Chapter 98: Rewards Are Always Fresh. They’re Thrilling. Rewards Are the Best. (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 98: Rewards Are Always Fresh. They’re Thrilling. Rewards Are the Best. (1)
Sky Island.
True to its name, it was an island that drifted through the heavens. It was a mobile fortress of Arcadia, created by the Alchemist of the Rose, Kalia, using her abilities, and served as her residence.
On that Sky Island, a woman was currently nursing a massive headache.
Kalia.
The current leader of Arcadia, the master of Sky Island, an S-rank villain, and the Alchemist of the Rose.
“…So, you just came back after that?”
“Mm, that is so.”
She clutched her throbbing head as she listened to her subordinate’s nonchalant account of his failure.
…Do I have any painkillers left? Ah, maybe a sedative would be better.
She entertained the thought blankly for a moment before shaking her head.
Since the villains who were there had been wiped out anyway, there was no real problem. A colleague who was already crying about dying from overwork would have to exert some effort to manipulate the information, but since the other side had technically betrayed them first, it shouldn’t take too long.
The fact that they had made the first move was a bit bothersome, but they had the excuse of being insulted. Since the dead couldn’t talk back, they could fabricate the details as they pleased.
“Ah, right. That brat was there. The son of the Yuseong Group.”
“Pardon? Ah, you mean Kang So-hyun.”
Naturally, they had already completed investigations into most famous families, so they were already familiar with his name.
“Was that his name? Anyway, that brat wasn’t half bad.”
“…Excuse me?”
Tae-ho was not the type to give empty praise, for better or for worse.
In any sense, him saying someone was “decent” meant he acknowledged them. Even though he had only seen the boy once that day, So-hyun was definitely not Tae-ho’s usual type.
Of course, the version of him wearing the mask was a bit different, but for personal reasons, Tae-ho hadn’t revealed his identity to his colleagues.
“If that brat’s body were just a bit sturdier, I think he’d be worth fighting again. I should bring him something good for his health next time.”
Just how much had he changed in that short interval for Tae-ho to show such favor?
If Tae-ho ever found out that the boy was actually the one behind the Ghost Mask, what kind of reaction would he have?
“A guy who awakens by surpassing his limits for the sake of a comrade isn’t bad. If it weren’t for that interruption at the end, we would have seen the fight through. Ah, though I didn’t like how he stopped fighting and went to tattle like a coward.”
“…A fight, not a test?”
“I’m not bold enough to ‘test’ someone who has the ability to take my life. It’d be perfect if he’s grown even more the next time I see him.”
This was an even bigger shock than when he had returned saying he couldn’t complete the dungeon investigation.
Until now, the opponents War Demon Seo Tae-ho acknowledged as rivals—regardless of whether they were heroes or villains—were all big shots of A-rank or higher.
“Ah, is there no way for me to enroll in the Academy? It means I could fight those guys every day.”
“I don’t know. Maybe for Cho-hong or Abel, but you, Tae-ho… you’re too big…”
“Ah, I know. I was just venting. Or maybe a request to infiltrate the Academy will come in?”
“Haha, there won’t be any requests until the rumors of this failure die down. What are you talking about?”
“Ah, I suppose that’s true.”
“Come to think of it, I guess you didn’t get the ice cream then?”
“Who do you think I am? I made sure to buy it, so don’t worry.”
“What? You bought it even though things were that hectic?”
Rum Raisin wasn’t even sold in many places.
Kalia felt worried rather than impressed, and as expected, her intuition was correct.
“When I told her I bought it while running away, she looked quite touched.”
[…HEY!!!!!!!!]
Just how touched was she to be screaming loud enough to make the island drift away?
“…What flavors did you buy?”
“Chocolate and vanilla.”
…She really should take those painkillers.
“What happened to the Rum Raisin! You bastard…!!!!”
Cho-hong’s roar as she kicked the door open shook the entire building.
“It didn’t even taste good.”
“I like it! Not you, ME…!!!!!”
Today, as always, peace reigned over Sky Island.
* * *
After the incident was settled, we stopped by the orphanage for a moment with the Professor.
Ah, for the record, I had soundproofed the place with expensive equipment, so the babies had no idea what happened today.
They probably just thought it was a boring day because the Director told them not to go outside.
At that age, incidents like this can easily become traumatic.
