Ch.12241. Glass Anxiety (2)

I stepped into Yuri’s office.

As usual. Despite being in the midst of a heatwave in early August, the office was cool. No, it was actually cold enough to be chilling.

‘She wouldn’t have turned on the air conditioner.’

It seemed that Yuri’s ice mana was being unconsciously released. When our eyes met as I opened the door and entered, that cooling mana subsided a little.

“Hello, Guild Leader. I’m here to report on the matter you instructed previously…”

Yuri’s gaze turned toward me. However, she remained silent after hearing my greeting. I couldn’t easily read the emotions behind her expressionless face.

It was exactly like the expression I had seen when I first met her—that same look she had in Ains right after my possession.

But Yuri soon opened her mouth.

“Yes. Please proceed.”

There was something strange about Yuri’s calm demeanor. She had maintained that expression ever since Soso and I returned from Busan.

‘She seemed uncomfortable.’

But during the past month of July, I was too busy to pay attention to Yuri’s state.

To recover from the strain my body endured during the uprising, I didn’t actively go into the field. Instead, I took on a separate mission with guild members from the information team and staff dispatched from the Association.

That work required many sleepless nights, not just for Team Leader Seo Du-ho, but for me as well. The workload was enormous.

I reported to Yuri about the work from the past month. The document was titled:

[The Red Lake’s 12 Apostles and Individual Profiles]

The 12 Apostles. They were the elite who stood at the top of the Red Lake, which had become a massive villain organization after its official uprising.

“As expected, the Three Demons—no, including Juan Soriano, the Four Demons—are already part of the 12 Apostles. And we’ve concluded that Chae Min-a has also become a member of the 12 Apostles.”

“Chae Min-a…”

Chae Min-a, who was Siwoo’s girlfriend. And the nun of the White Cross Society who was like an older sister to Arini. That Chae Min-a had become a demon contractor and risen to become a core member of the Red Lake.

To obtain this information, Team Leader Seo Du-ho used all his information connections. Not to mention the personnel dispatched from the Association.

They introduced themselves as just regular employees of the Association’s Information Department. But according to Team Leader Seo Du-ho, they were remarkably skilled information agents whose names were surprisingly unknown.

‘They must be people who worked in the shadows of the Association.’

That day when we fought in the uprising in Busan.

The man who had been following me might have been from that department. The fact that such high-level personnel were dispatched to Flame meant that Flame had gained recognition.

Conversely, it also meant that the Association was taking the current situation very seriously.

‘But the Secretary-General’s choice was the right one.’

After all, I had some knowledge about the masterminds and villains through the original work’s prior information.

With that prior knowledge, Flame’s information team, and the support staff from the Association, we were able to create fairly detailed profiles of the 12 Apostles.

‘Until then, we couldn’t find almost any clues about the 12 Apostles. It was a significant achievement.’

However, some of the 12 Apostles moved very secretively, so we couldn’t uncover all the information about them.

And the Three Demons, who formed one axis of the 12 Apostles.

Those three, including the Soul-Stealing Demon Seo Mun-yeom, had long reigned at the top of the villain world even before Juan Soriano’s appearance.

Naturally, information about them was already widely known. But even the Five Great Sects couldn’t deal with them carelessly.

That meant the 12 Apostles were extremely dangerous villains. And they were my specific targets and enemies who I had to kill before my last breath.

Still, the fortunate thing was that the 12 Apostles had already been reduced by one.

“And I’ve confirmed that Lee Seon-woo, the Hell Blood Demon that Soso and I dealt with, was also a member of the 12 Apostles.”

“With Soso…? No, with Team Leader Yeon… I see. The two of you confronted that villain in Busan. According to this information, it means Flame’s people have taken care of one of the 12 Apostles. That’s good news.”

I nodded. She continued.

“I assume the contents of this report have already been reported to the Association?”

“Yes. Since we collaborated with the Association’s dispatched employees, they would have already reported to Secretary-General Choi Seung-hoon.”

“Then we might soon be tasked with directly confronting the 12 Apostles. The Red Lake is an enemy of the world and an enemy of our Flame. So Min-su and the information team’s contribution is significant. Thank you for your hard work.”

Though her words were clearly meant to encourage a guild member, there was no emotion to be felt in Yuri’s words.

‘Yuri has definitely been strange lately.’

I quickly wrapped up my report on the 12 Apostles.

Then Yuri brought up the next agenda.

“And I should also mention the next matter. Now that the information tracking on the 12 Apostles has been somewhat completed, regarding Arin’s saintly manifestation that the Vatican has directly requested from us, Min-su should also…”

Again, Yuri’s tone was excessively businesslike.

And with the third seal of the Hong-ok having been broken, my senses were now much more sensitive than before.

‘The mana Yuri is emitting. It’s seriously sharp.’

The freezing mana that was cooling this office. Those fine particles of mana were filling the space like sharp, pointed blades.

Even just brushing against that emitted mana would cause serious injury to someone who wasn’t an Awakened. Since unconsciously emitted mana is governed by an Awakened’s mental state.

‘It means Yuri is definitely not in her normal state right now.’

I briefly considered the dangerous implications.

Comparing the original timeline to now.

