(EP-300.2)

300 – Home

After receiving a small lily, I returned to the cave where Stella was lying down.

Stella’s condition was like boiling magma—if I had delayed any longer, it wouldn’t have been surprising if her organs had started to melt.

“This should make you better.”

I gently opened Stella’s mouth, then crushed the flower petals against a rock and carefully fed them to her. But Stella, on the verge of losing consciousness, couldn’t tolerate the bitter taste and spat them right out.

I tried several more times, but the result was the same.

She just wouldn’t take it.

Considering how much trouble I went through to obtain this medicine, I couldn’t help but feel slightly frustrated. But she was sick, so what could I do?

“Excuse me for this.”

So, I gently pinched her nose shut, and as her mouth opened, I pressed mine against hers, transferring the medicine directly. It was incredibly bitter. I could hear the sound of something being swallowed.

Since there were five petals in total, I used the same method for all of them. As I waited anxiously for the medicine to take effect, it wasn’t long before the redness in Stella Bellhawk’s face started to fade.

The struggles from the entire night hadn’t been in vain, it seemed.

Sssrrk.

I touched her forehead, and her temperature had returned to normal.

“Cough, ugh, what… what did you feed me?”

“It’s called an evening primrose. It’s supposed to neutralize poison effectively. It’s said to make you healthier than before you were poisoned, so don’t spit it out.”

“Ugh…”

With a groan, Stella passed out again. All I could do was rotate damp towels over her forehead and wipe the cold sweat from her neck and face.

This might be the first time I’d ever taken care of someone like this. It was more exhausting than I thought. It made me realize just how much dedication was needed to care for someone properly.

━You’ve always been prone to illness.

Suddenly, a voice brushed against my ear. Was it my mother’s? Lee Sung-eum’s? Or maybe it was Theo Gospel’s progenitor? I couldn’t tell.

The memories of the two were blending like paint with no barriers, making it hard to distinguish which belonged to whom.

Come to think of it, I had more questions about Solomon and that nymph. But saving the poisoned Stella was more urgent, so I hadn’t been able to ask.

I’d visit them tomorrow if Stella’s condition improves.

With that thought in mind, I spent the night diligently caring for her. Then, I woke up to a cool sensation on my face. I opened my eyes to see Stella, who looked relatively well, staring at me.

“Theo-kun, it’s morning.”

“Ah. Stella-nim, it seems you’ve recovered. I was worried something might have gone wrong.”

“Actually, I feel great. It’s as if every part of my body has been replaced with brand-new pieces. I feel like I could fly!”

As if to prove it, Stella stretched out her arms and legs smoothly. The effects of the medicine were better than expected. It was a relief to see her in good health.

She asked.

“An evening primrose? Where did you even find something like that? It only appears in legends.”

“Legends?”

“Yeah. They say it’s a flower that bloomed only in the age of mythology long ago. It’s said to be able to bring even the dying back to life.”

“That…”

I explained to Stella everything that had happened. After hearing the whole story, she suddenly burst into laughter.

“A giant centipede named Angala? Do you really expect me to believe such a lie, Theo-kun? The great Angala is the sister of the wise spider Argala, a figure from ancient tales.”

“But it’s true!”

Stella looked like a teacher chastising a little child saying he’d seen Santa Claus.

Determined to prove my story, I decided to take Stella to the lake where I had fought the giant centipede the night before.

But when we finally arrived at the lake, there was no sign of the numerous centipedes or the giant immortal being.

Just a clear and beautiful lake.

The peaceful lake was surrounded by chrysanthemums, hydrangeas, and wildflowers. The evening primroses were nowhere to be seen.

“It was really here. There was this massive centipede, and we fought—like, crash, bang, boom! The huge whirlpool…”

“Yeah, I got it. I believe you.”

“…….”

I felt like I was hypnotized.

“So, what did this great Angala say?”

At the half-mocking question, lightning flashed in my mind.

“Oh, right. She told me to find her disciple, Kubilai.”

“Kubilai? You mean the master of the eastern forest? Do you know where to find them?”

“We can figure it out. Could you catch the wolf that’s been circling us for a while now?”

“That’s easy.”

Stella pulled a long sling from her waist and quickly hurled it. A sharp sound rang through the bushes, followed by a high-pitched cry.

━Kekeeng!

As we approached the bushes where the sound had come from, we found a large wolf struggling with its legs tied. It was big enough to swallow someone like me in one bite. A strange third eye was embedded in its forehead.

“Tartarus Wolf, the hell wolf. They’re known for the eye in the middle of their forehead. So Theo-kun, what are you planning to do with it?”

“We’ll ask it for Kubilai’s location.”

I questioned the wolf, compelling it to lead us to its boss. Watching this, Stella clicked her tongue, saying “Talking to animals… It’s strange to see.”

The important thing was that deep within the eastern forest, in a place that could be called a canyon, a multitude of wolves awaited us. Among them stood a wolf about 4 meters tall, waiting for me.

Its brown fur was stunning.

Rather than calling it a monster or a beast, it seemed more fitting to describe it as a spirit creature.

━Are you Theo Gospel, the mage who defeated the ogre Dordor?

Its mouth, long like an alligator’s snout, split open and spoke to me. I decided to tell them about the giant centipede immortal, Angala.

“Angala-nim told me to find you. She said I could find what I want by coming here.”

━I see. That must be the reason. Follow me.

The wolves began to lead us somewhere from the canyon.

As we followed, Stella chuckled, “Being guided by a pack of ferocious monster wolves… This could make for a research paper.” But the wolves didn’t seem to care.

Finally, they stopped in front of a small cabin.

An old, creaking cabin.

“A cabin? Why did the wolves bring us here? Theo-kun, what are they saying?”

“…….”

No, can this even be called a cabin?”

No roof, no walls, just the remnants of a foundation and a few pieces of furniture. Standing there, I suppressed the churning in my chest.

An old table.

A broken plate.

Two wooden spoons resting on top.

The only thing that seemed somewhat intact was a decrepit, rotting wardrobe.

I slowly approached the wardrobe and opened its creaky door. As expected, it was empty.

Someone must have already taken all the useful things. But what caught my eye were the scribbles on the inside of the wardrobe door.

A swirly sun. A tree. Birds, and…

A woman holding a child’s hand.

━Hide well-.

“I know this place…”

Edit by: faker