The Dormitory

"Our baby daddy sure has a lot of girlfriends, doesn't he?"

Any married man on earth would have felt his heart drop through the floor at those words. Fortunately, I was not a married man. Not yet, anyway.

"...Rebecca?"

There was only one person who called me that. I turned, and there she was — the red-haired mage, watching me with the faintly upturned mouth of a witch who had just found herself a brand-new toy.

Crimson hair, porcelain-pale skin, a decadent cast to her features, and a mana signature strong enough to make the air feel heavy. Even knowing she was on my side, I couldn't quite shake the prickle of unease.

"I go through all the trouble of teaching my baby daddy the Rune Barrier, looking after him, taking care of everything... and the second I look away, he's rolling around with some other woman."

"...."

Okay. She was scary.

Not in a my-life-is-in-danger way. More in a lovers'-quarrel way. A slightly intense one, granted.

"It's not like that. This was a promise I made a long time ago, so..."

"Mm. I'm sure it was. I'm the rolling stone here, so I suppose I ought to be understanding. What I didn't expect was that on top of the woman you're living with, you'd have a local girlfriend too."

Ow. That one actually hurt.

Every word out of her mouth landed like a knife between the ribs. I glanced away, conscience twinging, and Rebecca tossed her red hair with a slow shake of her head.

I opened my mouth, desperate to change the subject.

"...You could have at least called first."

If she had, I wouldn't have been caught looking like this. And besides, I was in no condition to do anything with Rebecca right now. I might actually die.

"You never gave me your number, baby daddy."

"Ah. Right."

I held out my smartwatch. All you had to do was tap them together and the contacts exchanged themselves — and I hadn't even done that.

Beep.

Rebecca synced her watch with mine and stepped in close.

"Anyway... you look like you've still got energy to spare. Think you can take care of me today?"

Close enough that I could feel her breath, I started getting genuinely afraid. The first excuse that came to mind tumbled out of my mouth.

"Uh. Well. Your Rune Barrier proficiency is still a little lacking, isn't it?"

"Just how good of a bloodline are you planning to give me?"

She pressed a finger into the center of my chest and pushed. The playful curl of her lips made it obvious she was enjoying every second of tormenting me.

"I can tell from your face that you're wrecked, so I'll let you off today. But next time, you're doing it. No excuses."

"...Alright. As soon as I wrap up what I'm working on, I will."

Even saying it out loud felt weird. Anyone overhearing this would think I was promising her something monumental.

I looked at Rebecca's lingering smile and kept going.

"So. Is that all you came for? Or was it the contact exchange?"

"That, and I was lonely. Figured I'd come see you while I was at it."

"What?"

That one I genuinely hadn't seen coming. She'd found a Rune Clan survivor. What was there to be lonely about?

"I did what you said and checked for traces of brainwashing. Every last one of my subordinates was under it."

Rebecca's smile turned bitter.

"Ah..."

"I took in talented kids on purpose. Raised ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠them myself so they wouldn't fall to Pandemic. And it was all for nothing."

"....."

I couldn't claim to know exactly how she felt. I'd never been the head of anything. But I understood the loneliness of hunting for the Rune Clan on her own, and finding out that the subordinates she'd personally raised had been brainwashed the whole time... yeah. That would hollow anyone out.

"That's why I still haven't brought Soohyun — the Rune Clan survivor — out of the orphanage. If Pandemic finds out I located one, I have no idea how they'd react."

Rebecca was in a cooperative relationship with Pandemic. They helped her search for the Rune Clan; she cooperated with them in return. She'd only just broken free of the brainwashing. There was no reason to poke that hornet's nest.

"...This would be the perfect moment to pull you into a hug and comfort you. I just physically can't right now. Let's get a meal together later."

"You're too honest, baby daddy."

Rebecca laughed like she couldn't believe me, and her eyes met mine.

"So what is it you're working on, anyway?"

"A personal investigation. An important one. Do you know about the Centaur that showed up in France?"

Centaur, an Apostle of Pandemic. As one of their executives, Rebecca had to know something.

"I know him extremely well. He's an F-class mercenary."

"Yeah, F-class... wait. How do you know that?"

Hold on. The F-class mercenary cover was intel from Liliana, who was from Hell. Rebecca shouldn't have known that.

"That filthy-strong horse said so himself, obviously. I don't know the details either. I just helped Maestro with the brainwashing."

"Oh..."

She knew more about Centaur than I'd expected. Then again, she was a Pandemic executive. I didn't know exactly how the organization operated, but an executive would have been present for an Apostle's summoning, wouldn't she? And if she put her mind to it, she could probably pull more information on Centaur besides.

"Rebecca. I need your help."

I asked with a small smile.

"Capable women really are the best."

Lim Sol, Rebecca — it didn't matter. A woman who could get things done was worth her weight in gold.

Rebecca had listened to my request and gone back to Pandemic to gather intelligence. She'd only helped with the initial ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠brainwashing and hadn't paid Centaur any attention since, so she said she'd need to look into it separately. Fair enough. She'd been busy enough hunting for the Rune Clan without wasting time on an Apostle.

...Once this is over, I'll have to get her pregnant.

I had no idea when that would be, but she'd earned it. She was helping me without even asking for the full story, which meant she trusted me. You could tell a good person even if you'd only known them a short while.

Whether I should be scattering my seed this freely was a separate concern, but... she'd raise the kid well, right? Rebecca didn't strike me as the child-abuse type.

