Chapter 122: A Peaceful Day
Chapter 122: A Peaceful Day
⟨Reminiscence⟩
“Kekek. In the end, you and I are no different. Don't think you've won.”
“Kim Soohyun, was it? Yes… you want to save them, don't you? You might be able to. And those bitches will want you to save them, too. They'll probably tempt you just like that.”
“The ramblings of a loser. I suppose it might sound that way. But mark my words. In the end, you're all just dancing in the palms of those bitches… Gaaah…!”
*
Suddenly, the memory from my first run surfaced, and I felt my chest burn with rage. I quickly pushed the memory of Seraph away. There was a time I had trusted her. But, just as those bastards had said, nothing changed after I obtained the Zero Code. If anything, it was just as they'd said….
For now, I had nowhere else to go today. The investigation into the expeditions I reported was delayed, which would prolong our stay in this city, but I decided it was best to stick to the original plan for now. In any case, I decided to assess any problems caused by the delay after we returned from the Cave of Screams. I was about to head straight back to the inn, but I changed my mind halfway and decided to stop by the library.
I clearly remembered the way to the Cave of Screams. Still, I needed to show my companions that I was researching the records. Besides, even if it was just for show, it was worth double-checking everything, just to be safe. After all, you can never be too prepared.
It didn't take long to find the records. After finding the documents on the Cave of Screams in the library, I immediately headed for the inn.
⟨The Demure Lady⟩ was still devoid of Users. At this rate, the inn was certain to fail. After silently mourning Ko Yeonju as she sat behind the counter sighing, I climbed the stairs to the third floor.
Upon reaching the third floor, I opened the door to the special suite in the center and saw Vivian and Ahn Hyun sitting side-by-side at the table. The record of the ancient spearman we'd found in the Ruined Laboratory was on the table; it seemed Ahn Hyun had asked for help translating the ancient text.
As I entered the room, Vivian, who was busy scribbling on paper with a quill pen, and Ahn Hyun both looked up sharply.
“Hyehk?!”
The moment Vivian saw me, she quickly took off the glasses she was wearing. I didn't understand why she was so dead set on wearing those glasses that didn't even suit her, but I decided to respect her taste. Ahn Hyun, who had been quietly engrossed in the translated records beside her, greeted me with a happy expression.
“Hyung.”
“Yeah. Is Vivian translating it for you?”
“Yes. There are some illustrations, but I can't really understand it just by looking at the pictures.”
Ahn Hyun answered clearly. Seeing that I didn't comment on her glasses, Vivian seemed a little relieved as she chimed in.
“Yup. But there's quite a lot of it. It would take a while to do it all at once, so we decided I'd translate it in parts. I'll do more once he's finished with a section.”
“Hmm. Not a bad idea. It's good to master the translated part before moving on.”
Ahn Hyun nodded, apparently thinking the same thing. He was peeking over, looking at the records Vivian had deciphered. But his expression was grim; it seemed things weren't going as smoothly as he'd hoped. Sensing it wouldn't be easy, Ahn Hyun licked his lips slightly and spoke to me.
“Hyung. There's something I wanted to ask you. I've looked at some of this record, and it seems really difficult. I think I'm going to get stuck a lot. Could you perhaps guide me sometimes, too?”
“Sometimes? Well... sure. I don't see why not, if it's just sometimes.”
Ahn Hyun’s face brightened the moment I agreed. Despite already obtaining a Rare Class, he had apparently been bothered that Yoojung was receiving instruction from me while he was not. I had no intention of teaching him swordsmanship, but with Unity of Sword and Self at EX Rank, I could handle a spear to some extent as well. Giving him occasional advice should not cause any problem.
I gathered my things to use in the work suite, then turned my gaze to Vivian, who was getting ready to focus on her translation again. I had an important task for her. I had originally planned to tell her before I left this morning, but I'd briefly forgotten about it after making her cry.
“Vivian. Once you're done with a decent portion of that, come straight to the suite I'm using.”
Vivian, who had just lowered her head, looked up again at my call.
“Huh? Why?”
“I have something to ask of you.”
“Umm... okay. I'll finish up soon and be right there.”
Vivian replied with a sullen face, likely remembering what happened this morning. Looking closely, the area around her eyes was still red and swollen. She must have been really upset. I gave an awkward smile, then immediately gathered my things and went into the work suite.
After roughly putting away my things, I sat at the large table and took out a book. It was the inheritance record for the Rare Class Chimera Alchemist, obtained from Ancient Alchemist Vivian’s Dungeon. I stared at the book and sank into thought.
Shin Sangyong was the best candidate for the record. His Unique Ability, Magic Square of Harmony, synergized well with his class, and he was a rare Mage who had learned Alchemical Magic. His stats were respectable as well. In terms of ability alone, he met the standard I had set, but I still hesitated to hand it to him immediately.
Rare Classes are truly precious. As such, the moment I gave him this record, it would mean Shin Sangyong had to be with us until the very end. The key question, then, was whether I could trust him with it, and honestly, that was still ambiguous.
So far, Shin Sangyong had mostly left a good impression on me, and he'd shown himself to be dedicated to the party. His disposition wasn't bad either. But the value of a Rare Class was too immense to just hand it over rashly.
Hesitating indefinitely was not a good option either. Once I decided to give it to him, the sooner he received it, the better it would be for his growth. As a Year 2 User, Shin Sangyong’s stats were nearing full development, but meeting Vivian had raised his limits. If he used that momentum to inherit the Rare Class, he could push the newly raised limit even higher. He would gain another Special Ability, and if his Magic Power reached the low nineties, he would become a tremendous asset.
