บท 165: 579
[Chapter 156]
[The Other Side of the Other Side (3)]
The basic duty of a clan is to resolve mana-related incidents within their jurisdiction.
Mana-related incidents refer to all events caused by mana, including the occurrence of distortions or monster appearances.
"It climbed up the wall!"
"Eun-ha, run to the left as soon as you exit the alley! Yeon-hwa, you take the right side!"
Students interning at clans usually handled minor administrative tasks or performed basic duties.
Eun-ha was no exception.
Eun-ha, who formed a party with his mentors Noh Eun-ah, Ryu Yeon-hwa, and the Regulus Clan navigator, patrolled the city and resolved mana-related incidents.
Today was the same.
Squeak! Screech! Squeak!
Distortions tended to occur in crowded places.
Yet they were quietly generated in inconspicuous places.
So Eun-ha and his party members, who were patrolling an area with many alleys after lunch, happened to discover a monster.
"Both of you wait there! I'll knock it down!"
A 7th rank monster of the primate order.
The monster, reminiscent of a monkey with its fur stripped off exposing its skin, immediately fled as soon as they discovered it.
It was quick.
The creature, as large as an adult man's leg length, stepped on the walls of buildings and jumped up to the rooftop.
Upon hearing information about the monster from the navigator, Eun-ah quickly gave instructions to the party members.
Eun-ha and Yeon-hwa ran into a gap just wide enough for one person to pass through.
Thousand Steps
Eun-ha's gaze continued to look up even while running.
He stepped on a pile of garbage blocking the way and emerged from the gap.
It was the main street.
Remembering Eun-ah's instructions, Eun-ha immediately ran to the left.
Meanwhile, Ryu Yeon-hwa, who had emerged from the gap, ran in the opposite direction.
The two formed a formation facing each other─.
"─Be careful of your head just in case!"
Eun-ah, still inside the alley, shouted with mana in her voice.
She struck the ground with her stone staff.
The ring attached to the stone staff jingled and suddenly a fierce wind blew.
Screech!! Squeak squeak!
The wind swept over the building rooftops and struck the monster trying to escape from them.
The sudden gust knocked the creature off the rooftop onto the main street.
And Eun-ha and Ryu Yeon-hwa, who were waiting right below, saw the creature falling with a scream-like sound.
One Stroke Flow
Ice Road
The first to move was Ryu Yeon-hwa.
She, who had been in a ready stance, soared into the sky using the ice that formed under her feet as propulsion.
Ching
With her long hair fluttering.
Ryu Yeon-hwa, bending her waist to the maximum, swung her spear timed with the creature's fall.
With just one swing.
Ice rose along the trajectory of the spear swing.
The creature, falling as if doing a somersault, was pierced by the ice-imbued spear.
Squeak....
The spear piercing through its chest.
At that moment, the creature's body froze.
Finally, it shattered into ice fragments like breaking glass and disappeared.
"─It's <Snow Spear>!"
"Ryu Yeon-hwa!"
The ice formed along the spear's trajectory also scattered into snow crystals.
The snow crystals sparkle as they catch the light.
She, landing lightly on the ground with her long hair fluttering in the halo of light, caught the attention of many people.
Snow crystals, spear, blue hair.
<Snow Spear> Ryu Yeon-hwa.
People were already familiar with Ryu Yeon-hwa's appearance.
They stopped in their tracks and gave her praise.
"...Thank you."
""""We love you, Yeon-hwa unni!!""""
"Photo! Did anyone take a photo!?"
Unlike the people's intense reactions.
She calmly bowed her head and turned around after picking up the mana stone that had fallen to the ground.
Nevertheless, people were delighted by her reaction.
Regardless, she approached Eun-ha.
"..." "...What's wrong?"
Eun-ha had a blank expression.
Ryu Yeon-hwa, who approached closely and read his expression, tilted her head.
To this, Eun-ha responded.
"No, I didn't do anything at all."
"...Eun-ha, you blocked the path in case the monster tried to escape."
"And while I was just standing still, noona defeated the monster."
"...Sorry. Are you angry?"
I thought we finally encountered a monster today, but it ended too easily.
Eun-ha, who had eaten lunch fully and was about to warm up his body, couldn't hide his disappointment.
So he showed her a blank face as a joke.
Unexpectedly, Ryu Yeon-hwa became restless and tried to read Eun-ha's mood.
