going on with you?"
The attendant continued with a troubled expression.
"And... what Demon King? You’ve been holed up in your room day and night."
"Holed up? Me?"
"Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying."
What the hell is this guy talking about?
Varlach pressed his forehead and asked again.
"You don’t know the Demon King? The Demon King? Demon King Shagrath?"
"Oh, of course I know who that guy is."
Gadolph replied with a grimace.
"I know, but so what?"
"Why are you suddenly bringing up someone who died over 80 years ago?"
"Huh?"
‘What kind of nonsense is that?’
Varlach’s brow twisted deeply.
"Are you kidding me? What do you mean, 80 years? That guy just died not long ago."
"What are you talking about? How could something that happened over 80 years ago be ‘not long ago’?"
As Gadolph frowned in frustration, Varlach tilted his head.
‘This is strange.’
That guy didn’t seem like he was lying at all.
Then... what the hell was he saying?
"Hey, you. You said your name was Gadolph, right?"
"Yes."
"What year is it in Imperial reckoning?"
"Why do you ask?"
"Just tell me. Now."
Gadolph responded with a crooked expression.
"It’s the year 885, obviously."
"Huh? 885?"
Varlach’s eyes widened.
He had fought that squid bastard around February, 801. If what this guy said was true...
‘I’ve been unconscious for 84 years?’
Varlach scowled and snapped irritably.
"Oh, come on. Say something that makes sense. If you’re gonna mess with someone, at least try to put some effort into the story..."
Varlach raised his fist, pretending he might throw a punch, when—
"Hmm?"
His eyes glanced to the side.
That’s when he noticed a slender wrist.
White, delicate... like a stick that had never held a sword—frail and twig-like.
Varlach’s eyes narrowed.
‘Were my hands always like this?’
They used to be much thicker, calloused, and had a heavy, firm feel...
Squish, squish.
He opened and closed his hand several times.
It felt soft, like a baby’s.
What the... why are my hands like this?
At that moment, a wave of unease surged inside him.
‘No way... it couldn’t be, right?’
Varlach cleared his throat and spoke.
"Hey, Gadolph."
"Yes?"
"Uh... you got something like a mirror?"
"Should I bring one?"
"Yeah."
"Huuu... here you go."
Gadolph shook his head and rummaged through his coat before handing over a small hand mirror.
Varlach took the mirror with unease and looked into it.
"......"
Inside the mirror was a completely unfamiliar face.
A boy in his late teens.
Blonde hair, a slim build, and pale skin without a single scar.
A face completely opposite from what he used to look like.
This guy is really good-loo—
"What the hell?"
Thud!
Varlach blinked while still holding the mirror.
He turned his head this and that way, but the reflection remained the same.
"What is it now?"
At Gadolph’s question, Varlach snapped his head around and shouted back.
"Hey, who the hell is this?!"
"What do you mean, who?"
"Why does my face look like this? What is this?! Why the hell do I look like some pampered pretty boy?!"
At Varlach’s outburst, Gadolph narrowed his eyes, then scratched his forehead roughly.
"Haaah, Young Master. Please, get a grip."
"Answer me! Who... the hell is this?!"
This guy—no matter how he looked at him, this was the first time they’d met.
Was this Shagrath’s doing? Some kind of black magic? What the hell was going on?
That’s when Gadolph tugged at his hair with both hands before finally replying.
"Who else could it be... you’re Young Master Hardin, of course."
"Hardin? Not Varlach?"
"What kind of nonsense is that? Seriously, what is going on with you today?"
"Really? You're not lying?"
"What would I gain from lying about something like this?"
So, what he was saying was that I wasn’t Varlach anymore, but this guy called Hardin?
‘No way, that’s ridiculous.’
Just as Varlach’s jaw hung wide open in disbelief, Gadolph let out a heavy sigh and asked again.
"Young Master, should I call a physician for you?"
"A physician? Why all of a sudden?"
"Well... how do I put this? You seem way more out of it than usual."
"Out of it? In what way?"
"It’s kind of hard to say this but..."
"Just say it."
"You look like a madman."
This little bastard?
Varlach’s brows furrowed tightly, and his fist clenched instinctively.
"Yikes!"
Gadolph quickly shielded his head with both hands.
Varlach blinked in confusion and asked,
"What are you doing?"
"W-weren’t you about to hit me?"
"Why would I?"
Sure, I may have been someone with quick fists, but even I wouldn’t just punch someone on our first meeting...
As Varlach relaxed his fist, Gadolph hesitated before speaking.
"Why are you acting like this all of a sudden...? Just... act like you usually do."
"What do you mean? What do I usually do?"
Varlach asked, genuinely puzzled, and Gadolph glanced around nervously before replying.
"In times like this... you usually hit me, didn’t you?"
"Me? I hit you? A servant?"
"Why are you acting surprised now?"
Sure, I used to hit people here and there... but I never went around beating up servants like that.
‘What kind of person have I become?’
There was no doubt about it—he had become a complete jerk with a wrecked personality.
Varlach let out a deep sigh and said,
"I wasn’t going to hit you."
"Really?"
