12. Legion
12. Legion
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Even after class ended, Sihwan didn't leave.
Because Yu Ina was still tending to the trainees.
"Impressive. Even if it was just a mock battle, you survived all the way to the end."
Eun-hye asked.
She had helped Ina escort and treat the trainees, so she didn't know exactly how the Mock Raid had unfolded.
She only knew the rough announcement Soyoung had made.
Publicly, all the trainees except Sihwan had retired right at the start, and Sihwan and Bari had succeeded in depleting all of So-ri's HP, as drastically reduced by the Academy side.
In other words, they had somehow succeeded in the Mock Raid.
That alone was an incredible score.
Of course, since Sihwan was human, plenty of people dismissed even that as rigged.
"Hmm. It was a letdown."
"I see. Since it was a mock battle, So-ri-nim probably didn't go all out."
"No, that's not it—"
-Owner?
'Yeah?'
-We can just gloss over the fact that you fought evenly with So-ri-ssi.
'Why?'
-Only the Ha Family knows the full story right now.
'True.'
-Information asymmetry creates a lot of value anywhere. It might even help in winning over So-ri-ssi.
'Oh. Really?'
-Or you can reveal it properly later.
'Got it.'
"Young master?"
"Ah. It's nothing."
He was about to correct Eun-hye's misunderstanding but accepted Bari's correction and went along with it.
Sihwan was flexible as long as it wasn't an outright lie.
"...? Anyway, like I said before, Bari-ssi's combat prowess is outstanding—hard to believe she's a doll."
"Thank you."
"Did you make her, young master?"
"Nah, I don't have that kind of skill."
"Then...?"
"My people made her."
"So you bought her?"
"Nope? She was standard welfare—issued to every citizen."
"???"
Standard welfare issued to every citizen.
That concept didn't exist for people in this era, so Eun-hye couldn't comprehend it.
"Just think of it roughly. Bari's been with me since I was little, so in a way, I'm like her dad."
"?"
"...Isn't it the opposite? I'm like Sihwan-nim's mom. I changed your diapers and raised you."
"Is that how it is? Yeah, you're right."
Mother, sister, little sister, girlfriend.
The perfect life companion.
- Hey. You in there? I'm coming in.
Bang.
Right then, a woman barged in without a care.
Ha So-ri, with her long hair flowing and a lewd expression on her face.
"What the hell. Knock first. No manners."
"You do the same and tell who to knock?"
True to form, she strode over confidently and plopped down on the sofa with an arrogant air.
"Ah... So-ri-nim... I'll step out."
"No need to bother."
"Well... I'd appreciate it if you did."
Sihwan meant nothing by it, but So-ri subtly issued an order to leave.
Once Eun-hye was gone, they finally got to the point.
Staring at Sihwan's sullen face, she threw out the first line.
"Did you tell anyone?"
"About what."
"About fighting me today. How it went."
"Nope. Eun-hye asked, but I glossed over it."
"Oh. So your brain turns a little after all?"
"......Yeah."
Sihwan flinched.
So-ri continued right away.
"Well, I've got a lot to say about it. That wasn't even my full power."
"You used time stop, right? That's not full power?"
"If we fought that fiercely and I couldn't catch a single first-floor Academy scrub, what would happen to our family? As a Ha clansman, that's a highly undesirable situation."
"So you want me to keep my mouth shut from now on too?"
"It's not wrong, is it? I didn't go all out."
Strictly speaking.
Very~ strictly speaking, it was true, but with time stop broken, the difference wasn't that significant.
"Just words? It's the honor of the massive Ha Family. Protecting the truth while it's questioned costs a lot."
"What do you want?"
"Nothing I've thought about specifically."
"Something you'd like."
She said that and grinned.
Her cute yet sharp fangs peeked out a bit.
"Anyway, we'll talk about that later. Can you make more of those dolls?"
"Huh. You mean Bari?"
"Yeah."
"Hmm... Probably tough."
Bari had a Quantum Circuit 2.6 billion times faster than human bio-circuits.
That meant she could think through 82 years of human thought in one second—or in other words, accomplish in one second what a human scientist would take 82 years to research.
