(EP-300.2)


    300 – Home


    After receiving a small lily, I returned to the cave where Ste was lying down.


    Ste’s condition was like boiling magma—if I had dyed any longer, it wouldn’t have been surprising if her organs had started to melt.


    “This should make you better.”


    I gently opened Ste’s mouth, then crushed the flower petals against a rock and carefully fed them to her. But Ste, on the verge of losing consciousness, couldn’t tolerate the bitter taste and spat them right out.


    I tried several more times, but the result was the same.


    She just wouldn’t take it.


    Considering how much trouble I went through to obtain this medicine, I couldn’t help but feel slightly frustrated. But she was sick, so what could I do?


    “Excuse me for this.”


    So, I gently pinched her nose shut, and as her mouth opened, I pressed mine against hers, transferring the medicine directly. It was incredibly bitter. I could hear the sound of something being swallowed.


    Since there were five petals in total, I used the same method for all of them. As I waited anxiously for the medicine to take effect, it wasn’t long before the redness in Ste Bellhawk’s face started to fade.


    The struggles from the entire night hadn’t been in vain.


    Sssrrk.


    I touched her forehead, and her temperature had returned to normal.


    “Cough, ugh, what… what did you feed me?”


    “It’s called an evening primrose. It’s supposed to neutralize poison effectively. It’s said to make you healthier than before you were poisoned, so don’t spit it out.”


    “Ugh…”


    With a groan, Ste passed out again. All I could do was rotate damp towels over her forehead and wipe the cold sweat from her neck and face.


    I think this is the first time I’ve ever taken care of someone like this. It’s more exhausting than I thought. It made me realize just how much dedication is needed to care for someone properly.


    ━You’ve always been prone to illness.


    Suddenly, a voice brushed against my ear. Was it my mother’s? Lee Sung-eum’s? Or maybe it was Theo Gospel’s mother? I couldn’t tell.


    The memories of the two were blending like paint with no barriers, making it hard to distinguish which belonged to whom.


    Come to think of it, I had more questions about Solomon and that nymph. But saving the poisoned Ste was more urgent, so I hadn’t been able to ask.


    I’ll visit them tomorrow if Ste’s condition improves.


    With that thought in mind, I spent the night diligently caring for her. Then, I woke up to a cool sensation on my face. I opened my eyes to see Ste, who looked rtively well, staring at me.


    “Theo-kun, it’s morning.”


    “Ah. Ste-nim, it seems you’ve recovered. I was worried something might have gone wrong.”


    “Actually, I feel great. It’s as if every part of my body has been reced with brand-new pieces. I feel like I could fly!”


    As if to prove it, Ste stretched out her arms and legs smoothly. The effects of the medicine were better than expected. It was a relief to see her in good health.


    She asked.


    “An evening primrose? Where did you even find something like that? It only appears in legends.”


    “Legends?”


    “Yeah. They say it’s a flower that bloomed only in the age of mythology long ago. It’s said to be able to bring even the dying back to life.”


    “That…”


    I exined to Ste everything that had happened. After hearing the whole story, she suddenly burst intoughter.


    “A giant centipede named Ang? Do you really expect me to believe such a lie, Theo-kun? The great Ang is the sister of the wise spider Arg, a figure from ancient tales.”


    “But it’s true.”


    Ste looked like a teacher chastising a little child saying he’s seen Santa us.


    Determined to prove my story, I decided to take Ste to theke where I had fought the giant centipede the night before.


    But when we finally arrived at theke, there was no sign of the numerous centipedes or the giant immortal being.


    Just a clear and beautifulke.


    The peacefulke was surrounded by chrysanthemums, hydrangeas, and wildflowers. The evening primroses were nowhere to be seen.


    “It was really here. There was this massive centipede, and we fought—like, crash, bang, boom! The huge whirlpool…”


    “Yeah, I got it. I believe you.”


    “…….”


    I felt like I was hypnotized.


    “So, what did this great Ang say?”


    At the half-mocking question, lightning shed in my mind.


    “Oh, right. She told me to find her disciple, Kubi.”


    “Kubi? You mean the master of the eastern forest? Do you know where to find them?”


    “We can figure it out. Could you catch the wolf that’s been circling us for a while now?”


    “That’s easy.”


    Ste pulled a long sling from her waist and quickly hurled it. A sharp sound rang through the bushes, followed by a high-pitched cry.


    ━Kekeeng!


    As we approached the bushes where the sound hade from, we found arge wolf struggling with its legs tied. It was big enough to swallow someone like me in one bite. A strange third eye was embedded in its forehead.


    “Tartarus Wolf, the hell wolf. They’re known for the eye in the middle of their forehead. So Theo-kun, what are you nning to do with it?”


    “We’ll ask it for Kubi’s location.”


    I questioned the wolf,pelling it to lead us to its boss. Watching this, Ste clicked her tongue, saying “Talking to animals… It’s strange to see.”


    The important thing was that deep within the eastern forest, in a ce that could be called a canyon, a multitude of wolves awaited us. Among them stood a wolf about 4 meters tall, waiting for me.


    Its brown fur was stunning.


    Rather than calling it a monster or a beast, it seemed more fitting to describe it as a spirit creature.


    ━Are you Theo Gospel, the mage who defeated the ogre Dordor?


    Its mouth, long like an alligator’s snout, split open and spoke to me. I decided to tell them about the giant centipede immortal, Ang.


    “Ang-nim told me to find you. She said I could find what I want bying here.”


    ━I see. That must be the reason. Follow me.


    The wolves began to lead us somewhere from the canyon.


    As we followed, Ste chuckled, “Being guided by a pack of ferocious monster wolves… This could make for a research paper.” But the wolves didn’t seem to care.


    Finally, they stopped in front of a small cabin.


    An old, creaking cabin.


    “A cabin? Why did the wolves bring us here? Theo-kun, what are they saying?”


    “…….”


    No, can this even be called a cabin?”


    No roof, no walls, just the remnants of a foundation and a few pieces of furniture. Standing there, I suppressed the churning in my chest.


    An old table.


    A broken te.


    Two wooden spoons resting on top.


    The only thing that seemed somewhat intact was a decrepit, rotting wardrobe.


    I slowly approached the wardrobe and opened its creaky door. As expected, it was empty.


    Someone must have already taken all the useful things. But what caught my eye were the scribbles on the inside of the wardrobe door.


    A swirly sun. A tree. Birds, and…


    A woman holding a child’s hand.


    ━Hide well-.


    “I know this ce.”