ushernet Chapter 122
Chapter 122
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
Chapter 122: Return (4)
"......."
"......."
A suffocating silence descended on the pristine white rooftop.
I could feel Sasha's wide-eyed gaze fixed on my face, studying me repeatedly.
"Ah."
Moments later, she finally understood what I had said and smiled brightly.
"You're right. You really do seem like a different person. Compared to before, your personality is much gentler, and your social skills have improved. It's like... you’ve gained a sense of ease, somehow."
"......."
"To be honest, I couldn’t believe it when I only read about it in your letters. But you really have changed. It’s as if... you’re an entirely different person."
Oscar couldn’t say anything.
Because, in truth, he was someone else, and the Oscar Crucian she knew had already died.
That thought alone suddenly filled him with dread.
‘...If Sasha finds out the truth, how will she react?’
She had often talked about how she used to have lively discussions about magic theory with the younger Oscar, sharing conversations and moments of camaraderie.
To her, young Oscar must have been both an intelligent junior and a companion in the pursuit of knowledge.
The realization that he would have to tell her about the death of such a cherished figure felt like a heavy stone pressing on his chest.
"Well, it must be that your personality changed because of amnesia."
"......."
A brief inner conflict flitted across his mind.
That one line was all it would take.
If he said, "Yes, that’s it," Sasha wouldn’t have any doubts, and he could continue keeping this secret.
‘But...’
Now was the perfect time to reveal the truth.
She had just shared secrets about her past that she had kept hidden.
Not revealing his own secret in return would feel like a betrayal.
If the truth came out later, in any other way, she would undoubtedly feel deeply betrayed.
‘More importantly...’
Oscar hated admitting this to himself, but there were advantages to telling Sasha the truth.
A 4th-level mage’s abilities were limited, but with the support of a Tower Master, things could change dramatically.
And now that he knew her feelings toward him were tinged with a frustrated sense of resentment, there was no longer any reason to hide the truth.
"......."
But why?
His lips, which usually moved so easily, felt like rusted bolts, refusing to budge.
It wasn’t hard to pinpoint the reason.
‘...I’m afraid.’
When he conversed with her as the younger Oscar, the arrows of resentment always aimed at Oscar Sage.
This allowed him to take a step back, to listen as a bystander.
But revealing the truth would mean those arrows would now turn toward him.
That’s what scared him.
‘...Am I afraid of hearing Sasha’s direct resentment?’
That’s why he wanted so desperately to run away.
Understanding his own emotions, Oscar gave a bitter smile.
Even now, the fear and desire to escape hadn’t disappeared.
His fists were sweaty, and his arms trembled.
But in this world, there are things you must face, no matter how afraid you are or how much you want to run.
‘Facing those things head-on without retreating.’
The world calls people who can do that "adults."
It was time for him to stand before Sasha, not as the younger Oscar, but as an adult—and as the mentor he once was.
With his resolve firmed, Oscar’s lips finally parted, and his calm voice flowed out.
"Amnesia—yes, that was the most convenient excuse at the time."
"...?"
Sasha’s eyes widened at the sudden remark.
"And it worked well. People simply attributed my changes to memory loss."
"So... are you saying you never had amnesia?"
"That’s right."
"But... you genuinely don’t seem to remember the conversations you had in the past, do you?"
Oscar met her gaze directly.
"Of course not. I’m not Oscar Crucian."
"......."
Sasha, who seemed about to say something, suddenly fell silent.
“...”
You’re the one who tried to kill me first!
About to claim self-defense, Oscar was stunned by the incoming gusts of wind.
“Unique Magic: Rippling Wind.”
Countless gentle breezes flew toward him with no sense of malice or warning.
But Oscar knew what those winds truly were.
‘You’ve got to be kidding me.’
Rippling Wind was a magic so powerful that it could effortlessly slice through the bones of most monsters.
And, needless to say, he was far less durable than those monsters.
“Blink.”
Once again, Oscar pulled the cord, teleporting to the opposite end of the rooftop.
Just as he resolved to keep running until Sasha’s anger waned—
“I’ve already seen that trick.”
“...!”
A chilling voice accompanied by a petite figure’s cold gaze pierced him.
In the blink of an eye, Sasha had read his magic and tracked his location, already waiting for him at the new spot.
Thud!
“Gah!”
Sasha’s small fist struck him square in the solar plexus.
Though her hands seemed delicate, they carried an immense amount of magical power.
‘If that lands, it’s over.’
Oscar instinctively realized this and hastily completed a spell.
『Isolation Garden.』
Forced to act quickly, he sacrificed several safety measures, further shrinking the already small range of the spell.
‘But this will be enough.’
Sure enough, Sasha’s fist halted midair.
She stared at the void-like domain surrounding her with a bewildered expression.
“This... is Master’s... How is this possible?”
Isolation Garden was a unique spell created by Oscar Sage.
Naturally, it was a spell that couldn’t exist in the world after his death.
“...Who are you?”
With a gaze filled with indescribable emotions, she asked him.
“Who are you to claim Oscar is dead, and yet so effortlessly use the magic of my late Master?”
It was only natural for her to react this way.
If their roles were reversed, he too wouldn’t have believed it easily and would have been suspicious.
Oscar gave a bitter smile.
And then, for the first time, he said the words he had been holding back, pressing deep into his heart.
“I’m sorry.”
“...?”
Sasha’s eyes widened, unable to grasp the meaning behind his apology.
Then, the sincerity in Oscar’s voice resonated clearly as he spoke.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t keep my promise to return in a hundred nights.”
It was the last promise he had made to Sasha—one he had ultimately failed to fulfill.
And if he ever faced her again as Oscar Sage, it was the first thing he wanted to say.
“...”
Sasha’s wide, glistening eyes fixed on him.
A whirlwind of emotions surged within her gaze.
Don’t believe it, I can’t trust him.
But I want to believe... This must be a trick... But how could anyone else know that?
Finally, the words she managed to force out were ones of denial.
“...Don’t lie to me.”
“I’m not lying.”
“Master is dead.”
“Yes, but somehow, I’ve come to meet this crybaby again.”
“Don’t call me... a crybaby...”
The radiant magic around her dissipated into countless particles, scattering like snow and wind in every direction.
Amid the swirling fragments, Sasha rubbed her eyes and began to sob like a child.
“...”
Her body might have grown, but her crying was just as it had been before.
Oscar silently stayed by her side, waiting until she calmed down.
There were so many things they needed to talk about from here on out.
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]