Chapter 112
Chapter 112
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: Epilogue
Chapter Title: Epilogue
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“...Well, you can just think of it as roughly going down like that.”
“This is… I don’t even know what to say. All I can tell you is that it was truly an entertaining story.”
The librarian—specifically, the Present one, her face slightly flushed—listened intently to my tale.
“It’s been a few days since then, and now they’re rebuilding the infrastructure that got completely wiped out. Everyone seemed insanely busy.”
“A change in history. Who knows how many tales we lost because of it… Thanks to you, we managed to—”
“Incredible! So that’s why your past looked so weird!”
“From what I can guess, yeah, probably.”
The Present one had been so excited listening to my story, so there was no reason her childlike Past wouldn’t be the same.
The Past one finally shoved the Present aside and started bouncing around excitedly.
“Ha… Don’t just butt in while I’m talking, Past.”
“Ung. Sorry.”
The Present one turned back to look at me.
“Now I finally understand completely why the Future wanted to make a contract with you.”
“Haha…”
I felt my head spinning a bit from the nonstop barrage of praise.
Dizzy enough that even the librarian’s face seemed to blur, but when I looked closer, she really was wearing a strange expression.
I put a slight smile on my face and said,
“Future, thank you.”
“Eh, whatever. I didn’t do much.”
“No, you told me everything—whether I was on the right path.”
“If you think that way, then thank me for life.”
The Future smiled a little shyly and faded into the back of my mind.
“Well then, I’ll be heading out. I’ll come back next month with another fun story.”
“Ah, Merchant. I have a question about that.”
“Yes?”
“It seems like you can no longer fulfill the role of Merchant. How do you plan to bring stories? If it’s difficult, I could adjust the contract terms a bit.”
It was certainly a valid concern.
She was even offering to change the contract, so it seemed like they really loved my stories.
“I appreciate the consideration, but there’s no need to change the contract. I think I can probably take on a similar role.”
“A similar role?”
“I’ll keep that a secret for the fun of it. I’ll tell you next month.”
I just gave a light laugh and headed outside.
>
The place I returned to was dyed pure white all around—a angel’s nest that bordered on obsessive mania.
“Kngh—ha…”
I stretched lightly.
Time to head out now.
“Hey, Angel! I gotta go, make me a door!”
…
“Hurry up!”
Contractor.
I didn’t want to say it, but…
“Huh?”
How long do you plan to live here?
I’m no longer your shop, so this place is mine alone.
“Hey, if we’re splitting hairs, aren’t I the original long-term contractor? I even let you have all sorts of fun experiences, so don’t be petty.”
Don’t forget that I’m an angel.
I cannot give without receiving something in return.
“Eh, fine, I’ll buy you ice cream later. Door, now!”
The angel let out a deep sigh and created a door right in front of me.
“What’s with all the hate? Anyway, I’m not coming back here for a while.”
That’s welcome news.
Don’t ever come back, and while you’re at it, transfer the contract to some other human.
“Nah, don’t wanna.”
The place connected to the door was right in front of the Tale Management Bureau, a construction site where people were racing to demolish and rebuild.
A familiar man was directing them there.
“Yes, put that next to the rebar over there. Ah! Hand that one to me!”
“Do-hyun.”
“Ah, Jin-seong. You’re here.”
Since Kim Do-hyun and I hadn’t been that close throughout the previous history, it actually prevented any awkwardness.
“I’ll wrap this up first before heading in… Go on ahead.”
“But why are you the one directing this?”
“The infrastructure around the Bureau was built to a plan, so the Bureau has to oversee it. It’s usually the research team or another specialist department, but they’re swamped. So I’m just relaying instructions and helping out.”
“Must be tough.”
“Nah, what’s tough about it? This peace was hard-won by you throwing yourself into the fire… It’d be ridiculous for me to complain.”
Kim Do-hyun gazed off into the distance.
“I said it before, but thank you for finding my father. Really…”
“Eh, whatever. It just kinda happened that way. No need to be so grateful.”
At that moment, Kim Do-hyun pointed at a worker and shouted.
“Ah, hey, I told you to bring that to me! Jin-seong, I’m kinda busy right now, so…”
“Yeah, I’ll head in first. Finish up quick and come on.”
I left Kim Do-hyun—yelling at the workers with unusual fervor, unlike his usual self—and entered the Bureau building.
The elevator happened to be on the first floor, and I stepped in without hesitation.
“112th floor, I think.”
The elevator ascended through the floors at a speed that wasn’t slow but wasn’t fast either.
Calm music flowed from the ceiling speakers, and even in the suffocatingly narrow space, my mind felt at ease, as if gazing at a pastoral landscape.
That serenity didn’t last. The elevator suddenly stopped at the 21st floor.
In my memory, the 21st was the research lab.
Maybe reflecting my wish not to run into strangers and cause misunderstandings—the doors opened, and the person who boarded was familiar.
“Sunbae.”
It was our first meeting since that day.
“...Don’t call me sunbae anymore. Just Woo-seok is fine. The title brings back the past, and it sours my mood.”
Moon Woo-seok stared vacantly at the ceiling.
“Yeah, I owe you a lot of apologies.”
“What for? If you really wanna apologize, buy me a meal later.”
“Haha. Sure, I’ll treat you to some pricey sashimi.”
There were already people on the 112th floor.
“Ah, Woo-seok. And… Jin-seong.”
Park Se-jin still seemed to have trouble facing me.
