My alter ego is becoming a big shot - Episode 258
#258
Zhuge Dynasty (4)
Squeak—
As the tea flowed from the teapot into the teacup, a subtle scent spread everywhere..
The interior is neat and classically decorated without being flashy..
In a room that is reminiscent of the residence of a scholar, the old man who brewed tea himself, Zhugegunak, the head of the Zhuge family, slowly lifted the teacup and savored the scent..
“Umm.”
Although he had already lost his eyesight for a long time, there was not even an inch of extraneousness in his movements while performing the tea ceremony..
After a long period of training, he had a keen sense of being able to carry out daily life without much difficulty..
‘Harry-soo... and Ha Seung-hoon.’
And of course it goes without saying.
That keen sense was also very useful in understanding someone..
The strangers who suddenly came this time were no exception..
‘They are people from another world... These visitors go beyond common sense in many ways..’
But even for Zhuge Jun-ak, it wasn't that easy to figure out those two people..
He had interacted with several people from another world during his childhood, but he was very different from the people he encountered then in all aspects, including his disposition, behavioral style, and abilities..
‘However, both of them were far from evil, and I didn't feel any particular hostility. No, should I say it's closer to favor??’
Although Harris's attitude was a bit rude, it was not something to be faulted as a powerhouse of his level was arrogant..
But this time, the other side took the initiative to express their intention to restore the relationship..
By intentionally revealing to him about Ha Seung-hoon's healing abilities,.
‘I don’t know how they found out about Hyemi’s condition..’
It was an obvious ploy, but Zhugegunak pretended not to know anything and acted as intended..
Because I knew that this was the first hand they extended for reconciliation and cooperation..
‘There are still many questions, though.’
As I spoke with Harris, I knew right away that he was hiding something..
The same goes for the winged stranger who is presumed to be the culprit of this chaos..
But the hostility I showed when I told him about him was real.···.
‘Hmm, I guess I'll have to watch a little more..’
Additional response is not necessary immediately; it is recommended to maintain friendly relations..
That was the first opinion of Taesang Gaju, who was dealing with strangers on behalf of the busy Gaju..
“Hehehehe, and he is also a lifesaver for my only granddaughter. Did you say it is already showing signs of recovery? I was holding back because I was worried that this old man would get into trouble for no reason. It's been a while since I've been able to see my granddaughter's face..”
As he was gathering his thoughts while enjoying a tea ceremony in the still air, a small smile appeared on the lips of Zhugegunak..
As the eldest member of the family, Sega was the top priority in everything, but he was also worried about his sick granddaughter..
‘One is a master of Hyeon-gyeong, following in the footsteps of Cheon Gi-moon of the Mysterious School. The other is Uiseon (醫仙), who saved the life of a patient whom not only the family but also doctors invited from outside had given up... no, I mean Uiseon (God's doctor). Isn’t it actually beneficial to have a relationship with them at this level??’
Of course, it was their clan's inevitable fate to instinctively weigh pros and cons..
***
Healing through divine power was not omnipotent..
Of course, since it was given directly by the saint, its efficacy was certain, but it required a lot of time and effort to treat a serious illness..
It was the same in this case now.
Once a day, on the third day since Hugo began treating ‘Lady’ with divine power..
Paaaat—
As before, the soft light that leaked from the holy symbol naturally seeped into the body of the person being healed..
The scene was exactly the same as the first day, but there were some things that had clearly changed since then.···.
“Wow, that’s fascinating. Something feels different from my inner strength. What can I say, it's like they're hugging and embracing me more warmly.···.”
It was said that the person in question, Geum Juk-yeop and Zhuge Hyemi, of the Zhuge family were awake..
She was in a coma but came to her senses on the second day of treatment..
Her face, which was as pale as a corpse, had a faint blush, and her skin, unlike before, had a distinct vitality..
Compared to the past, when all we could do was barely survive despite the use of all kinds of elixirs, there has been a truly dramatic change..
