Chapter 92
"That's cheating, you know. 'But where'd Seol-ah go?' 'Up there, the attic. You found her right away too, didn't you?' 'Yeah, but I try to live like I used to, as much as possible.'"
Fundamentally, mana and divine power do have a bit of an opposing vibe, but there's an insane number of things divine power can do. Something as basic as scanning the surroundings is child's play for it. Lee Seo-yeon just wants to live without any big changes from her old life, that's all.
"Makes sense. The doctors would all starve to death otherwise."
Lee Seo-yeon burst out laughing for a moment. As long as there's even a breath of life left in any creature, the woman right in front of me could save it. No exaggeration needed—she's someone who could turn this world upside down. And that goes for every member of our party.
Since I'm perfectly content with this ordinary life right now, maybe Seo-yeon feels the same way. You can tell just by looking at how Yoo Seol-ah—a powerhouse who could take on a whole nation solo—is using her magic these days. Elevators, hair dryers, and now emergency escapes when she's embarrassed.
...She's putting it to good use, in her own way.
As we slowly stepped out of the bedroom, Yoo Seol-ah peeked her head around from the stairs to the living room. What is she, a cat? Even knowing she's doing it on purpose because she thinks it's cute—and it is cute—that's some seriously unfair charm.
"Should we check out the rooftop before we go?"
"Yeah. Is the rooftop totally empty?"
"Nah, it's got a little garden vibe going on."
"For real?"
"You'll see when we get there."
Yoo Seol-ah had already dashed over to our side by then, and together we headed out the front door toward the rooftop. I unlocked the door and pushed it open, and suddenly plants filled every corner of my vision. From everyday grass to pretty blooming flowers. It totally transformed what could have been a drab apartment vibe.
"...Was it always like this here?"
"Hmm... It used to just have the setup ready? The flooring was already done like this from the start, but I planted and grew almost all the plants myself."
"You did all this by yourself?"
"Yeah. That's why I even brought a bed up here, even though it's not my place. I'd study at that table sometimes."
Lee Seo-yeon's hobby is gardening? It... doesn't quite match up at first glance. She's got such a bold, energetic personality—I figured she'd be out meeting people instead of tending plants alone.
I was just mulling it over in my head when Yoo Seol-ah couldn't hold back.
"...For once, she actually seems saintly... Kyaa?!"
The second the words left her mouth, Lee Seo-yeon pounced. She just can't resist saying that one thing. A moment later, Yoo Seol-ah fled to my side, fixing her messy hair, peeking out from behind my back to dodge Seo-yeon's hands.
These two really know how to play.
"Hey, Baek Sion. You were thinking the same thing, admit it!"
...Why does everyone, from Do-yoon hyung back in the day to now, keep ganging up on me like this? I'm not that easy a mark.
"What're you talking about? Gardening suits her perfectly."
"Right? Then hand over Seol-ah quick."
"H-Hey, hey... You wouldn't, right?"
Yoo Seol-ah shook her head furiously side to side. As if we'd do something like that—there's no need for her to worry. My course of action was set from the start anyway.
I grabbed her waist on both sides, lifted her lightly, and plopped her right in front of Lee Seo-yeon. Delivered within arm's reach. Yoo Seol-ah blinked in stunned silence, glancing back and forth before settling on a look of utter disbelief.
"Hey, how could you do this to me!..."
Of course, once Seo-yeon started tickling her, the rest of the words didn't come out.
Leaving Yoo Seol-ah's squealing laughter behind, I took a lap around the rooftop garden. The plants were all in fantastic shape. I could feel their vibrant life force, a fresh sensation spreading through my whole body. Even without her saintess powers poured into them from years of care. If anything, maybe that's why she became the saintess in Astasia—this talent for nurturing. Her upbeat personality still loves looking after people, after all. Little things like this must have all added up.
The growing areas and walkways were neatly divided, no inconvenience at all. You could really feel how well-maintained it was.
A moment later, Yoo Seol-ah came staggering over to me, panting.
"...You... you're dead meat..."
She'd laughed so hard tears welled up in the corners of her eyes. Knowing how sensitive she is, I'd been a bit worried she might let out something weird while being tickled, but nope. Guess it depends on the situation... or the person.
She looked so wronged, lips pursed and glaring at me—it stirred up the urge to tease her more, so I obliged.
