Predator (6)
"What, what, what, what…!" A bombshell declaration that made one doubt their own ears burst from Muyeong's mouth.
It took Yena a few moments to fully grasp the meaning behind his question.
"You… you, what are you…!" Yena huffed, her face flushed bright red. Tears shimmered at the corners of her eyes, threatening to spill over. This was the first time I'd ever seen the ever-smiling Yena so furious.
"Why are you overreacting? It was a literal question, nothing more."
"Wh-why would you even ask something like that…!"
"Answer me quickly. I only asked because I couldn't hold it in any longer. I'd like to settle this as fast as possible."
"You… youu…!"
Yena could barely form words now. While I may not be the quickest at reading the room, I understood perfectly well that asking such a question was rude. Moreover, seeing Yena this angry left a sour taste in my own mouth.
Yet as if sensing my discomfort, Muyeong suddenly fixed me with a resolute stare.
"Sorry for the disturbance. But this is important, so I'd appreciate your patience for just a moment. I'd like you to answer quickly."
"Hoo… hoooo…"
Muyeong's inexplicable stubbornness showed no signs of letting up. In the end, it was Yena who yielded. She glanced nervously at me a couple of times, then hung her head low and answered in a voice barely above a whisper.
"O-of course… zero…!"
"That's a lie."
Even though Yena had forced the words out with great difficulty, Muyeong cut her off flatly.
"..."
After hearing Muyeong's declaration, Yena remained silent for a long while. Then her small shoulders began to tremble.
"N-no… it's not… a lie… it's not…"
Her shaking voice was thick with aggrieved tears.
"It's not… hic… I, really… I really…!"
Soon Yena spun around and fled back the way we'd come, vanishing instantly beyond the fog.
I tried to chase after her, but Muyeong grabbed my shoulder and blocked my path.
"Hey. What the hell are you doing?"
Muyeong simply accepted my sharp words with calm composure. Behind his glasses, his expression was filled with nothing but relief.
"Leave her be. She'll manage on her own. There don't seem to be any demonic beasts nearby, and if she truly gets into trouble, she'll fire a red flare…"
"That's not what I meant. Why would you say such horrible things to my friend? I trust Yena far more than someone I only met today…"
"From the way you're speaking, it seems you really didn't know anything this whole time."
"What are you…"
"Leader, are you aware? By definition, a spirit mage is essentially a mage with extraordinarily keen inspiration."
"…I know that. But how is that relevant right now…"
"Spirit mages can command spirits because their 'path' has opened, but sometimes certain senses or danger signals become extremely sensitive. And these senses are heavily influenced by the spirit mage's personal life experiences before their awakening."
For a moment I felt the urge to punch him square in the face, but Muyeong's deadly serious demeanor as he continued his explanation stopped me.
"I'm not a particularly skilled spirit mage, but both I and the spirits I command have developed a unique type of inspiration that other spirit mages lack."
"…?"
"In the past, I went through quite a few painful experiences because of women. It led to a period of wandering. Perhaps because of that history, my body now exhibits a sensitive rejection response whenever I'm near a woman of poor character."
"…So what exactly are you trying to say?"
The next words out of Muyeong's mouth were something I could never have anticipated.
"That girl from earlier. She's devoured at least several dozen men by now."
"…What?"
"You can take it literally or as a metaphor. Ha Yena, wasn't it? The moment you brought her over, an indescribable headache and stench overwhelmed me. I could barely hold onto my sanity."
Looking back, Muyeong's expression earlier really had resembled someone enduring terrible pain.
"…But I didn't smell anything or feel any headache…"
"Of course. It's a sense only I can perceive. Why else do you think I used the word 'inspiration'?"
"People meet and part ways with others throughout their lives…"
"If that were all, I wouldn't be feeling this way. I told you—it's a sense born from personal trauma. What I can detect is only the presence of genuine love. The number of relationships doesn't matter at all."
"..."
"But earlier… honestly, it was terrifying. I've never felt such a vicious, one-sided sensation before. We're the same age. Does a life like that even make sense?"
Muyeong shivered lightly, as if a chill had run down his spine.
"Of course, that alone isn't enough to accurately judge someone's entire past. But if she'd been honest, maybe. Seeing her shamelessly lie and claim zero, I became certain. There's something dirty in her past."
"..."
"Just thinking about how those bitch-like girls wasted my precious time still makes my blood boil. And I suspect you've had similar experiences. That's probably why the spirits pitied you so much."
