Chapter 23. Long-Term Pawn (4)

‘As expected… my guess was right.’

Yoo Hae-bin steadied her mind once more, repeating the thought to herself. The boss’s identity, which she hadn’t known until now. She’d realized it was none other than the hero Seo Yeon-hee right around the end of the rift incident that had erupted at midnight on Sunday.

There wasn’t any solid evidence. The one piece of information that had definitively led Yoo Hae-bin to that conclusion was simple faith.

‘Dojin-kun is so thorough—how could an outsider get there first?’

By the time she and the other three had arrived at the clearing outside the rift, Seo Yeon-hee was already there. For Yoo Hae-bin, who had already suspected that the black light which suddenly appeared to fight Partus was Lee Dojin, the situation was impossible to ignore.

‘It’s obvious without even looking. Dojin-kun took out Arnaud Duré and Andrey Ilyin with some hidden power, wrecked Partus, then returned to his spot and synced up his story with Seo Yeon-hee.’

Assuming that, it naturally led to deducing Seo Yeon-hee’s identity as well. An authority on spatial magic and contract rituals. A junior of the great archmage Jeong Se-bin, who had known Lee Dojin since he was a child.

‘She matches the boss perfectly.’

Phantom’s boss was also a top-tier mage who wielded spatial magic and wish contracts freely, and shared an extremely close personal relationship with Lee Dojin. The boss’s power far outstripped the publicly known feats of Seo Yeon-hee, but that could be explained by her hiding her true abilities.

One lingering question, though…

‘Their personalities are seriously different…’

The Mist Witch Seo Yeon-hee. Since the battle twenty years ago, she had rarely shown herself, her fame barely half that of other Korean heroes. She never attended events or published research. Even though she was alive, to Yoo Hae-bin’s senses, she felt more like a historical figure from a textbook.

Still, as one of the 36 heroes, tales of her exploits and reputation for character were easy enough to find online.

‘She’s the type who leaves everyone else behind on her own.’

Not quiet by nature, but simply someone who didn’t feel the need to converse with others. Even without doing anything special, unless you ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠had the talent to match her eye level, you’d shrink back as she pulled far ahead alone. They said it was like that even in her childhood at National Academy 1, and right up until she was praised as one of the heroes who saved the world in her early twenties.

It was the complete opposite of Phantom’s boss—gentle, refined, and incredibly approachable.

Everything else fit perfectly, but that was the sticking point. Yoo Hae-bin had held off on a final conclusion for two days because of it. But…

“Hey, Hae-bin. First time chatting like this, right?”

“Ah… yes, Boss…”

Now that she was face-to-face with Seo Yeon-hee in person, any doubts felt meaningless. With a gesture that wasn’t particularly special but somehow felt so mature, Seo Yeon-hee brought her glass to her lips and tilted it, then spoke to Yoo Hae-bin.

“Don’t just stand there—come sit over here. I can’t give you booze, but their non-alcoholic cocktails are pretty good too.”

She handed over a glass layered with pretty colors of liquid. It was nothing much, just offering a drink, but Yoo Hae-bin felt oddly intimidated as she cautiously lifted the glass to her lips. The sweet yet slightly bitter taste danced on her tongue as she secretly took in Seo Yeon-hee’s appearance.

‘She’s… kinda pretty.’

She looked no older than her early thirties at most. Cool, perfectly sculpted features. Even to Yoo Hae-bin, who cared about fashion, the outfit and accessories suited her impeccably. Towering over 170cm with ample curves and a defined figure. No matter how you sliced it, she was a stunning beauty exuding mature adult charm. Acknowledging that, Yoo Hae-bin smirked inwardly with satisfaction.

‘Heh heh, still not as good as me.’

It wasn’t baseless confidence. Back in the world beyond the rift, as the dragon clan’s heir leading the resistance, Yoo Hae-bin had been the center of all the adults’ affections—a princess treatment through her childhood. One thing they all said was praise for her looks. How could she be so cute and clever? She’d grow into an incredible beauty—they never stopped complimenting her.

Yoo Hae-bin knew it wasn’t empty flattery due to her status, and her standards for beauty were sky-high as a result. Neither there nor here had she seen anyone who could match her. Jin Yu-ri was just somewhat pretty; you needed Lee Sea’s level to call someone truly pretty.

