Chapter 8
Chapter 8
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 8
Chapter Title: Elena
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A shabby apartment building stood before an opulent carriage—one rare enough to turn heads in Oldor.
Gordon from the general store fidgeted anxiously a short distance away, glancing at the building's stairs and the second-floor window.
Elena.
It had been ten years since he'd last seen her. Every New Year's, he'd receive a letter wishing him good health for the year ahead, and he'd always reply. But beyond that, they hadn't exchanged any personal correspondence.
He hadn't expected more.
Back when Elena was at the orphanage, he'd felt sorry for her because she couldn't get along with the other kids except Yuri, so he'd slipped her some candy a few times. But from Gordon's perspective, that hardly counted as a favor.
If anything, the fact that Elena—a mage of the Derusia Magic Tower—hadn't forgotten those childhood memories and sent him letters every New Year was something Gordon was deeply grateful for.
A mage.
And not just any mage, but one affiliated with a magic tower. They were beings whose talent far surpassed ordinary mages. Aristocrats of the magical world, it wasn't an exaggeration to say. Among them, Elena was a child the tower lord had personally recognized and taken in—which meant she might one day aim for the tower lord's seat herself.
For someone like Gordon, who'd never left this rural town his whole life, exchanging letters once a year with such an extraordinary person was a lifelong boast.
‘Did... did I mess up by sending that letter...?’
He'd hesitated a lot when writing it. He'd never sent Elena a letter first before. He worried it might bother the splendidly grown girl or overstep boundaries.
Elena's New Year's letters always contained the same question.
‘How is Yuri doing?’
He'd never replied with anything but "He's doing well." He didn't want to worry her, and he doubted Yuri would want that either.
In the end, after agonizing over it, he'd sent the letter.
Starting with an apology for the sudden contact, he'd written about how Yuri had been since leaving the orphanage and what had happened to him recently.
This time, Yuri had truly come close to death. If the Oh brothers and the Black Snake Gang hadn't clashed in the office, or if a stray blade had struck a vital spot just a bit deeper during the brawl, Yuri really would have died.
If anyone deserved to know, it was Elena. The girl who'd left Oldor for a glamorous city, studied at the Derusia Magic Tower, and still worried about Yuri's situation for ten whole years.
But he hadn't expected her to come so quickly. Even accounting for express delivery, Elena must have set out for Oldor the moment she read the letter.
Gordon remembered what Elena was like ten years ago.
A passive girl who couldn't mingle with the other kids except Yuri, always trailing behind him. When he'd give her candy out of pity, she'd beam like it was the happiest thing in the world and bow her head deeply.
But the Elena he saw after ten years was different. Her aura alone was intimidating. When she stepped down from that massive luxury carriage and came to greet him at the store, her expression and demeanor were so fierce that if Gordon were just a bit older, he might have wet himself in fear.
Elena, seething with that much anger, had quickly greeted him and stormed straight to Yuri's place...
‘No way that punk Yuri would mouth off to Elena...’
Yuri had a temper too.
He'd bent under the pressures of gang life, but deep down, Yuri was a cheeky rebel with no manners.
Maybe, unable to accept the passage of time, he'd get stuck in the past when she used to follow him around and lash out at Elena, who'd come all this way out of worry...
‘He'd get his ass kicked, right?’
Lost in such worries and groaning to himself, he heard the creak of worn stairs.
Elena in her pristine white dress and Yuri with a large travel bag on his back were descending from the second floor.
"Uncle Gordon."
Elena flashed a faint smile at Gordon, who stood there hunched over.
"We're heading out now."
We? Gordon looked at Yuri in surprise.
‘Sigh.’
It wasn't fair to blame Gordon. He'd sent the letter for Yuri and Elena's sake, not to screw anyone over. So Yuri gave a wry smile and bowed to Gordon.
"That's how it is."
"So... suddenly?"
"She chewed me out to pack up since we're leaving today."
The place was just a rental anyway. He'd gathered what needed packing, and if he skipped next month's rent, the rest would sort itself out.
Gordon blinked his round eyes. So the delinquent Yuri was leaving Oldor with Elena.
"Good for you!"
It was worth celebrating. Gordon grinned broadly and clapped Yuri on the shoulder.
