Chapter 363
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 363
Chapter Title: A Vacation in Three Parts (9)
Of course.
Vega wasn't exactly a skilled liar.
Her story about the Tomb of Stars was full of holes and flaws.
But the reason Oh-jin hadn't particularly doubted her was...
‘So the whole legend about the Tomb of Stars was a lie...?’
...because the one who told the lie was none other than Vega.
[M-my child. I-it's just that...]
"...."
Who was Vega?
Wasn't she one of only three Polaris Constellations among hundreds, known for being cold and aloof even among her peers?
Of course, in front of Oh-jin, she often showed a cute, slightly clumsy side rather than her cold and blunt one.
But fundamentally, she was a goddess of extremely righteous and moral character, who wouldn't know the first thing about lying.
And yet, the superstition she'd mentioned about the Tomb of Stars was a complete fabrication.
Bewilderment took precedence over the anger of being deceived.
"...Hah."
A hollow laugh escaped his lips.
Feeling a daze as if he'd been struck in the back of the head with a hammer, he let out a groan.
‘But why?’
Why did she feel the need to lie to him just to do it in the Tomb of Stars?
When he looked at Vega with questioning eyes, she fidgeted, her lips trembling, and lowered her head like a caught criminal.
[I-I thought it would increase the chances.]
"Chances?"
What kind of chances?
[...The chances of being with you.]
Vega answered in a barely audible voice, her eyes squeezed shut.
"What does that mean... Ah."
A low gasp escaped Oh-jin's lips.
‘So.’
She was trying to create a sort of 'pretext'.
Looking at Vega, whose shoulders were trembling with her eyes squeezed shut, Oh-jin let out a wry smile.
From his perspective, he wondered why lovers would need a pretext to be intimate, but it must have been different for Vega.
Unlike the experienced Oh-jin, this was the first time in her long life of hundreds, even thousands of years, that she had ever experienced such a thing.
Besides.
‘Vega isn't as forward as Nunna or Isabella.’
Perhaps the best scheme she could come up with after wracking her brain was this superstition about the Tomb of Stars.
[I-I'm sorry for deceiving you.]
"...."
Was this a case of the darkest place being right under the candlestick?
It was such a flimsy plan that it could hardly be called a 'scheme', which is precisely why he fell for it without suspicion.
He'd complacently thought, ‘Nah, she wouldn't lie about something like this.’
"Well, whether I was deceived or not doesn't really matter to me."
Oh-jin's gaze shifted to Spica.
She was covering her mouth, her body trembling as she tried to stifle her laughter.
And then.
*Pfft.*
"Kya-hahahahahat! What, sister? You made up a nonexistent superstition just to seduce him?!"
Spica burst out laughing, tears welling up in her eyes.
Vega's face flushed with shame as she staggered backward.
[B-be quiet!]
"Aigoo~ look how cute my sister is! You're just like a young maiden, a maiden!"
[U-ugh.]
"Whaaat~? Lovers who come together in the Tomb of Stars live happily ever after~?"
[S-stop.]
"That's strange~? I've never heard that rumor before~?"
[......]
As if dark clouds were gathering, the light in Vega's golden eyes began to fade.
‘Huh?’
A chilling shiver ran down Oh-jin's spine.
His instincts were blaring a warning of danger.
[...I see. So you've never heard of it.]
The atmosphere turned as cold as if liquid nitrogen had been poured over it.
Vega's eyes, now frosty and cold, turned to Spica.
"S-sister?"
Spica, sensing that something was wrong, took a step back with a trembling expression.
Vega smiled sweetly and began walking toward Spica, step by step.
[Then I suppose I'll have to teach you myself.]
*Crackle, crackle!*
Blue lightning flared fiercely around Vega's body.
Spica shook her head, her face pale.
"I-I'm sorry, sister!"
[What are you sorry for? Ignorance is not a sin. It is the refusal to learn that is the sin.]
"Hic!"
Like a rabbit with its tail on fire, Spica dashed toward Oh-jin.
"O-Oh-jin! Please stop Vega!"
Seeing her terrified expression, Oh-jin placed a hand on Spica's shoulder as if to tell her not to worry.
And then.
"You reap what you sow."
He shoved Spica toward Vega with all his might.
"You, youuuuuu!"
*Kyaaaaaaak! Help meeeee!*
Leaving Spica's death throes behind him, Oh-jin turned away with a look of relief.
‘Time to go back.’
The last day of his vacation was approaching.
* * *
"Ugh... I'm dead."
Dragging his exhausted body out of the Sanctuary, he saw people bustling about, starting their day under the morning sun.
Oh-jin took out his smartphone to check the time.
6:36 AM.
"...About twenty minutes left."
According to the 'pact' (?) his lovers had made, the shift change was at 7 AM.
In about twenty minutes, he had to start his day with Ha-eun, the final one.
"Haaah."
A deep sigh escaped Oh-jin's lips.
In the end, he hadn't gotten a wink of sleep for two days and was now facing the third.
"Keung."
Even though he wasn't using 'Lies', he felt as if an illusion of the Heavenly Demon was appearing before him, offering a mocking sneer.
"Yeah... this is all my karma, you bastard."
What could he do?
He was the greedy one, so he had no right to complain.
‘Well, it's true I'm tired, but it's not exactly a bad feeling.’
A faint smile played on his lips as he recalled the events of the past two days.
His body and mind were exhausted, but he had gained just as much.
‘Thanks to them, I even reached the 10th Star.’
