Confessions in Busan
In the end, we came to Busan. Seoul had already stabilized to some extent, and there was no need to stop by Shin Seoul anymore. Gwanggeom had made a contract with Eun Yu-ha and had essentially become her person.
"Phew."
Originally, there'd been no reason to meet at all. But now that she'd awakened as a spirit, there was so much I had to tell her.
Clack. Clack.
From the entrance came the familiar sound of high heels. A white-haired woman in glass heels as clear and cold as ice. It was hard to believe she was born of Rusalka—Seok Ha-rang was tall.
"......"
Seok Ha-rang had found me. With her exceptional mana sensitivity, she'd likely sensed what I was through the mana I exuded.
"Have a seat."
At my gesture, Seok Ha-rang sat across from me without lowering her guard. I'd deliberately chosen a spot out of others' sightlines, so there was no need to worry about prying eyes.
"What'll it be?"
"Don't need nothin'."
At Seok Ha-rang's gesture, the glass in front of her filled with water. I picked up the cup and gulped it down. The water was ice-cold.
"So, how's it feel awakenin' as a spirit?"
"You call me here just to say that crap?"
An ice knife appeared in Seok Ha-rang's hand. Its blade was razor-sharp, poised to stab my throat at any moment.
I pointed to the bread that had come out as an appetizer.
"We got knives right here."
"You think this looks like somethin' for cuttin' bread?"
Mana swirled along the edge, and the tip was needle-sharp. I pointed to my throat and smiled.
"Wanna stab me?"
"If you're the one who killed my master."
"Even though we're both spirits?"
"Don't get it twisted. I'm a hero. Not a monster like you—a person."
I was at a loss for words. She wasn't wrong. She'd just been born human and gained a spirit's power.
I swallowed the anger boiling inside me.
"...Fine. So you wanna go at it for real with me? You can't even control your power yet."
Seok Ha-rang scowled. She'd awakened to her spirit power during Gwanggeom's funeral rites, but the overwhelming presence she couldn't suppress stretched from Busan all the way to Seoul.
"You called me first. Comin' all the way down to Busan."
Seok Ha-rang must have sensed it too—my presence in Seoul. She'd felt the moment I arrived in Busan, and even without an appointment, here she was, walking right to me.
I picked up the water glass. The once-chill water had warmed to a pleasant temperature.
"I'm not here to kill you. I came askin' for help."
"Help? You think a hero's gonna take aid from some shady villain who stirs up trouble without revealin' who they are?"
Seok Ha-rang sneered, waving the knife. I snapped my fingers, melting it away.
"This...!"
"Calm down. Someone's comin'."
The server flinched as they brought food from the kitchen, setting the plates on the table. Rose pasta. Gorgonzola pizza. Ricotta cheese salad mixed with steak bits.
As the pre-ordered dishes arrived one by one during the wait, Seok Ha-rang's stiff expression softened bit by bit. Once the mushroom cream risotto arrived too, the server smiled awkwardly, holding a tray of drinks.
"Strawberry ade for whom...?"
"Me."
The server placed the strawberry ade in front of me and the other drink before Ha-rang. Blueberry ade.
Seok Ha-rang's face turned peculiar.
"When the hell did you and I ever meet?"
Seok Ha-rang startled. Considering her habit of slipping into dialect with close friends or when relaxed, this wasn't surprising.
"Lemme see... First time at Gwanak Mountain?"
"Ahem. But how do you know me this well? You a stalker or somethin'?"
"Just call it good intuition. Too lazy to explain."
As I picked up my utensils, Seok Ha-rang hesitated before grabbing hers.
"Eat while you listen."
I sliced a piece of pizza with the cutter and placed it on Seok Ha-rang's small plate. Staring down at it, she looked just like a wary stray cat.
"Still suspicious?"
"Duh? The villain who botched the Seoul reclamation op shows up outta nowhere buyin' me dinner."
I served myself a slice too. Lighting the candle the server had forgotten with a blue flame from the wick, a tiny fire flickered on the saucer beneath the pizza.
