73th Episode: An Unexpected Reunion
“Shit! Can my luck be this bad?”
After coming up empty on the 31st name on the list, I slammed my shotgun into the ground.
This is ridiculous. Out of 35 people, I’ve investigated 31. I didn’t hope for the first one to be it, but at least he could’ve showed up within 30, right?
Do you really need to kill me one more time before you’re satisfied, you damn alternative world?
“Effectively, this is the last chance.”
The 32nd attempt. Judging by the brightness of the Holy Maiden’s crest, which will reach its peak at noon, there isn’t much time left.
If this turns up nothing, my time in this life is over. I have to head back to the inn.
“If I can’t find him…”
I’ll have to leave a message in the Box of the Dead for my next life to continue the search.
But… will the me from my next life… embrace death as easily as I did in this life?
No, the likelihood is high that I won’t.
“Because that’s me.”
Honestly, I don’t want to die right now.
I want to live like hell. Why the hell should the me from this life sacrifice himself for the me of the next? Thoughts like these keep creeping into my mind.
Thus, the me of the next life will likely fight for survival with every fiber of his being as well.
“Please, let this be him.”
Lost in these musings, I arrived at the residence of the 32nd person on the list.
At the dilapidated shack, I steeled myself and knocked gently.
Knock, knock. A moment of silence followed, and then the door creaked open slowly.
“Who… who is it?”
Damn it.
Even before I saw the face, my shoulders slumped upon hearing the voice.
Unknowingly, I tightened my grip on the list, slightly crumpling it.
“It’s a woman.”
The vagrant I collided with before wasn’t a woman.
From their build and the brief voice I heard during that encounter, it was definitely a man.
Even if I concede ground a hundred times and assume it was a woman with a manly voice, it sure as hell isn’t the voice I just heard.
“… Failure?”
I prepared to leave immediately, deflated.
If this memory doesn’t last, I’ll undoubtedly make the best decision to survive — running away from this city without hesitation.
That’s why maintaining this memory is crucial.
At the very least, I need to return to the inn quickly to recover the residual memory and prepare for the reset.
“Alright, let’s think of a message.”
After I regress and see the Box of the Dead, there will be a fleeting moment before the guy in question disappears from sight.
What message should I send to my next life that will immediately bring up the red-haired vagrant’s status screen?
“Alright, this should work.”
I pondered, thinking, “What would I need to hear to immediately check someone’s status without missing the chance?” The answer came surprisingly easy.
I scribbled down the message and stuffed it into the Box of the Dead. Just as I was about to tear off the remaining three names from the vagrant list and attach them to the box…
Creak.
The door opened fully, and a girl inside came into view.
Reflexively, I turned my gaze to her and recognized her face.
“Huh.”
I involuntarily let out a bewildered exclamation.
It was a mix of confusion, surprise, and joy overshadowing it all.
“Hey! You…!!”
An old acquaintance. I remember this face clearly.
I walked closer to the red-haired girl. With each step, she took a cautious step backward, clearly frightened.
“Why… why are you acting like this…?”
Her uncertain demeanor and, upon closer inspection, her distinctly pointed ears amidst her red hair perfectly matched the image in my memory.
My hunch was quickly turning into a certainty.
“You’ve seen me before, right!”
Without missing a beat, I asked her, leaning in.
If it is her, there’s no way she could have forgotten me.
Because at that time, I was pretty famous for my eccentric behavior.
For my “one meal a day” ritual.
“…Huh?”
The red-haired elf girl, who had been trembling in fear, let out an exclamation. Her eyes widened as she stared at me.
Of course, she recognizes me. This is definitely the woman I know.
The girl slowly pointed at me, muttering,
“Wait… could you be that guy who was always hanging around with the frog guy… the one who always ate?”
“… Well, that’s me, I guess.”
Damn. So that’s how I was seen in the Trial’s Veil.
It’s a bit disheartening to hear that I was known as ‘Scaro’s free meal’ from someone’s mouth.
But however disheartening it may be, I’m still glad to meet her.