"Stay well. Don't give Elena any grief."
"Yes. I'll send letters now and then."
"Good. Come visit and say hi before I kick the bucket."
"Yes."
It was a happy parting—no tears flowed. If anything, Gordon felt like his chronic headache had vanished.
"Heading back right away?"
The woman on the coachman's seat rose. Yuri flinched and turned, startled. She'd been there the whole time, yet her presence had been so faint he'd missed it.
"Yeah."
Elena nodded. She turned to the surprised Yuri and said,
"This is Ha-ryeong, my bodyguard."
Ha-ryeong silently bowed her head to Yuri. She was an Easterner with short black hair and eyes, her skin pale as porcelain.
"Bodyguard?"
"Yeah."
"Even a mage like you needs one?"
It was genuine curiosity, but Elena's lips twitched. She forced her mouth steady to suppress a smile.
"Of course. Mages can't handle every situation with magic alone."
"The lady is helpless without her spells."
Ha-ryeong stated flatly. Elena jolted and glared at her.
"Don't say unnecessary things."
"I have the freedom to speak my mind. If you want silence, we'll draw up a contract for that."
Elena stared daggers at Ha-ryeong without a word. After a moment, she took a deep breath and headed for the carriage door.
"Fine. Let's go."
"Rest breaks on what schedule?"
"I bolted without finishing my report, so we need to hurry back."
"Shortest route, maximum speed. Understood."
Ha-ryeong replied, pulling up the mask around her neck. Yuri glanced at the black cloth covering her mouth, then followed Elena into the carriage.
The exterior had been luxurious; the interior was no different. Yuri sank into a seat softer than his own bed and stared at Elena across from him.
"Who is she?"
"I told you—my bodyguard."
"Doesn't seem like just any bodyguard."
"You're right."
Elena snorted and set her wide-brimmed hat aside. With a slight jolt, the carriage lurched into motion.
"Ha-ryeong is from the Killing Guard Sect."
"Ah."
The name rang bells in both Yuri's memories and Lee Soo-hyuk's.
The Killing Guard Sect was a bodyguard sect that doubled as assassins. But unlike low-rent killers, they didn't take just any client with cash. Hiring one required serious credentials.
In the game, taking down named NPCs with Killing Guard Sect escorts had been a nightmare—their skills were top-tier. Once contracted, they'd throw away their lives for their employer without hesitation.
That's why, for a time, Seronis forums buzzed with strategies using them as meat shields. It fizzled out quick due to the steep honor and hiring costs killing the cost-benefit.
"They're not for just anyone, from what I know."
"The tower lord pulled strings because it's convenient. And I'm not 'just anyone.'"
Elena gazed out the window as she replied. The grimy, rundown Oldor scenery sped by. She rested her hand on her spotless white dress—not a speck of dust in sight.
‘Show-off...’
The subtle bragging in her letter seemed to be her personality. Instead of responding, Yuri mulled it over.
‘Orca Derusia arranged a Killing Guard Sect contract?’
That meant Elena and Orca were closer than he'd thought. It carried more weight than just passing along a Tier 4 commission. The sect was that exclusive.
Maybe Elena was practically Orca's disciple.
‘Not officially, probably.’
Otherwise, that smug Elena would've bragged about it in her letter, and rumors would've spread.
"Tier 4 commissions and now Killing Guard Sect? The tower lord must really look out for you. Disciple or something?"
No point overthinking. Yuri asked straight up.
"Disciple?"
A bitter smile crossed Elena's lips as she stared coldly out the window.
"Not yet. I'm working toward it."
"Working how?"
"Exactly that. I do have the tower lord's favor, but I'm not the only special one. Three of us, including me, are competing to become her disciple."
No NPC disciples for Orca had appeared in the game.
‘Killing Guard Sect...’
More shocking than her closeness to Orca was that Heavenly Thunder Orca would hook a prospective disciple up with assassins.
In the game, if you met Orca with a Killing Guard Sect hire as backup, she'd hit you with special dialogue and instant aggro.
[The stench of blood is foul.]
[Behold how thin the hide of beasts fattened on others' lives.]
Yuri had triggered that event once. The futility when his expensive hire got zapped by her lightning...
‘Now she's assigning one directly to a prospect?’
