What Are You?
What Are You?
One more chair and set of utensils wouldn't be a problem.
There was always more than enough food to go around.
The effort involved was minimal—setting out another plate and preparing a few dishes that Lee Ha-sol liked.
Lee Ha-yul explained it so casually...
"Whoa..."
Lee Ha-sol's lips parted slightly as she took her seat.
A feast. A royal banquet.
Were any other words even needed?
Colorful and endlessly varied. The world's boundaries between East and West might have blurred, but the sheer diversity of food on this table was staggering.
Of course, this kind of spread wasn't impossible—not for a faction that kept dozens of chefs on permanent staff.
"Ha-yul... what is all this...?"
[Ahem]
But he'd said he prepared this entire meal himself.
When the astonished Lee Ha-sol looked his way, Lee Ha-yul, who'd been fidgeting in his seat, puffed out his chest as if he'd been waiting for exactly this.
His expression was brimming with pride. The white winged garment swayed gently behind him like a tail. Adorable. It made her want to kiss him again.
[What do you think? I always eat like this, but I tried making a few dishes you said you liked, Lee Ha-sol]
"Always eat like this..."
[With help from a few others and the fairy children, of course]
Lee Ha-sol swept her gaze over the table with a dazed expression. She was genuinely worried the legs might buckle under the weight.
Another of Lee Ha-yul's many merits etched itself into her mind.
A domestic, adorable man...
"Ahem, Ha-yul, shall we eat now?"
"Ah, yeah."
When Hong Yeon-hwa looked at Lee Ha-yul, he nodded and glanced around at the others. Everyone picked up their utensils in turn.
"Thank you for the meal."
Lee Ha-sol took up her utensils as well.
She looked down at the side dish placed before her.
Thin strips of potato and bacon glistened with oil, a rich, savory aroma rising from them.
Stir-fried julienned potatoes.
Nothing special. An easy dish with reliably good flavor. One of Lee Ha-sol's favorite sides.
She'd eaten it countless times before... but this stir-fried potato looked especially delicious.
"...Wow...?"
And it was.
No, it was more than that.
The crisp-tender potatoes practically melted on her tongue, flavor seeping in as they dissolved. Lee Ha-sol's shoulders trembled.
'Why... why is it so good?'
She'd thought it looked appealing even at a glance, and she'd expected it to taste good, but it was just fried potatoes—how could it be this far beyond her imagination?
'It's so much better than mine.'
Even trying to be objective, there was no comparison.
Lee Ha-sol had learned to cook.
Because of someone.
That someone had no sense of taste, but she'd hoped that if she found ways around it or introduced them to enough different foods, there might be some progress.
And yet that someone cooked better than Lee Ha-sol did. Her eyelids fluttered faintly...
"This is..."
[Is it good?]
Lee Ha-yul asked through the necklace, his mouth still working. When Lee Ha-sol nodded, his face brightened.
[I'm glad it suits your taste]
[It's potatoes I grew with Taesan. The cooking oil was also pressed from Taesan-grown crops...]
"Ah, Taesan..."
That explained the uncannily sweet depth of flavor. Lee Ha-sol looked down at the stir-fried potatoes with an odd expression.
Everyone knew the quality of food products exported by the Taesan family.
'Even considering that, this is too delicious...'
Shaken, Lee Ha-sol studied Lee Ha-yul.
He sat with his spoon between his lips, chewing quietly. An utterly adorable sight, but a faint dissatisfaction was written on his expression.
She couldn't understand how a child with no sense of taste had managed to season and cook anything at all.
'He did say he'd grown them with Taesan...'
If someone tried to list all the rumors circulating about Lee Ha-yul, no one could count them all.
But if you asked what single topic was shaking the world these days, everyone would point to the same thing.
The Three Great Families that had established their foothold across the Korean Peninsula.
Calamity Flame, Azure Sea, and Taesan.
Their Unique Abilities were said to have manifested within Lee Ha-yul—all in a single person.
Naturally, it was dismissed as nonsense.
The reason? It went without saying. It simply defied the fundamental laws of the world. Even the rumors born during the Reverse Side Incident were crushed and buried in an instant.
Then the same rumors surfaced again.
Everyone assumed they'd be treated as conspiracy theories or more nonsense and buried just as quickly... or so they thought.
But the source this time was the second-year cadets of Siyoram. And it came right at the moment they'd just finished a Tower entry alongside Lee Ha-yul.
As bewildered factions around the world pricked up their ears, Lee Ha-yul began openly wielding Calamity Flame, Azure Sea, and Taesan as if there was no longer any point in hiding it.
And with that, the world was turned on its head.
"Nom..."
Yet the person responsible for upending the world—and his mansion—seemed perfectly peaceful.
"......"
