Homeward Bound (5)
Just a moment ago, I’d been on the verge of deciding not to give the gryphon away at all, but human nature is a slippery thing; before long, I was already itching to unveil the gift.
I’d gathered that Kim Hyunsung wasn’t the most expressive of men, but who would have guessed he’d been hiding a smile that bright?
Not bad.
Honestly, I’d been a little hurt. For a short time, I’d been pouring my loyalty into our regressor, worried I was pouring water into a cracked bucket, but it turned out the bucket had been holding its own after all.
Once I’d started growing attached to him, it would have been strange if he hadn’t felt the same. However you looked at it, that was only natural.
If I thought about everything I’d done so far, it was more than enough to understand why.
Of course, when I’d first seen that expressionless face in the tutorial, I had wondered whether this bastard—after all that trouble and pain to regress—had thrown away his humanity. But the power of friendship had slowly been thawing that frozen heart.
Come to think of it, his expressions had become a lot more varied lately.
At first, he’d treated us with nothing but businesslike detachment. The fact that we still hadn’t dropped formalities with each other was proof enough.
More recently, he’d been smiling now and then, even making jokes, but the lingering distance between us had refused to shrink, and that had worried me.
Still, our relationship was progressing more than I’d realized.
Too inhuman isn’t good.
When it comes to the crisis of a comrade and a world on the brink of destruction, if our Hyunsung ever reaches the point where he has to choose between those two, I want the former without question.
He has to save me first.
He absolutely has to save me first. Naturally, I meant….
Go on ahead!
Or,
Save the world instead of me!
Or,
You have to live happily. Live hard enough for both of us!
Or,
It’s a perfect day to die. Kim Hyunsung, it’s been fun. Leave this to me.
I had no intention of making some grand, glorious exit after shouting lines like that. After all the loyalty I’d gone and invested, if the bastard suddenly chose the world over me and muttered, “I’m sorry,” then that would be nothing less than a case of all pain, no gain.
There was no mistake about it: the fact that he was growing attached to this side was good news.
The news must have been so beautiful that I’d failed to manage my expression for a second. Before I knew it, Cho Hyejin was in my field of vision, watching me with clear amusement.
“You seem pleased.”
“Kim Hyunsung isn’t usually the type to show his emotions, so I suppose I may have thought otherwise.”
“That’s good. A comrade is a comrade.”
“More than a comrade, he feels like a friend, or a younger brother. Of course, I can’t say whether Kim Hyunsung feels the same, but that’s how I see it. The others who came with us to Blue feel the same way.”
“Ah.”
“We haven’t spent all that long together, really, but there’s a bond that party members build over time.”
“A bond….”
If she knew how carefully that bond had been built, she’d be surprised. So long as it wasn’t enough to kill me, I could even take a blade meant for Kim Hyunsung, Jung Hayan, or Park Deokgu.
I’ve actually been doing that all along.
“I heard you came here after a problem in Castle Rock. If you don’t mind my asking, could you tell me what happened?”
“Ah. That’s….”
It was only natural to be curious about how the woman standing in front of me had ended up drifting in here.
As soon as I brought it up, I could see her putting up a wall.
Apparently, she didn’t want to talk about it.
She seemed to be stumbling over her words, too. I didn’t really care if she didn’t want to tell me; I had my own information network anyway.
I should write Lady Marlin a letter.
Something definitely smelled off.
The fact that she was so unwilling to tell me was answer enough. She’d either made some mistake, or she had a situation she needed to hide.
It was strange enough already that a free citizen with her kind of abilities had chosen the Blue Guild, which was practically on its last legs.
Of course, Kim Hyunsung probably moved heaven and earth to recruit her, but… there was no way around the feeling that something was being kept under the table.
And Hyunsung would’ve accepted her knowing that….
He was surprisingly good with honeyed words himself, so he must have taken on some penalty in order to bring her in.
She must have been worth it.
Deciding to look into it later took only a moment. There was no need to press her any further. This was exactly the kind of thing you kept a broad network of connections for.
