Rachel Bonaparte (2)
Rachel Bonaparte returned to her hotel right after the terror incident.
She handled the task her ancestor had requested first.
She instructed her retainers to subtly spread the rumor that the two people who had suddenly appeared at the hall were members of the Bonaparte family.
The retainers who received the order looked puzzled, but Rachel offered no explanation.
“My lady, the elders will have something to say about this.”
“They would find fault with you regardless.”
She had no intention of informing the family elders of the truth. They were the sort who looked down on her simply for being young, even though she was the head of the house.
Even if they learned Napoleon had been reincarnated, they would only try to restrain him, never treat him with goodwill.
It was better to leave them in the dark.
After finishing her instructions, Rachel headed to the hotel gym. It was her daily routine to do strength training after meetings.
She warmed up with stretches, then began with a light 100 kg squat.
“Hup.”
Rachel added weight with each set, repeating the squats. Lower-body training was what she valued most. The foundation of all swordsmanship began with a solid base. Without strong legs, one could never stay steady.
The weights are too light.
The hotel gym lacked sufficient plates and machine variety. She would have to visit a proper Korean training center soon.
After finishing with a run, Rachel returned to her room, drenched in sweat.
Shhhhh……
She showered thoroughly, dried her wet body and hair, then slipped on a dress shirt. Her fingers stopped at the upper buttons. Because of the resistance, it was uncomfortable to fasten them all the way, so she usually left the top open when alone.
Rachel walked over in that state and flopped onto the bed. Her full thighs were completely exposed beneath the white shirt. She never wore anything on her lower half when sleeping. It was a habit the old butler scolded her for every time, yet she never corrected it.
“……Haa.”
Staring at the ceiling, Rachel let out a soft sigh. Too many things had happened today.
She had appeared before the hunters at the Mad Dog Festival, given interviews to the swarm of reporters, and greeted Korea’s famous figures. Most of all, the terror incident that broke out in the middle had kept her frantically busy.
A barrier had suddenly been erected over the central hall where the hunters were gathered. Since she was the only one who could break it, Rachel had no choice but to step forward. She shattered the barrier, subdued the terrorists, and rescued the hunters……
She had moved without a moment to spare.
“……”
As she recalled the day’s events, Rachel suddenly smiled.
I finally met him.
Choi Seojun. The man she was certain was Napoleon’s reincarnation. After he had vanished right after clearing the Toulon Gate, Rachel had been waiting desperately for this meeting. She had even studied Korean just to speak with him directly. (Her Korean studies were still ongoing.)
Because she had anticipated the encounter so much, the moment she saw Choi Seojun she made a mistake unlike herself. She had spoken to him without caring about the surrounding gazes.
She had even forgotten that her ancestor was operating under the alias of the anonymous hunter “Connector.”
She had also talked far more than usual. Rachel worried whether she had burdened Choi Seojun by speaking too much.
“Haa, idiot.”
But what could she do? The water was already spilled. She would have to watch her words from now on.
After lightly smacking her own lips in self-reproach, Rachel smiled again. The image of Choi Seojun denying he was the Connector floated up in her mind. The sight of her ancestor pretending not to understand in front of her had been oddly endearing.
“……!”
Startled by the irreverent thought that had risen unbidden, Rachel shook her head.
What nonsense.
She must be tired. Such stray thoughts kept coming. Helping her ancestor was simply her duty. …It was never anything more than that.
In Rachel’s eyes, her ancestor was clearly strong, yet still incomplete. He relied far more on relics than on his own abilities. Because of that, his physical capabilities were generally lacking, both in mana control and bodily movement.
In his current state, surviving the gates that would appear from now on would not be easy. He would not even make it through the S-rank gates that humanity had yet to clear.
That was why Rachel had decided to help her ancestor directly by his side. It was the duty of Rachel Bonaparte, the fifth head of the family. Napoleon was not merely an object of respect—he was the very history of the Bonaparte family.
This was no empty sentiment. Every Bonaparte relic originated from Napoleon. Choi Seojun was the only person who could awaken the scattered Bonaparte relics. Such a person must not be placed in danger.
