CHAPTER 265: FREEDOM THE CLOCK CAN’T GIVE ( 265 )

Hazuki stood at the edge of the town square, shoulders slumped, eyes dull from the barrage of angry dwarves and airborne objects.

He sighed, long and heavy.

"Man... it’s really hard to find anyone who can make heels in this place. Big town, tons of crafters... and not a single one makes shoes."

Ridan floated beside him, arms crossed behind his head as he drifted lazily in the air.

"Hmm? Of course it’s hard. You’ve been asking blacksmiths, enchanters, wand-makers... you even asked a guy who was selling pickaxes."

"I didn’t know that at first glance," Hazuki muttered.

Ridan shrugged. "Still, I gotta ask—why the rush, man? You could take your time. It’s not like your wedding’s next month."

Hazuki let out a small laugh, eyes softening slightly. "Yeah... still got eight more years, huh."

"Exactly. And besides," Ridan tilted his head, "how can you even confirm the size?"

Hazuki blinked.

Then froze.

"...Ah. That’s true."

"You don’t even know her foot size, genius."

Hazuki scratched his head, cheeks slightly flushed. "I just thought... you know. I’d find something beautiful. For her."

Hazuki leaned back against a stone wall, watching dwarves pass by with carts and crates, still thinking.

Then, something clicked in his mind.

"Ah..." he muttered, eyes drifting toward the sky.

"I remember a story. From back in my old world."

Ridan floated beside him, eyebrow raised.

"There was this kid’s tale. About a magical crystal heel," Hazuki said with a small smile. "It could fit any foot size. No matter who wore it—it would just, y’know... adapt. Make the girl look beautiful. Elegant. Like royalty."

He chuckled under his breath. "Guaranteed to look stunning."

Ridan tilted his head. "Huh. Sounds like something your old world princesses would sell to kids."

"Yeah." Hazuki nodded. "And I want one for my adult Ellyn."

His voice dropped to a soft, almost dreamy tone.

"...It’d look perfect on her."

Ridan didn’t say anything.

Just floated silently for a moment.

Then sighed.

"Well... if you’re gonna chase a fairytale item in a world full of monsters, at least you’re doing it for a good reason."

Hazuki smirked. "Damn right I am."

"You just have to search slowly, man," Ridan said, floating lazily beside him. "A magic item like that isn’t easy to find. You wouldn’t get it just by wishing."

"Hmm... who knows..." Hazuki shrugged.

Hazuki looked up at the sky, squinting slightly. "Probably already afternoon."

He patted his belly. "Better find a place to eat."

"Agree," Ridan replied, already scanning the area like a floating food radar.

"Man... I wish there was a clock in this world."

"What for?" Ridan asked, tilting his head mid-air.

"Just... to look at the time," Hazuki said.

"For what?" Ridan repeated.

Hazuki blinked. "I don’t know... time... stuff..."

Ridan floated in front of his face. "Why need that?"

Hazuki narrowed his eyes. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah. I am. What’s it for, anyway? It’s not like you gotta punch in at a job or get to school on time. In this world, people wake up when the sun rises, know it’s afternoon when the sun’s overhead, and go home when it sets. Then they eat. Then they sleep."

Hazuki stared at him.

"...That’s so... primitive."

"It’s called peace."

Hazuki sighed. "It’s called chaos. How do people even plan meetings in this world?"

Ridan floated slowly in front of him, arms crossed.

"The moment it becomes chaos..." he said, "is when everyone starts lookin’ at time—but still miss everything important anyway."

Hazuki blinked. "Huh?"

"Take dating for example," Ridan said, smug now. "You promise to meet at 9 a.m. Then what happens? You show up late, and keep making excuse ’on the way, on the way’—while still sleeping in bed."

Hazuki scratched his cheek. "...Yeah, that kinda sounds like—"

"Or," Ridan cut in, raising a finger, "when people set an alarm for 7, wake up at 7, then stay in bed scrolling nothing for thirty minutes."

Ridan grinned. "Back in the day? Sun’s up—you move. Sun sets—you rest. No fuss. No pretend schedules. No fake punctuality."

Hazuki groaned. "Yeah but... at least clocks give you the illusion of control."

"That’s all it is. An illusion," Ridan floated back up, hands behind his head.

"Let me ask you one thing, Hazuki."

Hazuki glanced at him. "What?"

"Back in your own world... were you happy with the clock?"

Hazuki blinked. "What do you mean?"

Ridan didn’t smirk this time. He just stared ahead, his voice steady.

"You were always chasing time, weren’t you? Be on time. Don’t be late. Run to the train. Dash to the office. Late by a minute? Salary cut. Messed up clock-in? Boss gets mad."

Hazuki didn’t respond.

"You worked your ass off. Twelve hours. Sometimes more. Just to earn a little money... barely enough to breathe."

Hazuki looked down, fingers twitching slightly at his side.

"And while you were chasing that... you lost something."

Ridan’s voice grew quiet.

"Something that everyone forgets to care about until it’s already too late."

Hazuki looked up slowly.

"...What?"

Ridan turned to him, expression soft for once.

"Time. Real time. The kind you don’t get back."

Hazuki stood still for a moment, the dwarven street bustling around them, but all of it felt a little distant.

"...I see."

Ridan floated back a little, arms behind his head again like nothing happened.

"Not sayin’ this world’s perfect," he muttered. "But at least here... you get to choose how you spend your time."

Hazuki gave a faint, almost tired smile.

"...Yeah. You’re right."

Ridan’s voice dropped to a quiet, almost bitter murmur as he drifted just ahead.

"Clock is just a tool," he said. "Not to remind people of time... but to remind them that they are tools."

Hazuki didn’t speak. He just kept walking.

Ridan continued, voice steady, words sharper than usual.

"From the day you’re born... it’s all mapped out. Crawl. Walk. Go to school. Graduate. Get a job. Get married. Work till your back breaks. Then die like you were just part of a factory line."

Hazuki was silent. After all... it wasn’t a lie.

"If you spend your life asking what time is it now, or checking a clock every hour..."

Ridan’s voice slowed, almost whispering now.

"...You’ll lose something."

Hazuki looked up.

"Lose what?"

Ridan stopped and turned mid-air.

"Real freedom."

Hazuki stared at him.

Ridan didn’t grin this time. No smirk. No sarcasm.

Just truth.

"The one thing everyone in your old world fights for. Screams for. Burns themselves out for. And yet... most of them don’t even know what it is."

Hazuki exhaled, long and low.

"...Yeah. That’s true."

They both stood quietly for a moment, the dwarven street still moving around them—life going on, but for once, not rushing.

Hazuki looked at his hand.

Then closed it slowly.

"...Thanks, Ridan."

Ridan didn’t answer.

He just floated forward again, quietly.

( End Of Chapter )