I Refused To Be Reincarnated

Chapter 235: A Mother's Puzzle

As they walked on the delicate white pavement of the street, the soft sound of their step carried by a gentle breeze, Julius suddenly frowned.

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'Should I ask him now?' He thought, hesitation filling his mind. He wanted to know if his big brother was a summoned too. Yet, he was afraid to ruin their exploration with such a serious topic.

'I want to know,' he thought, a spark of determination chasing his doubts away. With a cough to draw Adam's attention, he asked solemnly, "You were sleeping when we spoke about summoned. To summarise, they are people coming from another world. Are you one of them?"

Stunned by the question, Adam looked at Julius, noticing his trembling eyes and feeling his doubts. "This question must have troubled you," he started, shrugging and adding, "I've always told you I came from somewhere else where magic didn't exist. I can't remember much, though."

Shocked by the confirmation, even if he expected it, the boy asked again, wishing to shed light on all his doubts, "Did you know Gaston targeted us because of that and that the Belloria kingdom is raising eight thousand of them to form a secret army?"

Upon hearing the absurd number, Adam's eyes widened in shock and excitement. "Eight thousand?! I thought I was the only one whose soul got lost, or something," he exclaimed.

"So you didn't know you were summoned?" Julius muttered, realising his big brother knew even less than he did after Morgane's explanations. Despite the disappointment, he couldn't help but smile, a warm sensation spreading in his chest. 'He never lied or tried to hide the truth from me,' he thought before revealing what he learned.

"Morgane is from Earth, too?!" Adam exclaimed again, his pupils enlarged after learning the whole story. Then, his mind descended into chaos, words and scenes combining to complete the red-haired girl's puzzle.

"She is Rachel's daughter. I'm sure of it," he muttered, a bitter smile creeping on his lips as guilt filled his heart. He already had suspicions earlier in the canyon but was now convinced. 'How can I tell her now that she is so close to her goal,' he thought, finding the situation cruel for both of them. First things first, he had to inform the boy.

"Julius, I need to confess something," he started, scratching his head in embarrassment before continuing, "Do you remember the story I used to tell you about a ghost?"

"The super creepy one in our village cemetery? Yes. You said you cut her in half from the top of her head down to her lower back," Julius replied, recalling the boasting.

"It was Morgane's mother," Adam said, his face pale and his voice cracking.

"What?! Are you sure?" Julius screamed, startling the hiding citizens. He failed to believe how unlucky they were. How could she announce the news? He didn't know.

After a second to recover, he asked, "Should we hide it?"

"No. Hidding will only bring troubles in the future. I'd rather tell her myself and resolve the problem now," Adam answered, shaking his head. It was his life or hers at that time. Morgane couldn't blame him for it. Even if she did, she'd at least have time to mourn and gradually accept her mother was gone.

"I hope you are right..." Julius muttered, his chest tightening in sadness for the poor girl's situation. After finally freeing herself, she'd face such terrible news.

As the duo's mood plummeted, the soul reaper guiding them chimed, his tone profound. "You did the right thing. She had already turned evil and would have committed heinous deeds. Killing her before she did was an act of benevolence and righteousness, in my opinion."

"I know. She told me everything before dissipating. I also promised her to take care of the girl," he said, smiling wryly. Never had he expected to find her in his travels. Yet, now that he did, he had to keep his word.

"Don't muse too much on the past and focus on what you can do in the future to make things right," the guard advised, sharing a piece of wisdom with the duo. After all, he was centuries old, knowing depression over past mistakes would do nothing good to fix the situation.

Then, he raised his ghostly hand, pointing at a nearby shop and said, "We reached our destination. I'll introduce you to old Durgrim."

Acting on his words, he walked to the door and opened it, revealing the mysterious interior. Shelves supporting ethereal armors, weapons and accessories lined the walls. The item's soft glow cast dancing lights on the showcases proudly standing in the room's center.

A short, manly soul smiled at the newcomers behind his counter. "Welcome to my shop! Do you need equipment or repairs?" Asked Durgrim, caressing his braided beard before frowning and adding, "Why is a living being here?"

"He is our king's guest. Don't worry about him," the soul reaper replied with a comforting smile before turning towards the duo. "He is our best soul smith, Durgrim. King Ossian went to great lengths to recruit him in Durazmarn four centuries ago," he introduced with pride.

Julius nodded in understanding while Adam tilted his head in confusion. "Where is that country?" he asked, gazing at the dwarf with interest.

"The dwarven kingdom. It is on the northern continent, not too far from the cave we explored with Shiro," Julius answered, showcasing the result of his diligent geographic studies.

With a nod, Adam focused on Durgrim, his eyes glowing. "Can you explain the items sold in your shop?" He asked, pointing at the armors.

Reassured by the guard's words and excited by the man's curiosity, he proudly answered, "They are soul armors and weapons. The really best in the world, if you want my opinion."

Then, he swiftly jumped over his counter, joining the group before introducing a few of his crafts.

"This one is a tier four light armor. I used an orc warlord's soul to elevate its defensive capabilities and enhancement potential to the epic rank," he said, reminiscing about the fun forging process.

However, Adam didn't understand much about the rarity division. Thus, he asked, "Except for the name, what separates an epic item from a legendary one, for example?"