Homeland. In truth, even if this hadn’t been a task for hierarchy advancement, Gunther Sirhe had intended to stop by there himself once he finished his urgent matters. No matter how much of a backwater that village was, once he secured the cooperation of the Sea Dragon, the round trip wouldn’t take long.
“I knew it... there’s something there.”
Over the past few decades, the known path of Ellen Beyra had looked like this:
Nereus → Border City → disappearance for over ten years → hometown village.
A woman who possessed the Tablets, could read them, and even destroy them. A figure who shaped the great flow of this world.
Even if her mind had been unstable, she wouldn’t have chosen that small village without reason. And just now, the status window had confirmed that suspicion: a “Truth” was hidden in Gunther’s hometown.
[Survive until you uncover the “Truth”]
And the Truth was so ominous that “survival” itself had become the objective. The moment Gunther saw that message, a premonition pierced through him—this village would hold answers to many of his questions.
“I wonder... how they’re all doing.”
Memories of his hometown surfaced unbidden.
Right after he arrived in this world, Gunther had spent only about three months in that village. Not a long time, but enough for him to grow attached to the people.
The village elders, despite their poverty, had treated him with warmth. And his mother, who had arrived there in a state of mental instability, had survived and avoided starvation only because of their kindness.
— ...Do you really have to become a mercenary? The world is dangerous these days...
— Well, if you’re setting out, we can’t just send you empty-handed. Here, take this for the road.
— I brought you some dried fish. Share it with your seniors in the unit later.
— If it gets too hard, come back anytime.
Simple, kind people. Gunther had rarely felt such warmth even on Earth.
“Debts... must be repaid.”
He quietly hoped that the current calamities would pass them by.
— ...What are you thinking about so deeply?
A voice came from beside him.
— Ryan.
Ryan Parker stretched as he leaned against the railing.
— Are there really still things that can make you pull a face like that? It’s creepy, man.
Gunther realized they hadn’t talked like this—just the two of them—in a while. But the silence between them had never been awkward. After a moment of quiet, still watching the sea, Ryan spoke again:
— So what were you thinking about?
— Home.
— Home... Since when do you get nostalgic about your roots?
Ryan was his only truly close friend, yet Gunther had almost never spoken about his past. His true spiritual homeland was Earth, and talking about a place he could never return to was too painful.
...Then again, the same was true for Ryan. His homeland no longer existed.
That was why, even after growing close, they rarely touched on each other’s pasts. Gunther had only learned about Ryan’s village being burned by the Society of Holy Flame, and his parents and younger sister brutally killed, on the day of the Night Raven initiation ceremony.
Gunther tilted his head.
— So how does it feel?
— Feel...
Ryan’s revenge had been completed a few days ago. It was Ryan who delivered the final blow to Verion, the Society’s Magister, after he lost consciousness from the backlash of the Ritual of Thunder Fusion.
— It’s lighter, — Ryan said with a quiet chuckle. — Though not exactly how I imagined.
— Not how?
— I mean... the emptiness inside isn’t completely gone.
Gunther silently watched his «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» profile. Rough stubble, hair tousled by the sea breeze. Sensing the gaze, the giant gave an awkward smile.
— You know, when you first said you were going to rip Luthien out by the roots, I thought you were insane.
— ...Probably.
— And now we’ve somehow gotten this close to that crazy dream.
A brief silence followed. Gunther spoke quietly:
— I can fix your past.
— ...Like with Tarsha? — Ryan replied, unexpectedly flat. — Honestly, I still can’t believe Tarsha is the same girl I knew before. Fighting together, living in the same shelter in Eterno Cheongdam... Is something like that really possible?
— I don’t know all the details, — Gunther answered after a pause. — But most likely, yes.
No one besides the Fourth Platoon members knew about Gunther’s abilities, including Return After Death. It could cause unnecessary panic, distrust, or chaos. But he had no intention of hiding it from Ryan and told him everything once their voyage to the Sea Dragon’s lair began.
— Yeah... you were acting weird even back during the Silver Compass caravan.
Ryan didn’t doubt him. Nothing else could explain what he had seen. Still, after hearing the truth, he had spent several days deep in thought. And now, he had reached an answer.
— Someday.
— ...
— When this journey is over, I’ll be grateful if you ask me again.
Ryan stared at the waves for a while longer, then added:
— Until then, I want to fight alongside you.
No one knew how reality would be rewritten. But if the past were corrected, Ryan likely wouldn’t be standing here beside Gunther. He would be living happily with his family.
— Isn’t that what you wanted all your life?
— Yeah. I dreamed of it every second.
But Ryan chose to wait. And it wasn’t just because of friendship. Ryan was a man of this world.
