Chapter 420: 10. The Final Story (1/9)
Chapter 420: 10. The Final Story (1/9)
(Giggle! Giggle!)
“Ko Yeonju.”
(S-Sorry, Soohyun. B-But it’s just so funny… Pfft!)
“...Haa.”
A sigh escaped me as I watched Ko Yeonju practically convulse with laughter. The urge to end the communication surged, but I barely managed to suppress it, squeezing the innocent crystal ball in my hand instead.
I should have just stated my business and hung up…
Initially, I’d planned to ask for her opinion on how to improve clan unity. But the conversation had somehow gotten sidetracked, and before I knew it, we were catching up on what the other clan members were up to. Thinking I could vent my frustrations, I told her what had happened with Vivian and Nam Daeun, but… well, whose fault was it, really? It was my own for bringing it up in the first place.
“Alright, stop laughing and give me some good ideas.”
(Hehe. Ah, I haven’t laughed that hard in a while. Anyway, good ideas? Hmm~.)
Ko Yeonju wiped the corners of her eyes and propped her chin on her interlocked hands.
(Let’s see. A few things come to mind, but I’ll need to organize my thoughts. It’s not a light matter, after all.)
“Organize them? Huh?”
Knock, knock.
Just then.
“Orabeoni, Orabeoni. We have a problem.”
Just as I was about to tell her to share her thoughts anyway, I heard Ahn Sol’s adorable voice from outside the door.
“A problem?”
“We have a visitor. They said they want to see Clan Lord-nim.”
(She hasn’t changed a bit. Seriously, how is a visitor a problem?)
“My thoughts exactly.”
Ko Yeonju’s sharp remark. I quietly whispered my agreement before raising my voice.
“Who is it?”
“Um… Ah! They said they’re from the Tower of Magic!”
“The Tower of Magic? Why would they…? Anyway, I understand. I’ll be out soon, so please escort them to the VIP room on the fourth floor. And bring some tea.”
“Yes~.”
I felt Ahn Sol’s presence recede. As I slowly lifted the crystal ball, Ko Yeonju was still looking down at me, her chin resting on her hands.
“It seems I have a visitor. I should get going.”
(Oh, really? But what to do? I have no intention of letting you go, Soohyun~?)
“I’m the one supplying the magic power. Which means whether this communication stays connected is up to me.”
(Tch.)
Ko Yeonju shot me a glare when I replied in a ‘what-are-you-gonna-do-about-it’ tone. But it wasn't a hostile glare; it was a playful one.
(Fine. I’ll think about it a lot, so don’t forget to call me later.)
“I will. I’ll see you later. I’m hanging up now.”
(Wait. Where do you think you’re going? I know you’re busy, but still. Here, a kiss~.)
“Goodbye, then.”
Ko Yeonju puckered her lips and leaned toward the crystal ball, but I immediately cut off the magic power. It was petty revenge for laughing at me so much earlier.
I stretched lightly and rose from my seat. A visitor from the Tower of Magic. I hadn’t heard a name, but I had a good idea of who it was.
The Tarot Card Magician.
Who else but Seon Yul would come looking for me?
I was curious about the reason for her visit, but first, I straightened my clothes and headed to the VIP room. When I opened the door without much thought, I saw Seon Yul, who had already arrived. I was stunned.
“Uh…”
Seon Yul was just as surprised. She was in an awkward stance, halfway through sitting down, which meant she had arrived just a moment before me.
“Tower of Magic Lord. When did you arrive?”
“There you go again. I told you to call me the Magic Tower Lord… Tsk, anyway, just now.”
“Then Ahn Sol…”
“Ahn Sol? If you mean the little one with the bright smile, she pointed me in the general direction and then ran off.”
“…Excuse me?”
“Something about bringing tea~. Hehe, she’s quite cute.”
That idiot.
Seon Yul said it as if it were nothing, but I felt my face flush. My god. Leaving a guest to find their own way without an escort? And a Secret Class User who was the lord of a clan, no less.
“Anyway, it’s been a while.”
“It’s been a while.”
A moment later, we exchanged simple greetings. As we sat facing each other, Seon Yul gently stroked her exposed shoulder. She was dressed in rather risqué lingerie that gave off a mysterious aura. When she casually crossed her legs, I could see a garter belt stretched across her sensual thigh, along with mesh stockings covering her long, slender calves.