"A grand mage, and you're this pathetic? Yoo Seol-ah is totally done for..."
"...Hah, if you're so confident, come at me then."
"You'd just get hurt. Who's gonna beat me one-on-one?"
We both hate losing, but especially Yoo Seol-ah—her competitive streak is on another level compared to mine. Her eyes lit up with fire right away.
"...Why are you so full of yourself? You're just a thief anyway."
"Hey, don't call me a thief...? I'm an assassin."
Because of all those typical hero party jobs in novels and games, she keeps slandering me with the totally wrong label of "thief." Thieves look weak and sneaky, right? "What's a thief doing in a sacred hero party?"—I've heard that gripe before. I'm absolutely not a thief. I'm called an assassin because I use killing intent as a combat resource, fighting to end lives quickest. I don't avoid head-on fights either. Totally different from a thief.
Someone might say what does it matter, but to me, that's touching my reverse scale.
As we locked eyes in a tense standoff, a sigh and resigned voice came from the side.
"...Why'd you two suddenly get all fired up?"
"She called me pathetic first..."
"You poked her sore spot too."
"...Yeah, true."
...From the outside, it probably looks like elementary school kids bickering, but I can't back down here. Pride's on the line.
"You two sort it out yourselves. Just be careful with the plants..."
With that, Lee Seo-yeon settled into a chair at a nearby table. The rooftop garden's layout was perfect for a duel—rectangular wooden deck surrounded by landscaping areas. Aside from the four pathways, it was fully enclosed, so as long as we stayed up here, no issues.
Yoo Seol-ah taunted me with confident bravado.
"...Come at me. I won't go easy, so don't cry."
"I'm gonna win anyway—do we have to?"
"......What's with you today?"
Someone's been badmouthing me as a thief on purpose. And my confidence here isn't baseless. Sure, Yoo Seol-ah's firepower outstrips the rest of our party combined, but that's for crowds. In a pure one-on-one? I'm the strongest in the group. We've never gone all-out life-or-death against each other, but we know each other's skills inside out.
"...Kids, don't hurt yourselves—go easy~ If anyone gets hurt, come straight to me."
Seo-yeon had fully switched to spectator mode. They say watching a fight is the world's best entertainment, and since she hooked us up with the place, a free show like this is fair game.
I picked up a stray blade of grass from the floor.
"When this hits the ground, we start."
"Got it."
No more words needed. I'd already planned everything—this was a fight I couldn't lose.
I let go of the grass between my fingers and subtly drew up my killing intent. The leaf fluttered in the breeze, wobbling, until it softly touched down. The instant it did, I surged my intent higher and leaped back two steps.
Right after, a wave of mana pulsed right in front of my face. The air ripped with a sharp crack in my ears.
Yoo Seol-ah smirked, eyes narrowed slightly.
"...Your senses are still sharp, huh..."
...She's actually pretty serious. She'd dialed her mana way down to avoid wrecking the apartment, but the spell's speed and trajectory showed her commitment. Summoning a magic circle overhead and slamming mana down like that—it's invisible to normal sight, super threatening. If I didn't know her style cold, I'd have been neutralized for sure.
But her first strike missed. Game over.
This would end it anyway.
"...Pour down."
Tiny mana orbs rained like bullets. But I'd already slipped past the cloud and closed in on her face-to-face. Yoo Seol-ah's expression didn't change a bit, of course. A mage has endless counters for close range—shock reflections, layered defenses piling up in real time, probably.
But just ignore them all.
She spoke in a low, indifferent tone.
"What now?"
Overflowing confidence in her magic—she didn't even step back. Fair enough for a once-in-a-generation grand mage. But as an assassin, targeting weaknesses is basic, no matter who.
"Yoo Seol-ah, I really like you."
"...You know raw physical force can't pierce—ungh."
Pierced.
The moment I confirmed her full-body defenses flickering out, I accelerated, slipping behind her to grab her. Now nearly defenseless, she only snapped to when I hugged her from behind.
She started squirming in the backhug.
"...Ngh! Th-this is cheating...!"
"What? The world of combat is cold—didn't you know?"
"...N-no, let go first..."
Her earlobes flushed deep red, cutting off her words. Embarrassed by the loss? Something else? Definitely both.