Even so, I had to ask the Director to keep the kids from coming out, so I told her there was going to be a commotion. Well, even with just this, I’d say I did hundreds of times better than the original story.
At least our Little Witch and the kids wouldn’t suffer any major psychological trauma.
That’s right. I was a man capable of being considerate.
“…Thank you. Ah, this is a bit awkward. I’m being sincere, but I’m not sure how to express it.”
I’m such a considerate man that even the Professor, who usually spends every day teasing me, was giving me a sincere thank you!
Seeing the kids giggling, oblivious to what had happened, I felt glad I had handled it discreetly.
Children should grow up in the light.
Anyway, since it ended successfully in its own way, it was time to go claim my sweet reward.
“Well, we’ll be going now.”
“Huh? So-hyun, you’re leaving already?”
“Already? The kids like you, why don’t you stay a bit longer?”
Yeah, no. I have to go now. If an investigation starts, I might not be able to reap the benefits.
“Ah, actually, I’m just so tired~ I’ll bring the other kids and come see the babies again soon. Han-hee, you must be tired today too.”
Ha-ni seemed to have something on her mind, but she soon nodded in agreement.
“Haha, that would be great. Anyway, thank you so much. I’ll help both of you as much as I can, so if you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to call.”
“Yes, I’ll be sure to do that.”
Though that might depend on what kind of attitude you show on the night we promised, Professor.
* * *
Kang Ha-ni.
She was currently grappling with a significant dilemma.
It wasn’t a physical issue.
In the first place, she hadn’t sustained any injuries other than from the fight with that monster, and even those had healed cleanly thanks to Kang So-hyun’s first aid.
The problem plaguing her now was entirely different—a psychological one.
No, in a way, it might be a physical problem, but nothing was confirmed yet.
“Sigh…”
“Huh? Why the long sigh?”
“It’s nothing.”
Though he had returned to his usual self, just looking at him brought back vivid memories of how different he had been.
The way he had rushed at the monster, pushing himself to the limit to protect her, and the way he had gently stroked her cheek as if she were a fragile object that would crumble at a touch.
Recalling that sensation made her heart race and her face flush.
The feelings she had tried so hard to suppress had finally caught fire, and she had fallen for him more than she ever imagined.
Actually, it wasn’t that bad.
The drawback of becoming severely exhausted whenever she used her talent seemed mostly overcome, and seeing him in battle, it didn’t seem like he was entirely without talent for the sword.
So, what exactly was the problem?
…It was whether he thought of her as a man, or if he had realized she was a girl.
Of course, it could just be her own misunderstanding, but what kind of man looks at a mere male friend with such a soulful gaze while stroking his cheek and saying those words?
— Stay by my side.
It was driving her crazy.
Either way was a problem.
If he knew she was a girl, then since when? How did he find out? He hadn’t told anyone else, had he?
Once she started doubting, she remembered how excessively cautious he had been since their first meeting, which made her even more suspicious.
Actually, if her secret was out, that was fine. The situation was different now.
If she explained her circumstances and confessed, and he accepted her, they could just go greet his father together.
Of course, there was a possibility of being rejected, but that wasn’t a fundamental problem; she could always try harder.
But what if her premise was completely wrong?
What if—and she didn’t even want to think about it—he didn’t see her as just a male friend, but as a special male friend…?
She imagined it for a moment.
The moment she revealed she was a girl and confessed, his eyes turned cold, filled with disgust.
‘But I like guys? You were a girl?’
“…That’s insane.”
“…What is?”
It wasn’t a matter of being rejected.
It was a matter of pride. No joke, she might actually lose her mind.
This was her first love. And the reason for being rejected by her first love was because he was gay…?
If she told the other kids, even Cheon Yu-hak, who always acted so cool, would definitely roll around on the floor laughing.
“…You’ve been weird for a while now. You are listening to what I’m saying, right?”
“Ah, yeah. Of course.”
She knew he had been saying something for a while, but honestly, not a single word had registered.
No, she knew this imagination was a huge leap.
Thinking back, it was a pretty crazy thing to do, but anyway, on the last night of the trip, hadn’t he told her she was attractive when she showed him her body?
So, he was probably straight.
But what if—really, what if—she had led him, a straight man, down that other path…?
That was truly no joke.
