Extra in a Romance Fantasy - Chapter 191



191 – King (3)

“It’s been a long time, Ferdion.”

At the sudden words from the man.

““…….””

The assembly looked at the man with eyes filled with confusion.

Those words were not only unexpected but also utterly incomprehensible.

And as for the person to whom those words were directed, Wade—

He stared at the man with a slightly furrowed brow before finally speaking.

—

“…I am not Ferdion.”

He claimed he was not Ferdion.

Thus, Wade denied the man’s words.

However.

“Well, you probably wouldn’t remember now.”

In response to Wade, the man shook his head as if disappointed, adding words that were rather cryptic.

“Master, may this humble servant ask you a question?”

It was then that the cult leader posed a question to the man.

“I grant you permission.”

The man nodded briefly.

“Are you saying that Wade Hebron is… Ferdion?”

The cult leader asked the man again.

To this question, the man tilted his head for a moment.

“Oh, I see. You wouldn’t be able to see it now.”

Seemingly in agreement, he nodded lightly.

“Hm. No, even if you were your former self, you might not have recognized it.”

Muttering to himself like that, the man finally affirmed,

“Yes. That person is Ferdion.”

At last, he confirmed the cult leader’s question.

To that,

“Ah…! So it is true!”

The cult leader exclaimed, bowing his head repeatedly toward the man.

Then, he soon lifted his gaze to look at Wade and said,

“I see. If you are Ferdion, everything makes sense. The reason you were able to change the foretold future time and again.”

The intensity in the cult leader’s gaze as he looked at Wade was overwhelming.

“To think you would not only have interfered once in the past but also appear again to obstruct the great work. It’s truly tiresome.”

With a voice laced with clear anger and irritation, the cult leader spoke.

“…I don’t know what nonsense you’ve been spouting since earlier. I am not Ferdion.”

Wade denied it once more.

“No, you are Ferdion.”

The man dismissed Wade’s denial outright.

“…I have no idea what basis you have for spouting such nonsense.”

At this, Wade responded with an incredulous tone.

“Hmm… It seems that no matter how much I say, you won’t listen anyway.”

The man quietly regarded Wade for a moment before turning his gaze away and asking,

“What do you think?”

He directed the question toward Beluid, who had been silently observing their conversation.

“…….”

At the sudden inquiry, Beluid offered no response.

No, he couldn’t.

He was fully engaged in maintaining a protective barrier to shield his companions from the man’s presence.

And despite exerting all his strength, his barrier was precariously wavering.

He had no room to speak at that moment.

Any lapse in concentration would surely shatter the barrier.

“Oh, dear.”

Seeing the sweat pouring down Beluid’s face, the man momentarily wore a puzzled expression before his demeanor shifted, as if he had realized something, and he waved his hand.

In an instant, the oppressive presence that had been weighing down on them vanished.

The monsters ceased to erupt, Ethan’s trembling body stilled, and Beluid’s barrier, which had been on the verge of collapse, regained its stability.

Moreover, Beluid’s complexion improved significantly in that brief moment.

“Now, speak.”

The man demanded, directing his attention toward Beluid.

“…….”

It wasn’t just the man who was looking at Beluid.

Before long, everyone around had turned their gaze toward him.

They too had noticed.

Beluid’s expression, his reaction, was different from what the others displayed.

His eyes were trembling.

And then.

“…Principal, what does that mean?”

Wade, who could be considered the center of this entire conversation, finally asked Beluid.

—

At that question, Beluid showed a momentary look of contemplation.

“…Wade, I know your secret.”

He soon opened his mouth to speak.

“…….”

At Beluid’s words, Wade narrowed his eyes and stared at him.

How long did they remain like that?

“…What do you mean by that?”

He asked again.

Wade was trying to gauge.

What Beluid meant.

What the ‘secret’ he was referring to was.

Faced with Wade’s complex gaze, Beluid finally said.

