Chapter 392 |
The night in Barbara was serene.
The lingering crimson glow of sunset had vanished, and an ashen dusk had taken the place of twilight.
As time passed, the evening gloom crept deeper into the city, casting a crepuscular light. With every shadow that fell, the atmosphere grew more profound.
I slowly raised my gaze to the window. A brightly shining moon hung in the sky outside. Like a silver platter, the round moon cast a silvery-white moonlight that illuminated the dark room.
The commotion that had been palpable just an hour ago began to fade as the moon rose. The inn, once bustling like a beehive, settled into the night. Its clamor replaced by darkness and silence.
"Hee-hee... hmm-hmm... hee-hee... hmm-hmm..."
A faint hum drifted through the quiet stillness. Lowering my gaze from the window, I saw Go Yoon-ha, her eyes gently closed and a contented, motherly smile on her face. Whatever had put her in such a good mood, she held me tightly in her arms, humming a pleasant tune.
Feeling a soft hand stroking my hair, I obediently closed my eyes.
After parting with Woo Jeongmin, I met Go Yoon-ha in the plaza and went straight to the control room. Once our work was done, we headed to an inn she had arranged. According to her, there was, coincidentally, only one room available.
I slipped past the loose collar of her clothes and buried my face in her moonlit bosom. The hand stroking my hair paused. Then, I felt a delicate touch tickle the crown of my head as Go Yoon-ha pulled me even closer.
"Hehe... how cute..."
Though my breath was stilled by her breasts pressing firmly against my face, I didn't mind. The soft, warm sensation... in this moment, it was cozy and comforting enough to make me forget everything else.
A tranquil feeling gradually took over my mind. I knew I shouldn't fall asleep, but I couldn't fight the encroaching drowsiness. No, it would be more accurate to say I didn't fight it.
Just as I was about to drift off, I heard it.
Thud, thud... Thud, thud...
The sound of footsteps shattered the silence, and my mind snapped awake. I quickly activated my Magic Detection and secured a figure stop right in front of our door. I took a long, deep breath.
Knock, knock.
"Kruse-me. Is a User named Kim Soohyun in this room?"
Unexpectedly, the voice from outside was that of a gruff man.
"Oh? What's going on at this hour?"
"I don't know."
"Hmph... What in the world could it be?"
Go Yoon-ha muttered, her voice laced with annoyance, clearly displeased at being interrupted at such a nice moment. Still, watching her quickly arching her clothes, I quietly sat up.
Just before leaving, I grabbed 'Mugoom,' which was leaning against the wall.
It was then.
"Soohyun? Why the sword...?"
"...Just stay here and sleep. I'll be back soon."
I couldn't tell her the truth, so I deflected. Hearing another knock, I opened the door to find a man with sleepy eyes standing there.
"This person is..."
I had seen him earlier today. I remembered him as the User who was serving as a temporary guard at the entrance.
"I'm Kim Soohyun. What is it?"
"Ah. Sorry to bother you this late. Someone is here to see you outside."
"?"
"She asked me to tell you it's Won Hye-su..."
For a moment, I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing.
"Did she think I wouldn't come out?"
"I'll be right down. Thank you for letting me know."
"Ah... yes. Of course."
The man bowed his head, then his gaze shifted into the room. His eyes shone with thick envy before he sighed and started walking down the hallway.
Before I left, I turned back for a moment. On the bed, Go Yoon-ha, her clothes slightly disheveled, was still looking at me. Our eyes met, but I said nothing. I simply closed the door quietly.
I walked down the corridor and descended the stairs to find the hall empty. Tilting my head in confusion, I opened the inn's door and stepped outside.
The moment the dark street came into view, I felt my eyes harden.
Under the moonlight that illuminated the dark street, a lone woman stood. She was a User I knew well.
'Sacred Queen,' Yoo Hyun-ah.
One of the most famous Users during the 1st playthrough, and a woman with whom I'd had a bad history in Male during this 2nd playthrough.
I stared at Yoo Hyun-ah for a moment.
Her face was gaunt, but her usual innocent and gentle beauty was still there.
There was one difference from before, however: her wavy, light-brown hair was now cut short. Though the style suited her well enough, the uneven cut made it clear it had been done by force.
I stopped a short distance away from her and spoke first.
"I didn't think you'd actually come."
"...As I thought."
"?"
"As I thought, it was you."
Her once-gentle voice was nowhere to be found. Perhaps due to the harsh ordeals she had endured, Yoo Hyun-ah's voice was extremely hoarse.
I gave a single nod.
"I heard you had something to say. User Yoo Hyun-ah."
As I spoke, I took a step forward. At the same time, Yoo Hyun-ah stepped back. Seeing this, I paused, and I could see her clenching her fists tightly.
Silence fell. Yoo Hyun ah stopped her hesitant retreat.
"...Let's talk for a moment."
"Can't we do that now?"
"I'd like to go somewhere else."
At her words, I glanced around. Although we were in front of the inn, there were few Users on the street.
"Fine."
Guessing her intention, I shrugged as if to say, 'do as you please.' When I had taken that step forward, I noticed at her had crossed her eyes. It seemed the incident at the 'Chante Lady' had left her with trauma.
