Children of the Rune – Winterer - Chapter 527

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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 297.
Beneath the Almond Tree (40)
Boris muttered to himself.
“…Is he always like that?”
“Joshua? Well, I’ve never seen him act this way before, but he’s always been a bit off normally. What about Lucian?”
“As you can see, he’s still a child….”
Just as the pie was nearly gone, Maximian suddenly stepped forward to stop them both and spoke.
“How many are left? Four? Fine. Let’s stop and just set these on the table nicely. If you get hungry while cleaning, eat them then.”
“That’s a great idea!”
In the meantime, spectators had gathered to some degree. A few rushed off to find the owners. But they were not the type to wait for the owners to arrive. Maximian raised his hand and called out an order.
“Battle’s over! Retreat!”
They neatly disposed of the empty bags in the trash, and as they came down, Joshua and Lucian, now covered in pie, pointed at each other and giggled teasingly. The two guardians following behind made excuses to one another about why they had befriended friends with lower mental ages.
9. Caught by Shadow
Do not be relieved that your four enemies have vanished.
He is merely resting for a moment.
He will return soon.
Matters between people
never resolve themselves on their own.
I dreamed of Kelsniti for the first time in a long while.
It was within the landscape of Periwinkle Island that I had visited before. Kelsniti appeared to be walking alone down the Slope Path, lost in thought. I called out to him, but he did not answer. I approached him. The closer I got, the more the scenery around me crumbled from the edges. Just like when I had borrowed Maximian’s glasses once.
Upon reaching a place where my voice could not help but be heard, Joshua called out to Kelsniti again. Then he turned around. But looking closely, he was not looking at Joshua. His gaze was directed somewhere behind Joshua.
Kelsniti spoke.
“Here it is. The place where the foundation stone is said to be.”
I knew his words were not directed at me, but Joshua asked anyway.
“Why do you keep showing me this? Because of the promise? Kelce knows I don’t have the ability to create a mirror.”
“Look carefully.”
“Even if I look, I don’t know magic. I can’t learn it either.”
“If you could only create a mirror, could we all become people of Ganapoli?”
It was something he had never said before. Joshua stopped answering and peered into Kelsniti’s face. It resembled the serene smile I always saw, but looking closely, it was slightly different. It was a more lively expression. Now that I thought about it, his tone was like that too.
Kelsniti spoke again.
“If you create a mirror, couldn’t you meet the people of old Ganapoli and ask them the secret?”
Joshua tried to approach and take Kelsniti’s hand. At that moment, Kelsniti turned away and went toward the foundation stone. There he turned around again and called out.
“Icabon. Come here and look at this.”
The dream faded. Shortly after, Joshua lay alone in his bedroom. He tried to fall asleep again, but it was no use. By the time his eyes grew accustomed to the darkness, he called out again.
“Kelce.”
The surroundings were silent.
“What exactly do you want to tell me?”
There was no answer. Joshua could not bear it any longer and rose, heading to the living room. He fumbled to turn on the lamp. He was just putting on his robe and about to step into the corridor when someone spoke.
“Do not turn around.”
It was not Kelsniti. Yet this too was a voice I could not have forgotten. Joshua froze, his hand on the doorknob. In his eyes, fixed on the dark corridor ahead, only three lamps glowed dimly in the distance. The voice behind him spoke again.
“You’re doing well enough, I see. Fortunate and unfortunate all at once.”
Joshua stepped back and closed the door again. His voice had turned cold as he spoke the other’s name.
“Korned.”
“The Duke wouldn’t have forgotten my name, I’m sure. I, who cannot forget this Demonic body you’ve cursed me with—how fitting it all is. Splendid, really. Ah, Duke, Duke, Duke. Do you know why I’ve come?”
“Since you didn’t die last time, I figured you’d show up again. What do you want to say? Have you come to press me about your wish?”
“How would you possibly grant it? You’re no Mage, after all.”
“I appreciate your faith in me.”
Joshua turned to leave. Then the voice cried out urgently.
“Don’t turn around!”
“You’re in no position to command me. If you want something from me, you’ll explain yourself first. Isn’t that right?”
“I don’t want you to see what I look like. You probably wouldn’t want to see it either.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s hideous. Absolutely… grotesque.”
Joshua didn’t understand. He knew Korned’s appearance well, and he couldn’t imagine the already-dead man would look any different now.
“I need to see for myself.”
As he turned, a faint silhouette emerged from the darkness, leaning diagonally against the window. The figure retreated backward with an awkward, stumbling gait. Joshua watched absently at first, then his eyes widened in shock. The Korned he had seen before—who had appeared almost human to his eyes—had transformed into something like a corpse wrapped in translucent veils instead of skin, every bone visible beneath.
