Chapter 290

Just a moment ago, he was the very embodiment of a wise sage, but just like that, he turned into a lecherous old man.

I briefly contemplated whether to gouge his eyes out or rip out his tongue.

It was clear that this man had the unsettling ability to toy with people’s hearts with just a few words.

“What are you doing here? And who is this?”

Eli approached us with her signature bright expression.

I alternated my gaze between her chest and her face. How could this winter outfit be so… revealing?

Despite being layered up, her overwhelming bust was still on full display. Truly something else.

‘These clothes are definitely a bit… varied.’

It was a typical medieval look thrown together, yet underneath was something akin to a sweater.

Thanks to that, Eli’s figure was far from concealed. She seemed unconcerned as well.

“Just a weird old man. His name is Warden.”

“A weird old man?”

“This rude guy even read my palm.”

Well, a weird old man he certainly was, oscillating between wisdom and crassness with a single word.

I didn’t mind Warden’s grumbling one bit. If he were to get angry here, that would just be shameless.

At least Warden seemed to know what he was saying. He clicked his tongue and addressed Eli.

“Hey there, lovely lady.”

“Huh?”

Wow, how can he even talk like that?

The simple term “lovely” manages to convey both crassness and admiration. Impressive in many ways!

As I chuckled silently to myself, Warden tapped his cane beside him instead of speaking.

It wasn’t appropriate to stand while talking, so it was a signal for her to sit beside him. But I wasn’t about to let that happen.

“Eli, sit here.”

“Um? But…”

“Sit.”

There’s no way I’d let her sit next to that perverted old man. Who knows what might happen if I let my guard down?

Under my not-so-subtle pressure, Eli hesitated a moment but then smiled awkwardly and took a seat.

Of course, it was beside me, not him. Warden watched our exchange in silence.

With his wide-brimmed hat, I couldn’t see his expression, but the vibe was pretty close to “Look at these kids.”

“Such a crazy world we live in, isn’t it? Ignoring the old man’s requests.”

“Oh, that’s…”

“Don’t touch that.”

Before Eli could utter a word in frustration at Warden’s lamentation, I suddenly clung to her and warned her.

Eli’s eyes widened in surprise at my closeness, but soon she smiled bashfully and leaned against me.

Was Warden pleased by our cozy display? Unlike his earlier grumbling, he was now grinning.

Despite his bushy beard, his pearly white teeth really stood out. It was the first time I’d seen him smile like that.

“How greedy can you be? That’s why I like you even more.”

“…”

“The girl is quite lovely, so the chances of having children should be fine. Of course, as long as the man does his part. Hehe.”

Has this guy already lost his marbles? No, he’s just being slyly sarcastic.

Aside from being a little quirky, Eli would make a perfect bride. Honestly, she could marry into a noble family.

Warden was indirectly calling me inadequate compared to Eli. He even bruised my pride as a man.

I felt a slight pang of frustration but decided not to get dragged into it. Instead, I resolved to throw it right back at him.

“Old man.”

“Huh? Did you call me?”

“Get up?”

“…”

With just a single word, I shot down Warden’s rambling.

While I stifled a snicker inside, Warden let out a puff, like air escaping from a balloon.

He seemed genuinely baffled. Following that, he shook his head and grumbled like a child.

“Geez. Tsk tsk. Kids these days and their manners. Who the heck did you take after?”

I don’t have parents. Well, I do, but they’re really far away.

There’s no need to go into that. Just messing with Warden was enough.

“Anyway, lovely lady. Why did you come here? Are you here to meet your husband?”

“Huh? My husband?”

“You’re acting like a couple, so why the surprise?”

“Oh, well… Hehe. We’re not married.”

Eli blushed and answered shyly. According to her, they weren’t married.

The problem was, calling it a girlfriend relationship was a bit of a stretch. After all, they had already kissed.

They just hadn’t made it public yet. Eli wasn’t the only one; several other girls had their sights set on me too, so it’s a delicate situation.