After Arini’s saintly manifestation was completed, Yuri was supposed to successfully awaken Nivis’s third form and simultaneously advance a level as an ice mage.

But if Yuri couldn’t maintain her composure, that story might become distorted. Unaware of my thoughts, Yuri continued.

“…… So the Vatican has dispatched priests from the Far East Diocese, and knights from the Cathedral Knights have also been separately sent to our Flame to help Arin…”

“Guild Leader. Just a moment.”

I made a decision. I interrupted Yuri mid-sentence. At that moment, our eyes met.

“What is it? We haven’t finished discussing this mission yet, so if you have a question…”

“Guild Leader, no, Yuri Tarkovskaya. Has something been bothering you lately?”

At my words, Yuri’s blue eyes, which had maintained their expressionlessness until now, wavered. She quickly replied.

“Nothing’s wrong.”

***

I am a member of Flame Guild.

Yet I committed the discourtesy of interrupting the Guild Leader, Yuri, mid-sentence. Not only that, but I even went so far as to directly ask about her condition using informal speech.

In Flame, Yuri is known as a cold Guild Leader who keeps professional and personal matters strictly separate.

So my statement might have been considered shockingly rude if seen by other employees at headquarters. Enough that Yuri should have gotten angry immediately.

But she showed no particular reaction to my words.

‘Nothing’s wrong, she says…’

But Yuri’s current reaction was clearly confirming that her mood was not normal.

I moved closer to her.

“What are you doing? We’re in the middle of a report…”

“Yuri Tarkovskaya.”

I grabbed Yuri’s shoulders. I looked directly into her blue eyes.

Then I could feel her previously expressionless face gradually changing. She kept trying to avoid my gaze.

“Come here. Let’s talk.”

“What kind of disrespectful talk is this, I am the Guild Leader…”

“Let’s just talk, okay? Or should I just leave?”

After saying that, I turned away from Yuri. Then Yuri hurriedly rose from her chair and grabbed my sleeve.

“N-no! Don’t go… I mean, please don’t leave…”

I continued to speak informally, but Yuri couldn’t easily do the same with me.

The excessively narrowed distance between us. The fact that she had seen me have a panic attack because of it. Perhaps that’s why she unconsciously refused to speak informally.

And from that reaction, I was certain. That Yuri’s bad mood was definitely because of me.

‘That shouldn’t happen.’

Since returning to Seoul, I had been careful not to repeat the mistake I made in Busan.

Yuri had caught me kissing Soso at a café in Busan. And because of that incident, Yuri had nearly been imprisoned by creating an eternal barrier.

So in Seoul, I didn’t have any private contact with Soso. Apart from work talk, we barely spoke except through phone calls.

And I also prevented Arini from visiting my apartment anymore.

Of course, after the Vatican designated her as a candidate for sainthood, it had become difficult to meet Arini even at headquarters.

Therefore, Yuri’s current reaction was somewhat perplexing to me. Her behavior is because of me. But I had done my best to avoid contact with other women that might provoke her jealousy.

‘Still, there’s no effect without a cause. Could it be that?’

Recently, the way Soso looked at me had completely changed from before.

Unless I was a fool, I knew that Soso now had feelings for me. I had also opened my heart to Soso to some extent.

So there were a few times when Soso felt shy around me. After that night we spent together, Soso couldn’t meet my eyes.

And Yuri might have noticed how Soso’s reactions had changed.

‘That might be too much of a stretch…’

For a moment I thought I might be too self-conscious, but now I had to consider the worst-case scenario.

If Yuri’s emotional change was due to jealousy, then I needed to control that jealousy directly.

I took Yuri’s hand, which was just holding onto my sleeve, and led her to the sofa in the office.

***

The two of us sat side by side on the sofa.

Yuri, unable to say anything, had become like a docile lamb sitting next to me.

Unlike her expressionless face when I first entered the office, she now seemed a bit surprised by my sudden action.

After a moment of silence, Yuri finally spoke first.

“What… what are you doing? This is work hours…”

“Your condition is strange, so I couldn’t just ignore it.”

“What are you talking about? I’m the same as usual… huh?”

I firmly held Yuri’s hand. A cold hand like someone with poor circulation. Gently stroking it as if to warm it, I said to her:

“Your ice mana is strange. It’s never been this sharp and irritable before. Not since I’ve known you.”

At those words, Yuri’s expression changed. She looked very surprised.

“How did you…”

“I’ve always been by your side. So I know well.”

“W-what… what are you saying…”

“And I’m still watching over you now. I told you before. You’re important to me.”

At those words, Yuri’s eyes trembled greatly. I could see them becoming moist.

“What are you suddenly saying… huh?”

And I pulled Yuri into my arms. I don’t have much time left.

So I needed to bind Yuri to me even more. I had to make her listen to me.

If I wanted her to perfectly fulfill her role as Flame’s Guild Leader for me. At that thought, Hong-ok momentarily resonated, sensing the turmoil in my heart.

But since returning from Busan, I had steeled my resolve countless times.

‘Whether it’s Yuri, Soso, or Arini. If they want love from me, I can like them.’

However, liking them would be all there is to it. I put my lips to Yuri’s earlobe. And whispered:

“Could it be that you’ve been feeling bad lately because of Soso?”

Yuri, nestled in my arms, flinched at those words.