Ah, No! Legendary Weapons Are Still Important!
“Ah, no! Legendary weapons are still important!”
“What the hell are you talking about all of a sudden?!”
Yeonseo scowled at Yeonwoo’s reaction. She immediately reached out, grabbed Yeonwoo’s cheeks, and twisted her head this way and that, inspecting it closely.
“You said your head wasn’t hurt.”
“But hospital bills and legendary weapons are both impor—”
“That’s why!” Yeonseo shrieked. At the same time, she gripped Yeonwoo’s face firmly, holding it in place. They were close. So close their breaths nearly mingled, everything sharp and clear. Yeonwoo just stared quietly at Yeonseo. She was yelling furiously, but her face wasn’t truly angry. Her pursed lips were as stubborn as ever. But that was just how she was. She’d been like that since the day they first met at the orphanage. Instead, the real emotions hidden in that worried expression were joy. Relief. Happiness. They came through her hands touching Yeonwoo’s face, clear as day in her glaring eyes. Only Yeonwoo could pick up on it. Of course. Because she was the big brother. Now a big sister, but that didn’t matter.
“You were really worried, huh?”
Yeonwoo grinned. A confident smile, flashing her teeth fully.
“……Good thing.”
“Yeah. Sorry for making you worry.”
“Yeah.”
It was enough. They’d been apart longer than this before. This was plenty.
……Huh?
But this time, it was Yeonwoo’s turn to worry about Yeonseo. Had she been stressing out too much? She didn’t look great.
“You feel a bit feverish.”
Yeonwoo pressed her forehead against Yeonseo’s.
“……!”
Yeonseo’s eyes went wide. She whipped her head away.
“W-Why! What’s wrong with you, seriously!”
But in the process, her angry grip twisted Yeonwoo’s head too. Even as a Tier II hunter, a defenseless surprise attack like that was disorienting.
“Ugh!”
Yeonwoo tumbled to the floor with the blanket. The bed wasn’t big enough, and she really hit the ground. No dizziness, though. Thanks to Gyroscope. But something else felt a bit off.
“Huh.”
Yeonwoo touched her cheek. Even caught off guard, the push had been pretty strong.
“You’re not a kid—what was that?!”
In the end, Yeonseo’s voice rose again. She was seriously pissed, refusing to even look at Yeonwoo with her head turned away.
“Sorry. Kinda gross, right?”
“It’s not… that!”
She shrieked once more. Then she hung her head low, out of Yeonwoo’s sight.
“I mean, this. It’s not like that. It’s not.”
She mumbled in a tiny voice. But it was unclear who she was talking to.
“Sorry. I’ll be careful, for real.”
“No. Jeez. Seriously.”
Yeonseo shook her head helplessly. Then she turned back around like nothing happened. The bed was now hers. Meanwhile, the patient Yeonwoo was left rolling on the floor with the blanket. Naturally, Yeonseo ended up looking down at her. But since Yeonwoo had started the forehead prank, she accepted her position meekly.
“The hospital bill’s fine for now.”
“The deposit, huh.”
“We couldn’t even stay here a few days with our deposit anyway.”
“True.”
“And half the deposit’s my money. I won’t forgive you using it all by yourself.”
She was right. It was a monthly rental, but the place they’d scraped together with their hard-earned cash.
“This place… the priest guy set it up.”
“Oh, Mikael?”
“Yeah. That name.”
“That guy. Knew he’d step up.”
Yeonwoo beamed. The relief hit late, and she couldn’t hold back the smile. As expected from a massive company—super generous. With the biggest worry solved, her mind and body relaxed. Yeonwoo leaned against the blanket and sprawled out flat on the floor. True to a luxury room, the floor was spotless and refreshing.
“What’re you saying.”
Yeonseo shot her a side-eye. Then something occurred to her, and she furrowed her brows.
“He called you ‘hyung,’ didn’t he? What’s that about?”
“You call me oppa too.”
“I’m used to it, no choice. You didn’t tell him everything, right?”
“Why worry about that? He’s got issues with women by nature, so I told him to just call me hyung.”
Yeonwoo waved it off casually. She’d already adapted to floor life, rolling around and wrapping the blanket around herself like a burrito. Honestly, this floor beat home.
“But he never called you that in the Ant Nest? Only when no one’s around—must be super embarrassed.”
“……It’s not that.”
“Huh?”
“Doesn’t matter if you don’t know.”
Yeonseo outright clicked her tongue. Whatever—Yeonwoo just kept rolling on the floor.
“You talk to Mikael?”
“Yeah, briefly. But this story? How long we gotta keep going?”
“Oh.”
Yeonseo’s words added question marks. Yeonwoo sensed danger instinctively and racked her brain for an evasion tactic.
“He’s cute, right? Want me to introduce you?”
“……Hah.”
But she stepped right on a landmine. Yeonseo let out a short, hollow laugh and looked down at Yeonwoo coldly. More like indifferent, really. A face saying she couldn’t care less.
