episode_0204

Smack!

“Yelp!”

Baek Ayun let out a small yelp from the flick she received on her forehead, delivered by hands like pot lids.

Had she not expected to be hit? Her expression showed considerable bewilderment.

“G-Grandfather-nim, why…”

She held her forehead with both hands and stammered out words, but Gwon Hwang, with an unwavering solemn expression, raised his hand once more.

“Gasp.”

Baek Ayun instinctively flinched. But this time, Gwon Hwang merely let out a deep sigh instead of inflicting more punishment.

Soon, Gwon Hwang stepped forward and gently hugged his granddaughter.

Baek Ayun, who hadn’t expected such a hug, blinked her dazed eyes a couple of times…

“…Why did you do such a thing?”

“…”

Gwon Hwang scolded her in a stern voice.

Baek Ayun’s lips were tightly shut.

“It was something that could have gone terribly wrong. If I had truly passed away, and that monster was still active in this city…”

“…”

“Even if you had come with those two, you wouldn’t have been able to avoid disaster. Do you understand?”

Saying it bluntly, Gwon Hwang glanced at Lee Hyunjin and Cheon Soyul. The two, who had been pretending not to listen to the conversation between the grandfather and granddaughter, flinched.

“B-But Grandfather-nim… I was just worried something might have happened to you, so I-get-ack.”

“And you’re the same. Why did you commit such a dangerous act?”

After covering Baek Ayun’s mouth with his palm as she tried to speak in an indignant tone, Gwon Hwang shot a sharp glare at Lee Hyunjin.

Lee Hyunjin, who was secretly nervous that the blame might fall on him, cleared his throat.

“I apologize, Elder. Ayun, well, she was so adamant in her stance that…”

He subtly tried to shift the blame. In fact, Baek Ayun had been ready to knock everyone down and leave alone if necessary.

But Gwon Hwang clicked his tongue and retorted.

“Then why didn’t you stop her by force then?”

At those words, Lee Hyunjin made an unexplainable expression and gestured towards Baek Ayun with his eyes.

She was currently a girl struggling powerlessly while being held by Gwon Hwang, but…

“…By force? Her?”

“…”

Despite that, truly, there wasn’t a single student in Cheongsong Academy who would dare to stop her by force.

That much was true across all grades, from first to fourth year.

“…Ahem, I meant to restrain this granddaughter of mine, even by using your abilities.”

Gwon Hwang also couldn’t bring himself to point out that part and subtly changed his words. In any case, if it came to force against force, wasn’t Lee Hyunjin superior to Baek Ayun?

Lee Hyunjin awkwardly scratched his cheek, then bowed his head.

“I apologize, Elder. However, I thought I would have enough power to protect Ayun even if something dangerous were to happen…”

“You, do you really need to add such words?”

“…Ahem, I apologize.”

As Lee Hyunjin quickly took a humble stance and apologized, Gwon Hwang found himself unable to say anything more.

Although there was displeasure, the outcome could also be seen as having turned out well.

“…Well, this wouldn’t have happened if this old man hadn’t been injured, so… I won’t scold any further.”

Strictly speaking, if he hadn’t been struck by the anomaly and wandering between life and death, barely protected by Eileen, and thus unable to contact them, none of this would have happened.

Furthermore, thanks to Lee Hyunjin coming all the way to this distant country, things ended up well.

Gwon Hwang hoped he wouldn’t be perceived as a rigid old man for needlessly scolding his granddaughter and her friends any further.

Gwon Hwang, Baek Muyeom, stroked his granddaughter’s hair, watching Lee Hyunjin and Cheon Soyul’s reactions.

“…It’s a relief you’re safe, Grandfather-nim.”

Baek Ayun also yielded to Gwon Hwang’s touch and muttered in a small voice.

Gwon Hwang couldn’t bring himself to scold her further after hearing those words.

*****

Before they knew it, the Lightning Storm was once again traversing the skies, having left the land of Turkey.

Inside the aircraft, finally lying down comfortably and resting.

‘It was resolved rather well, I suppose? This, too.’

I was relieved that things had worked out well, one way or another.

The anomaly was caught, and the gate was closed off by spending a little more time.

Although I had the ‘core’ taken by Eileen, that woman who cannot be underestimated—.

