Chapter 334: Ahn Sol’s Past & the Calm Before the Storm
Chapter 334: Ahn Sol’s Past & the Calm Before the Storm
The temple was still crowded. People were likely here for their own reasons, like being summoned or reporting on an expedition, but the line stretching all the way to the entrance seemed a bit much.
Then again, Monica had taken in a large number of refugees after the recent invasion. With the overall population having swelled, it was only natural for Users to flock to the city’s only temple.
“Did you hear this morning’s news? They said all contact with Halo was completely cut off at dawn…”
“I heard. This is insane… But the thing is, we have no idea what’s happening over there…”
“Didn’t you say you have a close friend there? Have you tried contacting them?”
“Yeah. I tried calling the moment I heard, but the connection won’t even go through. It’s just a ton of static… Sigh…”
A low murmur filled the air.
The hot topic of the day was, unsurprisingly, Halo. The fact that both the Warp Gate and communications were down was highly suggestive. It could mean a massive wave was interfering with communications, or it could mean that not a single person was left alive. In the worst-case scenario, we’d have to consider the possibility that even the Warp Gate had been captured.
Of course, I already knew the answer, but I couldn't let on. Listening to the Users’ whispers in the background, I quietly waited for my turn to enter.
About an hour passed. The long line gradually shortened until it was finally my turn. I stated my name and purpose of visit at the main gate and then made my way past the priests who were scurrying about. They were so busy that there was no one to guide me, but I had been here several times before. I quickly found the room, stepped inside, and without delay, stepped into the glowing blue portal.
“User Kim Soohyun. It has been a while.”
As soon as I entered the Summoning Room, a voice greeted me warmly. I glanced up and saw Seraph, sitting on the altar as always, her white wings shimmering. I met her calm gaze for a moment before sitting down in front of her, leaving a small distance between us.
“I didn’t summon you. What brings you here today?”
“Take a guess.”
“Pardon?”
I pulled a cigarette from my pocket and placed it between my lips. For some strange reason, I always craved one whenever I faced Seraph. After lighting the end, I took a deep drag.
“Ssss. Hooo… You’re good at that sort of thing, aren’t you? Always guessing why I’m here before I say anything.”
Seraph tilted her head ever so slightly. But soon, she wore a thoughtful expression, blinked a couple of times, and spoke.
“Is this perhaps about the Guardian of the Northern Continent?”
So Seraph knew about it too. I nodded to confirm. If she had brought up the Western Continent, I would have had to explain everything from the beginning, but if she already knew, things would be much simpler. I decided to get straight to the point without beating around the bush. It would be more comfortable for her, too.
“Something utterly ridiculous happened a while ago. Seraph, you know of Lee Hyoeul, right?”
“Yes. I do.”
“Lee Hyoeul used the Guardian of the Northern Continent as bait to approach Ahn Sol.”
“…”
Seraph said nothing. I didn't continue right away, either. If the angels were considering Ahn Sol as the successor for the Northern Continent, I was prepared to protect her, even if it meant souring our relationship.
There was a reason I had gone to such an extreme. Ahn Sol already possessed an impressive Player Status, and she also had the potential to awaken as the Priestess of Radiance—a Secret Class known as the pinnacle of all priest classes.
I had once thought the Guardian of the Northern Continent and the Priestess of Radiance might be connected, but my thinking had completely changed by now. According to my memories from the first playthrough, Ahn Sol would eventually join the Odin Clan, which was founded on the Southern Continent several years later.
Even if Odin was a clan made up of Users from all four continents, its headquarters were on the Southern Continent. Of course, she could have quit partway through and moved, but I considered that unlikely.
In any case, I couldn't just stand by and lose a child with such great potential. And it wasn't just about her potential. It would be fine even if she didn't become the Priestess of Radiance. Ahn Sol called herself a burden, but she was already helping in her own way.
Thus, I opened my mouth, determined to say what I had been holding back.
“Let me make this clear. I have no intention of making Ahn Sol the Guardian of the Northern Continent.”