Yoo Hyun-ah turned and began to walk somewhere, and I matched her pace, watching her back. My hand was already stroking the hilt of 'Mugoom.'
This was, after all, inside a city, and though few, there were other Users around. As long as Yoo Hyun-ah wasn't an obvious enemy, I had no justification to act. Killing her here and now would really only do many complications.
There was no need to force things where there were many eyes. A situation that gave me justification might arise, like last time... and if that didn't work, I could always find an opportunity to assassinate her in secret later.
Even if I lacked justification, the relationship between Yoo Hyun-ah and me had already gone beyond animosity; we were practically enemies. At least, that's what I thought.
When Yoo Hyun-ah stopped walking, I stopped as well. She had led us to the area near the Warp Gate.
Given the late hour, there weren't many Users here. But considering it was a place where people periodically came and went, I had to admit she'd put some thought into it.
Yoo Hyun-ah turned to face me. Just in case, I activated my Magic Detection and waited quietly for her to speak.
"..."
"..."
But even after five minutes passed, not a single word was spoken.
Just as boredom was turning into a slight impatience, Yoo Hyun-ah finally opened her mouth.
"Since that day..."
"..."
"Not a single day has passed that I've forgotten what happened."
Her voice, though very hoarse, was calm.
"Do you... know? How I've lived since then... what I've been through..."
Her next words left me feeling puzzled.
It was obvious what Yoo Hyun-ah thought of me. Even if I put myself in her shoes...
No. How had I acted when I met Belphegor, who was directly and indirectly involved in the deaths of my brother and Han So-yeong?
"I'm asking if you know. Do you?"
But before my thoughts could continue, her repeated question made me shrug.
"I don't. But... seeing you now, I think I can guess..."
"..."
"Were you still in Male? Then you must have had a rough time with the vagrants."
"...Yes. That's right. I went through terrible things. Things so shameful for a woman that I can hardly speak of them."
Yoo Hyun-ah admitted it readily. Then she slowly raised her head to meet my gaze. Her eyes, finally looking straight at me, were steeped in an indescribable sorrow.
"I see."
"...Is that all?"
"What else? Should I offer my condolences? Between you and me?"
"It's because... of you!"
Yoo Hyun-ah paused for a moment before shouting for the first time.
"Don't you know? Or are you pretending not to know? It's your fault. What happened to me is your fault."
"How is that my fault?"
"...What did you say?"
"Is it my fault that the vagrants attacked?"
I didn't stop there, adding another question.
"The vagrants attacked, and you went through terrible things. But why is that my fault?"
"Th-that's..."
At my words, Yoo Hyun-ah's face went blank, at a loss for words. Her reaction told me I had hit a nerve.
I sighed and shook my head.
"You haven't changed. That personality of yours, always shifting the blame."
I could see Yoo Hyun-ah bite her lip. An expression of intense frustration was etched onto her face.
But that was all. She only showed frustration; there was no sign of a desperate outburst.
For me, who had held a sliver of hope for some kind of situation when she sought me out, this was an anticlimactic development.
After taking a deep breath, Yoo Hyun-ah spoke in a slightly more composed voice.
"Fine. All right. Then why did you do it back then?"
"Why did I do what? If you're talking about the situation then... you should have received the report on the outcome, no?"
The report I was referring to was the investigation conducted by the Golden Lion clan. At the time, I was found innocent on the grounds of self-defense, and that result would have been sent to the Hall of the Fallen.
"I'm not asking about that scrap of paper."
"That's the only answer I have."
"Ha. Do you really think so?"
"And if I do?"
When I shot back immediately, a look of despair crossed Yoo Hyun-ah's face.
"Do you not have an ounce of morality? Do you think everyone else would say the same thing if they knew the truth?"
"Are you threatening me now?"
"I'm not threatening you! I'm asking for your thoughts, for what you truly feel."
"It doesn't sound like it. But go ahead. Do it if you want."
"You really?"
Just as Yoo Hyun-ah's voice rose, I spoke.
"I don't think much would change from how things are now..."
At my casually tossed-out remark, Yoo Hyun-ah froze, her mouth still open. Her breathing, which she had just managed to calm, grew ragged, as if she'd been struck.
But what I said was the truth.
The Hall Plain was a world where 'Player Status' took precedence. In other words, it was a world where you needed 'power' to do anything. In that respect, the gap between Yoo Hyun-ah and me was as wide as the distance between heaven and earth.
In her current state, there was nothing Yoo Hyun-ah could do to me. I had a sliver of hope when she first approached me, but it seemed she hadn't completely lost her mind.
I spoke in a low voice.
"I wondered what you were going to say... but if you just came here to wallow in self-pity, I'll pass."
"Just...?"
Yoo Hyun-ah repeated my word to herself and bowed her head low.
It was then.
"I know. I know that coming here now won't change anything."
The words came from the quietly standing Yoo Hyun-ah.
Then, before I could even respond, she continued.
"Then let me ask just one thing."
"..."
"Did you have to kill them?"
