Starting a Reversal in Life From the Time of Release

26 – To the Palace of the Reversal World (1)

To go to the Gallian Continent, there were many preparations to be made.

Clothes, items, camping supplies like tents, and so on.

Yoo Si-hoo and Mari busily prepared the necessary items while holding hands, and, when you looked at the time, it didn’t take that long. Thanks to that, Mari brought Seo Haneul to her house nearby in the spare time. She had become a slave, so she thought she should be frugal. Selfishly choosing the meeting place was one of them.

It was in the late afternoon, as the sun began to set. A playground near the apartment where Yoo Si-hoo lived. The two women sat shoulder to shoulder on a long bench, their gazes directed forward, not to the side.

“Do you want anything?” When Seo Haneul was about to say something, Mari nodded her head in response. “Yes, I have a request.” In fact, it was more of a command. Seo Haneul knew it to some extent, but she was willing to accept it. After all, she willingly entered into a slave contract.

“Please tell me.”

“We have a task that will keep us away for a while. During that time, I’d like you to take care of the house and the car. We plan to take the car to the DMZ outpost.”

“Yes, I understand. Is there anything specific you need?”

Seo Haneul asked, hoping to earn some points. Mari hesitated for a moment and then nodded, answering, “It’s okay. Your thorough care last time was a great help. Anyway, that’s all I need.”

“Okay, I’ll take care of that. Don’t worry. But what will you do if I leave with Si-hoo’s car?”

“When it’s time to turn off the cell phone, I’ll contact you with the phone. Or you can use the phone at the outpost.”

“Oh… that should work.”

Seo Haneul realized that her impatience had narrowed her perspective and lowered her head. “That’s possible. Anyway, please take care of that. And…”

Mari quickly handed the gray notebook she had left beside her to Seo Haneul.

“What’s this?” Seo Haneul asked, her head tilting in confusion.

When she asked what it was, the response was to read it. So, as instructed, she took the notebook, opened it, and checked the contents written inside.

“These people…?”

“They are the people Si-hu met at the prison. They promised to help him find a job once he is released.”

“Oh… is that so?”

Yi Ji-in. Kim Seok-han. Hwang Du-sik. Park Young-soo.

They were all criminals, but Park Young-soo was the most unfairly accused.

He was convicted of a crime he didn’t commit, and the woman who framed him was cruelly killed, her head torn apart and chewed by a monster.

As Seo Ha-neul, it was unsettling to have contact with criminals, but if Yu Si-hu promised to take care of them, they couldn’t be completely rotten individuals.

Because of this thought, she was able to endure the discomfort that was building up.

“Looking at the release dates, it seems like there’s still a lot of time left… How long do you plan to leave your position empty?”

Seo Ha-neul raised her head, voicing the obvious question.

Even the person who was being released the earliest still had about three months left.

However, there might be unforeseen circumstances, like going to the Galia Imperial Palace and staying there for a while.

That was also why she was handing over responsibilities to Seo Ha-neul.

But she couldn’t reveal the details at this moment.

Because her trust in the slaves was still lacking.

“I cannot disclose that information. Please understand.”

“Oh… Okay.”

Seo Ha-neul was unhappy, but she understood.

It wasn’t like she held a high position where she could pry into matters, and she hadn’t earned enough trust to do so.

Seo Ha-neul nodded, as if understanding everything, while giving a bitter smile.

“Hoo…!”

In the bushes of the demilitarized zone.

After leaving the car to Seo Ha-neul, Na and Mari walked straight towards the gate that led to the mainland.

The path had already been cleaned once, so it was quiet.

There were no monsters attacking, only bugs crawling between the grass.

They could consider themselves lucky.

Na let out a breath he had been holding in due to tension, and lightly vibrated.

Ripples spread through the air, revealing the hidden gate.

“Shall we go?”

Mari, with the same backpack as Na on her shoulders, smiled and asked.

The result of the man strongly arguing that a heavy burden should not be carried was this.

I also had a backpack, but it was mostly clothes or artifacts.

Mari had heavy equipment like tents or vocal barriers.

“Okay. Let’s go.”

I replied lightly and immediately threw myself into the gate.

Although it was undoubtedly a peaceful forest, I couldn’t let go of the tension completely.

So as soon as I threw myself into the gate, I checked my surroundings and took a stance, swinging a vibrating needle in my hand.

It’s quiet.

Even as Mari entered behind me and even as the gate disappeared into thin air, nothing happened.

“Fortunately, nothing happened.”

Mari, who was standing behind me, murmured with a relaxed expression.

She spread her arms wide, pushed out her chest, and took a deep breath.

She seemed extremely satisfied.

