Ch.12141. Glass Anxiety (1)

Everyone at Flame was busy without a moment to spare.

Flame had officially received an SS-class guild license. Now, Flame was an undeniable corporate hunter guild.

Among all Flame guild members, the busiest person was naturally the guild master, Yuri.

Yuri was speaking with Maria, Flame’s executive director, in her office. Maria’s expression was serious as she delivered her report.

“The western region that the North American Hunter Association was defending has already been engulfed in chaos. In particular, the elite villains of the Red Lake, led by Juan Soriano, are on the verge of capturing Los Angeles.”

“Juan Soriano… If he’s involved, those villains calling themselves apostles must be participating as well.”

“That’s correct, Guild Master.”

Once, the United States was Earth’s sole hegemonic power. But after the dimensional fusion 30 years ago, America surrendered its hegemony to the Bilateral Alliance.

Still, as they say, even a ruined wealthy family can last three generations.

The Wu Nation that took over former China. And the New European Union, newly strengthened around the former Vatican and the old Ailetan Empire.

America still possessed enough national power to stand alongside them.

‘Even such a powerful America has now fallen into chaos.’

But perhaps America’s downfall had been foreseeable all along.

The Udilant Group, which dominated the hunter and monster industry in America. In fact, this massive corporation had been secretly colluding with villains.

Once Udilant officially supported the Red Lake, the American Hunter Association alone couldn’t maintain the existing system.

‘In reality, the territories controlled by the Red Lake are rapidly expanding in America.’

Of course, if America collapses, it’s not just a regional issue. The Red Lake, occupying the massive nation of America, would become even more rampant in pursuing their goals.

Yuri spoke.

“It seems the Red Lake truly intends to resurrect the Evil God, as the Vatican said. That’s why they’re so blatantly expanding their occupied territories.”

“Yes. Their grand uprising and declaration now seems to be becoming reality rather than empty words.”

The Red Lake’s goal. Their officially stated slogan was a world ruled by villains.

And the god of the new world who would deliver gospel to those villains. In other words, the Evil God.

Their ultimate goal appeared to be summoning to earth an Evil God that would transcend even the 72 demons of the King of Wisdom, those great demons.

According to Vatican prophecies, the Evil God is a being that brings divine punishment of apocalypse to the world. The villains volunteer themselves as apostles of this Evil God.

To them, current humanity is merely an offering for the Evil God’s resurrection.

‘Just like what the villain Hell Blood Demon did in Busan.’

In other words, expanding the ritual domain of sacrificial lambs worldwide.

That’s why existing powerful nations couldn’t just watch the chaos they were causing. Most major powers had already entered a war footing.

A new military alliance system to counter the Red Lake was being formed in real-time.

In the Far East, a powerful alliance system already existed in the form of the Bilateral Alliance between Korea and the Slavic Kingdom. But with the Red Lake’s expansion, discussions about a new alliance had recently emerged.

‘A Trilateral Alliance.’

That is, creating a new system by adding the Wu Nation to the existing Bilateral Alliance. Maria also spoke about this fact.

“Discussions about the Trilateral Alliance seem to be progressing more concretely. If it’s officially announced, it will cause quite a stir.”

Yuri nodded.

While the Slavic Kingdom and Wu Nation weren’t mortal enemies, the two countries had historically been competitors since before the dimensional fusion, when they belonged to Ailetan.

And after the dimensional fusion, the two nations had considerable disputes over the territory of former China.

Korea mediated between them to create a buffer zone preventing direct confrontation, but officially, the two countries had virtually no diplomatic exchanges.

‘The fact that these two countries are forming an alliance means…’

It meant that not just America, but the Far East was also facing an urgent crisis.

In reality, the Red Lake’s influence was rapidly expanding in Southeast Asia and Central Asia.

Executive Director Maria continued.

“And because of this new Trilateral Alliance issue, two members of our guild will likely have schedules coming up soon.”

“You mean me and Soso—I mean, Team Leader Yeon Soso?”

“Yes. Since Grand Duke Andrei and Sect Leader Yeon Sehwi will be attending, some say Flame played a significant role in making the Trilateral Alliance discussions concrete. That doesn’t seem wrong.”

Grand Duke Andrei representing the Slavic Kingdom. And Cheonma Yeon Sehwi representing the Wu Nation.

With the daughters of these two figures recently showing great achievements in the same guild, Flame, it was natural that they couldn’t be completely separated from the Trilateral Alliance matter.