"If I wanted a fight, Busan would've been toast already. I'm here spirit to spirit—not as hero versus villain."
"I got no clue what you're even talkin' about."
Seok Ha-rang slammed her knife on the table.
"All this spirit crap. This a fantasy? Can't you explain it normal-like?"
"That's what I'm tryin' to do."
I quenched my throat with the ade. Everything but this one was ordered to her tastes anyway.
"Your mother's a spirit."
"What? How do you know my—wait. Then you know who my dad is?"
"Of course."
I set down my cup. Seok Ha-rang gulped her blueberry ade nervously too.
"Your father's Gwanggeom, Heo Yun-hwan."
"......Pfft."
Seok Ha-rang barely covered her mouth. Thankfully, no coffee-spill disaster like with Eun Yu-ha soiled my clothes.
"Wha-wha-what?!"
Seok Ha-rang's face twisted in shock as she panicked.
"What're you sayin'? Master's my dad? For real?!"
"Everyone knows but you right now..."
I drummed my fingers on the table, then it hit me. Unless Eun Yu-ha had spilled it on purpose, Seok Ha-rang was still a pure, clueless kid. A blank canvas ignorant of her birth secret and the world's truths.
"Alright. Then I'll explain. From the beginning to the end."
I ordered three more ades. This was gonna take a while.
One glass. I told her her birth secret. Seok Ha-rang sobbed messily. The risotto vanished.
Two glasses. I revealed the world's secrets. Hero Seok Ha-rang burned with a sense of duty. Only sauce remained in the pasta bowl.
Three glasses. I explained the truth behind Gwanggeom's death. Seok Ha-rang bowed her head, clutching her hair. The server cleared all the empty plates.
Of course, I kept my deal with Eun Yu-ha secret. She'd help me protect Seok Ha-rang in exchange for total secrecy about her existence.
Only after the final ade arrived did Seok Ha-rang finally lift her head, somewhat composed.
"...So in the end, you killed Master—...Dad—to save the world?"
"Yes."
Seok Ha-rang raised her lowered head. Her eyes brimmed with tears, but those were traces of viscous mana leaking from the corners.
"You could make me your enemy. No regrets? I might chase you forever tryin' to kill ya."
"Doesn't matter. Just help me one last time—kill the Castle Lord and stop the Otherworld God."
"What if I play crazy and bail?"
"Earth perishes. I get re-brainwashed by the Castle Lord, and you get crushed by his cadres, turned into a new invasion weapon."
Seok Ha-rang covered her face with both hands. Like it or not, she'd have to join the final battle against the Castle Lord to survive.
"Can I ask one thing?"
"Anything."
"Then let's go smash that Castle Lord—or whatever mouse bastard—right now. He's hurt and healin', right? We two can wreck the Gold Horse, then I'll kill you after."
Seok Ha-rang glared at me, battle spirit aflame. With her belly full from the clean plates, her fervor burned bright.
"Impossible."
"Why? Scared of brainwashin'? I'm S-rank. If I ask the Round Table—"
"He's not here right now."
I pointed at the floor. Seok Ha-rang slammed the table and stood.
"Th-then let's fly overseas! Why?! You scared? Think I'll really kill ya?!"
"Calm down. People are watchin'."
The moment S-rank hero Seok Ha-rang showed up, the outside had already buzzed. I'd put up a barrier to block sight, but if she made a racket, it was all for naught.
Seok Ha-rang grinned triumphantly.
"Whoa! Scaredy-cat! All that power, but your guts are tiny as a kid's!"
"Hey, you wanna die?"
...My true nature slipped out unbidden. Seok Ha-rang flinched and plopped back down. I barely calmed the surging mana.
"Even if I wanna kill the Castle Lord now, I can't.... Gotta wait till he comes here... Ugh, damn."
"Can't ya just talk casual like at Gwanak?"
As I sighed, Seok Ha-rang started gauging my mood. Around people, I had to play Phoenix, but her spirit nature shook me too. Was it the spirit power? Keeping calm was tough.
"......"
Maybe it was fine to be casual with one person. We were both spirits, after all—until others awakened, she might understand me from a perspective apart from humans.
