Children of the Rune – Winterer - Chapter 518

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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 288.
Beneath the Almond Tree (31)
Maximian flinched in alarm and tried to slip away through the crowd, but his considerable height made it difficult. In that moment, Tichiel, wearing a white hat and carrying a semicircular handbag, pushed through the throng and tapped his shoulder lightly with a laugh.
“You’re finally here? I’ve been waiting forever.”
Maximian’s composure wavered, and he nearly stumbled over an easel held by a student coming from the opposite direction before managing a response.
“Why were you waiting for me?”
“Well, because you took so long to arrive.”
“That’s not what I meant—why are you even here in the first place?”
Tichiel smiled mischievously and pointed to herself with her thumb.
“Why else? I’ve come to enroll.”
Maximian stared at her intently, then wrapped both hands around his head.
“Why would you enroll? What could you possibly need to learn? Even if there were something, you could study with your father at home—why waste money attending school? You came to torment me, didn’t you? That must be it. How much longer do you and your father intend to plague me before you’re satisfied?”
Tichiel pouted slightly and rolled her eyes, looking up at him.
“I’d be hurt if you thought I had nothing better to do.”
Maximian ignored her.
“Blast it, what persistent people you are. I should have just given you the violin back then and been done with it.”
Tichiel unexpectedly showed interest.
“Really? You could give it to me now.”
“I’m not giving you anything!”
Maximian protested loudly, but Tichiel merely giggled and promptly grabbed his arm without hesitation.
“Let’s go.”
“Where? Hey, let go of me! Why should I follow you around….”
They made their way through crowds that seemed to include at least ten relatives for every new student, climbing the stairs to the second floor of a dormitory, then to the third, turning down a corridor, until they reached the door at the far end. It was precisely the moment Tichiel opened the door and Maximian peered inside.
“What—why is he here again….”
A hand suddenly shot out from behind and slammed the door shut. At the same moment, someone clung to him so heavily that Maximian nearly struck his head against the closed door.
“You made it?”
Maximian’s brow furrowed suddenly. When he turned to see Joshua’s face, his suspicion deepened. Joshua stopped laughing and tilted his head in confusion.
“What? Don’t you seem happy to see me?”
“Happiness isn’t the issue—why are you here again… or rather, what exactly did I just see a moment ago….”
There were a few people in the corridor, though not as many as downstairs. Joshua placed a finger to his lips. Tichiel spoke from beside him.
“Wouldn’t it be better to discuss this inside?”
“Ah… let me explain to Makgun first.”
Joshua strode off and found another open room. As soon as they entered and closed the door, Maximian pressed him urgently.
“Did you two come together?”
“Yes.”
“What’s gotten into you? Do you realize that’s your friend—no, your sister? What on earth is happening?”
Joshua attempted to smile but eventually gave up, pulling a chair to sit down. Tichiel spoke instead.
“There were circumstances. The reason we came here….”
As Tichiel explained the process of how the Doppelgänger awakened and Juspian’s advice, Maximian’s rigid expression never softened. After hearing everything, he looked down at Joshua with his arms crossed.
“Fine. Let’s say I accept all of that. But why did you slam the door in my face just now? That person clearly saw me too.”
“I thought you’d be startled if you ran into him suddenly.”
“You’ll find out everything soon enough anyway, so if we do it this way….”
Maximian struggled to explain his thoughts—not with words, but with his expression. Unable to find adequate language, he wore a frustrated look before finally giving up and speaking simply.
“That fellow would end up getting hurt, wouldn’t he?”
“….”
Joshua bowed his head without answering, then rose with his gaze averted. And he left the room.
“Hey.”
When I turned around, Tichiel wore the same bewildered expression. We were about to follow him out when Joshua suddenly came back in. He closed the door, leaned against it, and spoke.
“Don’t go. I’ll explain.”
Maximian sent me a suspicious look, then his gaze suddenly shifted to Joshua’s shirt. His brow furrowed.
“You.”
Joshua followed my gaze and soon offered a bitter smile. His shirt was neatly tucked into his trousers—unlike the other one that had come loose when he’d clung to me moments before. I pressed my lips together, then slammed the table and turned away.
Joshua braced himself against the table, buried his face in one hand, and exhaled a deep sigh before speaking.
“Don’t be too angry. I just wanted to give that fellow one chance.”
“What chance? Do you see your friend as a toy?”
“No, absolutely not. How could I? But for him, it might have been a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I’m truly sorry. But seeing your reaction now, I think I did the right thing. I can see it was truly the last time.”
“Fine. Go ahead and distribute everything as you please. Parents, friends—divide them all up. Why don’t you two just marry one person together?”
Tichiel, bewildered, rolled her eyes and looked between us alternately.
“What’s going on? I have no idea what’s happening.”
Maximian sat in the chair and turned away, while Joshua turned toward Tichiel with a bitter smile.
“I’m sorry, Tichiel. Right now, I’m the me you know. I wasn’t before.”
Tichiel’s expression remained confused.
“Ah… So you switched on purpose?”
