Isabelle (2)
Isabelle (2)
He stared at Isabelle.
He hadn't seen her properly previously.
The dark circles under her eyes made her whole face look drained.
She looked like she could collapse at any moment.
However, her expression was cheerful despite her tired appearance. Her mouth curled upward, as if she'd caught something.
"What is it?"
"There's something I forgot to tell you, if you want to operate in the Kingdom of Resha, you must be accompanied by the Crime Control Unit, which means you must be with me."
"The mission is already over."
Isabelle rolled her eyes.
"Are you trying to trick me into going alone?"
"Trick?"
"You came all this way just to catch a handful of criminals? No one would believe you. You'd make a passing bastard laugh."
It seems she was under the mistaken impression that there was still more work to be done, and she wanted to follow him around and keep an eye on him.
He has a line reserved for just such a situation.
Redin looks at Isabelle and hoists the fantasy food in his hand.
"Do I have to go sightseeing with you?"
"S-Sightseeing?"
"I've heard that the Forest of Illusions in the Kingdom of Resha is famous, so I thought I'd take a look. If you'd like to join me, you can follow me."
He put some distance between himself and Isabelle.
It would be a nuisance if she followed him, but if it couldn't be done today, it can wait until tomorrow.
There will be enough time.
Still, it's necessary to ditch her if he can, so he needs to act like he's really here to have fun.
He went to a nearby beverage shop.
"Two choco lattes, please. One regular, one large, with five extra shots of chocolate syrup."
"Alright."
While casually pretending to wait for the drinks, he glanced in Isabelle's direction. She was still giving him a suspicious glance.
But she didn't approach him.
"Your drinks are here."
After paying, he grabbed the two lattes and walked over to Isabelle. He handed the larger one to Isabelle.
-I like chocolate lattes the best, and if you slap five syrups on a large, the crazy sweetness is exhilarating.
One of the quotes from the game.
Isabelle is a sweet addict.
"What is this?"
"A bribe."
"Ha?"
"I'm going to spend an hour or two here, and if you're coming with me, I'd like some directions."
"Hmm."
Isabelle snorted and took the large chocolate latte in her hand.
"Just take a look at the map and go around."
He smiled to himself as he watched her turn and walk toward the entrance.
She looks tired from the all-nighter.
Probably would have preferred to get some sleep at home instead of chasing after a guy who was supposed to be sightseeing.
'Go back home now....'
'Why is she coming back?'
"Come on. I'll show you around."
Isabelle grabbed his arm and dragged him along. Curious, he glanced behind them, and there was someone following.
A sleazy looking man.
A colleague, judging by his attire.
"Stalker?"
"Something like that."
"Well, from what I saw, it's hard to tell. You don't look like you'd have a stalker...."
"Fuck you."
He walked faster to match Isabel's pace, but the man behind seemed to run faster.
The man in front of us panted.
"Ha... stop."
"Senior Charles, what are you doing here?"
Isabelle replied bluntly.
"You... why are you here when I told you to report back?"
"Report what?"
"I told you to give me a full report on what happened today, so let me see, do I look like a bully to you?"
"You said you were going to write a report on what happened today, didn't you? I'll have a problem with you if you don't write it when I get back tomorrow."
The man named Charles frowned with a grumpy expression.
"Yeah. Go. Write. The. Report. Now."
He jabbed at Isabelle's shoulder as he spoke, one word after another.
'Was this the Isabelle of madness?'
He sneaked a look at her expression.
The corners of her mouth were trembling. As she stifled her anger. Seeing her hold back her anger, he made a decision.
'I'm giving up on the Flame Fox today.'
If he could instead make a friendship with Isabelle, one of the members of the future Heroic Party, that would be a gain.
He could get the fox tomorrow.
"Excuse me."
Standing in front of Isabelle, he looked at Charles.
"You are..."
"I'm Redin of Burning Hell. I have some personal business to attend to and have asked Isabelle to accompany me."
"A personal mission? What is it?"
Charles rolled his eyes.
"I told you, a personal mission. Did you not understand what I meant?"
"...A prison guard or whatever."
His face flushed red.
"Yes, yes. I'll leave you to it, I'm running out of time. Let's go."
He pulled Isabelle with him and started walking.
They moved inward from the entrance to the more crowded areas. He glanced over, but he didn't seem to be following.
A secluded stream.
He settled into a long wooden chair in front of the stream to enjoy the view.
"It seems like your senior's love for you is a bit rough around the edges."
"I confessed a few days ago."
"He's good-looking."
"He is."
Isabelle took a sip of her chocolate latte and shivered.
"Ugh... sweet. What, have you added syrup?"
"Nothing like something sweet when you're tired."
"What do you know? I feel like I could live on sweets."
Isabelle sagged in her chair, yawned, and rubbed her eyes.
"But thanks to you, I survived. If I'd been taken away today, I'd have spent the whole day being whipped and... ugh. I don't even want to think about it."
"I don't think you're the patient type, but you held it together."
"Because it's really dangerous if I push it this time."
"You were already there."
There was a moment of silence.
He turned his head and made eye contact with Isabelle.
"Then why did you help me?"
"It's a debt. If I ever get in trouble later, I want you to help me."
"Wow. You're an asshole."
Still, Isabelle smiled and drank her chocolate latte. She downed it in one gulp, then laid back in the chair.
"I'm going to get some sleep. Go look around."
