Record of a Thousand Lives: Chapter 12
Chapter 12. Record of a Thousand Lives
The sadness of the spirit brought a catastrophe.
The salamander shed much tears which wasn’t liquid, but rather high heat.
The fire dust blew and dispersed quickly to the surrounding area.
As the after effects of the very recent explosion, the fire intensified as if the shredded room was going to catch on fire.
As the spirit was just been born, her ability to control the intensity of fire was weak.
“Aaaang!”
“Take her.”
Kang Yoonsoo grabbed the crying girl by the waist and put her forth towards Shanette.
In the moment of confusion, she took the spirit and held her.
Kang Yoonsoo shook the tip of his chin when he saw Shanette looking confused.
“Soothe her.”
“You made her cry! Why are you asking me to…..?”
“I don’t know how to soothe a crying child.”
Shanette leered at Kang Yoonsoo.
“Neither do I?”
“Then just watch the area burn.”
“…..Mean person, you are.”
Up to this point, Shanette has never had the experience of having consoled a child.
It was because whenever she would approach the children in the village, they would either pick on her, or cry when they saw her hideous face.
In the mean time, the fire got bigger and spread to the surrounding area.
Shanette, who had received the sculpture of power, was OK, but the fire could grow to, and even burn, the territory.
Sensing the urgency, Shanette shouted what she was thinking.
“….Child! Don’t cry. I, I’ll be your mommy!”
The girl suddenly stopped crying.
The fire that was engulfing the room also became smaller.
Crying, the girl asked.
“…..Mommy?”
“No, I’m still too young to have a child…..”
“Aaaaang!”
As the spirit cried again, the fire spread to the area.
Surprised, Shanette said.
“Ah, Alright. Then I’ll be your mommy. For a while, at least.”
“…..Sniffle! Really?”
“Yah… Really.”
“Whoaaa!”
Only then the girl stopped crying, and grinningly smiled.
It was a pure and beautiful smile.
Looking at this pure girl smile like this, she couldn’t unsay what she has just said.
“Mommy, put, put me down.”
“OK.”
The girl stood on her two feet and tightly hugged Shanette’s waist.
It was a simple hug, but Shanette was surprised.
When was the last time that she had hugged like this with another person, besides Hermione?
Taking her face off of Shanette, the girl smiled brightly as she took a big breath.
“I like mommy! Love you!”
Smiling naively, the girl gave a dainty kiss on Shanette’s cheek.
As she was such an adorable child, Shanette was amazed for some reason.
The salamander pulled Shanette’s overcoat.
“Mommy, give me a name.”
“A name?”
Shanette didn’t know what to do.
How could someone ask for a name that will be attached to herself, from someone like her?
As she attempted to think for a while, a good name did not come to her mind.
Then Kang Yoonsoo quietly spoke.
“Sally.”
It was certain that the name came from the sounds of salamander.
Even though she thought it was an extremely simple name, the girl nodded with a big motion.
“I like that name!”
When the name was given to the spirit, a message came on to the terminal.
[Sally]
Level: 42
Race: Salamander
Age: Child age
Power: 4
Magic power: 17
Fire power: 21
Skills possessed: Wrath of flame (Lv1), Fire armor (Lv1)
The spirit that was just been born. She has tender and pure character. She is limitlessly naïve, and likes to be protected.
Kang Yoonsoo looked at the girl who was like a doll.
Sally.
Even Kang Yoonsoo was really surprised when the fire spirit was created for the first time in his life.
So the first thing that had come to his mind, Sally, had been given to her as her name.
Although he could have given her a better name, the name Sally has ultimately continued to the present life time.
Up to this time, the fire spirit has never been created by using raw materials that weren’t the spears of the dragon mercenaries.
If that had been so then, instead of Sally that he remembered, another form of salamander would be born.
As only one kind of spirit could be created, other spirits would become entities that could not be seen forever.
“A fight against the destroyer dragon must be avoided this time, too.’
How despondent was he when Sally’s head was torn up by the jaws of the destroyer dragon.
In his past lives, he has recreated Sally many times, and witnessed Sally’s death many times, also.
‘I couldn’t see this child’s death in this life time.’
Sally was one of the many reasons to why Kang Yoonsoo had to kill the demon king.
Kang Yoonsoo gestured to Sally.
The tiny girl quickly ran towards Kang Yoonsoo.
It was a short moment.
The approaching girl was being overlapped with the many appearances of Sally’s past lives.
As if he lost the track of the time, his vision became blurred.
‘…..I need wine.’
Rubbing off his forehead, Kang Yoonsoo chased away the illusion
Unlike his inner mind, this was the reason why he would become void of feelings.
