The Great Mage Returns After 4000 Years (Web Novel KR)
chapter-377

Editors: Ana_Banana, Sei

Lukas stood there for a while as if he had been nailed in place.

He’d thought that he wouldn’t be surprised by anything he experienced for the rest of his life. This was especially so since he’d been prepared to disappear just before being sent to the Imaginary World. The less regrets he had in life, and the more he suppressed his emotions, the less he would care about the world.

But this time was different.

His head went white. This wasn’t just a metaphor, it really happened.

On the other hand, Lord slowly tilted his head to the side.

[Hoh.]

Interest filled his voice.

Tak, folding his fingers, he closed the book in his hand. It was only at that moment that Lukas realised he was even holding a book in the first place.

That was the extent that Lukas’ entire consciousness and gaze had been focused only on Lord.

Then, Lord started to approach him. That fact alone was enough to pressure Lukas.

Widening the distance between them once again, Lukas warned quietly.

“Don’t come any closer.”

The caution in his voice could not be hidden.

Lord accepted without any fuss, stopping his walk instead of getting closer.

Instead, he spoke again.

[You are wary of me. No, are you afraid of me?]

Afraid?

Him, of Lord?

That was definitely not possible. His dead pride chose this moment to raise its head once again.

[What is the reason? Isn’t this our first meeting?]

“Our first meeting?”

What was he talking about? No, wait a moment.

Now that he thought about it… When Lord saw him for the first time, he said something.

‘Unfamiliar yet familiar being.’

…It was only at that moment that he finally realised that it was clearly a strange statement.

Did that mean that he wasn’t just saying that?

Lukas’ inner worries must have been revealed by his expression since Lord seemed to pause for a while.

He seemed to think about something before speaking again.

[Stranger, what is your name?]

His tone was calm, his gestures gentle.

…It was strange. Lukas couldn’t help but feel that again.

The being standing in front of Lukas was without a doubt Lord. But there was clearly a strange feeling of incongruity.

More than that.

‘Should I just answer directly?’

He hesitated for a moment, but it was abundantly clear that Lord bore no hostility.

In the first place, even if Lord was hostile, did Lukas have any way to respond to it? Lord was a being that he could only fight if he was at least 10 stars.

He was the type of being who could even defeat new Absolutes as long as the environment was in his favour.

Lukas quietly said his name.

“…Lukas.”

When Lukas finally answered, a bright smile appeared on Lord’s white face.

[Lukas. Hmmm.]

Lord nodded once before turning around again. Then, he opened his closed book and continued to read.

At that moment, Lukas realised the source of his feeling of incongruity.

The current Lord was not interested in him.

The Lord he knew before also hadn’t really cared about him, but that was the inevitable indifference a being who was close to an Absolute would naturally have. As proof of this, Lord always displayed intense emotions to any being who grew strong enough to threaten his and the Demigod’s stronghold. Lukas was a prime example.

That was the strangest thing for Lukas.

The relationship between Lord and Lukas was so bad that it could not be described in a few words, a few lines, or even a few pages.

Each of them had stood at opposite points of conflict, and they always faced each other without any intention of retreat so that they could prove to the other that they were in the right.

They fought, and fought, and fought some more.

Finally, in their final fight, Lord killed himself.

Lukas didn’t win the fight. He could say that he won, but he couldn’t say he won.

Because it was Lukas’ enemy who had set himself on the path to destruction.

…Instead. When their beliefs had clashed head on, it was Lukas who had lost the confrontation. Even though he’d managed to reach the unprecedented 10 stars, he’d still lost. At the time, Lukas still wasn’t convinced, but he had no choice but to admit it.

Lord’s obsession with his people was much stronger than Lukas ‘hope of humans’.

“…hey.”

Lukas called out for the first time.

This time, Lord didn’t close his book, instead, he simply raised his head slightly.

[Is there anything else? Do you have business with me?]

“…”

[Ah. You must want to ask for permission.]

