LmPeUm5Y6s
Chapter 2
This really was my first life.
The continent of Eneris.
The place where I lived as Deyan, the youngest son of House Pador.
Once I grasped the situation, I calmed down a little. Unlike earlier, I spoke to Marianne in a more composed tone.
“Marianne.”
“Y-Yes? What is it, young master?”
She was still clearly shaken by what had happened earlier, flinching every time I so much as moved.
“…You don’t have to be so frightened. I admit, what happened before… that was my mistake.”
How was I supposed to know that wasn’t a dream?
Marianne still looked wary, but then let out a deep sigh.
“Young master… you are still yourself, right?”
“Of course, we—uh, this one—no, I mean… yes, it’s me.”
Damn it.
I accidentally let slip one of Tang Cheol-woo’s habits.
I’m not the Grand Elder of the Tang Sect anymore.
I’m not some undefeated Shadow Lord of the Murim.
I’m just the third son of House Pador now.
Sure enough, Marianne looked at me strangely.
“‘This one’…? What does that mean?”
Right. No way she’d recognize Murim speech.
Pull yourself together, Tang Cheol-woo. No—Deyan.
Right now, I’m supposed to be an innocent young noble who thought the world was nothing but peace and sunshine.
That means I need to act the part.
I feigned innocence and said coolly,
“Did I say that?”
“Um… I mean, yes, but more importantly…”
Marianne suddenly placed a hand on my forehead, tilting her head.
“You don’t have a fever…”
“Why are you checking for one?”
“Well… I was just worried you might be ill. You’re talking like some weird old man.”
Unfair!
I’m not a weird old man—I just lived through more than most people ever will!
But I couldn’t exactly tell her that.
Should I just come clean?
…No, forget it.
She already thinks I might be sick. Say any more and she’ll start thinking I’ve lost my mind.
I swallowed the truth and shook my head.
“I’m fine.”
Sure, I needed to fix the way I talk.
But after decades of living like that, it wasn’t going to be easy.
Besides, I didn’t want to act like the spoiled brat I used to be—not in front of Marianne.
I turned my attention away from her and looked around.
If this really was the hill I remembered, then I should be able to see it…
And there it was.
Just as I expected, a vast mansion lay beneath the hill.
I pointed to it and asked,
“Marianne… down there. That estate—isn’t that the house I lived in?”
She looked at the mansion I was pointing to and nodded without hesitation.
“Of course, young master. That’s the estate of House Pador—the most refined noble family on the continent, home to the great knights of legend. That’s your home.”
I blinked.
House Pador.
That name… How long had it been since I last heard it?
So it’s true.
I really have come back.
As the emotion welled up inside me, Marianne’s voice brought me back to the present.
“Young master, we really should get going. If we’re late, Nerlin’s going to be furious again.”
“Nerlin…? You mean that clumsy Nerlin?”
“Yes, that Nerlin. Why are you acting like you’ve never heard of her? Should I call for the doctor…”
Marianne bit her lip nervously, her gaze turning serious.
Yeah, if I kept acting weird, she was definitely going to drag me to a physician—or worse, an exorcist.
And if that happened, I’d probably be branded insane.
I couldn’t let that happen.
“Sorry. My mind’s a little foggy. I think the dream I had was too vivid.”
“I don’t know what kind of dream it was, but it must’ve been a strange one. Let’s go, young master.”
She picked up the basket she had brought, filled with snacks and such, and started heading down the hill.
I followed her, drawing closer to the grand estate of House Pador with every step.
It had been so long…
So long since I walked these grounds.
But before I could reach it, something stood in my way.
The enormous gate.
In my memories—my dreams—that gate never opened for me.
Golden vines were carved into the surface, and at the center, a silver eagle held a sword in its wings.
An intricate crest of nobility and strength.
The gate of House Pador.
Now it finally started to feel real.
Standing before the front gate of House Pador… I felt a subtle tension creeping in.
In the dream, after all… that gate had never opened.
In those brief moments, I found myself wishing—praying—that this wasn’t just another illusion.
Thankfully, the towering, solemn gate—imposing yet dignified—opened without delay.
Creeeaak.
“Welcome home, young master.”
The guards at the entrance stood tall and greeted me with full formality.
As I returned their nods and stepped inside, I was greeted by the sight of the Pador estate’s sprawling grounds, buildings, and gardens designed in a style unlike anything found in the Murim.
