Chapter 299: Butterfly Effect
Chapter 299: Butterfly Effect
A sudden melancholy washed over me. I knew why. The Kim Soohyun my brother remembered now wasn't the one who had knocked around the Hall Plain for ten years, but the Kim Soohyun from the modern world. A version of myself I could barely recall…
“Soohyun?”
His voice was thick with worry. I looked up to see my brother staring at me, fraught with anxiety. He must have read my expression, as he seemed to be tormenting himself with the thought that he’d misspoken. I quickly composed myself and shook my head.
“If you came on the day of your military discharge… then when exactly did you arrive in the Hall Plain?”
“It hasn’t even been a year yet. In User terms, I’m a Year 0 User. What about you, Hyung?”
“A little over two years. Anyway, a Year 0 User… So you came about two years after me. Back then, I…”
“You were there. I saw you for sure. I was still in the army then, right? You sent me letters, and you even came to visit with Mom and Dad. Not only that. The day before I was discharged, you called to say something suddenly came up and you probably couldn't come pick me up.”
“…I see. Are Father and Mother doing well?”
I nodded once and studied my brother’s face. He looked somewhat bitter, but surprisingly, he didn’t seem too shocked. I suppose after two years here, he must have heard similar stories at least once.
“Whew, I have no idea what’s going on.”
“It can’t be helped. No matter how many times you ask the angels, the answer is always the same. ‘We cannot tell you.’ ‘Do not worry.’”
Patter! Patter!
The raindrops grew heavier. The downpour was so fierce it felt like we were standing right in front of a waterfall. My brother’s hand was still resting on my head. I could feel his touch moving gently, as if he were afraid I might blow away in the wind or break if he held me too tight.
“Honestly, I still can’t believe it.”
“…Me neither.”
“Even after I was summoned here, I thought about you so much. I wondered if you’d finished your military service okay, if you were eating well, if you were attending your classes, if you were getting along with good friends…”
“Come on, Hyung. Am I a child?”
Feeling a little embarrassed, I pushed his hand off my head. I tried to sound cheerful, but the worry on his face didn't fade.
“Sometimes, when things were tough, I thought about how much I wanted to see you. But now that I’m actually seeing you like this, I feel a sense of guilt. Maybe because I had those thoughts…”
“That’s ridiculous. What are you talking about? Stop with the melodrama.”
My brother and I smiled at the same time. And then he placed his hand back on my head. Seriously, enough with the head-patting.
“Hoo… Anyway, I’m truly sorry, and thank you.”
“You have nothing to be sorry for, and what are you thanking me for?”
“For everything. For coming to help me, for us meeting like this, and for staying alive all this time.”
“Hey, why do you keep saying things like that? Stop it. It’s weird.”
Every time he said something like that, I squirmed for no reason, a sense of embarrassment welling up inside me. Just as I was about to twist my head this way and that to get his hand off me, my brother added one more thing.
“It’s been really hard for you, hasn’t it?”
At those words, I froze without realizing it.
My brother’s words were probably a kind of ritual acknowledgment that I had survived in the Hall Plain. He wasn’t wrong. But there was a clear difference between the hardship he imagined and the period I considered truly difficult—something I could not speak of openly…
No, should I just tell him…?
I suddenly found myself contemplating it. The fact that I was now in my second playthrough was a secret I hadn’t told anyone. But my brother was different. He would surely listen to me seriously instead of dismissing my words as nonsense. He would worry with me and empathize with me. And there was a high probability he would lend his strength to my plans. No, he definitely would.
“Come to think of it, Soohyun, won’t you tell me how you’ve been living in the Hall Plain? When you were little, you were so soft-hearted you couldn’t even kill a bug properly. Haha. I’m suddenly curious.”
I calmly lifted my head and met his gaze. A warm light swirled in his eyes. They were eyes that were endlessly cold when dealing with others, but they always held warmth when they looked at me.
After a moment of silence, drawn in by his gaze, I slowly began to speak.
“Hyung. Listen carefully. I’m going to tell you everything now.”
“Okay. I’m all ears.”
“The truth is…”
“There you two are~.”
Clink!
Just then, the terrace door slid open, and a cheerful voice rang out. I quickly stopped talking and turned to see Jinha peeking her head through the doorway.
