It seems that “follow the permitted path” refers to the least common multiple of the fundamental units of measurement—1 meter, 1 yard, and 1 cheok (Korean foot). In other words, about 30 cheok north from the stele? Well, this could change depending on how precise you want to be, but that’s the general understanding. Besides, I distinctly remember the exit I came out of was about that far away.
If someone had handed me this puzzle and told me to solve it right from the start, I’d have failed miserably. But since I entered and exited, I could look at the problem afterward and think, Oh, so that’s how it worked. Truly, the difficulty level of this puzzle is absurd.
It’s like asking someone to pinpoint a specific location in this vast world based on a single sentence. How else could I describe it?
I was fortunate to discover the tomb of the Log Master due to the earthquake. Normally, though, the tomb was designed to be found one step at a time, in sequence.
The adventure log even includes a passage where the Log Master resolves to hide his legacy like this… and it also reveals where he hid it. In other words, I can obtain the remaining treasures without solving the riddles.
Realizing this, I leapt out of bed.
“Alright! I’ve made up my mind!”
I couldn’t keep living like an unintentional hermit in this mountain forever. I’m 20 years old! Sure, it might be a bit late to debut as a legendary hero, but there’s no age limit for becoming a Log Master. Alright then, I’ll gather the seven treasures and become the greatest rogue the world has ever seen!
“Although… leaving my life’s direction to pure chance feels a little unsettling.”
Chapter 2: Spring Amidst the Rain
Heaven and hell do not exist! Do not profane death—just die!
—Karl Leitz (Palmarian Era 1432–1460)
“Did you see that kid?”
“Ugh, how unlucky. Look at those eyes. Like a monster.”
“What… What is this thing? So ominous!”
“Those cursed eyes… Yes, they’re evil eyes!”
As I wake, memories of my childhood torment me. A boy raised in a monastery, an orphan with crimson gemstone-like eyes. Eyes that glimmered with a depth different from others, as if blood-stained. If someone is weak but stands out in some way, they make the perfect target. My childhood was filled with such torment… or so I say, though it didn’t really bother me much.
I never let them bully me unopposed. When I hardened my heart, I became exceedingly ruthless. I once set fire to the house of someone who hit me. Another time, I burned down a shop that accused me of being a thief and searched me. The last group of local kids who dared to mess with me before I fled to the Velkysus Mountains? I partially broke their necks, and even now, they’re said to have trouble speaking.
Since I repaid them to that extent, I don’t feel particularly wronged.
That’s right. I was stronger than anyone who tried to torment me.
Solitude didn’t scare me either.
To me, the whole world was my enemy, and there was no one to depend on. Enemies were meant to be fought and eliminated.
Thus, I might die by an enemy’s hand, but I wouldn’t be hurt by one.
And eventually… I killed a person. My first kill was when I was 10? No, maybe 11? I’m not sure. Honestly, I claim I’m 20 years old now, but as an orphan, I could be older or younger. Damn it. Regardless, the fact is, I killed someone much younger than most would expect.
The world is a battlefield, and life is a struggle.
As a weakling, surviving mattered more to me than sympathizing with my enemies. Yet, a lingering sense of guilt remained in a corner of my heart.
Even now, as a Velkysus Ranger whose duty involves killing to protect borders, I still remember the person I was forced to kill in my youth due to my lack of strength.
As I gazed at the darkened sky, I think I was crying. There were other children in the monastery in the same circumstances as me. Many of them even liked me and followed me around—Maria, Lisa, Joan… I still remember their names. But I can’t see them anymore.
Because I killed someone. I can’t return to the village. If I did, they’d try to kill me. Damn it! I went too far! I just… didn’t want to be bullied! I didn’t want to be looked down on, so I fought back, and now someone’s dead!
That was the first time I realized how fragile and easy to kill humans truly are. And just how foolish I was. I’d retreated into a shell to avoid being hurt, lashing out with needles and poison stingers at anyone who came close, and this was the result.
Even so, at that moment, the younger me wasn’t crying because I feared the crime I’d committed. I was crying out of sorrow, pure sorrow. I knew! I knew that crying wouldn’t help anything. But I was exhausted! I was just a kid. Even though I had no one to comfort me, couldn’t I at least cry?
Life was nothing but suffering. If death could bring relief, I was ready to embrace it. That’s how I felt back then. And then, a large shadow fell over my face. Startled, I stopped crying and wiped my face. I couldn’t let anyone see me crying. Even if I were to die, I didn’t want to show such a face to anyone.
But how had they approached so silently?
“Wow! Gemstone eyes, huh? This is the first time I’ve seen them in person. Kid, you’re going to grow up to be amazing.”
It was Bane, one of the five Striders of the Velkysus Rangers and my mentor. Standing on the hill, he looked like a burly, cheerful man. Despite being a piece of trash who had killed someone at ten years old and fled the village, Bain took me in.
“Hey, kid! What’s your name?”
“Ka… Kairas.”
“Hm. Hey, why were you crying? Did someone bully you? I can tell from your eyes. How about it? Want to come with me?”
