A memory from long ago came flooding into his mind. What he remembered most clearly was a woman. Before he was sealed, she was the first and final person he made a contract with. However, she wasn’t just someone he formed a contract with. She was the first being he met right after his birth, his precious friend, and someone who showed Nowem a whole new world.
Yet, their ending was tragic.
In his desire to protect and form a more special relationship with her, he unconsciously formed a contract with her. However, a magical beast’s special mana was the same as poison to a normal person. Succumbing to the immense power of the earth, she began to grow ill like cracked, dry soil; and because her body rejected his mana, she began to lose her mind and went out of control from time to time.
Soon, she became a symbol of fear among humans. However, it was impossible to break the contract. It was an absolute contract, decided from his birth, and it could only end if one of them died. Still, she didn’t resent him.
On the other hand, Nowem tried to kill himself many times. He thought he should be the one to die if one of them had to die, but she stopped him. She threatened him and said that if he died, she would kill herself right after. Thus, the two traveled all around the world to find a way to break the contract.
After they went through all kinds of suffering and trials, they finally found a method: it was a seal; an immensely strong one that could cancel the contract that bound them together. Although sealing himself meant their separation was unavoidable, that was the only method they could find. Moreover, they didn’t have enough time—her skin was like an old, oak tree, her hair was brittle, and her eyes were muddy. There was no trace of the vibrant and bright energy she used to carry herself with. The only thing that was the same was her smile while she patted him.
[It’s time for us to separate.]
She didn’t have much time left. She was against the sealing, but Nowem insisted. He wanted her to enjoy a peaceful time, even if it was for a short period. While she shed her tears, the smile on her lips didn’t disappear.
[You will definitely meet your soulmate in the future.] She whispered to him. [You won’t meet someone who lacks skills like me. A person who will be able to accept all your powers will definitely appear in front of you. So don’t give up. Please find your happiness.]
Her sincere feelings touched Nowem’s heart. She hugged Nowem and felt his soft fur, small body, and temperature that was slightly higher than a human’s as if she was trying to imprint these senses on her body. Then she sang a soothing song. They didn’t know when it began, but there was a song spreading across the world. The song denounced Nowem and the lyrics were filled with fear and resentment towards him.
[If we solve this issue, let’s travel around the world. We can do a lot of good deeds and change the lyrics of the song.]
After listening to the song, she said this to him. However, they failed. Just like it was before, she and Nowem remained symbols of fear. It wasn’t a long one so the song soon ended, but she spoke again with a mischievous tone.
[Although I couldn’t change the song about you, I am going to let people know that you aren’t just a scary being. Since a song about your horror is spreading, I will also use a song to tell people about you.]
Then, she made an oath with her hoarse voice.
[Even if people don’t believe me or the song doesn’t spread, I will continue to try. If I get a family and have children, I will teach them this song. So, even if there’s only one person left to sing this song, I will make sure that there is a song that invokes love and hope in your name. And this song will ring all over the world!]
Then she began singing again. Her song was the opposite of the song that talked of his horrors. It was so dreamlike that its lyrics seemed to capture all of his emotions and hope, and with her smiling face, the song embedded itself into a deep corner of Nowem’s heart. Like that, Nowem was sealed.
While he was asleep, he dreamed the same dreams. It was a bittersweet dream that pictured what would happen if he wasn’t sealed and continued to live a peaceful life with her; and while he was dreaming, he was fully aware that he was in a dream and knew that it was a future that would never come. That was probably why…
[You won’t meet someone who lacks skills like me. A person who can accept all your powers will definitely appear in front of you. So don’t give up. Please find your happiness.]
…These words echoed inside his mind.
* * *
The redness in Nowem’s eyes began to disappear. His sharp teeth and toenails sucked back in, and he stopped his constant growling. Nowem just stared at Snoc who was helplessly singing a song on and on.
Although many parts had changed over the years, Snoc’s song was definitely what Nowem had heard before his sealing. The beginning part of the song was the same as what people had sung in their resentment and fear at Nowem.
It was a song he couldn’t ever get used to. Thus, even while he lost his senses, he felt a familiar sense of loathing and growled. However, the amplification of his loathing stopped as the song continued. The song wasn’t like he remembered; the lyrics and melodies of the song had been altered. Yet, it was like the song she sang before his sealing: the general melody, lyrics, and the sense of attachment towards him were the same.
[Didn’t I promise you?]
Even though it had been a long time since her death, it was as if she was still talking to him. Like a mischievous child who succeeded with her prank, she seemed to smile upon him. However, that smile would soon change into a soft one—just like the one she specially reserved for him.
[I told you that I would spread it even if I have to use my children.]
The violent energy that poured out all over his body soon began to wane. His mad eyes soon began to reflect the figure in front of him: Snoc. He was the human Nowem met after he broke out of his seal and the person who possessed the same energy as him. From his blurry vision, Nowem saw Snoc overlap with the images he had of her.
