Chapter 52
Chapter 52
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 52
Chapter Title: Welcome, Dodo!
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* * *
“…Ha.”
Seonal let out a long sigh and immediately turned away, squeezing her eyes shut.
Maybe she was dreaming.
This past weekend had been quite happy.
Work was a total pain, but right on cue, a mage from the Mages’ Association had popped up like a jagged rock.
After throwing the two mages in jail, she lightly prodded the one who’d used magic on Ori, and everything spilled out.
—...That’s right! It’s not fair if I’m the only one who goes down.
Hearing that voice full of spite had sent a thrill through her.
It was a chance to stomp on the Mages’ Association again.
The opportunity she’d so desperately wanted in the Special Task Force came pouring in the moment she joined Civil Petitions.
They’d shunned her for calling out their wrongdoing, for saying magic was different—all of them trying to bury her.
Sure, when she first wanted to become a civil servant, there was a desire for her magic and abilities to be recognized.
But her strongest wish was to rise high enough to legally tear the Mages’ Association apart.
‘...And that’s why I felt motivated for the first time in ages this weekend.’
Seonal pressed her brow and glared at her old colleague from Special Task Force, ‘Yan Kart,’ with eyes mixed with annoyance and irritation.
Even after months apart, there was zero joy in seeing him.
“Why are you here?”
“Why do you think? You forgot Special Task Force requested cooperation with Civil Petitions?”
Still with that cocky tone, Yan lifted the corner of his mouth and stood up.
“Are you stupid? It’s not today—it’s tomorrow.”
“I know.”
“Then why come on Monday and ruin my mood?”
“Ruin your... mood?”
Yan’s eyes widened in surprise.
“You think I should be happy? Disgusting.”
“Good morning...”
Ilang opened the door, froze at Seonal’s sharp tone, then backed away and shut it again.
“Get out.”
Seonal showed her blatant displeasure toward Yan.
Hoo.
Yan took a deep breath at Seonal’s prickly attitude.
“I’m not here to fight. I came to see you...”
“If you came outside the agreed cooperation day, then yeah, you’re here to fight. Don’t you know how nauseating it is to see your face? If not, then wait quietly like a dog.”
“You...”
Yan clenched his fist, then slowly released it.
He held back. He’d come to talk today.
He’d finally tracked down the wildly elusive Seonal thanks to the youngest in Special Task Force, Namwoo.
“The team leader changed.”
“So?”
Seonal’s expression didn’t change a bit.
Who cared about Special Task Force’s team leader now.
“I get why you’re mad. I have no face to show you, so I couldn’t visit the hospital much. Sorry.”
“...Bullshit.”
Seonal let out a laugh.
The blatant sneer wasn’t enough; it was laced with disgust, making Yan’s face darken.
This wasn’t the reunion he’d hoped for.
“I know I messed up. But this feels a bit too much.”
“This? I could say worse. Didn’t realize you thought so little of me?”
“Seonal.”
“Get out. Didn’t you hear me?”
Seonal rolled her eyes toward the outside.
Get out nicely.
At that warning, Yan let out a heavy sigh, shoulders slumping.
Where the hell had things gone wrong?
“Seonal. Hear me out. We didn’t abandon you and run. We wanted to explain everything, but you vanished, so we couldn’t say a word.”
“If you ran, it’s already over, isn’t it?”
“Seonal. That’s why the team leader got fired, okay? The new team leader’s a really good person. They can protect you now. So...”
“And back then?”
Revulsion surged through Seonal, making her fingertips tremble.
She needed her nerve stabilizer—that pill. The thought crashed over her, and she took a deep breath.
It was all hindsight now. They should’ve done it from the start, before she got kicked out.
“I took all the blame. I handled everything. All of it, I...”
“Stop it!”
A sharp voice cut in—Terisha’s. Small as she was, her voice boomed.
“What the hell is this?”
Terisha glared coldly at Yan.
Ilang, standing behind her, chimed in confidently.
“Yeah. What the hell is this?”
“I didn’t do anything. Just talking.”
Yan replied to Terisha and Ilang with a slightly annoyed look.
“No.”
Terisha zipped between Seonal and Yan, her face furious.
“I’m sorry for eavesdropping, but that wasn’t just talk. Can’t you see Seonal’s suffering right now?”
“No, I mean...”
As Yan stepped closer, light spread around Terisha.
Horizontally, then vertically—it raced up to the Civil Petitions ceiling in an instant.
The cross-shaped lights swelled as if ready to burst, threatening Yan.
“Stop.”
