ch 268
Became a Swordsmanship Instructor at the Academy
Chapter 268
The darkness lifted and the surroundings brightened, it seemed like the sun would rise soon.
SQUEAK!
With the sound of a door opening, Eunseo came out of the cabin.
"Brother, you woke up early?"
"Yeah. Did you sleep well?"
Actually, I didn't wake up early but rather didn't sleep at all, but if I told her the truth, she'd worry.
"I thought brother would be next to me, but I was so surprised when you weren't there."
Eunseo approached me and hugged me playfully.
"Oh my. Is that so, our princess?"
"Did you fish with sister Luciel all night?"
"Huh? Yeah. That's right."
No. Luciel went back.
Yesterday when I couldn't give her an answer, she said she was going to research magic and went back.
"But where is sister?"
"She's tired so she's resting a bit and will come later."
"Sister is?"
The excuse was a bit weak.
Well, it doesn't make sense for Luciel to be tired.
"Don't tell me you fought?"
"No way. It's just that she said she's almost done with her magic research. Since we spent yesterday together, she suggested spending the next 3 days with just Eunseo and then 3 days with her."
"Sister is something else. I like it though, I can have brother all to myself for 3 days starting today."
Looking at Eunseo speaking with a bright smile, my heart grows heavier and heavier.
It seems like Luciel didn't tell Eunseo.
If she knew, she wouldn't be smiling like this.
"That's a relief then. Let's eat breakfast. I'll prepare it quickly."
"You're making it with the fish you caught yesterday, right? I'll wash up and help you."
"Yeah. Go wash up first. I'll start preparing."
I sent Eunseo inside and took the fish from the fish hold to head to the kitchen.
I was preparing the vegetables first when Eunseo came in.
"Oh my. Why did you leave that like that?"
She was startled seeing the fish floating in the air.
"I wanted to prepare the vegetables first but there was nowhere to put it."
"I'll do the vegetable preparation. Brother, you do that."
She pointed at the fish, could it be because she finds it disgusting?
"You hunt monsters just fine."
"That's different from this. I've prepared mackerel before, but that's too big."
Well, that Luciel sure caught something like this.
"Alright, I'll do it."
As I activated my mental focus, the scales separated instantly.
I split the belly to remove the intestines and then hung it upside down in the air to drain the blood.
Finally, I removed the bones and it was done.
"Wow, without touching it once with your hands... really amazing."
"What's so great about something like this."
I used one cleanly separated fillet for soup, and made batter for the other one to fry in oil.
Originally, fish cutlet is made with pollack, but well, this is also white fish.
"Aren't you throwing away the bones?"
"I thought making broth with this would be absolutely amazing."
Gochujang and red pepper powder, minced garlic that no Korean can leave out.
"Princess, are the vegetables ready?"
"All done."
Each piece was neat and all the same size.
I praised my skills, but Eunseo's knife skills are also quite impressive.
"Wow, you could open a restaurant later."
"I don't want a restaurant."
"Why?"
"I want to cook not for other people, but only for brother... no, for our family."
"That's touching. But when we go to mother-in-law's house, don't you always just sit there?"
"No, Mom is family too, but I meant brother and our sisters."
I was a little... no, very touched.
Honestly, I knew everyone understood and met each other and we're somewhat close, but to think she considered not just me but all the other girls as family too.
"Sister Luciel probably won't like this kind of food much though."
"Luciel won't touch anything unless it's chocolate."
"But Sister Sejin likes spicy soup. I want to see sister quickly."
My heart grew heavy again.
"Brother? It's boiling over."
"Huh? Oh. I should turn down the heat."
After eating, I enjoyed water activities with Eunseo like yesterday.
Maybe because it was a warm sea, it was fun to see various corals and colorful fish.
While swimming, we also met a rare group of whale sharks.
It was a group that included small babies, so they were wary of us at first, but when I conveyed through mental focus that we had no intention of attacking, a baby whale shark approached us first.
Well, I wasn't particularly interested in swimming, but I was happy because Eunseo was enjoying it so much.
Now it's time to go back.
Neither Eunseo nor I would have any problem staying underwater for however long with magic, but the sun is setting.
