The Boundary of Dreams (10)
"...It's nice to meet you. I'm Lee Hyun. Why don't you take a seat...?"
"Y-yes, y-eshet."
The woman bit down on her tongue again, mangling the syllable. She was clearly trying to keep her expression composed, but the tips of her ears remained a blazing crimson. I settled onto the sofa across from her and glanced at the business card she offered with both hands.
S&C VIP DEDICATED TEAM
TEAM LEADER
MYO SANG-AH
She looked older than me, so I offered, "You don't have to be so formal..."
"No, no!!"
My cautious suggestion was instantly crushed by a furious series of head shakes that swung left and right dozens of times per second.
"How could I possibly dare... The Eldest Young Master himself assigned me to handle all of the Young Master's personal affairs, so please, just give me any order at all...!"
A sigh nearly escaped me; I barely managed to swallow it. I'd suspected something was off the moment she greeted me without flinching at the mask. It seemed the commander had given her advance warning after all.
What's with this guy's endless complaints? Kid, you should consider it an honor to be treated like a prince.
The commander's old scolding suddenly flashed through my mind. The spot on my forehead where he'd flicked me ached in phantom pain. No matter how much time passed, I couldn't get used to this treatment or the titles they kept using. Every single one of them felt unbearably heavy.
Even if they learned I was just a bumpkin from the borderlands, would they still look at me the same way...?
Anyway, my discomfort wasn't important right now. I didn't have much time if I wanted to get back before Yeon Minha's bedtime.
"The reason I asked to meet is that I need to prepare some equipment for an external request. I left all the unit-issued gear behind since it's technically just standard supply, and the Cradle's off-the-shelf models don't feel quite right on my body..."
The Cradle's official equipment had to come exclusively from Daein Heavy Industries, the company owned by Se-hwa's and Seung-heon's families. But for external requests or festival tournaments—anything that would be seen by outsiders—personal sponsor equipment was permitted. When I'd first read that regulation, the relief had been immense. Daein's gear wasn't bad by any means, but because it was designed with mass deployment in mind, it differed significantly from what I'd used in the military. I'd broken several blades while catching the feeler serpents, and their particle barrier suits felt too blunt for my fighting style.
"Well, Daein Heavy Industries products aren't bad, but they do fall short compared to S&C in quite a few areas. As expected of the Young Master—your eye is truly excellent...!"
Team Leader Myo Sang-ah, who had finally regained control of her expression, nodded repeatedly in satisfaction. My older sisters had warned me against accepting sponsorship from random companies, but there was no need to worry about that here. S&C's owner family was the Black Lotus Sa clan—the commander's main house. I'd been using their equipment since my unit days, so I saw no reason to switch.
"Everything else is fine, but I'd like to start with a particle barrier suit and a blade. I'll be heading out on the request in a few days. Is that enough time?"
"Hehe, you don't need to worry about that at all. I'll make sure you can receive them in two days, not a few. Now then..."
Myo Sang-ah put on a confident expression and pulled a catalog from her bag, spreading it open with a crisp snap. She immediately launched into an enthusiastic explanation.
"Shall we begin with the particle barrier suits? When it comes to S&C's flagship line, it's undoubtedly the Odin series. As far as I know, the Eldest Young Master uses an Odin as well."
"The Odin felt too heavy for me. I used a Heimdall in the military, but the joint mobility seemed a little lacking..."
"Ah, in that case..."
Her fingers danced across various pages of the catalog. After flipping through several more sheets, something finally caught my eye.
"How about this one?"
"It's the DA-1 Nightstalker. Its magic resistance is somewhat lower, but it excels in physical defense and mobility. It's the model usually issued to Public Security Bureau agents who deal with ordinary criminals or mutants. It wouldn't be the best choice for the Young Master, so perhaps something more..."
"I'll take this."
"Pardon?"
It was exactly the specification I needed. Magic resistance wasn't a factor I had to consider anyway. What mattered more was mobility that would complement my Predictive Eye, along with solid physical protection in case of emergencies.
"Absolutely not! If I were to give the Young Master such cheap goods, my neck would...!"
"It's the perfect model for me. I'll keep it strictly secret, so please just go with this one."
Team Leader Myo Sang-ah resisted stubbornly, but the final decision belonged to the user. After my persistent demands, she finally threw up her hands in defeat.
"Hiiing..."
"Thank you. For the blade, I'd like the K-3 Maveller, please."
I went on to order additional blades of the model I'd been using. It had originally been something the commander discarded in storage because it was difficult to handle, but it matched my needs perfectly, so I'd kept using it. According to the commander, the stellite alloy ratio had been increased to fifty percent for devastating destructive power, but it also demanded extremely high input. Mages without sufficient conversion rate couldn't use it at all. Conversion rate, however, had nothing to do with me...
"The Maveller? Your skills must be outstanding. From what I understand, even among active mages, fewer than ten can fully draw out the Maveller's potential..."
"Also, would it be possible to purchase some medication?"