This is only my third treatment..
‘It's good that it's effective, but isn't it different from other diseases in that it reacts to divine power? No, is this really a disease??’
However, Hugo, who was actually performing the treatment, just made a subtle expression in an unknown mood..
He knew something was different, but with his senses as he was simply transferring divine power through a medium and had not been baptized, he couldn't figure out exactly what the problem was..
‘If Heinrich himself were to check it here, we would know for sure..’
Of course, that was impossible, so for now we had no choice but to indirectly check the trend by looking at long-term changes..
Anyway, looking at the situation, it didn't seem like this treatment would end in a short period of time..
‘Still, it is true that I am recovering. If existing procedures are combined here, the period may be shortened further..’
It may be a bit of a snobbish thought, but in a way, it might not be such a bad thing since I would be able to strengthen my bond with the Zhuge family during that period..
It may be a bit annoying for Heinrich who has to continuously supply divine power..
“Ha, I don’t know how long it’s been since I last felt this way. No, it seems like it's almost the first time? I have been weak since I was young. Just from birth···.”
And during the treatment process, I was able to have various conversations with Zhuge Hyemi..
She, who usually just lay down in her room, must have felt resentment at that fact, and chatted non-stop to him, who could be considered an outsider..
Thanks to this, Hugo was able to unintentionally learn a lot about her just two days after she became conscious..
That she was the youngest with three older brothers, that her biological mother died after giving birth to her, that she was a cursed child who caused chaos in the world from birth.···.
Most of what he said in a playful voice was pessimism and self-deprecation, but there was one part that particularly bothered him..
“Hmm, excuse me, Jegal Soje. How old are you?···?”
“Eek? Are you asking the lady's age? Ugh — Ha Gongja, I didn’t see her like that, but she seems a little lacking in detail.···.”
I can't do it..
If I leave it like this, I don't know how long it will continue to talk alone..
Hugo boldly cut her off..
“As far as I know, the reason the world is like this is because of that incident 22 years ago, isn't it??”
“yes? that's right. It's not a generally known fact..”
“So Sojeo’s age is twenty-two??”
“Again, again. Is it really necessary to ask that question? Just ignore it, Confucius did too..”
He looked at her with a puzzled expression as she playfully puffed out her cheeks and pouted her lips..
Regardless of how she looked and what she did, she only looked like a girl no older than fifteen years old..
‘No, you said you've been sick since you were young, so is that right?.’
It was quite possible, and in fact, it wasn't that important..
The part that bothers me now is that a major event occurred in the year she was born that shook the foundation of this world..
‘Accident?’
It can't be due to a real curse or something, but maybe that incident and her condition have something to do with it.···.
“Now that I think about it, how old is Confucius??”
The moment I was so lost in thought.
Zhuge Hyemi asked him a question in an innocent voice..
The wry smile on his face was back, as if he had been pretending to be upset for some time..
“I'm twenty-three.”
He answered firmly.
For some reason, I thought I would get more involved if I said she was younger, so I deliberately called her that higher, but if you think about it, it wasn't wrong..
The Earth was still twenty years old, but it was now entering its third year since entering this world..
In reality, it could be said to be twenty-three, and considering that the density of time spent within the same period with multiple alter egos is much higher than that of other people, perhaps it should be given more than that..
“ah! Are you my age? I thought you were somehow older. Hehehe.”
Are you criticizing this because it looks bad??
I had that thought for a moment, but seeing the bright smile on his face, it seemed like he had no particular intention..
As expected, she was a tiring woman to deal with..
“Hmm—hope!”
At that time, she, who was yawning defenselessly, covered her mouth in surprise..
She may have yawned without realizing it, but she froze for a moment and then began to secretly look around with her round eyes..
“You must be tired. Today's treatment is over, so you can sleep well..”
“Oh no! You’re not very tired, are you? I'm completely fine.?”
“Don't be stubborn. Rest is also a necessary process for recovery. Talking also consumes a lot of stamina, so that's all for today..”
