Visiting the artefact shop took priority, so I headed there first. By the time my exam would be over, that old man also would have closed for the day. Mr. Douglas was an old friend of Zoras, and I was sure that he wouldn't mind opening the doors for him, but I'd rather be done with this sooner than later.
I just hope I'm not late for the exam.
I did not, though, let my haste stop me from admiring the architecture. In the past, I often found myself wondering why we stopped making houses and roads that made you pause in admiration, with their walls engraved with such intricacy, arches that welcomed your gazes, and colours that popped with life! The roads were made out of stone bricks, the walking area separated by tall, metal railings. There were still horse drawn carriages present, but it wouldn't be long before they faded into obscurity, replaced by the newer, automated carriages that ran on steam.
Must be nice.
The walk was a bit longer than I would have preferred, but pleasant nonetheless, thanks to the wonderful sights and the gentle breeze. But of course, none of that could hide the disdain of the people. The main roads were fine, but I could feel the hateful gazes spewing from the alley, their rage clear, directed not just to me, but to the entire city.
I doubted they would think any favourably of me. I was a noble once. Even if I did not have that status anymore, all thanks to our wonderful father (I hope the sarcasm in that statement was clear), I was still a target of their years of resentment they suppressed in their hearts, boiling and ready to erupt any moment.
I do not want to be a part of this…
I'd rather not get tangled in any mess involving this world or its people. I had no intention of being a protagonist of some isekai, absolutely not—I'd gladly let someone else bathe in all the glory.
I wish that Fate wouldn't demand anything of me…
But I suppose, when you're transmigrated into another world, a wish like that is a luxury only few can afford, and even that after you've become strong enough to defy the laws of the very world you found yourself in—at least that was what I concluded from all the light novels I would read in my spare time.
It took me an hour, but at last I reached the familiar old door…well, familiar to Zoras, that is. I pushed it open, a signature "creak" announcing my presence as an old voice spoke from behind the counter:
'Welcome, oh! If it isn't Zoras! What brings you here today?'
If I didn't know any better, I would say he was in his fifties, and even for someone that age, he was full of life and vigor; the only hint of his age being the streaks of white that were his hair and beard, but he was actually pushing eighty. How could a person be so old and look so young, I did not know, but I had an inkling that he made quite a few ladies jealous.
He was lean, his face devoid of any wrinkles, and his skin as fair as the snowy landscapes of the North. This shabby old place had been his home for the past sixty years of his life, and I could only hope that it would be so for a lot more, but that was not why I was here right now.
'Has business been doing well, Mr. Douglas?'
'It's been booming recently. The increase in demand is honestly a little overwhelming.'
He pulled something out of his drawer, a small brooch shaped like the wings of a butterfly, with an emerald jewel in its centre.
'This is something an old patron of mine gifted me a few days ago,' he said, pushing it towards me. 'Well? Do you notice something?'
'I'm afraid I'm still not versed enough in the study of artefacts, Mr. Douglas.'
'That's a shame,' he said, a subtle frown on his face as he pulled the brooch back.
'Mr. Douglas, I have a question.'
'Yes?' He raised his brow.
'Did I give you any artefacts recently?'
'An artefact, eh?' He stroked his beard as he turned his head slightly, his eyes closed and his brows furrowed. 'None that I recall,' he said finally, before putting his hands on the counter and leaning slightly forward. With his eyes narrowed and a slight grin on his face, he asked:
'Why, did you lose one?'
'Something like that,' I said with an awkward smile. 'I happen to be pretty adept at losing things.'
'Haha~! Young ones these days, so fragile and forgetful.'
If it was any other person, perhaps I would have a clever jab prepared, but there wasn't anything I could really think of anything to say to him.
'Haha~ Well, I'll take my leave then, I suppose.'
'Already? Why not take a look around, see if something piques your interest?'
'As much as I would love to do that, I have an exam which I unfortunately cannot skip.'
He paused for a moment, his smile fading as his eyes narrowed, as if staring into my soul, before returning to normal. It was only for a moment, but there was a hint of suspicion in his gaze.
Did I slip up somehow?
Did he figure out I was not Zoras?
I did not let my worries slip out on my face, acting as I missed that, before turning around to leave.
'A shame,' he said with a sigh, back to his usual self.
