episode_0316

I packed everything I needed to pack from the cradle.

When I measured the stuff packed tightly in subspace, my stomach was full.

I packed my supplies and finished the graduation ceremony. I also left a message to the fairies and baby unicorns who remained in the mansion.

I also spent some time with Torajin Seo-yool, who had been out for a long time, and took the time to really relax.

There was no reason to delay any longer.

Since I have to lick around the place that is expected to be the entrance on the back, I have a lot of time, but I do not have much leisure.

“Hmm.”

Their gazes were fixed on the corn. They were the gazes of the cadets who had visited the gate terminal just like me.

I didn’t really pay attention to such trivial glances.

“… … ”

The fog was so thick that the faces of the people I cared about were not very good even though I could clearly see them through the fog.

Eyes and voice dripping with worry and concern.

My shoulders hunched involuntarily, as if I was welcoming a child being dragged to the battlefield.

At the same time, memories of the past few days came back to me.

[happiness]

“What are you happy about? Are you laughing?”

“Boom, wooong… ”

Persuasion… or should I say temptation? He held me in his arms, coaxing and coaxing me so that I wouldn’t go to a bad place.

Whenever he gets a chance, he holds me in his arms, looks me in the eye, caresses me, pats me, hugs me, whispers words of affection…

The expression “I was filled with happiness” was correct.

There were more than a dozen times when I almost nodded my head in wonder at the suggestion that I could just stay in the cradle during the vacation.

‘Still, we can’t stop here…’

Of course, I want to stay. I want to spend a happy vacation, being held in warm arms and whining…

If I had actually given in to the temptation, I would have had a very happy vacation.

But the future is not guaranteed.

My current level has grown tremendously compared to the original, but it is still lacking.

High-level dungeons and monsters. Dangerous disasters like the other side. Invasion of the most important tower lord.

I doubt that it can be stopped, and even if it can be stopped, I don’t know what kind of damage it will cause.

Therefore, rather than being satisfied with the current results, we must seek more strength through them.

So I shook my head with tears in my eyes.

“I’ll come back safely.”

I avoided the hand that was pulling my lips and hugged my teacher tightly. The corners of my mouth naturally went up at the warm and comfortable feeling.

“Please keep in touch and I will be back as soon as I finish my business, so don’t worry too much.”

“… Phew.”

The teacher, who had been pinching his lips at my behavior, sighed and patted my back as if he had no choice.

“Be careful… Be careful. Don’t go to strange places without permission. Especially in dungeons, you really have to be careful.”

“Before talking about the duty of a hero or anything like that, you should take care of yourself first. Also, don’t just fight head first.”

I wasn’t the only one going out during the holidays.

The Master and Professor Riana were also in the cradle for a while, so they said they had work to do outside during the vacation.

Baek A-rin had to go to Yeongji because of family matters, and Yeonhwa and Lee Ji-yeon also had to return to their families.

Elia stopped by her hometown for a while and, surprisingly, said she would follow Baek A-rin and help her.

It’s not that I don’t understand.

Healers are always in short supply on the battlefield. Although she is a cadet, Elia is already a top-level player and is an important resource.

“But… ”

“No, is Ha-yul saying something like that while blurting out the destination?”

“Pububububub…”

“Ugh, I’m just going to treat you from the rear for now, so don’t worry. If you really don’t want me to collapse from dehydration first this time, please come back safely, Harul?”

“Yes…”

When I showed my concern, Elia pulled my lips at me, who was dumbfounded. After whining and pinching me for a while, I was finally freed.

“Softening.”

The greetings were almost over. I licked my lips and slowly approached Yeonhwa.

“…Will you come back safely?”

As I spoke softly, Yeonhwa’s gaze fell on me.

Red eyes. The complex vortex of emotions swirling within them made me worry again.

Yeonhwa’s condition has been strange for the past few days.

He often sat alone and thought about things blankly, and he would often look down at me while holding me in his arms, sending me complicated looks.

I was frustrated because I kept whining and asking why, but I didn’t get an answer… Of course, I wasn’t in a position to complain about that.

Aren’t I the one who’s hiding something from the other side right now?

Of course, there are no particular restrictions on the back, but I kept my mouth shut because I thought telling you my purpose would only cause you to worry more.

“Ha-yul-ah.”

Yeonhwa hugged me tightly in her arms.

The feeling of warm, soft flesh and the soothing sound of a heartbeat that calmed my mind and body were in my ears.

“Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of Seo-Yul. As soon as you’re done with work, don’t go astray and come back right away. Got it?”

“Yes.”

“Yeah. You answer nicely.”

[……]

When I had nothing to say and kept my mouth shut, Yeonhwa nodded and stared into my eyes.

Eyes that make it hard to tell what they are thinking. Affection that can be seen clearly even among the complexly rolling waves.

As I tilted my head back and met her gaze, Yeonhwa smiled faintly and pressed her lips to the bridge of my nose.

“Keep in touch. If you ever get disconnected like that, I’ll come looking for you right away.”

“I will do it regularly…”

At the words, “Come find me right away,” I nodded, shivering.

* * *

Three days had passed since Maxwell had received the sudden news.

Robert, it had been a long time! He had just finished work around lunchtime and was neatly tidying up his clothes in front of the mirror.

“Um…”

A high-quality suit that is not particularly special, but is hard to find anywhere else.

Compared to the rags he wore when he was wandering the battlefield, it is complicated to wear and organize, but after three years of being a school dog, he is now used to it and can do anything.

“After.”

After finishing tidying up, Robert turned around.

The door was right in front of him. But he didn’t open it, instead tapping the floor with his toes.

– Woof…!

A strange sound rose from the tips of his feet. The moment it finally reached his crown, Robert found himself in a completely different space than before.

The fairly spacious space has no windows or doors leading to the outside.

This is the innermost part of the association headquarters, a secret conference room where those without special authorization are not allowed to even set foot.

“Robert, isn’t it hard to see your face?”

There were already guests in the conference room. Robert checked his appearance again and turned around.

In the center of the conference room, there were four people sitting around a rectangular table that was floating without legs.

Samuel Delany.

Alfred Bester.

Fritz Leiber.

Isaac Asimov.

They are state legislators from the same association as Robert.

“You’re the last one. I still haven’t gotten over that habit of being late.”

A graying, elderly man, State Representative Samuel Delany, who occupied a corner of the table, spoke eloquently.

“It’s not even time for the appointment yet. Why are you late? Don’t sit down first and act up.”

“Oh, isn’t it basic courtesy to be seated before the scheduled time?”

“As you said, it’s not time yet. Don’t bother and just keep your mouth shut.”

Robert sat down on the floating chair without legs, frowning.

“They still seem to be on good terms.”

“It’s still a nagging word even after hearing it for decades.”

The other three people smiled bitterly at Robert’s crumpled face.

“You all got so old. Just look at all the gray hair. Shouldn’t you have taken better care of yourself?”

“Only you can do it.”

The grumbling tone exudes friendliness.

In any case, since these are the people who have led the association since the leader went into hiding, it is inevitable that there will be affection between them.

“So, are the association presidents withdrawing their seclusion now?”

After a short conversation, Fritz nodded silently.

Robert snorted.

“…We can’t say for sure among ourselves. Also, it’s a problem that will be solved soon.”

“Still, let’s make it meaningful to speculate among ourselves. If people who have been in hiding for decades are coming back, there must be a reason, right?”

“Maybe he’s coming back because things aren’t going well.”

“Oh, that’s definitely true.”

Fritz, who had asked a question about Alfred’s answer, also nodded.

It is a well-known fact to the general public that the current state of the world is not entirely positive.

Of course, if you ask if the situation is dangerous enough for the association presidents to rush back, they will shake their heads, but it could be a certain number.

In order to reduce damage from threats like this, you need to prepare for them in advance.

“It’ll be hard to show off your face proudly… .”

After going into seclusion, they were put in the positions of state councilors, telling them to lead the association well, but the world is showing signs of chaos again.

Whatever it was, it wasn’t something they could be proud of.

– Woof woof!

It was around the time when everyone was unanimous in their agreement about the association president’s call.

The empty space a little way away rippled slightly.

The faces of the members of the council brightened as the vibration spread inside, as if a knock was being made on a door.

The return of the association president. Although I haven’t heard a definite answer, I can’t help but look forward to it since I’ve been halfway through the instructions from the association president since I’ve been away for decades.

“Huh?”

Because of that, I blinked as I looked at the two people who had revealed themselves, damaging the vibrations of the space.

One person is Maxwell. As an executive, he has permission to enter this conference room.

Another one…

“Huh…?”

Alfred, who was observing those accompanying Maxwell, let out a sigh.

It was white from head to toe. I felt like even the parts that weren’t white were white.