“Sorry if I’m interrupting. But Clan Lord, are you perhaps thinking of eating? Lately, neither you nor the rest of us have been eating properly because we were so worried about Hyoeul. Everyone’s gathered now, except for Gahui.”
“A meal? Baek Jinha. I’m sure I told you I’d be talking with my brother.”
My brother’s attitude changed in an instant, all traces of his earlier warmth gone.
“The Young Lord can come with you, right? The people who came with the Young Lord are in the dining hall right now, too. You can talk while you eat.”
“Soohyun too? Ah, come to think of it… Right. I didn’t think of that.”
What?
The moment she included me in the meal, my brother’s chilly demeanor did a complete 180. No, that wasn’t what was important right now. I was momentarily stunned by the title “Young Lord” she had so casually attached to my name. However, seeing the subtle upward curl of Jinha’s lips, it was clear she had said it on purpose.
“Soohyun, I’m sorry. I had so many questions that I wasn’t thinking about you. You must be hungry, right? Let’s eat first and then talk.”
“Ah, no. It’s okay. I ate at the Clan House…”
“Baek Jinha. Tell the cook to bring out a lot of meat. Soohyun eats a lot of meat. Oh, and noodle dishes too.”
“Yes, yes~. Then please take your time coming with the Young Lord~.”
My brother grabbed my arm again and started dragging me along. Jinha drew a thin arc with her lips, then began to skip down the hallway. Watching her, I suddenly remembered. In the first playthrough, Jinha had been one of the many female Users who had adored my brother.
*
Just as Jinha had said, about ten Users were gathered around the table in the dining hall. I saw the people from the room earlier, as well as Ko Yeonju, Kim Hanbyul, and Ahn Sol. Their expressions seemed considerably more settled, so it looked like they had more or less accepted the fact that my brother and I were siblings.
Soon, the food arrived, and the meal began. The three members of the Mercenary Clan had taken off the hoods that had been covering their bodies.
I didn’t know if they already knew or if Ko Yeonju had revealed it herself, but the Haemil Clan members weren’t particularly surprised to see the Shadow Queen before them. It was just a simple, “Wow, it’s the Shadow Queen.” Then again, each person here had pride in their own skills, and strictly speaking, the Haemil Clan’s current standing could be seen as higher than the Mercenary Clan’s.
“We were in such a rush earlier that I couldn’t greet you properly. Thank you so much for saving Hyoeul. Young Lord.”
“From what I hear, you’re not even a Priest class… How on earth did you purify her? Young Lord?”
While everyone was chatting and eating with whomever they felt comfortable with, I heard the voices of Jinha and Hyerin. Their voices were gentle, suggesting that the fact Hyoeul’s life had been saved had eased their worries.
However, I was mistaken. The moment I turned my head away from my brother, who kept trying to force food on me, I saw two women glaring daggers at each other.
“You’re making Soohyun uncomfortable. Don’t ask strange questions.”
Right. Come to think of it, my brother was the Great Demon King of Insensitivity.
I let out a short sigh as I watched my brother immediately intervene. At that moment, I thought I heard a sigh that sounded like Ko Yeonju’s from somewhere, but I decided to treat it as a hallucination.
“By the way, Soohyun. I don’t think I’ve heard your full story yet, have I?”
“Huh?”
“The story you were about to tell me earlier. Like how you passed the Rite of Passage. Ah, you must have completed the User Academy, right? And what happened after that, how you met the comrades next to you, and so on. Your brother is so curious about you.”
“Ah, well… I just…”
I mumbled, trailing off. Now that things had come to this, I couldn’t reveal everything in this setting. But seeing the determination shining in my brother’s eyes, it seemed I had to say something. So, I turned my gaze to my clan members, who were sitting in a row to my left. It was my typical, go-to method for changing the subject.
“Ko Yeonju. As you may already know, the Haemil Clan Lord is my older brother. I could speak, but how about you introduce yourself?”
“Of course. In fact, I was hoping you’d ask.”
A flicker of unease sparked within me at her words, but I nodded nonetheless. Ko Yeonju then placed her utensils down with a graceful motion and smiled softly. It wasn’t her usual seductive smile, but a demure one, like that of a gentle young lady.
