Chapter 304: Returning Home (1)
Seoul is a bustling city.
With its small landmass comes a dense, busy population.
This centralization in the capital is a societal issue worth discussing.
Added to that, the uniquely rapid pace of life here is something hard to find a parallel for in global history.
All these factors converge during rush hour, creating traffic jams that feel almost hellish throughout the city.
And here, at the heart of Seoul—the Gwanghwamun intersection—it was no different.
Honk! Honk!
Buses from Goyang and Paju blared their horns relentlessly.
Taxis, attempting to squeeze in, revved their engines competitively.
Cars, eager to get home to their families, jostled for position on the lanes, signaling triumphantly after successfully merging.
As a result, the road stretching toward Sungnyemun became even more congested.
The honking grew louder.
And the car exhaust grew thicker.
Thanks to this, Javier Asrahan, a knight from the Frontera domain of the Lorasian continent, faced global air pollution issues head-on for the first time in his life.
The result was a series of coughs.
“…cough cough cough!”
Unwillingly, Javier coughed repeatedly.
He had no choice.
Right after teleporting.
Arriving in this new and unfamiliar world.
The first breath he took was filled with air that felt ‘like it came from a century-old toilet.’
It was so horrific that it stung his bronchi.
His lungs involuntarily danced.
‘It feels like…I could compare this to the air in hell.’
Suddenly, he remembered the time he followed Lloyd to hell.
The acrid air filled with volcanic ash there came to mind.
The air in Seoul was exactly like that.
No, in some ways, it was even worse.
Honk! Vroom!
The constant noise from the horns was overwhelming.
And those metal chariots—how brilliantly they flashed their lights.
Why were the streetlights on this broad avenue so dazzlingly bright?
And the buildings—how were they so unnervingly tall?
‘Cold and brutal.’
Javier suppressed his rising instincts.
His senses as a Grandmaster were too sharp.
The barrage of unfamiliar noises and stimuli upon arriving in this strange world was overwhelming.
He quickly suppressed his senses to avoid confusion.
And then, he glanced at Lloyd.
“……”
Lloyd seemed to be reacting similarly.
With eyes wide open and a slightly agape mouth,
His facial muscles relaxed as he took in the chaotic scene.
But Javier could feel it.
‘He’s acting.’
Somehow, that was apparent.
Though Lloyd appeared to be looking around Seoul as if it were unfamiliar,
It didn’t seem to be pure astonishment.
It felt more like he was reminiscing about a long-lost sight.
Indeed, that was exactly how Lloyd felt.
‘Wow. Is this really happening?’
Lloyd swallowed dryly as he looked around.
He had thought he had forgotten.
He thought it had been left far behind.
He never expected to return.
And yet, here Seoul was, right before his eyes.
Buses, taxis, and cars passing by Gwanghwamun intersection.
People still dressed in familiar fashion trends.
Tourists visiting Gwanghwamun,
And the indifferent passersby of Seoul.
All were too familiar yet not missed sights.
‘Che.’
His feelings became complicated.
He couldn’t show it because of Javier,
Though he had to act as if it was his first time in Seoul,
But he couldn’t shake off the bitter feelings that welled up.
‘Makes me think of the old days.’
Seoul wasn’t associated with good memories.
At least, not when he was younger.
Especially the last few years, which had been particularly harsh.
It was a life of constant struggle.
‘Goshiwon (tiny rented rooms), construction sites, part-time jobs, back to goshiwon… my life was like a hamster wheel.’
Those were the days he persevered only looking towards the dream of obtaining his civil engineering license.
His life had nothing to do with a rosy, leisurely existence or healing.
In a way, it was a past he had escaped.
Now, it seemed no longer relevant.
But now that he was actually back in Seoul?
‘The old feelings are resurfacing.’
He felt disgusted.
Fortunately, at least he had returned as Lloyd Frontera.
‘Thank goodness.’
Lloyd inspected his hands and body.
He was still in Lloyd Frontera’s attire.
Javier was the same.
Lloyd quickly signaled Javier.
‘Hey, cover that sword. Wrap it up tighter.’
‘Understood.’
This was Seoul.
