The Great Mage Returns After 4000 Years

Translator: Alpha0210

After organizing his thoughts to some extent and returning to the mansion, Residue found Sedi standing at the entrance.

She wore her characteristic sullen expression, arms crossed, but upon seeing Residue soaked to the bone, she let out a deep sigh.

“It’s not exactly weather for a walk, is it?”

“…Hmm.”

I had some things to think about.

The words he added in a low voice sounded so much like an excuse that he almost laughed out loud.

At that moment, something fluttered through the air. Carefully catching it with his hand, he found it was a soft, fluffy towel.

Where did this come from?

“The bathroom.”

An unexpected answer came.

Had she read his expression? That wouldn’t be a good sign.

“This time, let’s talk for a bit. I have some things I want to ask as well.”

Another interrogation session. Really, no time to catch a break.

Though, among the interrogators lurking in this mansion, Sedi was probably the easiest to deal with. That fact, however, wasn’t much of a comfort.

“I’ll wash up first.”

Using his drenched appearance as an excuse, he bought some time. Sedi nodded silently, without any further words.

“Second floor, to the right.”

She must mean the location of the bathroom.

Residue went upstairs to the second floor and turned to the right. What greeted him wasn’t a simple place one could merely call a bathroom. The interior was spacious, and a warm mist was gently wafting in the air.

As he turned his gaze slightly, he saw a bath.

And it was quite large.

Of course, there wasn’t enough time to leisurely soak in it, so he decided to quickly dry off the water on his body.

Swooooosh-

Residue turned on the warm water and closed his eyes.

The words the dragon had spoken crossed his mind again.

At least three of the Twelve Void Lords are Destruction.

‘If that’s the case, there’s also a chance that the 0th Demon, Sedi Trowman, is Destruction.’

Lukas Trowman’s adoptive daughter? That’s no guarantee of safety.

On the contrary, Sedi, who is connected to both the Void World and the Three Thousand Worlds, could potentially become a highly useful piece if she could be used as a pawn of Destruction.

But Residue shook his head at this conjecture.

‘The necklace the dragon had. It can only be used once a day, it said.’

This mansion was likely the dragon’s mobile base and, most probably, a hideout that needed to remain secret.

Allowing Pale and Sedi into such a location must mean that, at the very least, their innocence had been proven.

‘If that’s the case, are they allies?’

At the very least, could they be used as cards to fight against Destruction?

That would depend entirely on Residue’s discretion.

These three were absolute allies of Lukas Trowman. So if Residue could perfectly mimic Lukas… borrowing their strength wouldn’t be too difficult.

‘But…….’

Residue suddenly paused as a thought struck him.

But what?

What was he trying to say next?

Could it be that, at this point, he was starting to feel burdened by pretending to be Lukas? Or was he being overwhelmed by guilt at the thought of deceiving others?

No, that's not it.

Such human-like sentiments wouldn’t shake Residue.

The hesitation he felt now was something far more fundamental.

‘Is this method truly right?’

Imitating Lukas Trowman.

The power, experiences, memories, and relationships he had built…

Was mimicking all of that truly the most correct approach to tackling Destruction?

Because.

‘You were the most perfect.’

To Residue, Lukas had been the answer.

A man who made mistakes, wandered, struggled, and broke down in disgrace,

Yet ultimately found a path he could accept.

However, just moments ago, when he glimpsed the presence of Destruction, cracks had begun to form in that belief.

No, let’s be more honest.

Just moments ago, Residue had arrived at a conviction he should not have.

─Just acting as 'Lukas Trowman' won't be enough to defeat Destruction (Lukas Trowman).

Swooooooosh…….

For a while, he stood blankly, letting the warm water pour over him.

What does one do when they realize the guidepost they’ve trusted is wrong?

No, more importantly.

If I don’t imitate Lukas Trowman, what should I do?

What do I have right now?

What am I without Lukas Trowman?

─You are no longer a Ruler. You’re nothing but scum. Know your place.

The voice of the Lightning God resurfaced in his mind.

It was a wound he thought he had overcome and fully healed. But the moment he suddenly looked down at his own body, he realized that the scar had instead rotted horribly, festering and worsening.

Had it gotten infected?

No.

It was probably just that the painkiller called 'Lukas' had momentarily allowed him to forget it.

He had been someone’s imitation, and now he was trying to become someone else’s imitation again.

Looking into the mirror, he saw the image of a man drenched in water.

“Who are you?”

He whispered in a low voice.

“Who am I?”

It wasn’t a question but rather a search for an answer.

Residue wished this wasn’t just him talking to himself.

If the man in the mirror, Lukas, the one who had been Residue’s sole answer, would respond in any way, it would have been a relief.

Swooooosh-

“……”

Residue closed his eyes again.

And came up with the answer alone.

Neither Lukas Trowman nor the Lightning God. Just Residue.

From the very beginning, that had been his identity.

‘It feels like a distant memory now.’

The memories of when he was the Lightning God were faint.

At this point, he wasn’t even sure he fully understood what confidence was anymore.

***

He couldn’t afford to waste any more time. Residue stopped indulging in sentimental thoughts and decided to leave the bathroom.

He admitted that he was more unstable and shaken than ever before, but even so, his arrogance still remained. At this point, that battered pride was the only sturdy pillar supporting Residue’s sense of self.

However, the moment he opened the bathroom door and stepped out,

“……”

He almost had a heart attack.

Standing in the changing room was Pale.

She didn’t look the slightest bit flustered. Her calm demeanor made it seem as though she had been waiting for someone.

Why is she here, what does she want from me? What is she thinking?

…Could it be that she has discovered my true identity?

