Saturday Morning: Anti-Terror Support
"Ughhh…."
Im Sol opened the window of her lab and shielded her eyes from the sunlight she hadn't seen in a week. She'd spent that entire time cut off from the outside world, immersed in her research. In the realm of magic studies, she'd achieved some quite significant results, so she decided to take a short break. Plus, she had to prepare for finals soon, so she had no choice but to carve out some time.
But before that.
"…I'm hungry."
Having skipped proper meals for a week, Im Sol clutched her stomach at the gnawing hunger. To avoid any interruptions in her research, she'd put a strict no-entry order on her assistants, so naturally, no one was around to bring her food. Rummaging through her desk drawer for something to eat, she suddenly felt dizzy.
Thud—
Im Sol collapsed straight onto the floor. Her eyelids felt heavy, and her legs wouldn't respond. She hadn't eaten, so of course she hadn't slept properly either.
"…This isn't good."
Had she focused too much on her research? Only now did Im Sol realize the state of her body. Every cell in her was screaming for mercy. She wanted to just fall asleep like this, but if she did, she might never wake up.
"…."
Im Sol picked up her smartwatch to call for help. As she was about to send an emergency distress signal, she remembered something even more effective. Among her acquaintances, only one person could handle both her hunger and healing at the same time—and she was someone who never ignored Im Sol's calls, especially during work hours.
Collapsed on the floor, Im Sol laboriously tapped at her smartwatch.
*
"Ah— open up."
"… Nom."
Nom nom.
Baek Ayoung sighed as she watched Im Sol eat the porridge she'd cooked. When she suddenly got a desperate "save me" message, she'd rushed over thinking something was wrong—only to find Im Sol on the floor, on the verge of passing out. The shock had been immense.
Baek Ayoung pointed her spoon accusingly at Im Sol.
"Are you insane? I was worried sick when you ghosted everyone for a week, and now you're trying to kill yourself? People die if they don't eat or sleep for that long!"
"Sorry."
"'Sorry' doesn't cut it… Sigh, you need to be more careful. If I hadn't been the one you called, you could've been in real danger."
It was lucky that Im Sol had contacted her specifically, and that Baek Ayoung had been nearby. A standard emergency team might have been too slow, putting Im Sol's life at risk.
"Yeah. I know. Thanks, Ayoungie."
"…Okay. So what the hell have you been doing for a week?"
"Magic research. Wanna see?"
"No no. Sol, if you try to use mana right now, it'll be bad. Absolutely don't. Just eat this."
"Mmph."
Baek Ayoung blocked Im Sol's attempt to channel mana by shoving a spoonful into her mouth, calming her down. Among patients, the most exhausting were those oblivious to their own condition—and Im Sol was exactly that type. Her body was wrecked, but her mind was sharp as ever.
Baek Ayoung sent a message to her medical team about being late and looked back at Im Sol.
"What about all the work piled up from the week? Finals are coming—have you finished the exam questions?"
"I'll think about that now."
"…."
Baek Ayoung chuckled in disbelief at Im Sol casually checking her smartwatch. Watching a friend with such a distinct personality up close was almost comedic.
"Lots of messages."
"Of course. You went radio silent for a week without a word. Except for a few close friends, you didn't contact anyone, right?"
"It was that urgent. I had to start the research before the insight faded."
"Sure sure, I get it."
Baek Ayoung shook her head. She couldn't fully grasp the world of mages. And seeing Im Sol grinning mischievously made her want to tease back.
"What's got you smiling like that? Show me."
"Nah. Just a bunch of backlog."
Im Sol smiled at the pinned message at the top of her stack—from a certain man. Even without replies, the daily check-ins warmed her heart.
Im Sol carefully typed a reply. She'd just noticed a typo in his last message.
"What? Let me see…."
Baek Ayoung leaned over the lying Im Sol, peeking at her smartwatch—and spotted a familiar name on the screen. Their eyes met, and Baek Ayoung narrowed hers, setting down her spoon.
"I'm out."
"Ayoungie… I'm hungry."
"… Sigh."
"Mmph."
Baek Ayoung quietly scooped more porridge and fed it to her. Nom nom. After thoroughly chewing and swallowing, Im Sol spoke up.
"Ayoungie."
"…."
"Ayoungie?"
"Sigh. I don't know anything. I didn't see nothing. No sharing, period."