And… Seo Yeon-hee here, while superior in figure and aura, didn’t measure up to Yoo Hae-bin herself. Simple reason.

‘I’m pretty tall too, got a nice figure, and certain parts are way more impressive.’

Already this impressive at eighteen—what would happen when she fully matured, potential blooming with aura to match? Seo Yeon-hee wouldn’t stand a chance then.

‘Always hiding her face, I wondered how pretty she could be… turns out her real self isn’t better than mine.’

Unable to suppress a victorious grin, she gulped down the cocktail. Across from her, Lee Dojin eyed her suspiciously.

“Why the laugh?”

“Oh, no reason. I finally figured out what the boss is really like, and it feels like we’re closer now, so I’m just happy.”

“Yeah?”

True to his sharp mind, Lee Dojin accepted her words without suspicion. But then, as Seo Yeon-hee tilted the bottle toward his glass, she said,

“See? I told you Hae-bin would like you once she knew.”

“Looks like it?”

Lee Dojin and Seo Yeon-hee. They looked incredibly close, as always. Maybe because she was showing her true face today, it felt even more so.

Yoo Hae-bin subtly eyed the bottle they were sharing, pondering inwardly.

‘Is that her real personality?’

The publicly known personality of Seo Yeon-hee. The personality of the boss she knew. Which was the true one? Maybe she’d originally been aloof but softened around Lee Dojin.

‘Hmm… that’s a bit dangerous, isn’t it?’

It was a change that scored major narrative points. And it overlapped with the position Yoo Hae-bin had her eyes on long-term.

Around then, Lee Dojin spoke up.

“Anyway, the reason I called you here today, Hae-bin… is to settle up on what we did last time.”

“Yeah, I kinda guessed. Go ahead, make it casual.”

Lee Dojin gave her an approving look. Then continued.

“Arnaud Duré wasn’t involved in the Great Rift of his own will. Right now, the confirmed traitor is Andrey Ilyin.”

“That guy—no, that bastard—is still unconscious, right?”

No deaths from this S-rank rift. The hunters who fought the monster hordes had only minor injuries, and civilians were unscathed. The worst cases were the three European heroes and Lee Dojin. The others had recovered with treatment; only Andrey Ilyin, known for battling some mystery demon, remained comatose in the hospital.

“I made him that way. The details are complicated, but basically, he’s not Andrey Ilyin anymore—he’s a puppet obeying my orders.”

“Hmm… so you’re using him as bait to draw out the other traitors?”

“Exactly. He smuggled out data that caused the Great Rift. We’ll track who he handed it to and cut off the tail.”

“Ooh… as expected of our professor. You’re the best at plotting conspiracies.”

“…Is that a compliment?”

“Of course it is.”

Grinning warmly, Yoo Hae-bin raised her hand brightly.

“But can I ask one question?”

“What? I’ll tell you anything I can, so ask away if you’re curious.”

“Well, you see…”

Yoo Hae-bin chose her words carefully. She had no intention of asking how he controlled Andrey Ilyin. Probably some mysterious power. That wasn’t important. What she really wanted to ask Lee Dojin was…

“Partus, right? I know the professor is super strong and all, but… uh, how do I put this… balance-breaking? It felt just a little off. Not that I’m suspecting you weirdly or anything—I’m just curious.”

Yoo Hae-bin clearly remembered Lee Dojin fighting Partus. He’d looked utterly demonic—both in appearance and power.

“Hoo…”

Lee Dojin let out a long breath and downed his drink. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Seo Yeon-hee watched silently without joining in, as his gaze drifted to the cigarette pack on the table. He didn’t light one, though, and spoke clearly to Yoo Hae-bin.

“Yeah. Guess I should tell you too.”

Yoo Hae-bin’s heart pounded hard. Lee Dojin, always so composed during these things, had an expression that seemed slightly trembling, unlike usual.

Finally, he spoke, pointing to his heart with his left hand.

“There’s something in here.”

“In your heart?”

“Yeah. Around here. It’s sealed now, but it might wake up again later.”

“…What is it?”

“…”

A brief silence. Then, at last, Lee Dojin revealed the secret.

