Episode 110. Robbing an Empty House (5)
The storekeeper stopped trying to sell his fruit, pulled out a chair from the inside, sat in front of me, and quietly listened to my questions.
I had prepared the questions in my head on the way here. They contained information that could immediately derive the Returnee’s identity if the people of the other world knew of their existence.
“So, if I put together what you’ve told me… There’s only one person that comes to mind.”
He seemed to have thought of an individual, as I intended. I was relieved. If this man didn’t know, I might have wasted more time wandering around.
The storekeeper put his hand on his chin, thinking for a moment, and soon started to speak.
“Well, I didn’t expect anyone else to ask me this. Most people who have lived here for a long time will think of one person when they hear your questions. You’re probably spending a lot of money to figure it out because you’re an outsider and don’t know the details.”
“So other people are asking similar questions… Did anyone else come looking for someone like that?”
“There used to be a lot. After all, such a great person did something terrible overnight and disappeared……. So people searched out of vengeance, and also many people who missed or needed the person. The Emperor here also had people looking for the individual for a while.”
“A great person… What do you mean ‘disappeared overnight’?”
The person fit the criteria for a ‘Returnee’ even more. I narrowed my eyes and asked more about it.
“That person could control the world if they wished to. The individual appeared out of nowhere and founded a kingdom based on their powerful ability and the forces they led. It was an ideal kingdom, enough to be called a Utopia. A lot of people moved there, and many other kingdoms wanted to win the King’s favor.”
“And you said the King disappeared overnight? What was the terrible thing?”
“Ask one question at a time, please. Hmm… I guess I had better tell you about the terrible thing first.”
He bit down on one of the fruits he had on display. Then, he also handed me a fruit.
“It was a peaceful, large kingdom. It was superior in all regards, such as wealth and military power. But it collapsed like a pile of sand overnight.”
“It collapsed….”
“Yes. Not only the people who lived there but also the splendid and beautiful buildings—all turned to dust. They say the children and women turned into puddles of blood, and the men and animals turned into sand and covered it up. It was bizarre. Apparently, it caused quite a stir over the whole world.”
“…….”
“And then a wizard from some kingdom found some traces there. The wizard discovered that the King who founded and led the kingdom, who people called the ruler of the world, was the one who committed such a terrible act.”
“Oh….”
I nodded and sighed quietly. With the power to blow up a large kingdom, how strong would the Returnee be? The Returnee must have used some weapon or employed the help of something else, but it was hard to think of the Returnee as an ordinary human being.
“Hahahahaha.”
“……?”
I was deep in thought when the man looked at my face and suddenly burst into laughter.
“Why the serious face and wonder? It’s a story famous in this kingdom, just a story.”
“A story…?”
“Yes, it’s a legend that children and adults who enjoy fantasy novels find interesting. I heard it’s an ancient tale. Roughly… 200 years?”
“So you’ve been telling me a local legend all this time?”
“Wasn’t that what you wanted to know? All of your questions were pointing to the main character of the story.”
The storekeeper laughed for some more time. Then he scratched his head and said.
“Anyway, the era of magic and swords was a long time ago. Why are you bringing it up?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Even if you’re an outsider, how can you not know? What, are you from the north, across the ocean? Or are you playing a stupid joke or something?”
“I’m asking because I really don’t know.”
The man let out a deep sigh.
“…Phew. Fine, I’ll tell you.”
“…….”
“The story you heard is the ‘Alice Legend’. They say that about the time when the legend was born, magic and the sword aura of great knights completely disappeared from this world.”
“…What did you just say?”
“What now?”
“Alice Legend? Can you pronounce it again?”
“Sigh… you keep making me do weird things.”
The store owner lamented, but I glared at him regardless. He couldn’t help but open his mouth.
“Alice Legend.”
I opened my eyes wide. The man had been talking in the language of the Empire, but his pronunciation became similar to English when he said Alice, though clumsy.
“Do you know the origin of the name of the Alice Legend?”
“What origin? It’s just called that because the hero of the legend called themselves Alice or whatever weird word. The King fell from the sky and lamented being in the same situation as some Alice from some Wonderland, a fairytale that doesn’t even exist.”
“……!”
The storekeeper said casually, but his words left an impression. I had found a clue. There was a chance that I could take everything that a Returnee had left behind a very long time ago, by this world’s standards.
“Where can I find information about the legend?”
* * *
“Mr. Si-woo, how did you do that? You were just listening and then suddenly you started to speak like a local! Did you analyze the language and figure out the underlying rules? Wow….”
“No, it was thanks to my Characteristics.”
“…Your answer is too boring.”
“I’m making it clear so you don’t make strange assumptions. I never analyzed a language, but I’m analyzing this book right now, so don’t bother me, just go over there.”
“Okay, okay.”
I pushed aside Han Yeon-soo, who kept clinging to me, and turned my eyes back to the book.
The Alice Legend.
It was an officially recorded book about the legend. The Akashic Records even taught me the written language, so I could read the contents easily as if I were reading Korean.
The story was similar to what the store owner said, but many parts were different.
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