I never thought I'd live long enough to have worries like this. Then again, I hadn't actually lived that long.

I just had to keep living hard.

The dormitory door chimed as I pushed it open, and a pair of familiar voices drifted out from inside.

"Scout! Stay still!"

"Unnie, unnie. This is so pretty."

Liliana and Nam Daehee, already going at it from the front entrance. I followed the sound into the living room.

"Hup. Hup."

"Unnie, unnie, you got this!"

"Most impressive."

Scarlet was in the living room, stoically enduring whatever bizarre game Liliana and Nam Daehee had invented. In the kitchen, Nam Da-eun was making coffee.

"Hoyeon's home. Want some coffee?"

Nam Da-eun pulled out another mug the moment she saw me.

"Sure. Make it sweet."

"Ooh, you should come look at Scarlet's abs too!"

Liliana made an offer that was, objectively, extremely tempting.

"...I'm good."

I wanted to. I really, really wanted to. Scarlet's abs. This was the same Scarlet who sprinted across ceilings in the field, dripping sweat — of course her body was ridiculous. But I wasn't about to pile on and torment her too. I sat down at the table and took the coffee Nam Da-eun handed me.

"...This is instant mix coffee."

The smell, the taste — both ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠painfully familiar. It was the same coffee Lim Sol had made for me more times than I could count.

"Yeah. It's cheap and it tastes good."

Nam Da-eun took a sip, breathing in the aroma with a look of genuine satisfaction.

"Price isn't an issue. Just buy the good stuff. Liliana has a card."

"No. Shared meals are one thing, but something like this I should pay for out of my own allowance. And I checked the ingredients on every brand before I bought it. Expensive doesn't automatically mean better."

Watching her lay it out so cleanly while she drank her coffee, I figured I would never have to worry about the household finances.

"Right, I wanted to ask you something. How do you handle lunch at the Academy?"

"Lunch?"

"Yeah. Just wondering if you're eating properly."

Nam Da-eun gazed into the middle distance, taking small, thoughtful sips.

"I used to go find Daehee and eat with her, but... she told me she made a friend this time."

"...Did she?"

"Yeah. So I've been eating alone in the cafeteria."

Ah. Of course.

I'd been a little relieved when I heard she ate with Daehee, but apparently Daehee was having lunch with kids her own age now. I was genuinely glad Daehee had made a friend. I just couldn't cover for Nam Da-eun anymore.

"...Want to eat with us? Lucy and Rumi would be there too, though."

I'd have to run it by the twins first, but the thought of Nam Da-eun sitting alone in the cafeteria sat wrong in my chest.

A faint smile touched her lips. She set her hand over mine where it held the coffee mug.

"I won't eat with any other guys, so don't worry."

"That's not — no, seriously. I just..."

"It's fine. I eat with you at home. Lucy and Rumi deserve their time too."

She squeezed my hand, smiling with an easy, unhurried grace.

"...Thanks."

I'd somehow ended up in the position of a husband being forgiven for stepping out, but gratitude was still gratitude. No matter how used to eating alone she was, watching me have lunch with other women couldn't have felt great.

Inviting her along would have been its own problem, honestly. It wasn't an easy thing to bring up with Lucy and Rumi. They'd say yes, but nobody would be happy about it.

"It's nothing. Really."

But what was that smile?

That composed, unbothered face, like she was quietly informing me she was already ahead. I clicked my tongue inwardly. She could afford to look that relaxed because she didn't know about the threesome with Lucy and Rumi today. I was going to keep my mouth shut.

"Hoyeon."

"Jesus — you scared me."

Scarlet had spoken up from right behind me. I'd been so focused on Nam Da-eun that I hadn't noticed her at all, and I flinched hard. Scarlet's eyes went wide. She looked at me and gave a slow, considering nod.

"Ah. So Hoyeon's attention lapses when he feels guilty ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠toward a woman. Noted."

"Please stop saying weird things. I'm begging you."

Past Scarlet's shoulder, Liliana and Nam Daehee had already glued themselves to the TV. Daehee I could understand — but why had Liliana regressed into a toddler? Were succubi originally this dumb? No. This pure?

"Done showing off the abs?"

"...The Guild Leader contacted me. It's about Centaur."

I'd been planning to give Scarlet a hard time in return for what she'd just pulled, but she went straight to business. And it was far too important to brush off.

"What did he say?"

Elise's father. My father-in-law. A deeply strange man, but a strong and capable one.

"The Centaur search is ongoing regardless, so he said he can work around whatever time is convenient for you."

"Hmm..."

I wanted to wait until Rebecca came back with information first.

"Anytime is fine? I need a little time."

"That's not a problem. I'll inform the Guild Leader that you'll think it over and get back to him."

"No, that sounds insanely rude."

"Then please tell me exactly what you'd like me to say."

"...You're doing this on purpose. Because I made fun of your abs."

"I would never. Do you take me for someone that petty?"

Scarlet drove a knife straight into my heart without saying a word. I couldn't even argue, because she wasn't wrong. And the fact that I could read minds was a secret in the first place.

"...Ahem. Fine. Sorry. I've got a personal investigation running on my end too. Tell him I need him to wait until those results come in."

"Understood."

Only after I apologized did Scarlet bow her head. And the faint curl at the corner of her mouth as she did it was definitely not my imagination.