Milo and Himmel's Encounter

"Did I... just get saved?"

Even though the balding middle-aged man had already pulled him up from the cliffside, Milo, now sitting on the ground with legs too weak to stand, still wore an expression of utter disbelief.

He had actually survived this???

The fear he hadn't had time to process while falling off the cliff now erupted all at once; even though he was already saved, Milo was drenched in cold sweat from the lingering terror.

Finally, after a long while, Milo's heart calmed down from the brink of death. Regaining his composure, he immediately looked at the middle-aged man who had saved his life and bowed deeply, expressing his most sincere gratitude.

"Alright, alright."

Himmel stepped forward, pulled the bowing young man upright, and advised, "Be more careful on your journey from now on, especially as a lone adventurer like yourself."

But upon seeing the young man's face, Himmel paused slightly.

"I feel like I've seen your face somewhere before?"

"What a coincidence, sir. I feel the same way," Milo said as well.

"And now that I think about it, sir, you look just like the statue of Hero Himmel, and even the [Hero's Sword] in your hand is exactly the same."

"Of course it is."

Himmel said, running his hand through his already thinning hair and striking a pose. "Because I am—"

"But sir, there are still differences between you and the Hero's statue. The statue is taller and more handsome, and your hair isn't nearly as thick."

Himmel's eye twitched, and his fist clenched a little tighter.

This young adventurer really knew how to rub someone the wrong way.

But Himmel was no longer the spirited youth who had set out to slay the Demon King. At fifty-five years old, he had already acquired the composure of an adult.

So Himmel shook his head and let out a helpless chuckle.

Then, in an instant, his knuckle came down on Milo's head, leaving a bright red mark.

"Sss—"

"Ow! Ow! Ow!"

Milo clutched his head with both hands, covering the "red envelope" the "balding uncle" had gifted him, and looked at Himmel with a pitiful expression.

"Sir, I was just stating the facts."

"Kid, everyone gets old. When you're my age, you'll experience the pain of hair loss too."

"Huh?"

The man's words left Milo stunned. In a daze, a reasonable guess surfaced in his mind.

"Sir, you're not actually Hero Himmel, are you?"

"I am."

Milo: !!!

"It—it really is you, Hero! It's an honor to meet you! I grew up hearing your stories! Every battle you fought, every demon you vanquished—I remember them all!!!"

Milo circled around Himmel, his expression extremely excited.

In the Northern Countries, where the conflict with Demons was fiercest, people's homes were often destroyed by Demons and monsters.

To cope with the despair of life, the people there needed hope all the more.

Thus, the heroic deeds of adventurers became a remedy for the people to resist the brutal Demons and fight off despair; by worshipping heroes, they countered their fear of monsters.

And as the Hero who had successfully slain the Demon King, Himmel undoubtedly held the highest popularity in the Northern Countries. The new generation of warriors all looked up to Himmel, regarding him as their most revered idol.

This adoration was so strong that it even instilled fear in the rulers of the Empire.

"Grew up hearing my stories, huh."

Himmel murmured Milo's words, a trace of loneliness flickering in his eyes.

"That's right. It's already been thirty years since I slew the Demon King. Time really flies."

"But for her, that amount of time might just be an insignificant number."

Thinking of that figure in his memories, the loneliness in Himmel's eyes deepened.

But recalling how, in the [Paradise Transfer Magic], she had closed her eyes and accepted his love after returning from the future, the loneliness in Himmel's gaze faded away.

With his short lifespan, he couldn't give her, a long-lived being, an "eternal love." Being able to feel her feelings from the future, traveling against the river of time, was already enough.

Milo stood to the side, watching his idol's expression shift back and forth, a puzzled feeling stirring in his heart.

But eager to travel alongside his idol, he bravely voiced his wish.

"Lord Himmel, my destination is the [Volpen Basin] in the [Central Countries]. Are we going the same way? If so, could we travel together?"

The young man's words snapped Himmel out of his reminiscence. No longer dwelling on the image of that Elf Mage in his memories, Himmel nodded at Milo and said, "My destination is the [Holy City—Hutrall]. If you're heading to the [Volpen Basin], it's more or less on the way."

"But, young man, can you keep up with my pace?"

"If I can travel with you, even if I have to run my legs off, I'll stick right behind you."

"A commendable resolve."

Himmel nodded, and with a flicker of movement, he had already arrived at a position far ahead.

"Hero! Please wait for me!"

At that moment, Milo only wanted to slap his earlier self for boasting so recklessly for no reason. Then he stretched out his legs and poured all his strength into sprinting madly in Himmel's direction.

Nightfall, [Huyvia Mountain Range · Mountain Cabin].

As a public rest stop in the [Tick Region], reaching this point signified that the journey over the mountains was more than half complete.

When Milo, thoroughly exhausted by Hero Himmel's pace, finally arrived at the mountain cabin on his aching legs, he pushed open the wooden door and collapsed flat onto the floor.

But Hero Himmel, who had arrived a step earlier, had already used a tinder to light a fire in the hearth. By the fireplace, he unexpectedly discovered salted fish and vegetables left behind by the previous occupant.

Himmel stepped forward and gave them a light sniff, finding that these ingredients were still relatively fresh and perfectly fine for eating.

"What luck."

Himmel murmured to himself as he began preparing the ingredients, while silently offering a heartfelt thanks to the previous occupant.

Before long, the aroma of food wafted from the campfire. Milo, who had been lying limp on the floor from exhaustion, had recovered a bit of strength. He propped himself up and moved to sit by the fire, looking at his idol with tearful, expectant eyes.

"Please wait a little longer. Since I added mushrooms to the soup, it needs to cook a bit more."

"Mm-hmm."

Hearing that his idol had prepared a portion for him, Milo quickly nodded in agreement.

During the final moments of waiting, Milo suddenly thought of something and asked Himmel.

"Hero, I heard that after you successfully defeated the Demon King, you mostly settled down in the [Holy City—Hutrall]. Is there a reason you've come to the [Northern Countries] this time?"

But faced with the junior's question, Himmel, who was usually warm toward others, shook his head and did not answer directly.

"Sorry, I can't give you a detailed answer to that."

"If I had to say, it's that an important matter I once promised a companion now shows signs of a resolution in the [Northern Countries]."

"And my purpose this time is to retrieve that lead."