Eugene (2)
Hype Man Eugene.
An extra who had been written into Protect the Academy! for a single purpose: to make the leads look good.
And at the same time, a named boss belonging to the Six Apostles of the Evil God — the 2nd Apostle.
The gulf between those two characters was as vast as the distance between fire and water.
But I, at least, have to accept both of them.
Right now I was Hype Man Eugene. I was also a named boss, the 2nd Apostle. If I failed to take both of those identities into myself, I was going to come crashing down sooner rather than later.
In that regard, Yeonhwa — the Evil God's 4th Apostle — is the most precious person I have.
She knew the character called Eugene, and she knew the character called the 2nd Apostle. She knew both of them completely.
So for the three days I had left:
Talk the Fourth around. Wring her for information.
The moment that resolution settled, I called up everything that had happened between Yeonhwa and me, and everything I knew of the relationship between Yeonhwa and Eugene.
In the original, Number Two walks out on Yeonhwa without warning. I've already run my mouth, though.
Thanks to that, the present version of me was a man who had left Yeonhwa in order to carry "something" alone — an old companion who had come crawling back because he couldn't bear the weight of it by himself.
Empathy: locked in.
A good scene from the original happened to surface at exactly the right moment. I clasped my hands behind my back and walked on ahead.
"Yeonhwa."
"What now."
I glanced back over my shoulder with a faint smile, like the male lead of a romance novel.
"These wildflowers are almost as lovely as you."
"...Don't flatter me."
"Flattery? Are you telling me that even the plain truth sounds like flattery to your ears?"
"Nnh..."
For a heartbeat, the Fourth's expression loosened. I didn't waste the opening. I turned to face her fully.
"You told me once, Yeonhwa."
"That you wanted to walk somewhere the blossoms were in full bloom."
Crunch, crunch, crunch.
Crunch.... crunch.... crunch....
I could feel it clearly. Behind my ordinary footsteps, the Fourth's steps had fallen into place.
"So let's walk a little, Yeonhwa."
"Talk while we... talk while we walk, then."
"All right, all right."
I smiled the warmest, most easygoing smile I had, and thought:
She's hooked.
In that case, Yeonhwa.
"Why don't we start with your story."
"...What story?"
"From the day we first met, all the way to the moment I came back to you."
"Why that, all of a sudden?"
"Well..."
Among the Six Apostles of the Evil God, the 4th and the 2nd were the only two whose fates had ever truly touched.
Which meant:
"Because I want to hear your voice."
"...You really can say that with a straight face."
Waa. Baby Eugene, coming in hot.
"I mean it, Yeonhwa."
Now hand over every last scrap of Eugene's past you've got.
On the way to the nearest gate, Yeonhwa and I talked about a great many things.
First point.
To Yeonhwa, "Eugene" and "the 2nd Apostle" were not two people. They were one.
"I don't know where you came from either, Eugene. I got snatched up the same as you."
The two of them had been kidnapped as children by the cult and raised as apostle candidates.
"How we became apostles... I don't have to spell that out, do I."
"That's..."
"This goddamn madness came from back then, too."
"..."
I nodded in silence.
A look of terror, born from anxiety.
Given the tone of the original Protect the Academy!, it must have been too horrific to put into words.
"After that, things went smoothly enough, as you well know. The First gave the orders, and we followed."
"Right."
"Then you started doing whatever you wanted... and you stopped talking to me."
From here on, it was a story I already knew.
One day the 2nd Apostle had begun acting on his own, and the First had known about it and chosen not to interfere in any meaningful way.
After that they lived the same as always, until he left the Vulcanus brooch with Yeonhwa and went into hiding.
Then, a few days before I possessed this body, he had asked her to bring it back.
And that's how we ended up here.
Why?
Why leave the Vulcanus brooch with Yeonhwa, then turn around and ask for it back?
Why live as the 2nd Apostle while playing the part of Extra Eugene?
And why on earth had I ended up inside this body?
The more I thought about it, the more inscrutable this person became.
"So? I think it's your turn to talk, Eugene."
Yeonhwa's eyes gleamed, dim and watchful.
Fair enough. She's the one who should be the most confused right now.
She had never even managed to read the original Eugene's true intentions — and now I had moved in.
"The Salvation Cult is trying to kill us."
"What...?"
"I'm sorry, Yeonhwa!! This is all because your big brother is useless!! I might as well just go hang myself somewhere and get it over with!!!!"
"N-no!! B-big brother is... I mean, Number Two, you were trying so hard for my sake!! But I... I didn't know anything..."
As I'd said, I had spun the cover well enough — but not well enough to wipe her suspicions clean.
Which means there's only one play left.
We had reached the vicinity of the gate. I took Yeonhwa's hand with a grave expression.
"It isn't time yet."
"What? What do you mean, it isn't time?"
This was the scheme I had cooked up.
The classic "I dunno, it's not the right time" dodge.
I added, my face as serious as I could make it:
"Yeonhwa. If I told you this story, your behavior would change. And if that happened, you too would fall under the Salvation Cult's suspicion."
The truth was I didn't know a thing. All I had to do was act as if I knew everything, and was hiding it.
Think about it.
Someone close to you pulls away. Then they come back — and they're hiding something.
"...No. I need to hear it now."
"Yeonhwa."
But the reason for hiding that something:
If the only reason was her safety?
"..."
Even the coldest madwoman in the world would have no choice but to swallow her questions.
"Haa... Fine."