"Next time I'll yield to you. So..., can you please not be angry?"
"..."
"Papa."
Eun-ha blinked his eyes.
He didn't expect Ryu Yeon-hwa to try to ask for forgiveness with such a serious face.
Even Buldak, who had landed on his shoulder, couldn't help but reproach him.
In the end, Eun-ha had no choice but to quickly soften his expression and speak.
"Really.... I can't even make a proper joke in front of noona? I was just kidding. What does it matter who kills the monster? As long as it doesn't harm people, that's all that matters."
"...You're not angry?"
"Does noona want to see me angry?"
"No. I don't want to see it."
Shake shake.
Ryu Yeon-hwa, who was almost the same height as Eun-ha, shook her head.
Her long hair swayed left and right.
He burst into laughter seeing her shake her head so fervently.
She was a bit childlike.
"Why would I be angry at noona? I was just joking. I'm sorry. I won't joke with noona anymore."
"...No. I like it when you joke too."
"Huh?"
"I like it when someone jokes with me. So..., you can keep doing it."
"Huh...."
The more you look, the stranger she is.
She has quirky sides.
Sometimes she's unpredictable.
Eun-ha, who had become close to Ryu Yeon-hwa unlike in his previous life, clicked his tongue.
"Okay, then I will...."
"Yes. Do it a lot."
It must be Ryu Yeon-hwa's way of expressing intimacy.
Eun-ha decided to think of it that way after composing his surprised emotions.
Then he suddenly remembered something.
"─I saw a lot of tteokbokki food carts around here earlier.... Want to eat some fish cakes?"
"Fish cakes? Didn't we just eat lunch?"
"They looked delicious when I saw them earlier...."
"Okay, let's go eat right now."
"Aren't you full, noona?"
"...I'll try to eat hard."
She doesn't say she can't eat.
Eun-ha gave a bitter smile seeing Ryu Yeon-hwa who seemed to have made some grave resolution.
☆
In fact, 3rd year high school academy students don't engage in strenuous activities during their clan internships.
In the case of promising students like Noh Eun-ha, they are given combat-capable tasks to directly confirm their skills.
But for transfer students who haven't been enrolled long and aren't used to combat, they weren't given many tasks.
"─Found him. Our Eun-ha was here. But he's eating tteokbokki now instead of working? He's really living the sweet life."
<Madam> Bebe.
She was the same.
Fortunately, the Regulus Clan members didn't pay much attention to her who came to intern at their clan.
So she secretly left the clan hall as soon as she finished her administrative tasks.
Then she went out to monitor Eun-ha who would be working nearby.
"Is clan internship some kind of kids' game? He's having fun playing with his noonas. Oh my, look at him eating sundae so deliciously. These kids are neglecting their duties..."
Noh Eun-ha was eating street food at a food cart with Noh Eun-ah and Ryu Yeon-hwa.
Bebe was hiding on the rooftop of a nearby building, spying on them.
Without needing binoculars, she was able to monitor them as if watching up close using magic unknown to the students.
As a result, her mouth watered seeing them eat the street food deliciously.
While some people couldn't even eat lunch....
Licking her lips with her tongue.
She smacked her lips.
Meanwhile, she tried to focus on reading their lips.
Lip reading wasn't that difficult for her.
It'll be dry if you eat like that....
Yeon-hwa noona, try drinking the broth too.
Ryu Yeon-hwa chewing with her mouth full of food.
Eun-ha personally scooped up some fish cake broth for her.
...Thank you.
Ryu Yeon-hwa swallows.
She smiles as she receives the paper cup from Eun-ha.
"...<Snow Spear> can smile too, huh."
Then Bebe muttered in a tone of wonder.
In the industry, it was well known that <Snow Spear> Ryu Yeon-hwa's personality was cold and blunt like ice.
But Ryu Yeon-hwa talking with Noh Eun-ha and Noh Eun-ah looked no different from someone her own age.
Phew, you'll take care of Yeon-hwa but leave out your own sister? I raised my little brother wrong, so wrong.
Anyway, they're having so much fun.
Noh Eun-ah pretends to be angry.
Noh Eun-ha is hurriedly scooping up fish cake broth for her.
Bebe clicked her tongue.
"Don't just eat, show me you working a bit. I can't keep following you around...."
