Chapter 323
Chapter 323
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 323
Chapter Title: The Mask Comes Off
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Hailz's question received no answer.
Neither Soo-hyuk nor Si-woo spoke. Everyone fell silent.
Yes. That's right. No. Or yes. Answers like that should have come, but they didn't.
The silence gave Hailz time. What she needed right now was enough time to understand and accept this situation.
Hailz closed her eyes for a moment.
She recalled the first time she met Soo-hyuk.
Before the great war began. The man in the nostalgic mask wandering the streets with Unhyang.
For some reason, the moment she first saw him, Hailz thought of Lee Soo-hyuk.
It was clearly just someone with the same name. But driven by a strong intuition, she rudely forced him to show his face despite knowing it was impolite.
"......I had a vague feeling it might be you."
When she opened her eyes again, Soo-hyuk had taken off his mask once more.
That face.
It was definitely the face she had seen that day when she removed his mask. A face different from the Lee Soo-hyuk she knew.
That's why Hailz thought her intuition could be wrong sometimes.
But.
"My gut feeling wasn't off, was it?"
Soo-hyuk nodded at her question seeking confirmation once more.
There was no need to hear it from Si-woo.
Even after confirming Soo-hyuk's face that day, Hailz had continued to suspect him subtly. Could it really not be him?
And when the person she suspected like that met up with Si-woo and Ye-ryeong and started moving together, her suspicions only grew.
"......What happened?"
"It's a long story."
"Your face?"
"That's long too. Honestly, it's hard for me to explain."
Soo-hyuk, mask off, looked at Hailz with an expression of admiration.
In truth, the words he really wanted to say upon seeing her again were these.
"You were singing about wanting to become a grand magic user. And you actually did it?"
Hailz's pupils shook rapidly.
She finally accepted in her heart that the Soo-hyuk before her was the Lee Soo-hyuk she knew.
"It really... is you, oppa."
"Don't say you thought I was dead. I've heard it so much it's going to give me calluses."
"Then what should I say?"
"I'm glad you're alive. Nice to see you. There's a lot to say, right?"
Hailz let out a small chuckle at Soo-hyuk's teasing.
"That's the problem—there's too much. It's not something a simple 'nice to see you' can cover after all this time."
"It has been a while."
"Does that have to do with Si-woo oppa and Ye-ryeong unnie disappearing? What about Il-su oppa?"
"One question at a time."
There must be so much for Hailz, who knew nothing, to hear. But it wasn't the time or place to chat leisurely.
"Let's talk after this is all over."
"What? If that's the case, you should've told me back then......"
Mid-sentence, Hailz recalled what had happened 'back then.'
'Ah......'
It was the day she forcibly removed Soo-hyuk's mask and boldly declared in front of him that she used to like Lee Soo-hyuk.
'I'm screwed......'
Hailz's expression stiffened. The感動 tears she had dried up completely.
Si-woo asked, seeing her flushed red face.
"What's wrong?"
"Oh, no. I just suddenly thought of that fox Neila."
"Ah."
It was a ridiculous excuse, but fortunately, it worked.
"You're right, this isn't the time for a leisurely reunion."
Relieved that her excuse landed, Hailz inwardly sighed in relief. Soo-hyuk didn't seem to think much of it either.
With things like this, Hailz desperately tried to change the subject.
"Yes, exactly. Even now, kids might be dying somewhere."
"Did you come here for the same reason we did?"
Hailz nodded at Soo-hyuk's question.
"Yes. I got the info through the Red Tower."
Hailz's tone had become polite, unlike before. Their attitudes toward each other had completely reversed.
"They leaked it on purpose."
"Given the situation, it seems that way."
Realizing she'd been tricked, Hailz felt displeased. Just as Neila disliked Hailz, Hailz didn't like Neila either.
"What should I do?"
"The best is to bring Neila here too. It's much better to deal with her in the deep sea than in the Red Tower."
"And then?"
"We'll find out why these guys need the kids."
"Do you have a plan?"
"Not really a plan......"
Soo-hyuk thought of Mersian with the children.
"But there's a place to go right now."
"That's fine then."
She didn't ask where. Wherever it was, it was where Lee Soo-hyuk was going.
Hailz held out her hand. Thinking of old times, Soo-hyuk clapped his hand against hers.
Clap-.
Hailz and Murray returned with the Red Tower mages. Their role extended to separating the allied Red Tower and Black Tower.
Just like their initial purpose in coming to the deep sea, Murray took the children back. Of course, his job wasn't fully done here.
"There are still more children?"
There were already twenty kids here. Hearing this wasn't the end, Murray reacted gravely.
"It's not 'still.' It's been happening before, and it might continue."
"This wasn't a one-time thing?"