“You know this isn’t the time.”
“Ah. Yeah. Right.”
Honestly, Yeonwoo had no idea what “time” that was. Still, she nodded vigorously. The mood demanded it. Later, she’d ask Mikael what happened with her sister.
* * *
Desperate excuses led naturally into the Ant Nest story. Anyone else, maybe not—but Yeonseo was family. She had to know. Yeonwoo spilled about her 21 days there.
“So the ants were tough to catch?”
“Waking up the feel for weapons is key.”
“Hmm. If you awaken with magic power, no need to fight up close, right? Just burn ’em all.”
“You still need physical stats. Even magic-focused hunters end up in close quarters half the time.”
Surprisingly, Yeonseo listened intently. She even asked about hunter tactics and habits. The story dragged on. Yeonwoo propped her chin on the floor, spilling details. Yeonseo lay sideways on the bed, chin propped, nodding nonstop. Unconsciously mirroring each other—like perfect sisters.
“So. I became the Gate Liberator.”
“Ooh. Clap clap.”
Clap. Clap. Clap.
With Yeonseo’s perfunctory applause, the Ant Nest saga finally ended.
“But. It’s a bit different from what I heard.”
Yeonseo rolled to the bed’s edge, peeking her head out. It was fully her bed now.
“How could it be? I’m the main character.”
“Dunno what that means. Word is, the Gate Liberator’s a saintess.”
“What saintess.”
Ridiculous. A saint made sense for Mikael, but Eden kept that secret.
“So Babel and Portress are pressuring Eden to reveal her. Articles still popping up a month later.”
“Nothing like that happened. Why the rumor?”
“Who knows if you don’t? A saintess wouldn’t be ordinary. No one eye-catching? Like, aura on sight… or super, pretty…….”
Yeonseo trailed off. She scanned Yeonwoo—legs crossed, sprawled sideways—from top to bottom.
“……Oh.”
Yeonwoo mumbled blankly too. The anomaly’s end was too chaotic. She’d blacked out long after. Now the ignored memory surfaced.
“Crap. Overdid it.”
Yeonwoo clutched her forehead. Reaped what she sowed—strutting with Eden’s name.
“What the hell have you been doing?”
Thus, Yeonseo became the second person to know the full Ant Nest saintess truth.
“Ah. Come to think, you were like that coming out too.”
“Coming out? What was it like?”
Yeonwoo had been unconscious, clueless on her exit.
“You looked super holy. Wrapped in cloth with a huge cross on it.”
“Hah. Straight-up Eden advertising.”
Pfft, ahaha.
“Funny now, you brat?”
“No, think about it. Eden’s gotta be pissed and baffled, coughing up a fake saintess.”
“Yeah. That’s hilarious.”
Thinking it over, Yeonwoo chuckled too.
Not bad, actually.
Mystery liberator-slash-saintess, hidden away. Plus a month’s blackout. Perfect to dodge scrutiny on Gate Liberators. Too much attention made hunter life tricky.
Grrrowl.
Yeonwoo’s stomach roared hungrily.
“Ah. Laughing made me starving.”
“At least be embarrassed.”
“What for? Wanna go eat?”
Yeonwoo sprang up. Not a question—a declaration. Food was always priority.
“Ah. Clothes. Where’re my old ones?”
“That rag? I burned it.”
“Why always burning stuff.”
Yeonwoo narrowed her eyes, gauging Yeonseo. How many things had she torched now? Anything burned stressed her out. Even that coat—not easy to ignite.
“Safest way.”
Yeonseo just smiled nonchalantly.
“Figured, so I brought spares.”
“Thanks.”
“But okay? Hospital lobby’s packed.”
True. Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital partnered with Eden. Even after a month, Eden-linked spots drew saintess chasers.
“So what. Skip the lobby.”
“Huh?”
* * *
“Kyaaah!”
With Yeonseo’s scream, Yeonwoo leaped from the window. Thud. Light, effortless landing. Fourth floor? Nothing for a Tier II hunter.
“Scared ya?”
“Y-Yeah. No, this… kinda fun.”
Despite “fun,” Yeonseo clung tight, dangling. Stunned face, no thought of letting go.
“Time to get down.”
“Oh, yeah. Right.”
Finally loosening her grip. Yeonwoo gently set her down.
Huh.
But something felt off. Earlier on the bed. During the drop. Yeonseo’s hold was surprisingly strong.
Me sleeping too long?
Her hunter strength was intact despite slight thinness. Cause was Yeonseo.
Just startled.
No big deal. Only thing mattering was the insane hunger stabbing her gut.
“Outside’s the best.”
Yeonwoo bounced lightly in place. Room was fancy, clean—but open air ruled. Ant Nest time made real-world freedom euphoric.
“Yeah. Totally.”
Yeonseo replied. But not looking at Yeonwoo.
“…….”
She alternated glances between the wide-open fourth-floor window and Yeonwoo’s casual landing spot. Gauging something. Clenching and unclenching her fists repeatedly.