Chapter 24
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 24 - How to Manage Your Connection (14)
What?
Although I was surprised by Calmy’s unexpected request, I smiled calmly and accepted his request.
Because I’m not a character who can refuse conversation.
Even though Calmy asked to talk first, he didn’t say anything until he found a bench and sat down.
“…What do you want to say?”
In the end, I couldn’t wait and asked first, then Calmy pursed his lips and lowered his head.
“Sorry, I was choosing my words for a moment.”
“It’s okay! So Siwoo is being cautious!”
As I smiled brightly, Calmy’s expression became strangely distorted. What is it?
And finally, he opened his mouth.
“By any chance, has something happened?”
“Hm? Has something happened, you ask? Are you asking if something bad happened? These days are nothing but good things! I was recognized by my friends, and my mana increased!”
Did this guy notice something?
I smiled calmly and tried to continue the conversation.
“Besides, this is a secret, but I actually made a lot of money, you know?”
“…That’s not it,”
Calmy, who had been silently looking at me and listening to me, was about to ask a question but stopped.
“No. If you don’t want to talk, I won’t bother asking.”
He opened the can he was holding and took a sip of the drink. Then he spoke calmly.
“Instead, let me tell you a story. I want to tell you about someone I know well.”
Suddenly? I was puzzled, but quietly nodded.
“It’s the story of a fallen hero.”
I inadvertently looked at the old sword that Calmy always carried on his back, then looked forward again.
…Perhaps, is it that story?
“She was an outstanding leader. So people entrusted the most important task to that hero.”
I know.
This is a story from the time when people were attacking the tower.
Captain of the International Attack Force, ‘Savior’. The story of ‘Park Siyeon’.
“The hero completed her mission. She couldn’t say she didn’t make mistakes. But the hero worked hard, and people paid respect to the hero in honor of her efforts.”
This is the story of a broken person whose brilliant glory was shattered and who struggled with guilt.
“But one day, something came to light that would turn the world upside down.”
As the tower degenerates from a treasure to an abomination and becomes a life-eating battlefield, the International Attack Force Savior faces criticism from the people.
“The important thing the hero has done is actually to harm her companions and the world.”
“People instantly changed their attitude and blamed the hero and her party. The hero blamed herself. And she was tormented by her guilt her whole life.”
It’s common. When a big problem occurs, there is always a need for a sacrifice to direct public anger.
“Yet she always just smiled when she looked at her grandson’s face.”
Calmy’s eyes were deeply sunken, as if he was remembering something.
“But her grandson knew. His grandmother always hides her deep sorrow.”
He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and spoke.
“…That person is my grandmother.”
Blue eyes turned to me.
“I’ve seen people who want to cry but can’t for too long. So I know very well what kind of face a person who tries to hide their crying makes.”
Those blue, yet gentle, worry-filled eyes seemed to throw everything out, so I just shut my mouth.
Calmy’s gaze turned forward again.
“But you… It bothered me because, like Grandma, you had the face of someone who was holding back tears and smiling.”
Calmy was silent for a moment as if he was trying to choose his words, and then continued slowly, word by word, carefully.
“…No matter how hard I try, there are bound to be factors that are out of my control.”
The empty can in his hand was wrinkled from so much force.
“That’s why… Even if something unexpected happens to you, I hope you don’t blame yourself too much.”
And Calmy’s gaze, which was looking forward, met mine.
“…It’s good to ask your friends for help sometimes.”
Although he quickly turned his head away. The boy’s bright red ears come into view.
“…Siwoo.”
I turned my gaze in silence and looked at the meta system window floating in front of me.
150 points. The points were already increasing.
Right. Even though I only lost 10 points, I was very nervous.
Only then was I able to look back on my actions as if my eyes had cleared up.
For me, the orphanage is always a top priority. So I saved the money for the orphanage. In exchange for just 10 points, I purchased the orphanage’s future.
So, I did my best at that time.
When I thought about that, I felt a little more at ease.
Well, right. I was already clinging too much to the past. I just need to be careful and work harder going forward.
“Thanks.”
Calmly saw my smiling face and smiled softly himself. He looked pretty cool.
As expected, his personality is on a completely different level from that Scammer.
I lamented the drastic difference in personality between the two main characters and threw the finished can into the trash can. Then I said it deliberately jokingly.
“What, did you say you wanted to talk to me because you were worried about me? So sweet, our Siwoo!”
Calmy’s ears turned slightly redder at my words.
“Just… It’s not a big deal.”
“Shiny personality! Awesome personality!”
“Ugh…”
I burst out laughing and praised Calmy for a while. And said to him.
“Thanks. If you have any concerns, please let me know anytime. We’re friends.”
Calmy paused for a moment at my words and nodded his head silently.
“Then, shall we go?”
“Mmhm, the kids will be waiting!”
As the two of us came up with excuses to give to the remaining two who wanted to know why we were late, we headed back to the training room.
And when I arrived at the training room, that wasn’t the case.
Because a surprising guest had arrived.
The guest in the training room was,
“Nyahaha~ Helloooo!”
It was Choi Soojung.
She must be really fed up with Scammer because she was taken advantage of during the last dungeon raid. What’s going on here?
Yet for some reason, Scammer was in extremely tattered condition.
…What’s really going on?
Na Yuri hugged me as I looked at him in confusion.
“There’s no need for Nahyun to worry about such a trash person.”
“Yeah, we just scolded him a little.”
…Ah, right. Only then did I remember that I had given Choi Soojung a blank check, saying I will punish Scammer together with Na Yuri.
Did she really come to execute it…?
Scammer waved his hand at us. It seemed like he was asking for my help.
I approached him, lamenting the sad reality that I had to help that bastard in concept.
Meanwhile, Choi Soojung looked incredibly refreshed, as if she had beaten Scammer well enough to show her true self.
She smiled brightly and tried to join us in our training, which we gladly accepted. Because friendship with an important and capable person like Choi Soojung is very beneficial.
Scammer, who had become a mess, was about to leave the training, but I managed to stand up and follow him. Even while drinking precious potions.
Another day passed like that.
***
I returned to the dormitory and opened the meta system window.
It was necessary to check the parts that appeared and the comments that I hadn’t seen in detail before.
However, I felt like it would be okay now even if there were criticisms against me, so I smiled without thinking.
I quickly started going through the appearance parts and reader reactions.