The Great Mage Returns After 4000 Years

The rain did not stop.

And the frequency of Residue’s nightmares was increasing.

Wandering through dreams was simply horrifying. Even while accepting that this pain was his own, a contradictory feeling coexisted, a desperate wish for it to end quickly.

However, whenever he woke up, drenched in cold sweat, laughter always escaped his lips.

One minute, one hour, one day...

Regardless, time was flowing even at this very moment.

That meant the final moment was approaching as well.

-Iris PeaceFinder.

When he heard her name in Tucker’s office, Residue saw his own end as vividly as if he could reach out and grasp it.

What would happen if he revealed himself before her? The answer was obvious.

Hadn’t he already witnessed countless times how those expecting "Lukas" reacted upon seeing him instead? Especially considering that Iris and Lukas’s relationship, in a certain way, ran deeper than even Pale’s.

Nine times out of ten, Iris PeaceFinder would try to kill him.

Because she could no longer stand by and watch an impurity like Residue defile Lukas’s body- because she could not accept it. Yes. She was more than qualified to do so.

Residue was savoring his final vacation in pain.

“Did you read the news? PeaceFinder's Director is coming to Meltown in person! My gosh!”

…If only this brat weren’t here, he could enjoy it even more.

Residue glanced at Luca’s innocent face, about to spit out a bitter remark, but shut his lips when she suddenly offered him a water bottle. As their eyes met, she grinned foolishly with slightly parted lips. She had a strange knack for noticing things.

Recently, Residue had been waking up drenched in sweat every time, leaving him in a constant state of dehydration.

He opened the bottle and took a gulp, the refreshingly cold water slid down his throat just right. Since this room had neither a refrigerator nor ice, she must have left it on the balcony to cool. A thoughtful touch.

“Aren’t you hungry? How about we eat out? Business has been pretty good lately, so one day shouldn’t be a problem.”

“……”

“Ever since that day, jobs have been coming in steadily. It even feels like I’m being treated better. My old workplace must have moved or something, though, I haven’t seen anyone around…”

Since he had saved her when she was captured by UMC, Luca had been clinging to him even more annoyingly.

It was not a good thing for Residue.

After all, the color of this girl’s hair reminded him of the source of his nightmares. Her face and personality were completely different, but still…

Ignoring her outright or threatening her to shut up didn’t work, so few options remained.

He could always use force to silence her, but...

“……”

Residue quietly closed his eyes.

“So, the last job was scavenging the ruins in the northern district. And there, I found these gloves…”

The sound of the rain gradually faded…

The rain that neither vanished while awake nor in sleep seemed to grow faint whenever Luca spoke.

Residue murmured in a drowsy voice.

“Why are you dressing as a man?”

“……!”

Luca’s eyes shook violently. Did she really think she wouldn’t get caught?

“S-Since when…?”

“From the very first time I saw you.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?”

“You never asked.”

“……”

“And watching you struggle to keep your secret was just too amusing.”

“Wow… That’s the real reason, isn’t it?”

Residue didn’t answer, merely blinking slowly.

Luca hesitated before letting out a deep sigh.

“Like you said before… This city is complete trash, right? It’s too harsh for a powerless, pretty girl to survive in.”

“Have you ever looked in a mirror?”

“Of course! I know I’m not pretty!”

She wasn’t ugly.

It was just that her messy hair and the way she wore her cap obscured her features.

“I see. So you’re afraid that men might lust after you.”

“…That is part of it, but I’d appreciate it if you phrased it a little more delicately.”

Residue could solve Luca’s problem.

“Want me to give you a burn scar? I can design it to look as ugly as possible.”

“Haha, that’s a great idea….”

Luca trailed off mid-sentence.

“…You’re not joking, are you?”

“I don’t speak empty words.”

At least, not usually. He swallowed the unnecessary remark.

Luca’s face turned pale, and she waved both hands frantically.

“No, no. It’s fine. I’m good.”

“Is that so.”

“……”

The conversation came to an abrupt halt.

Shhhhhh-

And then, the sound of the rain grew louder again. Residue turned his blurry gaze to the outside.

“You’re not going to sleep again, are you?”

“I just woke up.”

“Hmm, then let’s at least talk for a bit.”

He was about to ignore her again when he suddenly realized that today marked the fifth evening. Residue had only about two days left, and Luca still hadn’t voiced her request.

It was probably about time he forced it out of her.

Still, he remained lying on the bed, lazily opening his mouth.

“Talk about what?”

“Hmm, you know. This and that…”

Mumbling, Luca took off her cap.

“Phew, that’s better. You should’ve told me sooner.”

Her long hair cascaded down like a waterfall. For a moment, Residue forgot what he was going to say and just stared at her.

…She does resemble her, doesn’t she?

Noticing his gaze, Luca struck a pose as if a thought had crossed her mind.

“Hey, don’t go falling for me now.”

“……”

“N-No, just kidding.”

Residue’s silent stare made her blush and lower her voice.

He let out a deep sigh.

