Chapter 564: The Past(2)
Chapter 564: The Past(2)
'Was the divine fragment I gave her actually the divinity of being clueless?'
At this point, I couldn't help but think so. Mora had always shown a lack of nunchi—that social intuition—even in normal circumstances.
People don't change easily, so how much more would that apply to a transcendent being who had maintained the same personality for thousands of years?
She seemed to be reflecting on her actions, but in her own way, she probably thought of this as a 'prank' to get closer to us.
As I’ve mentioned repeatedly, it’s a huge mistake to put the thought processes of mortals and transcendents on the same level.
Mora must have put some thought into showing me my time in the military. However, of all the many memories available, I had no idea why she chose my army days.
'I mean, she could have shown my school days instead...'
[Well... I didn't think studying past 10:00 PM was exactly normal either...]
"..."
As if she had read my emotions, Mora answered in a voice that had lost all confidence. Seeing as the others didn't react, it seemed she was speaking only to me.
Hearing that, I felt a strange sense of understanding. She was likely referring to my high school years, not my university days.
Even at Halo Academy, all classes end by 5:00 PM. Furthermore, from the third year onwards, things get quite relaxed as students focus only on their majors.
Even with that schedule, they grumble about having too many classes; they would probably faint if they saw South Korea's educational curriculum.
Though "Night Self-Study" had changed from mandatory to optional during my time, it didn't really make much of a difference.
"It's cold outside, so make sure you put on your field jackets and everything."
"Yes, Sergeant. Understood."
"Are you wearing your thermals?"
"Yes."
For now, I had to observe the scene being shown. My past self—Kim Yoo-hwan—was currently giving various instructions to a junior soldier.
My family, perhaps sensing that the person giving orders was me, watched in silence.
It felt embarrassing yet profound. I stared intently at the image of my past self.
'I definitely inherited a good bridge for my nose back then, too.'
It wasn't just the nose. My eyebrows were thick and my eyes were deep-set, giving off an overall masculine vibe.
It meant the T-zone, the most important part of a man's appearance, was very prominent. If there was one disappointment, it was perhaps my skin.
Furthermore, due to the nature of being a soldier, I had no choice but to keep my hair buzzed short.
Usually, the more seniority—or jjam—one gains, the more they tend to let their hair grow out shaggy, but I just kept mine short.
It was annoying to get nagged about it. Still, I was lucky enough to get leave every now and then.
"You were tall and handsome in your past life, too. I suppose your skin couldn't be helped since you were a soldier. It’s a different kind of charm from now. Is that really you, Isaac?"
Mari, who had been looking my past self up and down, gave her assessment in a tone of wonder.
Watching her look back and forth between the current me and my past self was actually quite cute.
"That's me, alright. The name on the chest, Kim Yoo-hwan... Ah, you can't read it."
"I can read it, though?"
"What?"
"I can read it. Kim Yoo-hwan. And I can even hear what they're saying in the video coming out of that square box."
Hearing Mari's words, I looked at the others. They all nodded, as if they were also receiving an automatic translation.
It seemed Mora had taken special measures for their convenience. She’s surprisingly helpful at the most random times.
At least I wouldn't have to explain every single thing.
"Anyway, that's me."
"Hooo... how fascinating. But your appearance seems different from ours. How should I put it? You look like you belong to a specific ethnic group."
"Are there any races in our world with an appearance similar to that?"
"Not that I know of."
My family and lovers chatted amongst themselves as they watched me talk with my junior.
The compliments on my looks boosted my ego, but the topic of race made me a bit cautious.
There was a high possibility that the race Luminous had completely wiped out was East Asian—specifically, the Yellow race.
Soon, the scene showed me visiting the Command and Control Room, and after a safety inspection, walking toward the ammunition depot.
Since it was the front lines in the middle of winter, white puffs of breath bloomed with every exhale.
My father watched the scene intently and nodded with a satisfied expression.
"It seems they provided you with proper winter clothing, thankfully. Protection against the cold is essential in this weather."
"It certainly looks warm. But are you really okay without wearing armor?"
Dave asked as he watched me and the junior soldier walk toward the ammo depot.
