Regressor Instruction Manual

Chapter 1226. At Rohen (End)

[Hello, Mr. Hyo-Yeol.]

‘Idiot.’

[I mean... Hey, Hyo-Yeol. Now that I’m trying to write this letter, I have no idea what to say. Honestly, I kind of hope you never get this... but that’s unlikely, since you know I don’t have much time left. There were so many things I wanted to say, so many words I wanted to leave behind, but now that I’m actually writing this letter, I feel a bit embarrassed.

[Sometimes I wonder if I even need to say all this... but just hear me out, okay? I want you to think of this as my final message to you, or you can think of this as things I never got to say... There’s also something personal I’d like to ask of you...]

[I thought there's a chance that you may not read this at all, but if you're reading this, how long has it been? One year? Two years? Maybe you lost the letter, or perhaps it’s been ten years. I’m not joking when I say that I really think you might not read this letter at all. Personally, I feel like you’re afraid to confront the pain, and honestly, I don’t know if you even care that I’m gone.]

It was pure nonsense. I thought it was utterly absurd, but for some reason, I couldn’t bring myself to read the next page. I knew I had to read it, but I just couldn’t. Strangely, I couldn’t move forward.

[When I first met you...]

I folded the letter. After a while, I opened the letter again. I couldn’t say how long it had been, but it was probably around the time when Paradiso's construction was almost complete.

[When I first met you... I honestly didn’t like you very much. I wasn’t lying when I said I came to Rohen to help you, but deep down, I thought it was a waste to spend what little time I had left on someone like you.

[Still, I did think there was something special about you. Back then, I couldn’t understand what it was, but now, as I’m writing this letter, I think I finally understand.]

[You were just... someone very different from me.]

“Yeah, we’re very different,” I said.

[I thought being friends with you, or even working alongside you, would be impossible, but it turned out that it wasn’t the case at all. We didn’t have a lot of time... and I’m not sure I can say this with total confidence, but I believed in you. I trusted you.

[And now... I think I’m starting to understand you a little. I think I kept my distance in the beginning... because I envied you.]

“Hyo-Yeol oppa! What are you doing?! Didn’t I tell you to give the kids some food? Goodness!” Lim Chae-Ryeong complained.

“I—”

“You dumped everything related to Paradiso to Mr. William anyway! Is it that hard to look after the kids? Then why the hell did you insist on running the orphanage in the first place?! You won’t even raise them properly!” Lim Chae-Ryeong yelled.

“Fine... damn it. I’m going,” I said.

“What’s the point?! Seon unni and I have already taken care of everything! I told you that I was busy todayyyy!” Lim Chae-Ryeong shouted.

I folded the letter.

Some time later, I opened the letter again. It was probably around the time when the strange phenomena occurring in Rohen began to disappear. Remembering how that rascal had interrupted me before, I took a bottle of rum and moved to a spot where I could take a good look at Paradiso from above.

[You were someone who always shone brightly. I wasn’t sure what it was you were aiming for, but I believed you had a clear direction in life. I envied the way you didn’t care about what others thought or about what was considered normal.

[Some might say you were being selfish or reckless, but I think I truly admired that about you. It’s because I’ve never lived for myself, not even once.]

[I’ve always been forced to live... confined by boundaries.]

[I've been living a confined life with limited time, limited beliefs, and limited rules. I never tried to change anything myself. I don’t think I've ever chosen a goal driven by my own will. I would always look up at the same sky, do the same things, and do what I thought was right within those boundaries.

[I don’t regret it, though. I don’t think I was wrong, but people always tend to long for things they don’t have.]

[You had what it takes. I just couldn't see it before. It took me a long time to realize that you were just looking at life through your own lens and faced the world in your own way. Maybe that’s why I believed there was nothing that could stop you. You were always confident, almost unbearably arrogant, and frustratingly self-centered, but that’s exactly who you are. You had what it takes.]

“Well... if you say so,” I said.

[After realizing that, you looked like a hero in my eyes.]

I closed the letter. There was no special reason. I just didn’t want to read it, but I became kind of hesitant. In the end, I opened the letter again.

[Unlike me, who was nothing special.]

I closed it again.

“Idiot,” I said. When I opened the letter again, humanity was starting to get back on its feet. William was still in Paradiso, and the major familias were gathering close by, spreading out to establish a new city. The environment was harsh, but as always, people were still searching for answers.

Everyone wouldn't stop saying the same thing, "Mr. Lee Ki-Young... he must be watching over us... he will lead us."

