บท 407: 821
[Chapter 206]
[Behind-the-scenes Maneuvering(7)]
The storm-like situation passed.
The Guma appeared.
Baek Seo-jin showed up.
Seon U Hwa-ryeong died.
Eun-ha just blinked at the situation that occurred in an instant.
How did Teacher Baek Seo-jin know to come?
Could he have found a clue like me and followed <Abyss>'s trail?
Eun-ha looked at Baek Seo-jin's back.
Baek Seo-jin, who was over 180cm tall, had completely turned his back on Eun-ha and was cleaning up Seon U Hwa-ryeong's corpse.
Han Chang-jin tried to help him.
But he stretched out his hand to refuse.
Neither Eun-ha nor Han Chang-jin could approach him rashly.
By then, Baek Seo-jin had wiped the severed head clean and placed it on Seon U Hwa-ryeong's stomach.
He lifted the corpse.
Only then did he turn to look at Eun-ha.
His gaze was piercing.
"You really don't know your place and are running wild. Did you think you were something because people raised you up as a monarch?"
"..."
"If I hadn't come, you would have been killed by Ik-hyeon. Or you would have handed over <Abyss> to him, and surely strengthened his power with that. Shouldn't you have told me in advance if something like this happened? This is my jurisdiction."
Baek Seo-jin put particular emphasis on the last word.
My jurisdiction.
He meant darkness.
Baek Seo-jin expressed his displeasure at Eun-ha who once again meddled in what darkness should do.
His gaze turned to Han Chang-jin.
"Chang-jin, you're doing well too. To think the master of darkness would move swayed by someone."
"Teacher, that's..."
"Shut up. Be quiet."
Han Chang-jin tried to say something.
Baek Seo-jin dismissed it as an excuse.
He walked towards Eun-ha with fierce eyes.
"Noh Eun-ha."
"Yes, Teacher."
"I'm not your teacher. Don't call me that again."
"...Yes, I understand."
Baek Seo-jin was very angry.
Eun-ha could tell from his voice mixed with anger.
It was natural.
Baek Seo-jin had warned all along.
Not to meddle in darkness's affairs.
But Eun-ha meddled in darkness, and now he was even creating and operating his own darkness.
He deserved his anger.
In the end, Baek Seo-jin decided to cut ties over this incident.
Eun-ha couldn't stop him.
Then, Baek Seo-jin's words struck down.
"You once told me you would become the Fairy's sword."
"Yes."
"I thought then that there was no one more dangerous than you. Because the Fairy is just a being who maintains this country's balance, not necessarily someone who must be protected. You said you wouldn't hesitate to point your sword at people like me or <Abyss> who have the same thoughts. And you finally pointed your sword at <Abyss>. Whatever <Abyss> did to you, you ultimately raised your sword against someone who maintains balance. But yes, I can understand this. Your loyalty to the Fairy could be deep. The problem is that you're looking at something more than just being a sword that protects the Fairy."
"..."
"When you prevented the Seoul Disaster, even then I didn't think you would commit such acts. Until then, I thought your resolve you told me was simply a young person's recklessness. You were someone I could still control sufficiently."
But how was it after that?
Baek Seo-jin spoke while catching his breath.
Eun-ha was silent.
Baek Seo-jin continued speaking.
"After that, you found another Fairy possessing <White Silver>. Yes, it was fine until then. I didn't have any particular suspicions."
"..."
"But after the Uijeongbu Recapture War ended, I finally realized your resolve was completely different from what I expected. The Fairy you tried to protect wasn't Ga-eul. The Fairy you tried to protect was Ha Baek-ryeon. Isn't that right?"
Eun-ha had no answer this time either.
But silence was the answer.
Baek Seo-jin gritted his teeth.
"You, were really a dangerous fellow. All the actions you've taken until now were all for that child. And while protecting that child."
"..."
"You were harboring thoughts of ruling over that child. You had quite a great ambition. I left you alone without knowing that, and after knowing it, I became unable to do anything to you who was called a hero. In the end, even darkness left my hands."
Baek Seo-jin laughed as if self-deprecating.
It was a powerless laugh.
Even he who was called a living legend couldn't overcome the flow of time and had become too old.
Baek Seo-jin who had been pushed out of the leading role of the era could do nothing.
He could only get angry at Eun-ha.
"My arrogance..., foolishly ended up creating the monarch we tried so hard to prevent. Of all things, a monarch now that no one can oppose."
It was a voice filled with regret.
Baek Seo-jin was now angry at Armageddon who was scattering ashes on the world he created, and angry at Noh Eun-ha who betrayed his ideals.
"I want to eliminate you right here."
Then Baek Seo-jin revealed killing intent.