“I was originally planning to find a promising newcomer to give it to... This is quite the happy dilemma.”
It was a happy dilemma, and I chuckled to myself. It was then.
While I was inwardly weighing the pros and cons of Shin Sangyong, I heard a knock at the door. I immediately looked up and called for them to enter, and soon, a voice laced with anxiety came from outside the door.
“Kim Soohyun. I'm really coming in.”
“…Huh? Yeah. I told you to come in.”
After permission was granted a second time, the door opened cautiously. And, as expected, I saw Vivian shuffle hesitantly into the room. It seemed the harsh teasing from this morning still lingered.
“Why are you coming in like that? Anyway, come here and sit down.”
“N-No. I'll listen from here, standing.”
I let out a dry laugh, seeing Vivian immediately wave her hands in refusal at my suggestion. But I wasn't in the mood to tease her anymore either, so I quickly wiped the smile from my face and got to the point.
“Alright, then. I have a favor to ask you.”
“Okay.”
“Before that... it seems you'll be teaching Shin Sangyong a lot from now on. What do you think of him?”
At first, Vivian tilted her head, as if she didn't understand my question. But after seeing my serious expression, she soon fell into deep thought. Vivian had spent more time with Shin Sangyong than I had, so she might know him better.
However, Vivian just shook her head.
“I'm not sure. It sounds like an important question, so I'm hesitant to speak carelessly. But he does seem like a decent person. He's polite and kind. Though he's a bit slow with his words.”
“Hmm... So it's hard to judge right now, is that it?”
“Yeah. I've been focused on teaching him until now. If you're asking me to judge based only on what I've seen, I can say he's a good person. But why are you suddenly asking?”
I sighed and nodded. Then I pushed the record on the table toward her. As Vivian stepped a little closer to look at the record, her eyes widened.
“This is….”
“Users who can handle blessings can use them to obtain power greater than their current class. Here... you hold onto it for now. And when the time is right, give it to Shin Sangyong.”
“You want me to give this to Shin Sangyong? On my own judgment?”
“Of course not on your own judgment. I'll explain the conditions now.”
Seeing Vivian say something so reckless, I added a few conditions. First, if he agrees to join the clan after I talk with them tonight, that's the first condition. Second, as you continue to teach him, you'll observe his character, and if you think he's a good person, that's the second condition. Finally, for the third condition, after he's cleared the first two, I'll talk with him myself for a final review.
As I explained the three-step process, Vivian nodded with a look of understanding.
“So, in the end, I can only give this to him after I get your final approval?”
“Pretty much. It's too precious to just hand over without a thought.”
“This is precious? Eheh. You're making me blush. Should I write a few more for you?”
I gave a faint smile at her childish words and shook my head. Vivian didn't know it, but that book contained the angels' ⟨Settings⟩. Honestly, I had expected Seraph to say something about Vivian when we met, so it was a little surprising that she didn't mention anything. Or maybe I left before Seraph had a chance to speak. In any case, unless the angels had gone collectively insane, there was no way they would grant the same ⟨Settings⟩ to every book Vivian churned out.
“Even if you wrote another, it wouldn't have the same powerful effect as the record before you now. Of course, those who pursue alchemy could use it as a reference book, but that's all. This record contains a certain power that has lain dormant for ages. You can think of it as being similar to the process Ahn Hyun went through at the laboratory.”
“Hmph. I see.”
Vivian's expression turned prim as she listened to me, but a faint smile was already playing on her lips. Since she was the one who had written the book, she seemed pleased to hear it praised so highly. I thought to myself how simple her personality was, but decided it was best to go with the current mood. So, I continued in an even softer voice.
“So for now, it's best that you hold onto it. I plan on talking about the clan tonight, and I'll let you know the result tomorrow. But you can pretty much assume he'll join. Anyway, the most important thing right now is what I've asked of you, so don't just focus on teaching. Please observe what kind of person Shin Sangyong is in detail.”
“Okay! I'll watch him closely. If Shin Sangyong passes, does that mean I'll have an official disciple? Hoho.”
“That's about right. Anyway, good. I've said everything I needed to... You can go now.”
Vivian's face immediately filled with confidence, her motivation ignited. Seeing her fired up with motivation, I felt satisfied and promptly dismissed her. I planned to send her off and then organize my thoughts on what to say to them about the clan.
However, at my dismissal, Vivian's face immediately scrunched into a frown again.
“Huh? You want me to leave?”
“Huh? Yeah.”
What else did you think was going to happen?
Vivian stared at me with a dissatisfied expression. Looking at her, I also felt an emotion I couldn't quite grasp. Sullen one moment, happy the next, and now dissatisfied again. There couldn't be many people in the world who could express such a wide range of emotions in such a short time. But that was also part of Vivian's charm. The way she couldn't hide her feelings and showed them so openly.
However, Vivian's next words sent a huge shock through me.
“Aren't you going to torment me anymore?”
“……?”
“I'm asking if you're not going to torment me anymore today. I even came in mentally prepared.”
It took me exactly two seconds to understand what she meant. I paused, tapping my fingers on the table for a moment, before firmly pointing toward the door. It was a signal for her to leave quickly. For some reason, she pouted and turned around.
While I kept my finger pointed at the door, she kept looking back with a lingering expression. She would take a step or two, then glance at me. Take a few more steps, then look back again, repeating the process. Watching her steal glances at me like a puppy that needed to go potty, a strange thought occurred to me.
It felt like Vivian and I had awakened some kind of dangerous emotion in each other.