Aside from our ballistic helmets, we were heading out for duty without any protective gear. As an active knight, Dave couldn't help but find it questionable.
"Yeah. See the weapon I'm holding? The gun? Steel armor can't stop a bullet. You'd need to wear a separate bulletproof vest."
"Then are you going without even that bulletproof vest?"
"We don't really wear those unless it's a real-world situation."
In fact, most of the time we didn't even wear them during training. They're incredibly heavy and stifling.
Most training in South Korea tends to be "half-assed" to some extent. Having an empty rucksack is basically a passive trait.
However, in inverse proportion to that, if a real situation breaks out, they transform into a warrior race. The Yeonpyeong Island incident is a prime example.
Dave blinked his golden eyes at my answer and scratched his head. He looked like he couldn't understand it at all.
"I don't know if it's because the cultures are different, or if the Navy Knights are just that intense."
"You said you were on the front lines, right? A place where the enemy is right in front of your nose."
This time it was Nicole. She looked just as confused as Dave.
"Yeah, that's right."
"Then why aren't you wearing it? What if you get ambushed? The enemy was even provoking you just a moment ago. Is it really okay?"
"Uh..."
I couldn't easily answer her logical question. Nicole's doubt was perfectly common sense.
However, North Korea 'usually' doesn't engage in direct armed conflict.
During my service, there was a time when North Korean soldiers briefly crossed over, but it turned out they had just stupidly lost their way.
Aside from the Command Room going into a frenzy over potential landmine placement, it was such a pathetic conclusion that I believe it was completely buried.
"The possibility of that is very, very low. And getting hit by a preemptive strike would mean our guard was lax, right? You know how a soldier who fails at guard duty is treated, sister."
"Hmm... I suppose so. If you keep a good watch, you won't be attacked first."
It seemed I had successfully navigated that question. I breathed a sigh of relief inwardly and looked forward.
Walking alongside the junior, we had reached the front of the ammunition depot.
"Halt! Halt! Halt! Move and I'll shoot. Cigarettes."
"Don't have any."
"Who goes there?"
"Cut the crap and just come out, you bastards. I'm freezing to death."
Mm. That was the classic display of a Sergeant in his final months pulling rank.
I watched my past self coolly ignore the password and then checked the reactions of those around me.
Except for Adelia, my lovers—who were far removed from military life—were giggling, while my family members were wearing sour smiles.
My family probably knew exactly what that behavior meant. It was typical veteran laziness.
"Isaac."
"Yeah?"
"You don't find excuses like that to pick on people, do you?"
I shook my head vigorously at Dave's suspicious question. I was the type to get picked on, not the one picking on juniors.
I think I knew why Mora chose to show my time as a Sergeant. I remember getting picked on in all sorts of ways when I was a Private.
Back then, we didn't even have cell phones, so I just exercised constantly. The Cyber Knowledge Information Center was the seniors' territory.
"Tae-won."
"Private Lee Tae-won."
"Send me home."
"Aren't you being discharged soon, Sergeant?"
"I still want to go home."
Even while standing guard at the ammo depot, the Sergeant's whining didn't stop. It felt like my dark history was being broadcasted, and my face flushed involuntarily.
"I know that feeling well."
"Soldiers are the same in every world, it seems."
"No wonder Isaac was so reluctant to become a knight when he was young. Was it because of that?"
Those were the comments from Dave, Nicole, and my mother, respectively. Indeed, unlike my brothers, I had been reluctant to become a knight.
While the military in this world was a more open society compared to South Korea, the military is still the military. It was bound to be unpleasant.
"This means everyone in our family is a veteran now."
"Haha. I suppose so."
The scene was filled with laughter at my father's half-joke. I could only scratch my cheek in embarrassment.
Thanks to that, I understood why Mora had chosen this scene. As a starting point, it couldn't have been better.
It created a common theme through the shared experience of being soldiers, and by showing my perfectly ordinary self, the relationships became even more intimate.
"Isaac really was just an ordinary person. I truly thought you were a Saint."
"Cecile?"
"Anyone would have thought so. And even if you weren't back then, you're a truly special person now, aren't you?"
Cecile replied playfully, lightly pinching my cheek. Why did her smiling face feel like that of a little devil?
