Chapter 115: A Day In Norseweden

The next day. After finishing breakfast and stepping outside, I saw a blonde girl wearing a white beret sitting on the entrance steps, sketching on paper.

She was drawing the small garden outside the mansion. Her art didn't seem particularly impressive, perhaps because she had just recently started.

Was it because I mentioned knowledge from my past world to her the last time, was that the reason why she started trying to draw? Had she developed a liking for drawing since then?

"Good morning."

"Ah, Deu... P-Professor."

"We are outside the academy now; it is also vacation, feel free to call me whatever you want."

Eleanor looked brightened up at my response.

"Deus! That's right, this is it. I always feel a certain distance whenever I have to call you 'professor,' you know?"

Well, I wasn't sure about that.

"I saw that you were drawing something."

According to her, she claimed to have coincidentally come over for vacation. However, it was evident that she had come here to follow me.

It made me feel sorry for King Orpheus, who had been waiting for his sister to return.

"Ah, yup! I tried drawing various things you told me about, Deus. Here, take a look."

Eleanor showed me her sketches one by one, starting from the green dinosaur from my stories before to a penguin wearing glasses.

Perhaps she had a deep impression of characters from children's animations because she had been diligently drawing them.

Of course, since I only drew them in a simple way when explaining, they weren't exactly the same as the originals. However, Eleanor blended her creativity into her drawings, making them unique.

"How about it? Are they similar to the ones you know, Deus?"

"Yes, they are quite similar."

"Yippee!"

Eleanor stomped her feet happily. I also found myself unconsciously glancing at her drawings, not because Eleanor had drawn them well and had an appealing style.

"..."

But because my old memories suddenly emerged in my mind.

While looking at those small and cute characters didn't evoke any sentiments, I could still recall a time that couldn't be called the past. It might have been more appropriate to call it a previous life rather than the past.

"Deus?"

Eleanor cautiously called me. I slowly returned to my senses and handed back the sketches.

"Drawing is a good hobby."

"Isn't it? I also think so. It feels like a whole new world is unfolding."

Did she possess not only talents as a ruler but also the virtues of an artist?

With her talent, her drawing skills would surely rapidly improve.

"There's even more on the back."

Eleanor then showed me the magic wand and the magical girl she had drawn.

I remembered that she quite liked stories about magical girls when I told her about them. It seemed to have left a lasting impression, as the page at the back was filled with drawings of a magical girl.

And the face was...

"...Is that Aria?"

Eleanor drew a magical girl with Aria Rias as the protagonist. It did suit her. However, if Aria saw the drawings herself, she would surely complain about why Eleanor dressed her like this.

"Yeah, I didn't have a suitable model, and drawing myself wearing this felt a bit weird."

"..."

"Still, her looks aren't that bad and the drawing came out quite good, right?"

Indeed, her artistic skill had distinctly improved when drawing magical girls. While her landscape drawings were still unrefined, she seemed quite adept at drawing figures and characters.

"Also..."

Eleanor hesitated, then took a peek at her last sketch.

I wondered why, but Eleanor nervously scratched her head and pleaded.

"Um, please don't get mad when you see it."

"...Did you also draw me?"

"Huh?!"

Eleanor was flustered, wondering how I could guess that. But there was no way I could be upset about her drawing me, right?

It wasn't a big deal.

Since a princess of the kingdom drew my portrait, I should be grateful instead.

"Well, then, I'll show you."

Seeing my calm reaction, Eleanor gulped and quickly turned the drawing.

A man was drawn on the paper. Seeing traces of erasures and redraws, I could surmise the amount of effort she had invested in it.

Even though it was only from memory, she seemed to have exerted great effort to recall my appearance and draw me as accurately as possible.

The man in the drawing was wearing a formal black suit as if he was heading to work.

Born in South Korea and being able to see ghosts, the man, despite all the twists and turns of life, tried to live as normal as possible.

The one she had drawn was Kim Shinwoo.

"...Ah."

Had I ever been so confused and surprised before?

My mouth was gaped open and an exclamation escaped. Now I understood why Eleanor had asked me not to be angry once I saw her drawing.

"I-It is similar to your original appearance, right? Since I saw it in my dream..."

