Chapter 150
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 150: How to Get a License (5)
The blades of wind Choi Sujeong fired rushed in with terrifying ferocity. But it was no use. The two figures, who dodged the blades as lightly as if they were dancing, landed with a giggle. The owners of the voice. Right, it was Gemini.
“Who are you? This black mana, what is... I've never seen or heard of mana like this...!” Park Yul-ah, who possessed Magic Eye, looked confused as she saw Gemini. Hearing Park Yul-ah's trembling voice, Gemini slowly turned their heads. Four pairs of eyes, glittering with madness, faced her. They snickered.
“A vampire with no talent!” “One who escapes into science.”
It was a playful tone, but Park Yul-ah's expression hardened quickly.
“What does that…”
“Different from your 'Lord' brother, right?” “So different it's sad. There's nothing there.” “What are you talking about!?”
Park Yul-ah shouted hysterically. But her expression looked just like someone whose critical weakness had been struck. I watched Gemini reveal their nasty personalities without filter and replied, annoyed.
“Stop it. What do you want?”
“Eung— We came to make a deal today!” “We came to make a deal today.”
Gemini walked lightly over to Na Yuhan. Our friends, who had frozen in surprise, immediately took a guarded stance and aimed their weapons at Gemini. Gemini ignored them and spoke to Na Yuhan.
“You have a lot of questions, don't you?” “You must. The Oracle is always a mystery.” “We'll solve it for you!” “So let's make a deal.”
A deal. The moment that word came out, Choi Sujeong frantically shot blades of wind at Gemini. But the two just giggled and twirled, dodging them.
“We're not interested in you, pet cat!” “We're not interested in you, pet cat.”
“Shut up. Get lost!!!”
Choi Sujeong, confronting her trauma head-on, was not in her right mind. Her entire face was flushed red with anger.
“Are you trying to ruin someone's life again?! Junior, don't you ever agree to their deal! Those things are pure evil, moved only by their own amusement!”
She pulled Na Yuhan's arm and hid him behind her.
“That heart, wanting to protect, is nice!” “That heart, wanting to protect, is nice.”
But Gemini just sneered at Choi Sujeong's extremely hostile reaction and circled around them. And they spoke to Na Yuhan, as if whispering.
“You'll be able to use us well. Unlike that stupid cat!” “Right. You're smart, aren't you? Different from the 'stupid' characters.”
At their words, even Na Yuhan's face hardened. He must have recalled his powerless past self from Gemini's line.
“...I'm not that smart.”
At his words, Gemini giggled.
“He found out!” “He found out.” “……”
He was being completely mocked. Na Yuhan glared at Gemini with sharp eyes.
“Besides, I can't just accept when I don't even know what you're offering.”
“Really? You know what we are, don't you?” “You know.”
“...Even so, it's the same.”
Na Yuhan continued to glare at Gemini.
“I know. I know how vicious you are. You grant one wish, and then throw the rest of that person's life into the mud.”
“Ahaha!” “Ahaha.”
“The twin Embodiments of Hope and Despair. You'll surely grant despair equal to the hope given.”
I recalled the description of Gemini I'd read in the novel. The conceptual beings of plus and minus, of equivalent exchange, created by Lord Cheonho to make the Tower. Because they are bound, if they do a +1 action, it becomes +1. If they do a -1 action, it becomes -1. That is what applies to the Tower and the creations of the Tower. An anchor to fix the Tower, which was made from imagination, to the rules of reality. To do so, Lord Cheonho bound those two concepts together. Until the Tower could gain reality over a long period, even without Gemini being bound. ...Well, that's all I know of the setting... but speculating based on it, that must be why the twins, despite being transcendental, couldn't use their power freely. When they had to be together, they had to give something to take something. But the situation changed when I freed them. The possibility of them separating was created. It was no different from the opening of a possibility for a miracle. Whether the conditions weren't met, or they just wanted to stick together, they still seemed to be together... Na Yuhan looked at the twins with a blank expression.
“I'm not that smart, but I'm not stupid enough to make a wish, believing I alone can avoid the price.”
At Na Yuhan's words, one of the twins smirked, and the other replied expressionlessly.
“A shame!” “A shame.”
Gemini shook their heads, looking not at all disappointed. Choi Sujeong growled at them.
“Now, get lost.”
“No!” “No.”
Gemini grinned and turned their gaze to me.
“Not yet!” “Not yet.” “There's still someone to make a deal with!” “There's still someone to make a deal with.”
They ran tadadak toward me and circled around me.
“Irregular!” “Irregular.” “The one who freed us, the one who holds Lord Cheonho's possibility!” “The person with the Key to make this world a happy ending.”
Their clear, child-like voices whispered to me like a snake.
“We'll help you!” “We'll help you.” “Because you freed us!” “Yep. We were finally freed. So we'll help you.” “Don't you want to stop hispossession?” “You want to. We'll help you.”
“……”
“But we won't cause a miracle without a price!” “But we won't cause a miracle without a price.”
...Stop possession. Realizing what they were talking about, I felt the blood drain from my body. Na Yuhan, hearing the word 'possession', gave me a curious look, but I tried to ignore it. No, the truth was, my body was frozen, and I had no capacity to pay him any mind. Just then, someone pulled my pale self into their arms. It was Choi Sujeong, who was even paler than I was.
“Don't. Please….”
“Ahaha!” “Ahaha.” “We like it! That expression!” “We like it. That expression.”
Gemini, smiling brightly, swayed as if dancing and looked at me. They seemed to believe without a doubt that I would accept their offer. But even if it wasn't a miracle without a price, even if it was one that might take something, the fact that a way to protect my precious people had appeared right in front of me made my heart waver.
“……”
...Make the contract? Just as I was agonizing, biting my lip. I felt Choi Sujeong's body, which was hugging me tighter, trembling. My senses returned. I might regret passing up this deal someday. But……. I looked at Gemini. And then, I looked back at Choi Sujeong, who was holding me. Choi Sujeong was on edge, as if covered in thorns, showing an aggressive attitude, but inside, she must have been trembling. I could see it. It must have been the same for Gemini's eyes, too. That must be why they were tormenting her so. Choi Sujeong's life, which I had read in the original novel, came to mind. She had wandered from place to place as an orphan, was adopted into the Balder Family, and was treated in ways that couldn't be put into words. And Gemini appeared before her. Choi Sujeong, who wanted to escape so badly, accepted the deal. She was happy for a moment, but what lay before her was the role of an assassin for Gemini's amusement. A life thoroughly broken by the twins, who gave her hope and then despair, playing with her. She was finally saved when she met Lee Hana at the Academy. And then, to free herself from Gemini, she herself plunged a curse-laden dagger into Lee Hana. I can't even imagine the despair she must have felt. She must have been in agony. That's why I could stop. Because I knew how much pain she would be in if I accepted their offer. …I could certainly endure hardship myself for the sake of my precious people, but—
“...I refuse.”
I spoke with strength. So that they would never make me that offer again. Gemini, who seemed not to have expected a refusal, tilted their heads and circled us. As if they were disappointed.
“We thought you were in a hurry?” “We thought you were in a hurry.”
“How do I know what you'll take as your price? And…” —I didn't want a precious person to be hurt by that pain. I looked at the pale Choi Sujeong, who was hugging me tightly, and smiled faintly.
“If I can help it, I'd rather not do something my sunbae is stopping me from doing.”