“You are not originally from this world, are you?”

Calmly, he stirred a great ripple in Wade’s heart.

*

“You are not originally from this world, are you?”

At Beluid’s words.

“…….”

I could not offer any response.

…I am not originally from this world.

I was born on Earth, living my life there.

Yet, for reasons unknown, I was reincarnated into this world, the one I had read about in a novel.

With the name Wade Hebron.

However, I had never spoken of that fact to anyone.

Not even to those closest to me, not even to my father; I never uttered a word about it.

Instead, I played the part of an utterly ordinary child.

To thoroughly conceal the fact that I was not a resident of this world.

Yet, the truth I had never shared with anyone slipped from Beluid’s lips.

At that revelation, I could not help but feel flustered.

I did not think it was merely a casual remark.

—

There was an unwavering certainty in Beluid’s expression, in his eyes, that made it impossible to think otherwise.

Because I could see it, because I could feel it, I did not deny his words.

Instead, I lifted my gaze.

To the companions who were looking at me with questioning eyes.

“There’s nothing to worry about. They won’t hear a thing.”

Perhaps he sensed the meaning behind my gaze, for Beluid spoke again.

“I’ve altered the nature of the barrier. All external sounds are blocked, so those inside won’t hear anything. However…”

Beluid shifted his gaze.

“They will hear it, but only the author.”

The ‘author’ Beluid referred to was none other than Ethan.

Ethan was outside of Beluid’s barrier, and even if Beluid wanted to confine him within it, he was not a human who could be trapped. Thus, if we continued our conversation like this, it was inevitable that he would hear everything.

“…Ethan is fine.”

I didn’t really care about that.

I felt that it would be okay to share this story with Ethan.

“…More importantly, let’s continue the conversation.”

I urged Beluid to carry on.

How did he know that I wasn’t from this world?

My mind was swirling with various possibilities regarding that.

In the midst of that confusion in my head.

“The name of the world you originally lived in was… ‘Earth,’ wasn’t it?”

“……!”

Beluid stirred the waters once more, and I was more shaken than ever before.

As I was in turmoil, Beluid continued speaking.

“You were born and raised on Earth, and one day you came across a certain novel. And… for some reason, one day you woke up to find yourself reincarnated in the world of that novel… am I right?”

“…….”

Hearing those words, I was certain.

Beluid truly ‘knew’ about me.

Though he had revealed none of that, making it seem unlikely, I also considered the possibility that he had ‘guessed’ I wasn’t from this world through his remarkable insight.

However, such a guess could not lead to such specific information.

In other words, he really did ‘know.’

About my past.

About my existence.

“…….”

I gazed at Beluid without saying a word.

And quietly demanded an answer from him.

Why does he know that?

How does he know that?

“I suppose you’re curious about how I know these things.”

Perhaps he sensed the meaning behind my gaze, for Beluid nodded quietly.

“…The answer is simple. It’s because I summoned you to this world.”

He spoke an astonishing truth.

“……!”

At that answer, I couldn’t help but be taken aback.

I had always wondered about the circumstances that brought me to this world.

From the very moment I was reborn in this world as Wade Hebron.

Yet, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t find that answer.

In fact, I couldn’t even find a small clue or hint.

From noble mtl dot com

Thus, I decided to quietly bury that question in my heart.

Thinking I would seek the answer after the original story concluded.

However, that question was resolved here.

Through none other than Beluid’s lips.

My head was spinning.

My heart raced.

My thoughts were utterly disorganized.

Yet, amidst that chaotic mind, one question stood out prominently.

“…Why did you summon me here?”

Why, why did Beluid call me here?

There were many other questions I wanted to ask, but right now, that was the one I wanted to know most.

Why, of all people, did Beluid choose to summon me to this world?

Among the countless people on Earth, why me?

The answer to that question.

“…It’s because you are the reincarnation of the hero, Ferdion.”

Beluid spoke with a voice heavy as lead.