Chapter 524: Partial Confinement (2)

Regressor Instruction Manual

Honestly, the past two weeks hadn’t been that painful for me. It wasn’t like someone cut my hair without my consent, and it wasn’t like I was eating fried dumplings for all three meals of the day. The quality of the food was high, and I was living a comfortable life in the room. I was being treated properly, and I was living a really luxurious life.

I was undeniably happy because I didn’t even have to lift a finger. I didn’t need to do anything or move. If I got hungry, I could just order food. If I needed something, I just had to ask someone to give it to me.

I hadn’t tried this yet, but Sun Hee-Young, Elena, and Jung Ha-Yan were taking turns feeding me, so I was sure that they would send someone to feed me if I just asked them for it.

It was kind of suffocating, but it was undoubtedly fun. Who would not like spending time in a bed doing nothing? I didn’t particularly dislike lying down lazily and spending my time reading a book, but there was a certain frustration in me that couldn’t be relieved.

My room was big, but my actions were limited, so I felt really uncomfortable.

There was also a significant difference between staying here by my own free will and being forced to stay here.

During the first week, I thought that it would be best for me to follow their suggestion, so I didn’t say anything in protest. However, I was starting to feel uncomfortable being stuck in this room.

I played chess with Jo Hye-Jin! Ate food! Went to a sauna! Went swimming![1] I did all those and more activities, but it was kind of hard to stay in the same place for an extended period of time.

I was doing my best to endure the frustration, but the issue was that I had no idea just how long I would have to stay here. It was fine for me to take a break for a few weeks, but I couldn’t help but feel anxious based on how the situation was flowing.

I wasn’t sure if they got traumatized by how I got kidnapped by the demons after wandering around, but my environment was changing.

I had no idea what was going on outside because I was stuck in this room, but I felt nervous when I recalled everyone’s expression. My bodyguards stuck out to me the most. Yes, bodyguards. They gave me bodyguards.

‘Bodyguards, my ass!’

Right now, they were quietly standing in front of the door outside, and those bastards wearing the Blue Guild’s emblem on their chests were called Lee Ki-Young Guards. I obviously didn’t recruit then, and I never gave them that name.

Kim Hyun-Sung had recruited them arbitrarily, and the guild members definitely agreed as well. The leaders of the Lee Ki-Young Guards were two male and two female high-rank adventurers, and each leader had fifteen subordinates beneath them.

I hadn’t seen every member of the Lee Ki-Young Guards just yet, but even the subordinates of the leaders were skilled enough to be considered high-rank adventurers themselves.

I had no idea when Kim Hyun-Sung recruited them. Anyway, Lee Ki-Young Guards consisted of four leaders and sixty members.

If I were to consider the dedicated guild staffers assisting these bodyguards, then Lee Ki-Young’s Guards would be the biggest faction in the guild.

I was frustrated because these high-rank adventurers could easily bring an unimaginable amount of money for the Blue Guild by entering dungeons, but they were wasting their time here as bodyguards while Kim Hyun-Sung was paying them a huge salary.

I was sure that Kim Hyun-Sung felt proud of what he had done, but in my eyes, he was wasting manpower.

‘Isn’t this a bit too much?’

At this point, I had to think deeply about whether what they were doing was even reasonable or not. Who could have known that the guild would pull out the imprisonment protection card and give me a group of bodyguards? I got up and tried to open the door out of curiosity, but all I heard was a rattling sound.

Soon, the door opened from the other side.

‘Why aren’t they sleeping?’

I saw the leader of Lee Ki-Young Guards’ group two. She had a swordsman-type job, but she was wielding dual daggers. She also looked to be the same age as Kim Ye-Ri.

She wasn’t as skilled as Kim Hyun-Sung, but she had high Agility and was a balanced adventurer overall. If my memories were serving me correctly, then her name was…

‘Park Lian.’

She had a long scar on one side of her face, but she was still beautiful. Her overall demeanor was cold, but her stats were comparable to Kim Ye-Ri’s stats. She was young, but she possessed an intimidating aura.

