"No! Stay back… you monsters!"
One of the five remaining soldiers shrieked in terror as the stone tornado barreled toward them. The men turned and fled in frantic panic.
But the trolls didn't stop.
For whoever dares to reach into the dark… must be ready for the day it reaches back and swallows him whole.
BOOOOM!
"Haha! Mission complete!"
Harl laughed joyfully, then shouted, "Sosi, let's head back quick before Grand Pabbie starts to worry! This is the first time I actually win one of these games… but oh, what a tiring game it was!"
He patted his grumbling belly with affection. "Don't worry… Once we're home, we'll eat until we burst!"
Then, calling out for Sosi, he turned, shifted into his rock form, and began rolling toward their homeland.
"Go on ahead, I'll catch up in a second," Sosi replied with a grin, picking up a large tree trunk that had been torn loose by their whirlwind.
With a mighty swing, he hurled it at the cliff's edge—
CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!
The edge crumbled, giving way beneath the heap of unconscious soldiers—down they went, tumbling with the rocks into the abyss below.
Sosi stepped up to the edge and glanced down. Then, with a soft mutter:
"At that depth… they won't be coming back. Now they'll never bother our kind again."
He smiled, rolled himself up, and followed after Harl.
* * *
Meanwhile, inside the small bundle nestled in Caron's arms, Allen was approaching the land of the trolls. Once again, he asked silently:
'Hey, system… aren't you going to tell me what's going on yet?'
[...]
The system stayed silent.
'Fine! Stay silent forever then!'
He grumbled inwardly, picturing himself making a childish pout with his tiny baby face.
Just outside, Caron arrived at the entrance to the Valley of the Living Rock and called out cheerfully:
"I'm back! I brought the baby!"
One of the elder trolls nearby perked up and rushed over excitedly.
"Oh, you really made it back? That's wonderful! But… where are Sosi and Harl?"
Among trolls, the disappearance of two young ones was no trivial matter.
Despite their long lives and hardy, illness-proof bodies, their ability to have children was heartbreakingly rare. Because of that, their young were cherished with unwavering affection and constant care.
And though Grand Pabbie had tried to reassure them, unease still lingered in their hearts—especially as the absence of two little trolls became clearer.
But Caron laughed, cradling Allen close:
"Don't worry! Sosi's with Harl, and anyone who knows him knows he always has a plan… or probably some wild new idea. I'm sure he's roped Harl into something again… Poor soldiers!"
The elder troll chuckled. "Sosi, huh? Haha! Then we should worry for our enemies, not our little ones. Go on in, Grand Pabbie is waiting for you."
"Got it! I'll take the baby to him right away. And if Sosi and Harl come back, tell them I said hi!"
"Will do. Don't worry."
* * *
At that moment, Allen whispered within himself:
'System… will they discover me? Will the wise old troll know I'm not from this world?'
Fear crept through him as he lay helpless in foreign arms, unable to resist or flee.
He had seen Frozen countless times—he knew just how powerful this mysterious sage truly was: the one who could rewrite memories, heal magical wounds, even glimpse into the strands of the future…
No one knew how old he truly was.
But the surprise came not from the wise old troll—this time, it was the system that broke its silence and responded:
[Do not worry. I have isolated your cosmic imprint. No one can see your past or future now.]
'Whoa! You finally speak! But… why all this preparation from the wise old troll just for me?'
Allen's thoughts stirred. From what Caron and the elder troll had said, it was clear: his rescue wasn't by chance. The order came directly from the wise old troll himself.
The infant kept his eyes closed, lying peacefully, as if none of what was happening around him mattered…
At least, not on the outside.
* * *
Caron entered, panting with excitement, and declared proudly:
"Grand Pabbie! I'm back, and I brought the baby—just as you asked!"
Grand Pabbie smiled kindly. "Well done. I knew you wouldn't let me down. Excellent work."
Then his gaze fell upon the child cradled in Caron's arms.
At that moment, Allen felt the weight of his stare—his tiny eyes fluttered open and met the steady gaze of the wise old troll.
Suddenly, Grand Pabbie froze.
He couldn't read anything. Nothing at all.
"Impossible… I see nothing? Unless he is…"
Caron blinked, confused. "Grand Pabbie? What's wrong?"
Grand Pabbie turned to him gently. "Nothing, my boy. Don't worry."
Caron grinned and joked:
"By the way, Grand Pabbie—this time I finished the mission, right? So you can't confiscate my candy anymore!"
Before Grand Pabbie could respond, two cheerful voices echoed from outside the village:
"We're back! We're the heroes!"
"And I want my food!"
It was Harl and Sosi, finally returned. One of the elder trolls opened the gate for them at once.
Grand Pabbie laughed warmly, looking at them with pride.
"You three are our pride," he declared.
"I proclaim before everyone: these three are our hope—our heroes of the day!"
Cheers erupted across the village.
Most had not yet known the little ones were safe.
Harl rubbed his hands shyly and said, "Grand Pabbie, since we're the heroes today… can I have something to eat?"
Sosi jumped into the air, yelling: "Finally, I'm a real hero!"
Grand Pabbie laughed. "Go, eat as much as you want. Then get some rest—you've done more than enough today."
"Yes, Grand Pabbie!"
All three replied in unison.
And just like that… peace returned to the village.
* * *
A short while later, as the village quieted down, Grand Pabbie sat alone, still cradling the baby in his arms. Suddenly, a small piece of parchment and a pendant slipped from the folds of the cloth. The name "Allen" was engraved on it.
Allen felt it fall, and asked the system:
'So these are the arrangements you mentioned?'
The system replied:
[Yes. They're meant to help you integrate into this world quickly.]
But before Grand Pabbie could read the note, a loud voice cried out from outside:
"Grand Pabbie! Look—up in the sky!"
Everyone lifted their eyes, including Allen.
Above them, a white cloud was beginning to form, slowly swirling into shape—just like the blue one that had loomed earlier above the royal palace.
Grand Pabbie gazed long into the heavens and murmured to himself:
"Could this… be a celestial omen?"