183
I’m tired of being handsome
“Okay, then let’s get started.”
Berman nodded to the soft words of the pool. It was a secret space set up under Hannah’s old bar.
All four members of Group 4, excluding Aaron, were gathered around him, including Brick, Kel, and Dylan.
It was a 4th group meeting that was held periodically without the group leader knowing. The reason why it was held without the group leader knowing was-.
“It’s almost Holy Day. Just like last year, this is a bet to predict who will be the Holy Day’s promoter partner. Everyone, put one on it.”
Snake Eyes raised the corners of his mouth and held out a wooden board. There was a crooked drawing on it.
This was a game that we first started last year, and it was surprisingly fun, so we decided to hold it again this year.
“Ugh… Even if I walk all the way, won’t it end up like last year?”
Brick grumbled softly. He had made the same bet last year, but it had been undone by the leader who had been drinking all day.
“I never knew a person could drink like that.”
Brick muttered, shuddering slightly.
Now everyone has a girl, but last year everyone was alone except for Kel.
I was fooled by the promise to buy everything and went out drinking with Aaron, but I almost died from drinking. I wasn’t joking or metaphorically speaking, I was seriously fainting.
The leader placed the jug next to him and drank from a bowl. He felt like a monster, not a human.
“Then you get it back. But isn’t it still fun?”
He spoke, tapping the board.
Everyone nodded. After all, there was nothing more interesting than other people’s love stories. And it was thrilling to have money involved.
“Then I will go first. I will bet on Secretary Nova.”
The pool took out five silver coins and placed them on the picture of the book. Everyone reacted with astonishment.
“···Nova? You’re talking about the secretary Nova, who is famous for his foul personality?”
Brick asked in a shaky voice.
“You don’t know what I’m talking about. Don’t you know that people who are similar tend to date each other? Nova’s personality is dirty? Our team leader is a loser named Aaron.”
Everyone was slightly impressed by Poole’s firm answer.
It was certainly a reasonable argument.
There were even some who were hesitant, but two people couldn’t bet on one. That was an unspoken rule.
“Then I’m here.”
Berman controlled his expression and placed five silver coins on the picture of the castle. It was a newly added picture, and it meant Yeong-ae.
A shock of a different meaning than before erupted.
“Why did you call Young-ae?”
Grass looked at Berman with sharp eyes and asked.
Although I had some basis for the information I got from Razbet, I couldn’t reveal him.
“Just a feeling.”
Berman answered, averting his gaze. The already thin grass’s eyes became even thinner.
“As expected, Berman still doesn’t know women even though he lives with them.”
Kel grinned. The laughter tickled his lips, but Berman held it back. It was a promise with Razbeth.
“Then I’ll hang it here!”
Then Dylan stepped in. Dylan placed a silver coin on the picture of the beer.
“Hae-na, I was going to trip you! Get out of the way!”
Kel hurriedly took out a silver coin and shouted.
“Didn’t I call first? Get out. If you don’t want to get hit in the back of the head.”
Then Dylan twirled the dagger in his hand. The hand movements were so dazzling that it almost seemed like the dagger was dancing. However, it didn’t seem to have much practical effect.
Kel immediately swung his fist. Dylan, who was hit in the back of the head, fell forward. The Dylan behind him was pretty scary, but the Dylan next to him was a piece of shit.
Berman hurriedly pushed the table aside and Poole quickly picked up the wooden plank. Kel and Dylan scrambled to get involved.
“It’s definitely the most likely one.”
“But Hannah had a chance last year and failed, right?”
Berman questioned the mutterings of the grass. It was most likely Hannah, who lived in the same building as Aaron, but it was similar last year.
No, last year there were actually fewer people in the dorm. But Hannah failed anyway, so this year will be similar.
“······I hope everyone can continue the promotion.”
At that moment, Brick muttered softly. Berman nodded at the sincerity in his voice.
Aaron Cho is always joking and laughing, but there were times when it felt like he wasn’t really laughing.
It had been over two years since Aaron came to Cassidy, and was approaching three years.
There were more than a few women who had been flirting with Aaron, but there was no news from a single one of them.
It felt like it would just disappear one day, as if it had suddenly appeared.
I had a feeling that if Aaron had a woman, that feeling would lessen.
Perhaps Brick had the same thought···.
“······I can’t be the only one getting married. I can’t enjoy this goodness by myself. I have to enjoy all of this happiness. Everyone has to enjoy it.”
Berman clicked his tongue and snatched Brick’s beer mug.
***
‘Why is he like this again?’
I squinted my eyes at Nova.
Nova’s atmosphere was subtly different from usual.
Unlike other ignorant medieval people, I was able to sense the subtle currents because I was a meticulous modern person.
I studied Nova closely, trying to solve the problem with a detective’s keen eye.
Nova usually had her hair tied up tightly, without missing a single strand, but today it was a bit disheveled and there were some loose hairs sticking out. It was clearly a sign of worry.
‘If it’s a concern······, it’s a story about Frederick Guild.’
There could be no complaints about the establishment of the branch, so it was likely a problem regarding the Kirton Mountains.
“What are you doing? Sit down.”