“Hello. I am Ko Yeonju, a User currently active in the Mercenary Clan. It’s a bit embarrassing, but I’m also known by the undeserved title of one of the Ten Strong.”
“Mm. I see. If you’re one of the Ten Strong… then you must be the Shadow Queen.”
“Yes, that’s right. Brother-in-law.”
“Pfft.”
Clang. Clang. Clang. Clang.
The moment Ko Yeonju finished speaking, I violently spat out the water I was drinking. I wasn’t the only one who was flustered. The sound of utensils simultaneously clattering to the floor echoed softly through the dining hall. A long, quiet silence descended.
The conversation only resumed when a clattering sound started up from the end of the table.
“Junseong.”
“Don’t say it. I know what you’re going to say, old man.”
“I wonder if those brothers saved a country in their past lives.”
“I told you not to say it.”
Junseong and Taewon picked at their food with their chopsticks, conversing in gloomy voices.
“Ahem-hem!”
My brother, with a stern face, cleared his throat loudly and gulped down the water in front of him. He slammed the cup down with a thud and spoke in a voice that sounded a little uncomfortable.
“‘Brother-in-law’ seems a bit premature, don’t you think?”
“I apologize if I made you uncomfortable. But I heard the others calling our Clan Lord ‘Young Lord.’”
“I will be sure to correct that.”
“Hoho.”
My brother shot a sharp glare at Jinha and Hyerin. The two of them flinched and lowered their heads.
After Kim Hanbyul’s uneventful introduction—something I was profoundly grateful for—it was finally Ahn Sol’s turn. A few Users in the Haemil Clan had recognized Kim Hanbyul. That was hardly surprising, considering how heavily she had been promoted as a Jewel Mage while she was with the Golden Lion Clan. She had looked anxious throughout her introduction, but when no one asked why she had transferred from the Golden Lion Clan to the Mercenary Clan, she finished with visible relief.
After that uneventful introduction (I felt incredibly grateful to Kim Hanbyul at that moment), it was finally Ahn Sol’s turn.
“Hellooo. My name is Ahn Sol. I’ve been with Orabeoni since the Rite of Passage.”
Hearing Ahn Sol’s words, the anxiety that had just subsided reared its head again. Seriously, why is everyone focusing on me? I asked them to introduce themselves, not their relationship with me.
I pressed my throbbing temples. This was no time for this. I had to end this around here before another storm hit…
“Oh, you’ve been together since the Rite of Passage?”
“Yeees! From the very beginning until now, we’ve been together the whooole time.”
The way she squeezed her eyes shut and pouted her lips when she said “whooole” must have been quite cute, because I could hear the faint squeals of the older women.
“Together the whole time, you say? That’s rather interesting. Could I perhaps hear a little about how my brother has been doing all this time?”
“Hyung, wait. Why are you asking her that? I can tell you…”
“Soohyun-orabeoni is, like, really amazing~.”
“Haha. I knew it. But how was he amazing? A little more detail…”
My brother waved his hand as if to say it was fine, showing an extraordinary amount of interest. Ahn Sol shot a triumphant smile at Ko Yeonju, then continued, waving her hands excitedly.
“Orabeoni, like, lured monsters for us during the Rite of Passage! And when we got to the User Academy, he, like, graduated at the top of his class! Oh! And he got an offer from the Golden Lion Clan, but he turned it down to take care of us! And after the Academy, he, like, excavated ruins and, like, went on expeditions and even built our Clan House!”
Stop. Please.
I ended up dropping my head into my hands. I hadn’t even fought, but I felt like I’d burned myself out completely.
*
After the stormy mealtime passed, we had a leisurely tea time. Thanks to Ahn Sol’s performance (?), the atmosphere had become much more cheerful. Though not for me at all, of course.
Even in the midst of it all, my brother kept trying to protect me, saying he would look after me from now on and not to worry. Fortunately, Jinha and Hyerin managed to talk him down, so we could return to the original topic.
“If I could, I’d like to stay here and monitor her progress, but I have a role I must attend to, so I have to leave right away. In any case, I have certainly cured the Banshee’s curse. You can consider her life saved.”
“Soohyun. Can’t you just join my clan? As you know, the Hall Plain is a very scary world. I’m so worried…”
“Hah…”
My brother started repeating the same thing again. As I let out a weary sigh, Jinha and Hyerin quickly began to whisper.
