Chapter 62: Resolution

While Guild Master Lee Sunghwan rushed to respond to Han Dayeon’s message…

“Ah, ah, ah… shit, I knew this would happen… This is why we shouldn’t get involved with Chungseong Guild…!”

Guild Master Jang Jin-yu’s sibling, accidentally caught in the middle of this situation, trembled with regret.

Their brother usually pathologically hated gossip, especially badmouthing others, yet strangely always spoke poorly of Chungseong Guild and Guild Master Lee Sunghwan.

Now they understood why!

Aaaah! Why am I caught up in this when I have nothing to do with it!

The talk of ordering restaurant food and everything else.

Though the atmosphere had surely been warm when Gyeonwoo and the district chief first talked…

“Ah, could I ask one favor…?”

“What’s there to worry about between us? Of course I’ll help with anything. However…”

“…?”

“First, would you grant my request?”

As soon as talk of favors came up, the atmosphere instantly turned cold.

“Mama…? Mmm…?”

Even Pureumi, who had been smiling brightly without understanding the situation, started trembling.

While Pureumi instinctively hid behind Han Dayeon’s clothes, the district chief’s expression turned brusque, as if his friendly laughter had been an illusion.

And somehow during their conversation, others had naturally drifted far away.

The situation was so unnatural that Han Dayeon quickly realized the district chief had orchestrated all of this.

Right.

His uncharacteristically friendly act had all been to buy time.

“Gyeonwoo! Pureumi! Everyone come behind sister!”

She was desperate enough to use Gyeonwoo’s real name, which she disliked.

“Sister, please… just a moment.”

“Mama…? Strange, don’t go…”

“Pureumi, do you trust Mama? Can you wait just a little?”

“Mmm…”

Gyeonwoo faced the district chief, leaving worried Han Dayeon and Pureumi behind.

Though she looked cute taking small steps due to her young body’s limitations.

Her pressed lips and raised eyebrows seemed to convey her firm resolve.

“…I’ll protect you no matter what.”

“Yes, I trust only sister.”

“Me too! Trust me too!”

“Yes, I trust Pureumi too.”

If this were the cult, she wouldn’t have dared step forward like this.

Just having these two firmly standing behind her made Gyeonwoo feel strong.

Is this… the “family” you can rely on that Mia talked about so much?

But I’m… a demon who devoured my birth parents.

I shouldn’t just keep relying on others.

So she stepped forward, ignoring habits ingrained at the cult and rules memorized there.

Not wanting to burden everyone, she needed to hear the truth.

“What’s your request? Weren’t you happy now, Chief?”

There was no rule saying someone who made one wish couldn’t make another.

Rather, Gyeonwoo had met the same people two or three times at the cult.

She clearly remembered the emotions, expressions, and behaviors of people desperately wanting wishes.

That’s why Gyeonwoo felt sad.

When she first met him at the cult, the district chief had been like a friendly neighborhood uncle.

But now his appearance…

“Please don’t misunderstand my intentions. Given how dangerous the world is, I just bought time since it could cause problems if others overheard.”

Anxiety, impatience, jealousy, greed, desire.

His desires boiled clearly within, as much as his appearance had grown plumper than before.

“What do you want from me?”

Even at Gyeonwoo’s tearful voice, the district chief eagerly continued:

“These are chaotic times. There are bastards trying to steal my position for their own selfish gains. Bastards who ignore citizens’ safety and happiness!”

His voice was deeply emotional, like a child excitedly sharing their dreams.

But while children’s dreams were fantasies, the district chief’s were delusions.

Deceit – one of the seven sins taught at the cult.

The stench of lies poured forth.

That’s why Gyeonwoo felt sorry for him.

Why couldn’t everyone learn to be satisfied?

I used the power given by the Almighty God, enduring pain and sacrificing my body to grant wishes.

Were they truly happy with the wishes I granted?

Or maybe they became more unhappy because of my wishes…

In the end, my existence didn’t help at all.

Even Gyeonwoo, who was once satisfied with just tanghulu, now wanted lemonade too.

Perhaps fulfilled desires just bred new desires.

“So please, I beg you. If you can make another miracle like before… make me Samgak District Chief forever, I’ll help with any request!”

Finally, the district chief’s long-winded speech ended.

Even Han Dayeon, who didn’t know the situation, frowned at his obvious intentions that felt revolting.

If words had smells, his would reek of rot.

Could our sweet Gyeonwoo really refuse his request?

Maybe she’s already blaming herself for this incident too?

“Will everyone be happy if I grant your wish?”