“Did you wash thoroughly?”

Pale’s sudden voice snapped Residue out of his spiraling thoughts.

Even when faced with 'Lukas' standing there naked, she didn’t blush or look the least bit embarrassed. On the contrary, her unwavering gaze made him feel self-conscious.

"...Ah, yeah."

"That's good!"

Pale giggled in a cheerful tone.

Residue had assumed she was waiting to talk about something important, but as soon as he emerged, she turned as if she was about to leave.

And indeed, she really did start walking away.

“Ah, right.”

Just as he thought that, her head peeked back through the door.

“I almost forgot. I put the thing you left behind back inside.”

Her crescent-moon-shaped eyes curved with a playful smile.

And with that final remark, Pale truly left this time.

Residue stood frozen in place, unable to move easily. After a moment, he finally checked the wardrobe.

On top of the clothes he had haphazardly tossed aside earlier, there was a mask, the mask of the Beginning Wizard.

***

"You look better after washing up."

The words came as soon as Residue returned to the room where Sedi was waiting.

Suppressing the urge to impatiently brush back his bothersome bangs, Residue replied.

"Did you wait long?"n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

“Not really.”

Sedi was sitting on the bed.

Seeing her like that reminded Residue of a scene from the distant past, where Lukas sat beside Sedi on a bed. A memory that belonged to someone else, not him.

As Residue moved to sit beside her, Sedi shifted slightly to make room for him.

“What’s your relationship with that woman, Pale?”

So that’s what Sedi was curious about, after all.

“I’m not asking about her identity. I already know she’s the ‘Blue Knight of Famine’, one of the Four Knights of the King’s Castle.”

Since she became one of the Twelve Void Lords anyway.

Sedi briefly added, then spoke again.

“What I’m asking is, what kind of relationship does she have with Father?”

"Is that what you're most curious about?"

“…There are other things I want to ask too. Like how you knew about my condition. And also…”

She didn’t finish her sentence, but the unspoken words lingered clearly in the air.

She must have wanted to know what he thought of her now. Residue hated it, but once again, he placed his hand on her head.

Perhaps it was because there was no one around to watch, but Sedi’s demeanor was far gentler than it had been earlier. It was like looking at a cat that had let its guard down.

“What did Pale say to you?”

"...Nonsense about calling her mother and such. So father, surely you and that woman didn't─"

“Nothing happened.”

The situation Sedi was worried about had never come to pass.

If Pale had stayed by Lukas’ side instead of leaving, who knows? Her persistence was no joke. Enough to shake even Lukas Trowman, who had absolutely no knowledge about women's hearts.

"Ah, I thought so."

Sedi let out a deep sigh of relief.

"I knew it. Well, I obviously thought it was nonsense, but that woman's attitude was just so confident."

“…….”

He secretly observed Sedi's profile as she grumbled. Though she was furrowing her brow in displeasure, she didn't seem to outright hate Pale.

To begin with, Sedi was oddly weak against people with blunt attitudes, honesty, or overwhelming displays of affection. In that sense, Pale’s existence might even be considered her natural enemy.

“Ah. I suddenly feel so tired.”

Sedi flopped onto the bed.

She was completely defenseless. This, too, must be because she saw Residue as Lukas.

"You look very tired."

“…Hmm. Ever since becoming the 0th Demon, I haven’t really felt fatigue.”

“It must be the aftermath of the Great Fusion. Get some rest.”

“Maybe I will….”

Sedi murmured in a drowsy voice.

The interrogation had ended much more anticlimactically than he’d anticipated. Should he leave the room before she fell asleep? He was about to rise from his seat when,

“Father… are you there?”

“Yes.”

Residue paused and sat back down.

“Okay…”

“……”

“I’m glad… to see you again….”

Those were her final words.

Her breathing became steady, her expression soft and relaxed.

Sedi had fallen into a deep sleep.

She truly looked gaunt, Residue belatedly realized.

Why hadn’t he noticed earlier?

Beniang had been the same. All of them had pushed themselves far past their limits trying to rescue the ‘Lukas Trowman’ who had been imprisoned by the two knights.

Residue rose from his seat and reached out to pull the blanket over her, but then stopped midway. Without even realizing his expression had stiffened, he quietly left the room.

Even though he’d just dried himself off, he felt like plunging into the stormy rain again.

A frustration he’d never felt before swelled within him, making him irritable, but more than that, he felt like a stranger to himself. Was this pitiful existence truly who he was?

Residue wandered the mansion with unsteady steps.

At the end of the hallway, someone was standing there.

Blue Knight Pa─

Smack!

The sensation of his stomach caving in, followed by a feeling as if his insides had been completely overturned, hit him all at once. While he wasn’t excessively shocked or scared by the pain, he couldn’t help but be startled by the fact that he hadn’t been able to react in time.

"─First, your expression."

Her voice was sharp and cold, like icicles piercing his eardrums.

"Lukas couldn't have looked at me so calmly. Of course not. Right after 'doing that' and parting ways."

Before he could properly gather his senses, the second and third blows came flying.

A kick to his knee, a strike to his throat.

“Gahk!”

His kneecap shattered into pieces, and his throat was crushed, rendering him unable to speak. As he gasped and collapsed to the ground, his head was yanked back by the hair, forcing him to look up.

“At first, I tried to chalk it up to the situation, thought you were just flustered. But after that, you kept… making mistake after mistake, over and over again. Did you realize it yourself? I doubt it. Yeah, I’m sure you haven’t.”

Her ominous eyes like an inverted crescent moon stared directly at Residue.

“I’ll ask just two questions.”

Pale said with a slight smile.

“Where is Lukas, and who are you?”