No one took Terisha’s words as a mere warning.
“...”
Seonal stared blankly at the dazzling lights flickering before her.
Why was she getting mad?
“I thought it was personal, so I shouldn’t interfere, but I can’t just stand by.”
Ilang approached, stroking the mask on his head, eyes narrowed. The mask’s expression somehow looked fiercer.
He wiped the usual smile from his face and stared at Yan.
“Who the hell are you?”
“...What? Who?”
Yan was dumbfounded.
“Yeah, you. Why mess with our team member? Why mess with Seonal?”
Yan ignored Ilang’s words and stared at the mask.
Goblin race.
Their nosiness was top-tier among races.
So was their loyalty to teammates.
“Just talking.”
Yan said, unable to hide his irritation. Ilang bristled at what felt like an excuse.
“This? Seonal had to raise her voice?”
“It’s from a bad past incident—emotions ran high. I have no intention of messing with Seonal. No, I wouldn’t let anyone mess with her.”
“...Truly disgusting.”
Not even pretending, Seonal couldn’t hold back the horror anymore.
Her words tangled with her breath, chest tight like it was blocked. She rummaged in her bag for her pills.
Seeing the pill packet made one of Yan’s eyes widen.
Pills?
“You’re on those...”
Ignoring the rest, Seonal rushed to the break room.
Without them, she felt like she’d suffocate and die.
“Step back now.”
As Yan tried to follow, an elegant voice spread, instantly capturing everyone’s attention.
Click.
Edinal glared at Yan.
“Deputy Team Leader Yan Kart.”
Edinal Roth.
Every civil servant knew not to mess with her.
Daughter of a very noble house.
“...My apologies. I just wanted to talk to Seonal briefly.”
“No. Seonal is our team member now. Don’t touch her. You’re not welcome here.”
Edinal stated firmly.
A red glint flickered in her eyes. She was that angry—if he pushed further, she wouldn’t let him leave unscathed.
Seonal was finally getting better, and here he showed up. She was pissed.
“Go. Civil Petitions doesn’t welcome you.”
“I was leaving anyway.”
Yan glanced toward where Seonal had gone, then dragged his heavy feet slowly to the door.
“Be clear: you could refuse tomorrow’s cooperation. The choice is mine.”
Yan didn’t reply to Edinal and exited.
After a few steps, he let out a deep breath.
Pills.
Definitely not cold medicine. Psychiatric meds, maybe?
That Seonal?
Yan bit his lip. The rift might be deeper than he thought.
The wounds from that day, too.
‘...Damn it.’
Yan ruffled his hair.
“Ilang, Terisha.”
Edinal called them after confirming Yan was gone.
“Sorry, but can you prep first? Don’t come to the break room.”
“Got it.”
Ilang nodded, suppressing his curiosity, while Terisha gripped her fingers tight.
“I’ll be ready to go to the hospital anytime.”
Seonal’s state was bad enough that hospital came to mind immediately.
She seemed swallowed by darkness.
It was a first.
“Don’t worry, everyone. Nothing bad happened. She’s just startled.”
Edinal smiled reassuringly and headed to the break room.
Knock knock.
She knocked, then opened carefully. Retching sounds came.
Edinal clenched her fist but forced a smile.
“...Haaa.”
Seonal had collapsed into the corner of the break room.
Her face was deathly pale at a glance, and despite the cooling weather, cold sweat drenched her.
“Seonal, you okay?”
“...Sorry.”
“Hey, what’re you sorry for? Wanna go to the hospital? I’ll come too.”
“Just wait a bit... I’ll be fine. Just a bit.”
Seonal squeezed her eyes shut.
“Take your meds?”
“...Yes.”
“About tomorrow’s Special Task Force cooperation—if you want, I’ll refuse. But honestly, I hope you do. I’m mad.”
“It’s fine. It was a problem I had to face eventually.”
Seonal shook her head and slowly opened her eyes.
A deep sadness flickered briefly, then vanished.
“...Honestly, I figured they’d come eventually. They need my magic.”
Easy to use and discard.
That’s all she was to them.
But why pretend it wasn’t?
She wasn’t that simple.
A chill killing intent slowly settled in Seonal’s gaze.
Like a discarded dog biting its master—even if her mana penalized her for hating harm or killing, Seonal would bear it all to see it through.
Even if she couldn’t live like nothing happened, even if it’d be harder than now—what did it matter?
Being abandoned by someone was far more horrific.
“Remember our promise, Seonal?”
As Seonal’s killing intent grew fiercer, Edinal plopped down on the floor.