-Shall we go back now?
I sent a telepathic message to Eunseo.
-Already?
-Already? Look up. It's orange. The sun will set soon. And we didn't eat lunch either.
"Come to think of it, I'm getting a bit hungry."
"Should we eat out for dinner?"
"Good."
As if trying to say goodbye, Eunseo patted the back of the baby whale shark next to her a few times and then hugged it.
The little guy seemed to like it and wiggled his body in response.
Is this guy male?
-Let's go.
When Eunseo and I came up to the surface, the sun had already almost set.
We must have come quite far as the yacht wasn't visible, so I held Eunseo's hand and used teleportation magic.
The yacht was in the same place.
I had even deployed camouflage magic just in case.
But although I thought Luciel might have returned, I couldn't sense Luciel's presence.
It's not something that can be easily resolved, but does it have to be like this until the end...
"Brother, I'll wash up first."
"Ah, yeah. Is there anything you want to eat?"
"How about going to Italy for pizza and pasta? If we go to Naples, there's a shop I know well."
"Alright. Then let's go there."
I should visit once tonight after Eunseo falls asleep.
***
After putting Eunseo to sleep, I crossed over to Luciel's world.
A barrier was installed like when I came last time.
She couldn't not know that I came.
Honestly, destroying it wasn't that difficult, but I waited because I might earn more hatred.
But even after waiting for a long time, the barrier didn't open.
I think I waited for almost two hours... At this point, I've waited as much as I should.
The moment I decided to break the barrier, the barrier cracked and Luciel appeared.
"Why did you come? Play with Eunseo."
She speaks coldly, but I know it's not sincere.
Even without considering her usual personality, Luciel's eyes are currently red and swollen.
The flow of time is different between outside and here.
It's only been a day, but this girl has been crying alone here for 30 days.
"Sorry for coming late."
"Are you really sorry? If you were really sorry, you shouldn't make that choice."
"...What did I..."
"Don't think about playing dumb. I confirmed everything with Lumiel."
If she met Lumiel, I can't make excuses anymore.
I asked her to keep it secret.
Well, Lumiel would choose Luciel over me.
"It's an inevitable choice for everyone."
"What's inevitable about it!"
"Luciel..."
"I'm going to tell Eunseo too."
"Don't do that."
That would really be the worst.
"You're going to hide it from Eunseo until the end? Shin-hyeok, do you really love Eunseo?"
"What are you saying. Of course I love her. That's why I accepted her even though you guys were there."
"Then why hide it? Eunseo should know too."
"If Eunseo finds out, she'll be very sad."
"Do you think Eunseo will just be sad? She'll oppose it like me, so you don't want to tell her!"
Maybe Luciel knows Eunseo better than I do.
That's right.
If it's Eunseo, she would oppose it rather than just be sad.
***
When I asked about the price, Lumiel suddenly approached and held my hand.
"Originally I'm not supposed to tell you like this, but it's Shin-hyeok, so I'm specially measuring it for you."
"Th... thank you."
"Please think of the wish you desire."
As soon as she spoke, Lumiel closed her eyes.
White light began to spread from Lumiel's body with her eyes closed.
About 5 minutes passed before Lumiel opened her eyes again.
"What Shin-hyeok desires isn't simply turning back time, is it? The transcendent being who disappeared with the Demon God? You're trying to revive this person too."
Did she read my memory?
When I nodded, Lumiel opened her mouth with a serious expression.
"Turning back time is never an easy wish. Moreover, the Demon God and the person called Shin-hyeok's master are already at a tremendous level not bound by the laws of dimensions, so the price inevitably has to be great."
"So the price is...?"
"What Shin-hyeok treasures most."
What I treasure most?
Eunseo and Luciel.
Wait. Then could it be?
No, what kind of...
"Shin-hyeok? You seem to be misunderstanding something, but I don't demand another life to save a life. That's something the Demon God would..."
"Then what's the price? Don't beat around the bush and just tell me."
"If you go back to the past, Shin-hyeok won't be able to exist."
What kind of nonsense is this?
She just said she doesn't demand life.
"What Shin-hyeok treasures most is this world."
