Leon sighed slightly, realizing there was no escaping the truth. Moreover, the impression this old Dwarf had given him was a good one; he was the only person Leon could at least ask for something. "Fine. The truth is, I'm lost, and I need someone to guide me, if you don't mind."
The old man smiled upon hearing this. He was happy to have someone speak to him so candidly and wasn't about to withhold his help. "Hahaha! Well, well. So you're saying you're lost and want my help. But isn't it logical to tell me your destination? It would be much easier for me to know what you're looking for."
Leon frowned slightly and thought about it, but his mind was blank. Fundamentally, he didn't belong here; wherever he went, he was a stranger. Therefore, he had no set path or specific destination. However, after encountering the Night Wolf, he was certain he was inside Wonderland. He thought deeply about his memories as a player—where did Leon go when he was a player? What was the place he used to frequent? There, he might find something to guide him and map out his path once more. "Hmm... well, I don't have a specific destination, but there is one place that might be what I'm looking for."
"Hmm... one place. And what is it?"
Leon looked directly into the Dwarf's eyes, resolve overflowing from his body, his facial features a testament to that determination. "Athena."
A look of bewilderment crossed the old Dwarf's face, as if he didn't understand or know what Leon meant. "Athena?"
"Yes. Athena, the City of Beginnings and the Source of Wisdom. Can you guide me to it?"
The old Dwarf stared at Leon with curiosity, the expression of surprise on his face growing more and more. Then, without warning, the old Dwarf burst into laughter as if he had heard some kind of joke. "Hahaha! Hahaha! What did you say? Athena, the City of Beginnings and the Source of Wisdom? Hahaha! Hahaha! It seems... hahaha... it seems you've lost your mind, young man. And that is the reason you're lost!"
Leon felt intense annoyance at the old Dwarf's mockery and rose from his seat in anger. "Tsk. I told you so you could help me, not mock me. What's wrong with you? Why did you suddenly start laughing like that the moment you heard the name Athena?"
After Leon's reaction, the old man stopped laughing and began to act more politely. "Ahh... you're right. I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself. I should have listened to you until the end. But it seems there is some kind of misunderstanding."
"Misunderstanding? I don't think so. Haven't you ever heard of Athena, the City of Beginnings and the Source of Wisdom?"
The old Dwarf sighed again and placed his palm on his head for a moment. "Haaah... no, that's not the point. Whether I've heard of Athena or not isn't what matters. What matters now is that the Athena you're talking about disappeared two thousand years ago."
Leon was struck with total shock upon hearing these words from the Dwarf's mouth; his mind even tried to deny it. Who would ever believe that Athena could disappear? What added to the horror was the two thousand years that had passed since its disappearance. The matter was incredibly complex. At the moment, all Leon knew was that he had been reincarnated inside Wonderland instead of returning to his original world. That was all he knew.
The Dwarf looked at Leon's state with great surprise. "Is this the first time you've heard of this? Hahaha! Well, I don't blame you. The youth of this generation don't believe much in the stories of the ancestors. Imagine, there are those who deny it entirely; they say Athena is just a fairy tale, nothing more. I don't blame them, for they witnessed nothing. But I believe in these stories passed down by the ancestors until they reached my ears."
Leon wasn't really interested in the old Dwarf's words; his focus wasn't even on him. Instead, he was trying to connect his thoughts, but he was unable to. Therefore, he had no choice but to seek help from the Alternative Assistant.
"Alternative Assistant, do you know anything about what happened? Can you help me understand this?"
[Notification: I will now process the data available to me and inform you of what I find once I am finished.]
[Notification: Process completed successfully.]
[Notification: After rearranging the information, it appears that Player Leon has been reincarnated in a different era. In this era, I do not sense any presence of Players, nor even Athena, the City of Beginnings and the Source of Wisdom. Therefore, most likely, during the past two thousand years, many events occurred that caused the disappearance of Athena.]
Leon looked at the palms of his hands as he listened to the Alternative Assistant's words. He was facing a very bitter truth. It seemed he had been reincarnated in the wrong era—that was what he thought at first. But upon reconsidering, what made it wrong? And what made it right? Leon wouldn't know. But all he knew now was that the only place he could go no longer existed, and this dampened his spirits slightly.
The old Dwarf was near him and could see how frustrated Leon was, but he didn't know the reason for this frustration. Was he really frustrated over an old story and nothing more? It was truly suspicious. "Hey, Leon. Is everything alright?"
Upon hearing the old Dwarf's question, Leon regained his focus slightly and answered, "Ahh... yes, yes. Don't worry. I'm sorry, I made you worry for no reason. Well, I'll be a bit rude, but I'd like to stay with you for two more days, if you don't mind."
The old Dwarf smiled, happiness filling his face, and said, "Haha! No, you are always welcome in my humble home. You can stay here as long as you wish."
After Leon received permission to stay in the cottage, he turned his back on the old Dwarf and stepped forward toward the workshop door. As he was leaving, and when his foot touched the threshold, Leon stopped suddenly. He had forgotten something important—a lapse in judgment that he blamed himself for. He turned his head back toward the old Dwarf and said, "Hey, Dwarf. I know I was rude to you, and my presence might cause you some annoyance. But since I'll be staying here for a few days, I'd like to know your name. What should I call you?"
The old man tilted his head down slightly and began looking at the walls of the workshop, which were filled with armor and weapons. Then he turned toward Leon, joy filling his facial features. "Hmm... my name. It's been a long time since anyone asked for my name."
After saying this, the old Dwarf turned away from Leon and paused for a moment. "Helmod."
"Didn't you ask for my name? That is the name people used to call me. Helmod, the Iron Fist."
Leon smiled a genuine smile from his heart, then looked around, the smile still on his face. "Helmod. Well, it's an honor to meet you, Iron Fist."
With that, Leon left the workshop, leaving Helmod alone inside to finish his work on that sword.
"Ahh... I don't know why I have this unique feeling toward this human?"
With Helmod saying this, he returned to work, and silence returned to the place as if nothing had happened.
Hours passed, evening fell, and the sun began to set. Helmod left his workshop and returned to the cottage to find that Leon had already prepared dinner and was waiting for his return from work.
"Hoho! It seems you're skilled at preparing food, boy. Let me taste some of it."
As soon as Helmod took the spoon from Leon and began tasting the soup, he felt an indescribable sensation—a deliciousness he had never felt before that made him freeze in place, as if the spoon had melted in his mouth.
"Hahaha! Leon, you're truly a master cook! I've never had soup this delicious before. I'm truly lucky to have you in my home."
While Helmod was saying these words, tears were streaming from his eyes without him even knowing. At that moment, Helmod was truly happy, and it was evident on his face.
"Ahh... ahh... really? I didn't imagine you'd like it this much. I'm glad it met your satisfaction."
Despite Leon saying this, he knew very well in his heart that he didn't know how to cook; he was simply following the instructions of the Alternative Assistant, nothing more.
End of Chapter