* * *
The day was bright. As if the fierce battle that took place last night had all been a lie, birds chirped, and the sky was bright blue and filled with clouds. However, in contrast to nature that began its morning routine like usual, the humans were noisy and chaotic. It was because of the mysterious roaring sounds from last night.
Basically, no one in Suol had a pleasant sleep last night. A support team was quickly established and sent to investigate the mine. Several government employees, experts, and troops went up, and those with strong nerves and curiosity followed them from behind. Of course, the investigation team blocked the mine’s surroundings, so outsiders couldn’t go inside the scene of the incident and stroll around the area.
The mine was blocked for the time being. Even if mining was the city’s most important business, they couldn’t push ahead with mine work while the remains of an intense battle were still present. Considering the city’s position, they couldn’t block it for long, and the city mobilized a great number of resources and manpower into investigating last night’s incident.
If they knew Zich and Snoc were involved in the case last night, things would get extremely bothersome for both of them. People could even rally against Nowem and treat him as a threat to the city’s safety. Thus, Zich made his decision without any hesitation—to act like they didn’t know anything.
“Sir, we came back!”
“We came back.”
The entrance opened and Sam and Hans came inside. As if they spent a lot of their energy, they looked weary, but both of their expressions looked relieved.
“How was it?”
“I just kept saying that I didn’t know anything about what happened last night,” Sam answered. Hans nodded his head strongly as if he just completed a mission.
“Will this really be all right?”
The investigation team had requested for their cooperation. Unlike Zich or the assassins, Sam and Hans had gotten permission from the gatekeeper last night to go past the fortress’s gates, so there was even evidence that they were at the mine during the time of the incident. This was the reason why the investigation team requested Sam and Hans’ help as possible witnesses.
And although they “requested” help, it wasn’t a request that they could refuse—especially for Sam who had to continue living in the city. Therefore, both of them cooperated with the investigation but didn’t tell the truth as they already promised Zich that they would keep their mouths shut.
“Did you tell them what I taught you?”
“Yeah. I told them that I heard a loud noise while climbing, so I stopped walking in the middle of the mine. I also told them that I hid in a bush until the noise stopped because I was scared.”
“That’s good. Out of hope, they asked you guys just in case anyway. I don’t know about Hans, but why would they suspect someone with a definite identity like a miner? And Hans went to guard you anyways. I cleaned up after us well too.”
He might not have been able to erase all traces of battle, but it was an easy task for Zich to tamper with his surroundings. He had a lot of experience with this before his regression.
“I guess so.”
“I scattered the corpses of the guys who caused this incident. And I also used Drew’s corpse that I found by accident to create a plausible scenario. They can’t follow up on us.”
After Zich explained his work in detail, Sam felt relieved. However, he wasn’t completely relieved and took out a chair and sat on it with his shaking legs.
“I don’t want to do something like this ever again.”
“It’s fun if you get used to it.”
The investigation team would probably also come to Zich. Since he left Drew’s corpse sprawled out at the scene of the incident, they would probably find out about the trouble with Drew, Zich, Snoc, and Sam. Yet, even if they did that, Snoc and Sam had been the victims and were ordinary miners. They would probably be only suspicious of Zich.
“Don’t think I am like you. I am going to live a normal life where I just have to dig mines.”
“Peasant bastard.”
“That’s the perfect life I want.”
As they shared this useless conversation, Sam’s anxiety began to fade away completely. He began to laugh more and stopped shaking his legs. Seeing that Sam calmed down, Zich went onto the next topic.
“Okay then, let’s talk about those guys.”
Zich’s eyes landed on Snoc who was sitting with a slight hunch with Nowem in his arms. Nowem’s eyes rolled around and felt the surrounding atmosphere. His sensitive senses, which were the characteristics of magical beasts, deciphered the mood of his surroundings, and he could sense that a conversation that would be very important to him would soon take place.
Koo.
While letting out a low cry, he looked up at Snoc who was hugging him. He saw Snoc’s determined face as if Snoc had firmly decided on something.
“First of all, it doesn’t seem like Nowem will get out of control anymore. What’s left is the bitter feelings between you two, and your plans with Nowem.”
“I already told you before that I forgave him.” Sam spoke without any hesitation in his response. As if he finished organizing all his thoughts perfectly, there wasn’t even a slight tremble in his tone.
“Yes, I am impressed by your response, but the problem is both of your emotions.”
True to Zich’s words, Snoc’s face wasn’t bright. Guilt was written all over his face like it would rub off if someone wiped it with a white cloth.
“I am really grateful for Sam’s words of forgiveness, but it’s true that Nowem caused our fathers’ deaths. So, I also don’t think we can get over it with just our words.”
Snoc’s voice was so soft and tiny—it sounded like a mouse crawling on the floor. However, everyone understood what he meant. Sam looked awkward, and although he didn’t feel any regret for saying that he forgave Nowem, he could also understand Snoc’s feelings. Human emotions were extremely complex.
It was at that point Zich intervened, “Then, how about doing kind acts from now on?”