Chapter 60
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 60
Chapter Title: Responsibility
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Fortunately, the cause was quickly identified.
"I'm sorry. I didn't realize the paperwork from last year would only be processed now."
"Th-then...?"
It was a mishap caused by Brüel's unfamiliarity with the military's notoriously slow bureaucracy and Korea's conscription system.
"We'll have it normalized by tomorrow."
"Phew..."
I let out a sigh of relief.
"Thanks. No need to apologize. These things happen."
Honestly, Korea was a special case, wasn't it?
A country famous for its swift administration, yet one organization drags its feet, and on top of that, it only drafts a specific gender for a mere six months?
From Brüel's perspective, who had fought tooth and nail alongside men, women, and children, it must have been hard to comprehend.
Su-hyeon forgave her with boundless magnanimity.
I wasn't sure if she'd smile so graciously had the issue not been resolved, but since it was, it didn't matter.
"Thank you so much."
Brüel bowed her head as if deeply honored.
It was hard to believe this was the same person who had been clinging to Brüel's leg and wailing just moments ago.
As we chatted about the military, something else came to mind.
I'd been meaning to ask anyway, so with her here, I decided to bring it up.
"By the way. It seems like I have an ability even I don't know about."
Su-hyeon spoke in a tense voice.
Brüel naturally leaned in, responding to her whispering with her small hands clasped together.
"An ability...? Might you tell me what it is?"
"Um, you know Ga-eun, right? She just got promoted to B-rank."
We'd even watched a movie together, after all.
Brüel must remember her.
Brüel reacted with a stoic nod of admiration.
"That's impressive. There may be differences in practical skills, but in terms of pure potential, it's on par with our non-combat agents."
"Non-combat agents...?"
Didn't that mean desk job folks?
As I tilted my head, Brüel elaborated.
"Even our non-combat agents underwent rigorous training and real combat before arriving on Earth. It's an extraordinary level."
"Ahh... right."
"From what I've gathered, she hasn't been training separately, so it's quite remarkable."
"She goes to a boxing gym on weekends or something... Anyway, that's not the point. I was thinking her rank-up might be connected to me...?"
I shared with Brüel all the speculations I'd had.
First, back at the exhibition hall incident.
When I visited Chan-seong in the hospital, he'd said something like his promotion to D-rank was thanks to me.
I'd figured it was just humility talking.
He'd been a hunter for years, worked hard, endured a lot.
It made sense to credit his own efforts, right?
But hearing about Ga-eun changed that. It gave me a hunch.
Going from E to D was one thing, but C to B? That wasn't easy.
Coincidence seemed less likely than a connection between their incidents.
"I see."
Brüel rested her chin, deep in thought after hearing me out.
"Do you remember what I told you before about the World Trees we served, the sacred trees?"
"Yeah."
She'd explained it in the car during our first meeting.
Why the elves voluntarily served dryads.
In short, elves on Earth had encountered a dryad during a mission by chance, and it resembled their World Trees so much they'd broken down in tears.
"Ahem... It was that shocking and moving for us."
Brüel cleared her throat awkwardly and continued.
"There were two World Trees we revered as sacred."
"Huh? Not just one?"
"Yes, a married pair, one male and one female."
"I see... Well, we have Mom and Grandma, multiple ones too."
"Exactly. Anyway, they possessed many powers, but one in particular reminds me of what you're describing now."
Brüel held out her palm facing upward.
"It's related to the energy called mana in this land."
As her palm glowed blue, she pressed on.
"How much do you know about mana, Su-hyeon?"
"Uh, um, well? The more that accumulates in an Awakener's body, the stronger they get, healthier too... And it gives resistance inside gates?"
Caught off guard by the quiz, I racked my brain and answered. Brüel nodded.
"Correct. Awakeners push their abilities to the limit to increase their internal mana capacity, recover, and gradually expand it—like training muscles."
"I see..."
I hadn't known.
I wasn't an Awakener to begin with.
"Humans take it for granted, but to us, it's quite peculiar."
"Huh? Why? Don't elves use abilities too?"
Didn't Brüel fly around with powers, smash walls and rocks?
She shook her head firmly at my question.
"You're still plant-only, Su-hyeon, but you wield life-manipulating powers yet received a non-Awakener rating."
"Yeah, that's true...?"
I'd chalked it up to racial ability, not Awakening-derived.
That's why we faked an E-rank using elven power.
"In reality, there's no mana in your body. Tests that check resistance by emitting trace demonic energy show no reaction. Your power would purify it instead."
"Isn't that because I'm a dryad?"
"Yes. However, lacking internal mana isn't unique to you."
Brüel placed a hand on the massive hill that even her baggy T-shirt couldn't hide.
"We elves have no mana in our bodies either."
To sum up what Brüel said:
Elves don't use abilities by consuming internal mana—they draw from ambient mana.
Thus, it's the result of training and education.
With sufficient training, they all perform at similar levels on average.
"That's why you said 'A-rank level' instead of 'Awakener.'"
"Precisely. And that's why World Trees held such importance for us. They naturally drew in surrounding mana."
I didn't know if mana was essential for life, but losing power must be inconvenient.
For elves unable to store mana internally, World Trees were like oxygen generators.
Ah, but trees produce oxygen anyway?
"I suspect you have a similar power, Su-hyeon. That's why Ga-eun, the closest to you aside from me, was naturally affected. Chan-seong's low rank allowed a quick jump, I'd guess."
So, to Awakeners, I'm like an auto-farming cheat?
If this got out, I'd end up kidnapped and turned into a 24/7 phytoncide totem.
"Can I turn it on and off?"
"Sorry, I don't know that ability. But since it's natural, probably not..."
"Ah..."
"What's wrong?"
Brüel asked as I looked glum.
"You said Ga-eun hit B-rank. In our country, B-rank and above means mandatory military service. Hunters and Guards are exempt, but Ga-eun doesn't want to be a hunter. Guards can't stream on NewTube either."
"Such an odd law."
"Yeah... I feel like I unintentionally harmed her."
Brüel gazed down at me quietly before speaking.
"Using our power could resolve it easily... but that doesn't seem to be what you want."
With elven influence—like pulling my articles in a day or cutting off reporters' livelihoods—fixing Ga-eun's issue would be trivial.
Simple: change nationality. Complex: manipulate public opinion.
But it felt illegal, and if draft dodging leaked, streaming would suffer. More than that, I'd burden Ga-eun with debt, souring our bond.
"In elven society, ability growth is a blessing. It means greater responsibility, more chances to act for self and others."
Brüel closed then opened her eyes briefly.
Pride shone in her gray irises.
She seemed genuinely proud of her work for the elves.
"We don't know why Ga-eun avoids hunter life. But Su-hyeon, labeling her growth as harm is too harsh. Greater power is a key to new possibilities, offering more choices and experiences. It's no harm—potentially a blessing."
"...Still."
It might be good news for most, but not for Ga-eun...
"Good intentions can hinder growth. What Ga-eun needs isn't solutions handed to her, but support to decide for herself."
Brüel's voice was gentle yet firm.
"Ga-eun is still very young—by elven or human years, still growing. Something turned her off hunters, but it might be far less than she thinks."
Both Ga-eun and you, Su-hyeon, seem overly worried about unhatched eggs based on past events.
"......"
"If you feel responsible, talk to her openly. Analyze the situation together, help her judge coolly and rationally."
Brüel smiled softly.
"If it's still unresolved then, just give me the order."