"Whew."
I decided to drop formalities with Seok Ha-rang. Letting go of the mental leash, I relaxed my forced smile.
"The Castle Lord's not on Earth right now."
"...Earth?"
I nodded and pointed at the sky.
"He's recoverin' wounds on his turf, Pluto Castle. That's why we can't go."
Per the original story, the world-ending date was December 25, 2025.
"The Castle Lord'll heal fully that day and fly to Earth. He arrives on Christmas 2025."
"You're nuts? Flyin' from space? What's the Gold Horse even?"
"As a spirit, I can't say his name, but..."
Like the heroes and villains of this world had epithets, the Castle Lord had another one too.
"The Whisperer in the Darkness."
Seok Ha-rang's face hardened.
"What's that? Your chuunibyou crap?"
"......"
I seriously considered just going to find the protagonist instead.
<United States, Palomar Observatory>
"Still nothin', Oracle?"
The blond man urged impatiently. The pink-haired boy—Oracle—frowned as he pulled away from the telescope.
"Shut it, Sir Gawain. You reek of fish 'n' chips."
Oracle pinched his nose, and the blond—Britain's Round Table knight Gawain—turned shocked to the man beside him.
"That's lese-majeste, right?"
"British food is trash, though."
The black-haired ponytail guy swatted Gawain's grabbing hand away.
"Bet you had fish 'n' chips today too, huh, old man?"
"No, Jilpung-gak! Brits don't live on fish 'n' chips—drop the stereotype! Thanks to you, I ditched the idea that Japanese eat sushi daily!"
Jilpung-gak set down his coffee and nodded.
"Yeah. So what'd you eat today?"
Gawain thumped his chest proudly.
"Mashed potatoes with truffle-garnished smoked salmon crackers!"
"......"
Jilpung-gak's face twisted. Oracle shrugged with both hands up.
"Not all Brits are like that, right?"
"...If this guy's inheritin' the throne, I'm never goin' to Britain. State dinner'll be sardine pie for sure."
"Tasted fine to me."
Oracle and Jilpung-gak grimaced in unison. Gawain, true to his epithet as Britain's strongest hero, had a face and mindset to match his innocence.
"Who ruined the palate of the hero rank #1 Sir Gawain?"
"Not power rank #1 anymore."
Oracle teased lightly, and Jilpung-gak piled on.
"Why? Wrong? Korea's Gwanggeom broke the wall first. Any Round Table who crossed it?"
Jilpung-gak pointed mockingly at the three of them.
"If S-ranks had levels, we're all maxed. Who crossed that wall? Nobody. And even he croaked."
"One did."
Gawain stated flatly. Oracle shot back sourly.
"That mystery villain? Sir Gawain, even you can't seriously put a villain as the first SS-rank."
"I agree. What happens to heroes then?"
Gawain eyed them both, baffled.
"Hero or villain—what's it matter? In a fight for humanity's survival, should we split and fight ourselves? Why do you think I made the Round Table?"
"...Wasn't an original member, so no clue. You?"
"Dunno."
Gawain went speechless. Jilpung-gak slung an arm around his shocked shoulders, shaking him.
"Don't be too bummed, man. We still tag along helpin' ya."
"What? You go wherever you please. Okinawa's got an S-rank monster goin' nuts right now."
Oracle pointed out, and Jilpung-gak whistled.
"Whale? They'll handle it. Japan's the world's top whalin' nation."
"Dude doesn't even know that's spittin' in my face."
"What? That's my country."
Jilpung-gak flicked his arm off Gawain and winked at Oracle.
"The land of my future wife."
"......"
Oracle pushed up his slipping glasses with his middle finger and spat at Jilpung-gak.
"Ptooey."
"No!"
Gawain swung his sword like light, incinerating the spit. Oracle blinked in stunned laughter, then shook his head.
"This is why S-rank swordsmen suck. Damn idiots. Yo, get back to your birth country already. Handle that S-rank. My dad's blowin' up my phone 'cause of you."
"That bad?"
