Regressor Instruction Manual

Chapter 1224. At Rohen (2)

In the end, just what was he? How would the future generations speak of the Saint of Flower and Fertility?

I[1] couldn’t help but wonder as I watched the events unfold around me. He appeared out of nowhere and saved Rohen. His life was short, but everyone knew that countless stories could be made about his life.

He had offered a guiding light to Rohen in its darkest hour. It was thanks to him that we defeated the Forsaken Saint, and he even led the expedition against the Demon King of Sunset.

It hadn't been that long since he was summoned to Rohen, but he had completely changed Rohen.

The changes to the people’s culture and lifestyle were too many and intricate to be described. As the Saint of Flower and Fertility, he was the epitome of holiness. In the end, he gave up everything, leaving behind his greatest and final legacy.

‘Did he really know everything?’

Even this paradise... was born from his lingering fear of the changes that would surely come to Rohen.

The full details were unknown to me, but people like Mr. William and the other members of the higher-ups talked at length with Bedum, but their conversation wouldn't reach the ears of someone like me.

I only heard a few words in passing. They said that he had been planning this since he arrived in Rohen, and they simply followed his will, which was to protect this paradise.

Despite hearing that, I still couldn’t wrap my head around it.

“He has to be a god or an angel. Or something like that. I mean, how else would you explain it? He probably saw and anticipated everything. People are saying that the Saint of Flower and Fertility is dead... but I don’t think so,” Kathy said.

“...”

“He just went back to where he was meant to be. Rohen was like his mission, don't you think so? He must have ascended to keep looking over us,” Kathy said. The so-called Arhendel’s Seductress had just uttered words that she normally wouldn’t say.

“Honestly, he didn't feel human at all. He had this strange, almost enchanting charm to him... but who would have thought he was actually an angel sent to save Rohen?” Kathy added.

She didn’t seem sad at all. It made me angry for a second, but I couldn’t express my anger, as I knew Kathy didn’t mean anything mean by it.

We were standing in the middle of a tale that felt like it came straight out of an ancient myth, so it wasn't strange for Mr. Lee Ki-Young to have that kind of image in the mind of someone unaware of the full story.

The people weren't focusing on the sorrow or the burdens that Mr. Lee Ki-Young had to carry. They were fixated on what he had created and had left behind.

The sense of disconnect was probably due to his brief time in Rohen in comparison to the sheer scale of his achievements.

The story was that the so-called prophet had foreseen the abrupt changes in Rohen, creating a paradise in response to those inevitable changes.

However, this story only increased the distance between the people and the man named Lee Ki-Young.

He was no longer viewed as a saint cruelly offered up to fate, nor as a human to be pitied. Rather, he was recognized as one worthy of praise, a being who knew everything.

Everyone thought of him as someone who had descended in human form and performed miracles for Rohen's sake.

“Don’t you agree, Aleria?” Kathy asked.

‘Whooo...’

If I hadn’t worked as his bodyguard, I would have thought the same thing. While many regarded him as a prophet, a saint, an angel, or even a god, I personally witnessed the human side of him.

He feared death, cried, and he was terrified of being forgotten by those he once loved. I saw him cling to fleeting moments of joy and fight for even a sliver of happiness. I also saw him sob in a place where no one could see him.

Every day, I would see him looking up at the sky with a troubled face while writing letters to those who would stay here after he was gone.

‘The Saint of Flower and Fertility... was just an ordinary human being.’

Regardless of how he appeared on the outside, he was just a vulnerable and delicate young man inside.

“Yeah, Kathy is right,” I agreed and stood up.

“Huh? Aleria? Where are you going?” Kathy asked.

“You can go ahead without me. I... have something... I need to take care of,” I replied.

“Jonia, isn’t she acting kind of strange today?” Kathy asked, turning to Jonia.

‘I have to deliver them.’

I was holding a bundle of letters, and there were so many of them that they could easily be mistaken for a book.

Delivering them was the final role given to me.

I still had no idea why Mr. Lee Ki-Young had entrusted this task to me... but I had a tremendous responsibility on my shoulders. If it were just delivering these letters, it would be a straightforward task, but I was delivering his final words, so I had to take it more seriously.

It had been a week since we arrived in Paradiso, and significant changes were happening everywhere. Even now, I wasn’t certain if this was the right moment to deliver these letters.

Paradiso was also in trouble due to the overflowing population.

‘We're at a critical juncture, so...'

No, I was instructed to deliver the letters fifty days after that battle.

Regardless of the current situation, I was determined to fulfill my mission.

“Miss Aleria.”

“Ah... yes?” I answered.

“Hello, Miss Aleria.”

“Yes, hello,” I greeted.

“Would it be possible to get a little more food? The children—”

“I’m sorry, Mother. I have an urgent matter to attend to... There should be an officer nearby, so if you ask them, they should be able to help,” I instructed.

“Ah! Okay! Thank you.”

“Is there anything else that’s troubling you?” I asked.

“No, nothing is troubling me. Everyone is working hard, so I’m sure things will get better. I’m sure everyone will agree,” she said.

“Haha...” I laughed.

“I was really worried that a war might break out... It’s really interesting. Resources are running low, and there’s an overwhelming number of people here, but it’s still peaceful...” she said.

“That’s because this place is... paradise,” I said.

Like my answer, most people were filled with more hope than fear.

Whether they were relocating families or people venturing out to explore more stable areas, everyone showed no signs of fear.

This was partly due to the symbolic meaning of the city called Paradiso, but it was mostly because of the miracles performed by the Saint of Flower and Fertility. I was sure those miracles had given them confidence. His resilient spirit that refused to lose hope under any circumstances was influencing the people here.