“How did this happen? Is it from the necromancy last time?”
“Hehehehe…”
Korned merely laughed with an eerie voice and offered no answer. Joshua took a step closer. The figure, like a bone doll faintly gleaming with a thin coating of wax, became increasingly visible.
“Tell me.”
“It’s all thanks to you, Duke. Centuries have passed without a new outfit, and fearing boredom, you’ve even changed my appearance—how could such kindness be anything but admirable?”
Joshua raised his eyebrows, not understanding.
“You’re saying I did this to you?”
“And next you’ll say you have no such ability, won’t you? Oh, I can predict your words already. Yes, you have no such ability. Since you have no ability, you bear no responsibility, Your Grace. Since you don’t know how, life is simply convenient for you, Your Grace. Shall I tell you something new?”
Korned giggled and approached Joshua. The reluctance to show his appearance seemed to have vanished.
“Do you know where our Priest has disappeared to?”
Joshua’s head snapped up.
“Do you know where Kelce went?”
“Hehehehe… How blissfully ignorant you are, Your Grace. I wish I could be as carefree as you. Unfortunately for me, I cannot—I’m tormented by anguish, by rage, my insides churning with fury. Kelsniti, that one… is inside you right now.”
Joshua frowned and blinked rapidly.
“I’m not in the mood for jokes.”
“A joke? How could I dare jest before Your Grace? If you don’t believe me, why not search for him? Has Kelsniti appeared at your side recently? Hardly, I imagine? Perhaps only in your dreams, yes?”
Since those words rang true, Joshua glared at Korned without speaking. The phrasing felt ominous—as if he had devoured Kelsniti like a beast. When? Kelsniti’s disappearance had begun…
Joshua’s expression shifted as memory stirred.
“Don’t tell me… it was when I was asleep…”
“Now you understand? Remarkably slow, aren’t you? Did you truly believe some miracle, some stroke of lightning, brought you back from death’s door? How unfortunate. Had you died, I would have had such entertainment. Six months dead, yet alive again—and you never even wondered where your fortune came from? Is that simply how you’ve always lived? A Demonic who feeds on others’ luck to survive… I think I finally understand what that means.”
Joshua’s eyes and lips trembled.
“What happened to Kelce? Just tell me that.”
“He’s trapped inside you. Remember? When you tried to drive me out before, Kelsniti dove into your world and pulled your sleeping consciousness back? We did the same thing. For six months. To keep your heart beating, your blood flowing, every organ functioning without pause—we all poured every ounce of our strength into it. Because of that cursed ‘Blessed Arnim,’ because of the oath, because of the vow to keep you alive!”
Then Korned laughed, a sound that, when listened to closely, seemed almost like weeping.
「Of course, nothing comes without a price. Kelce, who has been diving for half a year, can no longer surface. Because of the Priesthood’s ability to merge with another’s consciousness, he tried so hard not to lay a hand on your body all this time—but in the end, he resolved to use that very ability to save you. He embedded his own consciousness into yours to move your body in your stead. And this is the result. The Kelsni in your dreams will no longer recognize you. His consciousness has merged with yours, and he’s lost nearly all sense of himself. Only fragmented memories scatter throughout your world. And even those won’t last long. They’ll soon fade away.」
“Fade away?”
「They’ll be buried in your consciousness and eventually cease to exist. Think about it with that clever mind of yours. A ghost has no physical substance. Isn’t it an existence made only of consciousness? But if you lose that, isn’t it no different from ceasing to exist altogether? It’s somewhat different from being laid to rest, but actually far worse! Because if you’re laid to rest, there’s at least the possibility of being reborn, but in this case there’s nothing like that—only eternal annihilation. Hehehehe…」
Joshua’s gaze, already pale, fell to the floor. His heart raced. Very fast. It was vivid how even this wasn’t his own. Blood circulated through his entire body. Everything living and moving was borrowed. Vitality breathed into him by another.
The Sworn Brother of his ancestors, Kelsni, had kept his promise. He had saved Blessed Arnim…. But Joshua had never wanted this. He had never wanted such an outcome.
“Korned…. You said earlier that I made you look like that, didn’t you? Does that mean the People of Promise, including you, exhausted their strength because of me? Is that why you haven’t been able to come to me recently?”
Korned waved a skeletal hand dismissively.
「That’s right. The moment the Duke was stabbed and lost consciousness, Kelsni dove into the Duke and began preventing his body’s functions from stopping. How could I pretend not to notice while he was doing that? Those who cared for you rushed in early, but when their strength alone proved insufficient, even someone like me had no choice. And so I’ve become this beautiful sight—truly, it’s been centuries since life felt so fresh.」
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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