Yuder’s grandfather had passed away long ago. Unless he had left behind a record like Luma had, there was little chance of ever learning exactly what kind of man he had truly been.

That’s what Yuder had thought—until a clue appeared, unexpectedly and right nearby, just as such things always did.

"You’re leaving tomorrow? But it hasn’t even been that long since you came back."

When Yuder went to inform the townspeople that he would be leaving the next day, many expressed regret. Among them was the elderly woman from the grocery shop—one of the first people he had visited after returning.

As always, she was half dozing alone at her usual spot. At Yuder’s greeting, she looked regretful, then sighed with a small smile.

"I want to tell you to stay longer... but looking at your eyes, it seems better not to."

"......"

"This isn’t your home anymore, is it? Your home is over there now, right?" 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

Not everyone gains deep insight simply from living a long life. But the old woman’s eyes were piercingly accurate.

Yuder quietly nodded.

"Yes."

"Then you should hurry home. Your grandfather would’ve wanted that too. He always said he hoped his grandson would fly off toward his own path when the time came."

"He said something like that?"

"Of course. I remember him saying once that when you grew up, you’d end up doing something great. At the time, I thought he was just a happy drunk, bragging about his grandson. But now that I see it... he wasn’t wrong. I wonder how proud he must be. Raising you with such care, only to pass on before seeing it—it must have pained him."

It sounded like a typical case of grandfatherly pride, but somehow, something about it felt strange.

Grandfather never once pressured me to study, never told me clearly what I should do when I grew up. But he told others I’d do something great?

He had always spoken about death as a natural thing and taught Yuder how to live on his own. But there had never been any kind of force behind those teachings. Rather than pushing him to learn to read, he’d helped him explore the forest freely. When Yuder caused trouble, he wouldn’t scold him but would ask why first. After hearing the reason, he’d usually just chuckle and let it go. Even his final words—“don’t be greedy”—had only been meant to ease the boy’s sorrow in the face of his death.

And yet, he’d said something like that with such certainty? That this boy—who had never once left the mountain—would go on to do something great?

Most people don’t say that kind of thing about a commoner child born to live their whole life chopping wood in the mountains.

Even if they loved their child deeply, there were limits. Most commoners expected their children to inherit their trade. At least from what Yuder had seen, no one ever spoke of greatness for children like him.

Even if it was just drunken rambling.

Was Yuder the only one who found this strange? He turned to look—Kishiar was narrowing his eyes, tilting his head thoughtfully. Just moments ago, he’d been standing back with a content smile, but now his expression was different. It meant he, too, sensed something unusual.

Hmm.

Yuder might have let it go before, when he had no particular curiosity about his grandfather. But now, after seeing the magical research papers the man had collected, things were different. And come to think of it, this old woman was now the oldest person in the village. As he remembered, she was even older than his grandfather had been. If anyone knew about his grandfather’s past, it would be her.

I don’t know when I’ll be back... I should at least ask.

After a moment of hesitation, Yuder opened his mouth.

"Ma’am... do you happen to remember what it was like when my grandfather and I first came to this village?"

"When you first arrived?"

"I didn’t hear much about it from him."

The old woman didn’t ask why he was suddenly asking.

"Of course. Now that you’re an adult, it makes sense that you’d be curious. If you don’t mind hearing what little I remember, why don’t you sit down for some warm tea and steamed sweet potatoes?"

She led them to the ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) table in the corner of the grocery store, a place where she occasionally sat with people who stopped by for long conversations. After surprisingly generous snacks were laid out, she began speaking with a face deep in thought.

"Let’s see... It was the middle of spring, and everyone was busy. The weather was lovely, and someone came into the village with something bundled in cloth held tightly to his chest. He was badly injured and hadn’t even treated the wounds. He looked a complete mess—at first, everyone thought he was a bandit or a thief."

"......"

Yuder had never heard this story before.

He said he’d taken me in after getting word that I’d been orphaned during a monster attack in a distant village, and that some time had passed since then... But wounds?

"People were too scared to approach at first, but then the man said he had a baby with him and asked if there was anywhere he could stay for a while. So we looked... and inside that bundle, there really was a baby. So small, not even crying—none of us realized it was a child at first. I was so surprised..."

She chuckled softly behind her hand.

"My eldest daughter had just married, so we had an extra room. I told him he could rest upstairs above the shop, if that was alright."

The old woman had asked if she should call a doctor, but Yuder’s grandfather refused. He seemed far more concerned about the child than his own wounds. Left with no choice, she’d given him ointment and nourishing food, and explained how to care for a baby.

"He stayed here for a few days and asked about this and that... and that’s when I learned something surprising."

"What was it?"

"Not long before your grandfather showed up with you in his arms, there had been a terrible incident in the neighboring territory. Some strange monsters appeared out of season and devastated a village. Several high-ranking people had been in the mountains conducting research, and they were killed too. The lord was replaced in the aftermath, if I remember right..."

She fell silent for a moment and sighed.

"Anyway, your grandfather said he’d passed through there. He’d come to do some work, but then monsters appeared. He managed to survive and found you in that ruined village full of corpses. He said your parents were already gone, and that the two of you were the only ones left alive."

"......"

So... did that mean his grandfather wasn’t actually a blood relative?

Yuder’s heart thumped once. But it wasn’t a painful shock—just mild surprise at learning something he hadn’t known.

After all, he’d already heard something from Kishiar that had prepared him well.

The love he showed me was real. That’s all that matters.

He swallowed his surprise and continued to listen.

"Judging by how long he must have walked to get here, people realized they’d misunderstood his rough appearance. You were lucky—you were healthy. While he recovered, your grandfather helped with village work. He was clumsy at first, but he learned quickly and became a reliable worker, which earned him some goodwill."

Everyone thought he would return to wherever he had come from once he healed. But instead, he asked if there was anywhere in the village he could settle down. The more remote, the better, he said. Without asking for any details, the old woman had recommended the foresters’ shelter up the mountain.

And so, Yuder and his grandfather became true members of the village.

"When he first arrived, he looked so ragged I didn’t notice—but he was actually wearing robes like the ones mages use. I heard those high-ranking people who died in the next village were mages too. Maybe he was the only one who survived and fled. And when you’re the only survivor... well, people expect you to take responsibility for all the others’ deaths."