Chapter 798: A Stranger (2)
“You need to be connected to me.”
I pulled a cord out of my inventory and tied it around Yuhyun’s wrist. Then Yerim, Peace, Liette, and Chief Song, one after another, before holding the end of it out to Seong Hyunjae. Without asking any particular questions, Seong Hyunjae accepted the cord.
‘He’s being weirdly obedient.’
For a transcendent, he really was behaving himself. Sure, there were cases like Rookie, but wasn’t this ancient, powerful being listening to an F–Rank a little too well? Did he have some other scheme in mind, or had he simply been born with a kind heart? Looking at his face alone, I would believe it if someone told me he was an angel who had just descended from heaven. His coat was even white.
“Um, by any chance, do people usually tell you that you’re nice?”
“My public image is generally positive.”
That was a pretty vague answer. Still, at the very least, it meant he cared about appearances.
‘Maybe I should pretend to let my guard down once we’re inside the drawer.’
Even if he was a transcendent, he did not seem to be here in his true body. He was probably in a state similar to Puppeteer, so if I really decided to do it, I should be able to kick him out right away.
Holding onto Yuhyun, I used the drawer. The scenery changed in an instant, and a wide stretch of water appeared before us. I had dumped all of it out before, but it had been restored just fine.
“Seong Hyunjae-nim!”
My body, which had been falling toward the surface of the water, floated gently upward. All right, that was one point in his favor. He really did listen well. Just like that, we were carried all the way to the front of the mansion. I thanked Seong Hyunjae sincerely. Time to act like I was starting to relax.
“It’s safe here, so you should get some proper rest too, Seong Hyunjae-nim.”
I untied the cord and put it back into my inventory as I spoke. Then I instinctively started to lift Yuhyun first, only to pause.
I mean, I felt like I should take care of Yerim first. But leaving Yuhyun alone with a transcendent also made me uneasy. Out of everyone here, Yuhyun and Chief Song were the ones most likely to be targeted. Seong Hyunjae had promised not to touch Yuhyun, but… then should I take Chief Song first? Even with item support, carrying two people at once was difficult. How was I supposed to carry Yuhyun and Yerim at the same time… And what about Peace?
I glanced at Seong Hyunjae.
Should I ask for one more favor? It might be a good test of just how far he would go.
“I’m sorry, but could you help just a little more? They’re all unconscious, and I’m worried about leaving them outside for too long.”
I said it while lifting Yuhyun. You really had grown so much, Yuhyun. The twenty one year old Yuhyun would grow this tall too, wouldn’t he? This must be what he looked like when he was allowed to grow without holding himself back.
“As much as you need.”
Seong Hyunjae answered with a smile.
…
Was he actually a good person?
He did everything I asked. If he went any further than this, he would start looking like a pushover…
Well, close to one, anyway. Seong Hyunjae’s skill lifted the rest of the group. When he noticed me paying attention to Yerim, he even carried her separately in his arms. How considerate.
“Thank you.”
“Not at all.”
The answer came back smoothly.
He was so nice that it was making me even more suspicious. I led the way through the front gate. Come to think of it, No. 71 was…
Was it still in Yuhyun’s form?
In the form of one of the two Yuhyuns. And the moment I thought that I did not want to find out which one it was—
“Welcome home, Master.”
My brother’s voice rang out.
I sucked in a short breath. Standing in the mansion’s entryway was the twenty one year old Yuhyun. It was not even a form I could pass off as Yuhyun before twenty, the version that belonged to both of them. After all, there was only one younger brother of mine who stood around six foot three. On top of that, he was dressed in comfortable clothes, the sort he would wear at home. The sweatshirt Yerim had suggested we all live together in. Was it because I wanted to return safely home with my brother?
“He seems to be Han Yujin-gun’s younger brother.”
Seong Hyunjae’s voice smacked me across the back of the head while I was lost in my thoughts.
No, that was—
“It’s like the management system here, and it appears in a form I like. I didn’t do that on purpose!”
“The one you like most?”
At Seong Hyunjae’s question, I lost my words and looked down at the younger brother in my arms.
“…I like both of my brothers, but depending on the moment, it’s only natural that things shift a little… Even if I know they shouldn’t. Loving everyone exactly the same… I do think that’s impossible.”
Even if they were the same person.
“Right now, I can’t help being more worried about the Yuhyun who was taken. You probably don’t know the situation, Seong Hyunjae-nim, but he misunderstood some things. On the other hand, the twenty six year old Yuhyun here changed his mind and came back to me.”
I kept piling on excuses. Even so, it did not make me feel any better. In the past, No. 71 had also taken the form of the present Yuhyun. Because I had thought the Yuhyun from before my regression was dead. Even if he had remained painfully lodged inside my chest… I had prioritized the living brother just a little more.
