Chapter 4.3: Barrier

Edén’s eyes shone brighter than ever before.

The lively atmosphere and the constant bustle awakened a strange sense of longing within him.

Merchants called out to anyone who passed by their stalls, desperately trying to capture their attention.

An innocent smile appeared on Edén’s face.

Fresh fish.

Newly harvested fruit.

Fine fabrics…

Everything possessed a certain magical charm.

“This still feels like a dream,” he thought as he gazed upon the narrow streets. “Everything that disappeared from our world and now exists only as a fleeting memory…”

“Here, it still remains, as though time itself had never passed.”

“How would the people from my world react if they ever discovered this place?”

…

Edén continued looking around, completely captivated by the magic of that beautiful city.

But then—

BAM—THUD!

Edén collided with something as solid as a wall and fell to the ground with ease.

—Ow, ow, ow… —he stammered, rubbing his backside—. That hurt…

—Uh… Sorry. I should’ve watched where I was going —he murmured as he brushed the dust from his clothes.

…

But the moment he raised his head, he found a young woman staring down at him with cold green eyes.

For the first time, Edén felt truly intimidated.

He could not utter a single word.

—Κοίτα πού πατάς, άδειο κεφάλι —the young woman said, looking at Edén over her shoulder.

“Huh? What the hell did she just say?” he wondered, completely confused.

“Wait a second…”

Edén began looking around.

Everyone had turned their attention toward him, whispering among themselves in a language he did not understand.

“I hadn’t even thought about it until now…”

“But how the hell am I supposed to communicate with these people?”

Edén quickly brushed away the rest of the dust and stood up.

—I’m sorry… I don’t speak your language —he said slowly, as though he were talking to a baby.

—I only… wanted to visit the city…

—I’m sorry about what happened…

The young woman stared at him strangely, unable to understand a single word.

“This is useless. She won’t understand anything I say,” he thought, releasing a heavy sigh.

—Sorry. I’m an idiot —he said with a nervous laugh.

…

The girl’s expression hardened instantly.

And then—

BAM!

A powerful blow struck Edén in the stomach, forcing all the air from his lungs for a moment.

—What…?

Edén curled up on the ground in pain beneath the young woman’s furious gaze.

“What the hell did I do to deserve this?” he thought as his hands trembled.

The girl approached him once more, ready to deliver another blow.

But a voice stopped her immediately.

—Σταμάτα, αυτό είναι μόνο μια παρεξήγηση —a gentle yet firm voice called out.

Edén slowly raised his head and found a young man with mint-green hair standing before him.

His features were so delicate that his skin seemed as soft as a baby’s, and his gaze was warm and kind.

—Are you all right? —the boy asked, extending a hand toward Edén.

—I-I think so… —Edén murmured, accepting his help.

—I’m glad to finally hear someone speaking Japanese around here —he said with a laugh—. Could you explain why the hell that ugly girl punched me?

—I’m sorry. This was nothing more than a misunderstanding —the boy replied with a smile—. She thought you were insulting her.

—You have to be joking, right?

—Who the hell punches a complete stranger over something like that?

—She does.

—Yeah… You may have a point.

The boy turned toward the young woman.

—Αυτό το αγόρι δεν ήθελε να σε προσβάλει, Γιούκι. Απλώς έλεγε ότι εκείνος είναι ηλίθιος.

—Τότε γιατί είπε “βλάκα”;

—Στην Ιαπωνία είναι συνηθισμένο να λένε “μπάκα”, που επίσης σημαίνει ηλίθιος, αλλά μιλούσε για τον εαυτό του, όχι για σένα.

The girl crossed her arms and muttered:

—Μάλιστα… Τότε δεν έκανε λάθος· έχει όντως φάτσα ηλίθιου.

The boy laughed upon hearing her response, leaving Edén completely bewildered.

—You aren’t saying anything bad about me, are you?

—No, no. It’s nothing like that —he answered, struggling to contain his laughter.

“I’m certain they’re making fun of me,” Edén thought with a forced smile.

…

But everyone suddenly stiffened upon hearing a glorious voice.