Watching Lee Ha-yul swallow his food mechanically, almost like chewing rubber, made her face prickle with heat for some reason.
Lee Ha-sol quietly turned her head.
The people seated around the round table. All but one were women... and going by appearances alone, every single one of them was beautiful.
Their gazes were converging on Lee Ha-sol.
The emotions mixed into a few of those stares weren't hard to read.
Wariness and curiosity.
'Mm.'
It was to be expected.
Those women were the owners Daera had mentioned. It was only natural for them to be wary of Lee Ha-sol, who'd shown up unannounced and sat right down at their table.
"How was your last Tower entry?"
It wasn't all wariness. Ellia smiled brightly and spoke to Lee Ha-sol first. Lee Ha-sol returned the smile and answered.
"First-year Tower entry wasn't much different from what's been reported. Five days of living in the forest and competing."
"Ah, is that so? Ours was run under the same rules. Though, didn't they say the boss monster varies by cohort? What was it this time?"
"Oamjeol. It was 6th Rank, and an Alpha at that, so with the environment in its favor, its stamina and durability were just monstrous. We waited until its endurance ran low, then took it out with a long-range snipe."
"Ah! That thing! I had to shave off its carapace while getting pressured from all sides, you know!"
"Thanks to you, the points came easy. Thank you?"
"Argh, screw you."
"Hehe. Oh, and the spirits were a huge help back then. For all five days, they assisted with detection and scouting, and especially with altering trajectories—they were a massive help."
"I'm glad you adapted well."
"Professor Liana's teaching was just that excellent."
Ellia broke the ice in a friendly tone, and Daera, who had a natural connection to the topic, slid smoothly into the conversation. Liana, whose name had come up in passing thanks, joined in as well.
All of them were people Lee Ha-sol already had some connection to.
As the conversation began peacefully, the stiff atmosphere around the table eased considerably.
'One way or another, getting along is the right move.'
Butt heads with these people? She had no desire to do so, and it wouldn't end well from any angle.
'Because they're all people Ha-yul treasures.'
There were plenty of reasons, but that was the biggest one.
It was also a cold, rational assessment.
Lee Ha-sol—whose connection to Ha-yul was a bond from an orphanage so far in the past that she'd even lost the memories now.
And these people—who'd met him at Siyoram, built ties with him, earned the label of owners, and were even called queens by the fairies.
Which bond ran deeper? Which was more precious to Lee Ha-yul?
There was no need to ask.
On top of that, Lee Ha-sol's bond was one that had only just barely begun to reconnect. From their perspective, she was the random stone that had come rolling in.
If someone like her clashed with their long-cherished, precious bonds... the outcome was never going to be good.
'In that case...'
With that thought, Lee Ha-sol turned her head.
Four people she still hadn't properly established a rapport with.
Hong Yeon-hwa, Baek A-rin, Lee Ji-yeon, and Atra.
Three were, unbelievably, the heirs of the Three Great Families, and the other was a top-grade hero who'd demonstrated extraordinary prowess on the Demon Realm Frontline and during the Reverse Side Incident.
'All big shots, huh.'
It was almost absurd that he had people like that as owners.
Naturally, she kept that sentiment off her face. Lee Ha-sol smiled softly and shifted her gaze.
Her first target was Baek A-rin.
The Heir of the Azure Sea. She'd heard plenty of rumors about her.
A multi-talented prodigy excelling in both the literary and martial arts. A woman whose appearance and personality alike were said to be exceptionally refined.
Baek A-rin had been a prominent figure in high society since childhood. Unlike Hong Yeon-hwa, her reputation was overwhelmingly positive.
They also happened to share the distinction of being the top-ranked cadet in their respective admissions. Lee Ha-sol figured she'd use that as a conversation starter.
"Hello—"
"Eliminated!"
"...Pardon?"
That had been the plan. The moment their eyes met and she opened her mouth, Baek A-rin, who'd just swallowed her food, jabbed a finger at her without warning.
Everyone blinked at the sudden outburst.
Undeterred, Baek A-rin repeated herself with wide eyes and exaggerated force.
"It's already too crowded! You think I'll let another rival join in now? Absolutely not!"
"You crazy... you lunatic."
"A-rin? What on earth are you saying..."
Hong Yeon-hwa blurted out in disbelief at the unfiltered challenge, and Lee Ji-yeon, startled, whipped her head around to look at Baek A-rin.
"Argh! I don't even know anymore!"
Oblivious to it all, Baek A-rin shook her head from side to side.
"Ha-yul still hasn't even properly manifested Azure Sea! This is discrimination! Why is Azure Sea the only one being singled out? Are you treating me like some backwater foreign power from the frozen north just because I'm stuck out there?"
[There's no way that's the case...]