The guilt of twisting someone’s orientation, and the future where she would be rejected because of it.
She’d rather…
“Hey.”
“…Whoa!?”
“Be honest. You haven’t heard a single word I’ve said, have you?”
“Uh, no. That’s…”
“…Sigh, never mind. You’ve had a hard time too, it’s natural to be dazed. But if that’s the case, you shouldn’t have followed me. What if I was leading you somewhere strange?”
…Why would two guys go somewhere strange?
Her suspicions deepened in secret.
“Ah, don’t look so serious. Anyway, we’re almost there.”
“…Huh? Where?”
“Don’t you remember? I told you there was something better than honey spread here.”
“…You weren’t joking about that?”
“Of course not. Actually, I came to this mountain alone while training once. That’s when I found it. I bet even those villain bastards didn’t know about this.”
He looked good even when he spoke with that mischievous smile.
…While someone is worrying so much because of you, you’re just as carefree as can be, without a clue how I feel.
* * *
As we moved deeper past the narrow cave, a peculiar scent tickled my nose.
For a moment, I thought it was perfume, but it wasn’t a thick, overwhelming scent like that.
Rather, a fragrance that became more calming and reassuring the more I smelled it was gradually spreading through the cave.
His very scent resembled the faint aroma of flowers.
Ha-ni felt anxious simply because she couldn’t see his face.
What if I smell…? I haven’t even washed, so how does he smell so good?
“Hmm.”
“I wasn’t sniffing you!?”
“Uh, what?”
They don’t say a guilty conscience needs no accuser for nothing. Still, isn’t it cheating for a guy to smell this good? My fellow disciples smelled like terrible sweat just by looking at them.
“Ah, no. It’s nothing. Yeah.”
“How random… Anyway, I think we’re almost there. It took about this long when I came last time.”
She didn’t know what he was trying to show her, but hearing the excitement in his voice, he seemed quite confident.
I’m already satisfied, though.
Honestly, just walking like this in a place where no one else knew was enough.
So, even if he showed her something not very surprising, she decided she would at least act surprised.
She truly thought that.
Until he announced they had arrived and showed her the sight.
* * *
“…Hey, what on earth is this?”
“How is it? Surprised?”
Ha-ni was so shocked she couldn’t even close her slightly parted mouth.
At the deepest part of the cave we had reached, there was a small pool, like a tiny lake.
However, the liquid filling it was not water.
What was here was surplus mana that the Dragon Vein couldn’t handle, spat out in liquid form.
Would it be easier to understand if I called it concentrated mana?
Well, the quality might be a bit lower, but it’s a similar concept to the concentrated ether or Green Sky Stone Oil found in other novels.
“Is this… all mana? For real…?”
“Yeah.”
Lilac doesn’t need it, and it wouldn’t be efficient for Cheon Yu-hak.
So, who should take it?
Right here, we have a cadet whose physical techniques are perfected but whose innate mana capacity isn’t exactly vast.
“How is it? Much better than honey, right?”
“Hey.”
“Yeah?”
“I really love you.”
“Sure, sure. I love you too, so hurry up and get ready.”
Finally, it was time for the fortuitous encounter.
And it was even a reward that the villains were originally supposed to gulp down.
Pangs of conscience? What’s that! In this world, finders keepers.
I’ll have Ha-ni increase her mana capacity, and I should scoop some of the leftovers for recovery purposes.
But once I actually got here, a certain fact occurred to me.
Well, first, should I call it the Spring of Mana for now?
The most perfect way to use this Spring of Mana is, of course, to go inside and circulate one’s qi, but is that okay?
I mean, it’s not like we’re going in naked, so it should be fine.
But will Ha-ni be okay with it?
While I was having those stupid thoughts and turned around, Ha-ni was already diving toward the Spring of Mana.
With a splash, she sank into the liquid and then popped back up to the surface as if swimming.
She doesn’t seem to have any reservations. That’s a relief.
“Hey! What are you doing not coming in? This feels really good, even if it’s a bit different from water!”
Ha-ni, splashing mana at me as if playing in the water, smiled brightly.
…She really is pretty.
How can anyone see her as a man? Everyone else really must have something wrong with their eyes.
She has no idea how much I’m worrying about her, just playing around in the water without a care in the world.
So carefree, without a clue how the other person feels.