"..."
"So I had no choice but to play the villain. You didn't seem like a bad person at all. But watching her cling to you with that innocent, unknowing face… I simply couldn't stand it…"
His manic eyes burned with conviction. Though his words carried a certain frivolity, they held a strange persuasive power that drew listeners in.
So he really had driven Yena away for my sake…? But I couldn't imagine Yena being such a terrible person…
"…Is that sense of yours truly reliable?"
"In every verified case, it has never once been wrong."
"Verified case?"
"Situations where my sense was later confirmed to be accurate. Though there have only been a few so far, it's been one hundred percent…"
"That's not certainty…!"
"Obviously. If I went around confronting everyone based on a feeling, I'd be labeled a madman, wouldn't I?"
His sudden shift to such reasonable speech left me momentarily speechless.
"..."
"In normal circumstances, I wouldn't commit such rudeness toward others. But just now… I truly couldn't endure it."
Muyeong finished his explanation there. I fell into thought. It seemed he had acted out of goodwill toward me, but… that didn't mean I could blindly trust his words. One hundred percent accuracy in verified cases? Such nonsense didn't exist in this world. Yena was the first friend I'd made after arriving in the capital… I couldn't let myself be swayed by this. Besides, if Yena truly were that kind of person, I doubt I would have felt such a strange sense of closeness toward her…
"…I don't think your sense is infallible."
After long deliberation, I spoke to Muyeong.
"Yena lived in a remote pioneer village before coming straight to the capital. Realistically, that kind of life wouldn't even be possible."
"It's clearly a lie…"
"Enough. I'm going to find Yena. I can't leave my very first friend alone in a dangerous place like this. I'm sorry, but if Yena feels uncomfortable… it would be best if we part ways here. If you're leaving, I'll at least escort you to the safe zone…"
"Sigh… I suppose it can't be helped. Then I'll endure it as best I can. I can't abandon the leader with such an evil creature and flee alone without any loyalty."
"..."
Further discussion seemed pointless. Muyeong's way of thinking appeared vastly different from my own…
"…Fine. When I bring Yena back, apologize to her sincerely. And never mention anything like that again."
"…Ugh, understood."
Muyeong made a face like he'd chewed on a slug, but eventually nodded.
I left Muyeong at the shelter and set out to find Yena. The thick fog made searching difficult, but that also meant she couldn't have gone far.
-Sob… hic… huuuu…
Just as I'd expected, I soon heard someone weeping from a hilly area thick with ancient trees. To anyone unaware of the situation, it would have sounded utterly eerie. I headed straight toward the source of the sobs.
Before long, I spotted the shadow of a small, crouched figure behind a large tree trunk—like a tiny herbivore hiding away.
"Hic… sob…"
"…Yena?"
At the sound of my voice, Yena's crying stopped abruptly, as if she'd been startled. Without turning around, she mumbled weakly.
"…Why did you come…"
"Why? To find you, of course…"
"Your friend… hiccup… said he hated me…"
"He thinks he misunderstood something. He wants to apologize. Besides, you're my closest friend. How could I possibly leave you…"
"Friend… hiccup…"
Yena stood up and turned to walk toward me.
"I'm… not…"
"Not what…"
"It's true… I've never dated a single man in my life… You know how bad I am at talking to them… You saw at the cradle that I'm only close with the other girls… hic…"
"I believe you. You don't need to explain all that…"
"It's really true… hic… it's so unfair…"
"I said I believe you."
"…Hiccup. Really…?"
"…Of course."
"…Hiccup."
Her tears hadn't completely dried, but her attitude was far more positive than before.
"Then shall we head back together?"
"…Yes…"
I finally received her consent. We made our way back to the shelter. The entire time, sad little sniffles continued from behind me.
Muyeong was waiting for us outside.
"Alright, apologize just like you promised."
"..."
Muyeong still wore a reluctant expression. But eventually he walked over to Yena and extended his right hand. I stepped aside so she could accept the apology.
"Huu, I'm sorry. It seems I made a huge misunderstanding earlier. I sincerely apologize for my careless words. Will you accept it?"
"…Hiccup. I'll accept…"
Yena still looked upset, but in the end she took Muyeong's hand and accepted his apology.
And that was the exact moment it happened.
"Urghhh…"
"You… youu…!"
Muyeong suddenly whipped his head to the side and vomited violently.