If he did figure it out, I need to eliminate him…I could not let anyone figure it out. No. Absolutely not…
What am I thinking?!
Immediately, I corrected myself. What did I mean by "eliminate him"?!
What is wrong with me?!
I stepped out the door, taking a deep breath as I let my thoughts calm down. Yes, there was no need for me to worry. One moment of suspicion was no reason for me to go this down a rabbithole of thoughts. I could, also, very well have imagined it.
Calm down, Gyeoul. Calm down.
I took a deep breath, diverting my attention away from that, and to my goal of returning to my own world. If an artefact was involved, like I suspected, he got it from somewhere else, and whatever happened was before he could get that artefact to Mr. Douglas. Of course, it could also be the result of an artefact that I got from him…but Mr. Douglas was sure to warn Zoras in that case, and Zoras would heed that warning, that much I could be confident of.
What do I do now…?
I had a suspicion it wouldn't be easy to return home, but I didn't expect myself to be stuck without a single clue of what to do next.
Defeated, I let out a sigh. I still had an exam to give, and for now I decided to focus on that. After that…perhaps I could go give Clint a visit? He was a friend of Zoras, one of the few he had, and though they had their differences, he was a good friend. Clint was versed in the study of curses, and perhaps he might have an answer to my current situation…
Or he might think I am a demon who possessed his friend…
In which case, he would be dead set on exorcising me.
I should avoid him for now.
It was while I wondered what my next action should be that I suddenly felt a gaze on my back, jolting me out of my thoughts as my heart fell. A prickling sensation crawled up my skin, something that lasted for only a moment before fading away as it never existed, but that was enough for sweat to roll down my face as I felt the ground beneath my feet slip away.
What…was that?
Ill intent; but why? Did someone figure out that I wasn't Zoras? Was it the old man from earlier? No…it couldn't be him. He shouldn't have enough reason to suspect me…but if that wasn't the case…then what could that be.
I did not stop.
I kept walking as if nothing happened. I did not notice them, or rather, I couldn't let them know I noticed them. I had a feeling that if I turned my head around, it would end poorly for me.
I need to get out of here…quickly!
I walked as fast as I could, trying my best to blend in with the crowd. The more people I surrounded myself with, the better, or so I thought. Whoever it was after me, they couldn't harm me with so many people around.
Was it directed towards Zoras? I wondered, but even that made little sense. What reason would someone possibly have for harbouring ill-intent towards him…well, other than the fact that he was probably someone quite annoying and easy to bully, but that shouldn't be something that would warrant something like this.
No, what I felt was pure malice.
That was the best way I could put it.
It was pure malice.
I took the route through the market. It was longer than I would have liked, but it was also the most crowded. I wasn't going to die here. Absolutely not. I wasn't going to die before returning to my wife. I kept my guard up the whole time, trying my best to not let my emotions slip onto my face, but inside, I could feel every inch of my body screaming to run away. My legs were ready to dash as fast as they could, but that would only raise suspicion, not to mention, it would make me easy to identify.
Of course, there was also the slightest chance that my mind was playing tricks on me. I couldn't rule out that thought, especially when you consider that I hadn't had a proper breakfast in the morning, but I would rather stay safe than sorry.
…I don't think I brushed my teeth in the morning either…
I hope my breath doesn't stink too much.
I knew for a fact that, when I returned home, Lune was going to be extremely mad at me. That was, if I could return home safely…
No. I wasn't going to be so helpless as to let fear cloud my thoughts. I would finish this exam as quickly as I could, then return home and think about what my next course of action should be. Maybe I would search the room a little more, I thought. There should be something that I missed.
I would also need a means to protect myself…maybe a gun would help?
Of course, contrary to what I would want, my senses were heightened, paying close attention to every face and every sound. I could feel the world around me slow down as I desperately looked around. What if the person from earlier was in this very crowd, following me at this very moment? What if they were to attack me right now? Was it foolish of me to surround myself, restricting my own movement? Was this what that person intended from the very beginning?
Instinctively, my steps hastened, even if that wasn't my intention, but at that point, I couldn't bring myself to slow down anymore. I wanted to get this over with already.
I navigated the crowd to the best of my abilities, pushing my way through the horde of people, every step filled with haste but also caution. I heard my heart beating faster, feeling the pumping against my chest as sweat dripped from my forehead.
After what felt like an eternity, I finally reached the University gates.