A Familiar Scene, But Slightly Different (1)
A Familiar Scene, But Slightly Different (1)
[ Temple of the God of Amusement ]
"Thank you for the meal!!"
Na Yeon-ju, having cleaned her plate, rose from her seat.
Lee Ye-sol, sipping black tea at the head of the table, smiled faintly and asked the adorable youngest member,
"You had plans with the other apprentices today, right?"
"Yes!!"
Her bright smile lifted the mood of everyone around her, drawing small curves onto the lips of the other priests and holy knights.
"Come here for a moment."
"Oh, yes."
At Lee Ye-sol's gesture, Na Yeon-ju scurried over to stand before her superior.
"I heard the kids have been very considerate of you, Yeon-ju. Today, then."
From within her wide sleeve, she produced a black card. The emblem of the God of Amusement, the 'Pawn,' was set into it in platinum. She placed it in Na Yeon-ju's hand.
"Give back as much as you've received."
"Oh, I, well, I have my own allowance......"
"Hehe, it's fine."
Baek Woo-jin had asked her to take a little extra care of the girl, but regardless, the youngest is always adorable and doted on wherever she goes.
Especially Na Yeon-ju. Unlike the jaded Maria or the other apprentices, her untainted, pure nature genuinely stirred a protective instinct. She was the kind of child you just wanted to give a little more to.
"You said you were leaving at three?"
"Oh, yes. But we decided to meet a little early."
"Did you?"
"Yes. The Training Room? She said she had something to do there, so we decided to go together."
"Hmm~ the Training Room, you say?"
Lee Ye-sol's eyes narrowed, then she nodded, her usual mischievous smile returning.
"Very well. Don't be back too late. And you must contact me immediately if anything happens."
"Yes!!"
"Alright then, hurry along."
"Hehe, thank you~!!"
Clutching the black card to her chest, Na Yeon-ju bowed her head, then turned and headed up to the second floor.
Casual clothes were forbidden except when on leave or staying overnight, but she went to her room to grab her wallet and smartphone.
"High Priestess, aren't you playing favorites a bit?"
"Favorites?"
"Yes!!"
Idni, who was sitting next to Maria, pouted her lips and continued.
"Maria and I were the youngest once too, so why don't you ever lend something like that to us?!"
"...Idni, please."
At the half-serious complaint, Maria covered her face with both hands as if embarrassed, but Idni showed no intention of stopping.
"Mm, you do have a point. But, Idni?"
"......Yes."
Under her superior's slightly narrowed gaze, Idni flinched and subtly turned her head away.
Seeing this unusual side of Idni, who always presented herself as a strong, valiant woman, Lee Ye-sol and the other priests and holy knights in the room chuckled quietly.
Idni's face gradually reddened.
Lee Ye-sol spoke again before Idni could become genuinely upset.
"Where did you spend most of the allowance I gave you?"
"......Go, I mean gold?"
As if by magic, Idni's protruding lip retreated back in.
"Do you need the card?"
"...It was a jo, joke. Ha, haha."
-Snicker.
-Heh, that's why you shouldn't grumble when you can't even break even.
-Was our Cherry Princess feeling that disappointed?
"I, I said that's not it!!"
"...Why do I have to feel embarrassed too?"
Laughter filled the chapel for a long while.
**
"I'm off!!"
Having gathered all her things, Na Yeon-ju bowed in greeting and stepped out of the temple.
"Hmm~"
She hummed a tuneless song, a habit she'd picked up from Baek Ha-na, as she headed toward the meeting spot.
"Yeon-ju~! Over here!!"
At a fork in the path, Na Yeon-ju approached a girl waving both arms above her head.
"You didn't really have to come with me."
"No. I like walking around."
Or to be precise, she liked riding around on something.
"Honestly, though, I'm a little surprised?"
"About what?"
Na Yeon-ju tilted her head, and the girl walking close beside her, matching her stride, answered.
"Well, I asked around and heard you're busy every weekend, Yeon-ju. And on weekdays, unless you have plans, you head back early. So I just asked on a whim, but I was surprised you actually came."
"Hehe, the timing worked out perfectly. I'll probably be busy again after today."
Baek Woo-jin and Baek Ha-na.
With those two away, the gatherings at the mansion had naturally been canceled.
Originally, since the goal was training, they'd meet as long as Claire was there, but this time, muscle aches...
"...Yeon-ju?"
"Huh?!"
At Lee Ji-eun's voice, Na Yeon-ju snapped back to attention.
"What's wrong? Your face suddenly got all red. Are you sick?"
"N, no...... hehe...."
Na Yeon-ju quickly shook her head from side to side, dispelling the stray thoughts.
"But where did the other two go?"
"Ah, they're coming at three."
Lee Ji-eun.
She served the Goddess of Benevolence and was in the same Riftology lecture. Unlike Na Yeon-ju, who was the only first-year from her temple, Lee Ji-eun came with two peers.
"This job today is something I took on secretly because there's something I want to buy."
"Oh......."
The secretive air around that answer made Na Yeon-ju's eyes sparkle.
"What kind of item?"
"Secret."
Lee Ji-eun grinned mischievously. Na Yeon-ju blinked a few times, then met her eyes and smiled back.