Eun-ha gripped his swords tightly.
Twenty-five and Han Chang-jin also took stances reacting to the killing intent.
But Baek Seo-jin finally released his aura and sighed.
"But knowing Armageddon is alive, I can't eliminate you who has the power to face him. In the end, I've failed."
"..."
"Yes, do as you please. I no longer have any power to stop you all."
Baek Seo-jin knew his position.
He was old.
Paradoxically, for the country's future, he had to let Eun-ha and Han Chang-jin who could become enemies live.
In the end, he expressed his anger once and turned around.
It was right then.
"My thought of becoming the Fairy's sword really hasn't changed. I hope you... don't misunderstand, Teacher."
"I told you not to call me that. And you dare say such things while privately controlling darkness and protecting a young Fairy."
"..."
"Above all, if you intend to speak purely, why don't you say you won't become a monarch before me?"
Baek Seo-jin sneered.
And Eun-ha couldn't speak.
"See? Do you think I don't know the ambition you harbor inside?"
Yes, perhaps the times have changed.
So saying he who has become obsolete in the flow of the times will step aside.
Baek Seo-jin disappeared pitifully.
"─At the very least, please make it so the people of the world can live well."
Those were Baek Seo-jin's last words.
☆
Baek Seo-jin was disappointed.
Eun-ha who was indebted to him in his previous life felt complicated emotions.
He had many things he wanted to say to him.
But it seemed Baek Seo-jin wouldn't listen to his words no matter what he said.
Even if I say I'm protecting the Fairy from those trying to overthrow the Fairy Government, Teacher wouldn't listen.
Because in the end, I'm gaining stronger authority than the Fairy.
To Baek Seo-jin, he would be nothing more than a dangerous element disrupting the balance.
The fortunate thing was that unlike <Abyss> Seon U Hwa-ryeong, he didn't try to be hostile.
He decided to be a bystander.
No, he decided to give up.
Perhaps it was an even harsher treatment for Eun-ha who felt indebted to Baek Seo-jin.
Because he lost the expectations of one of the people he relied on most in his previous life.
Baek Seo-jin, Yoo Do-jun, Song Yun-seo, Ryu Yeon-hwa.
Nevertheless─.
─Even if Teacher is disappointed in me, it can't be helped.
Eun-ha didn't bend his will.
It was something he was prepared for since he decided to rule darkness.
So he decided to take it positively.
Baek Seo-jin won't interfere.
He just needs to focus on enemies threatening Ha Baek-ryeon's position.
It was then.
"I don't really understand what's going on here."
Han Chang-jin spoke in a gloomy tone.
His gaze was questioning.
No, it was warning.
"What exactly are the enemies you're fighting, Eun-ha?"
"..."
"At first I thought you mobilized darkness to protect Pandora Clan. But then you try to kill the Surveillance Bureau Director saying he's a traitor, without asking my opinion at all even though I'm clearly here managing darkness, then extremely dangerous guys pop up... Finally even Teacher appears... I don't really understand what kind of situation this is."
From Han Chang-jin's perspective, it was absurd and infuriating.
He was the manager of darkness.
But Han Chang-jin learned there was darkness he couldn't control, and even learned of the Ma's existence.
It was frustrating and infuriating that things he didn't know kept popping up when he shouldn't be unaware of anything happening in darkness.
And he had reason to be suspicious of Eun-ha who seemed to be opposing Baek Seo-jin.
In the end, he was trying to get all those answers.
Depending on the answer, Han Chang-jin might not lend his power to Eun-ha anymore.
Therefore─.
"─You saw earlier too, hyung. Those guys are my enemies. Guys who became Ma from humans, trying to throw this country into chaos."
Eun-ha decided to speak honestly.
He had to earn Han Chang-jin's trust.
Han Chang-jin's power would be needed in the future too.
Thinking about it, Han Chang-jin had obediently become a Twelve Seats at Eun-ha's words, and hadn't harbored any doubts until now.
It was his fault for not explaining properly until now.
He had to draw in Han Chang-jin who would continue doing things he couldn't tell others about in the future, if no one else.
"It's not just those guys. There are people trying to make the Fairy a puppet in places I don't know about. I want to eliminate them."
"Let's say the Ma are like that. But who exactly are those guys?"
"I don't know either. They're probably among the people who are threats to the Fairy. That's why I need your power, hyung. Help me. Please."
"Hah.... I just thought I'd protect Pandora Clan and people around it, but what you harbored inside was bigger than I thought."
"There's Baek-ryeon."
"Come to think of it, the sword to protect the Fairy Teacher mentioned earlier was..."
"To protect Baek-ryeon."
"I'm not sure if I can believe what you're saying."