“…”
The joy I felt at that moment was indescribable. If I had been moved, thinking, They’ve accepted someone as worthless as me!, perhaps there might have been some cuteness in this body of mine.
But could a child who committed murder at the age of eleven have had any such innocent traits? Absolutely not. The joy back then stemmed from the prospect of finally securing my next meal.
Later, I realized they only dragged me in because few volunteered due to the brutal training of the Velkysus Rangers. At the very least, that fool Bane was as genuine as he was foolish.
Instead of replying, I nodded, and he picked me up and hoisted me onto his shoulders. It was the kind of shoulder ride other children got from their fathers—something that had always looked more foolish than enviable to me.
Yet, when I experienced it myself, I remember the world seeming surprisingly broader and the feeling being oddly pleasant.
“Alright, we’re heading to North Forest, so it’ll be a bit of a walk. Oh, are you hungry? Hey! Kairas!”
“Who are you? Are you perhaps a human trafficker?”
If he truly had been a human trafficker, asking such a question would have been a mistake. But I said it to lighten the mood, sensing that things might grow tense otherwise. Adults often get irritated when they realize a child is unexpectedly clever, but I wasn’t naive enough to tip them off. At the time, I was more of a wounded stray dog than the naïve youth I’ve grown into now.
“Human trafficking?
Haha! Hey, Rogue Master Heidel Windwalker declared all human trading prohibited in the Kingdom of Lionia, didn’t he? If buying people with money were still a thing, the Velkysus Rangers would’ve spent all their time buying women! You’ve heard tales of the Rogue Master’s exploits, haven’t you? Haha! I’m Bane. Bane Cratse. I’m a Strider in charge of the Sword Squad of the Velkysus Rangers.”
“Eek! Dad! Who’s that kid?”
A freckled girl with flaming red hair was glaring at me. That was my first encounter with Sena. These days, she clings to me, but back then, it was chaos. For preadolescent kids, concepts like romantic relationships don’t exist. To Sena, I was merely a rival trying to steal her parents’ affection.
“Who? This is Kairas, who’ll be your older brother from now on. Look at those eyes—aren’t they cool?”
“Eek! Red eyes! And they’re glowing! Disgusting!”
“Hmm, as expected of my daughter, your way with words is atrocious.”
“Dad! Why’d you bring home someone like this? A worthless bug who’ll only waste our food! Oh, I get it! He’s here to cook, isn’t he?
Hey, Kairas, was it? Make sure to cook our meals properly from now on. For the record, I like fish. Even if you have to catch maggots to use as bait, get me some!
Got it, you little piece of trash?
Say something when someone’s talking to you!
What’s wrong, got glue stuck in your mouth?
You’re the type who won’t open your mouth unless there’s blood spilling from your head, aren’t you?”
“…….”
To think those words came out of a young girl’s mouth! It still makes my blood boil even in hindsight.
What a feisty kid! After silently observing Sena for a moment, I stood up abruptly. Bane, however, burst out laughing.
“Look at them! They don’t get along at all!”
Is that how a father should behave?
Allowing his kids to develop animosity?
Regardless, I made a decision at that moment: this wasn’t a place for me.
Yeah, all I needed was the strength to survive in this world.
That alone would suffice. I wouldn’t ask for anything more.
And yet, at some point, Sena started calling me “big brother”…
“Kairas, big brother! Can I come in?”
“…Do as you please.”
“Big brother~ Are you mad?”
“…….”
“Today’s your birthday, you know. Did you remember?”
“…….”
Over time, I gained companions.
“Hey, hey! You’re in second place! Phew, you’re pretty talented! Alright, I’ll take you as my darling.”
Damn it. You’re first place anyway! To this day, I’ve never beaten that guy. For all my self-perceived talent, I never stood a chance against him.
“Hey, Kairas! Wanna slice through the waterfall today?”
“Wow, day off! Wanna head to Dranzad together?”
“Sure, sure! The local maidens are clamoring to catch a glimpse of the gem of Kairas!”
Damn it! Why, even after giving up… Looking back, did I already have everything? Why?
In the end, it’s not malice but kindness that wounds people most profoundly. How painful it is to abandon even the kindness you’ve struggled so hard to earn.
Year 1548 of the Palma Calendar, April 16.
That’s how I was forged into an extraordinary ranger of the Velkysus Rangers.
As a child, I was an orphan with an unknown origin raised in a monastery. With ruby-like red eyes—a rarity among humans, and impossible to exist without some magical influence—I became a target of revulsion.
The result? A warped boy who one day was taken in by a ranger. The story goes that this boy was reformed into a dutiful and wholesome young man who learned the meaning of love.
Though it sounds ridiculously cliché even to my ears, it’s the truth. The only difference is that the ranger reformed me not with love but by throwing me into the harsh wilderness and subjecting me to grueling training.
But I grew weary of it.
The Velkysus Mountains are undeniably beautiful, but beauty alone isn’t enough for a human to endure life. A single colour paradise pales compared to a multi coloured hell.
