Chapter 195
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 195
Chapter Title: Lesson 38. Ban Yu-won's Words Come True - 5
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The atmosphere inside the vehicle heading to the dungeon the next day was incredibly awkward.
The members of Oculus Ruber, led by Ban Yu-mi, were openly wary of Phoenix Knights—or more precisely, their leader, Keira.
Judging from the way they kept glancing back and forth between Keira and Ban Yu-won, it seemed his damn sister had spilled everything about what happened on that school trip two years ago.
She probably wouldn't have mentioned something so private under normal circumstances, but who could've guessed that the woman he'd hooked up with back then would turn out to be Britain's number one ranker?
In the confusion, when the group pressed her, she must've blurted it all out without a chance to hide it.
"Ban Yu-mi, seriously."
"Huh? I didn't say anything!"
His sister put on a rare feeble act, looking uncomfortable under Ban Yu-won's sharp glare.
Regardless of what the others thought, Keira—who had teased the group yesterday by pretending not to understand Korean—was in such a good mood today that she greeted them first in Korean the moment they met.
Right now, she was approaching Lucelle like an old friend to get an autograph.
"Thanks for the signature! You're even prettier in person, Lucelle!"
"I'm the one who's grateful for all your support."
To call yourself a true fan, you had to love not just the top favorite, but every member of Rebellion.
Lucelle, who had been a bit guarded at first, broke into a wide smile when Keira showed her sponsorship history and platinum card, happily signing for her.
"Whoa, she's no joke. She pulled Lucelle to her side right away!"
"But Lucelle's into that kind of ideology, right? So, what, she'd even be okay as a concubine or something?"
"Western girls really do have trashy mindsets..."
"Apologize to the West right now."
Keira insisted that forming a deep relationship with Ban Yu-won would be an honor as a mere fan, but that didn't mean she felt nothing for him—it would be a lie to say otherwise.
They'd met by chance two years ago and reunited like this... plus, there was one more connection between them that even Keira didn't know about (Ban Yu-mi), so even Ban Yu-won couldn't help feeling some fate tying them together.
"Hahaha, I'm just a fan, you know? Our first meeting did leave a strong impression, though—"
"...Shotacon."
"I'm not?!"
"Look at her using Ban Yu-mi's ultimate move!"
"It's not a suicide bomb?"
Only Oculus Ruber members—those hopeless romantics who couldn't even live up to their looks—would expose their inner thoughts so blatantly.
Keira, who owed Ban Yu-won a huge favor, kept her feelings hidden, and he might not have even noticed if he hadn't seen it with his own eyes.
"Of course, I'd be fine with one night... What do you think, Yu-won? After we clear the dungeon, just the two of us at that place we couldn't go to last time?"
"O-one night."
The Oculus Ruber members froze solid, as if hit by a group petrification spell.
When Lucelle narrowed her eyes at her, Keira burst into roaring laughter.
"Ahahahaha! Just kidding! You all seemed to see me as some loose woman, so I played along for a bit. But come on, I'm Britain's top ranker—do I look like I'd stir up scandals lightly?"
"Joking...? That was a joke?!"
"Oh no, even Mi-yeon unnie's broken."
Ban Yu-won watched as even Kang Mi-yeon, the most mature of the group, got completely overwhelmed by Keira, and he couldn't shake the worry that these girls might die virgins.
Why had his sister gathered these girls and made an all-women guild? Was she pulling a water ghost strategy so she wouldn't die a spinster alone?
"Hehe, now that the tension's broken, let's talk about the dungeon."
"You created tension that wasn't there!"
"Dungeon? Is there something to discuss? It's not like we have inside info anyway."
"I want to hear about the dungeon Oculus Ruber cleared. It's the same G-rank."
"True."
There was more than one G-rank dungeon in Britain, but the one Oculus Ruber had stepped up to handle was the most dangerous, located right in the heart of London.
"Like the one in Seoul, these things always pop up in crowded places."
"Not always, but mostly."
"The dungeon we went into... what was it like? I remember Yu-jina and I suffered like hell."
"Don't lie, unnie. We didn't even get a chance to step in."
As the group chatted idly, Ban Yu-won gazed out the window at the Thames River scenery, lost in strange nostalgia for the London he'd visited in high school.
Back then, he'd just sat on a bus with friends, trading silly banter and snapping commemorative photos everywhere. In just two years, everything had changed so drastically.
He wanted to see those friends from back then, but he doubted he could meet them with pure intentions right now. It was just regrettable...
"By the way, couldn't we handle this one ourselves without Yu-won's help this time?"
"Mobs, maybe, but the boss? Not sure. Yu-mingming, think you can do it?"
"Huh? Of course, full power from the start—"
"Sis."
Ban Yu-won smoothly cut her off.
Then he patted the seat next to him and said curtly.
"Come here."
"You wanna die?"
"Come."
"Oh, Yu-won's going full patriarch."
"?"
As his sister sat down with a serial killer glare, Ban Yu-won infused qi into the pre-written characters on the seat [Barrier] to activate the power.
His language-manipulating ability had evolved; now he could instantly imbue a single "barrier" with sub-concepts like soundproofing, blocking, and disruption without spelling out long strings.
It was a light fix to the drawback of language magic, which required precise handwriting each time—though the effect was still potent.
"Hey, you're crossing the line lately. Who tells their sky-like big sis to come and go...?"
"Sis, hear anything from Mom?"
