Chains (6)
The potions crafted from materials harvested from chained Gates almost always exhibit effects bordering on miraculous. Despite their exorbitant prices, demand continues to climb steadily, which only proves how thoroughly they've been validated. Take the Uroboros's Elixir I used over the weekend, for example. As a popular product that had once ranked in the 'Association's Top 10 Potions,' its effects were nothing short of absurd.
No matter how much you’re blessed by mana, the power you can output at once is inherently limited. No matter how hard you crumple an empty can, what could possibly come out? You’d be lucky if it didn’t tear. But once Uroboros's Elixir enters the picture, the story changes completely. Desire that overflows and spills out. Stamina that refuses to wane no matter how violently your body is used. It feels as if an endless spring of energy has burst open inside you.
Unlike cheap potions that burn through your life force, the side effects are minimal. The only real drawback is… the mental exhaustion that comes from indulging without restraint.
“…If you’re not feeling well, shouldn’t you rest?”
Min Soyeon asked with clear worry in her voice. I waved my hand lightly, insisting I was fine. I said I was okay, but honestly, I felt like I was going to die. My body was brimming with vitality, yet my mind teetered on the edge of collapse. If I could, I’d sprawl out and sleep for days. But I couldn’t afford that.
With exams over, it was time to begin Soyeon’s training in earnest. I’d been so preoccupied with taking care of her that I’d forgotten, but I needed to elevate her to the strongest position as quickly as possible. The fate of the world was at stake, and yet I’d been wasting time on pathetic worries like whether Min Soyeon might like me romantically… I really had grown far too complacent.
As I headed toward the Academy with Min Soyeon, who had joined me midway—
“…Hey, what’s that on your neck?”
Min Soyeon pointed at my nape and asked cautiously.
“Huh?”
Was something on it? I rubbed the spot she indicated, but felt nothing.
“Is there something stuck on me?”
“…No. It looks like a red bruise.”
“What?”
Nape… red bruise… Ah.
It was my wife’s handiwork.
Startled, I quickly covered my neck with my hand and spoke carefully.
“…Is it bad?”
Min Soyeon shook her head slightly instead of answering.
…Thankfully, it didn’t seem too severe.
“…M-must be a mosquito bite…?”
“…In this weather?”
“Th-they come out sometimes….”
I casually lowered my hand and resumed walking as if nothing had happened. Min Soyeon stared at my neck for a moment before losing interest and turning away. It seemed she hadn’t figured it out.
…Our Soyeon really is so innocent. Thank goodness.
*
After finishing the commute to school with Min Soyeon. By the time I received a bandage from the infirmary and returned to the classroom—
…What’s with this atmosphere?
The mood in the classroom felt strange. A quick glance revealed every student’s gaze locked on the back of the room, where two girls stood facing each other in clear confrontation.
Min Soyeon and Gong Haeseon.
The two of them stood near my desk, engaged in what looked like a quiet conversation. But the air between them was anything but warm and friendly.
What’s going on?
The moment I took a step forward with that question in mind—
“Oh, it’s Yu Jihwan.”
Someone called my name, and instantly every student’s eyes snapped toward me.
…Me?
While I stood there dazed by the sudden barrage of attention, the girl seated in front of me quietly spoke up. During my brief absence, Gong Haeseon had come looking for me.
…Haeseon…?
Oh no…
Come to think of it, after we parted ways last Friday, I hadn’t contacted her once. She had always reached out without fail, but the moment exams ended, I went completely silent…
Didn’t that make me look like trash who took everything he could get and then ghosted her?
No. Since I actually hadn’t contacted her, I basically was trash.
Having finally realized why Gong Haeseon was looking for me, I quickly approached the two girls and greeted them as naturally as possible.
“…Good morning.”
At that moment, both of them turned to look at me simultaneously. Min Soyeon bit her lip with clear displeasure, while Gong Haeseon wore an expression of visible relief. Both of them gazed at me with eyes that seemed to want something.
…What is it…?
I carefully observed their expressions, about to speak, when—
“G-good morning, Jihwan! Did you have a good weekend…? You didn’t contact me, so….”
Gong Haeseon spoke first. Was it just my imagination? Her words somehow carried a different meaning. As if asking how much fun I must have had to completely forget to message her.
“I should have contacted you. I was busy and it slipped my mind… Sorry.”
“I-I see… I’m glad nothing bad happened….”
Watching Gong Haeseon let out a sigh of relief, I felt a strange pang of guilt.
…It’s not exactly a lie….
I really had been too busy to call, so it wasn’t a lie.
As I exchanged a few short words with Gong Haeseon, I felt a sharp gaze boring into me from the side. When I glanced over, Min Soyeon was glaring at me with wide, intense eyes.
Ugh….
Maybe it was because I had just come from seeing my wife, but today she looked even more like her mother than usual. Slightly flustered by Soyeon’s murderous stare, I hurriedly changed the subject.
“…So why are you two gathered here?”
Suddenly, Min Soyeon took a step closer and snapped at me.
“…You. Who are you going to sit with?”
“Huh?”
