Farewell

"Wh-what in the...!"

Lee Chang-jin shot to his feet, eyes darting rapidly between his own palm and me, disbelief written all over his face.

He snatched the longsword off the ground, swung it a few times, then—shwak!—slashed clean through one of the corpses lying nearby.

He was getting a feel for his new strength, testing it out.

"Heh heh. Pretty ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠amazing, right?"

I asked with no small amount of pride. He'd just received a buff skill completely out of nowhere—I figured he'd be over the moon.

'Come on, praise me already.'

"......."

But he said nothing. Contrary to my expectations, far from being delighted, he didn't show so much as a trace of a smile.

He just kept staring at me with a dead-serious expression.

Which made me start to wonder if something had gone wrong with him somehow.

"Wh-why...? Why are you looking at me like that...?"

"You."

"Aah! Right, we should head over there first! Let's go!"

I instinctively changed the subject. Something told me a lecture was about to pour out of that darkening face of his.

Under normal circumstances I might have sat down and listened politely, but right now I had something very important to do.

'Whatever else, essence absorption comes first.'

I shook off his hand as he tried to hold me back and broke into a run.

—Na Raebi!!

Lee Chang-jin's shout rang out behind me. He was chasing hard, but the distance between us kept growing.

Apparently, when it came to raw speed, I had him beat by a step.

'Eheheh... no one can stop me!'

"Here I come, essence! Just you wai—huh?"

At that moment, I spotted a figure charging straight at me. It tore through a dozen rooftops in the blink of an eye at a terrifying speed.

I could just barely track the movement, but it was unmistakably far faster than I was.

'A monster...?'

Only one thing came to mind.

And in this area especially, the odds were high. Whatever it was, it would be on a completely different level from the trash mobs.

I ordered the Pygmies into battle formation and readied my claws, when—

'Huh? It's gone?'

"Gyeee-rook...!"

The back of my neck was yanked hard. The sudden stop tore through reinforced fabric with a wet riiip, and I was slammed into the ground before I could do anything at all.

THUD!

"Owch....! Wh-what the heck!"

My head was swimming. I shouted as I struggled to refocus my blurry vision, and a familiar voice drifted over from behind me.

"It's me."

'That voice...'

I'd known him less than a day, but it was unmistakable. Except the tone was lower than usual, somehow...

I turned around to find a handsome brown-haired man glaring down at me with murder in his eyes.

"Vi-Vincent?"

"That just now was you, wasn't it? The buff skill."

"Y-yes..."

"So you use a skill like that, and now where exactly are you running off to, Na Raebi?"

"Th-that's..."

...I need to explain this carefully. This guy might lock me up instead of letting me get anywhere near any essence.

But just then, one of my Pygmies charged at him without a shred of tact.

"Kee-eee!!!"

"What the—?"

TWACK—

Vincent dodged the attack effortlessly, then grabbed the Pygmy by the leg and hoisted it up. The little wooden doll dangled upside down, wildly flailing its dagger.

At first Vincent just watched it with mild fascination, but ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠when four more of them swarmed in, his killing intent flared.

'No, no no!'

Oh right—I'd given them the attack order!

At the thought that my children were about to get skewered, I shouted desperately.

"Stand down!!!"

"......?"

Vincent froze mid-swing, his raised arm halting in an instant. He looked at me, utterly baffled.

I seized the opening and hastily recalled the Pygmies.

"D-dismantle! Everyone, come back!"

Shushushushk!

"Eh...?"

Vincent's face went comically blank. He fluttered his empty hand a few times, then whipped his head around, scanning the area.

Whatever he'd been holding had simply vanished, leaving him completely bewildered.

He paused for a beat, then slowly turned his head toward me.

"What was that just now...?"

"Wh-what do you mean?"

"Don't play dumb. They got sucked into you. You think my eyes are just for decoration?"

"Hee, hehe..."

He walked over to where I sat slumped on the ground, then crouched down and started patting my head.

His face was pure sunshine—the very picture of a kind, gentle smile.

"Na Raebi."

"Yes?"

"Give me one of those too."

'Ha! Busted!'

"......You're asking for something you don't even understand. Besides, th-they're not really much of an asset for you, Vincent."

"Is that so?"

"Yep."

At that, Vincent smacked his own forehead with a smack! And then, still clutching his forehead, he launched into a full lament.

"...Ahh, how cruel! I fought so hard for my beloved little sister, yet she shows not the slightest inclination to honor one tiny request of mine...! Oh, wretched me!"

'Tee...yong?'