Wearing a sword on his belt could lead to trouble.
So, just before leaving, he had wrapped Javier’s sword in cloth.
He would have preferred to leave the sword behind entirely,
But that might have made it too apparent that he was familiar with Seoul.
So, he had only instructed to cover it completely with cloth.
There were other things to keep in check as well.
“You know, right? Don’t act weird. Don’t walk around awkwardly gawking like a country bumpkin.”
“Understood. But, Lord Lloyd.”
“Huh?”
“Isn’t this your first time here too?”
“Of course. Honestly, I feel quite awkward myself.”
“Is that so.”
“Yeah. Especially those people. Why do they keep offering us strange things?”
Lloyd gestured vaguely with his chin.
Javier followed his gesture.
That quickly allowed him to see.
“What’s with that foreigner?”
“Awesome. Totally handsome.”
“But it looks like they’re cosplaying.”
“Of course, fandom is all about the Western fans.”
Click! Click!
Dozens of smartphones pointed their way clicked and snapped photos.
Curious eyes by the dozens were poured upon them.
Javier’s expression hardened.
“Lord Lloyd, it seems these people have already noticed that we are foreigners. What should we do?”
“What else? Just walk naturally. Don’t grip your sheath.”
“Understood.”
Javier simply followed Lloyd’s instructions.
Though the surroundings were too chaotic,
And the unfamiliar sights and people were shocking,
There was no sense of danger here, which reassured Javier.
Moreover, Lloyd’s reactions made him even more reassured.
‘As expected. This place is familiar to Lord Lloyd.’
The way Lloyd walked, his gait, his gaze,
He pretended to be unfamiliar with this place,
But still, a trace of familiarity that he couldn’t fully hide was apparent.
Especially the way Lloyd looked around.
It was like the gaze of someone returning home after a long time.
“……”
Would the fake Lloyd possibly want to stay here?
Missing and happy to be back in his long-lost homeland.
Not wanting to return to the Frontera domain.
If that were the case, Javier was prepared to forcibly drag him back if necessary.
Meanwhile, Lloyd was chewing over a contrasting worry.
‘We should be able to return safely.’
Returning to Seoul after a long time.
He wasn’t exactly pleased.
He wanted to return to the Lorasian continent as soon as possible.
He feared something going wrong and being stuck here.
‘That’s what I’m most afraid of.’
‘Well, as long as we follow the Dragon King’s instructions. Since our dimension travel endpoint is here. Just return here within 24 hours and say the activation phrase, and we’ll be able to return safely.’
Suddenly, he remembered the moments just before embarking on the dimensional travel magic circle.
The Dragon King Verkis’s advice also came to mind.
‘It’s a round-trip spell, so don’t worry. And it’ll help in finding the essential component of the treasure.’
Lloyd opened his palm.
The object he had been holding was revealed.
It was a small compass.
“Lord Lloyd, should we follow where this compass points?”
“Yeah. According to the Dragon King, that’s correct. This compass is supposed to show where his magical traces have been left.”
Indeed, it was.
This compass was a tracker for the treasure’s component that the Dragon King Verkis had created on the spot.
More precisely, it was a tool to trace the magical mana traces used when Verkis had previously sent the essential component to Seoul.
“So it will tell us where the essential component is. We just have to follow where this compass points.”
“That’s correct. But, sir.”
“Hm?”
“When did Ppodong follow us?”
“……What?”
They were walking towards Gwanghwamun Square from Gwanghwamun when this happened.
Javier pointed at Lloyd’s chest pocket.
Only then did Lloyd notice.
His inside pocket.
There, popping its round, plump head out, was Ppodong.
“Ppodong?”
“Ppodong!”
As if happy,
As if delighted,
Ppodong responded briskly to the call with a bright smile.
Lloyd was flustered.
“Hey, when did you get into my pocket? I mean, I told you to stay out before we teleported, right?”
“Ppodong!”
“You went out with the others, right?”
“Ppodong!”
“But while Javier and I were arguing in front of the Dragon King, you came back and secretly slipped into my pocket?”
“Ppodong!”
“…I don’t need you to worry about me like that.”