“Permission?”

[You are free to stay in my territory as long as you like. I’ll even give you food for free. I will tell the ‘miglings’.]

“Not that…”

Lukas couldn’t help but sigh slightly.

The thought that Lord would harm him had faded for the most part, but his caution grew instead.

“Who are you?”

[Hmm?]

“I don’t think you’re the Lord I know.”

[…‘the Lord I know’.]

Lord seemed interested as he repeated Lukas’ words. Once more, he closed his book. This time was different from before. He didn’t keep the book in his hand but placed it on the altar beside him.

Then he turned around to face Lukas again.

It was as if he was finally ready to talk.

[Who are you?]

“I told you I’m Lukas. Did you forget about me?”

[That’s a funny thing to say. I never knew you to begin with.]

“What?”

[Lukas… Then what is your last name?]

“Trowman.”

[…]

Lord fell silent again, except, this time, he appeared a bit startled.

[Trowman…]

He repeated Lukas’ last name before suddenly letting out a laugh.

[Indeed, so that’s what it is.]

“…”

[This is quite rare. But I believe I understand where the nostalgia I feel when I look at you comes from to an extent.]

“Nostalgia?”

[I’m quite interested in you. And you, seem to have a lot of questions you want to ask.]

Lukas hesitated for a moment before nodding.

[I’m an intellectual. I believe I have the knowledge to answer any of the questions you might have.]

“…”

[However, I have no intention of simply giving you the answers you seek. Because that would go against the rules of this world.]

“The rules of this world?”

[To put it simply, it is equivalent exchange.]

In other words, if he wanted answers, he would also need to provide something worthwhile.

“I currently don’t have anything.”

[I know that. That’s why I wasn’t interested in you at first. But just now, you managed to grab my attention. That is no different from proving your worth.]

“…”

[Let’s do this. We will exchange questions.] (TL: 21 questions with Lord.)

It seemed that Lord also had questions he wanted Lukas to answer.

Lord began walking towards a nearby table. There also happened to be two chairs on either side of it.

After taking a seat at the table, he gestured to Lukas.

[Of course, you’re more than welcome to reject my offer. The choice is yours. What will it be?]

…There was no choice.

Lukas walked towards the table.

* * *

[This question and answer exchange will end when you are no longer able to answer my questions.]

“Will you be asking the questions first?’

[Right.]

“…what if you can’t answer my questions?”

[I don’t think that will happen, but… I will put a failsafe if you are worried that might occur. In the event that I can’t answer one of your questions, I will allow you to ask two more questions. Now. Is that fair enough for you?]

“…”

Lukas nodded his head, but as Lord said, he didn’t actually think such a situation would occur.

This was probably because of the calm confidence that echoed in Lord’s voice.

But it didn’t matter.

Even if it did occur, Lukas had nothing to lose with the conditions that had been put in place.

[Then I’ll start right away. Were you a former Absolute?]

It wasn’t a question. Lord’s voice was filled with certainty.

This question was simply to further verify something that might as well have been a fact.

Lukas tried to guess the intentions behind the question, but he couldn’t think of anything. In the first place, he knew too little about the other person.

Reluctantly, he nodded his head in assent.

“Right.”

[Hmm.]

There was a hint of satisfaction leaking from his voice. It felt like he was barely holding back the words ‘as expected’.

Afterward, Lord gestured with his chin. It meant that it was his turn.

Lukas licked his dry lips.

The first question.

Its importance didn’t need to be emphasised. After all, there was no guarantee that Lukas would be able to answer Lord’s next question. In other words, it could possibly be his first and last question.

That was why it couldn’t be wasted.

Lord’s knowledge was vital for helping him accurately understand his current situation. He was different from Pale who was waiting outside.

If he missed this opportunity, it was possible that never be able to create a similar situation. Of course, he couldn’t be certain of anything since it was just his assumption.

He thought for a long time, but Lord waited without saying anything. This was because he understood the pressure that Lukas was facing.

