Accept the Newcomers! (2)

"Honestly... I think being in a position where I work under someone else might actually be better for me."

Out of nowhere, Seo Hyejin broke the silence.

"I took on the leader's seat — Guild Lord — because someone had to... but every single day, the self-loathing was unbearable. The moment I became leader, the cuckoos and the jackals and the hyenas started circling, like they were determined to snatch back the peace we'd finally secured."

I could feel how carefully she'd chosen her metaphors. The hand that wasn't holding her beer clenched into a fist and trembled; even the can crumpled a little in her grip.

It must have been that infuriating. After everything we'd suffered to build what we had, they'd handed it over wholesale to those ridiculous bastards and fled here like refugees.

"So I regretted it. I should have just said I'd go with you. What the hell was a 'safe zone' worth? What the hell was attachment to the neighborhood I'd lived in worth? I dug my heels in and held on, and then I saw the people who still believed in me and told myself I'd try a little longer... but I just couldn't. Human selfishness — the kind of selfishness that severs every last shred of rational judgment and pushes you to the absolute limit — you can't hold that back with grit alone."

Seo Hyejin's slightly bowed head held both pathos and bitterness at once.

"...When I got here and saw your face, Jeong Hoon, I can't tell you how relieved I was. And how free I felt. Like — ah, I can finally let go of the mindset of a leader. I can finally set down the title of leader, and that's okay. And I was happy. Because I got to see you here, having achieved what you set out to do. And then, and then..."

"You felt self-loathing. Toward yourself."

Her head snapped up.

I could see Seo Hyejin's widened eyes clearly. The light ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠no longer depended on lamps. Even if we'd thrown a party on the lawn in the middle of the night, the electric lights were bright enough for everyone to see one another perfectly.

So I took in, fully, the expression on Seo Hyejin's face — the shock of having her inner self laid bare, and the awe she held toward me.

"I know you are not someone who casts off responsibility. I have had my eyes on you from the very moment you first faced crisis. So I can tell. You feel self-loathing over having cast aside your identity as a leader. Something that could even be called guilt. And on top of that..."

"Jealousy, too — that's what you were going to say, wasn't it?"

She finished my sentence for me, so all that remained for me was to nod.

"You're right. I hated myself. I was so deeply disappointed in myself. And that wasn't all. I was jealous of you. Of you, who alone possessed a power different from everyone else's. Of you, who stood alone and gave people hope. Of you, who alone — alone — achieved what you wanted through your own strength... I felt jealousy! Aren't I something? Harboring such an ugly emotion toward the benefactor who saved me more than once."

"Not at all."

I answered at once. It wasn't a question worth deliberating over.

Seo Hyejin. Setting aside her Lord class, she was an ordinary woman no different from anyone else.

And yet at the same time, she was a woman who possessed a sense of responsibility and leadership others did not, and a heart that knew how to put her comrades' lives first.

In this terrible age so unlike ordinary times... she had pushed her leadership to its absolute limit and fought. And she had protected them. She had kept protecting them, all this time.

Those people. People utterly different from the residents I'd gathered in Yeouido — people whose eyes still shone with a hard will to survive and a hopeful resolve. She had kept them safe.

So the wounds she'd earned while enduring for their sake — I understood that pain better than anyone.

"Your jealousy is proof that you are more human than anyone. And by confessing it before me... you are proving that you are a finer person than anyone. I am fortunate to have met you. Had you not been there... I would never even have considered turning into reality the plan of entering Yeouido and building a cradle for people. So I will not tell you to cast aside your jealousy. But I do wish to say this: do not blame yourself. For you have saved and protected countless lives."

"..."

"That is clear proof that you stand far above others. Above me as well, of course."

"Jeong Hoon... you really are..."

Seo Hyejin couldn't finish the sentence.

Ah, this is awkward. Making a woman cry again. I already made someone cry once today — I'm going to get a reputation as a total bastard.

...Or is that actually a good thing?

"Be honest and open. From now on, more and more often. I am here so that I may ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠understand that pain of yours."

"Jeong Hoon..."

Carefully, Seo Hyejin did something similar to yesterday. That face — eyes brimming with tears that looked ready to spill at any second — she rested against my shoulder this time. Fortunately we were seated at a table and chairs well suited for enjoying the party, so it didn't feel awkward.

And I raised a hand and gently stroked ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Seo Hyejin's hair.

Sniff... sniff...!

Unlike yesterday, today's grief from Seo Hyejin was quiet.

