Children of the Rune – Winterer - Chapter 313

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 80.
Finding the Cat in the Furnace (32)
“It’s because of the stark contrast. You and your sister. One is a Demonic Hispanie, surpassing even genius, and the other is nothing but an idiot child. One survived, one died. Your sister knew nothing, so she never understood what happiness was. You know too well, which is why you cannot feel happiness. But this contrast is not proof that your positions could have been reversed. It’s the first time in your family clan that you and Grandfather Hispanie exist in the same era—how could your sister possibly be Demonic? To let your heart be stolen by contrasting fates and to include impossible possibilities is nothing but needlessly torturing yourself. It’s a form of self-harm.”
“You… are remarkably clear-headed.”
Joshua’s eyes held a light that was less melancholy than utterly unreal.
“Do you know why a Demonic is a Demonic? I suspect the first person to give the nickname ‘Demonic’ was Demonic Icabon himself. The name is too close to the truth. There lies an essence that no one else can perceive on behalf of another. Do you know what’s contained within the ability that a demon gave? The inability to love anyone. No tolerance, no mercy.”
His final words were so cold that Maximian barely recognized them as coming from the Joshua he knew. Maximian watched his eyes without responding.
“If one person runs as fast as a deer, everyone else appears to crawl at a snail’s pace. Even if it’s maddening, we live in the same world, so we have no choice but to match our pace as if our heels were shackled. Is it strange that I’m driven to madness? Sometimes I feel as though I’m surrounded by wooden puppets with only the most basic functions. Ah, sinful, wicked thoughts… But is enduring all of this truly the purpose of my life, born as I am? I doubt it. In this place where everything moves slowly, if I went mad, perhaps I’d finally find peace. My sister, who seemed to bear my original sin, my sister who ended her life that way—that’s why I hate thinking of her. As if I’d buried my original sin in the earth, in a grave. I cannot love people slower than myself. I cannot be merciful. I can only endure. Did I ever love my sister? I’ll never know.”
When he reached this point, Joshua suddenly covered his ears and shook his head. Maximian heard him respond wearily to some unknown presence.
“That’s enough. Leave me alone. I’m done now… No, I’m sick of it…”
“Joshua, who are you talking to?”
“I…”
His words trailed off. But moments later, Joshua suddenly sprang to his feet and shouted.
“Get out of here!”
Riche, who had been waking Caesar and gathering their belongings, turned with startled eyes. Maximian rose and seized Joshua’s wrist.
“What’s wrong with you!”
Joshua’s wrist thrummed with a rapid pulse as if he’d just finished a sprint. After some time in that state, Joshua sank back down and spoke listlessly.
“I’m sorry. Sometimes I hear strange voices… If I don’t do something like this, they just keep talking.”
“Not Kelce?”
“No. It’s different from Kelce. I can’t see it, only hear the voice… and the laughter is deeply unpleasant. Kelce told me not to converse with them. So I don’t even know what they are.”
Maximian looked as though he wanted to say it was just auditory hallucination, but given Kelsniti’s existence, he couldn’t bring himself to say it. Around that time, he had begun to suspect that spirits of some kind were particularly drawn to Joshua. Once he’d come to believe in the existence of spirits, such thoughts were hardly unreasonable.
“If you hear such voices again, tell me. I’ll teach you plenty of words to drive away such creatures.”
Having said this, Maximian paused to think before continuing.
“The problem was leaving you alone. Cooped up in a warm, comfortable place like Keltika, racking your brain—of course useless worries arise. If you’d had to earn your bread day by day, if you’d had to wonder which grass roots you could chew without dying, would you be saying such things now? Wouldn’t you instead be crying out gratitude for being given such talent that you can earn your living?”
Joshua had experienced how effectively hunger erases metaphysical concerns. Yet even with that memory, he couldn’t easily nod in agreement at this moment.
“Your words aren’t wrong, but that’s not all there is.”
“Yes, I know. That it’s not all there is.”
Maximian nodded, removed his glasses, and rubbed his weary eyes.
“If you have madness in you, don’t lock it in your chest and let it gnaw at your heart—let it out. Yes, Max Cardi, that was also a mask you created. A genius actor and singer, one who wears a mask and hides their private life but captivates people—become that instead. If you’re going to go mad, go mad in reality. I’ll watch over you.”
“Watch over me means…”
“If your madness goes too far, I’ll beat you senseless and put you to sleep.”
Maximian put his glasses back on and looked directly at Joshua’s face, speaking with unprecedented seriousness.