"Wh-what's gotten into you all of a sudden? I mean... l-like I said, they wouldn't even help you, Vincent..."

"Ah-!!! Mother, Father, Patriarch! Just look at this pretty-faced excuse! This is how I live!"

"Excuse me."

"Yes, yes... if that's how my sister feels, then so be it. What can I do but believe her? Sigh."

'This... this...!'

This was bad. It seemed he'd taken a real shine to them the moment he saw them—and I was at the absolute bottom of the pecking order, and in his debt to boot.

One wrong move and I might get fleeced big time.

With the thought that I needed to protect the Pygmies before even dreaming about essence, I called to him, dead serious.

"Vincent."

"Yeah?"

"Let me make myself perfectly clear, right here and now. I have no intention of giving my children to you, Vincent. Not even lending them. Not ever. So give up on it, cleanly and completely."

Then the expression drained from his face. Without a single twitch, he simply blinked and began staring straight through me.

'It's, it's fine. Don't panic.'

He had to bring me back unharmed, after all. He might tease me a little, but he wouldn't hit me.

So I had to settle this once and for all, right here. That the Pygmies were mine, and mine alone.

You might wonder if I needed to go this far—but the reason was simple.

First of all, Vincent's insatiably curious personality was a problem. And second, no 'man' in this entire world would pass up a living, walking wooden doll. Even I couldn't resist them.

Give him an inch of leeway, and he'd latch onto it as leverage and whine until he got his way. Guaranteed.

"....Hmm. Khekhek!"

"Huh?"

But against all expectation, Vincent only curled his lips up in a lazy grin. Not a hint of anger—just the most relaxed smile in the world.

Those eyes from seconds ago had definitely belonged to someone possessed by something... so what on earth was this?

'What is going on?'

As I stared at him with my mouth slightly agape, he patted my head once more and spoke.

"Can't be helped, I suppose. Fine."

"Eeeh...? Really?"

"Yeah, you brat. I was just messing with you. You really think someone as low as me has a hobby of taking toys away from his little sister?"

"Oh..."

Ahh, so that's what it was!

Come to think of it, a household like the Douglas Kim family would be stuffed to the rafters with all sorts of fascinating items. He might feel a pang of longing, but it probably wasn't worth fussing over.

Only now did I relax a little, and I flashed him a bright, sunny smile.

"That's our Vincent!"

"Kuku, right, right. Now then, back to business... where exactly were you headed?"

Ugh.

"Ah...! I was going to help Vincent—"

"She was probably going to look for the monster's corpse."

Lee Chang-jin had crept up on us at some point. He pressed down on my head with a hand full of feeling, then fixed his gaze on Vincent.

"The corpse...?"

Vincent's eyes widened in surprise.

I tried desperately to block any explanation, but every time I opened my mouth, Lee Chang-jin would squeeze his grip tighter and induce a splitting headache.

'Ugh...! Ugh! My strength isn't back yet...!'

So this body was a speed-type after all. Seeing such a gap in raw strength, I realized that being faster was nothing to celebrate over him.

Pinned helplessly in place, unable to do a thing,

that's how I ended up sitting there, eyes wide open, forced to listen to the entire tattling session.

"...Hmm. Well, that's surprising."

Vincent said after hearing the whole story, his voice carrying a note of genuine puzzlement.

I'd expected him to fly into a rage the moment he learned I'd set foot toward the battlefield, but oddly enough, his gaze never left Lee Chang-jin.

"I suppose she would."

Lee Chang-jin stared right back at him. Then he let out a long sigh and gave the back of my head a solid smack!

'What was that for?!'

I cried out in protest.

"Aah! Why'd you hit me!"

"Because of you, you brat."

"What... did I do?"

"I don't even know. Either way, you brought this on yourself, so don't go blaming me."

'...Blame?'

I looked back and forth between them, completely lost. Something was clearly being communicated between the two of them, but I couldn't grasp a single bit of its meaning.

When I shot Vincent a look, he flashed a grin and spoke up.

"Don't worry about it, Ambassador. I, Vincent Jo, do not exploit my siblings' weaknesses."

"Hm? Weaknesses? What weaknesses?"

"Oh, nothing major. Just that you're remarkably honest and 'very' impulsive. Things like that can become a weakness anywhere."

With those words, he helped me up. Then he brushed the dust off my clothes and smoothed down my hair. I asked him what he meant yet again, but he only dodged the question with nonsense answers.

'Ugh, that is SO annoying.'

Still, one thing came through crystal clear.

That I had made some kind of mistake.

Judging by Lee Chang-jin's reaction, it was probably no small one, either.