In the past he might not have been able to say it.
But now even people of the world knew of Ha Baek-ryeon's existence.
So Eun-ha didn't need to particularly hide that he was moving to protect her.
From the beginning, Eun-ha had consistently shown his actions.
He protects people inside his fence in any way.
Ha Baek-ryeon was also inside the fence so it was naturally predictable.
However, Han Chang-jin clicked his tongue at Eun-ha who seemed to see the future, as he had known him for a long time.
The order of cause and effect was wrong.
Because Eun-ha showed actions to protect her even before meeting Ha Baek-ryeon.
But even if Han Chang-jin pointed that out, Eun-ha wouldn't answer.
Han Chang-jin gave up on pressing further.
"Sometimes I want to know your thoughts more than even Eun-ah's thoughts."
"What good is knowing our noona's thoughts? Don't try to know either of them."
"..."
"Will you keep helping in the future?"
"Hah.... Then swear this one thing. That you will absolutely never use darkness for your personal greed."
"I swear."
Han Chang-jin spoke as sternly as possible.
Eun-ha answered obediently.
Only then did Han Chang-jin make an expression as if relieved.
He changed the subject.
"It seems Teacher was disappointed, I'm very worried..."
"Let's go apologize to Teacher when everything is over. For now... it can't be helped."
Han Chang-jin was dejected.
Eun-ha felt the same.
So he hoped a day would come when he could talk with Baek Seo-jin smiling someday.
Eun-ha smiled bitterly.
"But something is strange."
"What?"
"With Teacher's personality, he wouldn't have backed down so easily like this.... He's not someone who would leave alone a person deviating from his standards..."
"I guess he's gotten old. When you get old, everyone becomes like that."
Han Chang-jin muttered.
Twenty-five replied with a snicker.
His words made sense too.
But Han Chang-jin couldn't shake off his doubts easily.
Above all─.
"─How did Teacher know their names? That guy never told his name. How did he know the name Armageddon..."
Han Chang-jin narrowed his eyes.
The doubt was quickly resolved.
Eun-ha told him.
"I had told Teacher about Armageddon before."
"Ah, I see."
Eun-ha thought nothing of it.
Then he paused.
He searched his memories.
Huh? Did I tell him?
No matter how much he searched his memories.
He couldn't remember well.
☆
Seon U Hwa-ryeong died.
Choi Jung-hoon harbored doubts about the fact that he died not long after talking with him.
But he had to set aside his doubts.
Because one day, two letters were placed on his office desk.
"Forget."
The moment he read that letter.
Choi Jung-hoon realized it was darkness warning him.
It seems Seon U Hwa-ryeong's actions that crossed the line were discovered.
Then his sudden death was also expected.
He got caught.
Choi Jung-hoon folded the letter.
At that moment, the letter automatically burned and disappeared.
He decided not to question Seon U Hwa-ryeong's death anymore as the letter warned.
The problem was the other letter.
Why is there another letter when darkness warned to forget?
Choi Jung-hoon opened this letter too and checked the contents.
"..."
His face hardened.
The letter contained the following:
"Don't act up."
How should he think about this?
Darkness wouldn't have written two letters to convey two messages.
Moreover, this letter was in quite a fancy envelope.
The sender was different.
It wasn't darkness.
Then who on earth sent this letter?
"Noh Eun-ha."
Choi Jung-hoon deduced easily.
Han Chang-jin is under Noh Eun-ha.
He must have had the letter sent together through Han Chang-jin.
In other words, Noh Eun-ha found out.
But Choi Jung-hoon just shrugged his shoulders and watched the letter automatically burn.
Noh Eun-ha can't rashly attack me who's not even a player.
As a rule, people with a lot to lose don't move easily.
Noh Eun-ha was a hero.
There was no way he could harass him.
Even if he did harass him, he was protected by bodyguards 24 hours a day.
What he eats each day, when he goes to the bathroom, what his schedule is today, etc.
All of Choi Jung-hoon's actions as the next chairman of Galaxy Group were recorded and monitored.
Noh Eun-ha knows that too, so he probably can't move rashly and just sent this letter.
Either way, it'll be difficult to use darkness from now on.
I should think darkness has practically fallen into Noh Eun-ha's hands.
I need to reduce my range of movement for a while.
Choi Jung-hoon quickly finished his judgment.
Then he checked the time and turned on the TV.
He had heard from his secretary.
That some Pandora Clan members would appear on a variety show this evening.
As Choi Jung-hoon who was investigating Noh Eun-ha and Pandora Clan, he couldn't miss even minor details.
[Now then! Dear viewers! I'd be grateful if you could welcome them with big applause! The 5-member girl group from Pandora Clan making a special appearance on 'You Can Do It Today!' - Pandora Hearts!]
