“Wow! You’ve changed a lot. Look how tall you are, these broad shoulders… oh my!”
Hans joked around and exclaimed as he looked Lee Sungmin up and down.
Lee Sungmin smiled as he met Hans’ eyes and held extended his hand in a handshake.
“What brings you here? It’s not exactly the most desirable place to come back to.”
“I’m here because of some business in Behenger. I simply stopped by here in Genavis as I was reminiscing about old things in the past.”
Hans sat back down in his seat, as he responded.
“I’ve heard of some rumors with your name in them from time to time. I wasn’t sure if it was you or not.”
“What rumors?”
“The ‘Ghost Spear’.”
Hans peeked around checking his surroundings as he continued.
“They weren’t very good rumors, though.”
“There are many misconceptions about it.”
“That means it really was you! Oh, my God.”
Hans was impressed as Lee Sungmin indirectly confirmed his famous identity.
“The little boy from 13 years ago… haha! What an incredible story. You’ve become someone so strong and famous. I don’t know what to even think about all of it.”
Hans murmured as shifted his eyes to look over the items on the mat.
“13 years ago. I can’t remember well because it was a long time ago, but I was pretty good to you because…… How should I say this… You were like a younger brother of sorts or an older son. You gave off this impression that you were worth helping out.”
Lee Sungmin knew. It was due to the protection of the mysterious God that had attached the aura of favorability onto him, upon reincarnation.
“Well, I didn’t know whether it was just a feeling or not, but I thought you…… I thought you might become a great man. That’s why I could sell those things so easily to you. I felt that it was worth probably taking a loss. I’ve seen a lot of martial artists and mages, as well as no-classes. But, you were…. You were something truly special despite being a no-class. It was almost unbelievable.”
It was understandable. At that time, Lee Sungmin’s talent was not great, but even if he didn’t have talent, Lee Sungmin was able to progress quickly on a steep learning curve due to utilizing his previous life’s knowledge.
On top of that, he even became friends with Wijihoyeon and started learning under her, so it was natural at that time that he could not possibly compare with other no-classes.
“Did you meet Uncle Jack yet?”
“No, I’m about to go.”
“Then go quickly. It’s time for the customers to start entering, too. But it’s good to see you again. It’s better to know you’re alive and not dead.”
Hans said with a heartwarming smile, and Lee Sungmin put his hand in his arms to get something for Hans. Then Hans quickly raised his hand and shook his head.
“No, thanks.”
“What do you mean?”
“Don’t pay me back and give me any money. It was 13 years ago, so I don’t remember much, and none of the things I did for you were something worthy of that kind of thing.”
“But….”
“It’s okay. I’m not living as a vendor like this because I’m desperate for money or anything. I’ve already saved all the money for myself to live on comfortably. I’m just doing this because I have nothing to do and I’m bored with my life these days.”
When Hans refused, Lee Sungmin nodded as if he could not help it. Instead, he handed Hans the subspace pocket he received.
“Then I’ll return what I’ve received before.”
“Haha… you little brat.”
Hans smirked and opened the spatial pocket he received from Lee Sungmin to see what the contents inside of it were. Then he put his hand into it and laughed as if he knew what Lee Sungmin had done.
“I don’t remember giving you jewelry.”
Hans mumbled, taking out a large jewel from the spatial pocket. Lee Sungmin shook his head with a bitter smile.
“Even if it wasn’t a huge act of goodwill for you back then…. The things you did for me were truly meaningful for me at that time. If it weren’t for your help…… it would have been much harder for me to live.”
“No matter how well you phrase it, this is too much. I don’t want to receive this much.”
Hans grumbled and put his hand in the spatial pocket.
What he took out was the smallest jewel that Lee Sungmin had put inside of it.
Even if Hans sold that one small jewel, he would earn more from that jewel, than all his years of selling as a vendor.
Hans grumbled as he put the jewelry he took out back into the spatial pocket.