Due to the visions of the past lives’ memories that he couldn’t forget, his mind could not be in a perfect condition.
“Sally.”
“Um!”
When she heard her name called, Sally’s orange eyes sparkled.
Kang Yoonsoo said in all seriousness.
“Go to the summoning world, tired.”
“…..Then, are you going to be Sally’s daddy?”
Kang Yoonsoo did not like to be called that.
That was because as the relationship became more emotionally attaching, it would be difficult to overcome the emotions rising from her death.
However, it was even too much trouble for him to say otherwise.
“Yes.”
“Whoa! Sally loves daddy, too!”
Jumping joyously, Sally kissed Kang Yoonsoo’s cheek, too.
Then she disappeared without even a trace.
Without much response, Kang Yoonsoo lied down in the room that had been burned.
As Shanette looked at him with an expression of disbelief, Kang Yoonsoo replied, lying down.
“What are you looking at.”
* * *
The next morning, at the front of the residence.
Hermione, with a sad look, hugged Shanette
“O, Shanette, what is to happen. How did I not know, when I am so close, that your fate is much harsher than mine.”
“It’s alright. I can manage it.”
Shanette replied confidently.
Taking the proposal of Kang Yoonsoo, she has decided to go on a journey with him.
The sculpture of power was a treasure left by the Ignus Dragon for the future descendants.
As long as she was in possession of it, she couldn’t just remain in the Kellyine Territory.
Shanette was nervous, but also excited in another way.
It was because she has been thinking about achieving independence, and go beyond the territory of Kellyine.
“I have not gone outside of Kellyine ever since I got here. I want to put my eyes on a new place and see more new things.”
“I want to give you a chariot if it was up to me, but….. Unfortunately, the conditions in the territory do not allow me to do that. I should have left at least two ponies before the trade merchants left here, last time.”
“This is sufficient.”
Shanette smiled and she showed the backpack which she got used to.
Inside it was filled with money for the travel, and necessary supplies that Hermione personally prepared for her.
After a long time of blubbering, Hermione let go of Shanette.
She looked at Kang Yoonsoo who was standing next to her.
“Please take care of Shanette.”
Kang Yoonsoo nodded subtly.
After asking that, Hermione took a peek at Shanette.
She was wearing tight pants and short shirt which were good active wears.
“Your shirt collar is all wrinkled up. Can you come over here for a moment?”
Hermione brought Shanette to the left side of the residence.
Turning her head, she put on a serious expression.
It was certainly different than the blubbering expression that she had on just recently.
“Shanette, what do you think about that man?”
“I don’t think he is a bad person.”
“I feel that too. But, something about him bothers me.”
Shanette gave a curious look.
“As you know, elf lives a long time. Even though the external appearance does not get old, that is. Sometimes, it occurs that the youngest looking elf, among all the elves, turns out to be the oldest one. So, our perspectives in looking at people are different than humans.”
Hermione gave Kang Yoonsoo, who was at yonder, a strange look.
“That man, Kang Yoonsoo, I feel that he is very similar to an elf. He looks young like us, but he seems much older inside.”
“Are you saying that Kang Yoonsoo has been living for hundreds of years?”
“Certainly, it couldn’t be since he is a human….But it is true that I feel a strange incompatibility. He seems to have been living for a very long time. Something…. Different from us.”
Shanette could not understand Hermione, but she nodded anyway.
As she has lived for hundreds of years, she would be much wiser than her.
“Just in case if you feel that he is strange or you believe your life is in danger, don’t hesitate to run away and come back, anytime.”
“Will do.”
Having been a soldier, Shanette was much stronger than ordinary women.
Although she believed that that couldn’t happen, she always had enough reserve power to fight back should Kang Yoonsoo was to do something weird.
Hermione stroked Shanette’s cheek which still had some burned marks.
“Go see the world and come back. You’ll do well no matter where you are.”
“Thank you….truly. Hermione.”
Shanette suppressed the overwhelming sadness.
It would be difficult to meet another good person like Hermione.
“Good bye. Let there be light and peace in your remaining journey together.”
After saying good bye, the two people walked towards the north.
Beyond the barley fields, came the wasteland.
Shanette asked when they were about to go beyond the territory’s borders.
“Where are we going?”
“Hillerdan.”
Hillerdan was a small city, quite distant from the Kellyine Territory.
It was famous for having potion manufacturing facility as there were established branch of an alchemist clan.
And Shanette asked what has been the most curious question of them all.
“What is the purpose of our journey?”
“To stop the coming destruction of the world. And….”
Kang Yoonsoo slowly raised his left hand.
The burning sun emitted bright light.
Right.
This time for sure.
“I’ll stop the repetition of life.”