Children of the Rune – Winterer - Chapter 369

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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 139.
May Your Final Performance
Be Your Greatest (14)
Maximian, struck by the heart of the matter, fell silent for a moment before lowering his gaze and muttering somewhat awkwardly.
“Alcohol is a remarkably functional thing.”
Riche pouted her lower lip.
“From what I’ve observed, drinking alcohol only makes people foolish.”
“That’s only because you’ve merely ‘watched’ from the sidelines.”
“Then what other function does it have?”
Maximian took a sip of beer and spoke.
“When you catch a cold, peppermint tea works wonders. For an upset stomach, you brew and drink dandelion root. For headaches, a bit of poppy extract is remarkably effective. Can’t sleep? A warm glass of milk. Want to forget the cold? Brandy. There’s always an answer for every problem. So what do you take when you’re angry? When you’re sad? When something irritates you? When you’re struggling through each day with unsolved problems and feel suffocated—what then?”
Riche let out a short laugh as if hearing something ridiculous.
“You’re saying drinking alcohol solves those things? That’s hilarious. Sure, you might feel good for a moment, but to anyone watching, you just look like a fool. And the next morning, all you have is a headache, isn’t that right?”
Maximian shrugged his shoulders and chuckled softly.
“You’re talking as if you’ve actually drunk before.”
“Yes, I have tried it. It was utterly useless.”
As if suddenly remembering the past, Riche propped her elbow on the table and rested her chin in her hand, letting out a small sigh. Maximian noticed her profile looked considerably more worn than when they first met. Was that my fault, or that bastard Joshua’s? he thought, reaching for his glass again when he heard Riche’s voice.
“We’ve come so far. This place—Durnensa, which I’d only heard about in stories. I’m surprised at how well I’m adapting. I sleep soundly even though it’s not home, I eat the food of a foreign land just fine, I’m not even sick… and I don’t need alcohol either, if what you say is true. I’m not angry, I’m not sad.”
“You know the saying—fools don’t catch colds.”
When Maximian spoke abruptly, Riche turned her head while still resting her chin on her hand, her eyes narrowing.
“Are you calling me a fool right now? And why wouldn’t a fool catch a cold? Fools are people too.”
“The thing about fools is, even when they catch a cold, they don’t realize it—they think they never caught one. Only when they collapse from illness do they find out.”
“Maximian, you…”
As Riche tried to kick him with her foot, Maximian lightly pushed his chair back.
“Do you really want to get scolded?”
“Just drink your alcohol.”
Saying that, Maximian called out to a passing server, asking for another beer. Riche shot back at him.
“I said I’m not drinking!”
“A girl who doesn’t even know she’s caught a cold. Take your medicine and stay quiet.”
When a foaming beer arrived and was set down, Riche seemed to forget she’d just shouted she wouldn’t drink. She stared at it intently, then suddenly grabbed it and swallowed seven gulps without even breathing. She set it down on the table with a thud, lowered her head, and caught her breath for a moment.
“You drink well.”
“Yes. Let’s see if that cold you didn’t even know you had gets better.”
As Riche sat waiting for the medicine to take effect, her eyebrows furrowed with concentration. Maximian rolled his neck back and forth to loosen it, then made a soft clicking sound with one corner of his mouth as he spoke.
“You look like someone waiting for a reaction after taking poison.”
“Don’t meddle. Everyone has their own way of drinking, don’t they?”
“Rather than different, I’d say… ingenious.”
Riche’s expression gradually changed. Her eyebrows furrowed and relaxed repeatedly, then her nose scrunched up, and after that her lips trembled before relaxing. As she transformed so gradually, Maximian paid no attention and continued drinking alone. Then Riche suddenly spoke toward the empty air.
“When you think about it, it hasn’t been that long. Joshua at least saw your face a bit earlier, but I’ve only known you for less than a month? Anyway, it’s fine. The dates don’t matter. We had a terrible connection. We were never meant to meet. At first, I thought it was just strange fate, that I was unlucky, but when Joshua was in that comatose state and I sat on the second floor of Manager’s Clock Shop listening to your story, my thoughts gradually changed.”
Riche paused for a moment, then turned her head toward Maximian and looked at him intently.
“Do you know what I thought of you two back then?”
I felt like I needed to say something in response.
“What did you think?”
“Both of you are equally worthless bastards. You should’ve dropped dead somewhere before this mess even started. If that’s not possible, then I should be the one to kill you.”
Maximian looked somewhat taken aback, but he composed himself and spoke.
“Of course… I suppose you’d think that way, having gotten caught up in someone else’s affair and struck by misfortune.”
