episode_0099

Time passed without me realizing it, and as my body recovered, I naturally began to worry about the future.

When he said that he would not leave his side no matter what difficulties he faced, it was clear that he was sincere, but that did not mean that the reality in front of him would be resolved naturally.

Over the past few days. Our situation was like that of a rat cornered.

The spying crows sent by reporters were blocked by the air defense net countless times a day. The intruder detection magic constantly beeped the alarm both at night and during the day.

It was an inconvenience that the owners of the mansion felt sorry for, but they did not show any signs of displeasure and instead just comforted us.

And finally.

A request to attend a hearing sent in the name of the Supreme Council arrived at Heukryeon’s mansion.

***

“Head… Neat… necktie… good… ”

Yang Yeon-ha’s hair fluttered before her eyes as she busily moved her body. Then she brings out a small, clear glass bottle and sprays the liquid inside it a couple of times on the back of my neck and wrist.

“Huh… ”

Then he buried his face in my chest and nodded lightly.

“The scent matches well… good… ”

“What kind of perfume is it? It’s not like I’m going there to have fun.”

“If you don’t know, be quiet. Basically, there are formalities that must be met for such an event. It’s better to be thorough than to be shallow.”

Yeon Myeong-ha responded immediately as if it wasn’t worth the effort.

Today again, she was personally fixing my outfit. I’ve already done similar things several times, so now I’m just going to do it.

But I also wonder if it’s not that trustworthy. Anyway, there’s no need to take off the tie I’m wearing and tie it again.

I thought today was perfect.

“It’s already time. Let’s go.”

Yeon Myeong-ha glances at the clock hanging on the wall.

We left the annex together and eventually arrived in the central hallway of the main building of the mansion.

After a while, the presence of the Black Lotus matriarch and hostess was heard. She bows her head somewhat politely.

The elegance and grace of her gestures were that of a truly elegant young lady.

“Please be kind to me.”

“Jeokhwa’s child, don’t worry about anything. All you have to do is just relax and wait.”

“Okay, then. There is no need to even go into examples. Come on in. All you have to do is grab a cup of tea in the garden. I already told you to prepare my refreshments.”

“Yes, yes… ”

Then they tried to dissuade Yeon Myeongha. The hostess stretched out her hand and personally turned her around.

Compassionately, he still felt awkward about that friendliness, but judging by his facial expression, he definitely didn’t seem to dislike it.

Today, the only people attending the hearing of the Supreme Council were me and three other people from Black Lotus. Yeon Myeong-ha also wanted to come forward, but ended up being left alone in the mansion for safety reasons.

This is because public sentiment against enemy fire was so negative. It also meant that what Yeon Jeong-moon did was shocking.

In a way, it is natural. The head of a prestigious family leading the country was secretly communicating with the enemy, kidnapping its citizens and using them as ingredients for forbidden magic experiments and black magic formulas.

Yeon Myeong-ha, his bloodline and the only survivor of the Japanese invasion, also could not escape the barrage of public opinion.

The fact that she prevented the complete collapse of the South and was a person of greatest merit, having even been awarded the Gold Star Military Medal, was already put aside.

The threat of demons in the north, the enormous aftereffects of the failure to colonize the east, the uprising that broke out in the south, and the political strife that continued endlessly in the meantime.

As a result, continuous retreat of security and administrative power, food and power shortages that show no signs of getting better, warlocks and mutants increasingly active everywhere, and now even pseudo-religions.

As public sentiment continues to hit rock bottom, the perfect target for those in power, including the Supreme Council, to divert their dissatisfaction has been born.

Even today, various newspapers were writing several special articles about the injustice of Japanese colonial rule.

I discarded the whole thing in case anyone would see it, but the tone was so harsh that it felt like they were deliberately trying to encourage public opinion.

Today’s hearing was the first step toward rescuing Yeon Sang-ha from such a barrage, but Heukryeon’s opinion was that it would be better for her not to leave the mansion at least until public opinion reverses.

Of course, I also agreed to that.

In the end, he remained in the mansion despite showing signs of pity and dissatisfaction.

“Have a nice trip.”

After being pressured by the hostess, Yeon Myeong-ha finally stood in front of me before leaving.

He just threw it out in his unique, refreshing and irreverent tone, but now I actually feel reassured that way. After all, it’s a hundred times better than being droopy with empty eyes.

You never know. When I entered the cradle and saw this woman for the first time, I felt a renewed sense of discomfort.

Now, I am naturally accepting that arrogance…

“I’ll be back.”

“… Yes.”

Even after exchanging greetings, he kept his hands neatly clasped in sympathy and stared at me until the end.

I headed to the main gate of the mansion with the Black Lotus matriarch and her wife.

Standing there was a long luxury vehicle similar to the one they had boarded when leaving the cradle for Jeokhwa’s private residence. Still, it’s my second time watching it, so I’m a little less impressed.

In front of it, a woman who appeared to be an attendant was standing waiting for us.

He has long hair neatly tied back and at first glance appears to be a little older than me. Dressed in a neat, classy suit and shiny shoes.

For some reason, that face looked very familiar, and I widened my eyes.

She also lowered her head as if she recognized me.

“Long time no see, little master.”

“Team leader Myo Sang-ah?”

***

The surrounding scenery passes by quickly. I could clearly see that I was heading toward the heart of the capital as the gray of the city gradually became darker instead of green.

Meanwhile, I continue to feel some uncomfortable gaze from the seat in front of me. Needless to say, the owner was Myo Sang-ah.

The way he glances at me feels like someone who is being stung by something. I wondered why that was the case, but there was definitely a reason for that.

I met her before I went down to the south for an external request.

