Chapter 390 |
“Ugh.”
I let out a faint groan as the morning sun hit my face.
“...Is it morning?”
Realizing that day had broken, I took a deep breath and slowly opened my eyes.
Lifting my head with bleary eyes, I saw the sun hanging high in the sky as expected. The sunlight slanting through the window was brilliant, yet intense.
A part of me wanted to close my eyes and go back to sleep, but unfortunately, a habit isn’t so easily broken.
As always, the first thing I did upon waking was to check the state of my body.
“Huh?”
As I was checking the flow of magic coursing through my circuits, I tilted my head. I felt something heavy on my abdomen. My gaze drifted down to see a white lump curled up there.
“...You.”
The moment I saw its gently swaying tail, I knew.
The source of the strange sensation was the baby unicorn, sleeping soundly. It must have been having a good dream, as drool trickled from its slightly open mouth. I stared at it for a while.
“So it can make a face like that.”
Come to think of it, I felt a little sorry for the baby unicorn. It had gone through all the trouble of leaving its herd(?) to follow us, yet I had been unintentionally neglectful, using the excuse that I was busy. Besides, it was still an infant. A time when it needed more attention and affection than ever.
“Didn’t I say I’d give it a name when we got back?
Deciding to pay more attention to it from now on, I slowly sat up.
“Kyu?”
Sensing my movement, the baby unicorn groggily lifted its head. As soon as it opened its eyes, it looked for me, then buried its head again with a look of relief. It must have been worried I’d disappeared on my own again.
I gently scooped up the baby unicorn and got out of bed.
“Wake up. It’s morning.”
“Kkyuung... Kkyuu...?”
“That’s right, that’s right. Even if you’re sleepy, you should eat breakfast before going back to sleep.”
The baby unicorn just nuzzled against my chest, but I smiled faintly. Its ears were already perked up, and its tail was swaying softly. It seemed Im Han-na had been right.
A short while later.
After a pleasant wash with the baby unicorn, I left the room and headed down the stairs. With each floor I descended, I could sense the movements of several people. It seemed I was the last to wake up.
When I reached the first floor, the employees diligently manning the counter greeted me hastily. They kept stealing glances at me, suggesting my behavior yesterday had been quite a shock.
“Y-You’re awake.”
“Yes. Good morning. Where are the clan members?”
“Th- Those who are awake are in the dining hall.”
They kept stealing glances at me as they spoke, so I gave a slight nod and quickly turned down the corridor leading to the dining hall.
When I opened the door and went inside, several clan members were sitting together at a table.
“The old man, Go Yeon-ju, Jung Ha-yeon, Shin Jae-ryong, Im Han-na, Ahn Sol, Baek Han-gyeol... The kids aren’t here.”
“Oh, you’re up, Clan Lord.”
Im Han-na, who was facing me, was the first to acknowledge my presence. The gentle, smiling crinkle of her eyes seemed to refer to what had happened yesterday.
“Soobyun?”
“Did you have a restful night?”
I swallowed hard as Go Yeon-ju and Jung Ha-yeon turned to look at me.
Im Han-na. Honestly, if we had just hugged, I might have had something to say for myself, but we had even kissed, so there was no way out of it. (Even if it wasn’t my intention.)
I gestured for the clan members, who were scrambling to their feet, to sit back down, then took an empty seat. I glanced at my shoulder and saw the baby unicorn, which had fallen asleep again, breathing softly.
“Kyuu... Kyuu...”
I placed the baby unicorn, which was trying its best not to fall off, on the table and looked around at everyone.
“Did you all sleep well?”
“Huh? Ah, yes. I slept soundly for the first time in a while. There’s no place like home, right? What about you, Soobyun?”
“I agree, there’s nowhere better than home. Ah, is today’s meal the Chaste Lady’s Set Menu A?”
“Oh my, where is my head? I’ll go get it right now.”
Before I could say it was fine, Go Yeon-ju put down her utensils and shot up from her seat. I let out a short sigh as I watched her quickly disappear into the kitchen.
“Haha. You look so refreshed after washing up. It’s good to see. Now you finally look like a Clan Lord.”
The old man, who had nearly finished his meal, smiled as he lifted a steaming teacup. I nodded a couple of times, then looked at Ahn Sol, who was quietly shoveling food into her mouth. Her head was bowed so low I couldn’t see her face clearly, but I had a feeling she hadn’t recovered from the shock yet.
“By the way, where are the other clan members? Have Ahn Hyeon and Lee Ju-yeong already eaten?”
At my question, Jung Ha-yeon chewed for a moment before swallowing.
“Umm. I’m not sure. I haven’t seen them at all since they went to their rooms yesterday.”
Just then.
“I went to check on them.”
The person who answered in a sharp voice was none other than Go Yeon-ju. She was already back from the kitchen, holding a large tray in both arms. As she carefully placed the tray in front of me, she continued, her voice slightly thorny.
“They’re still holed up in their rooms. They won’t come out, and they don’t even answer when I call.”
“I see. What about Vivian?”