Though she wasn't receiving any attention within Regulus Clan.
She couldn't be away from her post for too long doing this.
She muttered curses about Noh Eun-ha who was excited about eating.
Just then─.
"─Why are you monitoring Eun-ha."
"..."
It was in the blink of an eye.
Something blade-like touched the back of her head.
No, it was a blade.
The problem was that she hadn't noticed her surroundings while focusing on monitoring Noh Eun-ha.
Even so─.
─To think I didn't notice someone pointing a sword at me from right behind....
The other person's stealth ability is excellent.
Bebe slowly raised both hands while taking her gaze off Noh Eun-ha.
It was a gesture of surrender.
Then she slowly turned her body.
"─Oh my, Senior Chang-jin. What brings you to a place like this?"
Pretending to be as nonchalant as possible.
Bebe smiled brightly while looking at the sword in front of her.
The person holding the sword was─.
"─It would be better not to pretend you don't know."
"..."
"I know that you are <Madam>."
"...Oh my, I've been found out. I thought you and I weren't acquainted."
<Shadow> Han Chang-jin.
He stood there with a cold expression, his mouth covered by a muffler.
☆
At first, he just thought she looked familiar.
Until then, Han Chang-jin hadn't paid much attention to Bebe.
But over the past few days, he noticed signs that she was monitoring Eun-ha.
Since that day, Han Chang-jin had been raising his guard against her.
Then he realized something.
That was─.
─This isn't the footwork taught at the Player Academy. Those are steps an assassin would use.
3rd year high school academy transfer student Bebe.
Her actions exuded an atmosphere unique to someone who had stepped into the darkness.
Though she tried her best not to show it by acting clumsy.
─What's her identity?
Wait, I've seen her somewhere before....
<Shadow> Han Chang-jin.
His eyes couldn't be deceived.
Soon, Han Chang-jin became certain that she was someone living in the world of darkness.
He also recalled.
The memory of entering the world of darkness following <King of Darkness> Baek Seo-jin in the past.
─No doubt. It's <Madam>.
Though he had only glimpsed her from afar at the time.
Nevertheless, Chang-jin could vaguely recall <Madam>'s face.
She looked exactly like Bebe.
No, Bebe was her.
"─As expected of <Shadow>. Should I praise you, junior?"
"Just answer my question. Why were you monitoring Eun-ha?"
"Well.... Do I have any obligation to answer you just because you ask, junior?"
"..."
She had no name.
For her, a name was nothing more than an alias that existed to carry out given missions.
Not just her name.
Except for gender, there were no clues to identify her - no age, origin, or personality.
People only called her <Madam>, who secretly carried out espionage activities in the shadows.
Why is <Madam> here?
For some reason, such a person suddenly transferred to the academy using the alias Bebe.
And she's monitoring Eun-ha.
Han Chang-jin couldn't resolve his doubts while pointing his sword at her.
"You don't seem to grasp the situation? If you keep running your mouth like that, I'll kill..."
"Go ahead, try it. Try to kill me."
"..."
"I wonder if I'll die so easily, but if you fail to kill me in one go, people will witness us fighting. I wonder how you'll explain attacking me first then?"
"..."
"Oh, there's that method too. Should I claim you tried to rape me? I may not have a public image, but you do, don't you? I'm quite curious what would happen then."
"Are you threatening me?"
"I'm not the one threatening, you are. To think someone favored by the <King of Darkness> doesn't know how to use their head, what should I do?"
Hesitation about killing someone.
<Madam> seemed to have seen through it.
Though he had learned how to live as an assassin, he who hadn't actually immersed himself in darkness inwardly gritted his teeth.
Then, as if sensing his subtle change─.
"─No, should I say you were favored now?"
She sneered.
She openly cackled even while looking at the sword in front of her.
"The <King of Darkness> put so much effort into training you. How can you be here doing this, forgetting the grace of the one who raised you?"
"Shut up."
"Word has spread in our world. That you've fallen head over heels for a woman and are doing things that don't suit you.... Yes, like this right now. Making empty threats to me when you can't even kill."
<Madam> wasn't afraid.
She pushed away the sword in front of her with a very natural motion.
Then she approached Chang-jin closely and whispered in his ear.
"─This is why the <King of Darkness> said he won't pass his position to you."
"...!"
"Just pretend you don't know me from now on. If you don't want to disappoint your master any further, that is."