Jilpung-gak sobered, eyes sharpening like he'd draw his waist sword any second. Oracle pulled up a screen.
"Japan requested aid from Korea. Wants both their S-ranks."
Gawain's face hardened.
"......No. Jilpung-gak, to your homeland now. Oracle, charter a plane. I'm goin' too."
"Why?"
Jilpung-gak's eyes filled with questions.
"Just an S-rank monster, right?"
"Live a little—read the news. It's that damn murder ghost."
Oracle thumped his chest in frustration.
"Gwanggeom's dead. Japan's monster-mad. Think China's sittin' idle?!"
"Unjang's there?"
"FUCK!"
Oracle lunged, grabbing Jilpung-gak's collar and shaking. On tiptoes to reach the much taller man, it was kinda funny.
"You think Unjang feels more loyalty to the Round Table full of dudebros, or her own country where her dad's #2?!"
"Loyalty...what?!"
"Aaaargh!!!"
Oracle clawed his hair, collapsing. Gawain pondered, then told Jilpung-gak:
"While the south's chaos, China might kill Pyongyang's S-rank."
Gawain's explanation widened Jilpung-gak's eyes.
"Whoa! Can't have that! I slobbered on that one for myself! Yo, Oracle! Call your dad now! Get a plane!"
"......"
Oracle wandered out, eyes unfocused. Jilpung-gak whooped excitedly.
"Kuh, that Pyongyang monster. What d'ya think, old man? Stronger than the 'monster' you mentioned?"
"No. The monster's way stronger. No human can touch it. Lucky we wounded it enough to flee—if we'd kept fightin'.... Sigh."
Gawain sighed, shrugging off Jilpung-gak's arm.
"Anyway, to Korea. Handle Japan's monster, meet Korea's S-rank ourselves and judge. ...And indirectly check China while we're at it."
"That kid in the 13th spot?"
"Can't leave it empty forever."
Gawain boarded the limo to the airport under Oracle's guidance after his call.
'What a hot mess of a neighborhood—incidents never stop.'
Gazing at the setting sun, Gawain fell deep in thought.
The excuses about Seok Ha-rang were done. She'd burn for revenge against me now, but ultimately cooperate to topple the Castle Lord, master of Pluto Castle.
"So control that spirit power already. It's gettin' prickly."
"I want to..."
Seok Ha-rang scratched the table. I sighed openly and yanked her hand.
"?!"
Seok Ha-rang startled, trying to pull away. I seized it fully, gripping with both hands, and infused mana.
Thump, thump.
I could feel her pounding heartbeat. Grimacing, I soothed the overflowing mana from her.
"...Huh?"
Seok Ha-rang placed her free hand on her chest in surprise. Sensing her lingering confusion, I let go.
"Should be stable for a bit. Whoever you're into, no sex. Do that, and you'll never escape 'em. Got it?"
"......"
Seok Ha-rang froze solid. I scratched my nape, adding:
"Spirits fall for anyone easy. Hold hands, and boom—head over heels, grandkids in your head. Manage your emotions."
"What the heck?"
"...Listen up."
I drummed the table. Seok Ha-rang's ears perked.
"Spirits are all goldfish-memory romantics. No discrimination—men, women, old, young, species. You're young, so extra careful."
"Then this feelin' for Yu-ha unnie right now..."
I choked. Yu-ha? Only Eun Yu-ha fit. But the mana lingering on Seok Ha-rang clearly held feelings for her.
Seok Ha-rang was in love. With Eun Yu-ha, of all people.
"...That's real love."
"For real?"
"Yeah. Damn, this is insane."
Now I clawed my hair. Who knew the surveillance "be nice" plant would backfire? Never imagined the main heroine (spirit) crushing on the main heroine.
Stick the protagonist by her quick? Nah—that'd get him sliced by Gwanggeom.
"Ughhh."
"You."
Seok Ha-rang's lips quivered as she asked.
"Who're you in love with?"
"Me?"
I looked up, smiling at Seok Ha-rang, and raised a finger.
"Obviously, Phoenix."
My finger pointed at myself—Phoenix of the Azure Flame.