“Vivian wasn’t in her room.”
“Not in her room?”
“Hmm. If she’s not in her room, where could she have gone?”
Looking at the various dishes on the tray, I gently nudged the baby unicorn. It rubbed its face with its forelegs and looked at me with drowsy eyes.
I had just picked up a spoon, intending to feed it some soup first.
“Um... Hyung-nim.”
Hearing a timid voice, I looked up to see Baek Han-gyeol looking at me with an anxious expression.
“What is it? Do you know?”
“Could she... um... be in the lab?”
“The lab? Why would she be there now?”
“Well... she used to spend a lot of nights in the lab with Sang-yong...”
That was when it happened.
The clan members, who had been eating quietly until then, all turned to stare at Baek Han-gyeol in unison. He flinched and covered his mouth.
“?”
Then, as one, they all turned their gazes in the same distance.
I tilted my head but followed their line of sight, and saw Ahn Sol, who had stopped eating. Her shoulders were trembling ever so slightly. She looked as if she might burst into tears at any moment.
“What’s with everyone all of a sudden...”
The moment I opened my mouth, feeling puzzled.
“...Ugh.”
With a short, sharp gasp, Ahn Sol’s head snapped up. The moment I saw her revealed face, I understood why she had been keeping her head down.
Her eyes were slightly red, as if she’d already had a good cry, and the tear tracks running down her chubby cheeks were still clearly visible.
“Ahn Sol? What’s wrong?”
I had a vague idea of the reason, but I called out to her anyway. She bit her lip hard.
“Hie... Hhic...”
She seemed to be trying her best not to cry, but the trembling in her eyes and shoulders was gradually worsening.
And then.
“Bwaaahhhh...”
In the end, she couldn’t hold it in any longer and burst into tears, her mouth wide open. The wail sounded particularly strange, as if she had just stuffed her mouth with food.
“Sigh...”
“S Sorry...”
Light sighs escaped from here and there. At the same time, a few of them kept glancing my way, apparently quite concerned about my reaction.
“Sol. Stop. You can’t cry. Your brother is here. Okay?”
I heard Jung Ha-yeon trying to soothe her, but I just sighed and tuned them out.
“Humh... Huunh...”
“Ah, this isn’t working. Soobyun! Just a moment...”
Her words sounded like she was asking for permission, so I just shrugged as if to say, ‘do whatever you want.’ Jung Ha-yeon looked back and forth between me and Ahn Sol, at a loss, before finally leading her out of the dining hall.
The sound of crying slowly faded away. Once silence fell again, Go Yeon-ju spoke softly.
“The shock must still be great for her. I suppose they were together since the caravan in Mule...”
“I suppose so.”
“Still, the kids are so... clueless...”
“Clueless... Were Ahn Hyeon and Lee Ju-yeong like that too?”
I replied calmly. Go Yeon-ju scratched her head slightly, then spoke again.
“Should I just... go get them all now?”
Instead of answering, I scooped up a spoonful of soup and offered it to the baby unicorn. It was still trying to figure out the situation, turning its head this way and that, before finally lapping up the soup I offered.
As I watched the baby unicorn readily accept whatever I gave it, I finally spoke.
“Just leave them be.”
“What?”
“I said, leave them be. This is their problem, not something the other clan members need to worry about. So don’t drag them out by force. Let them be until they come out on their own. We have a lot to do right now.”
After I finished speaking, an awkward atmosphere settled over the table. I didn’t have to look around to feel that everyone was uncomfortable.
“Soobyun. I know, but...”
“User Go Yeon-ju.”
“Y-Yes?”
Sensing the gravity in my tone, even Go Yeon-ju sounded a little flustered. But I deliberately cut her off.
I had already sorted out my feelings since early this morning, so I had no intention of bringing the kids here to coddle and console them. I never had that intention in the first place.
“Just a moment... Try this too.”
“Kkyu.”
Intending to create a slight pause, I tore off a piece of warm bread and offered it to the baby unicorn. But it shook its head and pushed it back towards me. It looked as if it was telling me to eat too, to eat together.
I gave a very faint smile and chewed the bread. Only after swallowing did I look at Go Yeon-ju again. She was still waiting for me to speak.
“What happened to Shin Sang-yong’s body?”
“Ah. I took care of it. It’s being kept in the room he used to use...”
“You’ve worked hard. After we finish eating, please bring it out to the garden.”
“...Alright.”
She looked like she had more to say, but Go Yeon-ju reluctantly nodded.
After that, I focused on eating with the baby unicorn, and one by one, the other clan members shed their awkward expressions and began to finish their meals.
...
After finishing the meal, I left the dining hall alone. I had an employee fetch me a shovel, then headed straight for the garden.
The garden, bathed in warm sunlight, was empty. I scanned the area to find a suitable spot, then walked over to my chosen location.
That’s right. I wasn’t going to cremate Shin Sang-yong. I was going to bury him here, inside the Mercenary House.
The first and the last.