...I suppose I brought it on myself. I'd figure it out slowly.

"By the way, what happened to the boss?"

"Killed it a while ago. An S-rank stepped in."

"Oh, an S-rank...!"

...So that's it. That absurd essence had probably belonged to the boss.

It had most likely died right around the moment I first sensed it.

I carefully broached it to Vincent.

"Vincent, maybe..."

"No."

"...You should at least hear me out."

"If it's about doing something with the boss's corpse, I'm not hearing you out."

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

Urgh, damn it.

"You know I've bent a lot for you today, right? If you have a shred of conscience, you won't push any further."

"......."

Right... this is the correct thing. I had asked a lot of Vincent.

A B-rank gate wouldn't have been full of easy opponents even for him.

He'd pushed himself quite hard, without even proper equipment to speak of.

So of course he wouldn't indulge me.

"...Sob. Hnn..."

"...Huh?"

But why, though?

The tears wouldn't stop flowing.

Even though more chances would surely come,

the feeling of throwing away a moment I'd never get again left me unable to hold back the sorrow.

...Ever since I'd entered this body, I'd lost the ability to hold back tears.

"Hueeee—"

"H-hey, why are you crying! Knock it off!"

"Sob...! The essence...! Sniff!"

Flustered, Vincent started trying to cajole and comfort me. Later he even went stern and scolded me, but sadly, my tears did not stop.

After a while, he finally picked me up in his arms and said,

"Okay, okay! Fine, fine! I'll take you there, so stop crying already."

"R...really?"

"Ha... In exchange, you don't leave my side. If you wander off somewhere weird again, or pull ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠out those strange summons of yours, I'm sealing you in a mana prison for real."

At that, the tears stopped like magic. At the same time, my mood skyrocketed and the corners of my mouth shot up. I threw my arms around him with a wham! and cried out.

"Thank you! Thank you, Vincent!"

"Fickle little thing. ...Anyway, what will you do, Ambassador?"

Vincent's gaze turned to Lee Chang-jin. Arms crossed, Lee Chang-jin looked toward the embassy.

"The building's still standing, so I should head back first. Take a headcount of the staff, too."

"Then I suppose this is where we part ways. It's been a pleasure working with you."

"Yes. I wish you a safe return as well, Vincent."

The two of them shook hands. Watching that, I froze in shock.

'Just like that?'

"W-we're leaving right now?"

"Of course. We've already wasted plenty of time."

...No way.

It was true I'd wanted to leave, but I never expected it to end so abruptly.

Everything this man had done for me. How close we'd grown in that time.

Granted, the days we'd spent together were few—but recognizing a good person has never taken much time.

I reached out and grabbed Lee Chang-jin's sleeve.

"Mister."

"Hm?"

"Thank you for everything! If you ever come to Korea, please, definitely get in touch. I'll treat you to at least one proper meal."

At that, Lee Chang-jin burst out laughing—Pfft! With an expression that said he was dying of hilarity, he went on chuckling for a good while.

Eventually he let out a sigh mixed with satisfaction and held out his hand to me.

"I'm the one who should be buying you dinner—how would it look, a grown man mooching off a kid? Anyway, yes—take care of yourself!"

"Haha... Yes. Seriously though, don't forget."

THWACK—

With one firm, hearty handshake, we said our goodbyes.

"Oh ho, we're getting close, aren't we?"

"You're the only one who can sense the mana wavelengths? What a cheeky little brat you are."

I approached the boss's corpse cradled in Vincent's arms.

At his speed, the trip had been practically a single step, and now I was face to face with the essence itself.

"Th-there it is!"

The terrain was so thoroughly devastated that even traces of what had happened were hard to find. At the center of a vast circular crater, the two-story-tall Three-Headed Werewolf lay in plain view.

Befitting the boss of a top-tier B-rank gate, even in death it radiated a monstrous presence.

But security personnel were guarding the perimeter. I whispered hesitantly to Vincent.

'Just a moment is all I need. Just pass by quickly.'

"...You swear that's all it takes?"

"Yes!"

Assuming I timed it right, that is.

"I don't know what you're up to, but fine. And just so we're clear—you get one chance."

"Got it! Gogogo!"

WHOOOSH—!!!

Vincent's top speed, impossible to gauge where it ended.

The scenery in my vision stretched out like a wormhole.

Every color around us smeared together until even silhouettes became indistinguishable—yet the thing at our target point grew rapidly larger and larger.

I counted the rhythm with all my might.

'One, two, ...three.'

'N-now!'

"ESSENCE ABSORPTION!!!!"

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