Perhaps it was because the land and air of her hometown felt refreshing.

It boasts air that is clear and clean beyond comparison with the heavily polluted Earth.

I also took a deep breath and adapted to the air lightly, then clasped the necklace around my neck.

For me, who couldn’t communicate, it was an artifact that was no different from a lifeline.

Just the thought of being forced to become mute again without the necklace made me feel suffocated.

“For now, I’ll walk to Jakryung with a teleportation scroll. I’ll borrow a horse there and go. And from there, I’ll take a boat to the harbor city next to the capital.”

Mari planned to do exactly what Alberto had done.

Rent a carriage, go back to White Count Ling, and take a boat from there to the capital.

“Yeah, that sounds good.”

I nodded lightly and looked around.

The village, like the forest, remained unchanged. It just stood there in its place.

We diligently walked towards Jakryung as planned.

Sometimes we would even run, unintentionally racing each other or playing games with the police and thieves.

As a result, we were able to reach Jakryung a little faster.

After that, we rented a carriage and ran towards White Count Ling, camping in between.

Since I had ridden a carriage before, it didn’t feel as awkward as the first time.

.

“Have you had a hard time?”

“No, it was enjoyable. It’s not a solo journey.”

A few days later.

Upon reaching her destination, Mari conversed with the owner of White Duke’s estate.

After taking a bath, Si-hoo sat on the terrace chair borrowed from Alberto, enjoying the leisure.

“I heard from His Majesty and the national treasury. Was it really a different world?”

White Duke, Leti White, asked, her blue eyes sparkling.

She was well-informed about the news of a different world from the national treasury and the emperor.

It was a decision made to facilitate future smooth interaction.

It was much better than causing doubts by taking questionable actions.

Mari responded, thinking that the Duke wouldn’t sell the emperor’s name and tell lies.

“Yes, it was quite different from ours. They had many advancements, so everything appeared larger, even the shadows.”

“Shadows, you say…?”

“For example…”

Mari talked about Earth’s civilization, systems, environment, and more in broad strokes, despite not being an expert in any specific field, particularly politics.

Of course, in their respective areas of expertise, they were undoubtedly specialists, but they were far from being technical experts.

Therefore, they focused on whether the information could be useful or cause confusion.

In particular, Leti showed a deep interest in ships, much like a ruler of a port city.

“A ship that moves with a force other than wind or people… I’m sure the wizards would find it extremely fascinating.”

Wizards with characteristics similar to Earth researchers might indeed be interested.

Mari nodded a few times, empathizing with the Duke’s words.

“Exactly. So when the time comes, I’m thinking of secretly gathering the wizards for research. We shouldn’t just use the resources from that world as is, and we must be cautious not to harm the environment.”

“You’re absolutely right. If the air gets polluted, it’ll be uncomfortable in many ways. The quality of food will also deteriorate.”

Leti frowned at the thought of livestock and fish quality declining.

For her, meals were of great importance.

It was somewhat amusing, but Mari also had a similar mindset.

Having abundant and diverse food was good, but the fundamental quality was lower than what they were used to here.

“Princess.”

“Yes?”

“I think it’s a rather impolite question… but may I allow you to keep it in your mouth?”

“Why are you so curious?”

Marie glanced at Lety, who was asking with great politeness, and nodded her head, eventually giving her permission to speak.

Then, as if Lety had been waiting, she spoke.

“How is the man who accompanies the princess? Did you share a bed?”

“A bed…?”

It might seem impolite, but it felt more absurd and funny.

Marie widened her eyes and burst into a dry laughter.

“It seems even the viscount is interested in such matters?”

“Of course. Although I might have missed my youth, I am also a woman. It’s impossible not to be interested in matters of intimacy.”

If you are a woman, it’s only natural to imagine things when you see a man.

Marie nodded in agreement as if she understood.

“Unfortunately, I haven’t had the chance to share a bed yet.”

“Oh… Is it because of your health?”

Even though she was a woman, Marie was a princess, so she couldn’t act recklessly with her body. Some noblewomen and court ladies might indulge in such behavior, but those of the royal family couldn’t afford to do so. They were the ones who maintained order and needed to lead a more restrained life and maintain their manners.

“Of course, that’s one reason, but it’s not the main one. After all, Si Hu was chosen by my father from the very beginning.”

“What? Chosen by the father? Then, can’t you just undress him and have your way with him?”

When the father approves, it means the emperor also approves. The emperor respects his father’s decision to a great extent.

Marie was surprised by Lety’s unexpectedly coarse words and slightly twisted her lips.

“I’m afraid he might not like it if I push too hard. So, I’m waiting for the right moment.”

Marie had a rather bold personality, so she was also biding her time.