Chapter 35: Extra One: On the Road
Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations
Editor: Karai
He remembered the right path. He remembered the true truth. But in the end, what remained in his memory were only mistakes.
In the fragments of memory he had, Joshua had always been a person with a somewhat bad temper. When they first met, he had teased him. Even while living in the village, Joshua never showed a friendly face. He always stood apart with a cold expression, quick to resort to violence at the slightest disagreement, and rarely spoke about what he really thought.
If one were to judge objectively, Joshua was a person with a somewhat difficult personality. But this slightly flawed personality happened to belong to the destined one. And so, everything seemed to fit together perfectly here.
It was like some kind of natural complementarity — like the sternness of a father balanced by the gentleness of a mother. The Hero’s good nature meeting such a cold face felt like a destined match in some way.
From childhood, he had always heard the “shoulds”: that meeting one’s destined person meant persevering, and that one should be more forgiving and caring toward family.
So he thought that he would be the one to tolerate and care for the other. But when his memories returned, all those beliefs shattered. It was like an ice chip falling to the ground, breaking into countless small pieces, sparkling and clear for a moment, then disappearing under the harsh sun — never to be seen again.
After waking from the dream, the Hero felt something transparent crack inside him. Though there was nothing before his eyes, a crisp sound rang clearly in his ears, then broke open inside his heart. Amid those endless cracking sounds, he looked at the drifting dead leaves before him and thought the sound resembled water. A continuous, inescapable noise, ringing incessantly by his ears. From many years ago, still echoing now. Sometimes it seemed to disappear, but it never truly left.
Long ago, when he was still very young and stayed at home, his father occasionally left to buy medicine, and his mother remained indoors, often gloomy and silent. She would look at herself or smile softly at him, speaking gently yet with a sadness he couldn’t understand.
Once, at his mother’s request, he took her to play a game. In a role-playing game, he acted as a knight protecting her. Later, when his father returned and questioned them, after a long silence, he was told: “Then be a little knight and protect your mother.” So he did, as instructed.
After that role-playing game, when his mother seemed happier from playing, he took her to play hide and seek. She was still deeply immersed in the game, and her joy grew from it. But when she found a small box to hide in, it was too cramped for more than one person.
After being pushed aside, he climbed a nearby tree. Between thick leaves, he saw his mother get up and leave quickly, as if to find another hiding spot. After the game ended, he followed memories and traces to find his mother and excitedly ran over. She sat behind a rock by the river, dazed for a moment, deeply engaged in the game, saying softly, “…How did you find me…? I was found…?”
She spoke gently, then stood up. He nodded. She jumped into the water. Though the river wasn’t deep, a hidden current quickly swept her away. Later, after being found hiding, she lay in bed, eyes closed, forever asleep — still with that gentle expression. Like she always was, or like she sounded when found. The sound of water echoed from the past until now.
Within the sound of water, it felt like a weaving of right and wrong. Light and shadow gradually blurred. The boundary between truth and falsehood softened. Front and back seemed not to oppose one another after all.
—I found my mother.
—I exposed the Demon King.
He had done what was “right” by the rules. But the endings were all wrong.
—So…
He was on the road. But in the haze, he was only on the road. He could not find where he wanted to go, nor should he return to where he came from. So, on the road, he simply walked, with a path in his heart that he once believed he could follow. But now, whether that destination could be found has become uncertain.
And as uncertainty grew, he gradually heard a voice inside — a voice like water breaking into pieces, winding and freezing in the sunlight. Amid the cold, he occasionally met the four companions of Merlin.
The rogue’s usual lively jumps slowed the moment he saw him. He stood still, listening to his memories.
— “I really think you’re either missing something in your head or have too much. Do you want to see a doctor, the Hero?”
— “So, where exactly did you get the courage to run around aimlessly when you can’t even remember the way, all while talking about ‘saving me’?”
— “His mind seems a little off, and his memories don’t quite add up. This—can it be diagnosed and treated?”
— “Just a regular person who feels very sorry for Owen, who seems to have all kinds of problems in his head. Not a friend or family member.”
— “Don’t you think there’s something wrong with my hand?”
— “I am the Demon King.”
Joshua was the Demon King Francis—that was a fact. But in his memories, every day’s lies, every place he stayed, every pill he took or doctor’s visit, every softened voice now and then, every word spoken while weaving dreams, every occasional headache that showed in his past expressions, every nervous moment trying to stop others from breaking the dream—every day, every day… That was also true.
Everything seemed calm, faint, and gentle, like a thin layer of snow falling slowly and quietly melting in the palm of a hand. Until that day when you leaned on me, and we left through the forest, then a heavy rain came. The next day, I woke from the dream, forgetting everything, hearing other people’s words, and you revealed your presence.
When I was scared, you made me believe in myself, and I tightly grabbed your sleeve. Then you scolded me for being a little silly and said: “Tomorrow I’ll explain everything. Sleep now.”
The next day, I forgot everything again, and it all restarted. Then suddenly a strange loop appeared, confusing and yet somehow leading to the same place. After I learned about time, I met the doctor and accidentally threw the tragic ending away. You blushed while explaining your feelings or promises inside, and later didn’t refuse me getting close. Well… except for my neck.
The next day, I forgot another yesterday. On the third day, I saw the words “take medicine,” you thought about it, and kissed me once. The fourth day, the fifth day…
Through the twists and turns of this strange loop, a twisted truth was pieced together. He spoke this truth out loud. Then came a great fire. Those little secret notes burned to nothing, extinguished with the ruins in the past. Only a pile of inseparable ashes remained. And a mistake that had already appeared.
He stopped on the road at that mistake, nodded to Merlin, and left. After stopping, the rogue looked at the shadows. The sky was clear, others were fine, and everything was good.
— It’s just that… I miss you a little. Among the cracked sounds in his heart, scattered voices kept echoing in his broken memories.
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