“Misfortune? You two do that and then worry about yourselves every single day, treating my problems like a tiny pudding served after a full course meal. As if you’ve shouldered all the world’s worries—Joshua worries about this, suffers because of that, then you complain that you’re suffering too, spouting lectures like you’re so great. But from where I’m standing, you’re the type who can’t handle your own superiority and sneers down your nose at everyone. That’s what I see.”
She spoke each word without changing her expression once, leaving Maximian uncertain when to interrupt. It would’ve been strange if Riche had no complaints about the situation, but he never imagined she’d be this blunt about it. For him, a rare occurrence—he found himself speechless, listening passively to her one-sided tirade.
“And whenever you needed something, you used me without fail, didn’t you? Stuck between two people so impossibly cool, I forgot what my own role was supposed to be. When you two fought, I had to mediate. You kept changing your story, forgetting everything you said. Don’t you think you’re the forgetful type?”
“No…”
“Yes, you are. I forget things easily too. My head isn’t that sharp, and I can’t come up with impressive thoughts. But here’s the thing—you two aren’t idiots who don’t even know when you’ve caught a cold, are you? You’re smart. So think about this: isn’t it true that you’ve completely forgotten my position and devoted yourselves entirely to your own inherent worries? I know neither you nor Joshua lives comfortably, and I know Joshua’s situation is serious. But honestly, what does that have to do with me? Just a couple months ago, I was busy sewing, praying each day would pass quickly so payday would come sooner.”
Riche picked up her glass again and took a couple of sips, but her hand didn’t tremble.
“Fine, that’s enough. I’ll stop complaining. The more I talk, the more I’ll just hear another apology, and what’s the point of that? Does an apology change anything? But I’m not trying to wrap this up by saying it was fun in retrospect, so that makes it okay. Do I know everything about you two? But what’s clear is this: Maximian, you treat everyone outside a small radius as if they should fend for themselves. That radius is so narrow that a month of living together wouldn’t even come close to entering it. What’s somewhat decent is that the people within that radius, you care for terribly. Well, it doesn’t matter to me anyway since I’ll probably never enter that radius.”
“…”
Maximian drained his glass. During his time in Kalayso, he’d come to this tavern so often that without even ordering, a server appeared and set down a full glass. Joshua seemed desperately busy, but for Maximian, these were idle days.
“And Joshua is…”
When Maximian lifted his head, Riche paused, but continued immediately.
“Worse than you. He doesn’t even have a radius like that. In his world, there’s only himself, and he’s obsessed with himself. Sometimes he scares me. Compared to you, he has better manners, he’s kind most of the time, acts innocent like a child—but there’s a hole right through his essence. A hole leading to a strange world. Something ordinary people could never understand.”
Riche took another sip.
“Yeah, maybe you did one good thing for me. You gave me alcohol as medicine for my sadness and anger. Though I still don’t understand what alcohol is supposed to taste like.”
Maximian fiddled with the bridge of his glasses, then removed them and set them on the table, rubbing his eyes.
“Stop talking about others.”
When Riche looked up, Maximian was cleaning his glasses with his collar.
“How about we talk about you instead? Let me ask—what have you been doing here lately?”
“Doing? What could I possibly be doing?”
“I know you’re not idle. Those two bastards dragged you here on a whim, but you’re still you, aren’t you? Whatever those two idiots were worried about, you have your own way of living. Riche, you’re not the type to spend your days like a vacation just because you have nothing to do.”
When Riche didn’t answer quickly, Maximian asked in a single phrase.
“Did you finish it?”
“…Only one thing turned out properly.”
Maximian nodded.
“Right. That’s who you are. As long as you’re alive, you can’t abandon your own way, nor do you need to. Let me be honest with you about one thing. I think you have something special about you, just as much as he does.”
“…”
This time, Riche said nothing.
“Your strength lies at your fingertips. You connect things, tie knots, put them in order. I’m not saying others can’t do it. You think that way—with your hands. You create a small but very concrete and complete world. The way you express your voice isn’t abstract whispers but something very distinct.”
“Why are you suddenly saying that? If you’re thinking you should praise me out of guilt, stop. It doesn’t make me happy.”
“Do I look like someone capable of such clever thoughts? You seemed to understand what kind of people they are earlier—just listen to the end. In other words, because you’re that way, you can’t accept strange abilities the way Joshua does from your heart. You’re skilled with what’s distinct and tightly constructed, with what has no contradictions, so without realizing it, you reject understanding incomprehensible power. On the surface, you seem to adapt well and treat him like an ordinary person, but in reality, you’re living with a doll that resembles Joshua, not Joshua himself.”
“Why are you suddenly talking about Joshua? What does Joshua have to do with me?”
“You’re jealous.”
Children of Rune – Winterer
Author: Jeon Min-hee
Publisher: 14 Months Publishing
The copyright of this book belongs to the author and 14 Months Publishing.
To reuse all or part of the contents of this book, you must obtain written consent from both parties.

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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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