LTTH C36

Chapter 36

So they are indeed all alive. Seeing the youth, not only better but shining brighter, Hansol felt a fragment of the guilt that had nestled deep within begin to lift from his heart.

“Ah, it is thanks to your sanctuary, Saint. All who were destined not to perish survived within its bounds. Of course, some were soon wounded again by the monsters.”

The youth’s gaze could hardly mask the sorrow as it drifted toward several figures lying upon the ground—likely comrades who had risked their lives fighting alongside. A bitter feeling welled within Hansol. What if he had not returned hurriedly to Korea? Could he have saved even a few more?

Such belated regrets and suppositions darkened his expression.

“No, I do not blame you, Saint! These lives were surely lost. Their survival is nothing short of miraculous. Please do not misunderstand—never!”

The youth’s frantic gestures scattered his words—restlessness manifest. Hansol could only smile at the anxious boy.

Yes, it was greedy to wish for more. To have saved even one was no small matter. They called him Saint and Messiah, lavishing grand titles upon him, as if he were truly divine. Yet one humble healer could not save all the world.

‘Truly, saving all would be godly indeed.’

He had done his utmost with his level and skill. That must suffice. Hansol reaffirmed the resolve he bore when first awakened a hunter, and when the Great Catastrophe took his family.

“Saint, allow me to guide you to the encampment.”

In the dimming atmosphere, the youth confidently stepped forward, smiling as though to say, “Trust me.” Meeting the smile, Hansol followed swiftly—the wilderness already vast and desolate. The timely meeting was nothing less than a miracle.

“I received from Kassie an artifact to accompany you upon meeting you.”

‘It was no coincidence…?’

“Did you know I would come?”

At the youth’s words, the auburn-haired mage who roamed the battlefield flickered across Hansol’s mind. He had thought him no ordinary mage, and now suspected Kassie’s powers surpassed his expectations.

“Nonsense. No matter his talents, Kassie cannot foretell. He merely prepared.”

Preparedness, yes. Yet surely he had anticipated where Hansol would appear. Such skill was without doubt astonishing.

“You did not arrive suddenly when you first came? We expected this and searched all likely regions, hiding and scouting regularly.”

‘They went to such lengths?’

Hansol’s eyes widened. The youth meant not that they predicted his arrival here, but that they dispatched people to every suspicious place.

Every day was a war for them. But did he truly merit such effort? He was uncertain.

“You, Saint, were the first hope we felt.”

Answering to Hansol’s heart, pure expectation flowed from the youth. Though his face was unseen, pride, joy, and hope carried across in waves beyond him.

Indeed, Britain had felt so from the start. Unlike Korea, it felt a place he belonged—a place brimful with fulfillment. The world may curse and shun it, but for Hansol, Britain was no hell at all.

“Of course, taking more than two months was unforeseen.”

“…Two months?”

“Oh, it is not that you erred, Saint. Truly. You must have had reasons. Simply for your return, we are profoundly grateful.”

The youth’s hurried defense echoed, leaving only the phrase “two months” lingering in Hansol’s mind.

‘Two months?’

He had stayed roughly twenty-five days in Korea, a span fastened even shorter by the Tower Lord. Yet in Britain, two full months had elapsed.

No matter how he reasoned, no time difference could account for that. Nor was it merely time zones.

Only an altered flow of time could explain this—the passage in Britain was nearly threefold slower.

Perhaps attributable to frequent gate breaks, or the quests and achievements gained here. Whatever the cause, it was strange.

‘Come to think, it is unlike before.’

When last in Britain, he stayed barely a day before returning to Korea, which had rushed ahead ten days. By that measure, only a few days should have passed here.

‘Then why is it two months now?’

Could the world conspire to deceive him? Or the system weave some plot again? His previously calm mind churned in confusion.

“Saint, this way.”

“Ah.”

Lost in the puzzle of the system’s intent, Hansol followed as the youth pointed toward a direction.

Ahead lay a forest—resplendent verdant against the desolation.

‘A forest? So remote?’

The trees stood dense enough to obscure any glimpse of the interior—a striking contrast to war-torn Britain.

“Oh, it is no ordinary forest. Kassie’s illusion magic. A concealment spell to hide the transport magic circle inside.”

“An illusion circle containing a transport circle?”

“Yes, precisely.”

The youth answered as if expecting the question—Hansol, more perplexed, was staggered by the revelation.

A mere civilian would know nested magic circles are impossible. Nations post guards, place circles within buildings—always for a purpose.

Without such care, the painstakingly placed magic circles would often be destroyed by civilians or hunters alike. Yet this “forest” openly defied that law.

If magic circles could layer, there would be no need for such elaborate fortifications or personnel; protective or offensive magic circles could simply be stacked. The hardship existed because such layering was impossible.

“This way, please step up.”

Following the youth onto the magic circle, Hansol’s thoughts continued unabated. Britain was strange. No, special. Even Hansol alone garnered achievements, quests unavailable anywhere else. Britain was a veritable treasure trove to him.

Perhaps other hunters might find uniqueness here too. The Tower Lord, left behind, might be weaving layered magic circles somewhere in Britain, casting spells, surviving. Perhaps it was Britain itself that was extraordinary, not Hansol.

‘First find the two of them.’

No matter how much Hansol pondered, answers would not come easily. He must find the others. Sadly, the only hope lay in a mage like Kassie—though whether he would aid readily was uncertain.

‘I should say we came together to support Britain…’

The two allies had been separated for reasons unknown. Yes, let that be the story—a white lie, but a believable one. He could not confess he was drawn here by the association’s scheme.

“I suspect everyone will be surprised.”

“…Yes?”

Just as the magic circle began to shimmer little lights, the youth spoke softly again.

“We did not expect your return, Saint. Myself included. So please do not be too startled.”

For some reason, the youth’s proud smile was soon shrouded beneath the glow of magic, and Hansol’s vision turned white. He tightened his resolve once more, heeding that unspoken warning.