Baek Ayoung averted her eyes from Im Sol. She wouldn't outright block other women from Lee Ho-yeon, but she had zero intention of losing her top spot.
"I'm not sitting this out either, you know?"
Of course, Im Sol felt the same.
"You knew I liked him first. Sol. That's cheating."
"If we're splitting hairs, you're not the absolute first either, right?"
"… That doesn't matter."
What mattered was the depth of love. Baek Ayoung believed she gave Lee Ho-yeon more than anyone.
"Wait. Ayoungie. We should team up instead. We're competing with all those young girls—we need to stick together."
"What…?"
"You get insecure sometimes, don't you? Times like this, we should…."
Baek Ayoung wanted to express her hurt. She needed to assert her primacy in these little moments. But Im Sol saw it differently. Lee Ho-yeon was her only option anyway. She had to maximize her chances. And if another woman had to join, better her best friend than a stranger.
"Y-you think?"
"Yeah. I'll help you out…."
And so, the alliance of adults targeting Lee Ho-yeon was formed.
*
Saturday morning. My condition was peak. Last night's meditation had gone great, and without real fights lately, my mana reserves were full. I barely worried about mana capacity anymore as I got stronger.
"But what are you?"
I eyed the oddly geared-up Scarlett, who'd called herself "support."
"I'm considered an ace in the Iris Guild, naturally."
"Oh yeah?"
"Yes. And practicing to hide my presence from you lately seems to have boosted my skills even more."
"…Good for you."
I sighed at Scarlett. Getting stronger just to mess with me—what a multitasker. Then Liliana tugged my arm.
"Hurry! Let's go!"
"We're ready. You just need to transform."
"Oh, right!"
Poof—
I slung the now-necklace Liliana around my neck and followed Scarlett. Several private jets from last time were parked in the wide yard—we'd take those, apparently.
"Is it okay to blow this much cash just for terror support?"
"Time is money to us."
"Hmm…."
Damn, these things are fast.
Whoa— pat pat—
I stroked Liliana as I approached the plane. Lots of new faces—probably the tracking team. I headed to the familiar one: Guild Master Isaac.
"Guild Master."
"Oh? Ah, there you are. Ellis will be here soon—take good care of her."
"Y-yes. Pleasure working with you."
Tap— tap—
Isaac smiled and patted my shoulder. His sudden friendliness threw me off, but I bowed in response.
Vrrr—
Then I felt a gaze from the side and glanced over.
Whoosh—
The moment I turned, I caught Irene's back.
"…?"
What the? Did her head just twitch?
I stared at Irene, waiting. She turned slightly, our eyes met—her pupils dilated, and she looked away like she'd seen something she shouldn't.
What the hell?
Thinking maybe Ellis was there, I checked her direction—nothing. And when I looked back, Irene had vanished.
…A ghost?
"Hey, isn't that Ellis over there?"
"Oh? Perfect. Time to head out."
"But her outfit's kinda weird?"
Irene's behavior nagged at me, but I couldn't ignore Ellis's name. I whipped around—there she was, approaching from afar. A fancy artifact sword at her hip she never carried, elbow and knee guards, and a helmet with blonde strands poking out. Ellis shuffled over in this bizarre getup I'd never seen.
"My daughter! You're here!"
"Ellis, you look adorable."
"…."
What is that?
Going biking? I rubbed my eyes and looked again. No luck—the goofy gear stayed. Ellis chatted with Isaac, so I whispered to Scarlett.
"Scarlett."
"Yes."
"Shouldn't we stop her?"
"Regrettably, you're the only one here who can talk to Ellis."
"…Yeah, figures."
The Iris Guild members averted their eyes awkwardly, while Isaac and Irene hyped her up. Fine. Guess it's on me.
I smiled as Ellis approached. Up close, each piece screamed high-end artifact. The combo just looked off.
"Ellis. You geared up hard."
"Yeah. Dad recommended it."
The culprit. But how do I argue against the guild master prioritizing his daughter's safety?
"…Should keep you safe, at least."
"Right? Glad you think so too."
"…."
Ellis beamed at my "compliment." Not the moment to bring it up. Whatever—if she likes it and no one's complaining, it's fine.
It's weird. Even weirder up close.
"Shh."
I averted my eyes from the blonde locks escaping her gear and the joint pads.