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Chapter 49
Radie turned his back to Charlemagne.
His broad back looked firmly sulky.
He’s really mad this time.
Even when they had left him behind and gone on a mission because it was too dangerous for him to join, he hadn’t seemed this upset.
When Charlemagne approached, Radie’s shoulders twitched.
“Looks beautiful from up here, doesn’t it?”
“…Like I care.”
He said not to talk to him, but when Charlemagne did, he still answered properly.
Charlemagne stood beside him for a long while, both of them overlooking the city of Elium bathed in orange lights.
Where should he even start?
He had planned to explain everything only after finding the key to all of this, but now the order was all tangled up.
Would Radie even believe him if he said time had been turned back?
No matter how close they were, that sounded unbelievable.
And he didn’t want to say aloud how he had died.
“When I opened my eyes, I was staring at a ceiling I’d never seen before.”
“…”
“It wasn’t anywhere I recognized—and the person I saw in the mirror was someone I’d never seen in my life. It took a while before I realized I’d woken up in a foreign country, in someone else’s body.”
Then Radie shot out questions like a machine gun.
“Wasn’t there anything strange before your body changed? We were all drinking together that night, remember? Did something happen while we were asleep?”
“You said you wouldn’t talk to me.”
When Charlemagne chuckled, Radie quickly turned his head again.
“If you don’t like it, then forget it!”
Charlemagne repeated his words softly to himself.
Drinking that night, huh…
It really seemed that he was the only one who remembered what had happened before the world was reset.
“I’m trying to figure out why this happened. I was going to tell you once I understood. I didn’t expect you to recognize me so easily.”
“We would’ve known you even if you’d turned into a tiny raccoon.”
Charlemagne lowered his head and smiled faintly.
“Sorry to say this, but I was hoping you wouldn’t recognize me at all.”
“Is that really what you want to say right now?”
“I only realized it after waking up in another body… I’d driven you all into hell.”
“I don’t get what you mean. If you hadn’t taken me in, I’d still be a pickpocket.”
“You did steal my sword, didn’t you? You wouldn’t have stayed a petty thief.”
“True enough.”
Radie laughed, his mood lifting a little.
“What I just told you—I haven’t said it even to Felix.”
At that, Radie’s lips curled upward in satisfaction.
“Then don’t tell him. Ever.”
“Alright, so don’t sulk anymore.”
“I’m not sulking! I’m angry!”
“Same thing.”
“It’s not the same!”
Charlemagne turned slightly to the side.
“As long as we’re alive, Lakan won’t leave us in peace.”
“…Yeah.”
“But we won’t just sit back and take it.”
“Master, you don’t mean—”
Radie’s face stiffened.
“I do. We’re going to defeat Lakan. Only then can we all be free.”
“….”
Radie was speechless, as if struck by lightning.
Of course he’d be afraid.
This was a different kind of fear—one built deep inside through years of loyalty and submission. That kind of fear was hard to shake.
“I won’t force you. But for your safety, I want you to stay here.”
“What are you talking about!”
Radie suddenly shouted.
Charlemagne covered one ear with his hand.
“Why are you yelling—”
“I was just thinking, wow, this incredibly cool person is my master, and I felt so proud!”
“Incredibly cool… what?”
When Charlemagne raised an eyebrow, Radie stepped back, hands up in defense.
“It wasn’t an insult, Master! Whether you beat him or chew him up, I’ll follow you.”
“…”
“When did we ever swear loyalty to the Emperor? We were loyal to you, Master. You kept that from us, though.”
Radie gave him a reproachful look.
Charlemagne had no reply to that.
“Honestly, good riddance. Every time that bastard acted like he owned you, it made my skin crawl.”
Radie didn’t even bother to call Lakan “His Majesty” anymore, saying it with visible relief.
Then, suddenly, Radie stepped right up to Charlemagne.
“So.”
“…?”
“Don’t hide things from us again. I really mean it this time—I was hurt.”
At his half-serious threat, Charlemagne laughed softly.
“Alright. I’m sorry.”
“Good. You should be sorry this time.”
But Radie’s face had brightened again—his anger finally easing.
He placed both hands on Charlemagne’s shoulders and looked him up and down.
“Is there any way to get your real body back?”