Honestly, Kim Do-hyun was the outlier; Moon Woo-seok and Park Se-jin’s reactions were more natural.
“Why are you all just standing there? Come sit down already.”
The 112th floor was furnished with display shelves, a fancy counter, tables, and chairs.
Moon Woo-seok and I sat across from Park Se-jin.
We sat in silence for a good while.
Park Se-jin even seemed awkward getting chummy with Moon Woo-seok, whose memories had returned.
“Argh. Tch, I hate this kinda atmosphere. Mind if I smoke one?”
Moon Woo-seok answered immediately.
“No. Ventilation’s poor here; the smell’ll linger.”
“Just call cleaning… One cig, that’s it.”
“No.”
“You were such a scaredy-cat just days ago, how’d your personality change so much!”
Park Se-jin yelled like that and laughed.
Moon Woo-seok laughed along, and so did I.
“...Yeah.”
Park Se-jin, who’d been staring blankly at the wall behind me, finally turned his eyes to me.
“Jin-seong.”
“Yes.”
“I… think I misunderstood a lot. Or rather, I was ignorant. I didn’t know anything.”
“…”
“Back then, I was blinded by anger and couldn’t think straight. So what I want to say is…”
“Squad Leader.”
“I’m really sorry, and thank you for saving everyone.”
Park Se-jin smiled as he said it, just like the vibe I remembered from the game.
That unpolished, genuine expression brought back my memories of the past four years.
“Squad Leader, got nothing to say to me?”
Moon Woo-seok cut into my thoughts.
“Nah, get lost.”
“Aw, why?”
“I liked you back when you were pure. Now you’ve got a personality like Hyeok Tae-jun’s for a bit there.”
“Hahaha—!”
I’d been listening quietly to their banter, but I couldn’t hold back the laughter.
“What, what?”
The tension broke, and laughter leaked through the resulting looseness.
Maybe my laugh was the spark—after that, the conversation flowed even lighter and more freely.
Each of our lives poured into my ears as one story.
“—Especially, when you infiltrated the Bureau last time, Jin-seong, it was hilarious how Do-hyun came up as the Squad Leader’s top worry!”
“Hey! I told you to drop that! It was all a misunderstanding!”
“Huh? Come to think of it… After Do-hyun died in the previous history…”
Moon Woo-seok’s eyebrow twitched faintly.
“Huh?”
The moment he realized something, mouth agape, staring at Park Se-jin—
Ding—
The elevator doors opened.
“Look at you all, slacking off and gathering like this!”
“I’m here too.”
It was Kim Do-hyun and the Headquarters Chief.
“What… Where’s Hyeok Tae-jun?”
“Dunno. Now that you mention it, haven’t seen him all day.”
“Even late on a day like this…”
The Chief clicked his tongue and plunked down the plastic bags full of stuff he was carrying with both hands onto the table.
“Eh, if he doesn’t show, nothing we can do. Guess we start without him.”
Kim Do-hyun set up the gas burner on the table, and naturally, meat went on.
Moon Woo-seok freaked that the smell would waft through the whole 112th floor, but the Chief brushed it off, saying just call the cleaners.
“…”
“Hey! What’re you doing? Open those beers already!”
At his words, we all exchanged glances and grabbed frosty cans of beer.
“Not gonna celebrate the shop opening?”
Right—today was my shop’s grand opening party, and this 112th floor was my new shop.
Just like how I’d done business with the Bureau before, now I was officially part of it.
“Chief, didn’t you say we can’t have friendly ties with tales?”
“What, you planning to betray the Bureau?”
“No, not that, but…”
“Then we’re good. Quit nitpicking! Eat some meat.”
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ “Hahaha! No, back then, that’s why—”
“Hey, you punk! You planning to hog all the meat? How’re you eating faster than it cooks!”
Like the gas burner grilling the meat, the mood heated up together.
It was the magic that alcohol brought, too.
I wasn’t sure if I should like this or not, but being a tale meant I didn’t get drunk.
“Tae-jun’s not coming.”
As Moon Woo-seok said, Hyeok Tae-jun showed no sign of arriving.
We’d started a bit early, but it was well past the promised time by over 30 minutes.
“I’ll go look for him.”
I took the elevator, figuring I’d stretch my legs.
It was like the party’s star was missing, but no one seemed to care.
Saving him was pointless anyway.
The moment I hit the first floor, I spotted Hyeok Tae-jun not far off.
“Hey! What’re you doing there? Hurry up and come!”
Hyeok Tae-jun replied, his voice brimming with delight.
“No, you idiot!”
“Huh?”
Thud thud thud thud—!
The moment his words ended, hundreds of ears crawled up from the ground.
“Ears? What, a tale?”
“I was holding my breath to deal with those, and you—”
“Whoops.”
“Don’t ‘whoops’ me! Run!”
We dashed along the main road.
Dozens of grotesque ears chased us, devouring nearby grass and plants at a terrifying speed.
“Haha!”
“You think this is funny?”
“Things going well with A-ram?”
“What’re you on about? Deal with those first!”
“I’ve got just the item—want a banana or maybe Valentine’s? Need one?”
“What, you a real merchant now? Kinda interested… Anyway, later.”
I ran, the fresh air clearing my meat-scent-numbed brain.
Honestly, I had no clue what the future held.
This wasn’t the game’s end—some episodes remained.
But the protagonist had reclaimed his place, and we’d beaten the worst scenario.
“Eh, things’ll probably work out from here.”
“No! Quit mumbling to yourself. Do something about those—! Let’s head up and eat some meat!”
END