Farewell to the hero! chapter 71

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Kaindel pulled his hand away from his face, his lips curling into a bitter smile.

His expression hardened, as if he were a boy waking from a fleeting daydream, only to be struck by cold reality.

‘Hallucination.’

The word slipped out carelessly, as if he had experienced this before—seeing me.

It made no sense to me, as this was our first meeting in a year.

I watched as Kaindel, who had briefly been so sure of my presence, forced himself to accept reality.

His gaze fell to his injured hand, and he opened and closed his fist, letting the blood trickle freely.

His focus then shifted to the broken flowerpot lying on the ground.

“It’s about time you came out, isn’t it?”

Kaindel muttered cryptically, shaking his head as if lamenting my reluctance.

His bloodied hand reached down to pick up the pot shard again, staining it further.

The wound had worsened, and crimson streaks flowed unceasingly down to his wrist.

Unbothered by the pain, he rolled the shard between his fingers, even running his thumb over its sharp edge.

It wasn’t that he couldn’t feel the pain—rather, he seemed to revel in it.

The sight unsettled me, as if he had developed a strange new habit in my absence.

Kaindel remained crouched for a long while before standing.

He still clutched the shard, his face now composed, devoid of the earlier chaos.

His gaze scanned the surroundings meticulously, revealing his habitual preference for order as he adjusted his soiled sleeve.

Just as his searching eyes approached my hiding spot, a sound came from the opposite direction—a heavy, deliberate footstep that echoed despite the distance.

Kaindel’s head snapped toward the noise.

His green eyes rippled like a tranquil lake disturbed by a pebble, a faint yet growing wave of emotion spreading across his face.

This time, I could name it: anticipation.

“Is it there?”

“Ah…”

As Kaindel strode away, following the fading sound, I exhaled deeply.

The invisible noose around my neck loosened as tension drained from my body.

That was close. Too close.

I had nearly been caught before I could even think of what to do.

Once I confirmed Kaindel had gone far enough, I slipped out from behind the fence.

My legs and back ached after crouching so long, but I couldn’t afford to linger.

Adjusting my disheveled robe, I cast a wary glance at Kaindel’s retreating figure.

The rumors about his erratic behavior in the capital weren’t exaggerations.

He was drastically different from the Kaindel I had left behind.

Stepping over the trail of blood he had left behind, I quickly made my escape, retracing my earlier path.

There was no telling if he might return, and I couldn’t risk staying any longer.

Ignoring the worsening ring in my ears, I ran on.

＊＊＊

As soon as I arrived home, I pulled out the bags I had stored in the closet and began packing haphazardly.

I had no time to think about anything else.

The thought that Kaindel had already reached Aiden Village and that something about his condition seemed off consumed my mind entirely.

“I have to hurry…”

I had to pack quickly and get to Sehir.

Suppressing my growing impatience, I carefully gathered the clothes and items I would need.

I didn’t forget to include the dye Sehir had brought for me.

Though Sehir had told me to take my time and think things over during his four-day stay, my encounter with Kaindel left no room for second guesses.

I’d tell Sehir that the temple seemed like the best choice.

Resolving myself, I grabbed the packed bags and was about to step out of the house when my eyes caught on a quill sitting alone on the table.

It was the one Tommy had left behind last time.

“I think I’m happiest when I’m learning to write with you, Teacher.”

The moment I saw the quill, Tommy’s words from before popped into my mind.

The dread of encountering Kaindel and the singular focus on escaping him momentarily ebbed away, leaving a void.

I had resolved to leave, to escape Kaindel, who was seeking me out.

Yet, there were too many precious things here that I didn’t want to leave behind.

Tommy was one of them.

Of course, just because something was precious didn’t mean I could take it to the temple.

But I could at least say a proper goodbye.

If I disappeared without a word, Tommy would be heartbroken.

While I couldn’t say farewell to everyone in the village, I wanted to at least see Tommy.

As my wavering resolve found direction, my gaze fell on the neatly stacked books in the living room—books I had read so many times during breaks that I’d practically memorized them.

“They’re not coming with me anyway.”

Rationalizing my actions, I grabbed an empty bag and selected two or three books that Tommy might enjoy from the towering stacks.

After adding the quill and ink, the bag felt satisfyingly full.

With the extra bag for Tommy, I finally stepped out of the house, feeling a little lighter.

Tommy’s house was in the building opposite the village hall.

I made my way there briskly and knocked on the front door.

It didn’t take long for Angela to answer.

“Oh my, Teacher! What brings you here?”

“Who is it?”

A gaunt man appeared behind Angela, his gentle features reminiscent of Tommy’s.

He studied me for a moment before tilting his head in curiosity.

Angela, laughing lightly, gave him a light tap on the side of his head.

“Didn’t I tell you not to greet people looking so scruffy?”

“He looks like one of the villagers, so what’s the harm? Though, I don’t think I’ve seen this face before… Ow!”

“Don’t go sticking your face in like that. You’ll scare the Teacher, you idiot.”

From Angela’s casual demeanor toward the man, I could guess his identity.

His resemblance to Tommy further confirmed my suspicions.

“Are you Marcus, by chance?”

“Yes, that’s me. Don’t mind him, Teacher. He may seem thoughtless, but he’s not the type to make you uncomfortable.”

“I understand.”

So I was right.

Meeting Marcus’s gaze, I gave him a small, friendly smile, hoping he wouldn’t see me as a threat.

“Were you in the middle of a meal?”

“We were just finishing up… Oh, have you eaten, Teacher?”

“I have, thank you. Once you’re done, would it be all right if I spoke with Tommy for a bit? Just the two of us.”

“Of course! Tommy’s been saying he misses you.” Angela seemed delighted by my request, assuring me that Tommy would be thrilled.

She then dragged the still-suspicious Marcus inside.

“Tommy! Your teacher’s here!”

“Teacher?”

The sound of Angela delivering the news set off a loud commotion upstairs.

Soon, Tommy came rushing down, his face lighting up in a bright red flush the moment he saw me.

“Teacher!”

“Careful, don’t trip.”

“I missed you!”

Though it had only been two days since our last class—delayed because of my discussions with Sehir—Tommy clung to me like it had been years.

His wide, shining eyes looking up at me brimmed with affection as his small arms wrapped tightly around my thigh.

“Have you been busy, Teacher? I finished all my assignments! I can even tell the difference between luck and happiness now. But what’s with the bag? Are you going on a trip? Or are you going to start farming potatoes? I can help!”

“Thank you for such a warm welcome, Tommy. It’s so good to see you too. But I don’t have much time now, so can I answer your questions later?”

“Why?”

“My friend is waiting for me.”

Ruffling Tommy’s hair lightly, I tried to explain as gently as I could, though time didn’t permit me to elaborate.

I handed him the bag I had packed for him.

“Here, this is for you.”

“What is it?”

“It has a quill, ink, and a few books I thought you might like.”

“For me?”

“Yes, they’re yours now.”

“…Are you going somewhere far away, Teacher?”

“Hm?”