Chapter 163: Zombie (2)

Through the open door, Louis caught a glimpse of a woman’s face beyond. Her visage remained remarkably clear and refined, as if perfectly preserving time itself over the years. Despite approaching fifty, her youthful appearance hadn’t dimmed, which brought Louis immense relief.

I was worried she might have moved away, he thought.

If that had been the case, finding her again would’ve proved more challenging. But those concerns were unfounded; she hadn’t left this place at all.

Louis casually waved at Lilia.

“Hi.”

This cheerful greeting caught Lilia off guard. She paused, momentarily stunned by these unexpected visitors – two men and one woman. Her gaze, however, locked onto the young man who had greeted her first, unable to look away.

Lia’s eyes widened suddenly, surprise flooding her features as she exclaimed, “Louis… Bro?”

The nickname hadn’t been heard in ages, but Louis rewarded her with a warm smile. “Long time no see.” It was a curt greeting, yet it sufficed. After all, this was how he always greeted her when appearing out of nowhere like the wind.

As if grafted onto Louis’s grown face, images from eleven years past danced in front of Lia’s eyes. Overwhelmed by the visit from someone she’d yearned to see for so long, she burst into tears and threw herself at him.

“Bro!” she cried.

Had anyone passed by and witnessed this—a middle-aged woman hugging a man who looked no more than twenty—without knowing the situation, they might have raised an eyebrow.

To Louis, however, it didn’t matter if Lia was 46 or 100—she would always be the little girl he knew.

He patted her shoulder and teased, “A married woman with a child shouldn’t be throwing herself at other men like this.”

Lia couldn’t help but chuckle at Louis’s playful scolding, which she hadn’t heard in ages. She stepped away from him, wiping her tears as she said:

“You haven’t changed after all…”

“Haven’t changed? I’ve changed plenty!”

As Louis grumbled, Lia nodded while taking a good look at him.

“You’re right. You’ve certainly grown.”

“So I have, haven’t I?”

The Louis who left eleven years ago was barely more than a boy of around fifteen. But the one who had returned now looked almost like an adult.

For Lia, who had always believed Louis would remain a boy forever, this transformation was astonishing. Lost in thought, she finally noticed the boy and girl standing behind him.

“Um… who are these two?”

“Oh, them? They’re my friends.”

”…?!”

Lia’s eyes widened once again with surprise.

Despite knowing Louis for many years, this was the first time he had introduced someone as his friend and brought them over.

“Oh dear!” Startled, Lia realized she had been keeping her guests waiting at the door and swiftly opened it wide.

“Please come in quickly!”

“Yeah, thanks!”

“My apologies for the wait!”

The twins darted inside the moment the door opened.

Despite their guest status, their behavior could be considered a bit rude.

Louis cleared his throat. “Ahem, they’re…”

“Aw, I see. They must be young men like you, right? Older than you expected?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

As Louis nodded, he heard voices coming from inside the house.

“We were born a month before Louis!”

“Strictly speaking, we’re your elders!”

The boisterous voices made the corners of Louis’s eyes twitch.

“Those kids…”

“They seem pretty close to you.”

“They’ve lived next door to our family since they were little.”

“So, childhood sweethearts?”

“More like sworn enemies.”

Lia giggled at Louis’s flailing fists; it was the first time she’d seen him like this.

“We can finish our conversation inside.”

“Sure…” With that, Louis stepped into the house.

As Louis wandered through the house while Lia went to get tea, he felt a sense of peace.

“It’s…exactly as I remember.”

It was like time had stopped here eleven years ago; the home where Lia’s family lived looked just as it had in Louis’s memories. The only difference was…

“Louis’s here! Come sit down!”

The twins acted as comfortable in their friend’s house as they did in their own. When Louis lazily took a seat next to them, Lia brought out some tea.

“Please help yourselves.”

“Thank you.”

“We will.”

Ignoring the twins tucking in, Louis asked, “Where’s your husband and the kids?”

“I’m sure Tania is around the village entrance. Did you not see her?”

“No, we didn’t.”

“Really? She goes to the entrance every day now…”

“Oh, we didn’t come through the main entrance.”

“I see.”

“What’s she doing way out there?” Louis asked.

Lia smiled. “Waiting, of course—every day for the last year—for the love of her life who told her he’d be back.” Her eyes gleamed mischievously.

It wasn’t that they hadn’t discussed moving in the last eleven years. They’d stayed put because of Tania. Their daughter was faithfully holding out hope for the first love she’d lost. Tania had been afraid that if they moved, she’d lose touch with her lost love, so she had proclaimed herself a member of the “Never Moving Out Club.”

Perhaps unaware of the reason behind her daughter’s proclamation, Louis responded matter-of-factly.

“Oh, here’s someone like that? My, Tania’s all grown up now, isn’t she? Has a boyfriend and everything.”

“…”

Hearing Louis’s clueless reply, Lia shook her head as if resigned to her fate.

And that man can actually be so oblivious…

Is he pretending not to know, or is he genuinely unaware?

Whatever the case, Lia couldn’t help but feel sorry for her daughter. She watched Louis sip his tea and said, “Anyway, Nia has been busy around the village, while my husband and Kendrick went to the nearby city to sell monster by-products. They left about half a month ago, so they should be back today or tomorrow.”

“Oh, really? Hmm…”

As Lia spoke, Louis’s gaze shifted slightly towards the door, sensing the familiar presence approaching.

He smiled slightly. “They won’t be arriving tomorrow, but today instead?”

“Pardon? How did you know…?”

Before Lia could finish, the front gate burst open.