He understood better than anyone that it wasn’t only Verion who burned homes, crushed families, and destroyed lives. Luthien still remained. Ryan looked straight into Gunther’s eyes.
— Of course I want to be happy with my family. I want to hunt with my father in the forests of our homeland, argue with my little sister when she gets mad that I ate everything, stuffing my face with my mom’s cooking. But... Gunther. On the day they died, it was me who howled in grief, choking on bloody tears, grinding my teeth. My fight isn’t over yet. Everyone else is fighting for something bigger—for the whole world. And I’m supposed to turn my back on that and hide in a village to live happily? Like hell I am. I need to see my hammer smash that damned Pope’s skull into pieces.
After finishing his long speech, Ryan slapped Gunther on the shoulder with his massive hand.
— So that miracle of yours... let’s talk about it after we tear Luthien apart.
— ...Honestly, that answer suits me perfectly.
— Who do you think you’re talking to?
Gunther let out a quiet laugh. Maybe he had started this conversation because he wanted to hear exactly those words. The title of “Regressor,” once revealed to others, carried an unbearable weight of responsibility and guilt.
— Alright. Then let’s deal with what’s coming.
— Huh? What’s coming?
Gunther wasn’t the only one who noticed something strange. Illian Marest and Cheonmae moved almost at the same time. The Great Admiral grabbed a spyglass, while Cheonmae leapt onto the mast in a single bound and stared into the distant sea fog. Seeing their urgency, the others and the sailors dropped what they were doing and prepared for battle.
— Damn it, what the hell is that... — Cheonmae was the first to speak as she dropped back onto the deck. Zahara and Moon Wolf, who had been talking with her, looked puzzled.
— What is it?
— What did you see?
Cheonmae shook her head, as if she couldn’t believe her own words.
— Land.
— What?
— I see land. What the hell, how is that possible? We’re in the middle of open sea—where would land even come from? Is it some kind of mirage, Zahara? Huh? You get those in the desert—do they happen at sea too?
Zahara snorted.
— Great question for someone who’s spent her entire life in sand.
At that moment, the Great Admiral stepped in.
— Mirages do occur at sea. It’s called a fata morgana, — she said, raising the spyglass again. — But this isn’t one. That’s real land.
— ...Real land? This just keeps getting stranger.
A crowd had already gathered around them. A quiet murmur came from Tarsha:
— Weren’t we heading to the Sea Dragon’s lair? I doubt it lives on land...
Illian couldn’t answer. The face of a sea veteran who had spent her entire life on the ocean showed confusion that didn’t suit her at all.
— Yes, this is absurd, — she began frantically checking the compass and navigation charts. — We were definitely heading north along the Black Routes... If we’d gone off course, I would have noticed. And there are no islands in these waters. The nearest land is still days away. This is... as if ghosts are leading us astray.
Meanwhile, others began to see it too. Through the sea fog, dark outlines emerged. A massive shadow rising over the horizon.
— Is that really land?
— Did we drift off course?
— And no one noticed? With this many people? That’s impossible.
A wave of unrest spread among the group.
The only one who didn’t panic was Gunther. ...Well, not exactly. He was shocked too. But unlike the others, he had a vague idea of what was happening.
A being capable of distorting sea routes at will. Of altering paths so subtly even veteran sailors wouldn’t notice. Of instantly dragging a ship into entirely different waters.
The Sea Dragon. No other explanation came to mind.
“The problem is...” Gunther narrowed his eyes. “Why did it wake up on its own, when no one has summoned it yet—and why is it causing this chaos?”
A warning from the Rhombs flashed through his mind. Something serious would happen. It seemed those words referred to this.
Grrraaaam!
Meanwhile, the coastline drew closer at terrifying speed. It felt as if the land itself was rushing toward them. The waves were literally pushing them forward.
“... ”
Gunther quickly assessed the situation. If the Sea Dragon had forced this route upon them, there was no leaving these waters now. The reason for its awakening could only be discovered on land.
— Everyone, prepare for landing! Unknown territory—stay sharp! — Gunther shouted, drawing his sword.
The atmosphere on deck changed instantly. Seeing their leader’s composure, the others quickly steadied themselves as well.
As Moon Wolf watched with approval, signal flags rose from the ships following behind.
[Drop anchor at current position. Await orders]
A precaution for unforeseen circumstances. After all, all elite forces were on this ship.
— Let’s see... what’s waiting for us there.
As soon as he finished speaking, Gunther jumped first onto the white sand.
Thud!
One by one, the masked agents of Night Raven followed, vaulting over the railing.
Shurr!
White masks and fluttering black cloaks. Silent, perfectly coordinated movements. In an instant, dark figures stood lined up on the beach, fully prepared for combat.
And then—
Tiling!
[You have arrived at “Hometown Village”]
Gunther understood where he was.
