Chapter 135: A Meaningful Conclusion
Chapter 135: A Meaningful Conclusion
“Hmph-hm. Hmph-hm-hm. Hmph-hm. Hmph-hm-hm.”
The next morning. The party was gathered around the table, waiting for breakfast. Usually, they would be chattering about this and that, but today, everyone was silent. And they were all staring at Ko Yeonju as if she were some kind of strange creature.
However, oblivious to their gazes, Ko Yeonju was busy serving the food.
“Hmph-hm-hm. Hmph-hm. Hmph-hm-hm. Hmph-hm.”
A wide smile on her face, Ko Yeonju was humming a little tune. I had a feeling I knew why, so I feigned ignorance and looked away.
“Breakfast is served~.”
Ko Yeonju spoke in a voice twice as gentle as usual as she began placing the dishes on the table. As the delicious-looking dishes she had prepared came out one by one, the party let out gasps of admiration once the table was fully set. That was how completely different the food Ko Yeonju served today was from the usual.
Normally, our breakfast was the Course A meal. The Course A was a relatively simple meal consisting of bread, soup, and stew. I always ordered Course A. It was because being too full could interfere with our morning activities, which marked the start of the day.
But today's meal was far more lavish and splendid. In fact, the food laid out before us seemed even more extravagant than the Course C. When a steak, steaming hot, was finally brought out, Shin Sangyong spoke to Ko Yeonju with an awkward smile.
“User Ko Yeonju. You seem to be in a particularly good mood today.”
“Oh, my. Do I? Hmph-hm. Hmph-hm-hm.”
“It's amazing that you made all this by yourself. Thanks to you, it looks like we'll be having quite a feast this morning. Haha.”
“Hoho. It's not a chance that comes every day. The male Users, especially, should take this opportunity to eat up. I added plenty of ingredients that are good for your stamina. If you eat a lot, maybe you'll be able to make more progress next time?”
“Ahem. Such embarrassing words... By the way, progress? What do you mean by...”
“Hmph.”
At Ko Yeonju’s cheeky remark, Shin Sangyong scratched his head with an awkward expression. When I cleared my throat, she winked and sat in the remaining chair. The kiss we had shared the previous night suddenly came to mind—most vividly, the warmth and softness of her lips. I touched my lips once, then picked up my spoon. As an aside, I never managed to break the habit of taking the first bite before everyone else followed.
Just as I was about to take a spoonful of soup, the sound of footsteps descending the stairs drifted down from the railing.
Thump... thump... thump... thump...
The moment I heard Yoojung's footsteps, I smiled faintly. If you listened closely, there was a slight pause between each step; she wasn't stomping down impatiently like before. She had found her composure. It seemed she had taken hold of Skurepf right after I left, despite me giving her time to think.
The others must have heard the footsteps too, as all eyes turned toward the stairs. And as expected, the User coming down was Lee Yoojung.
Yoojung, the last to appear, had a languid expression on her face. Her always-sharp eyes had softened a little, and her hair seemed to have a faint reddish glow. Seeing her like that, I smiled to myself. It seemed her resolve not to stay stagnant had led her to make a bold decision. When I glanced at Ko Yeonju, she too had a look of surprise, a peculiar light shining in her eyes.
Yoojung finally reached our table, looked around at everyone, and then gently sat down in an empty seat. The others also seemed to sense the subtle change in her atmosphere, as they all watched her with unfamiliar expressions. If the old Yoojung was like a rowdy tomboy, the Yoojung of today gave off the strong impression of a woman exuding a dreamy, subtle allure.
After a moment, Ahn Sol, who had been cautiously studying her, spoke up in a stammering voice.
“Uh, Unni. Did you sleep well?”
“Yeah. Did you sleep well, too?”
“Yeees....”
Yoojung replied in a calm voice. It's rare for one's personality to change so drastically after taking up a demonic sword. But 'rare' meant it could still happen depending on the circumstances. And Yoojung was showing signs of it. Could it be that Skurepf had truly accepted the current Lee Yoojung as its User...?
Ahn Sol tilted her head, her expression puzzled by Yoojung's reaction. While it would have been normal behavior for any other female User, seeing it from the Yoojung she had known for so long seemed completely unbelievable. And it was the same for Ahn Hyun. After staring at Yoojung with a blank face for a while, he finally picked a fight in a voice that sounded forced.