—Σε αυτό δεν κάνεις λάθος, δεσποινίδα. Αυτό το αγόρι είναι πραγματικά ανόητο, ο βασιλιάς των ανόητων.

—You took your time, Shun —Edén said without turning around.

…

Silence instantly consumed the area.

The two young people remained speechless, while the townspeople froze in place.

—What’s wrong? Did a mouse eat everyone’s tongue? —Edén asked, glancing around.

Little by little, a massive crowd began gathering around them, leaving Edén completely confused.

—This is bad… —Shun murmured with a nervous smile.

—Shun… What the hell is going on?

—Edén…

—Hold on tight.

—Huh?

—Aaaaaah! —Edén screamed as he was sent flying through the air.

A massive crowd immediately surrounded Shun, shouting with excitement.

Author’s Note: The dialogue is written in the base language, but the characters are still speaking Greek.

—He’s so handsome! —shouted a young woman wearing merchandise decorated with his face.

—Shun, marry my daughter! —an elderly man exclaimed.

—Fight me, Hero!

—Come on, come on. Everyone, calm down a little —Shun said with an awkward laugh.

—Shun, sign my back!

—Keep protecting us, Hero!

—Thank you…

After getting back to his feet, Edén stared at everything happening around him in confusion.

—What the hell is going on…?

—Do you really not know who he is? —asked the mint-green-haired boy.

—The only thing I know is that he’s my narcissistic, arrogant, idiotic master.

—Your master? —the boy asked in surprise.

—Yeah… Is there something strange about that?

—I had heard the rumors, but I never thought they were true…

—What do you mean?

—Lord Shun is the most beloved and respected man in the world —the boy explained—. His mere presence becomes a light that guides those who have nowhere else to turn.

—There was a major rumor that Lord Shun had nominated a candidate for this year’s trials, but honestly, it sounded ridiculous.

—Even the most powerful leaders have been unable to persuade him to train any of their heirs.

—That is why the idea of some unknown person becoming his student sounded like a cruel joke.

—Now that you mention it… Yeah. It does sound incredibly stupid.

Edén turned his gaze back toward Shun and noticed the false smile on his face.

—From the moment I met him, I knew he was strong…

—So strong that merely thinking about it made my head feel like it would explode.

—He’s an idiot with a twisted sense of humor. He’s forgetful, and sometimes it’s impossible to understand what he’s thinking.

—But I’ve never seen him like this before…

—What do you mean?

—His expression… It’s fake —Edén explained, sadness filling his gaze—. He’s trying to maintain a mask in front of all those people.

—But it feels like he’s suffering inside.

Shun continued wearing that dazzling smile while the crowd showered him with praise.

—Sorry, but there’s something I need to do first —Edén added—. Thanks for helping me earlier.

—I hope we meet again…

—Shu.

—Shu Sagesse —the boy replied with a faint smile.

—Edén.

—Edén Yomi —he said, shaking Shu’s hand.

…

With every passing second, more and more people crowded together, filling several meters of those narrow streets.

Then, without warning, a hand reached through the mass of bodies and firmly grabbed Shun’s.

His expression changed at once, surprise flashing across his face when he saw Edén’s smile.

—Let’s get out of here, you damn Pinky.

SWOOSH!

In the blink of an eye, Shun vanished from everyone’s sight as a thick cloud of dust rose around them.

—Cough, cough!

—Search the entire city! Don’t let him escape! —one of the townspeople shouted.

The crowd scattered throughout Athens in pursuit of the hero.

Meanwhile, the two young people watched everything unfold with great interest.

—Not bad, Edén… —Shu murmured with a faint smile as his eyes shone with a golden hue.

…

From within the alleyways, a beautiful blonde woman and a muscular man with a wild gaze observed everything that had happened.

—Looks like that idiot is back —the woman said in a venomous tone.

—He didn’t even bother telling us. We should beat the hell out of him —the brute declared.

High above the streets, on the rooftops of the city, Shun lay on his back, staring at the sky.

His gaze seemed burdened by a weight that threatened to drag him deeper and deeper into an endless abyss.

And sitting nearby, watching him in silence, was a boy who was slowly beginning to understand the incomprehensible.

A boy who had realized that beneath Shun’s divinity…

There still lived a fragile human being.