Before starting, I took out a cigarette I had been dying to smoke and placed it between my lips. I didn’t sit down, though. I lit it with an ignition stone, put the stone back in my pocket, and with walking towards me, I picked up the shovel and began to dig the grave for Shin Sang-yong.
Thud, thud, thud, thud, thud, thud, thud, thud!
Without even needing to use magic, the earth gave way easily to my physical strength alone. I hadn’t even shoveled thirty times, yet the flat ground of the garden was already starting to turn into a pit.
After ten more digs, just as I was about to level the ground, I sensed someone slowly approaching from the main gate. I stopped digging and turned my head to see Go Yeon-ju walking towards me, carrying a long, wide coffin in her arms.
I briefly took the cigarette from my mouth. As she came closer and set the coffin down, I gave a slight nod.
“You handled it well. Thank you for your hard work.”
“Yes. Um... Soobyun.”
“I told the other clan members not to come out for a bit. I have something to say.”
“I don’t really mind.”
I replied nonchalantly and looked down at the coffin Go Yeon-ju had brought. It wasn’t an ordinary coffin, but one made of translucent blue crystal.
Looking inside, I could see Shin Sang-yong, a gentle smile on his face. His body had been completely restored, without a single wound.
As I gazed at Shin Sang-yong for a moment, Go Yeon-ju, who was standing beside me, spoke.
“You must have been very upset earlier. The kids don’t understand how you feel and keep...”
“Pardon? Ah. No, I wasn’t. I wasn’t very upset.”
“...When you said to leave them be. Were you serious?”
I picked up the shovel. I put the cigarette back in my mouth and started to level the ground.
Of course, I didn’t forget to answer.
Nod, nod.
“I see. But... I understand what you mean, but...”
“...”
“They’re still 0-year kids. This was their first war, and the first time they’ve lost someone they know...”
The cigarette had already burned down to the filter.
I took one last, deep drag. I exhaled the smoke and spat the butt out, then began to shovel with renewed vigor.
Thud, thud, thud, thud!
“I know. And I’m doing this because I understand. So nothing changes.”
“You and the kids are different. I think you should talk to them.”
“I don’t think so.”
At my words, Go Yeon-ju fell silent. But she didn’t leave, so I eventually stopped digging.
A quiet silence flowed between us. I happened to turn my head and saw a few clan members watching us from a distance. Our eyes met for a moment before I calmly continued.
“User Go Yeon-ju. The war is over.”
“Yes.”
“I’ll say it again. The war is over. And now it’s time to return to our daily lives. But in my opinion... things are about to get very, very busy. So busy we won’t have a moment to breathe. Do you know why?”
“That’s...”
Flustered by the sudden question, Go Yeon-ju’s voice trailed off.
I took a moment to gather my thoughts before speaking softly.
“I don’t want to think of the outbreak of this war as something simple. Why it happened, or what kind of impact it will have in the future... In any case, one thing is certain: soon, the world —starting with the Northern Continent on a small scale, and the Hall Plain on a large scale— will begin to change dramatically.”
Go Yeon-ju still looked puzzled. But that was to be expected. There was a huge difference between knowing about the future involving the demons and not knowing.
Deciding I needed to change my explanation, I cleared my throat once or twice.
“We need to keep pace with those changes. User Go Yeon-ju. Do you happen to remember what I said back in Mule?”
“...”
“I have one clear purpose here. I didn’t create this clan, Mercenary, just to live well and eat well in the Hall Plain.”
Go Yeon-ju remained silent. Her lack of response suggested she intended to listen to what I had to say before making a judgment.
I fiddled with the shovel for a moment before continuing quietly.
“I want to go home.”
“...Yes.”
“It’s not something I’ve only thought about once or twice. Someday, I want to see the end of this god-forsaken world called the Hall Plain and return to Earth. I want to live the life I was originally supposed to live... However, I don’t want to go back alone.”
If I did, I would have returned to Earth by myself when I first obtained the Zero Code.
“Then...”
“I’m going home with my brother, with my clan members, and with the people I know. That is the ultimate goal pursued by the User, Kim Soobyun, who exists here and now in the Hall Plain.”
I finished my sentence and got back into position. As I smoothed the rough edges of the pit, I spoke again.
“The death of User Shin Sang-yong is certainly unfortunate and sad. I also understand and empathize with what the kids are feeling right now.”
“...”
“It’s okay to be sad. It’s okay to cry. But they can’t let it hold them back.”
Having roughly leveled the ground, I began to widen the pit to match the size of the coffin.
Thud, thud, thud, thud!
“I want the kids to clearly realize what this world is like now. Once they do, they’ll figure it out for themselves. Whether to follow, or to be left behind. In the end, the choice is entirely up to them.”
“So... you’re not abandoning them. You want them to overcome this on their own.”
Go Yeon-ju’s voice was noticeably brighter than before.
I set the shovel aside and straightened my back. I looked up at the sky and opened my mouth.
“Yes.”
The sun, high in the sky, was still shining brightly. I closed my eyes, feeling the sunlight, then calmly continued.
“Because now... there’s really no time to wait.”