“Since you’re practically forcing me to take it, I’ll take this one small jewel and that’s it. Understood? Also, keep yourself safe and don’t make me find out about your death through a rumor, got it?”
“Yes.”
After chatting with Hans a little more, Lee Sungmin left the square. It was to meet Jack, the innkeeper of the inn Lee Sungmin had stayed at for over a year back then.
Genavis had transformed quite a bit, but Jack’s inn hadn’t changed much, if at all. It seemed to have regular maintenance as the building itself was kept in good condition, but it had a rustic and traditional aspect compared to the rest of the buildings on the street, exactly how Lee Sungmin had remembered it.
‘Is it time for the guests to have breakfast yet?’Lee Sungmin opened the door, recalling the breakfast he had here 13 years ago.
“Welcome!”
He heard a cheerful voice. It wasn’t Jack’s voice. When he looked in the direction of the voice, a woman with long hair was smiling, sticking her head out from the kitchen.
Lula.
She was Jack’s daughter, who was also one year older than Lee Sungmin. Naturally, Lee Sungmin smirked as he recalled his memories of her from 13 years ago.
“Are you staying? Or just here for a meal?
“Long time no see.”
When Lula, who came out wiping her hands on the apron tied to her waist, asked, Lee Sungmin smirked and responded with a bit of a joking manner.
Lula’s eyes opened wide at the words.
“Huh? Are you a guest?”
An old and aged voice was heard from the inside of the kitchen. Hans was also old, but Jack, who was originally middle-aged, had changed to become more of a mature man after 13 years.
Still, he had the same strong physique as he did 13 years ago. Lee Sungmin bowed his head toward Jack.
“Long time no see.”
“Who…?”
Just as Hans did, Jack and Lula did not remember Lee Sungmin.
This was obvious because of how much he had changed.
When Lee Sungmin introduced himself, Both Jack and Lula’s jaws dropped and their eyes widened.
After the surprise, both of them welcomed Lee Sungmin to the table.
“Why did you come back? Did you miss the taste of your childhood meal?”
Lee Sungmin grinned at Jack’s joke, and they both cracked a familiar smile.
Sitting opposite Lee Sungmin, Lula looked up and down at Lee Sungmin, pouting her lips.
“You grew up well.”
“You, too.”
“You still don’t even call me your noona anymore. Do you know I’m married?”(T/N : Throwback to earlier chapters, Lee Sungmin never called her noona, which is a form of endearment from younger men to older, young adult women.)
Lula blurted out. Lee Sungmin was not surprised at the words.
It was not surprising that Lula was married to him, as she was already turning thirty in a few years.
“Who are you married to?”
“After you left, she got married to a no-class summoned to this city. He doesn’t want to go on any risky adventures, knowing his place. He’s a little indecisive, but he’s still a good guy.”
Jack answered instead of Lula.
“I thought of you, so I let you stay at this inn with good conditions, and in the meantime, Lula and him had some funny business.”
“Hey! He was eye-catching. It was only natural he was seductive.”
Lula grumbled. Even if she had said it like that, she didn’t seem to hate her husband very much.
‘You’re doing well.’, Lee Sungmin nodded with a little relief as he thought so.
“Where is he then?”
“He went to work. My husband is a carpenter. His skills are just so-so, but he’s working hard to improve.”
Lula replied. In the meantime, Jack brought warm soup and bread for them to eat and sat down.After a while, he spoke with a big mouthful.
“There’s no breakfast left.”
“This is enough.”
Like 13 years ago, Lee Sungmin tore the basic bread and dipped it into the soup followed by eating like so.
It didn’t taste much better or worse from back then. It was just the same, and it brought back a lot of reminiscent memories for Lee Sungmin.
Jack and Lula asked Lee Sungmin many questions, but did not ask about the rumors surrounding his martial nickname, the ‘Ghost Spear’.
Maybe they didn’t believe that Lee Sungmin was the rumored ‘Ghost Spear’ like Hans did. Lee Sungmin did not necessarily say anything about it to them either.