‘It’s peaceful.’

Paradiso was as peaceful as it could be.

“Don’t you think things outside are getting better and better, Cheong-Ha?”

“Yeah, they said they’re thinking about increasing the number of expedition members, Seung-Yoon oppa. Although it’ll probably be risky,” Cheong-Ha said.

“We have to do it. It’s for Ki-Young,” Seung-Yoon said.

The people around me still remembered him. They were probably his old academy friends. Walking past those adventurers who had finally outgrown their novice days, I thought, ‘I should look for Lim Chae-Ryeong and Nam Goong-Seon first.’

They were nearby, after all.

As expected, I heard their voices.

“You guys! I told you not to wander around like that! They’re doing construction work, so it’s dangerous!” Lim Chae-Ryeong shouted.

“They’re doing construction work outside.”

“People are carrying and moving stuff! What if you run into them?!” she shouted.

I found her in a place that was a bit farther away from the center of Paradiso.

It was located in a somewhat quiet area, much like the current Paradiso.

“You little rascals!” she yelled.

“You’re the little rascal, noona! Mister always said you were a troublemaker...” a kid argued.

“Eek! You guys are the little rascals now! Listen to me! If you keep causing trouble, Nam Goong unni will come and roar at you!” she threatened.

They were probably kids from the orphanage.

Lim Chae-Ryeong, who was running with both arms wide open, suddenly stopped moving. I was sure that she stopped because she noticed my presence.

“Who—

“My name is Aleria. I used to work as Mr. Lee Ki-Young’s bodyguard... Is Miss Nam Goong-Seon and Mr. Woo Hyo-Yeol inside?” I asked.

“Hyo-Yeol oppa isn’t here. Seon unni is making food... but what brings you all the way here...” she asked.

“I'm here because there's something I must deliver,” I answered.

“...”

“It’s a letter left behind by Mr. Lee Ki-Young,” I added.

Lim Chae-Ryeong's eyes widened.

“Ah...”

“Mr. Lee Ki-Young has instructed me to deliver this letter. I don’t know why he asked me to do this... but anyway, please accept it,” I told her.

“Th-Thank you...” Lim Chae-Ryeong stuttered.

The way she stared at the letter with a dumbfounded face and confused eyes was difficult to put into words.

“Would it be okay if I deliver the letters to the others?” Lim Chae-Ryeong asked.

“No, Mr. Lee Ki-Young assigned this task to me. I appreciate your kindness, but...” I paused.

“Ah, I understand,” Lim Chae-Ryeong said. Then, she nodded energetically and grabbed the letter in my hand. She tore it open, looking as if she couldn't contain herself.

“Huh? Is it from hyung? Did he send that letter, rascal noona?” a kid asked.

“When is he coming?” another kid asked.

“When is Ki-Young hyung coming back?” another asked.

‘The kids don’t know it yet.’

“Later,” Lim Chae-Ryeong answered.

“...”

“He’s going to come back later,” she told them.

Lim Chae-Ryeong’s face changed with every passing second. The letter's contents were unknown to me, but I saw her smiling quietly, nodding quietly, and laughing.

All of a sudden, she cried. She was crying so hard that she could hardly read the letter. She rubbed her face until it was a mess and bawled her eyes out. I wanted to go inside and deliver the letter to Nam Goong-Seon, but strangely enough, I couldn’t take my eyes off of her.

I knew it was rude to keep staring at her, but she looked like she needed someone to comfort her, so I wrapped my arms around her.

“Ugh... heu... keugggh...” Lim Chae-Ryeong cried.

“...”

“Heuuuuung... kgh... heuuung...”

After a while, she stammered, “Th-Thank you."

“Th-Then I’m going now...” I told her.

“I’m sure unni is in the kitchen,” she informed me.

“Okay.”

‘I wonder what was written in the letter.’

There was no reason for me to know, but it felt as if a burden had been lifted from my heart. Of course, it was probably just my imagination.

Anyway, Nam Goong-Seon was no different from Lim Chae-Ryeong.

“So...”

“Right, it’s a letter left behind by Mr. Lee Ki-Young. It'd be nice if Miss Ha-Yan were here,” Nam Goong-Seon said.

“Where is Miss Jung Ha-Yan?” I asked.

“I’m not sure. She said she's going to go on a trip with Miss Sora... I wanted to stop her, but I couldn’t. I thought she’d be here... but that wasn’t the case. However, I’m sure Miss Jung Ha-Yan is doing well...” Nam Goong-Seon answered.

“I see,” I said.

“Anyway, thank you very much for delivering the letter,” Nam Goong-Seon said.

She didn't cry her heart out like Lim Chae-Ryeong, but she was forcing herself to talk while holding back her tears. There was also a letter for Miss No Dam-Hye.

“H-He wrote me one, too?” No Dam-Hye asked, sounding dumbfounded.

“Yes. He asked me to deliver a letter to all the party members,” I replied.

“...”

“...”

After taking her letter, No Dam-Hye cried. “Heuk... heuuuk... A-Actually, I liked him since the moment I saw him. Heuk... If I had known that this was going to happen... I wouldn’t have loved him... hiccup... I wouldn’t have... sang songs with him...”

William smiled sadly and said, “Thank you.”

And... Mr. Woo Hyo-Yeol...

“I'm here to deliver a letter that Mr. Lee Ki-Young had left behind,” I said to him.

“I’ll read it later,” he said. Looking down at Paradiso from a high place, he nodded and added, “You can leave it there."

1. Aleria’s POV ☜