The Academy’s Barbarian

Chapter 103.1 - Secrets (2)

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Laurea's face turned pale.

Facing her, Ulan recited the memories of his past life with a calm detachment, as if merely uttering them into the air, "I have returned to the present through death. And a decade before facing my ultimate end, the Gates to the Abyss opened here."

It was the truth.

"Monsters poured out from everywhere, and kingdoms fell one after another, including the Empire. Your Holy Kingdom was no exception."

This, too, was undeniable truth.

"Of course, people resisted. They fought against the monsters for the sake of family, survival, or their own reasons. I was one of them."

Laurea nodded. She had no doubt that Ulan was telling the truth. Everything he had said, from the fact that he came from about 30 years in the future to the situation after the Gates of the Abyss opened, had turned out to be true.

But even though she knew Ulan was telling the truth, Laurea couldn't help but doubt the power of her Eyes of Penetration. She had always believed that her eyes were a gift from the gods, but now she wasn't so sure.

After a while, during which time flowed incessantly, Ulan's lips, which had been ceaselessly moving, finally sealed. Shortly after, he concluded the tale with a refreshed countenance.

"This is the impending future."

"......."

Meanwhile, Laurea remained visibly perplexed. Her complexion remained pallid, and her eyes continued to tremble with an unsteady intensity.

But hadn't someone said? Humans are animals of adaptation. As if to confirm that statement, as time passed, Laurea's confusion gradually eased.

"Then... the name Irea..."

"The future you told me," Ulan replied as if he'd been waiting.

Of course she did.

After all, the existence of someone named Irea was only remembered by Laurea and her mentor.

However, there was one curious thing, "I'm a little surprised, though."

"Surprised about what?"

"My real name, I mean." After exhaling a suppressed breath, Laurea turned to him. "Since I became a candidate for the saintess and received the name 'Laurea' from my mentor, I vowed to take my real name to my grave."

She was curious why she had told Ulan this secret. She looked at him as if to ask why, and soon the answer came back.

"Probably because it wasn't an ordinary situation."

"Huh? What do you mean......."

"In my past life, you were stranded with me in the Labyrinth of Wraiths and nearly died."

To be precise, only Laurea almost died.

At that time, she lost consciousness as she fell into the labyrinth, and under the influence of the abyss, she was unable to use even her holy power, and she was in danger of death.

It was at this time that she had no choice but to expose her bare skin to maintain her falling body temperature.

"Perhaps you sensed your end, and you told me your real name. You said that you wanted to die as Irea, not as a saintess, especially at the last moment."

"......."

At Ulan's reply, she fell silent; there was only one reason — it was perfectly in line with her usual thinking.

After all, no matter how much she lived as Laurea, she always thought that she wanted to die with her real name when she died.

'A secret only I know.’

As for this thought.

Not even her Master knows.

From the moment she knew this secret, even if there were no Eyes of Penetration, Ulan was undoubtedly someone from the future.

After she finished organizing her thoughts.

"......Haha, I'll be honest with you."

Laurea let out a deep sigh. Then, she turned to Ulan and opened her mouth once again, "I've acknowledged that your story is true. But it's still hard to fully accept everything. My mind has turned completely upside down."

Even if everything was true, understanding and accepting it was another matter.

"So I need some time."

Time to accept the truth.

So Laurea said she needed time to understand Ulan's story.

Ulan nodded, "I see. That's enough for now."

Just the fact that she recognized his story as true was enough to accomplish his goal. Therefore, he smiled with a satisfied expression.

But that didn't last long.

Ulan sensed a subtle change.

A change in Laurea's eyes and demeanor as she looked at him. Recognizing this change, he asked in a curious tone, "Why are you suddenly reacting like that?"

"Huh? What, what......?"

"I think there's a change in your demeanor."

Laurea shrugged her shoulders, seemingly taken aback.

As if hitting the bullseye.

After a brief pause, she hesitated before exhaling a heavy sigh. Then, she explained the sudden change in her attitude, "Well, you see..."

Struggling to find the right words, she finally let out a deep breath. Then, she continued to explain the abrupt shift in her demeanor, "As I listened to your story, I felt like I shouldn't talk to you carelessly... you know?"

Ulan's story, as she had heard so far, painted him as a hero who fought against the abyss for the sake of humanity and the world. Furthermore, he had returned to the past, fully aware of the opening of the Gates to the Abyss, yet he chose not to flee and confronted the impending threat once again. It was a posture deserving of respect.

'A truly remarkable person.'

It felt like watching a hero from a myth.

That's why it was hard to treat him as usual.

Ulan, on the other hand, felt differently.

"I'm not that remarkable."

"Ha, but......."

"Even if it was you who came back to the past, you would have made the same choice as me."

Eyes filled with conviction. In a voice that didn't contain the slightest hint of doubt, Ulan answered firmly, "Above all, you're my comrade. So, there's no need to treat me differently."

Even these words were true.

Is that why? Somehow, she felt the distance she had just felt quickly dissipate. Feeling more at ease, Laurea nodded, "Phew, okay. I'll just treat you as I always have."

"Yeah, I'm comfortable with that, too."

Ulan smiled, satisfied with her attitude.

That was the end of the conversation, and they resumed their walk. To get back to their original purpose: hunting monsters.

"Ah, right."

But at that moment, Laurea stopped again.

Due to the shocking truth they had faced, her temporarily forgotten duty resurfaced.

"I wanted to ask you something......."

"If I know the answer, I'll tell you."

A reassuring answer just to hear.

With a faint smile, Laurea continued, "I was wondering if you know about the Prophecy."

"The Prophecy?" Ulan cocked his head.

With that, Laurea conveyed every detail about the recent prophecy that the Holy King had received.

⁅Since the fragment of the Abyss has crossed the rift and flowed out into the world, the day the Gates to the Abyss opens is not far away. Gather the scattered stars, and become a beacon that will illuminate the Abyss. ⁆

Immediately after delivering the contents of the propechy, she looked at Ulan with anticipation.

If he came from the future, he would know the interpretation of the prophecy. But Laurea's hopes were quickly shattered.

"This is the first time I've heard of it."

"Huh? Really?"

"Yes. I never heard it in my past life."

Ulan shook his head.

Laurea couldn't hide her disappointment. His answer was the truth.

And just as she was getting discouraged, suddenly, she heard an unexpected answer.

"However, I think I know what the phrase 'gather the scattered stars' means."

"What? Really?"

Her face flushed with color.

Faced with eyes as round as a startled rabbit's, Ulan spoke calmly.

"First of all, the star means a warriors."

"Warriors, then...?"

"Seven warriors who went through their own trials and fought against the abyss. In my past life, you and I were also called warriors."

For now, she had a rough idea of what a warrior was; but the fundamental question remained unanswered.

"But what do stars have to do with warriors?"

Even though she expected to understand the meaning of gathering the scattered stars, Ulan's explanation was focused on warriors. Therefore, when she was about to ask this question, just then.

“If it's a matter of concern, then it exists," came Ulan's reply. He calmly spoke, keeping his gaze fixed on Laurea. "Because I heard it from you," he continued.

"You mean.......from my future self?"

"That’s right.”

After a thoughtful nod, he began to recall memories from his past life. It was to recollect Laurea's words and the prophecy heard through the voice of the stars.

"The moment the seven scattered stars come together, they will be a beacon of hope, lifting the abyss that shrouds the continent."

This was the message of the god that Laurea of the past life heard through the voice of the stars.

End of Chapter. . . . . . . .Thanks for Reading. . . . . . . . .

Translator's Notes:-

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