For a little while, cut off from everything around us, the two of us shared a space that belonged only to us.

It was a more emotional moment than anything I'd shared with Kim Seyeon or Han Sora.

"...Thank you, Jeong Hoon. Truly, truly — I'm so glad I met you."

Carefully, Seo Hyejin lifted her head from my shoulder. Our private moment was over. I saw the reason right in front of me.

"But... I don't think I can keep acting spoiled any longer. There's a scary, jealous little girl over there... watching us with fire in her eyes."

"..."

Han Sora was sitting a short distance away, watching my exchange with Seo Hyejin with a rather stiff expression.

But something about the atmosphere was different.

Thud, thud...!

Han Sora came toward us. Her footsteps were quite assertive.

Huh? Kim Seyeon, Park Seeun, and Yun Mina, who were with her, aren't stopping her at all? Seyeon and Seeun are even wearing soft smiles.

Sora planted herself firmly in front of our table. The first place her gaze settled was on me.

"L-let's head inside, Oppa. W-we have to leave at five in the morning tomorrow..."

"Hmm. Has it gotten that late already."

I carefully pulled out my phone and checked the time. Damn — it was already past eleven at night. To manage our condition, the plan had been to sleep before eleven, wake around four-thirty, get ready, and head out.

We needed to get to sleep soon or it would be a problem. Normally one of us always stood night watch, but tonight was different. We were leaving all security to Seo Hyejin's guild, the residents, and the butler.

"A-and... Hyejin unnie."

"Oh my, Sora."

...The tension spiked all at once. Back when the two of them had been in XX-gu, the atmosphere between them had been anything but positive. No — it had been openly hostile. More precisely, Sora had been furious while Seo Hyejin handled her with composure. Ironically, Sora had been the one who'd made more "progress," so to speak.

But now, I could feel that something had changed. How to put it... the most accurate description was that a certain maturity radiated from Han Sora.

"...P-please look after Jeong Hoon Oppa's territory. While we're gone, you're the only person we can trust, unnie. The results we worked so hard for — I absolutely don't want to lose them this time. A-and for that... we need your help, Hyejin unnie."

"Wow... Sora is... trusting me."

"Yes. Because unnie is... ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠one of the people Oppa has placed his trust in. So..."

Han Sora even wore a small smile at the corners of her mouth.

"Please always support Oppa. The abilities I d-don't have... you have them, Hyejin unnie. Please, help Oppa... all the way to the very end. I'm asking you."

"..."

Seo Hyejin's mouth fell open. Her dazed expression was proof of the shock.

"Thank you... Sora. I will absolutely live up to that trust. Without fail."

The voice that followed from Seo Hyejin carried a seriousness so deep I doubted I'd hear it again anytime soon.

The two of them clasped hands. They didn't shake them — just held on.

That alone was enough to make me feel I'd witnessed a heartwarming growth right before my eyes. Growth in Han Sora herself, of course, and in the relationship between Han Sora and Seo Hyejin.

"...So does that mean it's okay if I spend some late-night time with Jeong Hoon from now on?"

"Th-that's a completely different matter! You fox woman!! You're banned — banned! Ab.so.lute.ly.banned!"

Ah. So that particular subject is a separate issue.

Tch. But you know...

...Words like "absolutely" tend to get broken pretty often, Sora.

Five hours passed in a blink.

"We depart."

"Yes! Everyone, please board the van!"

"Hwaaam... I'm still so sleepy."

"Y-you can sleep a bit in the car, Seeun."

"Even for someone like me, knowing we're heading out to clear a dungeon has me pretty nervous?"

Five in the morning. The sky was gradually brightening, and as mist clung to the air, the cold dawn seeped into our lungs.

In the middle of the main road right in front of the territory, the four women and I climbed into the van. As always, the driver's seat belonged to Kim Seyeon.

Expected travel time was thirty minutes at most. No — with virtually no chance of traffic, we could arrive in fifteen if things went well.

"I entrust this to you, Miss Seo Hyejin. I leave the defense of my territory in your hands."

"Yes, Jeong Hoon. 'Leave it to me — I'll protect this place with my life!' ...Is that the kind of answer you wanted?"

She put on a serious face for a moment, then stuck out her tongue and threw in a wink. Seo Hyejin's playful charm was... remarkably endearing, and it put my heart at ease.

For an instant I felt like I'd come home. Ridiculous. My actual hometown was in Chungnam...