“Of course. I promise!”

“Pureumi… Can you find and punish the people who hurt my sister?”

“Tell me who they are and I’ll track them to the ends of the earth!”

“Then…”

Just as Han Dayeon held Pureumi’s hands tightly and prayed.

Just as Gyeonwoo’s lips moved to say something important.

BOOM-!

A thunderous noise shattered the rooftop’s silence where even swallowing could be heard.

“W-what’s that?!”

Everyone turned toward the sound of the impact that sent tremors through the floor.

“Ha. What the fuck’s going on, locking doors and blocking paths?”

Step, step.

A tall, mysterious young man approached slowly with one hand in his pocket.

His irritated expression and cocky posture.

The eerie breath hissing from his mouth with each word.

“Ah! Brother! Over here!!”

A small voice called out while everyone stood dumbfounded.

It was the boy who had been hiding behind Han Dayeon with Pureumi.

Peeking out beside Han Dayeon, the man finally showed a bright smile.

“Hey, little sibling!”

Indeed.

The man was none other than Guild Master Jang Jin-yu, who Han Dayeon had asked about.

“Hey sister. Long time no see?”

“…He really was your sibling?”

“What, are there fake siblings too?”

Though the atmosphere had been deadly serious just moments ago.

After Guild Master Jang Jin-yu appeared, everything started revolving around him.

“W-what… Why are the three major Guild Masters here…”

As the confused district chief stammered, a staff member hurriedly whispered:

“I was trying to tell you…”

“You should have told me something this important earlier!”

After discovering Gyeonwoo, being blinded by desire had been his mistake.

Nothing to fear if he could just get his wish granted.

He thought if he could just buy time, it wouldn’t matter how important the people on the rooftop were.

So uncharacteristically, he had hurriedly used the code phrase “restaurant full course” to lock down the district office.

“Ah. Don’t know who left this trash here, but the owner should clean it up.”

Thud.

Guild Master Jang Jin-yu casually threw down some huge object he’d been carrying in his other hand.

It must have been quite heavy – despite being carelessly tossed, it didn’t even roll.

“No! Take off your clothes to cover that!”

The panicked district chief couldn’t even think to remove his own suit as he berated his staff.

“Aha. So you’re the trash’s owner?”

Crack!

When Guild Master Jang Jin-yu snapped his fingers, the ice imprisoning the object shattered with a crash, revealing a person inside.

Prominent cheekbones and caterpillar eyebrows.

Even Han Dayeon recognized that unforgettable face.

“…A-class villain Kim Seonghyung.”

A member of the villain guild who had been blocking the entrance on the district chief’s orders.

His swollen, bruised appearance made him look like a snowman.

Wrong.

He had summoned a villain with hallucination abilities to hide from others, but such shallow tricks wouldn’t work on an S-class Awakened.

Even the staff who had trusted the district chief’s judgment and the villain guild behind them were now slowly backing away, looking for chances to escape.

The district chief’s face had gone white.

Only Gyeonwoo remained for him now.

“Saint! Please believe me! This is the one. The one who will plunge this land into chaos!”

Abandoning his pride, he crawled on his knees toward Gyeonwoo.

“You must stop this brute’s arbitrary violence!”

“Ha. What the fuck…”

It wasn’t pleasant watching a grown adult grovel with his belly touching the ground.

Though he didn’t know the situation, he should subdue first and ask questions later.

Just as Guild Master Jang Jin-yu reached out his hand…

Flash!

Suddenly light flashed in the sky and something long fell down.

Enemy attack? No need to even consider that.

“Well well. Coming late but trying to look cool all by yourself.”

“Ah, why is Chungseong’s Guild Master here too…!”

The one who descended with his black suit fluttering like wings was none other than Chungseong Guild’s Guild Master Lee Sunghwan.

As if nothing else was visible to him, he immediately went to Gyeonwoo and knelt.

“Are you alright? This bastard didn’t touch you, did he? How should we handle this?”

Though his expression remained typically stoic, his tone was unprecedentedly urgent.

Even Guild Master Jang Jin-yu and Han Dayeon couldn’t help but laugh.

Good heavens.

Two of the three major Guild Masters had gathered.

Why such overwhelming force when just one could crush a mere villain guild…?

The price for thoughtlessly causing trouble was devastating.

Not just the staff looking for chances to escape, but even the district chief who had trusted in Gyeonwoo.

They could only blankly await their fate, unable to think of doing anything more.

At least until Gyeonwoo’s small voice was heard:

“Um… I’m sorry, but could you leave this to me…?”