“…No. 71. You still can’t change into a different form?”
“Are you trying to hide it?”
“Of course I am. People say that if you bite any of your ten fingers, every one of them hurts, but there’s still bound to be a finger you use more often and more comfortably than the others. That’s just how people’s hearts are. How could it all be exactly the same? The kids are all different to begin with.”
Parents and guardians were human too. Ordinary people who could not make their hearts obey them exactly the way they wanted.
“But as a guardian, as an adult, you’re not supposed to let that show. You have to make an effort to hide it. You have to tell them, I really do love you a lot too.”
And it was true that you loved them a lot.
“It’s hard to hide it perfectly, and kids are perceptive, but… I’ve ended up in this kind of situation too. Still, you have to do what you can.”
The very act of making that effort could become a comfort in itself. The sight of someone trying, instead of giving up and saying it could not be helped.
“Master’s understanding and control of this space have risen, but they are still somewhat insufficient.”
“Just for one day. Can’t we do something? Ah, Ru Ga Pheya!”
I looked at the shawl bundle Yerim was hugging tightly. When Seong Hyunjae unwrapped the shawl, a round jellyfish popped out from inside and rolled across the floor.
– Ah, my head hurts.
“Ru Ga Pheya! Come to your senses and look at me. We’re inside the drawer you gave me.”
– You still had it running?
The jellyfish floated up and spun in a circle.
– I gave it to you so you could take the reward item with you.
“I’ve been using it really well. Thank you. Should I set up an ancestral offering table for you this Lunar New Year? Do you have any favorite foods?”
Assuming we made it back safely before then. Lunar New Year was not far off.
“My control over this place is still weak, so could we maybe change No. 71 into a different form? It doesn’t need to last long. Just a day.”
– Why? It’s the little brother you love~.
“There are reasons. Help me out. Please help me, teacher. I’m begging you!”
Ru Ga Pheya circled No. 71 once, then came over to me and held out a tentacle. The tip of it tapped my shoulder. Ugh.
– Completely changing it will be hard, but I’ll help you twist it a little. The person Han Yujin likes second most~.
No. 71 grew taller.
But his face barely changed.
Second most or not, in the end—
“It’s still my brother. Third won’t work either.”
Yerim would probably come out, and then… anyway, no.
– You’re so fussy. I’ll twist it a little more. Someone you would like No. 71 to be~. I can exclude one Han Yuhyun, at least~.
No. 71’s appearance changed. Mist wrapped around him, and his form shifted—
Or rather, he stayed at a similar height with a similar build.
What the hell? She said she had excluded him, but it was twenty six year old Yuhyun again…
No.
“So that’s how it is.”
Seong Hyunjae spoke.
No, that was not it. This was!
“I barely know you!”
It was Seong Hyunjae.
No. 71 had turned into Seong Hyunjae. Dressed like a butler, he smiled at me.
“The service Master requested—”
“No! Absolutely not! There’s no way I wanted to order around someone I met for the first time today! Something must have gone wrong. I swear, that’s not it!”
Yes, I had thought he was very obedient, but still, I did not have even the tiniest, fingernail–sized desire to hear a transcendent I had just met call me Master! This was unfair. If I had not been holding Yuhyun in my arms, I would have flung both arms around while pleading my innocence.
“Han Yujin-gun thinks of me as…”
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry! Ru Ga Pheya, someone else! Please, someone else! Right, how about Park Hayul, No. 71? He’s been listening to me pretty well lately, and he’s useful enough to work hard!”
– You’re too picky. I’m sleepy.
The jellyfish grumbled that this was the last time, then waved her tentacles limply.
“No, it’s just, it would be better if they didn’t call me Master, at least. It’s awkward when someone I know does it. Yuhyun and Yerim and Myungwoo are obviously out, and Noah–ssi, Hyunah–ssi, and Soyeong–ssi would be kind of… Peace too…”
Peace would be fine, wouldn’t he? Though Master instead of Dad was a little concerning, but he would be cute and he would talk, and no, Peace might be shocked if he saw it. He had hated the doll too.
“Peace is out too. And I’d feel sorry to Chief Song as well.”
– I can’t change it without conditions anyway. Second. Second.
“Wait! If you say second—”
Before I could stop her, No. 71’s form changed again. He became a little shorter, his build filled out more, and… I had a bad feeling, but sure enough.
“Master.”
No. 71, now transformed into Chief Song, spoke politely.
Seong Hyunjae looked at No. 71 with interest. The jellyfish irresponsibly covered herself with the shawl like a blanket and fell asleep.
“So you had those sorts of thoughts about Chief Song Taewon.”
“B–Because he’s dependable! No. 71! I really, truly don’t…”
“There were others you wished to entrust matters to at a similar level to this form: Noah Luhir and Yu Myungwoo.”
“See? It’s about trust!”