"Have a safe trip!"

"Finish it quick and come back!"

"Long live Jeong Hoon-nim!"

"God Hoon... ah, you told us not to say that, right? All hail Jeong Hoon-nim!"

Including Jung Yun, countless people had come out to the main road before dawn to see us off. There was unmistakable vitality in their voices. Not only the people from XX-gu — the residents as well, every last one of them.

That sight was something I dared to call hope.

Bit by bit, I felt us drawing closer to the ultimate goal — a cradle for every survivor.

If we cleared that dungeon visible in the distance, ringed by black walls, it would come even sooner.

Clunk! Vroooom!

The van roared to life and rolled down the main road. Taking the southwestern thoroughfare, we entered GW-gu, and in no time found the hill road that connected to S University.

"C-cars really are the best... it's a world of difference from traveling on foot."

"And the roads aren't jammed at all, so it's smooth sailing... not that that's a good thing to say."

"Just say it, Seeun. Everyone's dead so it's nice and clear, right?"

"Mina unnie!"

Unlike me, sitting beside Kim Seyeon and keeping watch on the surroundings with my guard up, the three in the back seat seemed to have let go of their tension and were trading banter.

Come on. Do they even know how terrifying the monsters in that dungeon might be?

Ever since the quest system was introduced, the method of gaining experience had become absurdly comfortable. The problem was the amount of experience coming in. The effort we had to put in each day had definitely decreased... but the experience yield couldn't exactly be called good. At least we'd earned enough gold to buy Han Sora a bow, which was nice.

Anyway, the bottom line: from April 27th until today, the level-up status of the four women excluding myself was as follows...

That was roughly the picture. For the moment, only Park Seeun and Yun Mina were in a position to level up. Mina in particular had hit level 20 and unlocked all three of her powerful elemental magics.

Having companions averaging level 20 and above was encouraging... but whether that alone would be enough to clear this unknown dungeon was completely impossible to gauge.

Those trolls alone had been monsters that hit level 55 — absolute monsters. Who could guess whether things like that wouldn't come pouring out of this dungeon?

More than anything, if this dungeon was the kind I was thinking of... these four people, if things went wrong, wouldn't just take damage—

"Ah, there it is."

While I was lost in thought, Kim Seyeon's voice cut through to my ears. A vast darkness loomed ahead of the car.

Was it dark because it was night? No.

It was a massive wall. The area around GW Mountain, where S University had once stood, was encircled by an enormous dark wall. It stretched so high you couldn't see the end, as if it had drawn a boundary between this world and the next.

With a screech, the van came to a stop. We carefully opened the doors and stepped out. We were now less than fifty meters from the giant black wall.

"I see no entrance."

"You're right. For a dungeon... you'd expect something resembling an entrance, but..."

No matter how you looked at it, there was nothing but a smooth, monochrome wall — not even anything shaped like a door or a cave mouth in sight.

No explanation, either... so what the hell are we supposed to do? Just touch the wall and get sucked in or something?

The moment that thought crossed my mind and I hesitated, the dungeon changed.

Rrrrrrrumble!

"Huk?!"

The dungeon convulsed. A sound like an earthquake roared out.

But the ground beneath our feet didn't shake. It felt as though the dungeon alone was vibrating by itself.

Then, as a ripple-like change spread across the dungeon's wall, we froze in place.

Ssssss...

Something came bursting out of the dungeon wall. It felt almost like someone chewing and then spitting out a bone — a wet, dismissive ptew.

What the dungeon wall had spat out was, by any measure, human-shaped. And not just one or two. Roughly seven human forms came tumbling out from beyond the wall.

"Zombies, looks li— yohiiiik?!"

Han Sora, who had the best eyes among us and had been observing what came out of the dungeon wall, suddenly screamed.

Hm? Not zombies? No — looking at them now... if they were zombies they'd be walking around, but they just collapsed onto the ground. What, ordinary corpses?

Soon enough, we learned the true identity of those things — corpses or zombies or whatever they were.

A notification had suddenly floated up before my eyes.

Just as I thought. Someone other than us had gone in trying to clear this dungeon. And because they'd failed, they'd been spat out like discarded trash.

It was the moment the heat that had been building in my chest sank cold in an instant.

The thought even crossed my mind — if we failed and were defeated in that dungeon, we'd be discarded just like that.

Please... just don't let it be the kind of dungeon I was afraid of.

All I could hope was that this dungeon would be one suited to our party's current level.