“Yes… Pardon?”
“I don’t know what you and Lee Hyoeul discussed. But as the User who has brought her up until now, I have no intention of handing her over. So, tell the other angels. Tell them to give up.”
At my words, Seraph tilted her head further, a puzzled look on her face. She closed her eyes for a moment as if to organize her thoughts, then opened them again.
“I understand.”
…
For something I had been gearing up to say, her response was incredibly simple. For a moment, I was about to wonder whether I should be happy or suspicious, when Seraph’s calm voice echoed through the Summoning Room.
“User Kim Soohyun. I believe you are under a misunderstanding. If you wish, I would like the opportunity to clear it up.”
“…Go on.”
Feeling awkward, I took another drag from my cigarette. Seraph continued.
“First, I acknowledge that there was an attempt to select User Ahn Sol as the new Guardian of the Northern Continent. However, it never progressed beyond the initial stage. Selecting a Guardian requires a long and extremely rigorous screening process. Even assuming we had designated her as the successor, not the slightest coercion would be involved in the selection.”
“What? Then how am I supposed to interpret Lee Hyoeul’s actions?”
“That is… Huh? Gabriel-nim?”
She wasn't calling for me. It seemed she was conversing with another angel. When that happened, she usually just moved her lips without making a sound, so I felt a faint curiosity about their conversation.
The exchange didn't take long. After saying, “Yes,” “Yes,” “I understand,” and “I’m sorry, but I’d rather not,” Seraph let out a soft sigh and spoke.
“My apologies. An unexpected communication came through…”
“It’s fine. But what happened all of a sudden?”
“Ah, it’s nothing. In any case, I will answer your question. User Lee Hyoeul has been serving as the Guardian for seven years now.”
I got the feeling she was trying to change the subject, but since she got straight to the point, I had no major complaints. I listened quietly to her words.
“However, she began expressing her desire to step down three years ago, and that request became much stronger two years ago… that is, after she joined the Haemil Clan. In my opinion, User Lee Hyoeul was likely exhausted. That is probably why she tried to rush things.”
“…”
“Of course, it is difficult to say that User Lee Hyoeul is without fault. But the process of transferring the role of Guardian is not something that can be concluded just because the two parties agree. Did she not tell you this?”
I see. So that’s what she was trying to tell me back then.
I suddenly recalled the moment Lee Hyoeul had tried to speak to me in the office. I had intentionally cut her off at the time.
I nodded once and was about to bring the cigarette to my lips again when I saw it had burned all the way down. I dropped it on the floor and spoke quietly.
“Alright. I see what you mean. So you’re saying you won’t touch Ahn Sol from now on?”
“Gabriel-nim has permitted me to disclose a limited amount of information about this matter. Within that allowance, the answer is yes. User Ahn Sol’s talent as a Guardian is exceptional—enough to rank among the best in history. The angels captivated by her talent therefore supported nominating her as the successor. They make up roughly half of all angels.”
Top-tier talent as a Guardian? Throughout all of history? I had no idea it was to that extent, and I couldn't hide my surprise.
“But to put it another way, the number of those who opposed putting User Ahn Sol forward as the successor also amounts to half. And I am included among those who opposed it.”
“Really? Could I ask why you were against it?”
“Speaking from a personal standpoint, I certainly acknowledge her talent as a Guardian. However, User Ahn Sol has a personality that is far too incompatible with the role. If she were to become the Guardian in her current state…”
Seraph seemed to glance at me for a moment before murmuring in a small voice.
“The Northern Continent might fall into chaos instead. There is a definite possibility of that.”
Judging by her serious tone, Seraph was being sincere, but I had to struggle to keep from bursting into laughter. In any case, given how much she had said, it seemed I could wrap up the matter concerning Ahn Sol here. I had achieved my goal. Thinking it was time to leave, I calmly stood up, but Seraph’s voice stopped me.
“Are you… leaving already?”
“Yeah. I got the confirmation I needed.”