It landed exactly as intended. The energy that had gathered in Yeonhwa's eyes slowly, slowly bled away.
"Thank you, Yeonhwa. For trusting me."
"It's not like I trust you completely. I... I found something this time. That's why I believe you."
Found something?
When I looked at her with that question on my face, Yeonhwa sighed and answered.
"You said they were trying to kill me."
"And?"
"It was vague, but I found it."
"...I see."
When she had gone back this time, she had apparently turned up evidence that they had tried to kill her.
Good.
Give her the slip like this, then build my strength until the Rank Assessment Exam.
I was heading for the gate with that thought when she spoke.
"I'm coming with you."
"Coming with me? Where, exactly?"
"Where else. Your place."
"My place?"
Ah. Right, now that she mentioned it...
Hype Man Eugene was F-Rank, so he never got to use the dorms.
Eugene had always commuted to the academy, which meant he had a place of his own.
But:
"...No."
I could not take Yeonhwa there.
"And why not?"
"We may be adults, but how could a man and a woman possibly live under the same roof?"
"What are you even saying."
Yeonhwa snorted as if I'd been talking nonsense and planted herself at the entrance to the private gate.
"Quit the lecture and just sign. It's a private gate, so we'll have to hop a few times."
"No."
I shook my head, firm.
"I'm going back alone."
"Why do you keep doing this?"
I had plenty of reasons. Catch up on all the sleep I'd missed. Eat as much as I wanted. Cook some Korean food. Get a real handle on the situation. Sort out my thoughts in peace...
Regardless.
Things were smooth enough for now — but if she found out I wasn't the "Eugene" she knew?
I might die.
So.
"We are absolutely not going together."
I walked past Yeonhwa with a grave face. A clerk who had been waiting stepped forward, flipping through a chart.
"Where to, sir?"
"The Marcia Imperial Capital."
"It's a private service, so it's cheap — but there's no direct route. There's also a 0.03% chance you'll come out somewhere other than your destination."
"That's fine."
"Very well. We've given you full disclosure. Please sign here."
I listened to the dry briefing and thought:
Finally. I can rest.
I had been running without a single chance to stop since the moment I possessed this body. At last, a gap had opened.
"How many in your party?"
"Just me."
I looked away from Yeonhwa, who was lingering nearby.
...I feel weirdly guilty leaving her behind.
But it couldn't be helped.
The truth was:
I don't even know where my house is.
A man who didn't know his own address. I was already under suspicion — this would only make it worse.
Even knowing there was no other choice...
"Hey..."
Yeonhwa kept tugging at the edge of my attention.
"Eugene..."
She didn't come any closer. Seeing me go serious had made her shrink back.
Yeah.
She was already a character with nowhere to belong. And now even Eugene, her only real bond, was disappearing...
No. Don't pity her.
Right now, the correct move was to get my power in order and prepare for the Rank Assessment Exam.
I steeled myself and lifted my head.
"That'll be 4 gold."
"Excuse me?"
I had just heard an amount I could not believe.
"S-sorry, how much?"
"4 gold."
Four gold?
Four gold was four million won.
I could order two hundred fried chickens with that. I could buy Yuria — whose uniform has faded without anyone even noticing — twenty complete sets of academy clothes.
And they wanted me to burn a fortune like that.
"Just to travel? You're going to blow all of that on a trip?"
"..."
The clerk's attitude didn't so much as flicker. I pointed a finger at him.
"Four gold is far too much. Let's call it one."
"4 gold."
"Damn it, this is insane. Fine. Two gold."
"...4 gold."
"Okay, three gold! And I will not negotiate a single coin higher!!"
"4 gold!!"
The clerk was more stubborn than I had expected.
No choice, then.
I asked him to wait a moment, turned around, and walked back out of the gate.
The reason was simple.
"Yeonhwa."
"...What now."
"I've been thinking, and this brother of yours has been too harsh. Let's go home together."
"...All of a sudden?"
I smiled and nodded.
"So — do you have enough for the fare?"
"I packed yours too, just in—"
"Let's go."
From this day forward, Yeonhwa...
"I'll go in first and wait. You take care of the payment."
"...Fine."
I'm officially taking you in as my little sister.
Academy Zion.
"Headmaster! When did you get back?!"
"Just now. Save the greetings — send the Swordsmanship Department Head to my office."
"Yes, sir!"
His business concluded, the Headmaster had only just returned when Professor K-Charles de Lumiere stepped into the room.
"He destroyed Vivian's masterpiece, and saved the Shadow King of the Backstreets as well? Is that true?"
"Yes, it is."
"Haha! So Zion has gained a real talent!"
Having heard Eugene's story through Charles, the Headmaster stroked his chin.
"How are the preparations for the Rank Assessment Exam?"
"Almost finished."
"When was it again?"
"Four days from now."
The Headmaster nodded.
"Right, Eugene, was it? I'm looking forward to seeing what rank that boy receives."
"As am I."
Charles gave a short laugh and added:
"After all, he's the one you personally selected, Headmaster."
"Hm...? I selected him?"
"What? That Eugene kid — didn't you plant him to oppose the cult?"
"No? The one I planted was Evan."
"Ah? Then how did that kid know about the cult...?"
"Hm?"
"Uh...?"
A very brief silence.
"Haa..."
The Headmaster rose with a sigh and held out his hand to K-Charles de Lumiere.
"Give me his home address. Now."
I'll go see him myself.