Eleanor covered her face with her sketches, trailing off at the end of her words. She peeked to check my reaction with only her eyes visible.

When I thought about it, yes, it was true.

I directly told Deia about myself.

I didn't know how Aria managed to find out in the previous round, but I had never spoken about it in detail with her.

The Dark Spiritualist, too, had naturally come to know about me since she was always by my side.

Stella managed to realize it by herself.

However, no one had ever seen my real face.

Except for the real Deus Verdi, who had already entered eternal sleep, Eleanor was the only girl on this continent who had directly encountered the man named Kim Shinwoo.

"Sigh..."

I let out a hot breath that immediately mingled with the cold morning air. Despite my trembling hands, a lump formed in my throat.

Yes, this is how I used to look like.

I realized I had suddenly forgotten about it.

When I recalled the hesitation I felt when I saw the portrait for a moment, a sense of shame washed over me.

While I had forgotten myself, the Princess in front of me still remembered and faithfully drew me as I looked.

She left behind a piece of evidence.

Proof that someone named Kim Shinwoo once existed here.

"Sh-should I erase it?"

Sensing my unusual reaction, Eleanor hesitantly asked, but I shook my head in response.

I calmly and cautiously placed my hand on the white beret she wore, closing my eyes for a moment.

Otherwise, I felt like I was going to get all emotional.

"Thank you."

After suppressing my emotions, I uttered a word of gratitude.

Not as Deus.

But as Kim Shinwoo.

"Ah..."

Eleanor, who had been staring at me blankly, suddenly widened her eyes, gradually breaking into a bright smile.

Her smile was just like a sunflower blooming in Norseweden, where it was rare to see such a flower.

Then, she wriggled and tried to pull the beret out between my hand and her head. When I withdrew my hand before that, she pouted as if she was slightly disappointed.

However, she soon stood up from the stairs, brushed off her bottom, and asked me.

"What are you going to do now?"

"I plan to visit the ancestral grave."

"The ancestral grave?"

"Yes, since I will be going alone, why not take a little tour of Norseweden?"

"...I've already seen everything for the past two weeks."

Eleanor grumbled, but I couldn't let her come along. However, once she realized I hadn't invited her to come with me, she didn't insist on following.

As I stepped outside the mansion, I noticed Darius approaching from the opposite direction, sweating profusely.

"Oh! You're here!"

Darius raised his hand and smiled brightly. I slightly stepped back due to the smell of sweat.

"It seems that you have been working hard."

Nonetheless, it seemed like he had been quite consistent with his training, as his body looked firmer and more muscular than before.

"Of course, because I'm Norseweden's fortress!"

He seemed to take pride in that moniker, but leaving that aside...

"I appreciate your help during the recent case involving the bishops. Thanks to you, we were able to resolve the matter neatly, which also benefited His Majesty."

"Ah, you mean the oppression of the nobles?"

Although it had somewhat abated, King Orpheus' efforts to reform the nobility were still ongoing.

Starting with one of the most powerful noble families, the Zeronia Household diminished their own influence through a declaration of surrender by confessing their inhuman massacre and torture of Setima citizens in the past, erecting a memorial to the victims.

Several nobles, who had held their heads high in defiance, were now naturally kneeling under the king's authority.

I heard that a few nobles were still resisting King Orpheus, but it was likely just a futile resistance against the relentless march of progress.

The moment they bowed their heads, their unforgivable sins would inevitably be revealed, and ultimately, they would face the same fate.

In the end, their guilt would be exposed whether they were involved in significant conspiracies, such as cooperating with other countries, espionage, or preparing for an uprising.

"It was quite interesting. And if that helped you and His Majesty, that's enough for me."

"..."

Was he always so reliable when speaking?

"Also... I had hit you once."

Darius gently clenched his fist as he laughed, reminiscing about the time when he suggested that I had to get injured on my face to highlight our strained relationship.

"If there's ever a similar situation where you need help, be sure to call me."

"I doubt that will ever happen."

As I passed by him, he chuckled from behind, clearly enjoying something.

Anyway, I headed straight for the Norseweden mountain range. Along the way, I encountered the Dark Spiritualist, who was sticking close to Aria. However, she returned to them after briefly informing me that Aria and Findenai were sparring.

