In Pyongyang (1)
Following Min Haryang’s firm insistence, we all headed together to the history teacher’s office.
“Cadet Yu Haneul, do you have some special reason for joining the Archaeology Club?”
“…I just like archaeology?”
“…….”
There was the minor issue of the teacher shooting me a look of pure distrust, but…
Fortunately, under Min Haryang’s lead, we secured approval for the Pyongyang trip without a hitch.
Granted, watching Baek Woohyun, I got the feeling we would’ve found a way to go on our own even without permission—but this was cleaner.
We left the office and made our way toward the portal that would take us to Pyongyang. Sticking close to Min Haryang’s side, I finally asked the question that had been bugging me.
“Unni, what exactly are we doing once we get to Pyongyang?”
“Like I said, probably just a tour of the research institute.”
“What does that institute actually do?”
The place where we’d booked a three-day observation schedule was officially called the Pyongyang Herb 13-4 Research Institute.
Baek Woohyun had been the first to mention it while we were planning the detailed itinerary last week, and Min Haryang had agreed, locking it in as our destination.
“…You’re only asking that now?”
“Ahaha….”
Between the dungeon practicals leaving me zero free time and the assumption that Baek Woohyun had his reasons, I’d just coasted along without digging deeper.
“Well, first—do you know that archaeology is broadly divided into two categories?”
“…This-world and other-world?”
“Huh?! Wait, you actually know that?”
I answered by dredging up a brief mention from the original novel, and Min Haryang reacted like she’d been electrocuted.
…She really hadn’t expected a single thing from me, huh.
“That’s right. We usually just lump it all under ‘archaeology,’ but it’s actually split into two fields: this-world archaeology, which explores Earth’s history and ruins, and other-world archaeology, which investigates the histories and ruins of other dimensions connected through dungeons and gates.”
Since our Archaeology Club belonged to an Awakener academy, we focused more on the other-world side—the one tangled up with dungeons and gates.
Which meant Baek Woohyun and Yeon Hajin had chosen this club, out of all the options, for a reason.
“But how do you know this, Haneul? People who aren’t interested in archaeology usually don’t.”
“…Because I’m in the Archaeology Club too? Why would you assume I wouldn’t know?”
The original novel hadn’t gone deep into archaeological theory, but since the main cast had been members of the club, I’d picked up the basics.
Contrary to all the misunderstandings floating around me, I wasn’t a complete outsider to the field.
Hearing my question, Min Haryang laughed awkwardly and tried to change the subject.
“…Right? I must’ve gotten confused for a second!”
“Huh?”
“…Anyway! The institute we’re visiting focuses on other-world archaeology, and since they built the whole facility inside a dungeon, there’s plenty to see and learn. Let’s talk more once we get to Pyongyang, okay?”
With that, she awkwardly picked up her pace.
“Unni?”
“…Yeah?”
“Why are you running away?”
“…….”
I hurried after Min Haryang as she pulled ahead, and before long we reached the portal entrance.
Portal fees were covered by the club budget, thanks to Yeon Hajin’s and Baek Woohyun’s voluntary sponsorship.
Wooooong—
Which meant we arrived in Pyongyang without spending a single coin.
A forest of towering glass skyscrapers under a clear blue sky greeted us.
After checking into the lodging and grabbing a quick lunch, we stopped by a café for a bit.
We still had some time before the scheduled institute tour.
Min Haryang sat by the window, pulled a laptop from her inventory, and opened it on the table.
“Before the tour, let me go over a few basics of other-world archaeology.”
She glanced at me for a moment, then began explaining while pulling up various materials on the screen.
“If you’ve run a lot of dungeons and gates, you might’ve noticed—not every dungeon or gate connects to a completely different world.”
Photos and charts appeared on the laptop.
“Sometimes places that seem to belong to the same world show up across different dungeons and gates. The ones that appear especially often get their own names and become subjects of dedicated research.”
As she spoke, she zoomed in on the materials.
“The most representative worlds among them are the Herb World, the Empire World, and the Desert World….”
I was listening carefully when something extremely familiar jumped out from the enlarged photos.
“…Huh?”
“What? Did you recognize a pattern?”
The flower motif in the photo Min Haryang was using to explain the Herb World.
That was the exact same design drawn on the clothes Pingttuk had been wearing.
And the sword-and-shield emblem from the Empire World photos looked identical to the one on the flag from that fortress gate.
Had any of this been in the original novel…?
In the story, Yeon Hajin had never even obtained that flag, let alone used it, and Aileen hadn’t appeared at all.
So there’d been no mention of these emblems either.
I turned my gaze to Yeon Hajin and saw his pupils tremble ever so slightly.
…Judging by how flustered he looked, he didn’t fully understand it either?
Baek Woohyun, on the other hand, seemed completely unfazed.
Whether he knew nothing or already knew everything, I couldn’t tell.
“Uh, yeah. I think I’ve seen them in passing a few times? They feel a little familiar.”
“That makes sense. Those three worlds appear that frequently.”
I brushed it off casually for Min Haryang.
This didn’t seem like something to go around advertising.
“So the Pyongyang Herb whatever-institute we’re visiting today researches that Herb World?”
“Yep. They actually built the facility inside a Herb World dungeon, so there should be plenty worth seeing once we’re there.”