‘Me and Soso…’

But when she thought of Soso, a fellow guild member and Flame’s raid team leader, Yuri felt uncomfortable. It was enough to make her momentarily forget about the Trilateral Alliance issue.

Still, Yuri put that thought aside for now. She said to Maria:

“But right now, Ms. Arin’s matter takes priority. Even if we receive an official attendance request from the Association, please adjust the schedule. The Association should understand that Ms. Arin’s saint manifestation is extremely important.”

“Yes, understood, Guild Master.”

The conversation with Maria ended.

Maria always maintained a businesslike expression, but she glanced at Yuri’s face and showed a worried look.

“Young miss. You haven’t been looking well lately.”

She spoke not as Flame’s Executive Director Maria, but as the maid Maria who had been by Yuri’s side for many years.

Yuri tried to answer calmly.

“It’s because there’s more work now that we’ve become an SS-class guild. But now that Polaris people will actively help with Flame’s internal operations, it should get better.”

“That may be true, but it’s not just simple overwork…”

“No. I’m really fine.”

With those final words, Yuri closed her mouth. Recognizing Yuri’s wishes, Maria bowed politely in greeting.

Tap—

After Maria left and the door closed, Yuri silently gazed out the office window. She tried not to think about it, but she couldn’t help feeling troubled. Now that Executive Director Maria had left, Minsu would soon enter her office.

‘Minsu…’

And so, the thoughts she had forcibly pushed aside, the jealousy toward Soso, began to fill her mind.

***

The current time was 9:50 AM.

Since Maria’s report was scheduled first, Yuri had messaged Minsu to come to her office at 10:00.

So there were still ten minutes left. Out of habit, she brewed coffee from the coffee machine. Then, sitting back at her desk, Yuri put two pills in her mouth along with the coffee. Her anxiety symptoms had become severe lately.

Without taking anti-anxiety medication like now, she simply couldn’t continue Flame’s work.

‘So… it would be better not to think about it, but…’

After taking the medicine, her trembling hands finally calmed down.

The insomnia and anxiety that had started during that year when Minsu was unconscious. Those symptoms had somewhat subsided after Minsu joined Flame.

But recently, the symptoms had recurred. No, they had actually worsened compared to before.

Specifically, it had been since Minsu and Soso returned to Flame after finishing their work in Busan. When she faced Minsu, when she looked at his face, her anxiety eased a bit.

But when she saw Soso. And when she saw Soso clearly conscious of Minsu, Yuri’s anxiety symptoms instantly intensified.

Perhaps it was the terrible jealousy, the dreadful jealousy toward Soso that was tearing Yuri’s heart to pieces.

‘That look in her eyes was definitely…’

Minsu had been in charge of Flame’s expansion business in Busan with Soso for three months.

Those two weren’t just Aince classmates. Yuri knew that Soso had been in love with Minsu since their Aince days.

Although Minsu had loved Yuri back then. But not anymore. And Soso’s feelings remained the same as during their Aince days.

Knowing this fact, it wouldn’t be strange if there had been some new development between them in Busan.

Yuri knew well that there’s nothing more meaningless than the word “friend” between a man and a woman, even though she wasn’t experienced in romance.

‘I keep thinking about what happened that day.’

She felt as if a terrible chill was tearing her heart apart.

At a café in Busan, Yuri had witnessed Soso and Minsu kissing.

And because of that incident, Yuri lost her mind. Of course, thanks to physically connecting with Minsu that day, she was able to clear up minor misunderstandings.

But after Soso returned from Busan, she sensed it. That something else had happened between Soso and Minsu after that day.

‘The way Soso looks at Minsu… has completely changed.’

For the past month, Soso, who had reported to Flame headquarters, couldn’t even look at Minsu’s face properly.

Even when they were together for work or meetings, Yuri noticed that Soso kept avoiding Minsu’s gaze.

If it was because she had trouble with Minsu and didn’t want to speak with him, it might have been better for Yuri, but she had a woman’s intuition.

‘She’s definitely not avoiding him because she dislikes him… rather, it’s because she likes him too much…’

That she was in such a state where even making eye contact with him was embarrassing because her affection for Minsu was overflowing.

Soso might have some quirky sides, but she wasn’t awkward with men like she was with Minsu now. Moreover, just a month ago, they had shared such a passionate, emotional kiss.