Because she’s one of the people I truly wanted to meet.
“It’s been a while. One of the Last 16.”
I said that to her and extended my hand.
At first hesitant, the girl eventually clasped my hand firmly, though awkwardly.
She was one of the Last 16 who had endured until the very end in the Trial’s Veil.
The younger sister of the red-haired elf siblings buried somewhere in my memory.
Realizing this, my heart raced.
“If my memory serves me correctly…”
The composition of the Last 16 in the Trial’s Veil was roughly like this.
Me, Skaro, Aldcon, and Seseona — four people.
An unnamed young Korean man and an unremarkable group of four.
Five turbaned figures and a chained, tattered woman, making six more.
And finally, two red-haired, pointed-eared elf siblings.
“Everyone but me fell in the same place!”
Recalling this now made me feel incredibly sad, but that doesn’t matter right now.
What’s crucial is that the elf girl in front of me fell in the same place as Skaro, Aldcon, and Seseona.
In other words, there’s a high probability she knows their whereabouts.
That’s the key point here.
“Ear mission suspended.”
The plan has changed. No matter the risk, I need to obtain this information.
I immediately threw open the rickety wooden door.
The startled elf girl quickly tried to shut it, but I grabbed her wrist.
“It’s been a while; let’s have a drink. It’s on me.”
“A… uh…”
Of course, there’s no refusing. Fellow rookies from this alternate world.
Smiling slightly, I faced the still-cautious girl.
*
Of course, I wasn’t about to extract information from her directly with brute force.
I immediately took her to Kern’s bustling market streets. We headed to the grand night market, where I bought as much street food as I possibly could, practically breaking the table.
The red-haired elf girl was in a daze staring at the feast laid out before her.
“Is… is it… can I really… eat this?”
“Of course you can. I bought it for you.”
“Waah…!”
For a while, the girl ravenously consumed the food.
From her ragged appearance and the fact that she lived in a shantytown, I had guessed she was hungry — indeed, she was starving.
Choosing food as my bribe turned out to be the best decision.
“So, how did you end up living here as a vagrant?”
As soon as the elf girl had almost finished the plentiful food and was patting her satisfied belly, I casually asked.
“Well… it’s…”
The shadow fell over the elf girl’s face instantly.
She threw down the drumstick she was eating and started to sniffle, overwhelmed with emotion.
Damn. I thought I was just trying to lighten the mood with that question, but instead, it made the situation even darker.
I hate crying. I immediately decided to change the subject.
“Actually, what’s your name?”
“Huh… my name?”
“Right. I can’t keep calling you one of the Last 16, can I?”
“You’re right.”
‘ “Red-haired elf girl” or “one of the Last 16” are both too long. I just want a short name.’
Thankfully, she had already stopped crying. Soon, she cautiously revealed her name.
“…Gena. I’m Gena, the seventh daughter of Galan Forest.”
“The extra details are unnecessary. Gena will do.”
“Ye… Yes, sir.”
Thinking about it now, I think her brother in the Trial’s Veil was named Gena as well.
There’s no time for a long detour. I called back to the Trial’s Veil, and carefully chose one question at a time.
“First, I have a few things I’d like to ask you. Is that okay?”
“Oh, yes. Of course!”
Gena seemed happy her belly was now full and cheerfully nodded with a gentle smile.
Her elven features made her look cute. She seemed even more beautiful when she smiled.
“Remember the group that was with me in that dark space?”
“Sure… the laid-back frog uncle, the fiery dwarf grandfather, an enormous turtle uncle, and the kind blue-haired sister.”
“Exactly. That’s accurate.”
She not only remembered our appearances but even our personalities.
I don’t recall our party speaking with her in the Trial’s Veil, so this must mean she had a conversation with someone after the transition to Paraiso.
Suppressing my pounding heart, I continued asking her.
“Do you know where they are now?”
“Uh… it’s not… exactly certain.”
“Not certain?”
“… Yes. But I think I know.”
Even though it was ambiguous, it was definitely a positive answer.
Unconsciously, I clenched my fists.