“If you continue living with that mindset, you’ll truly become a monster with whom I cannot communicate. Do you know how non-human beings are made? You—do you love yourself? If you can’t even do that, then you’re truly something from outside this world. But let me ask you one thing. What was Demonic Hispanie like? Did he not love the people of this world, and us? I know he’s Demonic, and I think he’d be in the same state as you describe yourself. Wouldn’t he?”
Joshua’s pupils wavered for a moment.
“Grandfather…”
“You wouldn’t dare say such a thing. All people have the ability to sense continuing sincerity. That’s why I’m certain of his sincerity. If there’s a difference between you and him… yes, it would be age. Even if a Demonic has ten times, a hundred times the intelligence of an ordinary person, they’re not born wise. Seeing you, I understand that. You seem fully grown because you surpass everyone around you, but compare yourself not to those around you, but to Grandfather. Do you still seem finished growing? Later, when you meet him, ask him. How did you spend those young years when you felt like you were going mad?”
Joshua eventually nodded.
“Yes. I should. Grandfather must have had times like mine. I want to ask him how he managed when he wanted to cut off his own head like I do now. If only this head didn’t exist—this head that contains so much, that accepts so much.”
Joshua stood with his arms crossed, his frame so thin and unstable it appeared as a single line.
“Then… perhaps I could become like you.”
Maximian met Joshua’s gaze across the smoking ash heap while remaining seated.
“What do you mean by ‘like me’?”
A moment later, Maximian let out a cynical chuckle.
“You mean a man without a head.”
“Maximian.”
Joshua looked down at his friend without smiling and spoke.
“Don’t you know I’ve always wanted to be like you?”
5. A Sorcerer’s Hobby
Stubborn girl, stop being so obstinate and come back. I’m growing drowsy waiting. Do you think I’m worried about you? Hardly. I’d be scolded for worrying about someone as great as you—how presumptuous. Absolutely not, not even a hair’s breadth of concern. Just come back quickly. Don’t get hurt, don’t do anything rash, please just come back.
Those from Anomarad, who had naively imagined something grand when they heard “border,” expressed their disappointment with muttered complaints.
“It’s just a meadow?”
“How can you tell anything from this?”
“Is that tree the marker?”
“Hey, don’t jump to conclusions on your own.”
Riche shaded her eyes with her hand and glanced around before turning to Caesar.
“Where is it?”
“We’ll have to search from here.”
Caesar leaped down from the riverbank and began striding forward with feigned vigor. Maximian followed behind him.
“What are we searching for in an empty meadow?”
“Well… something like a stone slab.”
“A stone?”
Tall grass that reached past their knees swayed and danced in the wind. Soon Riche joined in the search.
“So it’s a stone this time?”
“It might be a stone.”
“What kind of irresponsible answer is that?”
“I have a feeling it’s a stone this time. Actually, it is a stone.”
Joshua, left alone on the riverbank, gazed up at the sky where the sun gleamed white. Save for a few clouds near the distant horizon, the sky was painted a fresh, vivid blue. After staring upward for a while, he tilted his head and spoke.
“Could there be a barrier?”
Soon the clouds from the horizon spread across the entire sky, yet the four of them continued wandering through the meadow, perspiration streaming down their faces.
“Isn’t it irresponsible to search blindly when we don’t even know what the stone looks like?”
Caesar responded sheepishly to Riche’s complaint.
“I completely agree with you.”
“Who asked for your agreement!”
From a grass pile some distance away, Maximian craned his neck and shouted.
“Tell us the size of the stone again!”
“Well, about the size of two or three books combined… something like that.”
“Is it flat?”
“It could be or it might not be.”
“Does it have writing on it?”
Upon hearing this, Caesar suddenly changed direction and headed toward where Maximian stood. Maximian waited with one foot planted on a flat stone. Riche spoke.
“You already knew what it looked like, didn’t you?”
There were indeed characters carved into the stone. Though weathered and faded by time, they appeared to be dates and names. So the stone’s true identity was a gravestone, toppled to the ground.
It seemed a tomb had once stood here, but as the gravestone aged through the centuries, all trace of it had long since vanished. Maximian stated matter-of-factly that no bones would remain beneath the soil. Riche shrugged her shoulders as she spoke.
“Still, you should move your foot.”
Joshua, who had been crouching nearby like a bystander, examined the gravestone intently before suddenly pointing something out.
“The dates seem odd. Does Hyacan use a different calendar?”
“What?”
Children of the Runes – Winterer
Author: Jeon Min-hee
Publisher: 14 Months Publishing
The copyright to this book belongs to the author and 14 Months Publishing.
To reuse all or part of this book’s content, written consent from both parties is required.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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