“Well, well. What's gotten into you, showing up on time? Sulking like a child. So. Are you over it no—”
“Hey.”
“Huh? Wh-what?”
Cutting Ahn Hyun off, Yoojung stared at him intently. Ahn Hyun flinched for a moment under her gaze. Something was clearly different from usual, but he couldn't put his finger on exactly what had changed. One thing was certain, though: the Yoojung who would have immediately started cursing was now choosing her words carefully. That fact alone made everyone feel awkward.
Finally, Yoojung slowly opened her mouth.
“Why don't you shut your mouth and eat? Don't ruin my mood first thing in the morning.”
“Wh-what did you say?”
“Oppa. Have you started eating?”
Ahn Hyun shot back in a flustered voice, but Yoojung ignored him and turned her head to me. I gave a bitter smile at her reaction and nodded.
“Mm. You should eat, too.”
“Okay. Wow. It's a real feast today. Looks delicious. You eat well too, Oppa.”
“Alright, alright. Well then, everyone, let's eat.”
I made the declaration while looking at the others, who still wore dazed expressions, then cut a piece of steak and put it in my mouth. I felt a sense of satisfaction as the tender meat filled my mouth. The two of them must have had a very long talk last night.
I really hadn't been sure what to expect. Even with me here, the sword's nature was still demonic, so I couldn't help but worry that Yoojung might change for the worse. However, as if to mock my concerns, their compatibility seemed far better than I had imagined. Of course, I'd have to wait and see how things developed over time, but for now, it was not a bad start.
“Oppa. Here, try this.”
Watching Yoojung place a neatly cut piece of meat on my plate, I smiled in satisfaction.
*
“Hehe. I'm so full. So happy.”
“We ate too much for breakfast, Master.”
“It's fine~ It's fine~.”
Vivian patted her slightly bulging stomach and smiled happily. Ah. I want to tease her... no. Anyway(?!) Beside her, Shin Sangyong chuckled and took a sip of his tea.
There were four Users, including myself, sitting at the table. After breakfast, the party usually acted on the orders I gave them, but today, a few were dawdling.
The User who impressed me the most was, without a doubt, Hayeon. As soon as breakfast was over, she dragged Ahn Sol up the stairs just like always. She must have noticed the change in Yoojung, but she seemed to have judged it as a positive one. So, without any further questions, she took Ahn Sol upstairs. It was a decision befitting Hayeon, who always prioritized logic.
And Ko Yeonju, as soon as everyone had finished eating, began clearing the dishes as if it were the most natural thing in the world. As she carried some of the dishes into the kitchen, Yoojung, who had been lost in thought, picked up her own plate and followed her. The other Users all stammered in surprise as they watched Yoojung, but I remained unfazed.
After that, Yoojung didn't come out of the kitchen, and I didn't know what happened. (Of course, I could have found out if I wanted to, but I didn't feel the need.)
However, I did manage to get a glimpse of Yoojung's face as she entered the kitchen, and her eyes also held a faint reddish glow. The progress was faster than I'd expected. A little while later, Ko Yeonju came back to get the rest of the dishes. The smile on her lips as she emerged from the kitchen was distinctly brighter than before.
A few of the others, overcome with curiosity, tried to stop Ko Yeonju, but each time, I raised a hand to silence them. Since things had come to this, I planned to let Ko Yeonju handle it however she saw fit.
“Agh... I have no idea what's going on. Hyung. What's gotten into Lee Yoojung all of a sudden?”
After tilting his head in confusion for a long time, Ahn Hyun finally scratched his head and grumbled. Seeing this, Vivian let out a long yawn and replied.
“Hwaa~ahm. Nom nom. Delicious. What does it matter? From the looks of it, she's changed for the better. If it's a good thing, it's a good thing, right?”
“I guess so, but... Ugh. You don't get it. I've known her since the beginning, and... how should I put it? Today was the first time I ever saw Lee Yoojung as a woman. It's so awkward I could die. Uaaargh.”
Sip. I took a sip of tea and watched them. It was about time to wrap things up. I didn't know when Yoojung would come out, and we couldn't just sit here and wait forever.
