Chapter 56: Preparation (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 56: Preparation (3)
The lights were off in the club room.
On the desk lay a Go board and the room key the club president had left behind.
Faint moonlight seeped through the window. In the darkness, only the desk and the Go board revealed their soft silhouettes.
The wall clock quietly announced the time. The hour was already late.
Yoon Chae-ha rested her chin on her hand, gazing at the Go board with half-lidded eyes.
Her crimson irises trembled faintly.
She had spent hours reviewing the games.
At first, she thought she could win easily.
No, from the very beginning, losing hadn't even been an option.
For a mage, concentration is an essential skill.
She had played a lot of Go since she was a child.
And as someone deeply versed in magic, she was naturally an exceptional Go player as well.
And yet, she had lost.
All ten games.
“Hmph…”
She leaned back in her chair and took a slow breath.
What in the world went wrong?
At first, she had been furious. Defeat, after all, was not a familiar feeling for her.
But the more they played, the more she understood. The more she tried to keep up with his moves, the faster he pulled away, growing with each game.
The angle of his growth curve was as steep as that of a complete beginner.
And by the tenth game, there came a moment when she couldn't see his moves at all.
He was no longer a player whose skill she could measure.
“…Is this even possible?”
The words escaped like a whisper.
Suddenly, she realized.
Talent.
Yoon Chae-ha had always been the one to overwhelm others with her talent.
For the first time, she was the one facing it.
*
The weekend arrived.
I headed for the Vanquisher headquarters.
Today was the day I had to settle things.
First, I had to get the Old Man's permission to participate in the upcoming operation.
Now that I had the Paladin's cooperation, it seemed better to officially join the Vanquisher team rather than sneak in.
And then there was Catastrophe, sleeping on my back. I also had to have a showdown with the ridiculously strong dragon dwelling within it.
I walked down the familiar hallway and opened the door to the Old Man's study.
As I stepped between the bookshelves, the gentle aroma of coffee filled the room.
By the window, the Old Man was brewing coffee.
I crossed the threshold and spoke without hesitation.
“Count me in.”
The Old Man, who had been pouring coffee, stopped.
He slowly turned his head and looked at me as if I were some kind of lunatic.
“…Count you in on what?”
“The mission in two weeks.”
It was now less than two weeks away.
His brow furrowed.
The Old Man let out a small sigh and, without a word, dropped two sugar cubes into his coffee, one after the other.
He stared intently at the cup as the sugar dissolved, then raised it for a sip.
A moment of silence passed as if he were savoring the bitter taste in his mouth.
“How did you…”
“I happened to see it.”
The request commissioned by the Association. The elimination of the Hamgyeongdo Mine Colony.
On paper, it wasn't a particularly dangerous mission. The Association had only requested a large number of personnel to prepare for unexpected situations.
At least, that's how it looked on the surface.
I was secretly hoping that was all it was, too.
In a deep silence, the Old Man slowly set his cup down.
He then looked at me, his expression suggesting he was wondering where to even begin.
I watched his silence patiently. I knew exactly what he was worried about.
His daughter and his most cherished team member, both killed by Mines.
The Old Man slowly spun the coffee cup with his fingertips. I slipped into the pause in his thoughts and spoke calmly.
"I know what you're worried about."
The Old Man narrowed his eyes.
"But I need to start getting some real combat experience. And, as a 'Reserve Vanquisher'..."
At that moment, the Old Man's fingers froze.
He quickly schooled his expression, but I didn't miss his momentary reaction.
I had been holding back for this very day.
Until now, I had never once said I wanted to join the Vanquisher.
The Old Man heaved a heavy sigh.
And finally, he spoke.
“…That's not it, you brat.”
“Huh?”
“Sion already came to me.”
“Who?”
Sion?
“That mission you're talking about, Sion found out about it first. Said she wanted to participate.”
I furrowed my brow without thinking.
“And you allowed it?”
At my question, the Old Man gave me a look of disbelief, as if to say, 'Aren't you asking for the same thing?'
Then, he let out a short laugh and spoke.
“Could I say no? She pestered me for days on end. There was no way I could hold out.”
I could just imagine Sion pestering the Old Man, and the corners of my mouth lifted.
Knowing Sion's personality, once she set her mind to something, she would never give up.
“So I have no grounds to stop you. No justification at all.”
The Old Man drank his coffee in silence.
He took a sip, then slowly set the cup down again.
A brief silence.
Then he said nonchalantly.
“Do what you want.”
“But you're strictly support. Don't you dare go to the front lines.”
“Thank you!”
That was permission.
Standby support. That was more than enough.
*
Gaon's training grounds are excellent in their own right.