“If you’d rather not talk about it, then please don’t feel obliged. I’m not interrogating you, so there’s no need to be tense. I skimmed your profile earlier while I was making my way through defensive lines. You’ve done more than enough to deserve a place in our guild.”
“You’re too kind.”
“I’m afraid I’m the one who missed the chance to welcome you properly. Hyejin, welcome to Blue.”
“Thank you, Vice Guild Master.”
“Yes.”
That was the end of our brief exchange; for the moment, there was no need to worry about a split in authority.
If this dragged on for a year or two, maybe, but I just had to keep reminding everyone exactly where the chain of command stood.
Not long after I’d finished greeting her and moved a few steps away, Jung Hayan quietly drifted over to my side.
In her hands was a plate piled with her signature creations. Park Deokgu was actively avoiding my eyes, and Sun Heeyoung had also slipped aside.
It didn’t take me long to realize that eating that food would be a mistake.
When I deliberately turned my gaze away, Jung Hayan took one more step forward.
“O-Oppa. W-would you like to t-try some?”
“Ah….”
I wasn’t much for gambling. Sure, I believed in taking chances when I had to, but this was one of those jobs where there was no need to roll the dice.
Since the outcome was already obvious, I had no choice but to change the subject.
“How about we go over to the Red Mercenary for a moment?”
“Huh?”
“Since things worked out like this, I thought I’d give you the present today.”
“Oh….”
It was 10 p.m., the hour when even the human heart grows a little sentimental. It seemed like an appropriate time to hand our regressor the gryphon.
The problem was Jung Hayan’s expression, which made it obvious she was a little hurt that I hadn’t tried the food she’d made.
When I considered that I didn’t have anything special set aside for her anyway, one bite of this stuff would probably be fair trade.
I picked up the spoon without thinking and stuffed it into my mouth. Before I could even taste it, I swallowed it down hard, and yet some bizarre flavor still lingered in my mouth.
Shit.
I was a little curious what exactly that soggy thing I’d just swallowed had been, but it was only natural that I opened my mouth anyway.
I had to get out of this situation as quickly as possible.
“It’s delicious.”
“Ah!!!”
“Then shall we go?”
“Yes!!”
Maybe she was excited at the idea of sneaking out together, because Jung Hayan clung to my side, but our errand had nothing to do with doing anything outdoors.
We were only going to retrieve the present I’d left with the Red Mercenary.
Come to think of it, it had been quite a while since I’d been out in Lindel at night.
Lindel after dark was livelier than I’d expected.
That was a little different from what I’d imagined. I’d thought the city would be much less safe at night.
Of course, the slums were still dangerous, but it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the plaza and the areas packed with guilds were safer than they were during the day.
There were luminous stones shining until dawn, merchants running night markets, and lights glowing in one house after another. Naturally, that included the Red Mercenary Guild as well.
Since we were only going there and back in a short time, calling the mercenary queen herself was out of the question. After a brief stop at the stables, I took out the gryphon and the things I’d left in storage, and before long I could feel eyes locking onto us.
“Crrr.”
One white gryphon and one black gryphon. Everyone stared at me with obvious fascination as I led not one, but two of them along.
If I had to make a comparison, it was like some country bumpkin showing up in a foreign car. Even in the capital, people still looked at gryphons with awe. With only four of them in Lindel, it was only natural that the attention would be intense.
This is the present your big brother’s giving you, Hyunsung.
Kim Hyunsung was no different from the others. Sure, in his first life he must have ridden them countless times, but there aren’t many men who don’t like cars.
These were practical, and they could be used in battle too. The black one I’d prepared for the regressor looked rather sharp, with a certain charisma to it. It had belonged to Ito Souta, who cared deeply about appearances, so it had clearly been kept in excellent condition.
The murmuring grew louder, and people began to gather.
I never imagined I’d feel this kind of attention somewhere other than Earth.
By the time we reached the Blue Guild House, the stares still hadn’t let up, and now they were starting to feel a little oppressive, but Jung Hayan was looking around with the expression of a woman showing off her boyfriend.
Somehow that’s embarrassing.
But she seemed absolutely delighted.