"Me?"
"Think about it essentially. Shin-hyeok wasn't originally born and raised here, right? If you hadn't come here, you wouldn't have met our sister or the other lovers. That master too."
Listening to it, Lumiel is right.
Master, Eunseo, Sejin, Luciel. If I had to choose one among these four, I absolutely couldn't choose, but the world is a concept that encompasses all four.
"Then what happens to me if I pay the price?"
"Well, I can't give you a definitive answer about that... but probably you'll return to where you originally were."
For a moment, the world I lived in before came to mind, but Lee Min-chan is dead.
The one who sent me to this world was Yama.
Probably it means returning to the afterlife.
In the end, it's no different from dying.
Besides, if I'm not there, wouldn't it be meaningless?
According to the original story, Master would have ascended long ago.
If I don't go find him, Master is someone who doesn't originally exist in this world.
Moreover, Sejin would become Do-hyun's girlfriend.
Luciel would also fall for Do-hyun and later ask him to kill her after dealing with the Demon King, worrying about the demonic energy of the Demon Realm Tree.
Even Eunseo was a character who only appeared briefly in the beginning, so I don't even know if she lives or dies during the Demon King's advent.
"Wasn't any wish supposed to be possible? If there are restrictions like this, I can't do anything!"
"...I'm sorry."
It's not like Lumiel deliberately decided this, but in my frustration and stuffiness, I found myself shouting.
"Sorry..."
I thought I could finally revive everyone after confronting and overcoming even the past I never wanted to face again.
Frustration and helplessness engulf me.
"Um... Shin-hyeok?"
"What?"
"There's one thing I'd like to tell you, but even if time is turned back, our sister won't lose her memories."
"Why?"
"The Orb of Origin can't affect the trial administrators. Since sister was once an administrator, she won't be affected."
"That's even worse."
"If you're worried about that master, sister could go find him first and serve him..."
I was thinking to myself, but how did she read my memory again... ah, now I see Lumiel has been holding my hand this whole time.
I immediately pulled my hand away.
"Don't carelessly read people's hearts... no."
Calm down, Kang Shin-hyeok.
Lumiel was just giving advice.
As Lumiel said, even if the Master problem is solved and Luciel prevents the other girls from getting together with Do-hyun, it's meaningless.
I won't be able to see or meet the girls anyway.
"Shin-hyeok, can't you and sister and that person called Eunseo live happily together?"
For a moment I was tempted.
As Lumiel said, even if Master and Sejin left, I have Eunseo and Luciel who are just as precious to me.
But Master and Sejin... and the countless acquaintances who were sacrificed to the Demon King.
Among them are Eunseo's sister Eunsu and Sejin's father, my father-in-law, who initially had a bad relationship with me...
I didn't visit mother-in-law before coming to the trial because I was afraid my heart would weaken, but I can't even dare to imagine what kind of feelings mother-in-law, who lost her child and husband at the same time, must have.
Like me... no, even more than me.
But if I revive everyone, I won't be able to see Eunseo and Luciel forever...
I'm going crazy.
Lumiel said there's plenty of time and to decide slowly, but I don't think I can go meet the girls without deciding this.
After worrying for a long time, I remembered a question Luciel asked before.
'The old man, me, Sejin, and Eunseo, all four of us fell into the water and will die if you don't save us. The lifeboat can only hold exactly 4 people including you.'
At that time, I said everyone except her since Luciel can fly, passing it off as a joke.
But if I had to choose seriously, I don't think I could choose any of the four.
I'd rather save everyone and fall into the water and die myself.
They're all people more precious than my own life.
Right. The answer was already there.
"Lumiel, you said I can take my time choosing, right? Then can you give me about a week?"
"Not just a week, but a month... no, even if years pass, it's okay."
I shook my head.
If I spend time with Luciel and Eunseo, my heart will gradually weaken.
"I'll come back in a week."
"Shin-hyeok..."
"I've already decided. Ah! Even if Luciel comes, please keep today's conversation a secret. I'm asking you."
There was no need to worry from the beginning.
Before challenging the trial.
During the trial too.
And even now.
I've always thought about it.
For my people, I can do anything.