I gave a brief reply and was about to turn away. Just then, a thought flashed through my mind like a bolt of lightning.
I casually brushed off my pants and spoke in the most nonchalant tone I could manage.
“But you said her talent is definitely good. Then can’t you just fix her personality?”
“No. That is out of the question. That is something difficult to overcome at present… Ah.”
At that moment, Seraph abruptly stopped, a look of realization on her face. She brought a slender finger to her lips and then began to stare at me intently.
*
The sky was gradually darkening as the pitch-black night crept in. I watched the dark gloom settle over the garden, then took a deep drag from my cigarette and looked up at the sky. A pale, frozen moon hung in the center of the dark night. I didn't even think to exhale the smoke. I just stared blankly at the moon, replaying the conversation I’d had with Seraph a few days ago.
‘I’m sorry. I do not have the authority to speak on that matter.’
‘User Ahn Sol’s guardian angel is fiercely opposed. We explained that User Kim Soohyun is the Mercenary Lord and had expressed his willingness to provide active support, but for some reason, the angel refuses to budge.’
‘A method of treatment…’
‘We are merely helpers. We cannot personally intervene in such matters.’
‘If it were a disability caused by the settings, there would certainly be a way to treat it. But this is something she has had since before entering the Hall Plain. I don’t know if you are aware, but meddling with the human mind falls under extremely high-level magic. As of now, it is likely…’
‘I am sorry I could not be of much help. However, I hope you will understand our circumstances.’
I had just thrown out a casual question, hoping to find a way to treat Ahn Sol’s mental disorder, but as expected, Seraph didn't take the bait so easily.
I had succeeded in protecting Ahn Sol for now. But this wasn't the end. If things continued like this, she was highly likely to be forgotten over time, let alone become the Priestess of Radiance. This was a crucial issue, on a completely different level from simply adapting to the Hall Plain. I didn't know what had happened in the first playthrough to change Ahn Sol’s state of mind, but what was important now was that a change was needed.
“Hyung! Hyung!”
Just then, as I was pondering how to fix Ahn Sol’s mental state, I heard an excited voice calling for me. I turned my head toward the sound and saw Ahn Hyun, his face flushed with excitement.
“Hyung, what are you doing out here alone? The party preparations are all done! Everyone’s waiting for you! Yeonju-nunim said to bring you over right away.”
“Why are you so worked up?”
“It’s been so long since we had a party! A party! And we’re settling our equipment accounts too? Woohoo~! Let’s go, hyung!”
“You and your antics. Alright. Let’s go now. And it’s not a party, it’s a team-building event.”
Ahn Hyun grinned as if it didn’t matter and pulled me along. He was even humming a little tune; he seemed genuinely thrilled. I let out a dry laugh and said.
“You’re that happy?”
“Having it in the garden feels kind of different. And you said drinking is allowed today…”
“So it was about the alcohol after all.”
“Aw, come on, hyung. It’s really been a while. And I’m happy because I get to have a drink with you after so long. You’ll have a drink with me, right, hyung?”
“Hmm… Now that you mention it, I’m reminded of that time the four of us drank at the Museum of Academic Information. Alright, fine. Having a drink after all this time doesn’t sound so bad.”
I deliberately omitted the part about it being just “the two of us.” As I played along, Ahn Hyun grew even more excited, humming louder and quickening his pace. I matched his steps, following behind him as I calmly organized my thoughts.
Ahn Sol’s problem was not something that could be solved quickly, especially because it concerned her mind. I intended to take my time and search for a solution. First, I needed to learn what had happened to make her this way. The only way to do that was to get Ahn Sol herself to open up.
Of course, I had no intention of asking her directly. I had already failed at that several times.
Thus, I had set Ahn Hyun as my first target for uncovering Ahn Sol’s story. As her brother, he would likely know the details of what happened, and I figured he was more likely to talk than she was.
“We’re here!”
Just then, having arrived at our destination, Ahn Hyun waved his hand vigorously and shouted. I watched him quietly from behind.