“I’m looking.”
“Hope you find it soon. I really don’t like seeing you in someone else’s face.”
“I thought it looked pretty nice in the mirror.”
Radie stared at him for a moment.
“You seem different, Master.”
“Different how?”
“I don’t know. If I’d met you later, maybe I wouldn’t have recognized you right away.”
“Not in a bad way, I hope?”
“Nothing’s bad when it comes to you. You’re just… softer somehow. The atmosphere around you.”
Charlemagne looked baffled.
“Softer? What does that even mean?”
“I don’t know. Just… soft.”
Charlemagne turned around.
“I don’t know what that means, but if you’re done sulking, let’s head down.”
“I wanna stay here a bit longer with you, Master. Let’s stay.”
Even as Radie pleaded, Charlemagne waved him off firmly.
“Down. Now.”
Radie pouted, his lips sticking out dramatically.
* * *
The master and his three disciples were together again.
“How old are you to still run off in a huff?”
Felix clicked his tongue at Radie.
“If you’d been the last to find out, you’d have been even worse.”
Radie stuck close to Charlemagne as he said it.
Eltain shook his head slowly.
Charlemagne looked at the three of them and muttered,
“…Hopeless lot.”
He still couldn’t believe it.
How on earth had they recognized him?
“There you go again, saying things you don’t mean,” Radie teased, grinning ear to ear.
Charlemagne told them everything that had happened since he came here.
That Lakan was recruiting people under suspiciously generous terms.
He only left out the parts where he’d collapsed now and then.
“Master, even here you couldn’t rest, huh?”
“I rested plenty.”
Felix sighed and shook his head, exasperated.
“The Emperor’s scouring every corner of the world to find you, you know.”
At Eltain’s words, Felix nodded.
“Probably true. Oh, and around others, call him by name instead of ‘Master.’”
“Fine. Is there anything more we can do for you, then?”
Radie asked, eager as always.
“For now, no.”
“But why Elium of all places?”
“Maybe someone cursed you, Master.”
“No,” Charlemagne cut in before they could continue.
All three looked straight at him.
“There’s something you haven’t told us, isn’t there?” Eltain asked quietly.
There was—but Charlemagne shook his head.
“No. If it were a curse, I wouldn’t still be alive and well.”
His words hit home, and none of them could argue.
“Well, at least people here treat us fine—except that one kid who came to the shop with eggs.”
“The owner of this body was apparently very beloved in Elium.”
“Really? That explains a lot.”
“For now, the most important thing is for you all to get used to this place. I’ll handle the rest.”
Seeing all three nod firmly without hesitation eased Charlemagne’s mind a little.
The next morning.
“What on earth…”
Charlemagne had barely opened his eyes when guests arrived.
He thought they’d said enough the night before, but somehow, the three had shown up again early in the morning.
And on a golden Sunday, no less.
“What’s the rush? Did something happen?”
“Do we need a reason to come see your face?”
Radie wedged his large frame through the narrow gap between the door and Charlemagne, forcing his way inside.
Except for Charlemagne, none of them were exactly small, yet somehow they all managed to squeeze in.
Charlemagne rubbed his forehead as he watched them casually settle into his chairs.
It really did feel like the past was repeating itself.
No, maybe even worse.
“You were just gonna come find us at mealtime anyway, right? We’re just saving you the trouble.”
Radie said shamelessly.
“I told you to drop the ‘Master’ thing. Eat breakfast, then go.”
“We’re planning to stay all day.”
Eltain chimed in.
“That’s right!” Radie agreed cheerfully.
Honestly, Radie bickered with Felix constantly, but the one he clashed with most was Eltain.
If Radie was like a dog, Eltain was a cat.
When Radie fought with Felix, no one bothered to intervene, but when it was Eltain, Charlemagne and Felix would step in to mediate—so their fights never got too bad. And now, oddly enough, they seemed to get along better than ever.
“Should’ve just left you alone yesterday,” Charlemagne muttered.
“You’re always hardest on me,” Radie complained.
Charlemagne looked at Felix for help—the reliable one, the voice of reason.
But Felix only shook his head.
“These days, Master, they don’t listen to me either.”
“Felix… not you too…”
Charlemagne groaned and pressed his temples. His head was starting to throb.
