Chapter 76
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 076
Chapter Title: The Loser
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It's not for nothing that they say the process matters.
Woojin and Claire had skipped those crucial steps to gain their power, leaving them short on depth.
So now, they were making up for it by taking turns as each other's teacher.
"...My head's gonna split."
Woojin rubbed his throbbing forehead as he set down the magic tome, then glanced over at Claire. Things didn't look any better on her end.
Swoosh, swiiiish—
Rex swung the target dangling from the tip of his tentacle left and right in irregular patterns. Claire hesitated for a moment before swinging her fist with all her might.
A right hook. But her punch missed the target entirely, not even grazing it.
"Eek!!"
Claire's body wobbled in the strangest way. She'd thrown the punch so hard that her whole body got dragged along by the momentum.
She tumbled spectacularly onto the grass. Dusting herself off, she pushed back up to her feet.
Woojin watched and offered some advice.
"When you throw the punch, plant your foot hard against the ground. That should help you keep your balance."
"I know the theory from earlier, but..."
Her body just wouldn't cooperate.
Muttering complaints, Claire reset her stance. She seemed to have a bit of a klutz streak, making it tough for her to pick up close-quarters combat skills.
'Still, she's improved a little from before.'
Even failure built experience. Both of them were making slow but steady progress.
Seeing results was a good thing.
...But they couldn't spend their entire reunion on self-improvement. Claire was thinking the same thing.
"Shall we head back to the city now?"
"Sounds good."
They returned to the magic city.
The two roamed the streets, sampling every entertainment the city had to offer.
They sat by the fountain listening to bards sing, caught a trendy new play, and even popped into a casino for some casual card games.
Before they knew it...
'...Time to head back.'
Their vacation had vanished in the blink of an eye.
Time had flown by so fast it left them a bit dazed. Looking back, Woojin had felt this way a few times before.
'This is what leave from the army felt like.'
It wasn't any more pleasant now than it had been then. Claire looked just as glum.
"...When will you come next time?"
She mumbled dejectedly as she walked alongside him to see him off.
Woojin answered without much thought.
"Once the negotiations with the Noll are done, I'll come straight back. Things should loosen up a bit by then."
If the truce talks with the Noll went well, the Church Alliance would send troops to establish an outpost. Preparations for the third expedition.
He planned to swing back here once before that kicked off. Meet up with Claire again, spend some quality time. He'd have to visit Cindy in the far southern city too.
This trip had been too short to make the detour. So after the envoy mission wrapped up, he intended to take at least a full month off.
"You're living such a busy life, Jin."
"Tell me about it..."
Just a few months ago, he'd been lounging around like a total slacker. Now his days were packed from dawn till dusk.
Once the third expedition started, seeing Claire would be even harder.
"...Any chance the expedition gets canceled? With all the losses from the second one, maybe they'll scrap it altogether."
Claire muttered, more wishful thinking than a real question.
Woojin pondered briefly before replying.
"You're right... There was some talk of that in the Church Alliance higher-ups."
The second expedition had been a total disaster.
For the Church Alliance, it wasn't all bad. They'd gathered field intel on the Demonic Realm, and Duke Edwin's failure had weakened the Kingdom Alliance's influence.
But it was still an unexpected catastrophe.
The second expedition force hadn't been small. They'd expected some achievements even in failure, but instead, they'd been unilaterally crushed by the beasts and barely escaped with their lives.
It poured cold water on humanity's celebrations after the first expedition's success. Naturally, voices within the Church Alliance called to halt the expeditions.
'We've successfully purified the pioneer city. Wise to stop here.'
Two churches agreed.
The Church of Wisdom and the Church of Devotion.
The Church of Wisdom had taken massive losses from Conrad's failure. Pushing a third expedition felt too risky.
The Church of Devotion had opposed it from the start. Their priests, with their gentle natures, didn't want the heavy casualties from a dangerous war.
That was manageable, but...
The Churches of Prosperity, Adversity, and Harmony declared neutrality. The three most proactive churches folded their arms and started watching from the sidelines.
The Church of Struggle wanted to turn the tide.
"In this mess... I heard my report made it to the Church Alliance brass."
Woojin's handwritten report. And the hyena beasts that came with it.
Horace saw it as an opportunity.
"...That guy's not exactly normal either."
"Why's that?"
"He's too bold. Like a bull charging ahead to get things done, I guess."
Woojin had been taken aback by Horace's audacity from their first meeting. The man had shown up uninvited to the roundtable talks and suddenly bowed his head in apology during the exchange with the Noll.
For someone of Horace's position, it was shocking.
But it had turned the situation in their favor. With a cardinal from one church publicly acknowledging the Noll's status, no one could treat the tribe lightly anymore.
"Results-wise, it was good, but... I was pretty shocked at the time. Everyone at the talks probably was."
"He does seem like quite the character."
Claire thought for a moment, then added,
"But if the outcome was positive... that means the cardinal intended it that way, right?"
"Probably."
Reasonable, good listener, bold decision-maker. Horace was exceptional.
It wasn't surprising. To rise to cardinal over so many priests, he had to be outstanding.
Anyway... the conclusion was.
"Thanks to you, Jin, the third expedition is a go. Not sure if I should be happy or sad about that..."
The alliance with the Noll—a new variable—made the Church Alliance see enough value in attempting the third expedition.
Claire's feelings were mixed. It was one of Woojin's achievements, but it meant long separations again.
Woojin tried to comfort her.
"I'll make sure to come back soon."
"Take your time. Just don't get hurt."
They talked so long that...
Before they knew it, they'd wandered far outside the magic city. Claire finally looked around and gave an awkward smile.
"...I was just gonna see you to the gates. How'd I end up out here?"
