Chapter 83 - EPISODE 83 – RETURNEES (1) (1/2)

Jude and Cordelia entered one of the empty rooms near the entrance and sat down in a corner after thoroughly searching the surrounding area.

They were behind a large fallen stone pillar, which hid them from sight when viewed from the entrance of the room.

“Shall we wake him up now?”

When Jude nodded at her question that was said in a low voice, Cordelia immediately placed her hand on the fainted Kaplan’s forehead.

“<Awake>.”

“Gasp!”

As soon as the <Awake> spell was cast, Kaplan opened his eyes at once and gasped.

“Haaak! T-this is?! What about the snake? What about the monster?!”

“Jude and I defeated it. So please calm down. It’s safe here.”

Cordelia gently smiled and spoke in a soft tone, and Kaplan gulped and nodded his head.

“Have you calmed down?”

“Yes, I’ve calmed down. Huuu, I’m fine.”

Kaplan nodded as his cheeks lightly flushed, and Jude, who had been quietly watching, cut in.

“Ahem, ahem, Sir Kaplan.”

“Jude. No, Sir Jude.”

“You can just call me Jude.”

“Then, Jude.”

Kaplan was, for some unknown reason, fidgeting.

He wondered if Kaplan was bashful and enamored of Cordelia’s beautiful face which transcended race, but that was thoroughly Jude’s opinion. There seemed to be something else.

“Sir Kaplan?”

Cordelia asked as she tilted her head, and Kaplan tightly clenched his fists and breathed several times before he made a resolution.

He prostrated as if he had made a mistake and then said.

“It’s all my fault.”

The moment they came down to the underground, they met a powerful monster.

Furthermore, it was Kaplan himself who found the way down to the underground.

Cordelia smiled and said that they defeated it, but it must not have been easy.

She might not know it, but it must have been a life-threatening fight.

“I’m really sorry. I’m really, really sorry.”

All of this happened because of Kaplan himself.

Because these things always happened wherever Kaplan goes.

As he desperately apologized, Kaplan thought.

What would happen if even Cordelia and Jude hate him?

No matter how kind-hearted the two were like angels, in the end, the two were still humans.

‘It might be better to go on separate ways like this.’

He thought that he wouldn’t be able to stand it if Cordelia told him that she didn’t want to accompany him anymore, or that this was really Kaplan’s fault himself.

‘Let’s go on separate ways.’

Let’s move separately.

It’s better that way.

It’s right to do so.

So-

“It’s okay, Sir Kaplan. It’s not your fault.”

Kaplan flinched. He had no choice but to flinch.

Cordelia’s voice was the same as before. No, it was rather become more kind than last time.

“But…”

“Cordelia is right.”

Jude helped raise Kaplan up and then looked at him straight into the eyes.

His eyes were full of fear.

Yet his eyes were like that of a child who had not given up hope for their kindness.

‘Is that it?’

Jude realized it now.

The Kaplan who appeared in the middle of Legend of Heroes 2 was always smiling, but he never allowed anyone to be near his heart.

Although it was possible to compel him to follow like stalking, it was impossible to make him a companion.

Because the wounds were repeated.

Because he had closed his heart due to not wanting to be hurt anymore.

He was a man who always pretended to be bright and had a false smile, but his insides were tormented, and he felt worthless and empty.

But not yet.

It was possible to change Kaplan’s future now.

‘Of course…it may be useless meddling but…’

But even so.

‘And one more.’

Jude glanced back at Cordelia. Her gaze at Kaplan was full of sadness.

So he had to say it.

He had to protect Kaplan’s heart for Cordelia’s sake.

“Is Sir Kaplan a god?”

“Yes?”

“You’re literally a god.”

“That…like a god of disasters…”

“It’s not like that. A true god. Or someone with divine powers.”

Kaplan shook his head at Jude’s serious question.

“No.”

“Yes, Kaplan is just an ordinary dwarf. No, you’re special because you became a lifelong professor at the institutional academy at such a young age…but you’re still a dwarf.”

It was not a disparaging remark.

It was an enumeration of facts.

“You are not god. You may have bad luck, but that’s it. Does Sir Kaplan create monsters? Can you create and summon monsters that do not exist? No, it’s not. That’s impossible. Sir Kaplan is not a god but a dwarf. You just ran into the monsters who were originally there.”

Kaplan bit his lips. A faint smile was drawn on Jude’s face.

“It’s not Sir Kaplan’s fault. Saying that it’s Kaplan’s fault…that’s rather arrogant. Who is Sir Kaplan? He’s just a dwarf with moist and attractive eyes.”

Kaplan’s eyes turned red at Jude’s words.

It wasn’t much, but Jude had told him the words he really wanted to hear and what no one else had said.

“So don’t apologize anymore. Okay?”

“Okay…I understand.”

Kaplan sniffled and replied before he eventually broke down in tears, and Jude patted Kaplan on the shoulder and turned to Cordelia.

‘Good job.’

Cordelia gave a thumbs up and widely smiled, and Jude was satisfied. After patting Kaplan on the shoulder once again, a small smile formed on his face.

Cordelia’s smile was kept, but it was also because of his own feelings of satisfaction about something in his mind.

‘A complete happy ending.’

The best ending where everyone was happy.

Jude smiled again at the thought that came to his mind, and he waited for Kaplan’s crying to cease.

And a dozen minutes later…

“Are you fine now?”

“I’m fine. I’ve shown you something embarrassing.”

“It’s okay, it’s just between us.”

Cordelia mischievously laughed and said, and Kaplan began to be flustered as his cheeks reddened again, and Jude cut in for the second time.

“Ahem, ahem, anyway, Sir Kaplan.”

“Yes, Jude.”

“We plan to continue the exploration as it is.”

Jude and Cordelia had yet to find any clues about Lena.

They absolutely couldn’t leave Endymion while that was the case.

But not for Kaplan.

“This is the second time we’ve encountered a monster from hell in Endymion. Perhaps there are a few more of those monsters roaming around Endymion.”

It was a very dangerous place.

At Jude’s explanation, Kaplan gulped and nodded his head. Because he roughly understood what Jude was trying to say.

‘Let’s go back.’

Because he would only be a burden if they went together.

“Okay…”

“That’s why this is our selfish request from here on. Sir Kaplan, will you continue to explore with us?”

“Yes?”

“It is as we had said. Cordelia and I belong to the academy, but we are still very inexperienced. It would be a great help if you could join us as a veteran archeologist, Sir Kaplan.”

Jude wasn’t just talking with the Kaplan effect in mind.

Endymion was an area that did not even appear as a cinematic movie in Legend of the Heroes 2.

Therefore, even if Jude and Cordelia were rotten waters, they would inevitably have difficulties in exploration.

Even if Jude was knowledgeable about stars, he knew little about archeology or exploring ruins.

But Kaplan was different.

Kaplan’s archeological knowledge and exploration experience would definitely be of great help.

“May I ask you a favor?”

“Please.”

Kaplan immediately nodded when Cordelia spoke at the end.

Because it was the first time he was asked to continue the expedition together, despite already having an accident once.

‘No, that’s not all.’

He wanted to be helpful to Jude and Cordelia.

He thought he could do anything for the two who were like angels that came down on earth.

“I’m not good enough, but I’ll be with you. I’ll try to help.”

As Kaplan’s eyes burned with enthusiasm, Jude was satisfied, and Cordelia breathed a sigh of relief.

‘Fortunately, he didn’t lose his motivation.’

‘You’re right.’