And it wasn't just him; Isabella had also reached the threshold of the 11th Star through bloodsucking.
"...It feels a little weird since I didn't get stronger through training or anything like that."
Isn't there a saying that all roads lead to Rome?
Honestly, it was so effective that he thought it was better than locking himself in the training room.
‘Still, I can't neglect my training.’
If the power gained from Vega and Isabella was a kind of bonus, then training was like a steady salary that ensured consistent growth.
You can't just chase bonuses and give up your salary, can you?
‘And it's not like getting stronger in Stigma power alone guarantees victory in battle.’
This wasn't some Monopoly game where the side with more Stigma mana automatically won.
No matter how sharp a legendary sword was, if the wielder's skill was poor, it was no different from a plastic sword from a souvenir shop.
"Hoo."
Lost in thought, he found himself in front of the door before he knew it.
"Alright."
He lightly slapped both cheeks to wake his weary mind.
No matter how tired he was, he couldn't ruin his day with Ha-eun.
"I'm home, Nunna."
*Click.*
Opening the door and stepping inside, he saw Ha-eun sitting on the sofa, munching on snacks and watching TV.
"Oh, you're back?"
Ha-eun, dressed in dolphin shorts and a white crop top, waved her hand at him.
"How was it with Vega?"
"Well... I got some good rest."
He couldn't bring himself to tell her what happened in the Sanctuary, fearing she'd end up like Spica, screaming with a pale face.
"Hmm. Really?"
Ha-eun narrowed her eyes and scooted closer to Oh-jin on the sofa.
Looking at him with a suggestive gaze, Ha-eun made a fist and stuck her thumb between her index and middle fingers.
"Did you do this?"
"...Hey, lady."
That hand gesture is so crude.
"You little punk, you did it, you did it!"
Ha-eun giggled and nudged Oh-jin's side with her elbow.
‘Is she possessed by the spirit of a middle-aged man or something?’
Oh-jin let out a disbelieving laugh.
"That Vega girl acts all high and mighty, but she pounced on you right after you started dating."
"Don't you ever say that in front of Vega."
You might end up as an electric barbecue.
"I know, you punk."
Ha-eun shrugged and smirked.
"Still, that's a relief."
"What's a relief?"
"That things with Vega seem to have been resolved well."
"...."
Even in the midst of all this, she was worried about his relationship with Vega?
"...Sorry."
His heart grew heavy as he thought about what Ha-eun had to endure because of his greed.
"If you're sorry, then treat me that much better, you punk."
"Your wish is my command, Nunna."
If he had a conscience, he couldn't afford to neglect Ha-eun.
In fact, the only reason he could enjoy such luxury was thanks to Ha-eun's consideration.
"Did you eat breakfast?"
"No, not yet."
Forget breakfast, he hadn't eaten anything since going to the Sanctuary with Vega.
"Want me to make you something?"
"Actually, I already ate."
I'm too full right now.
"Hey, why not! I'm a good cook now, you know?!"
"I can't let my precious Nunna get her hands wet."
There are some things you just can't trust.
And Ha-eun's cooking skills were one of them.
"I'll make it."
Oh-jin opened the fridge to check the remaining ingredients.
Ha-eun grabbed him by the scruff of his neck.
"Ahem. Hands off, you brat."
"No, I said I'll make it."
"Tsk! I'm going to show you my skills, so just stay put."
Faced with Ha-eun's firm stance, Oh-jin was driven out with a mournful expression.
As Oh-jin watched her with anxious eyes, Ha-eun grinned and gave him a thumbs-up.
"I'll make you something amazing, so just wait patiently, you punk!"
The breakfast Ha-eun prepared with such a confident expression was...
"...Ramen?"
It was bubbling ramen.
The kind where she'd failed to control the water, so the broth had shriveled up like a parched desert.
"What, you got a problem with it?"
"No."
Right.
This is better, actually.
With a resigned expression, Oh-jin slurped up the noodles.
The moment the noodles entered his mouth, an image of the vast ocean spread through his mind.
"S-so, how is it?"
"Salty."
It's like I'm eating a salt flat.
"Y-you punk, you don't know the latest trends! Th-this is that, what's it called... Ah! Kujirai-style ramen? That's what this is, you punk!"
"Stop making stuff up."
You just didn't add enough water.
"Sheesh..."
Ha-eun's shoulders drooped, her expression sullen.
Oh-jin chuckled, got a bowl of rice from the rice cooker, and mixed it into the ramen.
After mixing in the bowl of rice, it became something between dog food and porridge, but...
"Oh, this is damn good."
"Right?"
There's nothing better than rice for overly salty ramen.
Oh-jin finished the ramen with Ha-eun and sat back down on the living room sofa.
"So, where do you want to go today?"
Now that his stomach was full, it was time to officially start his day with Ha-eun.
"Hmm... I don't know."
Ha-eun, who had been pondering with a finger on her lips, grinned.
"Home."
"Home?"
"Yup. Let's just stay home all day today."
Oh-jin looked bewildered by Ha-eun's unexpected answer.
"...But it's our vacation."
"You've been run ragged by Isabella and Vega, you haven't even had a proper rest, have you?"
"That's..."
Her sharp observation hit the mark, and Oh-jin flinched.
Ha-eun giggled as if she knew everything and lightly pinched his cheek.
"Let's not go anywhere today and just get some deep rest, Oh-jin-ah."
"...Nunna."
Oh-jin looked at Ha-eun with teary eyes, as if he had just found an oasis in the desert.