If that was the case, what her changed attitude indicated was one thing:

Something definitely happened between Soso and Minsu. Something that made even Soso, who had already kissed him, too embarrassed to face him.

‘Probably with Minsu… definitely…’

Yuri’s hands trembled more. Even though she used mana to speed up the anti-anxiety medication’s effects, her mind was so disturbed that not just her hands but her whole body was shaking.

And a terrible imagination that had been tormenting her for the past few weeks came to Yuri’s mind.

The image of Soso entwining her body with Minsu.

Like the kiss between the two that Yuri had spied on, the scene was intensely intimate.

‘If that really happened…’

If they had already mixed their bodies beyond a kiss, it wouldn’t be strange that Soso would be so embarrassed to look at Minsu now.

But Yuri absolutely didn’t want to acknowledge this fact.

‘No… this must be my delusion… if that really happened… Soso wouldn’t just stay quiet after returning to Seoul…’

Yuri herself hadn’t been innocent with Minsu either. They already knew each other’s bodies, though they hadn’t crossed the final line.

However, in the end, Minsu didn’t allow that final moment.

Even though it was because Minsu had a severe panic attack at that last moment and couldn’t continue, the thought that Minsu had chosen another woman over her tormented Yuri enough to extremely aggravate her existing anxiety.

‘That… that absolutely cannot happen…’

When she made such assumptions about the two, Yuri secretly observed Minsu’s apartment whenever she had time after work.

But the only person entering that house was Minsu. Neither Soso nor Arin, who used to freely come and go from Minsu’s room as if it were her own home, visited the place.

‘If they really had that kind of relationship… if they were dating… there’s no way Soso wouldn’t visit Minsu’s room.’

And that hopeful assumption was the only hope sustaining Yuri now.

Minsu had said he wouldn’t think about dating until he eliminated the Red Lake, so that resolution wouldn’t apply only to Yuri.

Like he had told her, Minsu didn’t seem to be dating anyone yet. Even if he had been physically intimate with someone, they weren’t necessarily dating.

‘When it’s all over… I should be the one by Minsu’s side. I absolutely… absolutely cannot lose Minsu to anyone.’

Thump—

She felt as if her heart was freezing. She felt like she might transform back into her former self from that day, when she confined Minsu in that hotel.

And what pushed Yuri further toward the edge was seeing Minsu smile even as Soso avoided his gaze.

That gentle expression was something Minsu used to show only to her.

‘I feel like I’m going crazy… cold… so cold…’

Even though she was a frost mage who shouldn’t feel cold, her entire body felt freezing.

‘I need… I need Minsu’s warmth…’

But the current Yuri couldn’t actively approach Minsu.

She had confined Minsu with the Eternal Barrier. So the closer she got to Minsu, the more she tried to return to how they were in Aince days, the more it would trigger Minsu’s trauma.

She loved Minsu. So she couldn’t hurt him. But she loved Minsu. She hated the thought of being away from him more than death itself.

‘No. Minsu will be here soon. I can’t show him this state.’

She emptied all the anti-anxiety pills from the small plastic container into her mouth.

She had to endure now. After all, the cause of this terrible pain was ultimately her own failure to trust Minsu.

They needed to eliminate the Red Lake. Only then could she truly ask Minsu for forgiveness. And when that day comes, she would surely have a chance to make him look at her again, no matter what it takes.

Because Minsu had loved her, Yuri. And because the current Yuri loved Minsu much more than she did during their Aince days.

Yuri’s Nivis resonated. Then the terrible chill that seemed about to freeze her solid seemed to dissipate a little.

‘Nivis…’

An Ancient Gear, a magical tool that chooses its master with its own will. The S-class gear Nivis seemed to be worried about its master, Yuri.

“Nivis. I’m fine.”

After saying that, she resolved once more. To definitely eliminate the Red Lake. And to protect Minsu from those villains.

She and Minsu were young. As long as Minsu was alive, there would be plenty of opportunities to atone to him and return to how they were in Aince days.

‘Right, Nivis?’

Her body calmed down. She was glad she wouldn’t show an unseemly appearance to Minsu. There was much to discuss with Minsu about Seong Arin’s saint manifestation.

Now, she needed to return to her role as the guild master responsible for the SS-class guild Flame. Just then, a knock sounded from beyond the office door.

“Guild Master. This is Lee Minsu! May I come in?”