“What? So, no kids yet? You could definitely produce a few.”

“I want to, but Sivar keeps avoiding me. He has school and all.”

“Forget about school. Women should prioritize family! You’re bound to have kids, so why bother with studies?”

“Still, I want to be educated.”

What is this strange sense of familiarity?

It feels like a daughter-in-law and father-in-law squabbling. Normally, it would be a mother-in-law, but…

Sure, there’s an academy, but most ordinary folks tend to marry young.

Eli’s age is right at that sweet spot. Warden’s common sense wasn’t odd at all.

‘This guy’s not just a boomer; he’s downright traditional.’

Warden was simply saying what everyone in his time would agree with. Eli merely countered it with the opinions of the era.

The existence of an academy was just ahead of its time.

“If you decide to have kids, make sure to keep them warm in the winter. Learn to knit or something.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. What about food?”

“Absolutely no honey. It’s poison for babies. Got it?”

“Huh? Why is honey poison?”

At least he occasionally shared useful knowledge. In moments like these, he really did seem wise.

Honestly, he shared insights I had completely forgotten about, and I was often left amazed.

“And be careful while breastfeeding. Babies might choke if you’re not cautious.”

“…”

The problem is, there’s a strange crassness woven into his words. It sounds sage-like, yet has that ambiguity.

But I overlooked the crassness because the knowledge was still useful. Eli didn’t seem to mind the crassness either.

“But where do you hail from, old man?”

“From a faraway place. Just came to check on a friend’s kid.”

“Far away? Where exactly?”

“It’s a place with names that change every time, so it’s hard to say.”

A place where the village names change? I had no clue what he meant, but Eli seemed to understand.

She nodded, likely grasping the general idea. Curious, I asked her.

“What do you mean, village names change?”

“Long ago, it happened quite a lot. Some countries would collect fewer taxes when establishing a new village. Since the tax collectors change each time, they just take advantage of that.”

“Won’t that get caught?”

“Hehe. There’s a way to not get caught.”

Warden laughed wickedly at my question. He was indeed a wise man, but in the more mischievous sense.

Just then, as I looked at Warden with a strange gaze, Eli retorted with a disapproving tone.

“Grandpa, that trick doesn’t work anymore. There have been so many attempts that it could lead to execution now.”

“Let them try. I’ve lived long enough anyway.”

“…”

Is that how a real man ages? He doesn’t seem to fear authority at all.

Or maybe he’s just unconcerned since he feels he’s already lived life fully. Truly an unpredictable old man.

“Hmm… has it been this long already?”

Warden muttered as he gazed at the sky. Eli and I looked up as well.

In the clear sky, only the sun boldly prevailed. However, the sun’s high position suggested quite a bit of time had passed.

Even in a simple conversation, time flew by like this. It meant Warden was quite the talker.

“Before I go, lovely lady. Could you extend your hand for a moment?”

“Why do you need my hand?”

“I want to check your palm lines. I learned this skill from the Eastern Empire.”

At Warden’s request, Eli looked at me. It was a silent question of whether to trust him.

I nodded in response. My silent consent mirrored hers.

After all, we were just having fun with this anyway, as long as he doesn’t get too handsy.

“Let’s see… Huh?”

However, as soon as he looked at Eli’s palm, he made a bizarre sound. What on earth did he see?

Moreover, he kept alternating between gazing at Eli’s face and her palm. Quite a flustered reaction.

“Why are you acting like that? Is there something wrong?”

“Dear girl, how old are you?”

“Um… probably around 19? 20? Somewhere around that.”

The age to enter the academy doesn’t really matter. At the very least, Kara has to be 2-3 years older than Eli.

It’s not odd for Eli not to know her age. Usually, by the time they should be getting married, they do.

As far as I remember, Eli and Luna were the youngest. Of course, it’s not a significant difference.

“I’m sorry to say this, but… I think it’ll be tough for you to make it past 23.”

“Huh?”

“Your life line is short—way too short.”