“Hae-bin, you know what a Demon God is?”

“Y-…? Uh… no, wh-what?”

She’d half-expected something demonic, but this exceeded even that, leaving Yoo Hae-bin stunned as she blurted it out.

I couldn’t tell them about World Guardian or Kill the Evil. But sharing what I’d just said with Seo Yeon-hee and Yoo Hae-bin? No hesitation there.

The Demon God’s fragment—maybe more than that. They needed to know it slumbered in my body.

I planned to get a sealing ritual from Seo Yeon-hee, and Yoo Hae-bin deserved to know too. The child forced to flee her home due to the Great Rift. Heir to lead the resistance beyond. Member of the terrorist group Phantom. Now my most trusted comrade after Seo Yeon-hee.

And… if worst came to worst and I went wrong, someone to stop me and carry on what I couldn’t. My successor.

So I had to tell her.

“Partus was after this from the start. More precisely, this power drew him in.”

“So… ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the professor noticed, and took Partus and that Demon God fragment down together in mutual destruction?”

“Right. I even thought of turning Partus into a puppet, but that would’ve weakened this less. Sending him back alive was tough too— he learned too much. It could cause big changes ‘over there,’ and for you, Hae-bin… I don’t know, sorry.”

What impact Partus’s sudden disappearance would have on the world beyond the rift was unknown. If the resistance still held, whether it’d help them positively—who knew?

But Yoo Hae-bin shot back like it was ridiculous.

“Professor, are you underestimating my family right now?”

“Huh?”

Shocked and flustered, yet she pressed on firmly.

“We’re the resistance, name says it all. Killing even one Demon King is obviously good. How much did we suffer because we couldn’t? If their forces change, we’ll exploit it—not blame you for killing Partus. My dad, mom, grandma—they’re not the type to resent over this.”

“…My bad.”

A sudden thought hit me. The OX question from clearing Volume 2’s unique quest. Maybe use it to check the situation beyond the rift?

We’d interact with that side eventually, and it wasn’t just for Yoo Hae-bin. I’d use it.

Decision made, I said curtly,

“Wanna find out?”

“Pardon?”

Ignoring her question, I opened the hologram.

My first thought was relief. Then the implications.

“Hey… Hae-bin.”

“Yes, Professor? But what did you—”

“This isn’t just talk—it’s fact. Believe it.”

“What?”

“Your side, the resistance.”

“Yeah. Why the resistance?”

“Don’t know who lived or died, but they’re still active?”

“Wha… what, really… for real?”

Yoo Hae-bin stared blankly. I answered clearly.

“Yeah. I can check stuff like this sometimes. They’re really active.”

“Ah… really, really…? You’re not lying?”

Her face flushed red. Shock, overwhelming joy. Hesitant, like holding something back… then in a trembling voice,

“Professor, then… there’s something I’m dying to know. Could you maybe check that too?”

“What?”

I’d already guessed what she’d ask. Eyes brimming red, the child separated from family pleaded,

“If it’s a burden on you, don’t worry about it… but I’m so curious. My dad, mom, grandma—are they alive? If you can check… could you tell me?”

The previous OX had clear purpose. Useful long-term, not just favoritism. But this one? Different.

Resistance leaders, her family. Their survival wouldn’t hugely impact plans. I knew that, and used the OX without hesitation.

I didn’t see Yoo Hae-bin as just a long-term pawn to exploit. This girl who risked her life against Partus to protect Sea at my request—I wouldn’t calculate gains and losses with her.

So I checked what she desperately wanted to know, and gave the answer she craved.

“Yeah, all three are alive. Still leading the resistance.”

“Ah… ah…”

Yoo Hae-bin bowed her head. But the tears streaming down her cheeks and her sobs couldn’t be hidden.

A child separated from family for over a decade, masking sorrow with smiles.

“Ah, ugh, ah… Professor, thank you, really, thank you, thank you… Mom, Dad, Grandma… thank you, Professor, snff, thank you…”

Endlessly thanking me through sobs, I watched her with a lump in my throat.

I… was overlapping her with myself. Her, thinking family lost; me, fighting to save mine.

Good she could rejoice like that. I hoped someday I could cry like her too.

That’s what I wished.