“Ppodong! Ppodong!”
“But you wanted to protect me because we were going to a strange place?”
“Ppodong!”
“Ahaha.”
Lloyd laughed awkwardly.
He hadn’t expected Ppodong to follow him all the way to Seoul.
He cautioned Ppodong with concern.
“Well, listen, Ppodong. This is a strange world, and I don’t know how people here will react to you. Got it?”
“Ppodong!”
“Yeah, so respond gently.”
“…Ppodong.”
“Right. That’s it. Don’t come out of the pocket and don’t get noticed by people.”
“…Ppodong?”
“You want to see Seoul?”
“Ppodong!”
“Was that your goal from the start?”
“Ppodong? Ppodong!”
“Tch. Seems like that was your goal.”
“Ppodong! Ppodong!”
“Alright, alright. I’ll trust you. But you can’t be noticed by people. You have to be careful. Understand?”
“Ppodong!”
With that, Lloyd kept Ppodong in check.
Then he continued walking with Javier.
Following the direction indicated by the Dragon King’s magic compass.
They passed statues of King Sejong and Admiral Yi Sun-shin.
Crossed Cheonggye Plaza.
Passed Seoul Plaza.
And went by Sungnyemun.
Throughout, they received many curious glances from the people of Seoul.
It was inevitable.
Wearing clothes from the Lorasian continent.
And because Javier’s appearance shone so brightly.
Every path they took became like a runway.
People murmured all around, especially admiring Javier.
Lloyd had to heave a deep sigh.
‘Tch. This is trouble. Being so noticeable could be problematic. What will we do after finding the essential component?’
He pondered as slight dread crept in.
The component of the treasure was bulky.
Already noticeable because of their appearances, what if they were moving it?
It seemed likely to attract the attention of everyone, perhaps even the police.
But Lloyd shook his head internally, dismissing his concerns.
‘Well, a bit of a stir is okay. After all, we won’t be coming back to Seoul. Besides, even if it’s a particularly large component, it won’t be a problem for Javier to carry and run with. Whether we attract attention or the police come after us, we just need to go back to Gwanghwamun intersection and say the activation phrase.’
He might even appear on the public broadcast news.
But since they would be returning to the Lorasian continent anyway.
It didn’t matter in the end.
So, they continued walking.
Following the compass.
Passed Dodong Intersection.
And reached the base of Namsan.
“It seems the component is on this mountain.”
“Yeah, it does.”
It was, oddly enough, in the middle of Seoul—Namsan.
Lloyd felt a strange emotion as he climbed the mountain.
From then on, they deliberately avoided paths frequented by people.
They chose secluded mountain trails to ascend.
Because it was getting dark.
The darkness helped them.
Though the Namsan cable car buzzed overhead,
They moved secretly, unseen by anyone.
As they climbed higher, Lloyd’s gaze frequently returned to the magic compass.
‘It seems the essential component of the treasure is on this mountain. Huh, it keeps pointing upward. What’s this? It wouldn’t be pointing this way if it were on the side of the mountain or at the foot.’
Lloyd sensed something was off.
They had climbed quite a bit,
Yet the compass still only pointed upwards.
A nameless anxiety sprouted wildly in his heart.
‘Ah, no way. It can’t be near Namsan Tower or somewhere around there.’
He hoped it wasn’t near there.
He prayed, filled with faith and hope.
But heaven quickly betrayed his faith and hope.
As they climbed Namsan,
The magic compass increasingly and definitively pointed towards Namsan Tower.
‘Ah, this feels ominous.’
Lloyd continued walking with an uneasy feeling.
Following the direction indicated by the compass.
Exiting the forest and following the wooden stairs.
Blending in among couples and tourists.
Receiving curious glances from many people.
Passing by the Seoul city mascot, Haechi, in front of the tower.
They finally arrived at the outdoor observatory of Namsan Tower.
At that moment,
Lloyd exhaled deeply as if the ground beneath him had collapsed.
Thanks to the Dragon King’s magical compass,
They had managed to find the last essential component.
And he had realized its identity.
‘So, the final essential component of the treasure is… this famous love lock fence at Namsan Tower?’