I wondered why Hyunah–ssi was not included, but she was someone I felt too burdened to give work to in this kind of way. Yerim was the same. Not that those other three were easy to order around, but… Chief Song really was not like that. Then why the hell had Seong Hyunjae come out?
“Mm, No. 71. Don’t call me as much as possible. I mean, me. Just answer.”
“Yes.”
Unlike when he was in Yuhyun’s form, even speaking casually to him felt uncomfortable. When Chief Song woke up, I would have to slam my head into the floor and explain while apologizing. I followed No. 71 into the mansion. I put Liette, Yerim, and Peace to bed in a first floor bedroom, then asked No. 71 to bring two beds into the drawing room for Yuhyun and Chief Song. I felt uneasy letting the two people Seong Hyunjae was most likely to target out of my sight. I could not go as far as changing their clothes, but I did take off their shoes and cover them with blankets.
Meanwhile, Seong Hyunjae sat on the sofa and watched No. 71 helping me. Was he interested in No. 71, or was he interested in Chief Song? It seemed closer to the latter.
“Does he obey guests as well?”
“No. I’m the mas— ahem. I’m the owner here. Is there something you need? Please ask No. 71. I’ll tell him to do it for you.”
Ask, not order. No. 71 bowed his head politely and invited him to speak. Every time he did, I felt sorry to Chief Song.
“I’m tired. Massage my shoulders.”
What, what are you doing! Since he was a transcendent whose cooperation I needed to request, I only shouted internally. This makes it look like Chief Song is massaging someone’s shoulders!
“…Let’s not make him do things like that. No. 71, stop.”
“Bring me slippers and remove my shoes—”
“Ah, yes! I’ll take your shoes off myself, Seong Hyunjae-nim!”
He was a transcendent all right. Definitely. That attitude of casually ordering people around was too practiced. I told No. 71 not to attend to Seong Hyunjae.
“Tell me instead. No. 71, please bring us tea. Bring some for Seong Hyunjae-nim as well. Just bring it and set it down.”
I changed into slippers too and sat on the sofa across from Seong Hyunjae. The moment I leaned back, the accumulated exhaustion crashed over me all at once. A small yawn escaped me before I could stop it.
“You can sleep.”
“No. Not until at least one of them wakes up. More importantly, Seong Hyunjae-nim, what is your goal? Please tell me why you’re helping us.”
No. 71 brought out the tea. When I put a sweet cookie in my mouth, my head cleared a little. Sugar really was best when you were worn out.
“It’s only proper.”
“…Proper?”
“I owe Han Yujin-gun a debt.”
I had no idea what he was talking about. This was my first time meeting him in my life.
“Thanks to you, it became easier for me to handle my power.”
“I’m sorry, but could you explain that in a way I can understand?”
“Did I not devour Han Yujin-gun’s memories?”
I blinked.
Seong Hyunjae fell silent. Was it difficult to explain simply? The corner of his lips rose.
“It really is clean.”
“Excuse me?”
“Even if you hear it, you can’t perceive it.”
I did not understand a single fingernail’s worth of what he was saying.
Seriously, transcendents.
“Han Yujin-gun was my partner. We were quite close.”
“You must have some goal.”
“Are Silekia’s wings in your inventory?”
Seong Hyunjae abruptly brought up something completely out of nowhere. I answered that of course they were.
“That is an item I gifted to Han Yujin-gun.”
“Are you saying you want this? If you’re willing to help us, I’ll gladly give it to you.”
It was an SS–Rank coat, but if I could make a deal with a transcendent, it was a small price to pay. Instead of answering, Seong Hyunjae quietly looked at me.
“You still haven’t been able to go to the aquarium.”
It was quiet.
“It seems it will be difficult to keep my promise to Han Yujin-gun perfectly.”
Silence settled between us.
I took a sip of tea. Even by the time I emptied the entire teacup, Seong Hyunjae said nothing. It was a rather long silence.
“A transcendent’s mana stone.”
At last, Seong Hyunjae opened his mouth.
“That is what I want.”
“We still don’t know what state the transcendent who appeared is in. It may simply be the mana stones of the dependents clumped together.”
“That would be enough.”
“Understood.”
If that was all, then fine. A mana stone like that would be outrageously valuable, but if we made it safely home, who cared about giving it away? Once we defeated Gardener and rescued Yuhyun, we should go straight back. As for the dungeons, we should be able to handle those with our own strength.
“I’ll give all the mana stones to you, Seong Hyunjae-nim. But if you’re asking for our cooperation, that means you can’t defeat the transcendent currently appearing with your power alone, correct?”
“Regrettably.”
Still, the fact that we had gained another fighter who was at least SS–Rank was welcome news. For now, we would have to wait for Rookie’s information. Maybe I should at least prepare a meal.
–TL Notes–
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