Nova spoke first.
Looking closely, he seemed a little tired. When I’m tired, garlic juice is perfect, but now there was no garlic left.
I sat down at the spacious table next to me. There were papers laid out on both sides as if someone had just been there.
He must have been some kind of Yahoo fool.
Nova sat across from me, placing a cup of tea in front of me. The cup contained lukewarm tea.
Nova, sitting across from me, stared at me intently. Her eyes were strangely burdensome.
“what.”
“······you.”
Nova paused for a moment. Feeling frustrated, he urged her on again.
“what.”
“No. So… how are you these days?”
“What.”
“Just anything. How is it?”
Nova, who was usually ‘quick and simple’, asked around. I was very worried that he might have been hit in the head with a hammer.
“hmm···.”
Nova’s question was quite comprehensive. I took a sip of the tea. The peculiar bitter taste filled my mouth. It was tasteless.
“Did you know? The tea you just drank was brewed with young barot leaves. Barot is originally from the Kingdom of Gartan.”
Nova swirled her teacup. Her thin fingers, strangely crooked, perhaps from using the pen a lot, held the teacup askew.
‘If it’s Garton… It’s the place that Guildmaster Frederick was talking about.’
“In the Kingdom of Garten, Barot was considered a weed. They pulled out all the leaves that could make this delicious tea and threw them away. Barot has become one of the most popular teas, but if it weren’t for the Empire, it would have just remained a weed.”
I narrowed my eyes at Nova, who was showing off his useless knowledge.
“It was because of the empire that Barot, who used to live happily in nature, ended up like this.”
I put down my teacup, clicking my tongue at the bitter taste.
Nova’s eyes widened and he tilted his head back. It was a strange posture, as if he had a malfunction. It was a joke thrown out casually, but Nova reacted violently.
“What are you doing?”
It seemed as if he had been hit in the head with a hammer. I asked, examining Nova’s scalp.
“That… may be true from Barot’s perspective, but for people like me who like Barot tea, it’s actually a good thing. Other teas are quite expensive. If it weren’t for Barot, it would have been quite difficult. It would have been very difficult. If it weren’t for the Empire, the tea would have been very expensive, right?”
“Barrot is a plant, so what’s its position? A vegetarian orange.”
“B… what? No, you go first….”
Nova stuttered. How can someone as a scribe be so weak in debate…? I clicked my tongue and filled my teacup.
“Ah! And if it weren’t for the Empire, there wouldn’t have been knights, right? Before knights appeared, monsters like orcs would appear every day and people would die. Thanks to knights, we can live such a comfortable life!”
Nova suddenly started praising the Empire. I listened without thinking much, and then the story of the knight suddenly came to mind.
“Oh, tell the knights not to go to the back door.”
“At the back door? Why?”
“It’s dangerous.”
I scratched my head and answered. Recently, the three Bosi brothers were unable to come to the morning training due to the arrival of Frederick Guild.
I thought that if I told Nova, I could prevent any mishaps.
“······There’s something at the back door!”
Nova suddenly stood up and pointed her finger. Her voice was as if she had caught the culprit.
“There is.”
“What is it! What is there!”
Nova scratched the ball at his question.
I didn’t really know what a swordsman Daiso was, and I didn’t want to know. However, I had to skip a little more in the future.
“It’s a secret.”
He talked around moderately. Nova, who would normally have stuck with him until the end, bit his lip and backed away obediently.
Nova sat down, took a sip of her tea, and then opened her mouth again.
However, the question was far beyond my expectations.
“···Are you a rebel?”
When I turned my gaze to the unexpected sound, Nova was frozen in place.
Although he was sitting upright as usual, his unfocused eyes were constantly wandering and his fingers holding the teacup were slightly trembling.
‘Ah, the Frederick Guild guys got caught. ······No, already caught?’
I muttered a small curse.
It hasn’t even been a week since Frederick Guild arrived at Cassidy, and already… I should have known when the five eldest sons were eating the cake.
‘Why are you calling me a rebel…? Did you see me hanging out with the five eldest sons?’
It was a reasonable inference.
“Tell me honestly. Then I can… know how to help you.”
Nova urged. It was similar to before, but his eyes were clearer.
‘You’re helping…’
Asking if I was a rebel, and then offering to help – it was a rather rough stream of consciousness.
I took another sip of the tea. It was bitter and tasteless. It was weed water after all.
“What if I were a rebel?”
“Wow… As expected! You’re a rebel! I knew it!”
“Why are you so sure?”
“······So that’s not it?”
I let out a small sigh at Nova’s question.
Why am I a rebel?
Of course, I hit the back of the head of the Imperial Administration in the construction of the Kingdom of Byzant, but it was an inevitable choice for my personal revenge and survival. I had to survive somehow because of my promise.
There, the imperial flag was burned in Karzan, but it was clearly the work of a weasel. Since the weasel was one of my crew members, I had no choice but to cover it up.
Besides, it was strange that they were making such a fuss over burning just a thousand pieces of paper, it wasn’t like I was attacking the royal family or anything······.
‘Ah, the palace.’