Ban Yu-mi, determined to reassert her big-sister authority, froze mid-rant at her brother's serious tone and stared blankly at him.
"Huh, Mom?"
"About your unique power."
"You too? Don't tell me you're gonna say weird stuff. This is dangerous power. It's completely mine."
Mom must've warned her.
But from her tone, she'd skirted around the truth, making things more complicated.
"I know my power best since it's mine. It's not like those trendy constellation gifts—it's pure power born from within me. What's dangerous about it?"
"Right, it's your power. But sis... that doesn't guarantee no one else can take it from you."
"...What?"
Ban Yu-won felt he needed to make her grasp the danger of her power, even if it meant distorting the facts a bit.
"You know I've dealt with a lot of other dimensions."
"And charmed one girl per dimension, yeah, I know."
"Sure, whatever."
Irritated that he didn't deny it, she started to argue more, but he put on a sterner face.
"There are all kinds of powerholders out there. Look at mine. Especially ones who wield flames—they're after your power."
"...Even if so, they're from other dimensions, right? Wait, you mean they're on Earth?"
"Isn't there someone traveling with us today who wields flames?"
Finally getting it, Ban Yu-mi widened her eyes in shock.
Surprisingly, she looked happy.
"Keira McBride's the enemy?"
"She doesn't want to be, but yeah."
"I see... the enemy, huh. How'd you figure it out?"
"...Why do you seem pleased?"
Ban Yu-won asked awkwardly, instantly reading the swirl of emotions rising within her.
She wasn't thrilled about legally beating up Keira, whom she'd disliked, was she?
"Just so you know, Keira doesn't even realize you're the target. Don't pick a fight for no reason."
"How do you survive this harsh world with such a soft heart?"
"Planning to kill her or something?"
Ban Yu-mi's shoulders slumped at his sharp point.
He snorted.
Who was the soft one here?
"If you can't kill, don't half-ass an attack. If you're attacking, finish it."
"Then what?"
"Don't use it."
Ban Yu-won declared firmly.
"Hold back. You're strong enough without the power."
"I can't hold back for long, no matter what."
I know.
If you had that kind of patience, you wouldn't be my nemesis.
"You have to. Even if it's hard... just a bit longer."
"And then?"
"Once I'm stronger, I'll catch everyone bullying you and crush them all."
"...Heh."
It probably wouldn't take that long.
Ban Yu-won knew his current position clearly, and that his enemies were overwhelmingly powerful.
But he knew even better how ridiculously fast he was growing.
"So hold out for about three years. You're already number one without it."
Of course, if she unleashed her real power, Keira would be on a whole other level compared to others—but she wasn't even Earth-born to begin with...
...Wait, neither was his sister.
"What? You, crushing people? Cocky little brother..."
"Where'd you learn all those weak-ass lines?"
"Shut up."
Furious at his one-sided lecturing, Ban Yu-mi flicked his forehead, but he took it without retaliating.
"Ban Yu-mi."
"What? Gonna hit me? Bring it, I'll finish you this time—"
"Hypothetically."
Watching his sister shadowbox with whooshing sounds, Ban Yu-won asked.
"What if you were a princess of some country."
"Pfft."
"Ugh, gross."
Catching her off guard with the unimaginable "what if," Ban Yu-mi spat out laughing.
She yelled at Ban Yu-won, who grimaced while wiping his face.
"I'm twenty-two! Get your head straight, Ban Yu-won!"
"No, listen. You're a princess, but chased out by a rebellion young, so you disguise as a commoner and get adopted into our family."
"Adopted daughter..."
Though she'd planned to ignore his nonsense, one word caught her, and she paused.
"What would you do? Live happily with us? Or... reclaim the throne."
This was a crucial question.
Ban Yu-won couldn't stand by passively, and harm to family was harm to him.
It involved Mom and sis.
Depending on their thoughts, his future actions could change.
Aware or not of his resolve, Ban Yu-mi pondered before asking.
"What happens if I live with your family?"
"What do you mean? We just live."
"...As your sister?"
Now it was Ban Yu-won's turn to be speechless.
That wasn't what he'd meant.
Choking for a moment, he hesitated but soon laid out his honest thoughts.
"Throne or no throne, you're still my sis. You going somewhere makes you a stranger?"
"But I would be a stranger in reality."
"Don't get sappy all of a sudden. Twenty years under one roof—who's a stranger!"
"It was a 'what if,' you psycho!"
That's the problem, since it's not!
Guessing her inner feelings to some extent, he gritted his teeth, pretended ignorance, and continued.
"Am I that disgusting? Ah, so will you be queen or not."
"Obviously."
Ban Yu-mi declared without hesitation.
"Ruling everything my way has been my dream since childhood."
"No wonder you were such a brat growing up."
"Ban Yu-won."
"What."
With utterly sincere eyes, Ban Yu-mi said.
"You just asked if I hate you."
"No need to answer. I already know."
"No, you don't."
Snorting, she placed hands on both his shoulders, face serious.
"I really hate you."
"Yeah..."
Normally, he'd fire back that he felt the same.
But her heart was plain to see, so he said nothing.
Perhaps spooked by his lack of retort, Ban Yu-mi pouted and changed the subject.
"I'll hold out for three more years."
"Yeah, three years."
By then, the vehicle had arrived at the dungeon.
The Oculus Ruber executives, misunderstanding the pair emerging from the barrier, stared at them tensely, but Ban Yu-won couldn't be bothered to clear it up and just let it be.