“Clan Lord! What is with you today? He’s from the Mercenary Clan, Mercenary! And he’s their Clan Lord!”
“Soohyun is my little brother. My actual little brother. You don’t understand how I feel right now…”
“Let’s be realistic. This clan excavated four ruins in less than a year and has five Users with Secret Classes and four with Rare Classes. On top of that, they even have the Shadow Queen…”
“No, I know that, but.”
“What do you know! What you just said is like telling the entire Mercenary Clan to join the Haemil Clan. Even if he’s your brother, with other clan members right in front of you, don’t you know how rude that is?”
My brother opened his mouth as if he still had more to say. But when I shot him a sharp look, he closed it with a reluctant expression.
“I apologize, Mercenary Lord. Our Lord seems to be truly delighted to see you. He’s not usually like this, so we’re a bit flustered as well.”
“It’s fine. He was always worried sick back in the modern world, too. I understand. Anyway, to continue, although I’ve treated her, the aftereffects still remain. And they’re quite severe. However, with continuous care, she will definitely be able to recover.”
“I see. Don’t worry. We have many capable priests on our side, so we can certainly treat the aftereffects.”
“Combining medicine and treatment with divine spells will speed up the recovery time. In any case, I’ll leave that part to you.”
“Yes. Now then, we must offer you a reward for the treatment… Is it possible to know, even roughly, how you treated her?”
Jinha’s voice trailed off as she glanced at my brother. She was leading the conversation now. Although she was an Archer class, her meticulous and quick-witted nature likely meant she was in charge of the Haemil Clan’s overall internal affairs.
“Soohyun. You said earlier that you weren’t a priest, but that you had a Secret Class called Sword Specialist, right? Then what was the power you used to heal Hyoeul?”
The issue of compensation was tricky. If it were someone I didn’t know, I would have squeezed them for all they were worth, but for some reason, I didn’t want to do that in front of my brother. Honestly, I wanted to do it for free. But I couldn’t, because of what I’d said during the meeting before coming here. In that case, the best way would be to just tell them the truth and accept a modest show of gratitude.
“Just think of it as an out-of-spec power. If I raise the output to a level my stamina can’t handle, it puts a strain on my body, but for simple healing, it’s not that taxing.”
“What did you say?”
“No. I said it’s fine for healing.”
“Hmm… Sword Specialist. So that means you’re a melee-type class…”
My brother wore an expression as if he were deep in thought. He then tapped the table with his index finger before speaking to Jinha, who was swallowing nervously.
“Baek Jinha. You know that sword we got when we excavated the King’s Tomb? Go get it.”
“The King’s Tomb… You mean Victoria’s Glory? Hyoeul is wearing it as an earring right now…”
“I told you the Banshee’s curse has been cured, so it doesn’t matter.”
My brother tossed out the words nonchalantly and turned his head back to me.
“Soohyun. You said using that power puts a strain on your stamina, right?”
“Huh? Oh, yeah. But I can control the output.”
“Perfect. I excavated a ruin called the King’s Tomb a while back. There’s a sword called Victoria’s Glory that increases stamina. Since you’re a sword-wielding class, it’ll be a perfect fit for you. It has other options too, so you can look forward to it.”
The Formless Sword, the Sun and Moon Divine Sword, Caligo Abraxas… I already have three swords…
But the part about it increasing stamina was quite tempting. Moreover, the fact that it could change its form into an earring certainly piqued my interest.
“Come to think of it, you don’t have a helmet?”
“Huh? Oh. It’s uncomfortable, and I don’t really need one.”
“That won’t do. Melee types always have to be careful with their heads.”
“Well, it’s not really…”
“And it looks like you’re not wearing armor either. Tsk, your gear is shoddy overall.”
If Glory of Heaven and Glory of the Sun had egos, they probably would have been offended.
My brother clicked his tongue as he scanned my equipment from head to toe, then abruptly stood up and walked over to me.
“This won’t do. Baek Jinha, you go get Victoria’s Glory first. And Soohyun, you’re coming with me to the warehouse for a bit. I need to fix you up from top to bottom.”
“……”
As my brother forcefully grabbed my hand and pulled me to my feet, I remembered.
The days when I was protected by him.
And the fact that my brother had a serious brother complex.