“Yes. You said you’d stop me from killing anyone.”
“Yeah. As long as you remember.”
Edinal grinned.
Red light rippled from her toes, shaping into bats.
“I’ve got no intention of sending you to Special Task Force or letting you leave Civil Petitions. If you tried, I’d cling to your pants and beg.”
Her fangs peeked through her smile.
Eyes turned red, Edinal reached out, brushing near Seonal’s ear.
She used her魅惑 power.
A power that toyed with minds—it could also check mental states.
Edinal probed Seonal’s rock-solid mind through her power, careful not to force it.
She could break through, but this time just peeked through a tiny gap.
“Let’s go to the hospital, Seonal.”
The whispering魅惑 spread; Seonal, looking down, snapped her eyes up.
“The hospital?”
“Your mind’s shakier than last time. Traffic light terms? Yellow.”
Edinal withdrew her power; her eyes returned to normal.
She could touch Seonal’s mind if wanted—or even unwanted—but Edinal hated that.
“I know... I’m at caution level. No, it was just a moment. I’ll be fine soon. Still got meds.”
“You were like this at Dodo’s interview too, right?”
“...Yes.”
Seonal gave a faint smile, pushing up her slipped glasses.
Couldn’t hide it after all.
Feeling slightly embarrassed, Seonal let out a long breath.
“Take the day off, Seonal.”
“No. Got stuff to tell Dodo, and I can work.”
“...For real, hospital. You begged to use leave before, now you wanna work?”
Edinal’s eyes worried more at the mention of work; Seonal was exasperated.
Why worry more over that?
Seonal breathed out, clenching and unclenching her trembling hand.
“Using leave for Special Task Force stuff hurts my pride. I’ll take it Wednesday.”
“We’ll see then?”
Edinal cut her off. Today and Wednesday were different.
Mondays were crucial for assigning desk and field duties.
Missing today made it tough.
“...Sounds kinda sneaky. Why not Wednesday?”
“Because now’s the chance. If you’re hung up, come back after lunch generous.”
Seonal seriously pondered, then sighed.
Hospital wouldn’t do much anyway.
Just prescribe more pills or counsel—that’s it.
Meds were secondary; she’d heard countless times she had to overcome it herself.
She’d come this far.
“No, really, I’m fine. They said I might have episodes in similar situations. Forgot since counseling ended months ago, but now it clicks.”
“You’ll still work with Special Task Force tomorrow even if I beg off?”
“Yes. I will.”
Edinal looked at Seonal proudly.
Trying to overcome past wounds—it was admirable.
“Don’t push too hard.”
“...Yeah, half-day off sounds better?”
As the meds calmed her, Seonal regretted her late pride.
Who cared if she took half or full day off? What business was it of theirs?
Seeing Seonal’s color return, Edinal stood.
“Team leader...?”
“Seonal.”
“Yes?”
“People grab chances when they come. You know?”
Edinal was already grinning happily.
Seonal stood too, baffled.
“But... you said earlier.”
“You refused the last chance.”
Edinal grabbed the doorknob lightly and turned back.
“Drink some water, coffee, take it slow.”
Click.
Door shut; Seonal leaned on the wall, breathing deep.
‘...Should’ve just rested. Pride my ass.’
Nice to have, but pride didn’t pay bills.
What she needed was strength to endure without crumbling daily.
‘Already tired.’
Seonal brewed coffee, face weary.
Why’d Yan come?
Why now?
The thoughts surged; Seonal sighed long.
‘...Just drink coffee.’
Times like this called for a healing potion.
* * *
“...You okay?”
Terisha buzzed toward Seonal emerging from the break room, busy prepping something.
Seonal saw Ilang staring, balloon in mouth; Edinal with decorations ready to stick everywhere; and Tutoon plastered to the window, watching.
“What’s all this...”
Ah.
Seonal realized immediately.
“Yes. I’m fine.”
She couldn’t stop the smile creeping on her lips.
Suddenly, she recalled her first day in Civil Petitions.
“I’ll help.”
“But... Seonal.”
Ilang, tying a balloon, spoke cautiously.
“Yes?”
“You said cooperating with Special Task Force tomorrow—is that really okay?”
“...Dunno. But I’ll go.”
“Why force it? You looked really bad.”
“I got kicked out of Special Task Force. Now they swallow pride needing me back—dodging looks pathetic.”
Pfffffft.
Air hissed from Ilang’s balloon.
‘Kicked out...? By who?’
Kicked out didn’t suit Seonal at all.
“Huh...?”
Ilang stared at Seonal, shocked late.