“Did your parents give you that name?”

"Huh? Um... no."

“Then who did?”

“That’s… oh, wait. Speaking of which, what’s your name?”

“……”

“Last time, you said you didn’t have one, but come on, there’s no way someone in this world has no name.”

There were plenty.

Those who had nothing but life,

Those who were born only to exist,

Those who weren’t even granted a name,

And those who died without ever being remembered.

There were far more of them than this young girl could ever imagine.

“Residue.”

“Residue? That’s your name?”

“It is.”

“Hmm, that’s a… cool name. Sounds like it has a deep meaning…”

She wasn’t good at lying.

It was a wonder she had managed to keep her disguise from others for so long.

“By the way, you-”

“Are you going to keep calling me that?”

“Huh? You mean ‘hyung’? Why, all of a sudden… Ohhh.”

Luca grinned mischievously.

“Do you want me to call you something else? I heard that’s what guys usually like.”

“……”

“Then, how about oppa-”

“Call me whatever you want.”

Residue firmly shut down her joke.

Come to think of it, when had he become such a boring person? He wasn’t this serious all the time before.

This body really must be cursed.

“More importantly, are you finally ready to talk?”

“Talk about what?”

“Your request.”

“Oh… yeah. I’ve decided.”

She had decided.

It was the words Residue had been waiting for the most, so he nodded gladly. It had taken much longer than expected, but there were still two days left.

Whatever this mortal wished for, he had more than enough time to grant it. Most things wouldn’t even take ten minutes.

However, Luca’s “request” was not within the realm of what he had expected.

“Stay here.”

“……”

“J-Just stay like this. I’ll handle food, drinks, all the annoying stuff.”

“You got caught last time doing that.”

“That was just a mistake… I won’t mess up again.”

Residue had already sensed that Luca’s kindness and attachment to him felt strangely unnatural.

“Even so, that’s not happening.”

Luca flinched at Residue’s cold words, then cautiously asked,

“Why?”

“Because I’ll be dead soon.”

“…What, do you have some kind of incurable disease?”

“No.”

“Then what? There’s no way you’d be killed by someone. You’re way too strong. You walked into Tucker’s building and came out without a single scratch!”

“Do you really think that’s impressive?”

“Huh?”

Their perspectives were too different.

“That was not difficult at all, kid. From my view, you and the man called Tucker are no different. Both of you are immature, weak brats.”

Immature. Weak brat.

Luca felt like she had just heard the most mismatched words in existence to describe Tucker. And on top of that, she wasn’t much different from him?

“So… you just don’t want to be around me?”

“Are you that desperate to understand my intentions?”

“……”

“Some humans prefer to reveal their secrets to build trust with each other. How about it?”

“I don’t quite get what you mean…”

“If you want to know my true thoughts, start by revealing what you’re hiding.”

“……”

Luca fell silent.

She remained silent for a long time.

Shhhhh-

Once again, the sound of rain filled the space. Residue looked at her with weary eyes. He wasn’t forcing her to confess. His interest in Luca was still half curiosity, half indifference.

If she chose to keep her silence until the end, he had no intention of pressuring her further.

In fact, he thought that outcome was far more likely.

Luca had always been extremely cautious and sensitive when it came to her secret. Expecting her to spill it to Residue, whom she had known for less than a month, was far too optimistic.

“I…”

However, breaking his expectations, Luca opened her mouth.

“My memories are blurry.”

“What?”

“I mean, my memories…”

Residue abruptly sat up. Then, he strode toward Luca.

The sudden movement made her entire body freeze stiff.

“Uh…”

She couldn’t even form proper words as he approached, only for Residue to pass her by completely.

His destination was the balcony.

Standing where he could see the city in full view, he gazed toward the farthest edge of the rain-drenched skyline.

“……”

Space was slowly distorting.

Was this one of the effects of the Great Fusion? No… something was different.

Shhhk-

At last, the space split apart, and from within, someone emerged.

A woman with jet-black hair, sharp features, and a face weighed down by exhaustion.

“Iris PeaceFinder…”

Residue had been expecting her face.

But wasn’t this too soon?

Tucker had said she wouldn’t arrive in the city for another two days.

And she wasn’t alone.

Several figures accompanied her, likely high-ranking members of PeaceFinder Armlet.

Yet, among them, one particular person caught Residue’s attention even more than Iris.

“Why is he here…?”

“Hyung?”

Luca, who had finally gotten up, cautiously approached the balcony.

Residue issued a brief warning.

“Stay back.”

Then, he looked out toward the city again.

Immediately, he sensed an unease, and realized why.

-The man had disappeared.

“Ah. Here you are.”

“Hrrk!”

A voice suddenly echoed from inside the room, and Luca screamed.

The voice hadn’t come from outside.

Residue, his expression hardening, turned to face forward.

A man stood in the dim, damp room.

A man with gray hair.

A being that had once been Lukas’s Avatar spoke.

“I’ve been looking for you for a while.”

Frey Blake said.