The question was finally out.
At the same time, I narrowed my eyes slightly. Yoo Hyun-ah, who had raised her head again, was staggering but taking one step after another toward me.
Yoo Hyun-ah asked me once more.
"Seunghyeon oppa. Do-hee. They were truly good people if you got to know them. Did you really have to kill them both?"
"Perhaps."
And I gave an ambiguous answer.
In truth, 'Perhaps' was my honest feeling.
If it had been me at the beginning of the 2nd playthrough, I would have answered 'Yes' without a second thought. Back then, I was gripped by a sense of being chased, obsessed with the idea that I had to kill them no matter what. Especially the 'Sacred Queen,' who had terrorized the 1st playthrough.
But as time passed, as I gained clan members, met Han So-yeong, met my brother, and lost clan members...
My way of thinking had gradually began to change.
This was a change I had only recently become aware of.
Of course, my views on clear 'enemies' like vagrants and demons hadn't changed.
But other Users... Go Yoon-ha was a good example. She was originally my enemy, but now she was a more reliable ally and supporter than anyone else.
The conversation I had with Seon-yul during the fortune-telling flashed through my mind.
"No... right, because you're a king. The four queens make sense, but..."
"Ah, is it three? You pushed one away yourself. Oh, you poor thing..."
The card I saw then had a background of sacred light, with a single woman shedding tears of blood.
With a calm feeling, I recalled Yoo Hyun-ah's Player Status.
Player Status
1. Name: Yoo Hyun-ah (3 Year)
2. True Name - Nationality: Tread a Thorny Path - Republic of Korea
3. Disposition: Scar - Pure
'Still Pure.'
I looked at Yoo Hyun-ah with a newfound sense of wonder. All the while, she continued to close the distance between us.
"How did it come to this? At first... I just wanted to get along with you..."
One step.
"I didn't come here to wallow in self-pity. No. I won't, so please answer me."
Two steps.
"Why you had to do it back then."
Three steps.
"If you really had to."
Four steps.
"I can never forgive you, but..."
Before I knew it, Yoo Hyun-ah was right in front of me.
And a moment later.
Her trembling lips parted with great effort.
"Still, I wanted to hear you say you were sorry, just one word of apology."
The moment the words finally came out, a single tear streamed down her cheek.
At the same time, Yoo Hyun-ah collapsed before me, sinking to the ground.
And I slowly, very slowly, looked down at her. The sense of wonder I felt earlier had now transformed into a new emotion as I watched her.
It was a new kind of surprise toward Yoo Hyun-ah, whom I had always considered a hypocrite.
I was once mad. As a result, I fell into a cycle of slaughter.
Won Hye-su was mad now. As a result, she had lost her mind.
But Yoo Hyun-ah's current state felt neither of those descriptions.
Although one of her dispositions had changed to Scar, the other remained. This meant that Yoo Hyun-ah had not yet lost her inner purity.
'Is this truly the Sacred Queen...?'
No matter what anyone said, Yoo Hyun-ah was a heavyweight User who had left her mark on the history of the Hall Plain. Back then, I didn't understand why so many talented people flocked to her, but now, I felt I was beginning to understand, however faintly.
"..."
"..."
All other presences in the vicinity had vanished. I didn't know when they would return, but if there was an opportune moment, it was now.
Only now could I finally realize it.
We were people on opposite ends of the spectrum, unable to understand each other through our own common sense.
I quietly opened my mouth.
"There's something I'm curious about, too."
"..."
I had no intention of apologizing. And my opinion of Yoo Hyun-ah hadn't changed. She said she could never forgive me. I agreed.
Besides, even if I understood her a little better now...
We had come too far to reverse what had already happened.
And even if I did apologize, would anything change? It would bring about a change within Yoo Hyun-ah?
My answer was "No."
Right now, Yoo Hyun-ah was like someone standing on the edge of a cliff.
I looked down, and Yoo Hyun-ah looked up. The tears flowing endlessly from her welling eyes were filled with a pitiful light.
"What is it you want from me?"
"Can you apologize to me?"
"And if I apologize? What will you do then?"
"...I don't know either."
As expected, Yoo Hyun-ah shook her head. And I shook my head along with her.
"We have come too far."
Whether she took that as my answer, Yoo Hyun-ah's head dropped.
"I've heard your answer."
"..."
"As I thought... I can't understand you."
I closed my eyes gently. And I admitted it.
Yoo Hyun-ah was not a hypocrite.
She was kind and pure.
Amidst the tears dotting the ground, a low voice was heard.
"I just... I just want to die now."
"..."
"Can you kill me? Like you did back then."
"...If you wish."
I drew Mugoom and aimed it downward.
The blade was invisible. In the empty space where nothing could be seen, there was only the still weeping queen.
As I slowly raised Mugoom, I thought.
If my circumstances hadn't been what they were. No, if we had met just a little later.
"Perhaps..."
I might have gotten along with Yoo Hyun-ah.
We might have joined forces and moved toward the same goal.
The Sacred Queen, Yoo Hyun-ah.
"May you rest in peace."
With that thought, I swung the sword down with all my might.