If I consider it the price for receiving cooperation from a villain, well, it wasn’t too painful.

In a way, since I was able to form a connection with Lucretia, the Saintess of Europe, couldn’t it be considered a very well-resolved episode?

At least until just before the execution of the Moonlight Cult subjugation operation a few days later… it seemed like I could rest with a more relaxed mindset.

“Ugh…”

I loosened my stiff body with a single stretch and let time pass by staring blankly at the magnificent view outside the window.

…Had I perhaps excessively drained my stamina recently, getting caught up in all sorts of incidents?

‘Come to think of it, I think I was injured several times too…’

In Cheorwon and also in Istanbul this time. It was fortunate that I had super regeneration; otherwise, it wouldn’t have been strange if I had died two or three times.

I was trying to give myself a rest, but then again, in a few days, I also have to go catch Haru.

There was so much to do. Just thinking about the things that made my expression sour, my face naturally became haggard.

‘…Let’s at least get a lot of sleep.’

I subtly changed my posture, buried myself deep in the seat, and slowly closed my eyes, thinking I should force myself to get some sleep.

Once I return to the academy, I’ll really have to let my body rest for a few days.

Perhaps it was because I closed my eyes immediately with that thought.

“…”

At that moment, I didn’t notice a pair of golden eyes persistently staring at me from a seat a little distance away.

Thud…!

“Mmm…”

And right after I opened my eyes, feeling the aircraft shake once.

“…What the.”

I rubbed my eyes and sat up. Still in that dazed state, I looked around, but what actually came into my sight was…

“…Where did everyone go?”

Merely the entire interior of the plane, which remained dark with the lights off.

I kept my mouth open in a daze for a while, then turned my head towards the window.

A sight of familiar-looking buildings scattered everywhere. I couldn’t be precise, but this was probably Seoul Airport, where we had departed from.

“…”

So, I understand we’ve arrived.

But where did everyone go, leaving me behind?

“Have you woken up?”

“…Ah.”

As I stood up from my seat with slumped shoulders, feeling needlessly gloomy, a middle-aged man appeared from the cockpit area just in time.

This was the Captain-nim who had taken Cheon Soyul, Baek Ayun, and me to Turkey.

Before I could even speak, he answered what I was likely curious about.

“The others returned to the academy beforehand. They asked me to tell you that they didn’t wake you separately because you looked too tired.”

“…Do you happen to know how many hours it’s been since I fell asleep?”

“Hmm, I don’t know the exact time Hyunjin student fell asleep, but it’s been about four hours since we landed at Seoul Airport.”

“…”

I looked at the captain with a bewildered expression. That much time had passed?

So, this mister waited until I woke up?

“Uh, I’m sorry…”

“Haha, it’s quite alright. Even Hero-nim sometimes does this when they return from overseas missions.”

I immediately bowed my head, but received such words in return. I knew it truly meant it was alright, but… it felt a bit like I had become the equivalent of that Yang Chan-ho person.

Hiding my awkwardness as much as possible, I gathered my belongings and bowed my head politely to the captain once more.

Anyway, since I was awake, I should go back, shouldn’t I? The captain stepped aside with a light smile, and I descended from the aircraft.

Yang Chan-ho had given me a ride when I came, but not on the way back. I had to use the train.

‘…Still, they could have waited a bit.’

Inwardly, no matter how deeply I had slept, I recalled a small resentment towards the two people who had simply left quickly, leaving me behind…

I walked along. Fortunately, perhaps thanks to having slept deeply, my body felt extremely refreshed.

*****

And as soon as I arrived at the academy, I understood why Cheon Soyul had returned first without any sentiment.

“Choose.”

“Huh?”

“I said choose. One of two.”

She, who had been waiting for me very naturally on my dorm bed, casually tossed two items in front of me.

I looked down at them with a stiff expression.

They had fluffy-looking fur, and in every respect, they looked like they imitated cat ears and dog ears…

To put it simply, they were animal ear headbands.

My eyes widened, and I raised my head. Then Cheon Soyul, smoothly adjusting her bangs, declared to me.

“If you choose one, tonight I’ll make sounds the way you want.”

“…”

“How about it? Do you like ‘meow’ or ‘woof’?”

…My Wife-nim had prepared an event for me, who was exhausted.