Hugo spoke firmly and stood up..
It was a moment when I saw an opportunity to arise, and I thought it was good timing..
“Uuu... Will you come tomorrow too??”
“Of course. I plan to come every day for the time being..”
“···Okay, then.”
Then, Zhuge Hyemi, who had become sullen, dozed off and crumpled into bed again..
It was too much intimacy for someone she had only just met, but from her perspective, he was her lifesaver, so it was not strange..
‘Maybe I needed someone I could comfortably confide in..’
Not a family member, not a member of the clan—an outsider who had nothing to do with her life..
If I think back on what she said, I think I can understand it..
“···see you tomorrow.”
“Yes, see you tomorrow.”
In this way, Hugo smoothly established himself in the Ganghwan world with new connections..
***
A corner of the battlefield that looks like a battle has taken place..
Ugh—
A heavy air hung around a man who was kneeling in a reverential posture and holding his hands together..
Although he was just praying quietly without any movement, his solemn appearance radiated an overwhelming sense of intimidation that took the viewer's breath away..
And just then, there was someone looking at that with admiration.—.
‘As expected, Heinrich! You never stop praying for a moment..’
It was Riesta, a saint of the main religious order..
Immediately after defeating the white giant that appeared again.
After returning from helping the victims in her district, her eyes sparkled as she saw Heinrich praying every chance he got..
‘I can't lose this either!’
The heat of faith seemed to have moved into her heart as the divine power rose like flames from his body..
She carefully took a seat next to him and began to pray in the same position..
Following the battle, she was quite tired as she had just used an ultra-wide-range healing technique nearby, but Heinrich, who led the battle and even helped with the cleanup, is showing such a faithful attitude, so she can't be crying.!
In a space where such godly divine power flows proudly,.
The saint and the saintess sat side by side and prayed to the Lord.—.
‘Well, is this enough??’
Today again, Heinrich was able to successfully refill the divine power to be sent to the Ganghwan Realm..
***
“It's here too. This is a real treat?”
Harris smiled happily as he picked up a plant root as big as his forearm..
This is Wudang Mountain, located not far from Yongzhong Mountain, where the Zhuge Dynasty is located..
It was Yeongsan, where the shaman faction belonging to a large group in the Ganghwan world was located..
‘Of course, it's just my garden now..’
When I came here, I could clearly feel that the energy was still abundant..
The reason why the energy contained in the elixirs he had collected so far was not as satisfactory as he expected..
‘It was like that in Zhuge Dynasty. The overall efficacy of elixirs is decreasing..’
It was all because I was so sensitive to the surrounding energy that I was affected by the world's energy drying out..
Unless it was grown from a dragon vein, most of the other elixirs left in this world would probably be in a similar state..
It was said that the value of Yongmaek Mountain elixir was increasing..
‘And the food that Hugo eats must always be of the highest quality.!’
If you take a lot of elixirs, your tolerance will build up and the effectiveness will decrease, but you can't fill that limit with useless things..
Even if I fed my child with only carefully selected ingredients, it wasn't enough..
‘Thinking about it that way, handing over the elixirs discovered elsewhere to Zhuge Dynasty was an excellent choice. He could also be moderately condescending..’
Harris nodded with satisfaction and busily flew around, collecting the elixirs that caught his eye one by one..
It was a bonus to hide my presence as much as possible and avoid other people's attention because I was afraid that friction would arise and be bothersome even though I didn't have time..
‘Of course, even if it's not now, I plan to come whenever I get the chance. Still, in the meantime, it would be a good idea to prepare things in advance for Hugo to use right away..’
As I continued collecting with that mindset, the amount was increasing more than I expected, but it was better to have too much than not enough..
If you feel like you can't use all of your affection, you can just spread it to others as if you were generous..
‘Well, I guess this will do for now. Then now slowly···.’
It was the 10th day since Harris entered the Ganghwan world..
It was a moment of true labor just before he returned to Outerica..
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