Aila’s eyes sparkled with excitement at his words. She jumped up and fixed her bright, wide eyes on Midir, speaking in a half-joking tone.
“Is it really here? But this is the City of Gods! I say... you wouldn't happen to be some reincarnation of the God of Light, would you? Or maybe a Son of God left in the mortal world? That's how it always goes in novels!”
Midir simply smiled at her playful questioning and replied.
“You really do read too many novels. Look at me—do I look anything like a deity?”
“Hmm... I guess you're right. The gods described in novels are always ice-cold and aloof, and you're definitely different in that regard...” Aila murmured, looking thoughtful rather than surprised.
“Alright, enough joking. Let's go.”
However, Aila hesitated. “But shouldn't we scout the area first? What if there's danger?”
Midir shook his head slightly, his voice filled with confidence. “Don't worry. It's safe here. There's no danger, so we can move freely.”
“How do you know? I haven't even had time to study the surroundings yet... Hey, wait for me!”
Aila wanted to say more, but she saw that Midir had already started walking ahead. She hurried to catch up, grumbling as she went.
Midir didn't know how to answer Aila's question, so he simply shook his head and continued forward.
Aside from the increasingly intense sense of calling, this space gave him a feeling of warmth and softness, as if he were in a mother's embrace. It allowed his body and mind to relax completely.
In this seemingly boundless space, Midir and Aila walked side by side for a long time. The scenery around them remained like a static painting, unchanging in the slightest.
Had the sense of calling not grown stronger, one might have suspected they were trapped in some strange, infinite loop.
Just as Midir turned to ask Aila if she needed to rest, a sight that hadn't been there a moment ago suddenly appeared before them—a translucent, sky-blue crystal stood silently, emitting a soft and mysterious glow.
Midir's gaze was instantly drawn to the sudden appearance of the crystal. He instinctively reached out to touch it, but at that moment, the mark of Starflame on the back of his hand began to flash.
Then, the familiar blue longsword emerged of its own accord, defying his will, and sped toward the crystal that matched its own color.
He hadn't even entertained the thought of summoning it. This was the first time he had ever heard of a weapon acting outside its master's control like this.
Starflame soon reached the side of the crystal and, under their watchful eyes, merged into it without making a single sound.
“This... what on earth is happening?” Midir stepped forward quickly and touched the crystal, trying to recall Starflame, but his call was like a stone thrown into the deep sea, failing to stir even a ripple.
The crystal before him wasn't very large, standing only a few meters tall and measuring dozens of centimeters in diameter. How could he be unable to recall Starflame from such a short distance?
As Midir was thinking, a gap suddenly split open at the top of the crystal. A grey, square object fell from the peak and landed at his feet with a soft thud.
Aila arrived at his side, her eyes widening as she saw the object on the ground.
It was an old book with a significant sense of age, titled 《The Great Journey of Carlos》 in shaky, crooked script. It looked exactly like the Book of Wisdom Midir had purchased at Ronald's shop.
Midir didn't rush to pick it up. Instead, he pulled the Book of Wisdom out of his storage space and compared the two. He confirmed that they were almost identical, except for a slight difference in the color of the gem embedded in the cover.
“Could this be the original? Did the Book of Wisdom in Ronald's shop copy this one? No wonder I couldn't find it no matter how hard I looked—it was here all along!”
Amidst Aila's exclamation, Midir leaned down and gently picked up the old book. As his fingers brushed the cover, that familiar feeling surfaced once again.
“It's hard to believe, but it looks like... this is what has been calling me,” Midir said softly, looking at the old book in his hand.
With a mix of trepidation and curiosity, Midir slowly opened the cover to see what was written inside. However, what met his eyes were blank pages, devoid of any writing.
Just as he was feeling puzzled, the book began to flip through its own pages with a rustling sound. Then, the entire book lifted from his palm and floated slowly into the air.
Suddenly, a beam of light burst from between the pages, illuminating the entire space. Within this light, a blurry silhouette gradually appeared, becoming more distinct as the light and shadow clarified.
It was a tall, thin man with strange hair streaked with black and white, as if the traces of time and an unaging soul were interwoven.
He appeared to be in his thirties or forties. Though his features were handsome, they couldn't hide the weathered exhaustion of one who had braved countless storms, looking as though he hadn't had a good rest in a very long time.
As his figure solidified, his eyes slowly opened. One eye was as deep as the night sky, a bottomless black, while the other shimmered with a strange light, its pupil as pure white as snow.
Those eyes seemed to possess the power to peer into one's soul. When he gazed at Midir and Aila, a sharp aura rushed toward them, making them feel as though they were locked in the sights of an eagle's talons, instinctively inspiring awe.
But once he saw the person before him, that aura vanished instantly, replaced by a soft gentleness. A tender smile appeared on his face as he met Midir's gaze across the space.
“Little Star, you're finally back,” the man spoke first, breaking the silence. His voice was soft and full of anticipation, as if those words had been brewing in his heart for a long time.
Hearing this, a surge of indescribable emotion welled up in Midir's heart. That familiar yet foreign aura left him both shocked and overjoyed, leaving him momentarily speechless.
“You... you are...” He struggled to calm his emotions, trying to find an answer in the depths of his memory.
The smile on the man's face widened. He seemed able to see through Midir's confusion and struggle, and he spoke softly. “You know, don't you? You've only forgotten for a moment. Calm your heart and think carefully.”
As he spoke, he reached out a hand made of light and gently touched Midir's shoulder.
In that instant, countless fragments of memory rushed in like a tide, crashing into Midir's mind.
Those forgotten pasts, those blurred faces and emotions—everything became clear in that moment.
Midir's eyes gradually grew moist. With a trembling voice, he finally spoke the name that had been buried deep in his heart, yet one he had been unable to remember no matter what.
“Carlos... You're... Master Carlos!”
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