"Yeah."
Time to part ways.
"One last thing... you know, right?"
Claire spread her arms slightly. A gesture that needed no explanation. Woojin stepped forward and hugged her.
Embracing whenever they parted or reunited had become their ritual.
A bit clichéd, really.
"...Feels kinda unsatisfying to end it like this."
Claire murmured from within his arms. She looked up, staring straight into his eyes with a demanding gaze.
Responding, Woojin leaned down. Their lips met briefly.
"...!"
Claire's eyes went wide as she stared at him. Woojin panicked inwardly.
'Was that not it?'
It felt like he'd given the wrong answer on a test.
Claire stood silent. Her face flushed crimson in an instant, red as Rex's muzzle.
After a long pause... she muttered like someone waking from a dream.
"...S-see you... later."
With that, she shuffled off like a glitchy robot. Woojin watched her go, then unnecessarily turned to Rex nearby.
"Did I mess up just now?"
Rex gave a mocking grin. Then he trotted over to Shadow Wolf Misha and leaned against him. The two wolves walked off amiably.
'...Talk about rubbing it in.'
Best not to try unfamiliar things. Woojin sighed deeply and started walking.
He returned to the barrier city Yurgis.
While Woojin had been on leave, preparations for the envoy mission had reached their final stages. They'd be heading into the Demonic Realm soon.
As he inspected the supplies loaded on Tarasque's back, a familiar voice called out.
"Hey, Jin! Enjoy your vacation?"
Rolang, clutching a wine bottle like some lucky layabout. Woojin raised an eyebrow.
"Rolang. Didn't you say you were heading back to the third pioneer city soon?"
Rolang was slated to resume command there. So why was he still hanging around?
Rolang replied in a wistful tone.
"Joined the second expedition without permission... They stripped me of my rank entirely. Said my successor does the job better. Can you believe that?"
"Well... it makes sense."
Rolang often dumped paperwork on his adjutant. The guy had gotten so good at it that he outshone Rolang now.
When Woojin pointed that out, Rolang sighed and uncorked the bottle.
"Hey, Jin. Do you have to poke at my wounds? You should be on my side here."
"Just feels like karma, honestly."
"...Fair enough. Damn it!"
Rolang chugged straight from the bottle. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and offered it over.
Woojin took it and drank. Rolang narrowed his eyes.
"You look like things didn't go your way either."
"What makes you say that?"
"Last time I offered a drink, you shot me down flat saying you had work. And your face is more dour than usual."
"...Just thirsty."
Woojin brushed it off and checked the supplies. Rolang sniffed around like a shark smelling blood.
"Lost at the casino? Bad investment? Or... woman trouble?"
Had he read something in Woojin's expression? Rolang stared, then narrowed his eyes again.
"Woman trouble it is. Who'd have thought. You usually ignore women like the plague."
"...Can't you just leave?"
"No way! Booze like this doesn't come cheap. Here, drink up. When losers meet, we gotta drown our sorrows."
Rolang thrust the bottle forward insistently. Looked like he'd only leave once it was empty, so Woojin drained it in one go.
Rolang burst out laughing.
"Ha! That's the spirit. If your chest is aflame, douse it with wine. Good thing I brought plenty."
He rummaged in the small bag at his side and pulled out two fresh bottles. A spatial expansion-enchanted pack.
Woojin eyed the luxury item curiously.
"When did you get that? You didn't have it during the second expedition."
"Bought it. Figured it'd come in handy for the Demonic Realm. I'm joining the envoy mission with you."
Not bad news. Rolang's skills stood out even among Holy Knights.
As Rolang uncorked a new bottle, he said,
"Show me your lover's portrait. You must have one commissioned."
"...How'd you know?"
"It's all the rage now. Lovers exchanging portraits."
It was a trend born from the expeditions. Soldiers took portraits of family or sweethearts to remember them in the Demonic Realm.
Rolang handed Woojin a bottle, then gestured impatiently.
"This stuff's expensive. Don't be stingy. It'll wear out from me looking?"
"... "
He'd been planning a short break anyway.
After some hesitation, Woojin pulled out his pendant. A hefty piece half the size of his palm, containing a portrait of Claire in a dress.
A miniaturized version of a larger painting via shrink magic. Pricey, but the quality was photorealistic.
Rolang blinked at the portrait.
"...Fairy blood, maybe?"
"What's that?"
"First you've heard? Some old royal or noble lines carry ancient blood. People call 'em fairy blood."
Woojin sipped his wine and tilted his head.
"Never asked her... How do you tell?"
"Unrealistically beautiful. Doesn't age."
"Sounds like a fairy tale."
Rolang shrugged.
"But they exist. Reality outdoes fiction sometimes."
"Even so... Claire doesn't strike me as special blood. Just a feeling."
Woojin took another sip. Rolang returned the pendant and uncorked his fresh bottle.
"Tell me about it. What went wrong on vacation? I'll advise you as a senior in life."
"... "
What should he do?
'...Might as well.'
Free expensive wine was hard to pass up. After mulling it over, Woojin recounted the events bit by bit.
"It was during leave..."
Rolang listened intently, arms crossed, more solemn than usual.
"...So, I'm not sure if I crossed a line. We parted on awkward terms."
He wrapped up the explanation. For some reason, Rolang stared intently.
"...Why are you looking at me like that?"
"The wine. Hand it over."
Woojin passed his bottle. Rolang took it and said gravely,
"Listen... My wine is for losers. Not deceivers like you."
"What do you mean?"
Rolang didn't answer. He stood, poured wine down his throat, and walked off. Woojin watched, head tilted.
'...Did I screw up again?'
Mysteries kept piling up.