"Could it be that Master...."
"Well, it could be, or it might not be."
"..."
Is it a bluff or not.
Han Chang-jin stared at her for a long time as she answered with a smile.
Then, as if doing him a favor, she spoke while passing by him.
"How many of the high-ranking people do you think aren't interested in Noh Eun-ha?"
"Are you saying they commissioned you to monitor Eun-ha?"
"What if they did?"
"Why on earth would Eun-ha...."
<Madam> didn't say it directly.
But she essentially answered Han Chang-jin's question.
Han Chang-jin couldn't believe it.
The situation that there were people trying to monitor Noh Eun-ha to the extent that darkness, <Madam>, would move.
Noh Eun-ha, who was just an academy student, not even a player yet.
To this, <Madam>─.
"─Protruding nails get hammered down, was that child so special? It's strange that they're only ordering surveillance now."
<Madam> answering in a kind tone.
Han Chang-jin frowned.
"So just pretend you don't know me. If you don't want to see your friend suffer at the hands of scary people because I report badly."
"..."
"I like that child too. He smells of power. But I don't want to become enemies with him because my identity is exposed. I love power, you see."
"The people who gave you the commission..., what kind of people are they?"
"Oh my, using honorifics now?"
"..."
"Well.... People with the mindset that if they can't have it, they'd rather no one else have it either?"
"..."
"Or people who are anxious their position might be shaken?"
"Who on earth are they...."
"But aren't you believing what I'm saying too readily? What if I'm lying?"
"...!"
A mocking tone.
<Madam> passed by Han Chang-jin just like that, heading for the door to go down from the rooftop.
She opened the door and looked back.
"If you received the <King of Darkness>'s teachings, shouldn't you doubt people's words instead of blindly believing them? It seems you learned wrong."
"..."
"How did such a promising kid end up like this...."
Han Chang-jin clenched his fists.
She just clicked her tongue.
"Well then, noona will be going now. Let's not acknowledge each other from now on."
Though it wasn't publicly known.
Han Chang-jin, who was no longer the <King of Darkness>'s <The Seed> after graduating from the academy.
He lowered his head as if frustrated and thought deeply.
Just then, <Madam> waved her hand and went out the door.
Then she locked the door.
"Ah...."
Han Chang-jin made a dumbfounded expression at the sound of the door locking.
☆
At the same time, at the entrance of an alley.
<Chatterbox> Twenty-five was concentrating on the sound ringing in his head with his eyes closed.
[─This is why the <King of Darkness> said he won't pass his position to you.]
Since he had received prior notice from his master Eun-ha.
He knew that Eun-ha would deliberately come to a distant food cart far from where he had defeated the monster.
Therefore, if he knew that─.
─It's a piece of cake to find a position to monitor the master from there.
<Chatterbox> Twenty-five.
This was why he could eavesdrop on the conversation between <Madam> Bebe and <Shadow> Han Chang-jin even from a location one station away.
All he had to do was set up eavesdropping magic at suitable positions to monitor Eun-ha and wait for one of them to activate.
The master repeatedly emphasized not to monitor closely, so I had no choice but to avoid monitoring from nearby....
As the master said, just avoiding was the right answer. Who would have thought even <Shadow> would be there.
There were two voices ringing in his head.
One was the person called <Madam>, and the other was <Shadow>.
He, who had put effort into designing the eavesdropping magic to avoid being detected by the other party, sighed.
Then he moved his lips.
"...I've obtained some unexpected information here, haven't I?"
<Madam> and <Shadow>.
They were talking about things only they knew, completely unaware of <Chatterbox>'s presence.
Twenty-five was surprised by the fact that Bebe's true identity was <Madam>, whose alias was only known in the underworld.
He could be certain that she had infiltrated the academy and was monitoring his master.
He could also tell that she was nothing more than a role that moved on orders.
Lastly─.
"─There were rumors circulating that <Shadow> had fallen out with the <King of Darkness>.... I guess that was true after all."
Twenty-five could confirm that <Shadow> Han Chang-jin was no longer the <King of Darkness> Baek Seo-jin's <The Seed>.
"I should inform the master. But <Madam>.... Judging from <Shadow>'s attitude, she seems to be someone more than I know.... I should look into it."
It was unexpected information.
The corners of <Chatterbox>'s mouth turned up.
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