It was because the Mountain Lord in the mountain range wouldn't allow the Dark Spiritualist to enter its territory.

In the middle of the mountain.

Although it was quite a difficult place to find, the tombstones were still well-maintained.

Did Deia often come here?

- The Girl Who Loved Flowers, Emily.

- Here she lies, seeking eternal rest.

The inscription on the tombstone was still clear, and the Snow Flower which I had left here had now naturally flown away with the wind.

But that didn't matter.

Before coming to Norseweden, I had prepared a yellow flower, which I placed in front of the tombstone.

"It is a yellow flower, the ones you like."

She might not be able to hear me, but I hoped it would bring her some joy.

I closed my eyes for a moment and shared silence with the girl. As I did, memories suddenly resurfaced, starting from the moment I first met her attached to the Human-Bone Centipede in the underground.

I then remembered the first time I conducted a memorial ceremony in this world.

It was from then on that the Verdi Household began changing.

As I spent the moment like this...

Grrrrrr.

A deep, rumbling growl resounded throughout my body.

Although Darius might have declared himself as the fortress of Norseweden, the true owner of the Norseweden mountain range, a tiger with a pure white body and blue eyes, slowly appeared behind me.

"Mountain Lord."

I calmly bowed my head and greeted him. Although there were no offerings like before, I could now overlook minor things since we were in a contractual relationship.

[Deus Verdi, you have changed so much in such a short time.]

"It has been quite a long time for a human."

However, it might have been a trivial amount of time for the Mountain Lord, who lived a life nearly as eternal as an immortal.

[Normally, I would have torn apart the filthy creature that roams the mountains while carrying corpses and souls, causing screams everywhere, but...]

"..."

[You are similar to them, yet different.]

It must be because of the difference in how we treated souls; I didn't view them as mere expendables.

"What brings you to me?"

For the Mountain Lord to seek me out directly meant there was something he needed.

Although I had promised to protect the Norseweden mountain range, in truth, it was originally a task that the Verdi Household should have carried out.

I also knew it was not because of the offerings since I had asked Darius to present it once a month.

Furthermore, the Mountain Lord's voice contained not anger or enmity, but rather concern.

However, what he uttered was a somewhat unexpected question.

[Do you know about the Marias Forest?]

"Yes, of course I do."

It was the largest forest in the eastern part of the continent. Beyond it lay the Sahar Desert.

The Sahar Desert was known as the cursed land.

The Marias Forest, which was standing tall, halted the spreading desertification.

If someone asked whether it was hostile to humans, it wasn't entirely true. Although there were quite a few menacing demonic monsters there, the roads were properly maintained.

After all, within the forest, there were indigenous people who built their own civilization and lived.

[The Marias Forest's guardian deity, Horua, has started to make a move for some reason.]

"....What does that mean?"

[It means he has abandoned his home. Although I don't know the reason for it, it's probably not something good for humans.]

A guardian deity who abandoned its own land couldn't live eternally and would only weaken over time.

It was practically equivalent to suicide, but it implied that Horua, the guardian deity, had something urgent enough to warrant such a choice.

"Do you want me to go and find out the reason?"

[No, that is his choice. I simply came to alert you.]

"...."

[Be cautious, as you seem to be born with a destiny tied to a strange connection.]

Following his predictions, it made me certain that I would eventually meet Horua.

It was ridiculous, but I needed to prepare myself.

[Also, I hope I will no longer see the great evil within you the next time we meet.]

"...."

The Mountain Lord saw through me, precisely that Stella and Velica were resting within me.

"She is someone better than what you are thinking."

When I tried to defend them, the Mountain Lord kept silent for a moment before snorting with a mocking laugh, turning his body.

[Alright, since there is someone like you who doesn't get dirty while mingling with the souls of the dead, there could be a good Demon Lord as well.]

I watched the Mountain Lord leave without further ado; I then bowed my head in farewell and descended the mountain.

Upon reaching downtown, I found Findenai waiting for me with her arms crossed. She declared,

"I need to go to Clark Republic for a bit."

My mood, which was quite good, immediately soured along with my expression. However, Findenai just casually shrugged her shoulders.

"I mean it, although it's just for a while."