The Reason My Wife Disappeared
Syr finished counting heads and shot her arm up high. "Everyone's here!"
"Street control?"
"No issues. The guards have already cleared the operation zone."
That had been Jonah's job to confirm. Glova nodded in satisfaction and glanced sideways. A short distance away stood Tia, vice captain of the Seongyul Knights. Their eyes met, and Glova flusteredly bowed his head. Tia smiled softly.
"Vice Captain~~ You look way too timid."
"Can't move a muscle in front of a beauty. So cute."
"Kuh…."
Lyr and Syr pounced like they'd been waiting for it, chipping away at their vice captain's morale.
"Whoa, she's seriously pretty. Who's that?"
"New vice captain of the Seongyul Knights, I hear."
"…Impressive. Especially that ass…."
"Can she really fight dressed like that?"
The male knights buzzed as they stared at Tia. She is pretty…. The pure, glamorous type that drove men wild. Her black hair in a shoulder-length bob paired perfectly with her massive tits. Glova thought to himself that Diana held her own just fine, but…. A fresh-faced black-haired bombshell in her early twenties, grinning innocently in what looked like a pervy nun outfit slashed with side slits—that destructive power was on another level. And there were nearly twenty such beauties gathered. Tia was the standout, but seeing an entire knight order full of stunners like this made his chest swell.
What's their secret, anyway….
…Why did the Star Church have so many beauties? Did they only accept lookers? It somehow rang true. No way it was just coincidence that every recruit happened to be a knockout. Picking believers by their faces… Now that he thought about it, it was pretty outlandish.
"Ooh!"
"She waved at us!"
Tia fluttered her hand lightly, and the men erupted in frenzy.
"Uwooooh!"
"Is this the legendary holy art buff!?"
"I feel power surging!"
Lyr and Syr stuck out their lips and grumbled.
"Hmph…."
"We'd be amazing in outfits like that too, y'know?"
"Yeah, yeah, we know."
The veterans sweated bullets, terrified of upsetting the sisters.
"Pretty, sure, I'll give you that…."
"But can they fight in those getups?"
"Experience their holy arts, and you won't say that."
"…What's a holy art, anyway? Light magic?"
"Different nature entirely."
Glova straightened up proudly in front of the green rookies. "You have to feel it to understand. Dismissing holy art users is for fools—keep that in mind."
"Wasn't dismissing… Ahem."
"I wanna get friendly with the Seongyul sisters."
Rookies always mixed up light magic and holy arts. They sounded like shorthand for sacred magic. But holy arts weren't classified as magic. Only Star Church faithful could wield them, under very specific conditions. The most basic one known, Holy Art of Protection, required….
「Keep your body clean and pure of filth.」
Sweat buckets from training without showering? No holy art for you. Not until every nook and cranny was spotless. Magic had casting limits, sure, but nothing this ridiculous. That fundamental difference set holy arts apart from magic.
"Save the chit-chat for after the op. You'll get friendly enough if we all make it back safe."
"Scared? Lame Vice Captain♡"
Glova strode up to Lyr and pinched her cheek.
"Abubu."
"Cheeky with your vice captain, huh? This mouth of yours the problem?"
"Fowgib me~."
The knights chuckled. What a pathetic vice captain with zero authority. God knows what the other order thought…. Glova sighed and released Lyr's plump, doughy cheek.
"We'll carry you, Vice Captain!"
"Just leave it to us—the highest-level duo around~."
"…Yeah. Get me back to my wife in one piece."
"Eheheh."
The twin sisters grinned brightly.
"All units, arm with C-type gear."
"Arming with C-type gear!"
"Arming with C-type gear♡"
They even echoed the order in sultry voices. They acted out at every turn, but staring at those pure smiles made it impossible to hate them.
The Baekhwa Knights geared up in high spirits with C-type equipment. For ops in wilds like forests, mountains, or caves—where monsters weren't the only survival threat—standard C-type meant stripping down armor parts to leather for maximum mobility. No standard weapons here; short swords instead, but plenty of pouches for throwable gear and versatile tools. Perfect for tight spaces.
And on the arms of this C-type gear….
…was a level gauge shaped like a watch.
"Quit the double-jumping. You brat."
Glova lightly smacked Syr's head.