Making it past 23. Upon hearing those words, there was no option for me but to stiffen my face.

Eli has already skirted death countless times even in the Soul World.

If it comes to the later part, balance or anything else won’t matter, so she should be fine, but until then, it’s very dangerous.

“Why? Why is it difficult to live past 23?”

“I’m not too sure myself. However, after overcoming a total of 5 crises, your life line will stabilize. Luckily, you’ve passed two already.”

“Two?”

Eli tilted her head. I felt a similar confusion but soon realized.

The first time in the forest, she was saved by me from a potentially deadly situation. I barely managed to stop her from turning into a mushy mess in Manki’s hands.

And the second time… probably at the freshman welcoming party. Had things gone slightly awry, her purity would have been in jeopardy.

If her purity had been compromised, given Eli’s nature, the chance she’d take her own life would be extremely high.

“Oh! I almost died once when I ate a bad mushroom when I was little. Does that count?”

“That doesn’t count. It’s not a case where life lines existed, then faded. A powerful destiny changed your fate.”

“A powerful destiny?”

Eli tilted her head, probably referring to her entry into the academy.

There’s no way someone living normally would turn into a flatfish otherwise. The academy is certainly part of the problem.

“How curious. Regardless, you just need to get through three more crises. Fortunately, your protector seems strong enough, so you should survive at least once.”

“Protector?”

“Whoever it is, just hope they take good care of you. That protector could lose their life to save yours.”

“…”

That’s not exactly a comforting notion. Eli seemed to share a similar sentiment, her expression somewhat grim.

The protector losing their life. The only entities that could match or surpass me and Porori would be the ones that come close.

This means someone of significant strength is likely showing up. It’s a warning not to let my guard down.

I think it’d be wise to tip off Porori about this too.

It’s just a superstition, but taking precautions never hurts. After all, I almost fell to a Hunter before, didn’t I?

“Now, moving on to your family fortune… wow. It’s quite rich. Though whoever your husband is, you’re bound to have a happy family.”

“Really? Hehe.”

“Provided that husband pays you some attention, that is. For now, you’re somewhat on divergent paths.”

Warden said that while casting an eye my way. That was likely due to my ultimate goal.

My ultimate objective was to return home. That’s why his comment about Eli’s family path was awry.

“Um… the rest seems rather normal. It looks like you left your fate in someone else’s hands, am I right?”

“I left it to Sivar. He saved my life.”

“You little rascal. How can you not get married in this situation? You’re bound to face divine retribution.”

“Hey, why me?”

Out of nowhere, he transformed back into that odd old man again. I felt wronged as he pointed his cane at me.

It’s not that I don’t want to; it’s just hard to accept due to circumstances.

“Oh dear. Guess we’ve talked enough.”

After confirming Eli’s palm, Warden stood up. He seemed to have had enough rest.

Eli and I rose, but Warden waved his hand. It was a sign that he didn’t need any help.

“I have someone to meet. You two don’t need to tag along.”

“At least…”

“As I mentioned earlier, I’m not weak enough to need help from a young’un.”

He spoke in a sturdy voice contrary to his bent back. He genuinely didn’t seem to need assistance.

“Listen, kid.”

“Me?”

“Yeah. Isn’t there anyone younger than you around?”

He just said I was young earlier, and now he’s calling me a kid. I have no clue what he’s getting at.

Anyway, since an adult is talking, I should probably listen. I adopted a listening posture.

“It’d be wise to redefine your goals. They seem impossible to achieve.”

“…”

“Well then, I’m off. It’s been a good chat.”

Warden left those cryptic words behind as he began to stride away. Contrarily to his hunched posture, his pace was surprisingly brisk.

As I watched his retreating figure, I turned away just in time to find Eli had also turned to meet my gaze.

“What a fascinating old man, right?”

“Yeah.”

And then, just a moment later.

“Have you seen this wretched child? Is that something you say to an elder?”

“Ah! D-Don’t hit me…!”

“…?”

I spotted Luna being hit with Warden’s cane.

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