Plus, she could self-generate and improve, so compared to when she was "born," her current intelligence was on a whole other level.
Scientific revolutions equivalent to epochs happened inside her every moment, and after decades like that, recreating another Bari without perfectly sharing the tech would be impossible to match.
But what So-ri was asking wasn't about that intellectual side.
"If you're talking about all my functions including my intelligence, it's impossible, but if limited to my combat abilities, then yes. With enough resources and time."
"Oh. So it's possible?"
"Why? You want one?"
"If I can have it, sure."
"Not giving you one."
"Of course I wasn't planning to just take it. But you need resources and time, right? What if I provide those?"
"You got money?"
"Ha... What are you even saying? I'm Ha So-ri. Owner of this Tower."
"What do you mean you're the owner? Even looking at the whole continent's forces, you only reached like the 26th or 27th floor."
"And five of those floors are held by our Ha Family, with me having the right to distribute ownership. Excluding the gods, I'm the closest thing to the Tower's owner."
"Yeah. That's why it's not you, because of those gods."
"...Anyway, I can provide all the resources and time you need."
"Nah. I can mine resources myself, and I've got plenty of time. You just watch."
"...Even trying to say it gentlemanly, this is bullshit."
"Since when did you have serious conversations like this?"
"Fuck. How well do you think you know me?"
It started as a reasonably healthy(?) constructive(?) negotiation, but as expected with Ha So-ri and Ryu Sihwan clashing, it quickly devolved into chaos.
"Now, now, everyone calm down. So-ri-nim? Why do you want a combat doll like that?"
"To fight Angels, probably. These guys are weak."
"You're really... Sigh. Never mind."
Invincible Sihwan.
So-ri gave up responding in the end.
"It'd be useful against Angels too... but they're handling them decently on their own. In a way, it's symbiotic."
"That's a novel take."
"What I really fucking hate is the Committee."
"Why?"
"A bunch of nobodies keep fucking interfering pointlessly. Without me, they wouldn't even have a foothold in the Tower."
"...Feels like Yeonseo said something with a similar vibe."
Was this fiery personality a Ha Family trait?
Every one of them had a beautiful personality.
At this point, Soyoung too...?
"Fucking bastards. I gathered the kids, drove out the Angels, built cities, huh? And these Committee fucks live cushy on my land! Huh? Even if I kicked them out, they'd bow and say 'Thank you, Clan Head-nim!'—who the hell are they to strut around calling themselves Committee with their chests puffed?"
She suddenly went into overdrive.
Unlike her appearance, she had a lot pent up.
"What the hell did they do to you? No, would you even put up with it? Ultimate entitled nuisance girl?"
"Entitled my ass. It's just what's right."
"You were dragging around that Eun-jeong girl. Handling her however at night too. That's 'right'?"
"Of course."
"Yeah. Figures."
Giving up.
She was just that kind of woman.
"Anyway, the fucking Committee is the problem. These assholes keep uselessly checking me and my family, bitching nonstop?"
"If it's that annoying, just drive them out. Rebellion or whatever."
"That's not easy, that's the issue. There's the Yu Family, other three families too. If we clash needlessly and waste power, who knows how the Angel bitches react. No matter how fucking annoying, can't act without thinking."
"So, you want a combat doll to blow up that Committee?"
"I'd love to have it myself. If not, as long as it can wipe out the Committee, I don't care. You're conquering the Tower anyway, right? You think the Committee will leave you alone? Gotta erase them someday."
"Hmm. The plot's accelerating too fast. I haven't even started my business yet."
He was just at the stage of building structures and shops in the Slums and starting promotions—suddenly blow up the Committee?
Fancy way of saying blow up, but really, it was straight-up terrorism.
"Business? I'm Ha So-ri. With my help, you could sell shit and sit on a goldmine."
"Not doing it for money."
"Business still needs to prosper, right?"
"Yeah."
"Then do it with me. And you like girls."
"Not just any girls."
"Bullshit. You fucked me the day we met."
"Nah, you're different."
Precisely, he didn't like women—he liked 'beauties.'
Worlds apart.