A Place Full of Memories - 3
'I'm surprised. To think you'd say something like that.'
Back in her room, Elizabeth sat blankly in her chair, lost in memories of the day's events. A place filled with memories of wandering around with her mother... and her friend. What happened in Bukchon Hanok Village had been such a joyful, happy time. If only for the incident at the end.
The sudden emergence of a dungeon. As a member of the Taylor family, she had to prevent harm to the citizens. Even if they weren't British citizens.
She had wanted to act, but Kim Yohan at her side gave her pause.
'Of course, Yohan is impressive, but...'
In terms of personal combat ability, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he was hopeless. Sure, he'd been practicing with a bow lately, but his attack power wasn't that high, and his physical stats weren't exceptional either. If the monsters went berserk, he'd take serious damage.
But what if there was at least one Awakener by his side? That changed everything. Yohan's ability was a buff that enhanced others' capabilities. So, it made sense to move with him.
But how could she ask him to head into danger?
'If Yohan were a retainer of the Taylor family...'
The academy encouraged cadets to rescue civilians in emergencies. Yes, encouraged. It wasn't mandatory. After all, one's own life came first, and a properly trained hero could save more people in the long run. With so few Awakeners, they couldn't afford to lose them needlessly. That was the rule.
Of course, it was different for Elizabeth. Trained from childhood, she could jump into the fray right away, and she often joined her family's heroes in monster hunts whenever she had the chance. She had nothing to fear.
That's why she'd told him to stay back.
'I was really surprised.'
He'd agreed to go along as if it were the most natural thing in the world. And that brought back old memories.
It had happened in England. On her way back from training at a British institution, a dungeon had appeared right in the heart of London. She had to stop it. Monsters burst out of the sudden dungeon, sending citizens into panic and pleas for help. So she stepped up to fight.
But she was just one person—she couldn't handle it alone. No matter her Taylor family training, there were limits. She wished for someone by her side. Someone to stand with her.
But there was no one. All she had was her sword. Still, instead of giving up, she kept fighting, exhausted and injured, holding out until other heroes arrived and minimizing the damage.
Of course, she ended up injured after that, but Elizabeth had no regrets.
That's why she'd hesitated to ask Yohan. If he'd refused her plea for help, it would have hurt deeply.
But he'd moved forward as if it were obvious. As if he'd simply missed the chance to meet her back then.
'It's different now! You've got me by your side!'
"Ohohohohoho!"
A proud smile refused to leave her lips. Sitting on her wide bed, kicking her legs excitedly as she replayed the day's events, Elizabeth flopped back and stared at the ceiling.
—Elizabeth. No matter the despair or fear, you must never stop struggling.
Her mother's words came back to her—words she'd always said. Whenever things got tough and exhausting, her mother would hug her gently and urge her onward. Hardships and despair could come at any time. But that was no reason to give up. You mustn't hesitate to resist, to stand tall.
"Eeee~!!"
A person who embodied those words. Someone who refused to back down in crisis.
And.
—What do you have to fear with a top-notch dealer by your buffer's side?
His face flashed in her mind—grinning confidently. She felt proud to call him a friend.
Calming her pounding heart, Elizabeth rolled over, buried her face in the soft pillow, and smiled faintly.
"A good buffer and... a good dealer, huh... Yeah. Yeah, that fits. We make a good... good..."
Good. Good companions? Good friends? Elizabeth tilted her head. She wanted to say it, but her tongue wouldn't move.
—Throb.
A sharp pang brushed one corner of her heart. Stronger than last time, but not painful. Elizabeth tilted her head again.
Character stories in the game didn't end after one go. Elizabeth had about five related quests, and completing them all unlocked a new aptitude for her. I'd love to rush them if possible, but some involved entering dungeons or taking down strong villains—too much right now. Better to train quietly, build strength, and tackle them later.
"Hey."
"Hm?"
After parting with Elizabeth and heading back to the dorm, a voice called out. It was Jin Siyeon.
"What's up?"
"Where've you been?"
"Huh? You jealous or something?"
"...What bullshit is that?"
Don't look at me like that. It was just a joke.
"Looks like you were hanging out with Elizabeth..."
"Bingo. We went to Bukchon Hanok Village."
"Oh. I see."
Jin Siyeon fell silent for a moment, then scratched her head vigorously.
"Well, if she took you all the way there, she must really like you. Just don't do anything to disappoint her."
"Huh? What's with the uncharacteristic advice? Aren't you two rivals?"
"Rivals are rivals, and this is this."
I had no plans to disappoint Elizabeth anyway. Things were going great between us—why rock the boat?
"Anyway, you know we're going hunting next week, right?"
Yeah, I knew. I'd been planning to recruit teammates for it—maybe bring it up now?
"With Elizabeth..."
"No."
"Ack."
Should've let her finish. She cut me off sharply, stared at me with a sulky expression, then spoke.
"Anyway, clear your schedule from after hunting club next week—Sunday evening through Monday evening."
Conveniently, Monday was a holiday. What was she planning for two whole days?
"No plans, so I'm good. Why? Oh, and I'm thinking Elizabeth, Yoo Choa, and Max for the team. Parties can have 4-5 people, right? Join us if you're up for it."
"No interest in partying with Elizabeth. And this isn't about hunting club."
"Then what?"
"I heard recently—some fun skillbook turned up."
How fun could it be?
"A Multi Attack Power Increase buff."
"...That's actually pretty fun."
Multi Attack Power Increase buff. Exactly what it sounded like—a buff that boosted the attack power of everyone in the party. In the original game, it was one of the few "usable" trash buffs, dropped by a monster that had just been discovered.
"Where?"
"Taejongdae in Busan. Ghost Armored Soldiers are showing up there."
Busan. If I remembered right, it was part of the Jin family's territory.
"Huh? Dungeon break there?"
"Probably. Deep-sea dungeons are tough to handle, so the Association and Jin family are investigating... but it'll take at least a week."
"Don't they have plenty of Jin family heroes? Why you?"
"I need the Ghost Shells from them too. As material for a new technique."
Get what you need yourself, huh? In the game, you could get the Multi Attack Power Increase skillbook from Ghost Armored Soldiers. But they weren't weaklings—tough to take down solo...
Hmm... yeah. Let's go. Chances like this to snag Multi Attack Power Increase don't come often.
"Cool. Let's do it then."
"Head out right after hunting club."
"Just us? You know buffs like mine get stronger with more people."
"We'll see? Round up whoever you want."
We'd made plans, but nothing said it had to be just us two. Better to add more people, right?
"Elizabeth."
"Yes?!"
Why so startled?
"Nah. Can you clear your schedule after club this Sunday afternoon?"
Elizabeth's face darkened instantly.
"Um, well... I have a Taylor family meeting then..."
Can't be helped if it's family.
"Next day! Monday works! But why?"
I glanced at Jin Siyeon. She didn't seem to care if Elizabeth joined—just glanced over once.
"Ah. Ghost Armored Soldiers showed up in Busan, wanna hunt 'em."
"...Uh... Could we go Monday? It's a holiday for us too..."
I watched her fidget and speak cautiously, then looked at Jin Siyeon again. She shrugged like it was up to me.
"Should be fine? Skip if you're busy."
"I'll go! Definitely!"
Oh. That enthusiasm. I like it.