Return of the Back Alley Wizard Chapter 2

Episode 2. Regrets are a thing

“Cough.”

On the blood-filled ground, a handful of blood soaked the floor.

There was so much blood splattered that it wasn't noticeable, but I quietly took in the handful of blood mixing into the puddle.

‘… … sick.’

What went wrong? The blood wouldn't stop flowing from the corner of my mouth. It wasn't like this even when I got involved with the Lortel knights.

It was at that moment that I heard a voice in my ear.

"You're amazing. I thought you were going to die, but you held on."

Unlucky face.

He was a real bastard.

Unlike me, who was a wreck, his clothes were not out of place, and he looked down at me and spoke to me in a forgiving tone.

"That's right, didn't I tell you? The level of difference between you and me is obvious even without having to face each other."

“It was dirty… it was really strong.”

Indeed, it was as he said.

Contrary to the excitement of the battle's beginning, the process was truly futile.

No, if you look at the process itself, it was incredibly intense. Just for me.

The magic of the Dekulan family was both powerful and ferocious. It was truly—

Disaster.

With a single stomp of the foot, the earth splits, and with a single wave of the hand, lightning rains down like rain. It felt like a battle against nature itself.

In the meantime, only I am desperate to reach the owner.

While I was replaying the battle, I raised my head at the sound of the headmaster's voice.

"Well, it seems like you're ready to talk now. How about we talk about what we haven't finished?"

“So, come back under the shadow of Dekuranga?”

“That’s right.”

I couldn't help but laugh at the refreshing answer.

I must have injured my stomach during the battle, because every time I laughed, my abs would hurt, but I couldn't help but laugh.

“So, are you telling me to become a troubleshooter again?”

It wasn't a question I expected an answer to. I just found it funny. But why? Gaju frowned at my words and tilted his head.

"Oh, didn't I tell you? I didn't mean for you to become a troubleshooter again. So…"

Suddenly, the head of the household searched through my belongings. He immediately handed me something. It was a token with a jade-like glow, and the head of the household's voice rang in my ears.

“I think you’ll find out what it is.”

“……!”

It was exactly as it said.

I could immediately identify the pattern without any explanation from the owner; it was an undeniable object.

Fengshen plaque.

No matter how great Deculan may be, it cannot shine alone. There must be a pillar supporting Deculan.

That's the vassal.

And the vassal badge was a token given to the families that swore loyalty to Dekulan, and this is what the head of Dekulan was offering me now.

therefore…….

“Do you want me to… become the head of the Bonsin family?”

“That’s correct.”

I looked at the vassal tablet in silence.

'Oh, this is crazy.'

If he had been offered a billion dollars in wealth, he would not have been swayed.

I'm a troubleshooter by nature. Money and such things didn't matter to me. If I needed to, I could just loot it, and the treasures of all the prestigious families were practically mine.

However, the position of the head of the family was different.

"This is a place where you can do anything. If you want, I'll give you a place on good land."

A place where you can do anything.

Yes, if I were to describe the vassal in one word, the words of the head of the household would be the most appropriate.

The power of Dekulan, the greatest magic power in the Eastern Continent, surpasses that of the imperial power.

No wonder the Emperor rules the Empire, and Dekulan rules the entire East.

“What do you think?”

I looked at Gaju quietly.

“So, this is the goal, right?”

I pulled an ancient book from my bosom. It was a grimoire, something I'd stumbled upon while rummaging through Dekulan's notes.

If he could safely obtain the grimoire, he would be willing to give up his position as a vassal. His intentions were obvious.

But why? Suddenly, the head of the household bursts into laughter.

"ha ha ha."

It was a dry laugh. An unpleasant sound to hear. But the expression on his face seemed genuinely amused, and then suddenly the laughter abruptly stopped.

"You seem to be underestimating your own worth. Look at the scenery you've created."

It was immediately after that that the gaze of the head of household changed.

He had his arms wide open as if he were watching, but behind him was a scene of tragedy.

The wizards of Dekulan, who had been given orders by my hands. The scene was destroyed by a battle with the head of the family, but their traces still remained.

"Who would believe it? That a dirty, black-and-white vagrant could have caused such a tragedy? His vision was nothing more than the trash of troubleshooters."

The voice grew stronger and stronger, and there was an inexplicable madness in those eyes. However, the emotion they were looking at me with was utmost kindness.

He continued.

"I wonder. If your talents were given wings like Deculan, how high could you soar? How high could Deculan, wielding the sword that is you, soar?"

Those eyes no longer contained me.

No, he certainly holds me, but what he sees is a distant future. A glorious future that will unfold when he holds me in Deculan.

The great Dekulan has become even greater.

He subtly encouraged my choice.

"Come into the shadow of Dekulan. And we will rise together. Right beside me, we will make Dekulan even greater. You too will leave your mark on history. Of course, I will return the Grimoire."

My gaze was fixed on the bonsin badge.

'… … .'

By nature, I'm not one to regret the past. I'd never have the opportunity to ruminate on a status I hadn't chosen.

However, I was curious.

Born a wanderer in a black-and-white zone, I was slow to learn. But what if I were given wings called Deculans? How high could I rise?

When you think about it that far.

“Yeah, good idea.”

My hand was already reaching for the vassal badge.

As I felt a cold sensation on my fingertips, I suddenly looked up at the head of the household.

The emotion on that face was one of utmost joy.

When his hand fell away and the vassal badge was completely in my hands, he held out the grimoire.

“Take it.”

"Thank you. With this, all your misdeeds are forgiven. From now on, you will have only the honor of working with Dekulan…"

The smile on Gaju's face deepened. His voice was even a little excited.

But that smile didn't last long.

Hurruruk.

“……!”

A flame that rose up in an instant.