With state-of-the-art equipment, carefully selected training programs, and top-tier instructors on site, it was a facility second to none for cultivating heroes.
But the Vanquisher's training ground was the best in the world.
Every single piece of training equipment, every combat simulation system, had been personally customized.
Of course, there were times I just trained at Gaon out of laziness, but today I'd come for the first time in a while.
-Fwang!
The sound of something slicing through the air echoed from within the training ground.
It seemed someone was already here.
It was Sion.
She stood holding her bow, calmly gazing at the target.
The moment she drew the bowstring taut—
a black flame erupted.
The flame flickered, burning as if it would devour the very air. This was no ordinary mana.
'Oh?'
Viewed through All-Encompassing Perception, her flame, though faint, was imbued with the aura of anti-magic.
I hadn't realized Sion had progressed this far.
-Vwooom.
“Huh?”
Just then, Catastrophe, slung on my back, began to vibrate.
It was as if it were resonating with that aura.
However.
“Hah…”
She soon lowered her bow and let out a deep breath.
She put away her bow and organized her gear. It looked like her training was over.
“What's a slacker like you doing here?”
I watched her for a moment before speaking in a teasing tone.
Sion was brilliant and overflowing with talent, but she didn't enjoy honing her martial skills. Therefore, the scene I had just witnessed was quite a rare sight.
Sion turned her head, startled.
Having finished her training, Sion had a completely different air about her than usual.
Her chest rose and fell lightly as she caught her breath, and her sweat-soaked clothes clung to her skin, sticking slightly with every movement.
A bead of sweat trickled down her nape, tracing her collarbone before disappearing.
The ends of her hair were damp, and her skin glistened faintly whenever she raised an arm to wipe her forehead.
“Just… it's been a while…”
Sion trailed off vaguely as she set down her bow.
After her training, Sion was much more flushed than usual.
Her face and neck were flushed with heat, likely from the exertion.
I watched her for a moment, then spoke quietly.
“Perfect timing. You have a minute?”
“Yeah, why?”
“Could you stay here with me for a bit?”
Sion blinked, her face still flushed.
I unslung the spear from my back and slowly reached out my hand.
-Vwoooom.
Catastrophe let out a low hum, trembling faintly.
It had been reacting ever since it saw Sion's black flame.
“This thing is a little dangerous, so if I collapse again or something…”
“Oh… okay.”
As I trailed off, Sion nodded lightly.
She seemed to understand and came to sit down.
'Phew…' I took a deep breath internally.
My heart was pounding.
I would have put this off if I could, but I was out of time.
To draw out the full power of Catastrophe—no, even half of it, or even a quarter—I needed Aldebaran's cooperation.
Now, it was time for the showdown.
I slowly placed my hand on the spear.
-Vwoooooom…!
The spear's vibrations grew stronger.
A cold, rough sensation traveled up from my fingertips.
In that instant.
-Grrrrr…
I heard a low growl.
I could feel the eyes of a beast peering into me.
From within the spear, something had awakened.
*
After Jung Hae-in left the room, the Old Man, Ha Tae-sung, quietly set down his coffee cup.
The black liquid in the cup rippled. For a moment, his reflection on the surface looked distorted before vanishing.
He reached across the desk. An old, worn picture frame.
A faint layer of dust had settled on the glass.
Ha Tae-sung took a handkerchief from his pocket and carefully wiped the frame.
Slowly. Then again, slowly.
In the photograph stood a woman with her long hair tied back in a ponytail.
A warm smile played on her lips, and a young man standing beside her had his arm wrapped around her playfully.
The woman resembled Sion.
And the man next to her—was a team member with a strong, resolute presence.
The two of them were once the people he cherished most.
“…”
He said nothing.
As he stared at the photo, memories surfaced naturally.
The day they—the people he cherished most—were killed by Mines.
But in the photo, she was still smiling that warm smile.
As time passed, Sion grew to resemble her more and more.
And Jung Hae-in, strangely, gave off an aura similar to 'that kid' from back then.
That fact both pleased and unsettled him.
Ha Tae-sung gazed silently at the photo before letting out a small sigh.
“…Insolent brats.”
He raised the coffee cup in his hand again.
He swallowed a mouthful of the bitter coffee.
A heavy bitterness brushed his tongue, as if he were chewing and swallowing his lingering emotions.
He thought of those he had failed to protect.
Back then, he had lacked the strength, and there had been no other path to choose.
But.
If I were ever given such a chance again.
Ha Tae-sung quietly closed his eyes.
When he opened them again, his gaze was deeper, firmer, more settled.
This time, I will not lose them.