"I said I wasn’t."
Varlach closed his eyes tightly and scratched the back of his head with both hands.
‘Alright, let’s think this through.’
If he put all the pieces together... he really had ended up in someone else’s body, hadn’t he?
And not just anyone's—someone from 80 years in the future?
‘What is this, some kind of hero’s epic?’
No, if someone wrote a saga like this, they’d be ridiculed for how absurd it was.
The problem was... that ridiculous thing had actually happened to him.
His head felt like a tangled ball of yarn, confusion swirling around until his mind went blank.
He had no idea where to start or what to even try to figure out.
"Uuuuugh..."
What the hell was he supposed to do first... or how?
While he clutched his head and groaned in frustration—
‘Ah!’
A spark lit in his eyes.
‘The family.’
The Daphne Ducal House—what had become of our family?
Since I had defeated that squid bastard, surely the family must have survived.
Were there any other survivors besides me? What was the current state of the family?
If this really was 80 years in the future, the family must’ve changed drastically.
Which meant...
‘First, I need to find out what happened to the family.’
Not only was he genuinely curious, but the state of the family might offer some hints as to what had happened to him.
Yes, that’s it.
"G-Gadolph!"
"Yes, Young Master."
"Can I... uh, go out for a bit?"
"Go out? All of a sudden?"
Gadolph widened his eyes and asked back, to which Varlach forced a smile and replied.
"Well, I just want to get some fresh air for a bit. So let’s head out now."
"But the physician said you need absolute rest..."
"I’m fine, I’m fine."
Gadolph tilted his head.
"Young Master, you’re acting really strange today. First you talk about defeating the Demon King, now you want to take a walk..."
"What’s so strange about wanting some air?"
"It is strange. You never left your room. Ever."
"Never left? Me?"
"Yes, you don’t remember that either?"
Haaaaa...
This is getting ridiculous.
Varlach let out a deep sigh and replied.
"It’s fine, I’ll take responsibility."
"Take responsibility...?"
"Yeah, so I’m going."
As Varlach leaned closer, Gadolph backed away with a troubled look.
"Still, I really don’t think—"
"I said I’ll take responsibility."
Varlach's face kept getting closer, almost uncomfortably so.
Eventually, Gadolph gave in with a heavy sigh and flicked his hands in surrender.
"Uuugh... fine. But only for a short while, alright? Just a quick outing."
"Great. Lead the way."
Creeeak!
The two opened the door and stepped outside.
After a few steps, the interior came into view—and Varlach’s eyes widened in disbelief.
‘Huh? What the hell is this mansion?’
Creak! Creak!
The wooden hallway let out awful noises as if it were rotting, and the curtains hung around were so stained and faded they hardly blocked any light. Cobwebs draped over various corners.
‘Even beggars would look down on this dump.’
Honestly, there was no way anyone could call this a decent living space, even out of politeness.
As Varlach looked around and took a few more steps—
A black shadow suddenly zipped past beneath his feet.
Snap! Crackle!
"...Now what?"
Startled, Varlach flinched and stepped aside, spotting two rats darting past.
Their size was impressive—so plump he couldn’t even tell if they were raccoons or rats.
Pointing at them with his finger, Varlach asked Gadolph,
"Why the hell... are there rats in this mansion?"
Gadolph just shrugged like it was no big deal.
"Why are you acting surprised? It’s not like this just started yesterday."
"It’s not just a day or two?"
"Yeah, aren’t there more days when we do see them than when we don’t?"
More days with rats than without?
Varlach let out a sigh and muttered to himself.
"What is this... some kind of slum?"
"Sorry? What did you just—"
"Nothing. Just talking to myself."
Varlach pinched his brow tightly with his fingers to calm himself.
‘Don’t bother. Whether this place is a rat den or not, what matters is my family.’
Eighty years was more than enough time for the world to change tenfold.
There was the Great Sage—my eldest brother—and we left behind the Secret Manual of Wave Swordsmanship.
And the honor of having slain Demon King Shagrath belonged to House Daphne.
Wings on a lion, bread in both hands.
Which meant...
‘The family must have revived. No doubt about it.’
At the very least, the family must be back to its prime. Maybe, with high probability, even greater than before.
Which also meant... even if the family I was reborn into was dirt-poor, all I had to do was return to House Daphne.
‘But... what do I say to the descendants when I return?’
“I died fighting the Demon King, and when I woke up, it was 80 years later!”
“I’m actually your ancestor, Varlach Daphne.”
He tried running through a few ideas in his head.
‘Yeah, they’d just think I’m a lunatic.’
His thoughts grew even more tangled, and Varlach shook his head vigorously.
‘I’ll worry about that later.’
First, he had to figure out what had happened to the family... and what the hell had happened to him.
Lost in thought, they reached the end of the hallway and arrived at the staircase connecting the second floor to the first.
As he descended ahead, Gadolph called back,
"Please watch your step."
"Yeah, yeah."
Creeeak! Creeeeak!
With each step, the stairs let out tortured groans.
Gadolph went down slowly, as if walking on clouds, inching forward like a turtle.
Varlach scowled.
