Chapter 157: England (1)
Chapter 157: England (1)
Grace, the noble knight with platinum hair.
Though she had fought desperately to save Nippur, she ultimately failed, choosing instead to become a follower of Tiamat to save the lives of others.
And now…
Wearing a white tank top and white dolphin shorts with an apron tied around her waist, she was busy preparing breakfast.
Coming from a commoner background and having lived as a knight, she was well-versed in survival cooking for the outdoors. However, it was true that the art of making truly delicious food was somewhat foreign to her. Given her past circumstances, there had been few occasions where she could prioritize flavor over sustenance.
Thus, while learning about Earth’s culture, Grace had focused heavily on finding ways to cook delicious meals for Han Shin.
Fortunately, Grace wasn't a hopeless cook. She quickly picked up the techniques for Earth’s cuisine, and she had practiced extensively while preparing meals during their recent hunting trip to Siberia for leveling up.
As she prepared the meal alongside Laysia, Grace appeared no different than usual. However, Laysia, watching from her side, knew that Grace was secretly excited.
It was a subtle difference, but it was definitely there.
“I’m back!”
Just as breakfast was nearly ready, Kang Yujin’s voice rang out.
Yesterday had been Kang Yujin’s time, and it was an unspoken agreement among them that she would return before breakfast the following morning.
Grace and Laysia immediately paused their cooking to welcome Han Shin and Kang Yujin home.
Stepping into the living room, they found the two already inside. Much like Laysia had been before her, Kang Yujin looked visibly satisfied with the time she had spent with Han Shin.
Today is my turn…
Feeling a pang of envy at Yujin’s expression, Grace reminded herself once more that today was her day to spend with Han Shin.
After breakfast, Grace intended to approach him.
However, she didn't get the chance.
After the meal, Kang Yujin—who had stayed behind to do the dishes while the others went to their rooms—received a call from the Association.
The Association had previously stated they wouldn't call unless it was something serious, so the moment her smartphone rang, Yujin felt a sense of unease. After taking the call, she sought out the others with a grave expression.
Grace was just about to talk to Han Shin about their plans for the day when Yujin found them.
“Shin, I just got a call from the Association. It sounds serious.”
“Huh? What’s going on?”
“The movements of the large French clans are suspicious. They need our help.”
The three of them headed to the living room where Laysia was waiting. Once everyone was gathered, Kang Yujin quickly explained what she had heard from the Association.
Among the large clans in France, some had become lackeys of the demons through Ego Artifacts. The British Association and their major clans had detected their movements and requested assistance from Korea and the United States.
The reason they asked Korea and the US instead of neighboring countries was that other European nations were currently in no position to help. They were all pouring their entire strength into stabilizing their own territories.
In particular, some of the large clan members who had been exposed as demon lackeys had escaped before they could be arrested, leaving their whereabouts unknown and causing ongoing chaos.
Under these circumstances, Britain was keeping a close eye on the situation across the English Channel, especially in France.
While they were currently cooperating in this era of peace, during the early days of the portals, they had clashed violently over vested interests. Britain and France had their share of conflicts back then, and even in this stabilized era, they maintained spies to gather intelligence on each other's movements.
That was how they had discovered the schemes of the large French clans.
Though they didn't know exactly what was being planned, they had captured clear evidence of preparations for battle.
At first, they thought the clans might be preparing a large-scale expedition to regions in need, like Nepal or Siberia. But the movements didn't fit that pattern.
The British spies realized this wasn't that kind of mobilization. Normally, preparing for such an expedition required coordinating with the target region and procuring specific supplies. Since no such movements were seen, Britain, as a neighboring country, had no choice but to take it seriously.
Europe was already in a state of prolonged chaos due to the demons. Britain had only just managed to stabilize its own domestic situation, so they had to prepare for the worst-case scenario.
The fact was that those showing these movements were Awakeners seduced by demons, and their target might very well be Britain itself.
"Britain was a region where a lot of portals appeared, just like Korea and Japan, right?"
"Yeah."
"Then there's a high probability that Britain is a region the demons would target for a reason."
Han Shin’s deduction was highly plausible, and it was something other Awakeners at the Association had already considered.
Korea, Britain, and Japan were famous for having a high density of portals within a small landmass. Among them, demons had already appeared in Japan. Given the Knight’s testimony that demons were the ones behind the portals, it was a natural conclusion that these regions were being specifically targeted.
"So that's why they asked us for help in advance?"
"Yeah, it seems so. Grace, I'm really sorry..."
Kang Yujin felt terrible, knowing it was Grace’s turn today. She had just spent a happy day with Han Shin herself. Having experienced the wait and anticipation when it was Laysia’s turn, she understood how much Grace must have been looking forward to this.
"It's alright. Dealing with the demons comes first."
Grace accepted Yujin’s apology without a change in expression, making it clear she was fine.
In truth, it would be a lie to say she wasn't disappointed. However, Grace knew all too well that now was not the time to prioritize her own feelings.
Moved by Grace’s attitude, Han Shin spoke to her gratefully.
"Thank you, Grace. Let's go on a date once we resolve this."
"Yes, Master Han Shin."
When Han Shin took her hand and thanked her, Grace felt somewhat compensated. She answered with a bright smile.
"Then we should head to England right away, shouldn't we?"
"Yeah. I told them I'd call back once we were ready."
"Let's get ready to leave immediately. We don't know how things will unfold, so it's better to be there ahead of time."
As Han Shin said, considering the travel time from Korea to England, an incident could break out while they were in transit. Everyone present agreed that wasting time was a poor decision.
They immediately began checking their equipment and preparing for battle.
Once ready, Kang Yujin contacted the Association again in her capacity as Wolyeong.
"Please have everything ready for departure immediately."
Park Min-woo, who had been working without rest since returning from the mission in Japan, had been handling the communications with England. He couldn't ask the other large Korean clans for help so soon, and most of them wouldn't have agreed to travel all the way to England anyway.
That was why he had contacted Wolyeong, and he was overjoyed to hear that the Moon Shadow Party was willing to move without any pushback.
Britain had specifically requested the Moon Shadow Party's help, and Park Min-woo himself believed their strength was essential, given that a significant number of large French clans were on the move. Since it was almost certain that demon subordinates were involved, they couldn't afford to let their guard down.
For now, Korea decided to dispatch only a few Association Awakeners to accompany the Moon Shadow Party, excluding those who had just fought in Japan. Korea's own safety wasn't guaranteed enough to be complacent, and it was difficult to send exhausted personnel into another battle so soon. Even though Awakeners had better stamina than ordinary people, it was an undeniable fact that they needed rest.
Soon, at the Association’s private airfield, the psychokinetic Wolyeong appeared in her black robe and veil, alongside the Knight from another world in her silver full-body armor.
"Thank you for your immediate assistance."
Park Min-woo thanked them once more while checking if they needed anything.
"We're fine, so please let us depart immediately."
Seeing Wolyeong’s recognition of the situation's gravity, Park Min-woo felt even more grateful and marveled at her dedication.
The plane, having finished its takeoff preparations, soared into the sky carrying Han Shin and Kang Yujin toward England.