Honestly, I’d completely forgotten about the letter, but after hearing them say that, I took it out again after moving to a new location near the third settlement.

[After realizing that, you looked like a hero in my eyes. Unlike me, who was nothing special. Yeah, you have the right to live, and you deserve to enjoy all of this. There’s a reason for everything, and surely, there’s a reason why fate has chosen you.

[There’s definitely a reason... why Rohen is trying to help you grow. There’s a reason... why you and I met... and why we became friends.]

[What kind of friend was I to you? How am I being remembered in the eyes of others? Sometimes, I find myself wondering. The Rohen that I love... how does it see me? Do the people I love still miss me...? I’m afraid of being forgotten, Hyo-Yeol. Leaving these pointless letters behind is probably because of that fear of mine.]

[So? Am I being remembered by the people?]

“The problem is that they remember you all too well,” I answered.

[That bothers me more... than the pain I feel every night. The fear that people might forget me is greater than the fear that I might die soon. Looks like I was lonelier than I thought. Or maybe it’s you guys who made me this way. Maybe the family I chose had created this attachment to life in me.]

I folded the letter.

When I unfolded the letter again, I had just left the city and gotten into a carriage.

“Hey... are you really leaving?” Grandpa Bolt asked.

“I told you a dozen times already, Gramps,” I answered.

“Heuuuk... o-oppa. You have to come back,” Lim Chae-Ryeong cried.

“Don’t worry,” I reassured her.

“Have a safe trip,” Nam Goong-Seon said.

“Take care of Chae-Ryeong for me,” I requested.

“H-Have a safe trip, Leader. Y-You have to...” No Dam-Hye stuttered.

“Yeah. I’ll bring back good results. Seriously, I wish you’d stop with the breakup songs,” I begged.

“Ahh...”

It was a planned journey, and it was a journey with no known end.

[I’m really scared of dying right now. When I first arrived here, I thought I wouldn’t have any regrets, but now, I do. Lately, I've been praying to live a simple, normal life. I find myself wondering often what it would have been like if I had more time. How will Rohen change? How will my family change? What’s it like there now? How was your day today?]

“It wasn’t too bad. It was kind of hard getting rid of those rascals at the orphanage... but overall, it wasn’t a bad day. Every day, they keep becoming more and more ridiculous... the kids, I mean,” I said.

[Is everyone happy? Are they living peaceful lives? Are they living the lives they truly deserve?]

I folded the letter.

The next time I opened the letter, I was inside a dungeon looking for clues.

[I really hope it turns out that way. It may seem a bit harsh, but I want you to truly enjoy your life, not just for yourself, but for me as well. If you can cherish every day and be happy, that would mean so much to me. It's not just you. Those dear to me, and the people I care about... I hope they all find a happy ending.]

[And I hope you'd become someone who could embrace all those things.]

“This idiot is still making me deal with annoying stuff,” I grumbled.

[You’ll probably think it’s annoying, though...]

“...”

[Someone’s gotta do it. Some must become Rohen’s shield no matter what.]

I folded the letter.

After some time, I opened the letter again. I opened it after a night of drinking with William.

“Did you find any clues, Mr. Woo-Hyeol?” William asked.

“Not really, but I have no intention of going back,” I answered.

“Right. I... don’t want you to come back either. Mr. Lee Ki-Young might’ve thought you were a good candidate to become Rohen’s guardian... but this kind of task doesn’t suit you. I can handle it alone,” William said.

“I feel bad. I’m sure you don’t feel comfortable about being here...” I said.

“You’ve changed,” William commented.

“Nonsense,” I said.

“Since you’re here, why not visit the orphanage? Miss Chae-Ryeong—”

“It’s time for me to go,” I interrupted him.

[That place will face many trials in the days to come. Many things will change. The environment around you and your relationship with others... There might even be a war, and human greed might bring about its downfall.

[Everyone will suffer through hard times... and although I hate to imagine it, you might face a threat that will make the Monarch of Sunset feel like nothing more than a joke.]

“Go figure,” I said.

I closed the letter.

After some time, I ended up opening the letter again. It was after I had collapsed, exhausted by the long and rough journey.

[Things that trouble you might keep happening, but you normally don't really care about such things.]

I closed the letter.

Once again, I opened the letter after some time. It was right after I nearly lost the letter to a violent sandstorm.

[I hope you'd come to care for Rohen. I know it won't be easy, and it's probably too much for you to bear. But... if you feel even the slightest sympathy for my death, then I hope you'd come to love Rohen—the place I loved—as well.]

I closed the letter.