And just like that, we arrived at the Blue Guild House in no time at all. The people inside looked baffled as the two of us, who’d apparently just gone out for a short walk, suddenly came back leading a gryphon.
“Hyungnim. Where did you go… huh? Is that….”
“Actually, I was planning to take some time and tell everyone separately, but… this seems like the perfect moment. Since we’re already having a party, it feels like the right time to give out presents.”
“Oh!”
No one hates gifts.
The guild staff seemed to think it didn’t apply to them, so they didn’t pay much attention at first, but of course I’d prepared gifts for them too.
“I wasn’t able to prepare anything special for the staff in time, so I picked up some simple things in the capital.”
“Woooow!!!!”
That was what I said, but they weren’t really simple gifts at all.
They were valuable items from fairly high-end brands.
For the men, fountain pen sets and watches. For the women, cosmetic sets and bags.
They’d cost a decent amount, but compared to what I’d earned this time around, it was pocket change. And of course, I’d prepared handwritten letters for everyone as well.
Writing every name down was basic courtesy.
That’s what social life is. Just remembering your subordinates’ names does wonders for morale.
When I saw Jung Hayan handing things out one by one beside me, I found myself nodding without meaning to.
“I’m not trying to play favorites, but I’ve prepared separate gifts for the officers, so I hope the staff won’t feel disappointed.”
There was no way they would.
For noncombat staff, this kind of gift was already more than they’d dared hope for.
“Deokgu already got a shield on the last expedition, so for him I got a sword….”
“Huh? Th-thank you. O-o-ooooh!”
Park Deokgu’s eyes went huge as he checked the item’s functions. He wasn’t startled by its weight; he was clearly shocked by its stats.
Which was only natural. It was one of the higher-quality items among Heroic-grade equipment.
Heroic Grade
This greatsword was forged from fragments of a small dagger once used by the giant race, now a forgotten people. It is the work of Master Kahalas, and few can handle it properly, but if you can master this heavy blade, it will unleash frightening destructive power. Simply owning it increases Strength by 6. It has no other additional effects.
“Lee Sanghee and Jeongyeon each got a Heroic-grade necklace.”
“…Thank you.”
“Thank you, Kiyoung.”
Heroic Grade
A necklace blessed by the Goddess Benignore. It contains medium curse removal, medium detoxification, and advanced healing magic. All stats increase by +1.
“Our little one gets a dagger….”
“Thanks….”
Heroic Grade
A dagger capable of summoning and unsummoning. It’s impossible to know how it came to be here, but some experts have left open the possibility that it crossed over from another dimension. It bears the traces of countless years. On the back, there are unreadable characters written in an unknown script. Agility increases by 3.
“For Heeyoung, I prepared a ring.”
“Thank you, Kiyoung.”
Heroic Grade
This was the wedding ring that the ruined kingdom's Queen Karelena kept for her entire life. The very modest design of the ring tells you better than anyone what kind of person Queen Karelena was. It has been imbued with divine power through the effect of Queen Karelena’s sincere prayers. The effect of all holy spells increases slightly.
Every single one was top class.
Some had been gifts from the temple, while others were items that had come over when the Yamato Guild collapsed.
In truth, there were still other things lying around, like Ito Souta’s Wind Sword and various items once used by the officers, but I decided it would be better to distribute those later.
Once everyone else had their gifts, only Kim Hyunsung remained.
Thinking that, only a few months ago, I’d been the one on the receiving end of his items made the whole scene feel a little absurd, but our regressor had earned it.
“The gift I prepared for our Blue Guild Master is this gryphon.”
“Ah!”
Maybe he realized I was talking about him, because I could see his black wings spread wide.
It was only natural that I would watch Kim Hyunsung’s expression as someone who wasn’t used to receiving things.
He’s grinning from ear to ear.
I’d expected him to be happy, but his face looked even happier than I’d imagined.
Of course, he wasn’t actually smiling broadly. By his standards, his mouth might as well have been split open.
Still, the smile drawn at the corner of his mouth looked like it had no intention of leaving his face for a while.
It’s from your brother’s heart, you bastard.
At that moment, I felt strangely proud of myself.