Chapter 252 - 003: Elder Brother
Chapter 252: 003: Elder Brother
Before going to the Wizard World, Lynch and Gerald had a very close relationship, and strictly speaking, Lynch was raised almost entirely by Gerald.
In his memory, Lynch still remembers Gerald carrying him on his back, running wildly through the fields, and taking him to the forest to gather fallen nuts and firewood.
When mischievous kids bullied him, Gerald was the first to stand up for Lynch, even if there were several of them. He would charge forward without hesitation to avenge Lynch, fighting against the odds.
Because of this dutiful brother, Lynch had a very happy childhood, even though his family was extremely poor and his parents very busy.
Time seemed to travel back decades, echoing Gerald’s advice before his departure:
“When you go out there, make sure to listen to the Scholar, don’t be naughty…”
“If someone bullies you, fight back; don’t worry about whether you can win. Only by fighting them will they be afraid to bully you next time…”
“When you miss home, talk to the wind, no matter how far apart, the wind will carry your voice to our side…”
“Remember, come back soon, we will always wait for you.”
“Your home is always here.”
Time changes everything; the once youthful boy has become old and weary, no longer able to stand in front of Lynch, defending him from all the kids who tried to bully him, unable to carry him through the town.
However, what hasn’t changed is Gerald’s gaze, looking at Lynch with concern, always steadfast.
“My little brother Lynch! You’ve finally come back!” The old man’s voice, full of joy, echoed through the room, seemingly washing away his initial frailty at this moment.
Lilith forced a smile to Lynch, simply explaining to him: “I’m sorry, my father…”
“He had a brother when he was young, but unfortunately lost him… My father feels deeply guilty about it, and this matter has been haunting him, so that’s why he’s like this… I hope you can understand.”
Lynch nodded.
Lilith then turned back towards Gerald, who lay on the sickbed, and hastily explained: “Father, this is Doctor Merlin, not Uncle Lynch; the Lord invited this doctor for you.”
“Merlin? Doctor?”
Gerald was stunned; he meticulously scrutinized Lynch from top to bottom, stubbornly shaking his head: “No, this is your Uncle Lynch!”
He was adamant: “It’s him!”
Lilith was exasperated.
She wanted to say more, but Lynch advised: “It’s okay, you can leave now. Leave this to me, and let the servants step out as well.”
Lilith hesitated: “This…”
At the doorway, Baron Bayne said: “Listen to him, leave this to him.”
Lilith glanced at Gerald, who was as frail as a flickering candle in the wind, and finally, with reddened eyes, nodded and led the servants out. After all, no worse thing could happen; let the young doctor have a try.
“Click!” The room door closed.
Lynch walked over and put a cushion under Gerald to help him sit up, then sat by the bed, picking up an apple from the bedside table and started peeling it.
Just after sitting down, Gerald couldn’t wait to ask, “Where have you been all these years?”
Lynch was very puzzled.
He’d left home when he was just ten, and after all, it had been decades. His appearance and demeanor had undergone a complete change, and an ordinary mortal’s memory should have been eroded by decades.
Given all this, how had Gerald recognized him at a glance?
Was it, as Lilith guessed, simply because of his confusion? Or was there truly a special bond between them?
It doesn’t matter anymore.
Lynch glanced above Gerald’s head, where the numbers had entered a countdown in hours; his Life Force was about to be exhausted, his life reaching its end.
Death!
This is the highest rule established for maintaining the world’s operation, binding all things, even Lynch had no power to change it.
Lynch raised his hand, and with a ’boom,’ a flame arose in his palm.
He inserted the dagger into the apple and roasted it over the flame, explaining: “I went to the Wizard World and became a wizard. I’ve been training for it all these years… so… I’m very sorry, Gerald.”
Gerald looked at the flame in Lynch’s hand and murmured, “No wonder… so it is… it is indeed as I thought!”
Saying this, as if reminded of something, he threw his head back and laughed heartily: “Hahaha!”
“Indeed, indeed it is!”
He looked at Lynch and laughed: “I knew how unlikely it was for so many legends to emerge in the world, defeating Snow Monsters, gaining the nobility’s recognition, a peasant farming the land for generations suddenly becoming a knight, marrying a noble lady, just like a legendary story.”
“These years, it’s as if we’ve been blessed by the goddess of luck, even when my daughter is in danger, there’s suddenly a bolt of lightning from the sky helping her escape danger.”
“Everyone says it’s a god who watches over our family, but I know it’s not. I’ve always known it’s not.”
“All these legends, all these myths, there’s an invisible hand propelling them, a hand with power beyond a mortal’s imagination, bringing all these before me.”
“I know, I’ve always known!”
He was ecstatic, as if he’d finally solved the elders’ riddles from his childhood in town, saying a bunch in one breath, even some color reappeared on his pale face, and he looked more spirited.
Lynch was slightly taken aback.
He knew Gerald had always been concerned about him, but he underestimated this concern.
After a moment of silence, he said, “I’m sorry.”
Suddenly, he felt a bit of doubt about his decision back then. Maybe… maybe he shouldn’t have decisively distanced himself from family… maybe, maybe sharing those ordinary years and enjoying family warmth… would things have been better?
However, right now, discussing this held no significance. Time’s cruelty lay in its constant passage, which people must accept.
“No need for that!”
In this moment of Lynch’s confusion, Gerald spoke, just like in childhood, confronting an unbeatable enemy, he stood once again in front of Lynch, raising his fist.
“To see you again at this moment, when life is reaching its end, fulfilling my long-held wish, leaving without regrets, for me, that’s the greatest joy. I am already very satisfied.”
“Thank you, Lynch, thank you for coming to see me now, thank you for all you’ve done for our family.”
Lynch wanted to say something but didn’t know how to start.
“Cough! Cough!”
At this moment, a violent cough came, Gerald coughed so hard he couldn’t breathe, the color quickly fading from his face.
Lynch was startled.
He frantically searched through his pockets, pulling out a myriad of bottles and jars, but amidst this array of sought-after treasures, he couldn’t find a single one suitable for this moment.
Gerald waved his hand, comforting him: “Don’t waste your efforts; I’m already very satisfied.”
“Come here, come closer, let me look at you.”
Lynch sat by the bed.
Gerald seriously examined Lynch, then suddenly laughed: “You’ve grown up, and become handsome. Molly would surely regret seeing how you are now, oh… right, she’s also outside, she’s now the head maid here, but she’s also quite old, you probably wouldn’t recognize her…”
That day, Lynch and Gerald talked for a long time, sharing many stories.
Stories about childhood playmates, changes in their hometown, events that transpired in town over the years; Lynch also shared his experiences and observations from the Wizard World, recounting everything he had been through.
Lynch wished time could stop there, but alas, he couldn’t do it. Even if he could pause it for a moment, he still couldn’t stop its relentless advance.
Gerald said: “Life is a journey, in which we constantly meet new people, encounter new things. Our journey has reached its end, but yours will continue.”
“Go, this time you don’t have to come back, no need for lingering feelings; venture out to a broader world.”
“No need to worry about us anymore.”
“Because no matter how far you go, we will always be by your side.”