Her voice actually made me cower slightly, and her demeanor made her look like someone who was destined to rule over others. I wasn’t sure about the other details about her, but I was sure that she had been working with Kim Hyun-Sung in the latter’s past life, and that was most likely the reason he decided to recruit her.

“What’s wrong, Sub Guild Master?” Lian asked.

“Well, you see… Miss Lian,” I hesitated.

“You can talk comfortably, Sub Guild Master. As we’ve mentioned before, we’re your hands and feet. We’re ready to accept any order you have for us,” she said.

‘Then, free me from this place, please.’

“Well, I feel like I’m suffocating here, so I’d like to go outside…” I requested.

“...”

“I just want to walk around the place for a bit. You’ll be with me, so I don’t think there will be any issues,” I added.

“...”

“...”

“The guild master is currently away. I’ll contact him as soon as possible to schedule your night stroll. I’d appreciate it if you could wait just a bit,” she requested.

Seriously? A night stroll had to be scheduled? I had heard her say that a few times before, but I couldn’t help but laugh when I heard it again.

“How about Lindel… instead of a night stroll…” I asked.

“Lindel is still a forbidden area for most people. Miss Jung Ha-Yan and a few mages had been dispatched to restore the Federation. The guild master also said that you won’t be able to endure the mana in the air outside, considering your current condition.”

“I think I’ve gotten healthier…” I remarked.

“Miss Elena and Miss Sun Hee-Young also suggested that you stay here. They’re making a lot of progress, so if you rest a bit more, I’m sure you’ll be able to move around freely soon. Please don’t think about anything else and focus on recovering,” she added.

“What I’m trying to say is—”

“I’m sorry, Sub Guild Master. I’d be happy to accept other requests, but…” she trailed off.

“...”

“The guild master also said the same thing. He said that we should follow your orders even if the order was to attack him. However, if it’s something that might harm you, then we have to ignore your orders,” she continued.

‘I’ve already recovered. I’m healthy….’

“I’m not sure if this will make you feel better, but I have just received a message that the guild master will be arriving soon. I’ll make preparations so that you can go on a stroll, so please give me a moment,” she informed me.

‘A stroll, my ass! Shit…’

She didn’t fall for my request.

I felt like an idiot for thinking that she would fall for it as long as I started whining.

“I understand that it’s difficult for you, Sub Guild Master. However, the guild master is doing all of this to protect you, so I hope you’ll keep that in mind,” she said.

‘The problem is that he’s being overprotective…’

I understood the situation, but I couldn’t understand everything that he was trying to do. I understood Kim Hyun-Sung’s thoughts. He was determined to protect me from information and outside threats, and he was also scared that I would get hurt. However, I couldn’t have imagined that he would take it this far.

I thought that he was traumatized when I begged him to kill me.

Of course, Kim Hyun-Sung was looking more relaxed right now. I wasn’t sure if he had actually put down all the weight that he had been carrying, but one thing I was sure of was that he looked more relaxed than before.

He had changed drastically compared to the time we spent in the world of his consciousness, where he was crying out to stop putting all the responsibility on him.

Unfortunately, every treatment method would always have a side effect, so…

‘This is the side effect…’

I wasn’t sure if he was aware, but his faith in me had grown stronger. I was a brother and a close friend who could help him carry his burdens, and that was probably why he was obsessed with protecting me. If I were to disappear or get hurt, he would have to carry the burdens by himself once again, and I was sure that he was afraid of that.

‘Still… this is going too far. Damn it.’

Kim Hyun-Sung entered the room while I was thinking about him.

Seeing that Jung Ha-Yan was next to him, they had to have scheduled today’s night stroll to that place. Kim Hyun-Sung was the one who opened the door, but Jung Ha-Yan was the one who jumped into my arms.

‘She’s been feeling excited lately.’

“Oppa!” Jung Ha-Yan called out.

“You’re here,” I said.