Just then, I felt a direct stare from across the table. I reflexively looked up to see Seon Yul watching me with a suggestive gaze.
“Mercenary Lord. Do you happen to remember the promise you made me?”
“A promise?”
“…You must have been very busy lately.”
“Let’s see. No? I’ve been quite free recently. But why do you ask…?”
Seon Yul didn’t say anything more. Instead, she bit her lip and began staring at me intently again. Just as I was starting to worry she might have lost her mind, a thought suddenly flashed through my head.
Come to think of it… did we promise to meet once?
Yes. Now that I thought about it, I think we did make a promise a few months ago, after the meeting in Barbara. No, we definitely did.
Feeling a pang of guilt, I rubbed my brow for no reason. But Seon Yul must have noticed that I’d remembered, as the corners of her lips curved into a gentle smile.
Just as an uncomfortable feeling began to creep in, an unexpected savior appeared.
Knock, knock.
“Orabeoni. I mean, Clan Lord-nim. I’ve brought the tea. May I come in?”
“Ah, come in.”
Thinking this was perfect timing, I answered quickly. Then I spoke nonchalantly.
“Haha. The tea is here. It’s a cold day, so let’s warm ourselves up first. The tea should be quite warm.”
“My, you’re so good at changing the subject. I almost fell for it. You could be an actor.”
But Seon Yul didn’t fall for it. As I was left with a bitter taste in my mouth, the door opened cautiously. Ahn Sol entered, balancing a tray with both hands.
“This is the Ramon tea the Shadow Queen-nim left for us. I do hope you enjoy it.”
“Oh my… you’re just as kind as you were earlier. Thank you for the tea, I’ll enjoy it.”
“Hehe. Oh, it’s nothing. It was no trouble at all.”
“…Is she naturally like this? I didn’t expect this.”
I was probably the only one who heard Seon Yul’s last comment.
In any case, as Seon Yul played along, Ahn Sol smiled serenely. Or at least, she seemed to be trying to. She then showcased a graceful, model-like walk, apparently still lost in her Saintess role-play.
“Ahem. Ahem, ahem. Please wait just a moment.”
“Pfft.”
I didn’t know what she was thinking, but from a third-person perspective… well, to be honest, it was incredibly embarrassing.
It was one mortifying moment after another. I couldn’t bear to watch any longer and turned my gaze away.
“Huh? Uh, oh?”
Suddenly, I heard Ahn Sol’s flustered voice. I quickly turned back to see her stumbling, unable to keep her balance. It seemed her unfamiliar gait had caused her to tangle her own feet.
“Ah, no!”
Finally, Ahn Sol let out a short scream and dropped the tray. I let out a soft sigh. I was just thinking things had been quiet lately. I moved to catch the falling tray.
…Huh?
In that instant, I felt my eyes focus.
For a split second, the teacup flew through the air. And before I could react, the jet-black tea spilled out, splashing all over my pants.
“Waaah! I’m sorry, Orabeoni!”
Ahn Sol crawled over from where she had fallen and frantically pawed at my thigh. I could feel her hands and the hot liquid soaking my pants, but I couldn’t even think to look down.
Did I… just stand still?
A moment ago, Ahn Sol’s movements had been on another level. I knew she was going to fall, but I couldn’t react. The distance of her fall, the direction of the spill, the angle at which the tea flew—it was all so perfect, as if measured with a ruler. If a sword had flown at me instead of tea in that situation, I would have undoubtedly suffered a fatal wound.
“Ahn Sol?”
Calming my pounding heart, I looked down and saw a frantic Ahn Sol.
“Orabeoni… I’m sorry… Sob…”
Ahn Sol looked up at me with teary eyes and began to sniffle. But her posture was a little… strange. To be precise, she was kneeling between my slightly parted legs, her face pushed forward. Wait. This is just like in those AVs… What am I even thinking?
I shook my head hard. I placed the overturned teacup back on the table, then helped Ahn Sol up and reassured her that it was okay. Seeing her movements just now, I was sure she hadn’t done it on purpose.
It must be a coincidence.
Watching Ahn Sol walk out dejectedly, I slowly stood up. From the way the tea was dripping, it seemed my underwear and everything beneath was thoroughly soaked. Ugh, so sticky.
“Hoo. My apologies.”
“It’s fine. In fact, it was quite refreshing and interesting.”