[I've been training Azure Sea diligently every single day]
"But I'm not getting any results! At this rate, is Azure Sea going to be the only one not manifested before the meeting?!"
[That's... I'm not sure...]
"Why can't you be sure about that! This is discrimination! Even right now! Why has everyone around me gotten one, but no matter what the reason is, I'm the only one who hasn't gotten a k— mmf, mmph!"
"What on earth are you spouting during a meal, A-rin...!"
A horrified Lee Ji-yeon clamped her hand over Baek A-rin's mouth.
.
.
.
"That was a good meal..."
Having stubbornly finished every last bite, Lee Ha-yul set down his utensils. Though the amount he'd eaten was considerable, his expression held a trace of dissatisfaction.
A short distance away.
Chatting and getting to know the others from the sofa, Lee Ha-sol nodded slowly to herself while nibbling on a piece of apple the fairies had brought for dessert.
Of course he would be dissatisfied. He had no sense of taste or smell.
'So even though his eyesight and voice have been partially resolved, his sense of smell and taste are still unaddressed.'
Not that the solution the necklace had presented wasn't strange to begin with.
A kiss? A peck on the lips? He gets his eyesight and voice back from something like that? What was he, some kind of fairy-tale princess...?
"Ha-yul, you all done eating?"
Just as she was thinking that.
Hong Yeon-hwa draped her arms over the back of Lee Ha-yul's chair. And in that instant, the sullen look on Lee Ha-yul's face brightened immediately.
"Yes! I'm all done."
The change was astonishingly blatant. Lee Ha-sol, who had been observing Lee Ha-yul, rounded her eyes in surprise.
"Yeah? Did you eat... your fill?"
Hong Yeon-hwa tilted her head and touched the Confession Necklace.
"Yes, it was a good meal."
[Affirmative]
"...Well, that's a relief that you had your fill. Shall we go up for a bit, then?"
"Okay! Got it!"
Rising from his seat, Lee Ha-yul nodded his head rapidly.
The used dishes floated up and made their own way toward the kitchen. Taking Lee Ha-yul's hand, Hong Yeon-hwa turned around.
And her eyes met Lee Ha-sol's. Hong Yeon-hwa, who had been moving naturally toward the stairs, flinched.
"...You're heading up. Are you turning in for the night already?"
"No, it's not that. Just... there's something we need to discuss alone for a bit."
Hong Yeon-hwa answered after a brief moment of rolling her eyes around.
It wasn't exactly a straight answer. Deflecting the question, Hong Yeon-hwa gently led Lee Ha-yul up the stairs.
'...What's going on?'
Hong Yeon-hwa, moving with such familiar ease. Lee Ha-yul, so openly adoring.
A question mark seemed to float over Lee Ha-sol's head.
.
.
.
Lee Ha-yul eats a lot.
That's a given for any superhuman who uses their body strenuously.
By that standard, Lee Ha-yul was actually on the low end of how much he consumed.
But lately, that had changed. These days, Lee Ha-yul ate eight meals a day.
A standard, simple meal three times a day.
And then anywhere from three to five more meals from those around him...
"...Hoo."
It was the night of the day Lee Ha-sol had arrived at the mansion.
That night, the one holding Lee Ha-yul in her arms to sleep was Hong Yeon-hwa.
In the darkness of the room, Hong Yeon-hwa's shoulders gave a slight shiver as she carefully stroked the head of a fidgeting Lee Ha-yul cuddled in her embrace.
Lee Ha-yul even ate well during the night. Deep asleep as he was, if she placed something at his lips, he would nibble on it diligently.
'I was worried his stomach would burst from how much he eats...'
Thankfully, that never happened.
With her eyes just barely open, Hong Yeon-hwa gently rubbed Lee Ha-yul's lower belly.
It had swollen up adorably, but it always went back down quickly just as fast. It was a marvel how that tiny little body packed so much away.
"Mm, mm..."
"Yeah... that's a good boy..."
Still, she couldn't very well feed him all night long. Once she'd given him enough to satisfy him within reason, she withdrew.
Luckily, he seemed content. After a brief moment of soothing and coaxing him, instead of continuing to fuss, he clung snugly to her with a blissful expression.
"......."
Hong Yeon-hwa's expression grew complicated. The questions swirling through her head were far too many and far too tangled.
Is it good?
Whenever she asked that, Lee Ha-yul always dodged with answers about being full or having eaten plenty, never about the taste.
'...And that's not all.'
There was a bigger, much more important question. Narrowing her brow, Hong Yeon-hwa cast her gaze downward.
She couldn't see Lee Ha-yul's face, buried as it was against her chest. But she could feel the hard surface of the necklace resting somewhere along her skin close by.
The Confession Necklace.