“B-Because you said you wanted to go for a walk…” she stuttered.

“Yeah. It’s uncomfortable being in here all the time,” I told her.

“E-Even if you’re uncomfortable, it can’t be helped since things are still chaotic outside. It’s best if you don’t go outside right now for your health…” She pointed out.

‘She looks really satisfied, though.’

“Miss Ha-Yan is right, Mr. Ki-Young,” Kim Hyun-Sung commented.

‘You look satisfied as well…’

“I see…” I said.

“If I could, I’d like to help you so that you can move around, but this isn’t the best time to be moving around. You’ve suffered a lot, so I’d like you to use this time to rest as much as possible. Is there anything you need? By the way, a Chanelia Hermes series bag appeared at an auction recently. I’m not sure if you’ll be happy, but I used the guild’s funds to make a bid,” he said.

‘I don’t even like bags all that much…’

Of course, it would be nice to have one.

“It kind of bothered me a bit because there was an empty spot in the display cabinet, but I’m glad I can fill it up,” he added.

‘Don’t look so satisfied, man.’

Kim Hyun-Sung’s smile was showing me that he was happy about the idea that I was safe in this room.

“Looks like I’ve been talking too much. I’m sure you’ve been waiting… Miss Ha-Yan, can you prepare the spell?” he asked.

“Okay.”

Jung Ha-Yan channeled a spell, and Kim Hyun-Sung nodded happily when I wore the necklace imbued with tracking magic. The necklace had to be worn whenever I was out for a night walk.

Jung Ha-Yan finally cast her spell, and the scenery in front of me peeled away.

Jung Ha-Yan’s Teleport brought us to a lush but well-paved forest. The guild seemed to have provided us with a trail, and I could already feel that not even a single ant could be seen within a fifty-kilometer radius.

Kim Hyun-Sung had told me that the only place that the demonic energy couldn’t penetrate was the Forest of the World Tree. He told me that we could only go here whenever I wanted to take a stroll.

However, I knew that Kim Hyun-Sung was bullshitting when he said that demonic energy was still floating about in the air, so I couldn’t help but laugh at what they were trying to do here.

‘Is this really necessary…’

Lee Ki-Young Guards’ Group Four was here to join us, but they were hiding to ensure that I wouldn’t feel uncomfortable during my stroll.

I was sure that they were constantly reporting to Kim Hyun-Sung because the latter always looked like he was ready to fight whenever he was outside with me.

He wasn’t saying anything, but I could tell that he was ready to make a move because his hand was always on his waist.

Jung Ha-Yan grabbed my arm as if we were on a date. Kim Hyun-Sung was walking behind us. The wind was refreshing, but I was frustrated. I had been letting him do whatever he wanted in hopes that he would eventually come to a realization by himself.

For now, I decide to talk to him.

“Mr. Hyun-Sung,” I said, making sure that I would sound confident.

“Yes?”

I gulped a mouthful of my own saliva before speaking what was on my mind.

“I’m sure you’ve already heard from Miss Park Lian, but I think it’s about time I start working.”

“...”

“I’ve been resting for two weeks now. I’m curious about the ongoing restoration of Lindel, and I’m even more curious about what’s happening outside. I understand that you’re worried about the remnants of demonic energy, but I’m sure there are a lot of places that need me, especially if they’re in an emergency,” I continued.

“I can’t let you do that,” Kim Hyun-Sung said.

“What?”

“How… could you think about something like that, considering your current situation? Have you already forgotten how they treated you?” he asked.

“I mean…”

“You need to be a bit more selfish, Mr. Ki-Young. I’d like you to think about yourself first before thinking about other people. You can leave the troublesome and complicated problems to me and just rest. I’ll take care of everything,” he continued.

“Wait, that’s… Still—”

“No,” he insisted.

‘This bastard…’

“I can’t let you do all those,” he repeated.

1. A reference to dialogue in the Korean movie—Nameless Gangster: Rules of the Time. ☜