“…I’ll go change. My office is right next door, so it will only take a moment.”
“No. There’s no need for that.”
Wondering what she meant, I looked up and saw a glowing green card already in her right hand.
Then, Seon Yul’s lips parted.
“Draw Out.”
Just then, the green light surrounding the card intensified for a moment, and the spilled water around us began to slowly float into the air. The same happened with my wet pants. The tea that had soaked into the fabric was drawn out, forming several streams of water.
“Hup.”
Drip, drip, drip.
The streams of water, which had been swimming as smoothly as waves, followed Seon Yul’s finger and settled back into the teacup. I blinked blankly. Now, my pants felt only slightly damp, and the teacup was filled with cooled tea.
Seon Yul then elegantly picked up the teacup and took a sip. Uh, that… come to think of it, that water was on a rather sensitive area.
“Mm. Delicious.”
“…That’s amazing.”
“I’m a Secret Class, you know. This much is expected. By the way, did she say this was Ramon tea? You should try some too, Mercenary Lord. The flavor is so rich and wonderful.”
“Ha, haha…”
It occurred to me that Seon Yul might be doing this on purpose. In any case, my appetite for tea had completely vanished (even if it was water from my own body), so I just watched her quietly. With her light-brown neck fully exposed, Seon Yul tilted the cup until it was empty.
“Phew. Well then, shall we stop playing around and get down to business?”
After gulping down the last of the tea, Seon Yul gracefully set the cup down. Figuring the main topic was about to come up, I sat down and adjusted my posture.
“I’m listening.”
“Good. First of all, the reason I visited the Mercenary Clan today is… to put it bluntly, because of the ancient magic city, Magia.”
“Magia…? That place has already been cleared.”
“That’s right. Istantel Low finished their investigation, and it was opened to the public. And we at the Tower of Magic dispatched Cleaners to Magia. We’ve had them there for the past two months.”
For two months? Was Magia really that valuable? I tilted my head slightly.
Cleaners were what you called the third wave of Users who went into already-cleared ruins to see if there was anything left to scavenge.
When Mercenary cleared Magia, we had swept up not only all the equipment but also every useful ancient magic book. In other words, we had already extracted all the rewards, so nothing should have been left but ruined buildings.
“I’m not so sure. Not only Mercenary, but Istantel Low also finished their investigation. Was there really a need to spend two whole months there?”
“Mercenary Lord? The Tower of Magic is a gathering of mages. What we want aren’t some artifacts that might be buried somewhere… Magia, you see, was the greatest magic city, built during the golden age of magic in the history of the ancient Hall Plain. A city where countless ancient spells, unknown to us now, were comprehensively integrated. In other words, what life was like in the city back then, how the city was constructed, and so on. That’s what we’re after.”
Seon Yul spoke quickly, her voice tinged with an uncharacteristic excitement. She even snatched the teacup in front of me as if her throat was dry. I waited patiently as she drank the tea again. It wasn’t like I was going to drink it anyway.
“Phew… I’ll continue. Anyway, we spent two months meticulously investigating Magia, and a while ago, we were able to achieve some results.”
Suddenly, my ears perked up.
Seon Yul quickly continued.
“It’s not a material achievement like the Mercenary Lord might be thinking. You could call it an achievement from the Tower of Magic’s perspective. To be honest, it’s not much of an achievement. A result? No, maybe a conjecture based on our previous questions?”
“A conjecture. I see. What kind?”
“To give you the conclusion first, we believe that life in Magia, unlike in other cities, was centered around magic. In other words, they lived a life distinct from the norm. Let me give you a simple example. Can you understand it if you think about the difference you feel when using stairs versus an escalator on Earth?”
“While Residents of normal cities were climbing stairs, the mages of the magic city Magia were using escalators. Is that what you mean?”
Seon Yul nodded slightly with a satisfied look on her face.
“Exactly. And we think what made that possible was the enormous number of magic circles lying dormant throughout the city.”
Having finished another long explanation, Seon Yul took a shallow breath. I fell into a quiet contemplation.
What Seon Yul was saying was something that had never come up in the first playthrough. Magia had been left abandoned after it was cleared then, too. In any case, while I was intrigued by this new information, I also had a question.
“Magic Tower Lord. There’s one thing I’m curious about.”
“Yes. Go ahead.”
“Why are you telling this to Mercenary?”
“Hmm.”