"It's been going on for at least a few decades. The Blood Howler was under the Red Tower's influence from the start."
How many children had been sacrificed if this repeated for decades?
Naturally, anger flickered in Murray's eyes.
"If the Tower Lord is truly behind this, I won't forgive it."
"Hurry up or we'll leave you behind?"
On the way back, they rode Hailz's Vulcanus. Considering the Vulcanus's speed, it wouldn't take long to return to the Red Tower.
Once the two left, Soo-hyuk told Si-woo about Mersian.
"The Black Tower Lord... with children?"
Si-woo, naturally, reacted with disbelief.
But soon, he worried about Soo-hyuk.
"Isn't that dangerous?"
If he were holed up somewhere researching dangerous black magic, it would be less worrying. That was within expectations.
But a Black Tower Lord caring for children felt more dangerous than one researching black magic.
"The Black Tower Lord could take the kids hostage anytime. What then?"
"It might be the opposite."
"Opposite?"
Even at Si-woo's skeptical reaction, Soo-hyuk couldn't explain in detail.
Soo-hyuk returned to the orphanage.
Naptime must have ended; all the children were awake. Their gazes, including Mersian's, turned back to Soo-hyuk.
"Hey! It's that uncle from before!"
"He's back?"
"Dummy! You say 'he's here'!"
Thanks to putting his mask back on, the kids recognized Soo-hyuk. He greeted them warmly and lifted the basket in his hand.
"Snacks!"
The basket was filled with treats the kids would love.
As Soo-hyuk handed out snacks to the children, he looked at Mersian. Their eyes met, and Soo-hyuk smiled brightly.
"I'm back."
"Have you returned safely?"
He didn't ask why Soo-hyuk came back or how he returned.
Just like an uncle visiting the orphanage for fun, Soo-hyuk mingled and played with the kids.
"Did you find the children you were looking for?"
Mersian's first question came suddenly.
Asking something like that while changing a diaper. It really didn't suit him.
"Yes. Thanks to you."
"I'm glad."
There were unspoken words. Like why he hadn't left yet.
The two didn't delve deeper into conversation. They only spoke when necessary.
About the children.
"This kid doesn't seem to eat much."
"He's picky with veggies. I minced and stir-fried them to get him to eat, but still no."
"Can't let him starve. Want some bread?"
Each time, doubt lingered on Mersian's face.
That day, the next, and the day after.
Soo-hyuk kept coming to the orphanage. Without special words, he helped Mersian care for the kids.
Then, a new child arrived at the orphanage.
"Kids, pay attention. This is our new friend. Come on, say hi."
"I-I'm Maria."
She was a grubby girl with freckles. Maria waved to the orphanage kids in greeting.
Mersian fed Maria first. Washing could wait; she looked even skinnier than Laura, starved for so long.
Faced with a warm meal for the first time, the wary Maria burst into tears.
That a young child could cry so heartbreakingly.
Soo-hyuk and Mersian's eyes met as they prepared Maria's meal. Soo-hyuk asked with his gaze.
'Where did this kid come from?'
'Who knows. What do you think?'
As if by agreement, they didn't voice the conversation.
In the silence, it became a battle of whose patience would break first. Who couldn't hold back curiosity longer.
Mersian was the more curious one.
"Are you hoping to win my favor?"
Mersian's mouth finally opened.
Once started, his questions didn't stop at one.
"You changed your name and even your face—what do you want from me, Soo-hyuk?"
Soo-hyuk wasn't surprised that Mersian had figured out his identity.
They'd been practically glued together for days. If a mage of Mersian's caliber hadn't noticed, he'd suspect Mersian's true identity then.
Even at this first real question in days, Soo-hyuk didn't stop sweeping.
"Favor... What would I do with that? Can't even brag about it."
There was no benefit in tying himself to the Black Tower Lord. The world had sand-grain numbers of people who hated him, and associating would only multiply enemies.
"Then what do you want?"
"What you see."
"What I see?"
"To check up close."
"Check what?"
"If you really like kids. If these kids won't disappear somewhere."
Mersian's eyes widened round.
"Isn't that surveillance?"
Only then did Soo-hyuk stop sweeping and look at him.
"You've never been watched before?"
It was a provocative question. Implying he'd done countless things deserving surveillance.
To earn the infamy of the world's worst mage and rise to Black Tower Lord, it couldn't have been smooth.
Mersian finally burst into laughter.
"You're right. I was watched a lot back then. Forgot since none of those guys are alive now."
"Then......"
Soo-hyuk looked out the window at the playing children. He felt the moment had finally come.
After holding back for days. The first question to peel off Mersian's thicker, uglier mask than his own.
"Will you kill these ones too?"