As she said, the fact that I am special is an unchangeable truth. After all, who else remembers their past life and remains untouchable even by the gods?
"Sergeant Kim Yoo-hwan, what are you going to do after you're discharged?"
"What else? I'll write novels. That's all I did with my spare time in the army."
"Could you tell me the name of the work you were serializing?"
"Forget it. Find it yourself."
Though I spoke bluntly, it was only because I was embarrassed back then.
You know how it is. That feeling of not wanting to show your own work to people you know.
Even then, writing novels was strictly a 'personal hobby.' Everyone has a hobby they want to keep hidden.
The only reason I even revealed that I wrote novels was because of my psychological compulsion against lying. I even suffered some minor hazing because of it.
"Then are you going back to university right away?"
"I think I'll drop out. I'm planning to help with my parents' business."
"A parachute appointment?"
"Do you want to die? ...is what I want to say, but since it's a fact, I can't really argue."
Right. I remember that now, too.
I wanted to continue my university life, but I didn't think I'd have the time, so I was planning to drop out.
I had to write novels, and I also had to help with my parents' work.
In my past life, my father was a well-known figure in the construction industry. My mother was a perfectly ordinary full-time housewife.
It was a truly normal and harmonious family. Growing up as an only child, I received an abundance of love from both of them, and I worked hard to return that love.
That family was torn apart by a single unfortunate accident...
"..."
"Isaac?"
"Ah... yes?"
"What were you thinking about?"
Mari suddenly chimed in just as my mind was starting to go blank. I blinked and looked around.
The recreation of the ammo depot duty had ended, and we were back in the White Room.
It felt like I was about to remember something, but then I forgot it.
"Um... it's nothing. Anyway, that's what my military days were like."
"I see. But what was that about a missile at the beginning? What does it mean that North Korea fired a missile?"
"It's literally a provocation. A signal that they'll act out if things don't go their way. But they provoke us so often now that we just take it in stride."
North Korea is a place that provokes whenever they're bored. From our country's perspective, it happens so often that we just say, "Again?"
While other countries tend to treat it seriously, in our country, it's just 'daily life,' so we're quite indifferent.
"May I ask how powerful that weapon called a missile is?"
My father, who had been deep in thought, asked me in a curious tone.
At that question, everyone else's gaze shifted to me. Was everyone that curious about missiles?
I pondered how to best explain a missile, then decided to head off any misunderstandings first.
"Let me say this first. I know North Korea's provocations are dangerous. But from South Korea's perspective, we can't just touch them recklessly. North Korea has nothing to lose, while South Korea has far too much to lose. North Korea is considered one of the poorest and most corrupt countries in the world."
"Hmm. I see what you mean. So, what is the power of a missile?"
"Think of it as a weapon that can trigger a Meteor from a distance and strike a specific target with pinpoint accuracy. Depending on the technology, you could fire one from the Grey Desert and hit Albenheim."
"Wh-what?"
At the very appropriate example, Arwen jumped in shock. She probably reacted that way because I used Albenheim in the analogy.
The others also had their eyes wide open, though not as much as Arwen.
"Putting it that way makes it easy to understand. But a weapon with that much power... just what kind of magic does it use?"
"It's not magic; it's science. Anyway, everyone understands now, right?"
Fortunately, thanks to my preemptive explanation, they didn't look at me with pity or anything like that.
Once the situation had settled down to some extent, I slowly closed my eyes. Now it was time to show them what South Korea was really like.
To do that, it would be best to show my school days. I'd show them middle or high school rather than university.
'...This should be good.'
Mora wouldn't interfere this time. However, since these were very old memories, I had no choice but to borrow her help.
After finishing all my mental preparations, I quietly opened my eyes. And then...
"Ah, fuck. This goddamn motherless piece of shit."
Along with a vulgar parental insult.
"Are your parents an odd number? Why can't you just admit you messed up?"
"That's just how these 'special needs' games are."
"I hope League of Legends goes bankrupt soon."
The sight of my past self 'amicably' enjoying games with friends at a PC Bang came into view.
"I-Isaac just..."
"Did he just insult someone's parents...?"
"Parents are an odd number...? What on earth..."
"..."
Um.