Seon Yul didn’t answer right away. She seemed to ponder for a moment before speaking.
“We reached our initial conclusion a month ago. And assuming our conjecture was correct, the Tower of Magic mobilized the clan’s full power to investigate in a new direction for the remaining month. For what purpose was this city built? And can it be rebuilt?”
Rebuilt?
Unexpected words kept coming. Feeling the scale of the conversation growing, I became even more engrossed in the story.
“And likewise, a month later—that is, a short while ago—we were able to reach a conclusion… no, a conjecture.”
“You can call it a conclusion. So, what was it?”
Seon Yul suddenly smiled bashfully. She gazed at me intently, then let out a soft breath through her delicate nose and licked her lips, as if hesitating whether to speak or not.
About three minutes passed like that. Just as the quiet silence began to feel awkward, Seon Yul’s lips slowly parted.
“The city’s purpose was defense. In other words, the city itself was like a single strategic weapon built for defense. And we concluded that it can be rebuilt. One of our clan members who can interpret ancient languages discovered a very interesting record.”
“An interesting record?”
Seon Yul nodded her head up and down. Then she continued in a low voice.
“To quote it directly… ‘There exists only one master in Magia. The master can oversee all of Magia. The master is no different from the city itself. There is only one way to become the master of Magia. A single key is needed to control all the magic circles in the city. The name of that key is…’”
At that moment, the information about the equipment I had read with my Third Eye vaguely came to mind. I couldn’t remember the details, but for some reason, my throat felt parched.
Seon Yul continued.
“Ordo of Order. That’s the name of the key that can rebuild and control the city.”
I knew it. I wet my lips and squeezed my eyes shut. My mind had suddenly become a complicated mess. Among all the thoughts, the name Mavolo de Ailight stood out strongly.
A moment later, I opened my eyes and looked at Seon Yul. She was chattering away excitedly, her voice high with exhilaration.
“Mercenary Lord. Isn’t it exciting? The one who possesses the key can become the master of the city. Or you could even see them as a walking magic city itself.”
“Something like that.”
“No. Maybe within the city, they could be seen as a god… Huh?”
“Magic Tower Lord. Just a moment.”
When I called her name clearly, Seon Yul’s eyes widened, and she immediately fell silent. Looking at her, I spoke with a dry throat.
“I think I need to hear a more detailed story. Not just the conclusion, but the process as well.”
Seon Yul blinked for a brief moment. Then, she suddenly blurted out in a disgruntled voice.
“I’m hungry.”
*
It was a pretty room. A priest’s robe hung on one wall, and on the other was a small shelf with neatly arranged teacups. White walls, a white bed. Anyone would think of white snow upon seeing it. This pure white room was Ahn Sol’s personal quarters.
“Sob. I was so careless. I shouldn’t have been daydreaming. You idiot!”
Lying on the bed, Ahn Sol kicked her feet and pounded the mattress with her fists. She was so embarrassed about tripping and falling while carrying the tea earlier.
In truth, it was entirely her fault. She had been lost in a ridiculous fantasy while carrying the tea. The fantasy was a sudden burst of desire to be coddled, to bury her face in Kim Soohyun’s embrace. And in that moment, her feet had gotten tangled, and she had unintentionally dropped the tray.
“Orabeoni trusted me with that task… What will he think of me now? What if he tells me to quit?”
Ahn Sol continued to mutter to herself before going limp.
In fact, Ahn Sol was extremely satisfied with her position as Kim Soohyun’s attendant. For Ahn Sol, who felt happy just by seeing him, the title of attendant was the best position she could ask for. Because he called for her often, she could see him often, and consequently, she could spend more time by his side. Also, while carrying out his orders, she sometimes felt as if she were his wife.
“Hmph, hmph, hmph, hmph.”
After kicking her blanket for a while, Ahn Sol suddenly shot her head up. The warm gaze that told her it was okay and the gentle hand that had patted her flickered in her mind. Clenching her fists, Ahn Sol resolutely sat up.
“R-Right. Orabeoni said it was okay! I just have to do better next time. Right?”
Ahn Sol encouraged herself and shouted a vigorous “Fighting!” She then approached the shelf and picked up the most recently stolen teacup. She bit down on the spot she had prettily marked with a quill pen and sucked on it, making a small popping sound.
Knock, knock.
The more she licked and sucked the teacup, the better Ahn Sol felt. The gloomy feeling subsided, and she felt herself returning to her mood from that morning.