She was the VIP head of S&C, a defense company owned by Heukryeon, and was asked to procure various items needed for the request.

The anti-violant suit and blade were fine, but… I remember her jumping up and down and objecting when I asked her to get me a very high dose of stimulant and accelerant.

But in the end, he couldn’t overcome my stubbornness and brought me the medicine I wanted.

In fact, it was thanks to her that I was able to save my life.

If he had not been armed with high-end equipment and fully doped with drugs in a battlefield that was like walking a tightrope, he could have ended his life by just one inch.

But for her, it might be another story.

Anyway, you secretly brought me those medicines at my request.

In that case, I don’t think there’s any need to reveal that I took all of those medications. Looking at the current reaction, it seems like it will put even more of an unnecessary burden on me…

“Team Leader Myo. Your complexion looks quite dark today. Is there some kind of misfortune?”

“Yes, yes hehe?”

Still, the unique habit of biting one’s tongue still persists. She, who was sweating profusely, shook her head in response to the Four Great Dragons’ question.

“Ah, ahaha! No, old man. Maybe it’s because I’m a bit physically challenged these days… ”

“Tsk, how can someone so young already? Pisena like the beginning of the year or one. Then it will be okay.”

The head of the family rummaged around in her arms, saying something I couldn’t tell if she was worried or embarrassed. Find something that resembles a long paper stick and put it in your mouth.

Then Myo Sang-ah quickly put her finger on it, and a blue flame of light instantly crackled at the tip.

Soon, colorful, fragrant smoke filled the interior of the car, and a sweet smell began to enter my nostrils.

“Team leader. Are you a wizard?”

“Ah, yes. you’re right. Come to think of it, this must be your first time seeing me use magic.”

She turned her head, clucked at the paper stick, and opened her mouth.

“I… Then the team leader also comes from a cradle… ?”

“Ah, I am a Yookhwa graduate. The situation wasn’t right for me to enter the cradle, so I chose my second choice.”

Myo Sang-ah shook his head.

“If it weren’t for the elder and his wife, I wouldn’t have been able to join a large company like S&C. Graduates from other academies tend to fall into the cradle side a lot… ”

Then the hostess, who was sitting quietly next to me, added another word.

“Sang-ah is a very talented person. Surely he was promoted to the regular rank of particle operation technician some time ago? Amazing at such a young age. You don’t know how fortunate I am to have come to Heukryeon instead of going anywhere.”

“Ugh, my wife always praises me too much, hehe… ”

“What is excessive? That’s a perfect assessment. I heard that Hyun helped us in various ways even before he left for the south, right? Please take good care of me in the future.”

“Yes? Yes, haha… Don’t worry… ”

A moment of anxiety flashes across her face as she speaks loudly.

The expression on his face that glances at me somehow seems to be asking for help. I think I will take the fact that she saved me a medicine with harmful side effects to my grave.

However, although it is a top level, it is the highest level if you are a particle operation technician. This person’s skills were greater than I thought.

“Well, the little master is much more amazing than me… ! Both civil and military… He is overwhelmingly ranked first in the cradle… ”

“… ”

As I listened to her talk, I suddenly felt like I wanted to hide in a mouse hole. It seems like the face under the mask is turning red.

What is a combination of civil affairs and military affairs? I had barely achieved the rank of knight, let alone engineer, while I was in the military. Even that was possible because he overcame the miserable written score with an overwhelming practical score.

It is only now that I am starting to realize that using my body and studying theory are completely different things. When I think about the midterm or final exams that will follow later, I feel dizzy.

Right now, I’m lucky enough to be in first place, but if I mess up my notes and my grades plummet, it’ll be a complete embarrassment to the leader and the two of them…

“Hehe, it’s okay, honey.”

As if reading my thoughts, the hostess suddenly placed her palm on the back of my hand.

It was a touch that felt more like warmth than discomfort.

“We just want you to be healthy. Other than that, you don’t have to worry about anything else. Right, you?”

“Okay then. All the man had to do was take care of his own body.”

Then the head of the family who was burning the paper stick nodded.

My mind is still full of questions.

Why on earth do they treat me so cruelly when I was a stranger?

Even though he has such great power that he doesn’t even blink at external pressure, why is he not exerting any influence in the political world?

What on earth happened with the leader?

However, even if I wanted to clear my doubts, I hesitated again when I thought of the hostess’s sad eyes when I heard the leader’s name.

Should I at least ask Myo Sang-ah later… ?

“… But I don’t know if the other kids are doing well… It must have been a lot of hardship… ”

Suddenly the hostess sighs and looks out the window.

If you think about the tone in many ways… The other children she mentioned are probably the older sisters who go with the leader.

There is one question that suddenly occurred to me after hearing the hostess’ words.

Still, I thought this might be okay, so I cautiously opened my mouth and bit down.

“I… if… What is your relationship with Jin-i? ?”

Then the woman answered as if it was no big deal.

“Jin is my niece. She’s my brother’s daughter. Is she okay? He has a very unique personality… ”

“Yes? yes. The last time I saw my sister, she was fine. There wasn’t any pain… ”

The woman smiled slightly and nodded, as if she was glad.

But my head gets more complicated.

Since we had the same last name, I was wondering if it was possible.

If it’s your brother’s daughter… Jinnie and the leader are cousins.

But if you look closely, Jin-ni is definitely the leader…

No, no.

I decided to stop thinking.

Haven’t I already realized that there are so many types of love in the world that I don’t know about?

Even if you try to wrap your head around other people’s problems, it’s all in vain.

Let’s just mind our own business…

“Elder, wife, master. It’s time to arrive. Get ready… ”

As Myo Sang-ah said, I looked outside and saw a huge bronze dome in the shape of a hemisphere appearing in the distance.