Just before the master's hand touched the grimoire, a small flame engulfed it. Immediately afterwards, a soft cracking sound echoed through the air.

Crunch!

This time, what was broken was the vassal tablet.

No, to be precise, it would be more correct to say that I broke it.

Gaju froze for a moment as if he couldn't accept the situation, then looked at me with a cold face.

“……What are you doing now?”

“Hehe, what are you going to do? Didn’t I tell you to take it? If you don’t mind it being completely burned, then that’s fine.”

“…….”

A heavy silence fell.

I laughed, and the Dekulan family glared at me with a cold expression.

It was then that the dry wind swept across the land where the wizards of Dekulan had closed their eyes once more.

No, it's not the wind.

What blew between me and the head of the household was a blast of murderous intent. It was the thick murderous intent exuded by the head of the Dekulan household, unable to contain his anger.

I suddenly looked up at the sky.

Even though the wyvern wasn't flying, the sky that day was vivid. That is, the day I decided to retire.

'Come to think of it, there was a reason.'

It was the sky that made me decide to retire. The wyvern flying through the sky seemed so free, but there was a reason I looked up at the sky in the first place.

“Go ahead, listen.”

“You will not die in peace.”

“Okay, shut up and listen.”

I opened my mouth.

"I was originally a troubleshooter, so I didn't really need retirement funds. We all know our lives are worth less than a piece of paper."

A piece of paper is nothing. A Troubleshooter's life is worth something lighter than a feather.

If it were other troubleshooters, they would have been grateful just to be able to retire, let alone have a retirement fund. However, I was different.

"But why did you take all this stuff? This is also connected to my retirement. Do you happen to know about the Troubleshooter that the Dekulan Sogaju swallowed?"

“…….”

Gaju did not answer.

The person who had been glaring at me as if he was going to kill me just a moment ago was now frowning and waiting quietly for me to speak.

Well, that can't be helped.

The head of the Dekulan family had touched something he shouldn't have. Unlike his father, he lacked talent, so he went out of his way to compensate.

So, what he touched was… … .

Forbidden magic.

The cow ate my comrades with it, and when this fact became known to the Dekulan family, the Dekulans thoroughly covered up the incident.

“If I do that, will I get revenge?”

“Hehe, why me?”

I know the price of life is low, and so do my colleagues. But why should we pay that low price?

but…….

"I was planning on making whatever they wanted happen. But that would require a lot of money. That's why. Well, that's why."

That was why I looked up at the sky that day. I couldn't contain my seething anger at the deaths of my comrades, I just couldn't do anything.

As time went on, I wanted to retire.

Even if it's revenge, since those guys died because they were incompetent, I'm going to make their dreams come true.

“Oh, there’s one more.”

Actually, this may be the most important reason.

"I finally decided to retire, and now I'm going back to the doghouse? Just because the leash is a bit flashy and the house is a bit bigger doesn't mean it's not a doghouse, right? Hehe."

“Is the will the end?”

“I could go on and on about this for the rest of my life. Would you like to keep listening?”

The head of the household shook his head.

That was the end of it.

There was no conversation between us.

Chijijik… … .

A tingling pain started from the tips of my toes, and when I looked down, I saw blue flowers swaying.

"This is the blue flame that Deculan is so proud of. It's a flame that never goes out. Within it, you will bitterly regret your choice."

“Regret my ass.”

The pain that slowly ate away at my body from the tips of my toes was truly excruciating.

Whatever the trick, my mind was still clear. However, I had no regrets.

'Who will become a dog again?'

That's ridiculous!

Rather than being a loyal dog of Dekulan for generations, I would rather go back to the dirty black and white zone.

If that doesn't work, death isn't so bad either.

“Heh, heh heh.”

Even in the midst of excruciating pain, the laughter never stopped.

It's been a while since I've felt this sense of liberation.

It would have been better if I had escaped alive, but looking back on my life, I have no regrets.

If I were to be reborn, I would become a wyvern.

'They spend all day frolicking in the vast sky, and when they're bored, they come down to the ground to find and harass those Dekulans.'

Finding freedom and revenge. It's all about slaying goblins and orcs.

Just thinking about it makes me smile with such a pleasant imagination.

Flash―!

It was at that moment that something flashed before my eyes.

“……?”

I raised my head in wonder and soon noticed the changes around me.

The blue flames that had been swirling and eating away at his body had solidified, and Gaju remained motionless.

It's as if time has stopped.

There is only one thing that moves.

Slowly.

‘… …grimoire?’

The pile of ashes of the grimoire I was holding in my left hand wriggled like a living creature.

It was as if they were clumping together and dispersing like slime, and it was at that moment that something strange happened.

Tsuzujeok.

Ashes that dig into the skin.

No, it wasn't a pile of ashes. It was in the form of letters.

‘What the heck is this… … .’

The strange letters that had seeped into his skin ran up his arms and then rushed to his chest.

Exactly above the left heart. Overlapping and overlapping, the strange letters are losing their shape.

Then, suddenly, there was a flash.

Crunch.

It disappeared, leaving behind only one letter.

That was as far as my memory went.

* * *

When I opened my eyes again.

“…….”

Jjangrang.

I tilted my head.

'You didn't die…?'

No, that's not all.

Something was off.

What should I say? Suddenly, I looked up and the scenery before my eyes seemed so familiar.

The crumpled can I was holding in my hand was like that, and so were the coins inside.

Even the alleyway scenery was familiar.

It's like going back in time, a scenery so familiar?

I pondered the strange feeling for a moment.

"ah."

A gasp escaped.

I remembered something.

This place is… … .

Black and white zone.

It was that alley, that very place where I used to beg every single day before becoming a troubleshooter.

'no way…….'

You've gone back in time?

There was no other way to explain it.