“Ah… it’s been great seeing you again, I better get going.”
“Already?”
When Lee Sungmin raised up, Lula asked with her eyes wide open. Lee Sungmin replied with a nod to the words.“Yes, I have business elsewhere.”
“You just came over and dropped by so suddenly and now you want to leave just like this? Why don’t you stay here for a day? The room you stayed in just happens to be empty.”
“No, it’s okay. I really am in a hurry.”
It wasn’t a lie. He wanted to stop by the Blue Magic Tower before he reached the Sama Order’s Headquarters in Hadras.
It was quite a long distance for him to traverse, so he needed to hurry.
“Oh, and.”
Lee Sungmin took out two small spatial pockets from the sleeves of his robe. They were extra spatial pockets, apart from the one he had tried to give to Hans, and put them on the table for Jack and Lula.
“It’s for the food and some congratulatory gifts for your marriage. It’s a bit late, but better late than never.”
“You don’t have to give us or pay for anything. Plus, it’s all leftover food anyway.”
Jack said so, but Lee Sungmin did not take back the spatial pockets he had put down.
He grinned at Lula and Jack. Lula tilted her head and tried to say something more, but Lee Sungmin did not listen.
Whoosh-
In front of the two of them, Lee Sungmin disappeared with a black current of lightning left in the place he was standing.
There were a decent amount of jewels and gold for the two of them to live happily and comfortably for the rest of their lives. Lee Sungmin smiled to himself as he left with the Dark Storm Arts before they would have the chance to possibly refuse him like Hans had.
[Are you done paying back your favors?]
Heoju asked Lee Sungmin. Outside the inn, Lee Sungmin opened up the full extent of his control over space and darted through the slipstream with the Dark Storm Arts. He answered as he bolted through the gates of Genavis, unnoticed.
“Yes.”
[You said you’re going to the Blue Magic Tower first, right? When are you going to visit the Village of the Dwarves?]
Heoju had not spoken his thoughts up till now, but he was curious if and when Lee Sungmin was going to go to the Dwarven Village to get the bones and scales of the Dragon remains, processed and handled, possibly into a weapon of sorts.
Lee Sungmin was determined to visit the Village of the Dwarves someday.
Lee Sungmin was able to have the Dragon Heart processed into an elixir or blood of sorts through the Spirit Queen, but Lee Sungmin had not gotten the rest of the Dragon remains processed or handled.
And for that, he would need to get the Dwarven Chief to do that, since he was the only Master Blacksmith that Selgerus, another master blacksmith who had forged him his orichalcum spear, had said was capable of pulling off such a feat.
He knew he had to go to the Dwarven Village, of course, in order to find him, but he couldn’t just go and recklessly visit the Dwarves.
He knew the location of the village, but originally had no real way to visit the Chief of the Dwarves.
However! This was solved with Oslo, the Fairy Queen.
Before leaving the forest, Lee Sungmin had met with Oslo one more time, to see if he could cash in on her favorability with him.
Oslo was dumbfounded at how brazen he was, but decided to help him out nonetheless.
Due to her help, Lee Sungmin now had an opportunity to meet with the Dwarven Chief, thanks to Oslo.
Lee Sungmin recalled the letter Oslo had given him before he left the forest, that he had placed in his spatial pocket that would allow him an audience with the Dwarven Chief.
‘However, I don’t think I’ll have enough time for both since the Dwarven Village is a bit out the way and not exactly on the way there.’
[It’s not exactly like that, is it? If you use the other gift you got from Oslo, you could do it right now if you wanted.]Heoju was referring to the other ‘gift’ of sorts that Lee Sungmin had received from Oslo.
Lee Soungmin could only summon her three times, but if he summoned her, he could go anywhere in the world at once wherever Lee Sungmin had been prior. But, he didn’t intend to use it now.
After passing through the gate of Genavis, Lee Sungmin continued to run nonstop.
He was headed toward the Blue Magic Tower, where Xoas, the Blue Tower Master was located.