What was this sudden talk about sitting with someone…? While I let out a dumb sound, unable to understand, Min Soyeon slammed her hand down on the desk beside me with a loud thump and repeated herself.
“…I’m asking who’s going to sit in this seat.”
The spot she struck was the desk right next to mine—the one Gong Haeseon had been using until recently.
…Wait, they were fighting over a seat?
Only then did I finally understand what Min Soyeon was talking about.
“So… you two were discussing who would sit next to me…?”
When I asked to confirm, both girls nodded silently in reply.
I’d been worried it was something serious, but it was just this. I looked at Min Soyeon and Gong Haeseon, thinking carefully. It might seem like nothing more than a seat, but for them it could hold real significance. They both had feelings for me, even if those feelings differed in nature…
Let’s think this through.
If I chose Gong Haeseon, Min Soyeon—who was already harboring some jealousy—would be disappointed. On the other hand, if I chose Min Soyeon, Gong Haeseon would be hurt by suddenly losing her place beside me.
…Then wouldn’t it be best to have both of them sit with me?
“Then how about we all sit together? It might be a bit cramped, but it should be fine.”
“…What?”
“…H-huh? Together…?”
It was my own idea, but I thought it was pretty good. Gong Haeseon clearly had feelings for me. If I singled her out here, it would only raise her expectations. But suddenly asking Min Soyeon to sit beside me now would go against basic decency toward Gong Haeseon. Above all, I needed to keep some distance, just as my wife had advised.
But if I sat both of them on either side of me? That would be the best possible solution.
“…Crazy bastard.”
…Or maybe not?
*
Real Estate Agent Yang Manjun thought to himself as he clamped a hand over his mouth.
“What?! The ‘Sword Empress’ herself… Hup!!”
The ‘Sword Empress,’ who had vanished from the public eye for several years, was personally requesting a house! Word would inevitably spread, and property values would naturally skyrocket! This was a deal he absolutely had to secure.
Yang Manjun glanced around nervously before lowering his voice to a careful whisper.
“I-is this for real? Are we talking about the person I’m thinking of?”
Jeon Nando’s secretary, Shin Daeyong, who sat across from him, quietly nodded.
Now certain, Yang Manjun swallowed hard and began considering the best properties he could offer. With both the ‘Sword Empress’ and Jeon Nando involved, price was irrelevant. Given her years of seclusion, she would likely want a quiet home. She would also need to avoid public attention… minimal contact with neighbors…!
There was a luxurious penthouse with a stunning view of the Association building and Seoul’s night skyline. There were also available units in Pia Tower… No. Quiet residential houses these days were…
At that moment, Shin Daeyong pulled something from his pocket and handed it over.
“This is the request form personally submitted by the ‘Sword Empress.’”
“Oh my, if you had something like this, you should have shown me sooner… May I take a look?”
With Shin Daeyong’s permission, Yang Manjun accepted the form with a wide grin. The request written by the ‘Sword Empress’ listed six items:
1. Security is the highest priority. No contact with neighbors. *Mandatory
2. Good ventilation
3. Four or more rooms
4. Yard or terrace
5. Basic soundproofing *Mandatory
6. Easy to remodel *Mandatory
The requirements weren’t overly complicated, but they weren’t simple either.
“Hmm… I’ll look into it right away. Please wait a moment!”
As Yang Manjun searched through listings on his computer, a thought suddenly occurred to him. Why would the ‘Sword Empress’ need a house like this? And one she clearly intended to settle into for the long term.
There had been a similar request from an A-rank hunter before. That man had been looking for a secret house to conduct an affair. In the end, he was killed due to his mistress’s obsession.
After losing her husband and disappearing from sight, why was she suddenly searching for a house so secretly?
…Could she have found herself a man?
“Hehe…”
Well, it didn’t matter. As long as the deal went through…!
Yang Manjun let out a meaningless chuckle and busily moved his hands across the keyboard.
*
Just before class ended.
“We’ll soon be going on a field trip…”
The homeroom teacher delivered an announcement.
“The first and second years will be visiting Toyland!”
The moment the word Toyland left her mouth, the students began buzzing with excitement.
Toyland. A massive amusement park in Gyeonggi Province, one of the largest in the world. It had been nearly ten years, but I remembered taking my wife and Soyeon there a few times. As I briefly drifted into nostalgia—
The girl sitting to my left, Gong Haeseon, quietly spoke up.
“…J-Jihwan. Have you ever been to Toyland…?”
“Once when I was little.”
“I see… My family is very strict, so I’ve never been…”
She had never been? Not to Toyland, of all places. Just how strict was her family? It was surprising that she hadn’t gone even once on a school trip. As I turned my head slightly, amazed at how strict Gong Haeseon’s household must be—
“Th-then maybe we could go around together and—”
“…I’ve never been either.”
Both girls spoke at the exact same time.
“Sorry. You two overlapped so I couldn’t hear properly.”
Min Soyeon snorted and turned her head away with a huff.
“Hmph.”
“…I-it’s nothing…”
Gong Haeseon quietly closed her mouth, insisting it was nothing.
…Did I do something wrong?
For some reason, I couldn’t read either of their minds today.