“I wanted to give him a chance to reunite with Makgun. But for some reason, he came back. What did you say to him? Did you say something that might have upset him…?”
“No.”
Tichiel shook her head and turned to Maximian to speak.
“He questioned why Maximian brought him here, and then said that even so, if you closed the door in front of him, wouldn’t that hurt his feelings?”
“….”
Joshua approached Maximian, who was only looking out the window, and placed a hand on his shoulder.
“Makgun. Listen. In his mind, you see. Back then in Kotzboldt, when I left saying I’d return in just ten days… It’s been seven years since that day. This is your reunion.”
Maximian shook his head.
“Is that what he said? Tell him not to lie. Why did I go all the way to Hyacan to find you? Because I went to Jade Ring Castle and saw that strange fellow instead of you.”
“Right. You sensed something was off then, didn’t you? Beyond that invitation—your attitude, everything. At that time, he was under the Puppet Master’s control. He had to show people at the Party Hall that he was treating Theo warmly. The conversation we had back then is only a hazy dream—like a fever dream—to him.”
When Maximian offered no further response, Joshua went to the opposite side of the table and faced him directly.
“I remember how happy I was when you came looking for me in Hyacan. I wanted to give him the same memory. I understand why you’re angry. But please, try to understand just a little the heart of that one who, hearing words of concern from you, could no longer pretend to be me and had to leave.”
Joshua knew that Maximian had consistently refused to acknowledge both of us, designating one as ‘false.’ It seemed he was even angrier at himself for having spoken his true feelings in front of that ‘false’ one. There was no doubt confusion plagued Maximian as well. Yet by nature, he despised confusion.
“Enough. Let’s stop. Your fellow’s bad pranks—how many days has it been? So that’s why you enrolled too? When did you arrive? I thought only the nagging teacher came, but fortunately the portable notebook followed along, so it’s bearable.”
Tichiel, looking at Maximian’s face, spoke quietly.
“I’m going to step out for a moment.”
Joshua watched Tichiel’s retreating figure, which seemed somehow deflated, and shrugged.
“Don’t be so hard on Tichiel. You didn’t even take the entrance exam and never returned to the Castle, so we all worried together. I can’t tell you how sorry I am that she’s gone through such trouble for my sake without a single complaint.”
“Right. If that were all there was to it, I’d be grateful too, but why do you think that girl came here in the first place? What’s with the enrollment? She can get free private tutoring from her own father until she’s sick of it—so why does she need to come to school? I’m terrified of those two, father and daughter. It feels like they’re planning to swallow me whole just because I gave her that violin.”
“As if you’d actually be swallowed.”
Joshua laughed brightly, but Maximian snorted and turned his head away. Joshua asked.
“So tell me. Where have you been all this time? After you left Hyacan, you didn’t come to the Castle or the Academy for months. What were you doing?”
“Did I have some obligation to chase all the way back to Keltika? School’s fine as long as I show up for enrollment. I’m not your Nanny. Why? Are you planning to cause trouble without me?”
His tone was sharp, perhaps because his mood hadn’t fully lifted, but Joshua only laughed.
“Still, tell me where you went. You must have met Juspian, right? That’s why you came here.”
“Yeah. That man was incredibly persistent. He actually chased me all the way to Kotzboldt!”
Joshua’s eyes widened as he imagined the scene, and he soon burst into laughter.
“Hahahaha….”
“Go ahead and laugh. I was dying. I thought I was done with it after skipping the exam, but how did that man manage to butter up the Headmaster? What’s this special admission? And how did he even know about Kotzboldt? Wait—you didn’t tell him, did you?”
Joshua quickly shook his head.
“No, no, that’s not it. I haven’t even seen Juspian since he left the Castle last year. I came straight here right after that.”
“He left last year?”
“Yes. He said he was going to find you. He looked very determined about it. So you hiding in Kotzboldt instead of returning to the Castle right away—that was your plan all along?”
Maximian bristled and shouted.
“Did you forget that my younger siblings are swarming all over that place? After chasing after you like that, it’s about time I went to look after them. I’m the head of the household, after all!”
Joshua’s expression turned admiring, then he chuckled and asked.
“It’s not because you hate the assignments Tichiel gives you, is it?”
“….”
After parting with Juspian, Joshua and Tichiel had come straight to Nenyaplo and buried themselves in the mountain of documents at the Vineyard. Along with another person who needed Nenyaplo’s magical barrier. Maximian asked.
“But the Doppelgänger has already awakened. What are you researching at the Vineyard? The mirror? Or are you plotting how to capture the Puppet Master?”
“I’ve started investigating the Instruments of Evil now. Since it’s from the fall of Ganapoli, there aren’t many records available. Of course, we’re studying the mirror alongside it.”
“So you’re planning to attend school only until you finish that research?”
“I’m not sure. I can’t leave here until the Puppet Master appears. Actually, I didn’t need to enroll at all, but it felt awkward to say I’d stay at the Vineyard through the new semester without being a student. It felt like I was imposing too much. So I decided to at least go through with enrollment to make it look proper.”
Children of Rune – 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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