Chapter 57
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 57
Chapter Title: Wol Family (3)
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The dining hall, much like the rest of the mansion, restrained its extravagance, leaving behind only a heavy atmosphere... or something like that.
A soft glow stretched long over the marble table, while beside the fireplace sat a single sword sheath and an empty teacup.
Anyone could tell it was the natural extension of where the family head had been sitting just moments ago.
We sat facing each other at a four-person table by the window.
Beyond the window, the sun shone brightly, but the barrier enveloping the entire mansion blocked even the faintest rustle of wind.
"Lunch at the Wol family—you can look forward to it."
Ha-yeon winked lightly.
Soon, the butler and head chef brought out dish after dish in succession.
Rich bone broth infused with a drop of herb oil, charcoal-grilled roast carrying its smoky aroma, thinly sliced roasted vegetables, refreshing citrus granita to cleanse the palate, and more.
For a while, we focused silently on our meal.
Whenever our eyes met, we'd smile at each other, and that was it.
As my appetite returned, the tension unknowingly melted away.
I set down my chopsticks and spoke.
"Man... I finally feel alive again."
"Right? After exhausting all your stamina, you have to eat right away. That's how you recover quickly."
Casual conversation flowed.
Ratings of the academy cafeteria’s new menu items, why the practice building's automatic doors always creaked, who decided on the counseling room curtain colors, and even my journey to reaching 2nd Circle.
Ha-yeon pretended not to have heard, emptying her soup bowl before speaking curtly.
"So... you've been training magic with Sophia every spare moment, and yesterday you finally reached 2nd Circle? And as a celebration, you drank last night too?"
"Y... yeah, you could say that."
"Hmm... I see."
Was that pointless chatter...?
I'd felt guilty about hiding things from Wol Ha-yeon after all that talk with old man Wol Cheon-mu about promises and protection, so I'd spilled everything honestly.
But maybe I shouldn't have.
No helping it—I had to change the subject.
I ignored Ha-yeon's piercing stare, set down my spoon, straightened my posture, and leaned in.
"Uh... hey, Ha-yeon."
"Yeah, Hyun-sol?"
Her eyes still gleamed with an intensity that could pin someone down.
I carefully chose my words.
Not too light, not too heavy.
"Well... actually, earlier, the family head told me. About your parents."
I took a brief breath, then added very slowly.
"What happened... could you tell me? Only if it's not too hard. Just if you're okay with it. It's just... Wol Cheon-mu's expression when he said it looked so incredibly sad..."
"......"
Ha-yeon didn't respond for a long while to my question.
She gazed in sequence at the sky outside, the remnants on the table, my face, then carefully set her fork at the edge of her plate.
"......"
She swallowed once, very slightly.
Her shoulders tensed, then relaxed.
And with a calm expression where not even her lips twitched, she finally nodded.
"Well... it's not that hard to talk about... I'll tell you."
She clasped and unclasped her fingers, gathering her thoughts.
I nodded just slightly.
Without urging her, without making light of anything.
The air in the dining hall slowly settled.
Under the lighting, her shadow stretched long.
And soon, having organized her thoughts, Ha-yeon slowly opened her mouth.
"First, do you know what kind of people my parents were...?"
"...No."
"Then, do you know about the Apostle Descent that happened in Incheon ten years ago?"
"Of course. No one in Korea could have missed that incident."
"Right... no Korean could have missed it... Then..."
Wol Ha-yeon paused, biting her lip lightly.
"Then... do you also know who the hunter was that evacuated the Incheon citizens and fought Apostle De Nol alone?"
"...Of course. Among all female hunters to date, she was rated the strongest—Lady Lee Sung-ha... no way?"
"...Yeah, that hunter was my mother."
"......"
This was completely new information.
Actually, thinking about it, as just one of countless extras, it was natural I wouldn't know.
Lee Sung-ha was already a deceased figure, barely mentioned even in the original story.
She only came up occasionally in professors' casual chit-chat during class.
For such a hunter to be Wol Ha-yeon's mother...
But considering Wol Ha-yeon's talent, it made sense for her mother to be someone on Lee Sung-ha's level.
At least it explained her exceptional talent.
"...I see. Lady Lee Sung-ha being your mother—yeah, you definitely take after her looks more."
"......"
A half-joking attempt to lighten the mood... but was that the wrong thing to say right now?
Wol Ha-yeon stared blankly at me after hearing my joke.
Convinced I'd messed up, I quickly apologized.
"S... sorry, I misread the room."
"...Huh? Why are you apologizing?"
"I thought my joke upset you. You went quiet, so I figured I'd said something wrong."
"Oh, no. I was just thinking how you're definitely different."
"...Really? How so?"
"Well... everyone who's met me and learned who my mother is has said the exact same thing. That I awakened an SS-Rank trait thanks to my outstanding mother's talent... Hearing that I resemble her is a first, so I was a bit thrown off."
"I see."
They'd say that straight to her face? To a kid who lost her parents?
I'd thought it briefly too, but held back because saying it outright would just hurt her...
Seems there are plenty of people in the world who can't think straight.
Ha-yeon took a breath, cupping her glass with both hands.
"Anyway, it didn't bother me at all, so no need to apologize. If anything, hearing I resemble Mom... makes me a little happy? Ah... I should finish the story... I lost Dad that day too."
I swallowed again.
"Your father too... in Incheon?"
"Yeah."
She nodded.
