The Eve of Release
"That's strange. I was sure she was drowning in loneliness... I thought it'd be easy to talk to her."
The master of Eternal Guardians Guild, Chris Evans, walked down the hallway after leaving the A-7 special isolation room. His face was full of bewilderment.
Moments ago, Chris had been in the isolation room where Leah was confined. It was lunchtime. He'd deliberately chosen a time when no one else was around. All to have a private chat with the beautiful girl boasting red hair and purple eyes—the self-proclaimed Noblesse.
"She greeted me so warmly at first... I figured it'd be easy this time too."
When he'd entered the isolation room, Leah had come out to greet him as if she'd been waiting. But soon, disappointment crossed her face. Chris wasn't the person she was waiting for.
And from that moment on, he couldn't get a word out of Leah. She vanished from sight entirely—not that he could do anything about it if she was right in front of him anyway.
"I'm Chris Evans. Leah, would you care to have a chat with me?"
Chris approached the girl with utmost politeness and gentlemanly grace.
However.
Leah tilted her head, stared at him blankly, then made her refusal clear.
"Hmph, this body shan't converse with thee. Begone at once, says this body!"
—Thud thud thud!
Leah scampered to the bed, wrapped herself up like a burrito in the blanket, and burrowed inside.
"Uh... Leah? Did I do something wrong?"
Chris stammered a bit in the unexpected situation.
"......"
Leah didn't budge from under the blanket. Not a peep in response to him. It was as if she'd instinctively sensed he was dangerous.
"......Looks like my timing was off today. I'll visit again sometime."
In the end, Chris had no choice but to leave empty-handed, swallowing his frustration.
"Based on all the investigations so far, I was sure chatting with the Noblesse wouldn't be hard... Was there a problem with the intel?"
No matter how he racked his brain, Chris couldn't make sense of it. The Noblesse called herself a knight, so he'd approached with extra formality, emphasizing his harmlessness. It should've been foolproof. What went wrong...?
Is there something off with my current body? Or just not her type?
He ran through guesses, but none satisfied him.
"This is a real pain... I didn't want to resort to rough methods, but looks like I'll need backup plans."
The old Chris would've cut his losses here. He was a man who weighed costs, benefits, and efficiency against time. Chasing traces of the vanished Collector or Phantom made far more sense than wasting time on a girl whose ghost story status was dubious at best.
However.
"She's... more beautiful than I imagined."
Eyes like amethyst rivers flowing. Red hair burning brighter than any flame in the world. And above all, a body that drove men mad despite her youth.
"If she's a ghost story, perfect. But even if not... I don't care anymore."
Chris masked his greedy glint and vanished into the dark corridor's end.
But.
Lost in his thoughts, or perhaps momentarily careless from admiring Leah's beauty—Chris never noticed the man watching him from afar.
* * *
"Knew it, that damn squinting bastard!"
Si-hyun bumped into Chris on his way to visit Leah in the A-7 special isolation room. Well, only Si-hyun saw him. Chris was muttering to himself, deep in thought.
『Um... Si-hyun, got a question for you.』
『(ㅇ3ㅇ) /』
"Yeah, what's up?"
『You've hated that guy since day one. Why??』
"Oh, that? Dude's a total squinter."
『Huing...? That's your reason??』
"Duh. Squinters are prime suspects numero uno. Just that alone's enough."
What is a squinter? Symbol of scheming! Backstabbing incarnate! Smooth-talking while stabbing you in the gut! And the cliché of powering up when they open their eyes fully!
"Anyway, they're total assholes!"
『But the grim reaper squinter in that manga you like was pretty cool~?』
"Yeah, he was kinda cool... But even he's a backstabbing pro."
Anyway. My instincts are screaming. That guy's bad news!
『But Si-hyun, that bad guy's been to Leah's room and left. Shouldn't you hurry in??』
"Oh shit, you're right! Thanks for the heads-up!"
—Pat pat!
Si-hyun thanked the notification window and rushed into Leah's isolation room.
And in the empty hallway, the notification window muttered to itself quietly.
『Is that guy a variable the 'World's Will' forced in to push the story...?』
『Huing... I wanna warn Si-hyun ahead of time, but restrictions stop me ㅠ3ㅠ』
『Sob sob, forgive this useless notification window, Si-hyun ㅠ-ㅠ』
The notification window sniffled softly before fading like smoke. The story's clockwork, wound by the 'World' to end the apocalypse, creaked on alone.
* * *
Time passed, and it was now day 13 of isolation. Si-hyun was spending time chatting with Leah as usual.
"Leah, tomorrow we can finally go home!"
"Whoaaa~ Si-hyun, really?!"
"Yup! It's almost over today, so less than 24 hours left. All thanks to you hanging in there."
"Ehehe, this body got strength from Si-hyun visiting every day!"