She was in Korea to fulfill her responsibilities and duties as head of the house.
While steadying herself, Rachel erased the improper thought that had surfaced moments ago. Even so, she smiled as she looked forward to meeting her ancestor again tomorrow.
Suddenly remembering she was not wearing anything below, Rachel started to get up, then gave up and stayed lying down.
Too bothersome……
As always, Rachel fell asleep wearing nothing but the shirt.
The Mad Dog Festival terror incident. People were shocked that a terror attack had occurred in the middle of Seoul. Who would commit terrorism at a festival meant to be enjoyed?
But an even more surprising fact was revealed right after the news broke.
Zero Injuries
Despite the terror attack, there had been no casualties. The only ones who died were the terrorists themselves. Not a single person outside the terrorists had been injured.
People were bewildered by the claim that not a single person had been hurt or killed in a planned terror attack that had even included a barrier. At first, everyone assumed Rachel had broken the barrier so quickly that there were no casualties. After all, footage of Rachel shattering the barrier had already spread across YouTube and various communities in real time.
Of course, Rachel’s efforts alone could not fully explain the zero casualties. Around that time, footage taken inside the hall was released. Only after watching the videos did people finally understand why no one had been injured.
What shocked everyone was the blonde girl. Every time white light burst from her, the hunters fighting nearby had their wounds heal as if time were rewinding. The moment anyone was even slightly injured, the light-attribute mana seeped in and the wound vanished. It was impossible to get hurt.
Therefore, not only were there no fatalities—there were not even any injuries.
The community erupted over the mysterious woman who had ambushed the terrorists. Only a few seconds of shaky footage had spread as GIFs, so nothing concrete could be determined. A black shadow had simply moved quickly—shuk shuk—and it was over. Whether she possessed some perception-disruption ability or not, all that could be seen was the black shadow. The only thing that could be guessed was that she was female.
Yet even that much was enough to astonish people. The assassin in the footage had single-handedly driven the terrorists out of the auditorium. While the blonde girl had contributed to the lack of casualties, the mysterious woman’s role in forcing the terrorists out of the hall had been even greater.
Posts speculating about the identities of the two suddenly appearing women flooded the community. As if to answer their curiosity, a flood of related articles poured out.
Rachel Bonaparte: “I had to break the barrier quickly because my family members were trapped……”
“It is difficult to reveal the identities of the retainers who were inside……”
The Bonaparte family’s official statement had been released. However, no one inside the hall had been publicly known as a Bonaparte member. Still, people naturally connected the mysterious hunters to the Bonaparte family.
Thankfully, there’s nothing about me.
While reading the internet articles, I felt relieved inside. Because Rachel had properly carried out my request, people had mistaken Jeanne and Vanessa for Bonaparte family members. When I had summoned the two, the situation had not been one where anyone could film, so my face had not appeared at all. Everyone had been under the terrorists’ watch the moment they moved even slightly. There had been no bold hunter among them who would pull out a phone to record.
The only footage that spread were a few short, shaky clips taken after the situation had been resolved. Even those had been buried under the real-time hot topic of Rachel breaking the barrier. Moreover, the media was focused on the terrorists’ identities. With Ambassador Wang Wei captured, it had become almost certain that China was behind the attack. China, of course, denied any involvement.
“It seems to have gone over well somehow.”
“If it hadn’t, I would have gone all the way to China.”
Vanessa’s joke was somehow chilling. The fact that she wasn’t smiling made it feel like she might be serious……
“Mm, let’s do this first.”
I picked up the transparent glass bottle. Inside, a rainbow-colored, radiant liquid sloshed. It was the high-grade essence I had received from the Cunningham Marquis. I unscrewed the cap and poured the essence directly onto the Seolhwaseok. The Seolhwaseok absorbed the essence and began to glow.
And then—
A summon slot has been added.
[Summons 4/5]
A summon slot had increased.
With this, a new transcendent will come.
I felt a hint of anticipation.
Who will it be this time?