"If you're going to do that, why don't you go home?"
"That asshole is probably hanging around my place."
"That's kind of scary."
There was a pause, and when he looked at Isabelle, she was stretched out with her mouth open.
She burst out laughing at the absurdity of it all.
He pointed out a few pressure points to help her recuperate and left. Although he had given up on Flame Fox, the Hidden Piece wasn't one to relent.
He walked towards the stream.
A group of herbivore-like phantasmal species² drank from the water, looked at him, and then blinked.
At the same time, one of the creatures lowered its posture.
"What is it?"
When he moved slightly, the Phantoms retreated behind the stream.
Wondering why they were reacting this way.
He glanced down and remembered the phoenix symbol on his heart.
A Transcendent Species.
Actually, the Transcendent Species also belonged to the Phantasmal Species.
However, because of their higher status, they are categorized as the Transcendent Species.
"Do you sense it?"
Based on their reactions, it was the only thing he could think of. It was clear that they could feel the phoenix energy in his heart.
Can he give orders?
"Leave."
There was no reaction to his words.
He channeled the purification power into his body and willed them to leave.
'Leave.'
Instantly, the Phantom creatures shifted and moved out of the stream and disappeared from his sight.
"This is an interesting ability."
He can't think of a use for it right now, but there will be a use for it someday.
The more abilities he has, the better.
"Time to grab the Hidden Piece."
He trudged along the quiet stream.
There were small fish in the clear water. A little further upstream, there were conch shells everywhere.
A giant conch shell.
It's often said that if you hold a conch shell to your ear, you'll hear the sound of the ocean, but in this game, the conch shells have a setting that allows you to hear that sound.
"First, a giant conch shell with two blue lines drawn on it in a triangular pile of rocks."
Recalling the in-game setting, he went in search of one.
After wandering up the stream for a while.
He picked up a conch shell with a circle drawn on it from a pile of red stones.
He put one in both ears.
Swaassssshhh!!
There was a splashing sound and a message window appeared in front of his eyes.
[Rippling Conch Shells].
-When two pairs of conch shells with a matching resonance meet, you can communicate with them regardless of distance.
A hidden piece where only one pair out of thousands of shells has an effect.
It felt like an Easter egg that didn't have much use in the game, but now it can be used as a high-security communicator.
An item that no one can eavesdrop on.
Once he captured Terry and made a name for himself, he'd be on the radar of all six kingdoms and seven major organizations at once.
Naturally, his movements will be restricted, and it will be difficult for him to meet with others.
It will be of enormous advantage in the future.
"Time to head back."
He stuffed the conch shells into his subspace pouch and started heading back down the trail that he had taken.
By the time he reached his destination.
Isabelle was lying in a chair, yawning and stretching. As he approached her, she rubbed her eyes.
"What are you looking at?"
"I was just taking in the scenery, and then you woke up."
"But why am I feeling so refreshed? I've been having trouble sleeping, and it doesn't seem like I've slept that long."
She scratched her head, then stood up and came next to him.
"Oh. Do you want me to show you around?"
"I've seen enough."
"You're lying. Follow me."
He followed Isabelle, who started to march ahead.
"You didn't eat lunch, did you? I don't really buy food for just anyone. Consider it an honor."
"That sucks...."
"What? Say that again."
"I'll eat."
Among the restaurants in the park, she took him to a snack bar.
"Auntie, I want one tteoktwisun over here."¹
spicy rice cakes, fried snacks, sausage with pork intestines
He used to eat at a snack bar in front of the school when he was in elementary school.
It's a memory.
"Gwang-yeon, it's been a while. Is that your boyfriend?"
"No, he's a coworker."
"Is your nickname Gwangyeon?"
"Fuck you."
As they waited for their food to arrive, they watched the children playing in the park.
They were playing with Fantasy Species.
He couldn't help but smile at the sight of them. He was about to look away when the food was served.
The Eye of Arrakis activated.
Although it was very soft, the world turned red.
'Wha?'
He glanced around, but no one seemed suspicious.
"What's wrong with your eyes?"
As soon as he heard her voice, he remembered Isabelle's line from the game.
-It was a beautiful sunny day, and I was sitting in a chair, feeling the warmth of the sun, and I couldn't help but close my eyes.
At the same time, he remembered what had just happened.
-And all of a sudden, lightning strikes.
The scene is scary to recall.
*Crack!* *Craaaacccckkk!!!* Crack!
A bolt of lightning falls from the dry sky.
With it came a dark gathering of clouds.
He gulped and looked at Isabelle.
"I need to ask you something."
"What is it."
"Do you have a familiar?"
Isabelle shook her head and replied bluntly.
"No. I don't bother with that kind of thing."
On top of Isabelle's face, the five years older Isabelle he saw in the game was superimposed.
-The day the mutated phantom beasts emerged from the forest and attacked the people in the park.
He gulps and looks out over the forest.
He could feel something, coming toward them quickly.
-To survive, I made my first contract with a familiar.
"Come."
** ** **
TL/N:
1. 떡튀순 is a set menu composed of Korea’s top three street food snacks: 떡볶이, 튀김, and 순대.
떡볶이 [tteokbokki] — spicy rice cakes
튀김 [twigim] — fried snacks
순대 [sunde] — sausage with pork intestines
The name combines the first letter of each.
2. Transcendent Species > Phantom Species > Fantasy Species