At the same time, there is not an inch of disarray in his facial features and everything is in harmony, so his pure white impression stands out positively.

It was to the point where I thought I had entered a relatively dark conference room into the sunlight for a moment.

“Lee Ha-ryul Cadet?”

Alpid muttered, and everyone was already thinking of Iha Yul’s name.

It was impossible not to know. Lee Ha-yool has always been the center of attention since he entered school.

There was a face so crazy and outstanding that once I saw it, I could never forget it.

[hmm]

They looked at each other for a moment. Lee Ha-yool, who had her eyes closed, took a step forward and caressed her necklace.

[Nice to meet you. My name is Lee Ha-yul, currently attending Siyoram.]

“Yes, nice to meet you, Hero Lee Ha-yul. My name is Robert Heyline, and I hold a seat on the Association’s State Council.”

Robert stood up from his seat at the first polite greeting.

“I heard about the achievements of Hero Lee Ha-yul and looked forward to meeting him in the future, and now I have the chance to meet him in person.”

Robert smiled a classic smile that reflected decades of social experience.

“Sipnaha. And I would like to take this opportunity to once again express my gratitude for the heroic devotion shown in China.”

Robert bowed his heavy head as he spoke. Those who stood up after him also bowed their heads.

Thank you for your dedication. It wasn’t empty words, nor was it a show.

They are truly grateful to Lee Ha-yul for stopping the dungeon rampage of Sifnaha and the two-headed dragon in China.

[I am the one who is grateful. In both cases, I felt safe because you protected me after the incident.]

“That is the purpose of the association’s establishment and its reason for existence. If it cannot even do that, there is no need for the association to exist.”

A warm conversation that continued for a moment.

After finishing the first greeting and confirming that the atmosphere had relaxed considerably, Robert opened his mouth.

“But, may I ask why Hero Lee Ha-yul came here?”

Although it was Robert who asked the question in a formal manner, the answer was actually somewhat expected.

The conference room is a space that the owner of the space in the past personally took care of security.

This conference room, where the power of space is applied, is like another world where even common coordinates cannot be specified.

The fact that you were able to enter that conference room without any problems means that you are somehow connected to the association presidents.

Perhaps Lee Ha-yul had not been invited by the association presidents for some reason… I deduced that to myself.

“This is Maxwell from the executive branch.”

That was when.

Maxwell, who had been standing behind Lee Ha-yool, took a step forward and responded.

“Lee Ha-yul, the hero, participated in this meeting as the ‘Acting President of the Association’.”

“Oh, I see. So that’s the position of acting president… Okay.”

Robert nodded. The others nodded as well and sat back down.

“What position?”

Robert raised his head and blinked. He asked again, as if asking what he had heard.

The other four were in similar situations. They all stared at Lee Ha-yool and Maxwell alternately, their faces clearly showing embarrassment, though they didn’t say anything.

“Association President’s Representative, ”

Maxwell continued speaking, not stopping at the blank stares fixed on him.

“Lee Ha-yul, the hero, was formally transferred his authority from the former president of the association, Gracia Tejulin, and Sierra Scariar.”

“Transfer of authority… already?”

“Yes, Hero Lee Ha-yul is currently the ‘Acting President’ with overall authority over the association.”

“……”

“For your information, I will be assisting the acting president of the association, Lee Ha-yul, for this meeting only.”

Maxwell nodded calmly and finished speaking.

Although his tone was calm, the things he said were not light.

Suddenly, a powerful organization called the Association had a leader with no equal.

Everyone’s mouths dropped open at the outrageous news.

Meanwhile, Lee Ha-yul, who was not being stopped by Maxwell, walked over and carefully sat down on one of the empty seats.

[Therefore, I am Lee Ha-yul, who will temporarily act as the acting president of the association]

A seat that is slightly higher than the other seats, floating in the air.

Lee Ha-yool, who tossed and turned for a moment as if feeling awkward in his seat, nodded his head as he felt the gazes directed at him.

[I understand that more explanation is needed, but before that, I would like to first explain the purpose of today’s meeting.]

The voice coming from the necklace was very calm, perhaps because of work-related reasons.

[Please prepare your expeditionary force and defense force to be able to move at any time]

“Yes?”

Robert, who had been listening with a dumbfounded expression, did not understand the English, but asked back without realizing it.

In contrast to the calm tone, the content was brutal.

The acting president, who had just taken office, mobilized the military as his first directive.