"Can’t you move a little faster?"
"No can do. These stairs are dangerous, you’ve got to go slow—"
"I mean, there’s a limit to everything."
Tap, tap, tap!
Unable to hold back any longer, Varlach pushed past Gadolph and rushed down the stairs.
"Young Master, wait! You can’t go like that—"
Just as Gadolph reached out and shouted—
Crash!
"Huh?"
The wooden plank beneath the stairs gave way, and Varlach’s body pitched forward.
‘What the hell—?’
If it was just a fall, he figured he could land using the breakfall technique and be fine… or so he thought—until his foot suddenly twisted.
Thud! Thump! Slam!
Varlach’s body tumbled down the stairs with a racket, eventually crashing onto the floor with a heavy thud.
"......"
As he lay motionless like a squashed rat, Gadolph rushed over, fretting like a scolding mother.
"Young Master, are you alright? I told you to be careful, didn’t I?!"
"Are you kidding me?!"
Boom!
Varlach sprang up and clenched his fists, shouting furiously.
"What kind of stairs just break like that?!"
"I did warn you to be careful."
"No! I thought you meant watch my step! How the hell was I supposed to know the stairs themselves would collapse?!"
"This isn’t the first time something like that’s happened."
Gadolph gave him a helpless look again, and Varlach let out a long sigh.
‘Forget it. No point arguing with this guy.’
Grumbling to himself, Varlach dusted off his clothes.
"Whatever. Let’s just go."
"Wouldn’t it be better to rest, considering what just happened? You might’ve gotten hurt."
"I said I’m fine."
And so, the two of them walked past the central lobby on the first floor, heading toward the main entrance.
Soon, Varlach spotted a large statue standing in the middle of the lobby.
‘Hmm?’
It was moldy, chipped in several places, and in such a sorry state that its original form was nearly unrecognizable.
It looked vaguely human, but he couldn’t even tell if it was supposed to be a person or a monster.
Varlach’s brow furrowed again.
"Why is there such an eyesore in the house?"
"Eyesore? That’s something the head of the household treasures."
"Really? He’s got... unique taste, I’ll give him that."
Whatever. Not my problem.
It’s not like I’m ever coming back to this dump anyway.
Shaking his head, Varlach passed by the statue.
Well, to each their own.
Who was he to judge someone’s taste, especially with bigger problems at hand?
‘Let’s just get out of here. Quickly.’
He was in a hurry.
He needed to get out of this castle and figure out—every single detail—about his current situation and what had become of his family.
Clank!
He marched confidently to the front gate and threw it open.
Craaaaack!
Sunlight burst in, blazing from outside.
"Huuuuu..."
Before him stretched a jade-green field bursting with the freshness of spring.
Looking up slightly, a clear sky without a single cloud greeted Varlach, and the scent of grass and flowers tickled his nose.
Phew... Of all times, why did the weather have to be this damn perfect while he was in such a mess?
Then, Gadolph glanced at him and cautiously asked,
"So... where should I take you, Young Master?"
Cough! Cough! "The Daphne Ducal House... Ugh, why am I coughing all of a sudden?"
"Sorry? Where did you say?"
"You don’t know the Daphne Ducal House? One of the Empire’s seven great families? That’s where I’m headed, so I don’t need an escort—just point me in the right direction."
Gadolph recoiled in disbelief.
"Young Master... What kind of joke is that now?"
"What joke?"
"Do you have some kind of problem with me? If you do, just say it. Use your words."
"It’s not like that..."
Varlach’s lips twitched, then he let out a deep sigh.
"Just tell me the direction. Which way is Daphne?"
"Uuugh..."
With a groan, Gadolph pointed with his finger.
"...That way, obviously."
"Yeah? Got it."
Varlach patted Gadolph on the shoulder and strode off past the mansion in the direction opposite of where they came.
He walked for some time, when—
"Wait a minute."
Trailing a few steps behind, Gadolph suddenly grabbed Varlach by the back of the neck.
Varlach furrowed his brow slightly and responded.
"Huh? What now?"
"Where exactly are you trying to go?"
"You said this was the way to Daphne, didn’t you?"
"That’s what I’m asking—what do you mean by that?"
Varlach’s brow creased deeper.
‘Why is this guy clinging like this?’
He swatted away the hand and took a few more steps forward.
Then, Gadolph’s shout rang out from behind him.
"Come on! This is the Daphne household—so where exactly are you trying to go?!"
"Huh?"
Thunk.
Varlach’s feet came to a sudden halt.
Like a broken doll, he creaked and turned his head slowly back.
‘Did I hear that right?’
Did that guy just say...
"What did you just say?"
"I asked where you were going."
"No, not that. What did you say this place was?"
Blinking in disbelief, he asked again.
Gadolph planted a palm against his forehead and replied,
"Da. Ph. Ne! Daphne! Seriously, what is wrong with you today?!"
...Huh?
Did I mishear that again?
"Daphne? This place?"
"Yes! The very Daphne you’re talking about—this is it! So where are you trying to go?!"
"......"
What kind of... insane nonsense was this?
Varlach’s expression began to twist into one of sheer shock.