“Ahn Hyun. You don't have time to be sitting around like this.”
I said, looking at Ahn Hyun in a relaxed tone. At the sound of my voice, he snapped his head up, swallowed hard, and asked.
“Yes, Hyung? What do I not have time for?”
“You know why Yoojung followed Ko Yeonju in there, right?”
“Well, that's... because of that thing you asked her to do before, Hyung. She should have just agreed to it from the start. All she did was ruin the mood and whine about it. Tsk, tsk.”
Ahn Hyun shook his head as he spoke, but underneath his words lay a strong pride in being an Aura Spearman. Having pride is good, but too much of it becomes arrogance, and arrogance leads to the fatal flaw of carelessness. It seemed Ahn Hyun needed a bit of a wake-up call, too.
“Heh heh. In any case, the important thing is that Yoojung has become determined enough to act like this. Ko Yeonju is a skilled User, acknowledged by herself and others. And... I also gave Yoojung a powerful weapon last night. You'd better work hard, too. If you keep slacking off like this, she'll catch up to you in no time.”
At first, Ahn Hyun looked indifferent, but as I spoke, his expression grew serious. Especially when he heard the words 'powerful weapon,' he looked at me with a rather wronged expression.
“Hyung. That's not fair. Why do you only favor Yoojung?”
“...What? You little punk. And this is what you say after getting a spear and a Rare Class.”
“Ah. Now that you mention it, I guess I overreacted a little. But hearing you say that, Hyung, makes me suddenly anxious. I thought I was already working hard, but I guess I need to do more.”
“That's not a bad idea. Proper rest is necessary, but since you're still a Year 0 User, you can never train too much. Besides, you have a good guide in the form of the War Record.”
“Oh, right. I finished reading the translated version yesterday. Perfect timing. Vivian?”
“Hmph.”
Ahn Hyun called out to Vivian, and she immediately put on a tearful face. She seemed grumpy that her pleasant feeling of fullness was being interrupted. Ahn Hyun looked back at me, and I cast my gaze toward Vivian. Under my steady stare, Vivian pouted and rose weakly from her seat. And as she stood up, Shin Sangyong could be seen getting up as well.
I gathered everyone's teacups and opened my mouth.
“Just leave the teacups. I'll take them to the kitchen. We'll be having a meeting about our new objective soon. I know this is a maintenance period, but I hope none of you get too relaxed. Now, I hope you all have a productive day.”
“Yes, Hyung.”
“Yes, Leader. I'll do my best.”
Ahn Hyun and Shin Sangyong answered briskly, but Vivian only nodded with a sullen face. She probably thought I was talking about her. Anyway, after sending them upstairs, I picked up the teacups and entered the kitchen.
“Hm. It's got all the essentials, at least.”
After stepping into the kitchen, I looked around and muttered to myself. Come to think of it, this was my first time in Ko Yeonju's kitchen. The dishes were piled up, still unwashed. I figured she would take care of them if I just placed these on top of the pile, and was just about to set the teacups down.
CRASH!
“Ghk!”
There was a door inside the kitchen. As far as I knew, Ko Yeonju lived in that room. And just now, I heard the sound of something hitting the wall hard from beyond that door. I instinctively knew that Yoojung and Ko Yeonju had already begun their training.
“Get up. Now. Do I look like Kim Soohyun to you? Get up in one second.”
“Knggh... Haaaaaaah!”
“I told you not to swing so recklessly.”
THWACK! CRASH!
“Cough! Ugh, bleeeargh.”
“...”
Ko Yeonju's voice and Lee Yoojung's pain-filled scream rang out at the same time, followed by the sound of retching. The sounds of someone being hit were just a bonus. She said she would teach her, but I never imagined she would do it like this, so I felt a little taken aback.
Start by beating her up first. I let out a groan at such a brutish method. Still, it occurred to me that Ko Yeonju was approaching this training with her own kind of passion. Besides, it would be ridiculous for me to tell one of the Ten Strong how to do things. For a moment, I was conflicted, but in the end, I decided to stick to my original plan.
I stared at the door from which the sounds were coming for a moment, then quietly set down the teacups and left the kitchen.