“Honey! We’re home!”

“Honey, I’m home!”

Two men entered through the open door.

There was the middle-aged Aaron, who had spent time with Lia, and a young man with red hair following him.

He stood at 190 centimeters tall, and even through his clothes, one could tell he had a well-trained body. A sword hung at his waist.

Louis’s eyes gleamed as he took in the handsome young man with slightly chiseled features.

Sword Saint Kendrick.

After eleven years, Louis recognized his disciple, who looked just as described in the original work.

“Darling, he made another killing today! He reallylobbered that merchant!”

“Dad! It wasn’tlobbering; it was bargaining! Bargaining!”

“How can you bargain so hard the merchant leaves in tears, you rascal?!”

“Simple. The merchant’s skin was just that thin.”

“It’s fine, Son! By the way, that Tanya was at the village entrance again today… Huh?”

“What’s wrong?”

The noisy conversation between father and son at the entrance abruptly stopped when they spotted the diners occupying their table.

”…Honey?”

“Mom? Who are these people?”

Aaron and Kendrick were taken aback. Kendrick’s face flushed red as his eyes fell on Kani seated directly across from them.

W-What kind of woman is she?!

As the village had grown in size, attracting newcomers and frequent visitors to buy monster byproducts in the city, they had encountered various individuals and seen many women. Yet, they had never encountered anyone as beautiful as the woman before them.

Her long silver hair shimmered with a glossy sheen, while her azure eyes sparkled with a cool, refreshing quality.

Her skin was an ethereal porcelain, and her slightly upturned eyes lent her an air of haughty allure. She possessed a beauty that seemed entirely out of this world.

A similarly styled young man sat beside her, but Kendrick’s vision was consumed solely by this divine beauty he had never encountered before.

As Kendrick found himself mesmerized,

Shf.

A head of pure white hair abruptly appeared.

The figure who had remained steadfastly seated in a chair, facing away from them all this time, had finally risen.

Ah! Who is it?! Move aside! Kendrick frowned at the person obstructing his view of the dazzling beauty.

Soon, the white-haired figure turned, their face finally coming into Kendrick’s line of sight.

White hair and skin as pale as moonlight. Long, captivating eyelashes framing eyes in shades of purple, as if pulling at one’s very soul.

Kendrick, entranced by the individual’s androgynous beauty, blurts out his innermost thoughts as if possessed:

”…Is he a man or a woman?”

And then…

Crack!

“Oof!”

Seizing his forehead, Kendrick collapses backward from the excruciating pain.

As he writhes on the ground, groaning, Louis coldly remarks:

“What a shame this cur won’t make it. Who did he call a cur?”

His tranquil voice reverberates in Kendrick’s ears like thunder.

Th-this voice?!

Memories from the past cascade through Kendrick’s mind. Though not exactly pleasant, they’re etched into his psyche by countless beatings.

This familiar agony!

Though it takes a moment to register, his body remembers. Who else could so easily bop him on the head?

Propelling himself slightly upward, Kendrick stammers:

“N-no way…!”

“Yes, I’m your god damn teacher. You little shit!”

“T-teacher?!”

Though he didn’t resemble the teacher Kendrick remembered, his tone and eyes made it clear that this was indeed Louis.

While Kendrick stood dazed, the twins took turns chiming in.

“So, you’re Louis’s disciple?”

“Seems a bit lacking to me.”

“Wait, didn’t Louis say he had two disciples?”

No sooner had Khan finished speaking than voices came drifting from outside the door.

“He told me to stop following him!”

“Tanya! Tanya! Will you listen to me?”

“What do you want to talk about? I’ve got nothing to say!”

The commotion from outside flooded into the house, breaking the silence brought on by Louis’s presence. The door flew open to reveal two figures – a young man clutching a bouquet of flowers and a woman turning the doorknob.

They shared Kendrick’s ruddy complexion and long, slightly curled hair. Their large, expressive eyes were a striking green. Though they appeared innocent, an aura of vivacity enveloped them both.

Despite her delicate appearance, her words were rough as nails. “The hell? How long are you gonna stalk me?”

“Tania! Please, accept my feelings!”

“Is this how you spend your time at home, trailing after girls? Beat it!”

“I-I’ll take this, then I’ll leave!”

The young man thrust a bouquet of flowers at her.

Tania’s gaze remained unwavering, unaffected by his heartfelt plea.

“Sigh…” Tania sighed and snatched the flowers from the young man. “There! Now, buzz off!”

She attempted to slam the door shut abruptly.

Or at least, she tried to, before the scene inside the house came into view.

First, her eyes fell on Kendrick, sprawled on the floor.

“What’s this idiot doing?” Tania cast Kendrick a contemptuous glance.

Her gaze then naturally shifted to the figure standing behind him.

And then…

“Huh…?”

Tanya’s eyes began to widen gradually.

“Huh-huh…?”

Her green pupils trembled violently.

Thud.

Her grip faltering, Tanya dropped the bouquet she had snatched from the young man. Simultaneously, an incredulous murmur escaped from her lips.

“Ma… Master?”

Unlike Kendrick, this disciple recognized him immediately upon seeing him. Louis smiled and responded warmly.

“Yes, my child.”

That familiar voice was the last straw for Tanya. Unable to hold back any longer, she ran towards Louis, her eyes brimming with tears. With all her might, she cried out the fervent words that had been tucked away in her heart for far too long:

“Big B-b-brother Louis!”

Tanya’s voice resonated powerfully throughout the room. The young man standing outside watched as she flew into Louis’s arms like a feather, leaving him speechless with his jaw agape.