Since day 8, Leah's condition had improved noticeably. She started eating pudding again, and now she demolished 4-5 a day like old times.
"Nom nom, want one, Si-hyun?"
"Hahaha, I'm good. Eat up, my knight~"
Finally, quarantine ends tomorrow. He'd been on edge, worried about some bullshit pulling a fast one midway.
Thankfully, nothing happened. Just one more day! One day and we're golden!
"Leah, what's the first thing you wanna do when we get home?"
"Munch munch... First thing this body wants?"
Leah pondered with her mouth full of pudding.
"Yeah, anything. Spill it."
"Hmm... This body says~~"
Leah grinned mischievously and opened her mouth.
"Roll around at home with Si-hyun all day, says this body!"
"Huh, that's it?"
"Hmph! That's what this body wants most. This body was so lonely here alone—now it wants to stick together."
"Hahaha, you're so honest, Leah. Love that."
All Leah wanted was to spend time with Si-hyun. That was it.
"Hehe, wish tomorrow comes quick, says this body!"
"Then hit the hay early. I'll pick you up first thing tomorrow morning."
"Hmph! Got it, says this body!"
Leah hopped up, scurried to the bed, and lay down. Tension gone, she yawned and drifted off right away.
"Yawwwn~~ Thanks for staying till this body sleeps again today, Si-hyun..."
"Nah, thank you for toughing it out, Leah."
"Ehehe... See you tomorrow morning, says this body... Snore... Zzz"
"Falls asleep fast, huh? Haha."
Si-hyun stayed another 30 minutes until she was out cold.
"Guess I should head out now."
But.
As he straightened his chair to leave—Creak—screeech—
The story's clockwork, driven by the 'World's Will', spun wildly with a sharp click.
And right after—Clank.Thud thud.
Suit-clad Chris led a group of researchers and Awakeners into the isolation room. He checked sleeping Leah through the glass wall and stopped before Si-hyun.
"Hm... Looks like Leah's asleep."
"You... Chris, right? What the hell are you doing here?"
Si-hyun immediately blocked the glass wall with his body, on guard.
"Sorry if I startled you. With Leah's quarantine nearly over, time's tight, so I had to rush in."
He greeted politely, then cut to the chase.
"Korea and the UK's tests raised questions. So the US, France, and Japan want additional checks on the Noblesse."
"What? You think that's okay right now? And doing this without Dawn's Light master's permission—"
"For the record, I already got permission from Master Han Do-jin."
"What...?"
Chris smirked slyly, pulling a paper from his pocket and showing Si-hyun.
[Signature: Han Do-jin]
The permit bore Han Do-jin's clear signature and seal.
"Hold up, Uncle Do-jin really approved this? He didn't say a word to me."
Si-hyun couldn't believe Do-jin would greenlight extra tests out of nowhere. But the signature looked real, the handwriting unmistakably his.
—Tap.
Chris placed a hand on flustered Si-hyun's shoulder and grinned wickedly.
"Yoon Si-hyun, right? Seems you're mistaken... You're just a lowly employee. Just a mere guardian. You have no right to interfere."
"No right...?"
"Exactly. So if you'd kindly leave? You're not dumb enough to try blocking us alone, are you?"
Though he said that, Chris expected resistance.
Go ahead and rebel. The justification's on my side—it only helps me.
However.
"If Uncle decided, can't argue. But gimme five minutes."
Contrary to expectations, Si-hyun was calm. He just asked for five minutes to confirm by phone outside.
"Very well, I'll allow that much."
* * *
—Crash!
Si-hyun bolted to the bathroom the second he left the room.
"Hoo... So you're pulling this crap after all, huh...?"
He never dreamed trusted Uncle Do-jin would backstab him. Maybe unavoidable as guild master... but that didn't matter now.
『S-Si-hyun! Th-this way, Leah'll get kidnapped!! N-NTR'd!!!』
The notification window flitted anxiously before his eyes.
"Haha, NTR? Now I'm pissed."
『N-not the time to laugh!! We need a plan!!』
"One way only. Round up that Chris—or Crispy—squinter and his goons for a beatdown."
『Eh...? Si-hyun, this is inside Dawn's Light... You don't mean...?』
—Grab!
Si-hyun snatched the fretting notification window and grinned.
『Hueng...?』
"Yup, that exactly. Uncle backstabbed me? Fuck it, I can backstab him too, right?!?!"
Dawn's Light—Korea's top guild. If something big happened overnight inside to the US guild master and his agents? And the culprit was the mengmang-grade ghost story Phantom?
The guild's rep would plummet like a crashing stock!
"Was holding back powers inside the guild for Uncle's sake... Fuck that now."
『Hawawa... Pissed Si-hyun is scaryyy...』
『OㅁO...』
Si-hyun gripped his prepped wooden sword and murmured low.
"Notification window—open the beginner package!"