“Ha…”
I stopped walking and simply took it all in.
The view stirred something deep inside me.
How many nights had I longed for this place?
Even when I rose to become the Greatest Disciple of the Tang Sect, showered in praise and honor…
Even then, part of me yearned to return to the continent of Eneris.
And not just then.
Even when I was feared across the martial world, when the very mention of my title as the Shadow Lord made the strongest warriors tremble, I still missed this place.
Even with all the glory and comfort that life gave me…
I still wished—time and again—that I could return as Deyan, the youngest son of House Pador.
Eneris…
To me, this land had always been a hollow ache—a yearning that never went away.
A home I thought I’d never see again.
But here it was.
The house hidden in the clouds—now standing right before my eyes.
Marianne looked at me with her large, concerned eyes.
“Young master… aren’t you going in?”
The corners of my mouth lifted into a smile.
“Of course. I should. It’s time to go inside.”
It was time to return—
To the life of Deyan, the youngest son of House Pador.
As we moved forward, I saw another maid in a matching uniform rush toward us from nearby, clearly in a fluster.
“Young master!”
A girl with ash-gray hair and green eyes.
It was Nerlin, the notoriously clumsy maid.
It had been a long time since I saw her too.
Nerlin came running—too fast—and stumbled right at the last moment.
I quickly caught her.
“You’re still as clumsy as ever.”
“…Huh? Young master?”
“Never mind.”
After helping her back to her feet, I clasped my hands behind my back and continued walking.
I wanted to take in even more of the scenery—this place I had missed so dearly.
Behind me, I heard the two maids whispering.
“Don’t you think the young master’s acting… different?”
“I know, right? I’m kinda worried. He said he had a dream or something, but what kind of dream was it?”
“Wait… what if it wasn’t a dream? What if it was… some kind of episode?”
“Hey! Don’t call it an illness like that. Watch what you say.”
“I didn’t mean it like that! I’m worried too!”
Their hushed conversation made me chuckle.
Hearing them brought back bits and pieces of memory—of who I used to be in their eyes.
In a family of knights, warriors, and dignified nobles, I was the odd one out.
You know the type, right?
That one relative—surrounded by excellence—but hopelessly average themselves. The so-called black sheep.
In House Pador, that was me.
The youngest son.
The disappointing one.
Now that I thought about it…
What did I look like again?
I couldn’t even remember the face I had as Deyan.
Whoosh!
“Eep—Mother above!”
Nerlin yelped and immediately ducked behind Marianne, clamping her mouth shut.
She must’ve thought I’d overheard her whispering.
I smirked.
“Either of you happen to have that bronze… tool on you?”
“A mirror?”
“What was it called again… right, yeah. A mirror. That.”
“Oh! If that’s what you meant—!”
Nerlin quickly fished a small hand mirror from her apron pocket.
“Here you go, young master!”
I accepted the mirror and slowly brought it to my face.
“…Yeah. That’s what I used to look like.”
“You still do! You’re handsome, young master. The most handsome man in all of House Pador, if you ask me!”
Nerlin offered the compliment eagerly, but to me—it wasn’t welcome at all.
Reflected in that mirror was a frail, pitiful-looking boy.
His skin was pale, nearly translucent like the glass itself.
A face so delicate that it could’ve passed for a girl’s—so soft, it made you wonder if he was born with the wrong body.
Everything about that appearance felt alien to House Pador.
Yes… I was the misfit.
Born into a family of knights, yet too sickly to even hold a sword.
A noble son in name only—a disgrace to his lineage.
I handed the mirror back to Nerlin.
“Thanks, Nerlin.”
She accepted it, but instead of putting it away, she began fussing with her hair, using the mirror to preen.
Right… Nerlin had always been obsessed with grooming herself.
Unlike Marianne, who had no interest in that sort of thing.
As I observed them, a familiar sound reached my ears—a soft, rhythmic shfff of friction.
My body reacted before my mind could. I turned toward the sound and started walking.
“Young master, where are you going?!”
I could hear Marianne and Nerlin’s voices behind me, trying to catch up.
Clang!
The sharp clash of metal meeting metal.
Just around the bend, I found it: dozens of knights training with swords drawn, sparring in disciplined, synchronized motions.