In fact, Ahn Sol had been in a very good mood that morning. As soon as she woke up, her head and body had felt incredibly refreshed and light. It was a feeling of complete refreshment throughout her entire body.
She had never felt this good before, so Ahn Sol even felt that today was her day, a day where she could achieve anything she wanted.
“Mm. Mmm.”
Lick. Sluurp. Knock, knock.
After sucking on the teacup for a long time, Ahn Sol gently closed her eyes. She recalled the moment she had ended up between Kim Soohyun’s legs. She hadn’t noticed it then because she was in a daze, but there was one scent she had definitely smelled. The masculine scent wafting from the crotch of his soaked pants. Recalling that moment, Ahn Sol felt her face flush.
“Phew. That was nice.”
Suddenly, Ahn Sol stopped sucking the teacup. She placed it back on the shelf and then began to take off her clothes, one by one. She took off her socks, her robe, her shirt. In an instant, she was in her underwear, and then she took off her chest wrap as well. As she placed a hand on her last remaining pair of panties, she began a naughty fantasy as a prelude to the main event.
Hehe. What if Orabeoni suddenly throws the door open and comes in? Then I would… Kyaa! I don’t know, I don’t know!
Ahn Sol giggled and pulled down her remaining underwear.
It was then.
Bang!
“Ahn Sol. Are you sleeping?”
The door suddenly opened, and someone strode inside. Startled, Ahn Sol froze, her underwear still halfway down her legs. As she slowly raised her head, she saw Kim Soohyun standing blankly at the door.
“O-Orabeoni?”
“Uh… S-Sorry. You didn’t come when I called, and you didn’t answer when I knocked.”
Kim Soohyun looked extremely flustered as well. But he quickly composed himself and turned around. Amidst her own panic, Ahn Sol reflexively asked.
“I-I’m sorry. B-But what brings you here…?”
“Ah, that… I’m going out for a bit, you see? I’m having a meal with the Magic Tower Lord, and it might take a while. Also, I’m holding a meeting tomorrow morning, so I’d like you to notify the clan members in advance.”
“Y-Yes. I understand.”
“I’m counting on you, then… And I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.”
“It’s okay.”
“…Right.”
Thud.
The door closed. Listening to the fading footsteps, Ahn Sol collapsed where she stood.
Thump!
“Hua, hua.”
Her heart was pounding for no reason. Soon, after calming herself, Ahn Sol tilted her head. A question mark floated above her head. She felt a strange sense of dissonance.
“I was just wishing he would open the door and come in…”
And he really did.
“Earlier, I was thinking I wanted to be in his arms and sniff him…”
She wasn’t exactly in his arms, but she did get to smell him.
At that moment, Ahn Sol’s head shot up. Her eyes were sparkling more brightly than ever before.
“M-Maybe…!”
Could it be that today was her lucky day?
It was a conclusion without a shred of evidence, but Ahn Sol felt an unknown confidence welling up from within her. At the same time, she felt something explode inside her. It had become difficult to act as clingy as she used to, and the desires she had been suppressing all this time had erupted at once.
Her shining eyes began to burn. With her eyes gleaming, Ahn Sol let her unique imagination run wild.
A kiss! A hug! No, maybe even that!
As she imagined things she normally wouldn't even think of, Ahn Sol squirmed. A sudden throbbing had started in her nether regions. She shot up as if flying and lay down on the bed, completely naked. Spreading her arms wide, she clenched her fists and thought.
Really, today might be the day.
The white ceiling in Ahn Sol’s eyes seemed dazzlingly bright today for no reason at all.
*
Afterword.
(Seon Yul, spreading out her cards.)
Seon Yul: Hmm. Mercenary Lord. According to this reading, your fortune for today is extremely dangerous.
Kim Soohyun: What? Dangerous?
(Seon Yul stares at the cards with a serious expression.)
Seon Yul: There’s a high chance you’ll become a victim today. A great danger surrounds you, Mercenary Lord. Be careful. It has already brushed past you once. The moment you let your guard down, the perpetrator will achieve what they desire in an instant.
(Kim Soohyun scoffs.)
Kim Soohyun: Stop with the nonsense and just eat.
(Seon Yul looks at Kim Soohyun with a pitying gaze.)
And so the story goes that Ahn Sol had a very happy day…
Fin.