"Hng…! Lyr was the one messing around earlier…."
"You identical troublemakers… Counts are spinning the same. Got it?"
Tia sidled up smoothly beside Glova.
"Um… Vice Captain?"
"Yes?"
"Pinned down the enemy's position?"
"Yes, narrowed it over days of scouting."
Glova showed her the map as he explained. "High missing persons zone here. We'll split into two groups, enter the marked A and B manholes, and encircle from both sides."
"Hmm…."
Tia nodded attentively, listening to Glova.
"Tell us before entry. I'll cast the holy arts."
"Thank you. Uh… We'll clear the path first—follow once it's safe."
"Thanks, Vice Captain."
"Th-this is the Baekhwa Knights' role, after all. Even the captain would do the same."
Tia's huge tits made eye contact a nightmare. Glova awkwardly rolled his eyes and cleared his throat.
"Send a runner, and we'll tail you."
"Yes. Ah… Sorry about our twins."
"It's fine. They look so healthy… cute… lovable… You'd like that, right?"
"Pardon? Who?"
"Oh, different topic."
"…?"
Something felt off. Their conversation wasn't meshing. Glova peered into Tia's clear blue eyes but spotted nothing amiss.
"Something on my face?"
"Ah…. Nothing. Breach op starts in 15."
During the brief break, Glova caught his breath with Jonah at the street's edge, where guards managed crowds.
"Looked tense. You."
"I'm good. With the national treasure here…."
"Huh? Isn't that Nina?"
Nina, Diana's coworker next door. She spotted Glova and Jonah too and approached.
"Glova! Jonah!"
"Nina, out shopping?"
"Yeah, holiday today."
So Diana was home resting? Glova relaxed a bit.
"Glova, you fought with Diana, right?"
"Outta nowhere—what?"
Nothing had happened. If nothing happening was the issue, maybe.
"Diana say nothing? Few days back, she asked me to cover her half-day—like she was heading out."
"……."
"Oh. Was this secret…?"
"Probably at her parents'. She does that."
"Didn't talk?"
"…We're on duty, see."
"…Ahh."
Nina nodded sadly.
"Tell Diana hi for me next time."
"…Please."
After she left, an odd silence fell among the men.
"……Seeing another guy?"
Jonah snorted. "Diana? Behind your back? Come on."
"Right…?"
"Remember three years ago? When you hit 100kg."
"Yeah."
"I was blackout drunk, but her words snapped me awake."
"……."
Unforgettable.
"What was it? 「Glova. I'm starting to really hate you. Lose 20kg in two months, or I'll cheat.」 Something like that?"
Impact so strong Jonah quoted it verbatim. Glova still got chills recalling Diana's ultimatum.
"Dropped it in two months flat. Ran like a dog."
"Yeah, and Diana packed lunches daily, hugged you saying she loved you, cheered so sweetly. Whole order knew."
"…Back when I got all the male knights' envy and jealousy."
Glova was public enemy number one then.
"Turned down all those hot studs as a virgin to marry you."
"Yeah. Diana's temper… She'd have dumped me ages ago for someone else if she hated me."
"So what's your move?"
"Buy a gift on the way back."
"For the pal who woke your clueless ass?"
"…Introduce me to a girl?"
Jonah clenched his fist, trembling with joy. "Bingo! As Diana's friend, I'm begging."
"…Your situationship flop?"
Jonah's face crumpled like a deflated paper bag.
"Figured."
Break over….
"…Protect us with your pale light."
Buffed by Tia's holy art, the Baekhwa Knights split into A and B teams, entering separate manholes.
Ugh, the stench. Brutal. Might be rough for a fresh twenty-year-old girl. Glova glanced back, but Syr calmly checked her gear one by one.
Acting all goofy outside….
Hard not to adore them.
Gotta protect the kids.
Low-level uncle or not. Adults in charge had a duty to shield the sprouts. The fifteen knights entering with Glova checked gear and reported.
"All good."
"No anomalies."
"Visibility clear."
"Proceed with perimeter watch."
"Roger."
Meanwhile, B Team—Jonah and Lyr's group—entered the south manhole in formation, advancing slowly.
"Could pop from anywhere—stay cool and respond."
"Yes, sir."
A and B Teams, split north and south, closed in on the target A Point in a pincer.