A lot of time had passed before I opened the letter again. It was after I started questioning if anything I was doing had any real meaning.

[Funny, isn’t it? It feels like I wasn’t here for very long... and yet the memories are so vivid right now. It's like I can recall everything with great detail. It was such a short time, but somehow, I ended up falling in love with this place...]

I closed the letter.

After a long time, I opened the letter again. It was right after I became too drunk to even hold myself up.

[It won’t be easy, but I believe you’ll manage. I truly think you can. You, of all people, can do it...]

“Idiot... I’m not that amazing,” I mumbled.

I folded the letter and opened it again when the rift opened, just as he said.

[I’m sure you can pull it off.]

“Yeah.. yeah... think what you want,” I said.

I closed the letter.

I opened the letter again after a long time. It was long after peace had finally returned.

“Oppa... you can stop... now...” Lim Chae-Ryeong mumbled.

“I’ll be back,” I said.

“O-Okay.”

I closed the letter and opened it again after a long time.

[Perhaps someday, you’ll find something worth protecting... You thought I was a fool, but maybe one day, you’ll become a fool just like me. Of course, I don’t expect it to happen overnight. Maybe you’ll never change, but at least you’ll come to understand me.]

And then...

[You’ll come to understand that I wasn’t as foolish as you thought. You’ll learn to love more people around you. And maybe you’ll understand what truly gives life its meaning and value. But I’m not saying you have to change your life, Hyo-Yeol.]

I opened—

[In your own way and by the method you desire. You were a truly free soul—so free that I envied you. I hope Rohen becomes a place of freedom.]

—the letter.

[I wish for it to be a place where everyone, like you, can take the initiative to actively build their lives. It won’t be easy. It’ll be tough and scary, but your life has always been like that, and the same goes for mine. Our lives have always been that way, and if we keep striving and waiting, just like we always have...]

[A miracle might happen... Maybe a miracle might happen.]

This time, I couldn't close the letter.

[If you keep trying and trying, a miracle will surely happen. Miracles always find those who do their best. It might not happen immediately... but someday... if you keep waiting... and waiting... a miracle will eventually happen.]

I continued reading the letter.

[I’ve always believed in stuff like that.]

“...”

“...”

“You were... reading the letter.”

“You...”

“It’s been a while.”

[And so, they all lived happily ever after. I’ve always believed in stories like that without any doubts.]

“I’m right, aren’t I?”

[The story here will surely find that same ending.]

“Yeah.”

[No matter what.]

Author’s Note

Hello, it’s been a while since I greeted you through a review–I’m wooden spoon. Depending on where you’re reading this, this might be your first time seeing my name... I used to mostly leave reviews under K and J’s comments... Anyway, I just wanted to express my heartfelt gratitude to all the readers who have followed the Regressor Instruction Manual for over 1,200 chapters. Your support truly means the world to me!

Unlike the Mole Saint arc, I really felt like sharing my thoughts on the Rohen arc. It got too big to just be a side story... and since I wrote about both the protagonist and the fake protagonist, I wanted to officially wrap it up. It may not be for everyone, but I figured if I didn’t do it now, when would I? Sniffle. I sincerely apologize to those who were hoping to see the real Ki-Young, and to those who started reading, thinking it was the real Ki-Young. I would also like to apologize to those who are confused by some of the plot developments! I did my best to explain things in the main plot and dropped some hints, but putting it all together didn’t turn out as smoothly as I wanted.

To be honest, I wanted to wrap up the Regressor Instruction Manual’s lengthy storyline with this arc. I said I’d write a side story, then dropped two big arcs and it unintentionally evolved into a second part. Of course, writing this was a bit less stressful than the main story since it was a side story, and I thought it was okay to just go all out... but because of that, the number of chapters kept growing and the story just kept expanding, which eventually caused some difficulty once again.

Okay, getting back on track–after this arc, I was planning to finally wrap up the Regressor Instruction Manual. For various reasons, I really wanted this to be the last one and I almost did finish it... but I figured ending with the story of fake Ki-Young instead of the real one might leave some of you feeling disappointed... so I’m thinking about continuing just a little bit more.

This time, I’m planning on writing a few small episodes and perhaps one major one, but I’m not sure how it’ll turn out. Hehehe.

When I start writing, I tend to get carried away... so the number of chapters might end up being longer than planned... or maybe it’ll be really short and simple... While I don’t know for certain, I want to share the story of the real Ki-Young, not just the fake version, so I’ll give it everything I’ve got!

Thank you so much to all the amazing fans who always support the Regressor Instruction Manual! Thank you! I really appreciate it!

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