"Wol Jae-hyun, an S-Rank hunter like Mom and Grandpa's only child.
My dad faced the demon horde pouring out like a torrential downpour until the very end,
guiding the citizens' evacuation, only to be ambushed by two lord-rank demons and pass without even a chance to resist."
Wol Ha-yeon's lips trembled ever so faintly, then smoothed out.
"So people—especially those who knew my parents—always subtly say whenever they see me that I could be born with SS-Rank talent because both were S-Rank hunters."
I nodded silently.
"I see... that must have been tough. And really, I'm sorry for making you relive painful memories."
"No."
Ha-yeon let out a short laugh.
"If anything, spilling it all to a friend my age feels strangely lighter."
She shrugged once.
"Talking about Mom always felt like the edge of a blade, and Dad... like the first step down stairs.
Like I'd burst into tears if I took it. So I never wanted to tell anyone... but weirdly, telling you everything eases my heart."
"Th... that's a relief."
'This isn't some Oath of Indulgence bullshit messing with things, right?'
After triggering my now-habitual Oath of Indulgence suspicion syndrome once more.
With nothing left to say, I awkwardly picked up my spoon and scooped the remaining soup.
For a while, we sat quietly like kids who'd done wrong and hesitated to confess.
The fireplace flames flickered softly, and the sun beyond the window shone as brightly as ever.
I set down my glass and straightened up.
"Uh... anyway, thanks, Ha-yeon. For telling me."
"Yeah."
"And... after hearing your story, there's something I really want to show you."
She looked up.
"Huh?"
"Could we do a quick spar in the training hall? Somewhere that can withstand S-Rank skills or higher, if possible."
Ha-yeon's eyes lit up faintly.
More curiosity than playfulness.
"Now?"
"Yeah. It won't take long. I've only used it once myself, so I'm not fully confident, but I really want to show you. It's also kind of asking for permission?"
"Permission, huh..."
A moment of silence.
Then Wol Ha-yeon neatly set down her fork and stood.
Her chair slid back silently across the floor.
"No idea what it is, but sure, let's go."
Ha-yeon lightly patted my shoulder with a smack of her palm.
"You, who always grimaced during spars, wanting one yourself—I'm looking forward to whatever it is."
"You can look forward to it."
I steadied my breath and stood to follow.
The corridor to the training hall felt much lighter than on the way in.
Five minutes after following her, we arrived at the training hall doors. I glanced at her and asked.
"Ready?"
Ha-yeon tilted her sheath slightly and smiled.
"Always."
The training hall was an open dojo connected to the garden at the mansion's rear.
The roof soared high, supported by straight pillars of black ironwood.
No wind, but the air flowed slowly.
The floor was covered in scratches and scars.
Traces accumulated over decades from countless swords and footsteps.
Wol Ha-yeon set her sheath aside and stood empty-handed opposite me.
"No weapons needed, right? Just withstand it?"
I nodded lightly.
"Yeah, it's... more about mana control."
Ha-yeon scanned my expression and breathing once,
then assumed a quiet, composed stance unlike her usual cheeky face.
The distance between us was exactly ten steps.
In the windless space, I slowly inhaled.
'High chance I'll pass out again... but I hope it comforts her even a little.'
The circle in my heart began to spin.
Mana's threads flowed finely along the lines, the flow refining more and more.
Ha-yeon's eyes narrowed slightly.
"...Whatever it is, come at me."
"...Yeah."
I gathered all my mana, designating two points in the air.
Two foci of space were drawn.
One right in front of me, the other beside Wol Ha-yeon.
"Tidal Binding."
⟨ Tidal Binding ⟩
The air rang out.
A massive wave from beneath the water's surface flipping the body over, yet utterly silent collision.
Not the ground trembling—the space itself heaved.
Thung—
Thung—
Silent reverberations vibrated uniformly through the training hall.
"......!"
Wol Ha-yeon's body froze upon sensing something.
No—regardless of her will to move, her biological rhythms, muscle contractions, mana flow—all compressed and fixed.
As if the space's flows from above and below pulled in opposing directions.
Invisible tide in and out clashing.
Like a vast, raging sea latching onto just one person.
Ha-yeon's hair slowly lifted upward, her shoulders trembling ever so faintly.
"......"
Time frozen.
In that instant, her eyes, realizing what I was doing—what skill I was using—shook enormously.
It wasn't surprise, nor wariness.
Memory.
And loss.
Her lips parted faintly, then closed.
"How... how do you...?"
Her strained voice emerging felt lighter than the wind itself, somehow.
"This is definitely the one Mom... used..."
The always clear, steadfast gaze slowly crumbled there.
Emotions she'd always diligently suppressed leaked out one by one.
"Kh!"
Judging I couldn't maintain the mana any longer, I released the skill just before blacking out.
The spatial tension slowly eased, heavy air flowing naturally once more.
In the spot where the tidal field vanished, Wol Ha-yeon inhaled lightly, but her feet still hadn't moved an inch.
Instead, her shoulders shook as if buckling, and then a single tear, clearer than anything, trailed slowly down her pale cheek.
Without a sound.
Without expression.
A tear simply flowing out, effortless.
Not roughly wiped, not gasping for breath.
She just let it flow.
Not looking at the sky, nor at me.
Wol Ha-yeon merely gazed at the space still lingering with her mother's afterimage.
And finally.
"I don't know how... but thank you. Really... thank you."
Those words fell, very, very softly.