“…Ah…”
Dozens of burly knights moved in harmony, blades slicing through the air.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The sound of weapons—once something I’d heard every day in the martial world—now felt oddly unfamiliar.
But yes… this was the sound I remembered.
Clear. Noble. Unshakable.
The kind of swordplay that only knights could produce.
The kind of discipline that only belonged here.
And with that…
It finally began to feel real.
House Pador.
The house of knights.
I was truly… back.
“Young master?”
One of the knights must have noticed my presence. They all lowered their swords and turned in my direction.
Among them, a man with a distinguished mustache and the air of a noble warrior stepped forward.
A face I hadn’t seen in years.
I strained to recall his name… it was on the tip of my tongue.
As he drew closer, I noticed the emblem on his cloak: a silver eagle wrapped protectively around a blue-bladed sword.
That confirmed it.
Sir Janitz.
Leader of the Blue Eagle Order.
A knight who had always treated me kindly—without ever showing disdain.
“Welcome back, young master.”
He bowed with respect, and I returned the gesture with a martial salute, forming fists and bowing politely.
“…?”
Captain Janitz’s expression turned strange.
What’s with that face?
It wasn’t just him.
The knights around us were all staring at me as if I’d done something bizarre.
This is getting awkward…
I followed Janitz’s gaze—and there it was.
The answer.
The salute.
Of course. That was the problem.
A stupid slip-up… This world didn’t use Murim martial etiquette.
My face burned red with embarrassment.
If I had a vial of knockout poison right now, I’d spray the whole area and bury this moment in unconsciousness.
I was just about to stammer out a correction when—
“Hahaha! My apologies, young master!” Janitz suddenly broke into boisterous laughter.
“I’m just a rough knight, after all—I wouldn’t know anything about noble greetings!”
Smooth.
So that’s how you’re playing it, huh?
Janitz gave a subtle nod to the knights nearby, and they quickly followed suit with awkward laughter.
“Hahaha! Come on, Captain, even you should know that much!”
“Exactly!”
“Seriously, what kind of captain are you?! Hahaha!”
Janitz then attempted to mimic my odd gesture in a clumsy imitation, laughing all the while.
“Wishing you a splendid morning, young master!”
“Uh… y-yeah. Good morning.”
He looked like an adult humoring a child’s little game.
This is so humiliating.
Wanting to escape the awkwardness, I quickly changed the subject.
“If I interrupted your training… please, don’t let me stop you. Continue.”
“Oh! If that’s what you wish, then certainly!”
With almost exaggerated cheer, Janitz turned back to the knights and shouted:
“Resume training!”
“YES, SIR!”
Their sharp, synchronized reply echoed across the courtyard as the knights returned to their sparring drills.
I stood there watching them in silence, momentarily lost in the rhythmic clashing of blades.
But then—
“Young master! What are you doing out here?!”
Marianne and Nerlin came rushing toward me.
What were they so worried about?
“I’m going, I’m going…”
Brushing off my backside, I took another look around.
Servants and knights moved about.
Grand statues and fountains dedicated to Pador’s noble ancestors filled the estate grounds.
“…I really did come back.”
I felt like offering a prayer to the heavens.
I’d returned to childhood—to a time when I could change everything.
The family I had longed to see.
The home I’d dreamed of for years.
But strangely… I wasn’t entirely happy.
Overlaying this grand sight was a second image—a memory burned into my soul.
Flames engulfing buildings.
Screams piercing the night air.
The bitter chill of death.
The fall of House Pador, just a few years away.
But this time… it will be different.
Thud!
“…?”
What was that?
It happened so fast, I couldn’t even lift my head. I just blinked, stunned.
Then it hit me.
I’d tripped.
Tried to catch myself.
Failed.
And slammed face-first into the ground.
“…Ugh.”
I felt something warm dripping.
Blood.
A nosebleed?
Me? Getting a nosebleed?
Even during full-blown duels back in the Murim, I never bled like this…
My vision blurred, and voices reached me in bits and pieces, breaking like static.
“Y-Young master!”
“He collapsed!”
“It’s a seizure! A seizure!”
Dozens of faces hovered over mine.
And finally—finally—I truly felt it.
This really was Deyan’s body.
Because passing out like this…
…was far too familiar.
Maybe I’ll postpone that grand plan to reform House Pador.
Yeah. Not today.
---The End Of The Chapter---
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