She didn't know if this was some original function, but... when Lee Ha-yul's consciousness was deeply asleep, the necklace would answer questions in detail even without the user being lucid.
A few months ago, she recalled one night where she'd heard the necklace's mechanical response.
'It definitely mentioned the Reverse Side.'
It was content pertaining to the disaster known as the Reverse Side, which had erupted recently.
The reason that made her head spin was because she had heard that answer before the Reverse Side Incident had ever happened.
That necklace belonged to Lee Ha-yul. Which meant it was knowledge that Lee Ha-yul had been aware of.
Lee Ha-yul had known about the Reverse Side and had intended to stop it.
'What does iteration mean?'
There were other details, too.
It hadn't just rambled on about the Reverse Side Incident. It had talked on at length about roughly twelve different case studies, framing them as some kind of iterations.
It described how the suppression had succeeded, or failed, or been exploited, and what kind of fallout had followed in each case.
The implications behind that... weren't they as though one had experienced it all firsthand?
'...The Tower Masters.'
The Tower Master of Growth.
A topic that had remained silent for decades; this Tower Master had brought Lee Ha-yul into Siyoram as a Special Admission Cadet.
The Tower Master of Knowledge.
A Tower Master whose very existence remained largely unknown. She'd heard this one had let Lee Ha-yul enter the Tower of Knowledge and even imparted magic to him.
The Tower Master of Space and Harmonization.
The Association's blatant favoritism toward Lee Ha-yul was widely known fact. During the Reverse Side Incident, they'd even gone so far as to preemptively mobilize the Association's own Subjugation Force and Defense Army.
The Tower Master of Observation.
Before a request for support could even be formally filed with the Observation Corps, they had dispatched an immense amount of aid on their own. They had even gone so far as to detach an entire Observation Device for the purpose.
And during this recent Tower Entry, she had seen the former Tower Master of Space, and... the way they had treated Lee Ha-yul was strange.
Worry, concern, guilt, hope, desperation.
Were they all, perhaps, pinning some kind of expectation on Lee Ha-yul, brought in as Siyoram's Special Admission Cadet?
Was that the reason why Lee Ha-yul was so endlessly obsessed with power? Was that why he suffered so much and spared no effort for their sake?
Just as he had done to stop this Reverse Side Incident.
"Tsk."
Her mind was a tangled mess every night. The fact that this wasn't a matter she could talk about freely with anyone only made it more dizzying.
And was this even something she should ask Lee Ha-yul directly? She wanted to, but... the issue of trust aside, she was also terrified that one of his curses might trigger if she pried too deeply.
"Good grief, why does this kid have so many complicated stories behind him...?"
In the end, tonight too, all she had managed to do was deepen her worries without figuring anything out or piecing together any real deductions.
Shaking her head, Hong Yeon-hwa patted Lee Ha-yul's back gently and closed her eyes.
.
.
.
- Swoosh!
Her eyes flew open.
A stealthy presence. No, was it something else? Regardless, the fact that it was difficult to sense remained the same.
The presence drew right up to them, until it was touching Lee Ha-yul directly.
In the instant she registered it, Hong Yeon-hwa, cradling Lee Ha-yul tightly in her arms, raised a hand aloft.
Fwoosh! A Calamity Flame blossomed in her palm. The dark bedroom lit up brilliantly in an instant. Hong Yeon-hwa tensed to drive that Calamity Flame straight into the presence—
- Rustle, rustle!
"What the—?"
—and stopped her hand at the last possible second. Hong Yeon-hwa blinked rapidly at the shadow swaying back and forth before her.
What the Calamity Flame illuminated, what was casting that shadow, was... a tree of some sort.
To be precise, a slender tree branch.
The branch was carefully winding itself around Lee Ha-yul's waist, trying to gently tug him away.
"What the fuck are you?"
She had been just about to incinerate it, but... she felt no malice from it. On the contrary, what reached her was pure, impossibly innocent goodwill.
Now that she thought about it, Lee Ha-yul was someone whose detection range no one else could follow, and yet here he was, deeply asleep even with branches coiling around his waist.
In this mere tree branch, he sensed that much.
Caught between confusion and wariness, Hong Yeon-hwa tracked where the gently swaying branch connected to.
It was the window. The branch had creeped in through a gap in the open window.
A window that was supposed to have an unidentified highest-grade magic entangled into it... wasn't it...?
"......"
Hong Yeon-hwa's eyes, which had been narrowing, now widened dazedly.
The branch that had entered through the slightly open window led far into the distance.
To the fairy tree rising from the very center of the wide field. That was where the branch led.
"First some suspicious bitch, and now the damn tree is pulling shit, too..."
Letting out a hollow laugh, Hong Yeon-hwa shook her head.