It hit home that 30 years had passed since the game's lore. Even stubborn Orca changing her tune meant something big—probably tied to possessors.
Derusia Magic Tower housed core spells for the lightning mage tree. In-game, killing those mages dropped spellbooks at low rates. In reality...
‘No way she'd carry precious ones around, so maybe they capture and torture mages for them?’
Brutal possessors might. Losing subordinates to such aggression could force even Orca to adapt.
Lightning mages were popular in Seronis; forums overflowed with guides.
Before settling on his panty martial artist concept, he'd tried a lightning build and leaned on a guide from overseas player THOR123.
The guy had topped the Hall of Fame with a killer score, so he was probably in this world too. Dead or alive, worth keeping in mind.
"How long to get there?"
"About a week if we push."
Elena turned from the window to Yuri amid the flowing silence, as if she'd been waiting.
"Yuri, do you want to be a mage? Or a martial artist?"
She'd been thinking too. With a serious face, she pressed on.
"If you want to be a mage, I can teach you directly. Not Derusia spells, but common ones, sure."
"Someone like me, never learned a single spell—can I even start now?"
"...It'd be tough."
Elena admitted frankly. She frowned, crossing her arms.
"Best to start magic early. But same for martial arts, right?"
"No."
A voice cut in from the coachman's seat.
"True, qi buildup and blocked meridians favor early starts. But late starts aren't always doomed. Some argue it's better after bones and tendons fully develop."
"I didn't ask you, Ha-ryeong."
"Just answering what I heard."
Ha-ryeong's face was hidden, but Elena's across from her was crystal clear—glaring at the seat with obvious displeasure.
"Bones and tendons aside, late starts are disadvantaged, fact."
"Meridians can be unblocked with external stimulation. That expels turbid qi naturally—easier than magic, even."
"That applies to magic too. Derusia magic..."
"You said you can't teach Derusia magic."
Yuri, who'd been listening quietly, chimed in. Elena startled and looked at him.
‘No way she's taking her side?’
Her wide eyes seemed to ask just that. Yuri flinched but continued.
"Martial arts feels more my speed."
"What...?"
"I've done plenty of physical work."
Age disadvantages didn't apply to Yuri. Possessors could catch up even starting older. But he couldn't flaunt that to Elena.
So he picked martial arts over magic. It'd let a real mage like her underestimate him appropriately, and his labor history was legit.
"H-Hey, but magic's way better than martial arts. More convenient, and..."
"Miss, that's unwise talk. I'm employed, so I'll hold my tongue, but a prickly martial artist hearing that wouldn't stay quiet."
Spot-on critique made Elena's shoulders tremble faintly. She gripped her skirt, steadied her breath, and nodded firmly.
"Fine, I take it back. Ha-ryeong, that was rude of me."
"I always say quick apologies are one of your few strengths."
"Few strengths?"
"Few people have only strengths."
Sparks crackled around Elena at the retort. She shuddered, then startled at Yuri's stare and reined in her mana.
"Sh-She's always like that."
"You spark electricity all the time too?"
Not Pikachu. At his dubious look, Elena hurriedly patted down her statically frizzed hair.
"Habit."
"Nice habit."
If smartphones existed here, she'd never need a power bank.
"Uh, so... Ha-ryeong. You'll teach Yuri martial arts?"
"Are you insane?"
Instant reply.
"No amount of money makes that okay. Teaching Killing Guard Sect arts to that man would get me killed—and him too."
"N-Not sect arts, then?"
"I could teach basics like grappling. For the right price."
"...I'll think about it."
"No heart methods, fair warning. If you really want him training, you'll need to source a suitable one."
"That's no issue."
With that, Elena clammed up. She slumped her shoulders, clutching her skirt, displeasure plain as day.
*Ahem.*
Yuri cleared his throat lowly, glancing at her obvious sulk.
"So, where am I staying?"
He'd followed since she said to come, but no details on lodging. An inn room? Doubt she'd buy a house.
"My place."
"What?"
"What's with the reaction? My place, obviously."
Her puzzled look seemed odder.
"Plenty of rooms—don't get ideas."
"No... still..."
"Unlike your dump, my house has an indoor toilet."
Yuri shut his mouth at that.
Toilets were a big deal.