Or perhaps he was just patient.

…As expected, he was different.

“The gap between you and me.”

Lukas began.

“And the strange feeling I have. What is the reason for them?”

[Hoh.]

Lord’s voice was coloured with genuine admiration.

At first glance, it might seem like a question that was just grasping at the air, but it was also a question that could lead to the most answers.

He’d had a feeling that a question like this would appear, but he hadn’t thought it would come right at the start. This meant that this man was very intelligent and had a lot of experience.

Lord replied cheerfully.

[Talking about that might take a long time.]

“Does that mean you can’t answer?”

[Of course not. I was simply asking for your understanding in advance. However… Right. It might be a bit difficult for you, who was once an Absolute, to accept.]

“…”

[Do you know where this place is?]

“…the Imaginary World?”

Lord let out a laugh.

[Are you saying ‘you know’ simply because you know the name?]

To correct the above. It wasn’t just a laugh, it was a loud laugh.

If another person had reacted like that, it might not have mattered, but when the other person was Lord, Lukas couldn’t help but furrow his eyebrows slightly.

It wouldn’t be a lie to say that he felt a bit insulted, but he managed to stop himself from displaying it.

“I know that it is a place where things that are completely forgotten and not remembered by anyone come. Is there anything else I need to know?”

[If you were living in the Three Thousand Worlds, that would be enough. However, after stepping in here, that becomes a different story. You need to know more. That’s the only way to exist.]

It was as if he was saying ‘in order to survive’.

…Disappearing.

Lukas was able to understand one thing about that term.

Death probably didn’t exist in the Imaginary World.

Instead, one would cease to exist.

Body, soul, and consciousness.

‘What would happen then?’

Where would the beings who were forgotten even in the Imaginary World go?

Lukas’ contemplation was broken by Lord’s voice.

[It’s not just the things that have been forgotten. This world also contains the ‘abandoned possibilites’.]

“…abandoned possibilities?”

[There are a number of things that could possibly occur. Didn’t you know that? In any one universe, there are an infinite number of possible futures.]

Lukas suddenly got goosebumps.

This was because he finally understood what Lord was trying to say.

“That can’t be true. Parallel universes can’t exist.”

This was something that all Absolutes knew.

[Who was it that said that? Was it God? It’s a pity that all of the Absolutes were tricked by that deceiver.]

“Deceiver?”

[Put your confusion aside for now. I’m not finished answering. Now. Let me just ask one thing so I can give a more accurate answer. What kind of being was your ‘me’?]

“…the Lord of Demigods.”

[What are Demigods?]

“…”

It was clear that Lukas was speechless.

He never would have imagined a day when Lukas Trowman had to explain ‘Demigods’ to Lord.

If anyone had been there to witness this scene, they would have seen his jaw hanging in front of his chest.

“It was the generic term for a race who were born with transcendent power. Of course, there was no real commonality that could group them together as a race. Every Demigod had different appearances, characteristics, strengths, and weaknesses.”

Lukas’ gaze focused on Lord.

“And it was Lord who brought them together and led them.”

[In other words, you mean me.]

Lord chuckled.

[Right. There was such a possibility.]

“Possibility…”

Fragments of the information Lord gave him gradually came together, creating a conclusion that he would not have reached otherwise.

“…who are you?”

This was one of the biggest questions Lukas had.

[My name is Michael. The Representative of God, the One in Charge of the Heavenly Realm, and the One Responsible for the Three Worlds.] (TL: yes, just three)

“What?”

[That must be different from the information you know. However, it is the truth, Trowman.]

It felt like Lord was smiling.

[We basically share the same universe.]

(TL: Everything has become so complicated.)

(TL: Sorry about the sporadic/erratic releases. For the past while I’ve been quite busy/sick or experiencing the joys of living in a third world country. I’ll try to post multiple chapters to make up for all of those I’ve missed, , I just ask that you bear with me for this.)