This was actually her first time going out with Lee Ji-eun, so she didn't owe her anything in return. But she'd thought of giving a surprise gift at the end of this meeting, thanks to Lee Ye-sol's thoughtfulness in handing her the card and telling her to enjoy herself. That seemed unlikely now.
"So, this job. What is it exactly?"
"About two hours? I was told I just need to heal the people who get hurt while sparring."
"......?"
Na Yeon-ju, who had been grinning somewhat goofily, tilted her head askew, the smile still on her face.
"For sparring... I heard there are observers, so no one should get hurt?"
"Yeah, that's what I heard too. But they said they need me? And they already paid me a service fee, so I can't back out now."
"Hmm."
She smelled it.
A very fishy smell.
Though she was specialized in driving, Na Yeon-ju's instincts as a servant of the God of Amusement were razor-sharp.
'Well, nothing will happen.'
This wasn't an ordinary school.
If anyone had sense, they wouldn't try to cause trouble here.
Even if they did, it would probably end as a minor misadventure.
Na Yeon-ju quickly organized her thoughts and resumed her usual cheerful walk.
"Everyone is staring a lot."
"Our clothes are a bit conspicuous."
Under the sidelong glances of freshmen dressed in academy uniforms, Na Yeon-ju quickened her pace a little. She wasn't used to being the center of attention.
How long had they walked?
"Whoa... It's really big."
"This is my first time seeing it in person, too."
The two girls gazed at the massive, pure white building slowly coming into view, voicing their quiet admiration.
'So that's the Training Room....'
Just from its size, it was larger than the temple where she lived.
And this facility was exclusively for first-years.
Tug, tug──!!
"......?"
Na Yeon-ju glanced over at the sudden tug on her sleeve.
"What's wrong?"
"Th-there, that, that person, isn't that the Winter Queen......?"
"Winter Queen?"
The title felt like it was on the tip of her tongue. Na Yeon-ju shifted her gaze in the direction Lee Ji-eun was pointing.
"Ah, Ha-n...."
At the sight of that overwhelmingly welcome face, Na Yeon-ju almost called out her name before clapping a hand over her own mouth.
A cool-looking beauty in a neat uniform, her striking white hair leaving a powerful impression.
Even from a distance, Na Yeon-ju could feel the cold chill radiating from Baek Ha-na, along with an unmistakable aura of displeasure. She was walking briskly, off the path and across the grass. Na Yeon-ju swallowed hard.
'I, I should not mess with her right now....'
She didn't know why, but she was certain this was the scariest she had ever seen Baek Ha-na. Scarier than that time in the snowfield cave.
"J-Ji-eun. Let's go inside, quickly."
Tense from seeing Baek Ha-na in a state she'd never witnessed, Na Yeon-ju didn't even realize she'd dropped her usual speech pattern for a standard one.
"Eek!!"
"......!!"
As she tried to hurry her new friend inside, Na Yeon-ju flinched and spun her head around at the girl's sudden short shriek.
"Wh-what?"
"She's coming this way!!"
"......?!"
Lee Ji-eun was tapping her shoulder frantically, her voice trembling with excitement. Na Yeon-ju snapped her head back around.
"Y-Yeon-ju! She's coming to see you, I think!!"
'Eep......!!'
Baek Ha-na was looking directly at her with cold, sunken eyes and advancing.
Normally, this respected older sister would have called her name from afar. Now, she was approaching with the momentum of a predator that had spotted its prey.
"H-Ha-na un... senior... Ah, hello...!!"
"Hello!!"
The option to run had never existed from the start. Na Yeon-ju bent at the waist into a ninety-degree bow toward Baek Ha-na, who had stopped right in front of her. Lee Ji-eun followed suit beside her.
"Hello."
"He, hehe......."
At the toneless voice, completely devoid of emotion, Na Yeon-ju unconsciously swallowed hard.
"This is the first-year Training Room. What brings you here?"
"Oh, well, you see......."
Normally, Na Yeon-ju would have spilled everything without a moment's hesitation. But this time, her instincts screamed no, so she trailed off, racking her brain as hard as she could.
"Ah!! Gu, gue──"
"Yeon-ju followed me here!!"
...-st! She'd been about to say "guest." But her friend's needlessly quick answer forced Na Yeon-ju to close her lips awkwardly. She tried to tug on her friend's sleeve.
"I see. Your name?"
"I'm Lee Ji-eun, an apprentice of the Goddess of Benevolence!"
"I see."
Lee Ji-eun clasped her hands in front of her chest, perhaps out of genuine happiness, making the sleeve-tug pointless.
"You said Yeon-ju followed you. What brings you here?"
The question had come full circle.
Na Yeon-ju seriously considered if she should pinch Lee Ji-eun's backside.
But just as before.
"Well, actually... I was hired to heal some kids who get hurt while sparring."
Lee Ji-eun's answer was much faster.
"......Are they your friends?"
"Huh? No!! It was a request, so I don't know them!!"
"...I see."
Smoothly.
Blue eyes briefly scanned Na Yeon-ju's awkwardly smiling face before lowering back to Lee Ji-eun.
"I'll show you the way."