The Jangchung-dong Gymnasium appeared.
An MC overflowing with talent came out and encouraged people's applause.
Choi Jung-hoon watched blankly.
Shortly after, women in flashy outfits appeared on stage.
Captions appeared on screen.
[Max level quirkiness, sexy leader Ariel]
Pink hair, red eyes.
Though not visible on the outside, scales were growing on both sides of her head.
She was an Ain.
She was a short woman who seemed very far from sexy.
The women coming out after her had quite a height difference from her.
[Guitar playing Seo Dam-bi]
[Singer Kim Mary]
A woman with light-colored hair and animal ears.
A woman with gray hair and horns growing.
Both were Ains.
Around then, Choi Jung-hoon adjusted his posture.
Ains at a time like this....
What on earth are they thinking?
They're boldly showing this even though it could be a sensitive topic.
The incident of PKK Group and the former Ain Association fighting happened just recently.
The public opinion that had just calmed down could become noisy again because of this broadcast.
Moreover, wouldn't the time this was filmed have been when the two groups were fighting fiercely?
It was a very adventurous attempt.
It wasn't something a broadcasting station that doesn't try to take even a little responsibility would do.
Then Choi Jung-hoon found a caption at the bottom of the screen.
[All products appearing in this broadcast are provided by Luminous Group.]
It's a broadcast sponsored by Luminous Group.
Only then did Choi Jung-hoon notice the stage shining with brilliant lighting.
"They spent a lot of money."
That was his first impression.
From what he heard, this broadcast supports players to do activities they usually can't do because of work.
So it seems Ariel rented the Jangchung-dong Gymnasium to perform, but it was excessive.
It's because Pandora Clan is receiving sponsorship from Luminous Group.
Choi Jung-hoon let out a hollow laugh.
[Eye-catching Iriya]
[Enchanting dancer Shakira]
Two more came out next.
One had pointed ears.
But her eyes were green.
She was a woman who seemed Ain-like, yet not.
The other looked as if her skin was tanned by the sun.
The belly dancer outfit she was wearing, like something out of Arabian Nights, suited her extremely well.
She seemed to be of mixed Korean descent.
"Hah...."
Seeing the 5-member composition.
Choi Jung-hoon clicked his tongue.
Except for Iriya.
They were all composed of foreigners and Ains.
Pandora Clan is sending a message that they support them through this variety show.
It was dangerous and reckless.
Impossible.
Do they really think they can eradicate people's prejudices through singing and dancing?
He laughed at how absurd it was.
But before he knew it, Choi Jung-hoon was completely absorbed in their song.
It was a song he knew too.
It was a cartoon theme song from when he was young.
♪ Though we look different, we're all friends ♪
That's right!!
It was a simple song.
A song anyone could easily sing.
So from the start, people who came to the stage sang along in unison.
Their song filled the space, seeming to come out beyond the monitor.
Moreover, their singing was extremely beautiful.
Bright and lively tones.
Faces that looked very joyful.
Figures freely jumping around the stage.
Choi Jung-hoon's gaze was captivated by the song created by the five.
"Prejudices can't be eliminated."
Whatever intentions they have, the world won't change.
Choi Jung-hoon asserted.
Nevertheless, he was immersed in the song that day, soaking in childhood sentiments.
There was a time when he too played laughing and chatting with peers without thinking about anything.
Suddenly he missed those times.
"Pikachu, Raichu..."
Before he knew it, he was humming the song as if entranced.
He snapped back to his senses.
Right then, he paused seeing a smartphone screen shown by an audience member.
"Please broadcast
Catch Your Player again too!"
Catch Your Player.
Choi Jung-hoon knew that broadcast too.
It was quite talked about among political and business circles at the time.
Because Noh Eun-ah appeared.
"Noh Eun-ha appeared on that broadcast too."
For a moment, he remembered Noh Eun-ha who appeared on the broadcast.
Suddenly that broadcast came to mind.
Choi Jung-hoon immediately picked up the receiver and ordered to get all the aired episodes of Catch Your Player.
Shortly after, the head of security came in and handed Choi Jung-hoon a smartphone.
The broadcast files were on it.
It should be somewhere around here...
Choi Jung-hoon flipped through the screens.
There should have been a scene of Noh Eun-ha fighting someone called <Digger>.
And finally─.
"─Found it."
Choi Jung-hoon found the scene he wanted.
There was a caption on the scene where Noh Eun-ha appeared.
Choi Jung-hoon raised the corners of his mouth seeing that caption.
[Noh Eun-ha on his 2nd life]
[This student is the top student of the 031st class of the Middle Academy.]
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