"S&C doesn't handle pharmaceuticals, but if the Young Master desires them, we can of course obtain them. What do you need?"
"Awakening agents and acceleration agents. Both in ultra-high doses. I tried Eritin and Lexa while I was in the military and they weren't bad. If possible, I'd prefer those..."
"What? No! Absolutely not!"
Unlike her previous words, the team leader jumped in alarm and shook her head with fierce determination.
"Absolutely not! Eritin and Lexa are emergency drugs meant only for life-threatening situations! The side effects are no joke... If I gave you those, I would..."
She looked ready to foam at the mouth, her refusal was so vehement. But I had no other choice. Since I was a non-sensitive trying to gain effects from drugs made for mages, the dosage had to be higher. Besides, I had no intention of using them casually. I'd taken them once before and spent days afterward suffering in agony. That was also the first and last time my older sisters had scolded me so severely. This was purely for emergencies.
"You said anything was fine. I'll keep this a complete secret too. And I'll put in a good word about you with the commander."
"I-if that's the case...?"
I'd taken a light stab at what seemed like her materialistic side, and it appeared to work.
"Goodness, your stubbornness is even worse than the Eldest Young Master's..."
In the end, after accepting all my requests, Team Leader Myo Sang-ah let out a deep sigh and shook her head.
After a few more light exchanges, the sun had begun to set, so I prepared to leave.
"This should be enough. By the way, how exactly did you become close with the Red Flower lady? Even from what I've seen, she seems... rather difficult."
"...It just sort of happened. Is her situation quite bad these days?"
"Don't even mention it. It's an emergency because of those Paecheon pigs. A complete emergency."
Team Leader Myo Sang-ah frowned as if her head hurt.
"Last month, those bastards pushed through a 25 trillion regulation in the assembly. It's essentially a bill aimed directly at us, since we hold a near-monopoly on the high-end particle barrier suit market. Honestly, this is exactly when the Eldest Young Master should be representing us at the Supreme Council... but he has no interest in such matters..."
She let out a long, lamenting sigh.
"Still, it's fortunate that the Young Master is achieving excellent results at the Cradle. Your external activity record is impressive too. I don't particularly dislike that girl from the Baek family, but thanks to you, Young Master, her influence..."
When the headmaster first told me that the commander and my sisters might suffer harm, I hadn't truly felt the weight of it. The mere possibility had simply felt uncomfortable. But hearing these details made it sink in on a visceral level. My shoulders seemed to grow a little heavier, yet at the same time I felt relieved that the headmaster's request was proceeding relatively smoothly.
"Um, does S&C happen to be looking for students to sponsor as well?"
"Of course. We sponsor not only individuals but the Cradle itself. If you look at cumulative sponsorship amounts, we're guaranteed to be in the top three."
"Then could you look into two students named Ha Yena and Shin Muyeong? If they seem suitable, could you extend sponsorship offers to them as well? Both placed in the top ten percent during their first practical, so their skills are solid."
"If it's a recommendation from the Young Master, it must be reliable! Understood. I'll check on them personally."
Team Leader Myo Sang-ah puffed out her chest and declared it with confidence. Yena knew less than I did, and Muyeong's peculiar personality made me a little worried. Still, this should be fine.
"As for the payment, if you could send me the bill..."
"You must be joking? Please hurry back now."
Team Leader Myo Sang-ah waved her hands, practically shooing me out of the café.
By the time I returned to the Cradle, the sun had already sunk into a deep twilight. Still, I wasn't much later than planned. Yet when I reached the beech tree dormitory, an unfamiliar scene greeted me once again.
Yeon Minha's back as she paced restlessly outside the entrance instead of going inside. And at her feet, Ttangkong sprawled on her belly...
"What are you doing?"
"H-hic...!"
At my question, Yeon Minha jumped as if startled, trembling all over before turning toward me.
"Why... why are you so late...?"
"...I actually came back earlier than I said I would. Are you seeing strange things again?"
"N-no, it's not that... but still..."
Yeon Minha still seemed terrified of her symptoms returning. When I opened the dormitory door, I heard footsteps trailing after me— one set of human steps, and one set of four paws...
Glancing down, I saw Ttangkong trotting into the dormitory as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"...She's really not your cat?"
Yeon Minha asked, her voice thick with suspicion.
"She isn't."
-Myaong!
The instant I denied it, a small cry rang out and I felt tiny teeth nibbling lightly at my ankle. Yeon Minha headed straight for the bedroom, and I turned toward my own room beside it. Of course Ttangkong followed me inside. I let out a sigh and, half-resigned by now, lifted her onto my lap and gently scratched her fur with one hand.
Listening to Ttangkong's contented purring, I found some familiar stationery and began writing a letter to my older sisters.
I wondered if the commander and my sisters were doing well. The letter I'd received a few days ago was the last news I'd had from them. It said they were resting and moving east, living such tediously boring days that I didn't need to worry about anything. And there were three separate letters, each one elaborately explaining at length that I must always be careful around women.