…Whatever the case, we had to start by going to the institute.
A little later, once Min Haryang finished her explanation and the time came, we set out for the institute.
Along the way, once I confirmed we’d put a little distance between us and Min Haryang, I tugged on Yeon Hajin’s sleeve.
“What?”
When he turned to look at me, I crooked a finger. He got the hint and bent down.
I grabbed his collar, rose onto my tiptoes, and whispered into his ear. He froze solid.
“You know something about that Empire emblem from earlier. Spill everything.”
“…….”
“Talk. I’ll keep it secret. I won’t even ask how you know—just tell me what you know.”
“…….”
“Come on, hurry~”
I shook the collar I was holding, but he stuck to playing dumb.
“…I don’t really know either.”
Don’t lie to me.
If you don’t know, then where’d you pick up that flag, and how did you know hanging it on a gate would evolve the gate?
“You expect me to believe that?”
“It’s true….”
“Hey. You don’t trust me? Huh? I said I’d keep it secret.”
Under my relentless pressure he sighed and spoke briefly.
“…Step back a bit first.”
He said that, then peeled my hand off his collar and pushed me away.
After a moment’s hesitation, he continued with a bitter smile.
“It’s not that I can’t talk because I don’t trust you.”
“Then?”
“It’s just… until a few days ago I thought I knew a lot. Now I’m not so sure anymore.”
What.
Why’d he suddenly switch into mental-breakdown mode?
Sure, yesterday’s dungeon practical terror must’ve been pretty hair-raising from his perspective, but we’d gotten through it fine in the end, right?
“Why so down? Want another can of beer?”
“…You still have more?”
“I do.”
I’d bought a six-pack from the start, so five cans were still left.
“But for free?”
“…Want me to buy you a meal?”
Who does this guy think is the freeloader here.
“Forget it.”
I patted his back firmly as I spoke.
“Cheer up, okay? Hey, who in the world knows everything?”
“…….”
“So what if you get it wrong sometimes? You’re human—it happens. When it does, just lean on your friends or the people around you a little. Right?”
He’d already indirectly admitted he knew something would happen on the day of the dungeon practical by shoving the Guardian’s Pendant into my hands.
I hadn’t pressed him about it after the terror, but…
Acting like I knew a little and sticking my nose in this much should be fine, right?
“You’re not wrong, but….”
Yeon Hajin looked up at the sky with a complicated expression.
Whack!
I couldn’t stand the sight of it, so I smacked his back hard.
“Why do you insist on making life so complicated and hard, huh? Just do the best you can and that’s enough.”
Then I said to the blank-faced Yeon Hajin staring at me,
“Thanks to the pendant you gave me, I survived. And the me who survived went on to save the other cadets and Chaea and even took down the boss. Happy ending. What more do you want?”
“…Ah.”
Of course I wouldn’t have died even without his pendant, but that wasn’t the point right now.
“Alright, then with this we’re even for the pendant and my life, okay?”
From my perspective, settling a B-rank artifact debt with a single beer was still a massive profit.
I pulled a can of beer from my inventory and held it out to him. His expression went a little dumb.
Everything was wrapping up nicely… until a voice suddenly cut in.
“…Haneul. Am I seeing things right now?”
I creaked my head around and found Min Haryang staring at the beer in my hand with a completely straight face.
“Ah. Unni, this is… it’s not what you’re thinking…. Heheh….”
“Haa…. Haneul. Alcohol is extremely harmful to adolescents whose bodies are still immature……”
She sighed and launched into a rapid-fire lecture while looking straight at me.
Beside me I heard Yeon Hajin snicker quietly.
…Has he lost his mind. This is all because of who, exactly.
I glared at him with pure irritation and tossed the beer at him like I was throwing it away.
“……and on top of that, it’s illegal for minors to purchase alcohol in the first place—”
“Ah, Unni~ Just let it slide this once~”
Leaving Yeon Hajin, who neatly snagged the beer, behind me, I ran over and threw myself into Min Haryang’s arms, cutting her off.
“…I’m not going to confiscate the alcohol right now. But from now until you become an adult, no drinking or smoking—”
“Ah, of course~! I’m a total model student so I never do that stuff—don’t worry!”
“Haneul. Model students don’t usually walk around carrying beer….”
Even as she gently caught me, Min Haryang added that little note.
Ah, Yeon Hajin, seriously.
What are you going to do about my model-student image.
Take responsibility.
There was a brief bit of chaos, but we eventually arrived at the institute.
Min Haryang said something to a staff member, and soon a researcher came out to greet us.
“I heard you came for a tour from Inatium. Is that correct?”
“Ah, yes. That’s right.”
“Pleasure to meet you. I’m Lee Heetae, a senior researcher at this institute.”
Lee Heetae was a man who looked to be in his thirties, with small eyes and thick-rimmed glasses.
“I’ll be serving as your guide for the tour going forward, so I look forward to working with you.”
A face that just screamed “I love illegal experiments.”
“Shall we head inside first?”
Of course I knew judging people by appearance alone wasn’t good, but…
“Haha, there’s a lot to show you, so feel free to look forward to it.”
Wouldn’t it be even more absurd if someone smiling that slyly turned out to be a pure-hearted researcher?