There are various complicated circumstances, but it is true that it contributed, even if only a little, to the downfall of the palace.
Moreover, somehow, he became the leader of the demons who were working on the great undertaking of destroying the empire.
As I thought carefully about my actions, an epiphany came to me.
‘······Am I a rebel?’
Anyone could see that it was the actions of a rebel. And not just any ordinary rebel, but a truly heroic rebel worthy of being praised as a hero of the rebels.
“You’re a rebel!!”
Nova, who had been examining my face, suddenly stood up and pointed at me. Nova covered her face with her palm and screamed.
“I am very happy to have Secretary Nova as my senior.”
I threw in a joke because I found the intense reaction funny, and Nova yelled even louder.
Nova, who had been like that for a while, suddenly raised his face.
“You have a plan, right? If it’s Frederick’s Guild… Yeah, it’s not bad. If that Frederick’s Guild is a rebel force, then our chances of winning…. We have no chance of winning! Our opponent is the Empire!”
Nova, who had been mumbling, screamed again. After pouring out her thoughts for a moment, Nova took a bundle of papers piled up next to her and looked through them.
“No. There is nothing in the world that cannot be done. If you look closely······.”
I chuckled because it seemed like he really wanted to rebel with me.
Then Nova screamed again, and I laughed harder.
Within moments, the true Nova took a deep breath and opened his mouth.
“···So? When are you going to rebel?”
It was a voice that had completely given up. It was dry, as if he was asking about the event schedule.
“Not a rebel.”
“Really? You’re not the rebel Aaron?”
Nova glared at me with narrowed eyes. After telling me several times that I was not a rebel, Nova sighed and nodded.
As I was getting up from my seat, Nova suddenly grabbed my wrist. When I turned around, I was surprised, as if I was surprised myself, and my face was stiff.
“This is workplace sexual harassment. Orange.”
“What is that… No, it’s almost a sacred day, and there’s a lot of work piling up. And you’re an honorary secretary.”
Nova was talking nonsense in an inappropriate way.
The once clear gaze could not stay in one place but scattered in all directions, and the face that had been pale from not seeing the sunlight was red. It was a persimmon orange.
“I can’t go on a date because I’m working that day.”
“So it’s not a date! … No, work? Who told you to do that!”
Nova’s eyes widened as he shouted as if he was having a seizure. He wondered what would happen if he told the abbot that he had ordered it, but he didn’t do anything about it.
“You have to eat to live.”
He turned his head slightly and answered. Using the swordsmanship Daiso had given him, he lightly shook his wrist, and Nova’s hand slipped.
The moment I was about to leave, this time my hair was grabbed and my neck was twisted backwards.
For a moment, my head went blank at the unbelievable situation.
“Crazy Orange.”
Nova’s eyes grew as big as fists, as if she was also flustered. Nova hurriedly let go of my hair.
“No, I have nowhere to go! Then after work! I usually sleep late, so it’s okay!”
“It’s tiring to be handsome.”
“······what?”
He nodded quickly at Nova’s cool eyes.
Then Nova grinned.
***
“It’s 2 silver.”
I thought about it seriously.
How did this situation come about? Why did Kanna suddenly try to come into my room while holding out a silver coin?
The confident look of Kanna buying bread was much more desirable than mumbling, but the situation was problematic.
“The price went up?”
“No, that’s not it.”
I was at a loss as to how to explain it. Is this why you have to be careful even when drinking cold water in front of a child?
I had no idea that the joke I told to Hannah would come back to me like this.
‘It’s an age where you can be whining.’
I clicked my tongue at Kanna’s confident face. I never asked her specifically, but Kanna was a child who had been captured by gangsters.
They say that if you can walk, you can work here, but a child is still a child.
I sighed at those bright eyes.
“Okay, I understand.”
Then Kanna jumped.
‘This is Park’s head.’
It was clear that Kanna, who had become more active than before, had the color of Park’s head on her head.
‘It’s good that it’s become clear, but it would be bad if the stupid thing spread.’
While I was worrying about that, Kanna handed me two silver coins again.
I shook my head and declined the silver coin. Whether it was because of the shock or not, Kanna’s eyes shook and instantly became moist. It seemed like I had to keep my head still a little longer.
“It’s free. Oh, this is also a bit… Anyway.”
While I was choosing my words, Kanna suddenly jumped up and grabbed me. Before, she would only grab my leg, but now that she was a bit taller, she came up to my waist.
The Kanna attached to her waist shook her body and pulled her towards the window. It was very loud and bright, which suited her previous gloomy appearance better.
As I went to the window, Kanna pointed to the majestic tower standing in the distance.
When seen up close, it looked shabby, but when seen through the snowstorm, the magic tower really felt like a magic tower. It felt like there was an eyeball at the top.
“It’s almost done. My magic has gotten faster, so I finished it much faster than expected. I’m a total genius. The elders of the White Tower praised me. Vivian said she’s never seen a child as kind as me······.”
Kanna started bragging about her, so I patted her round head.
“Vivian said she wanted to help the residents who were cold, so we decided to start with the warmth magic once the magic tower was completed.”
“That would be nice. It’s cold in winter.”
I don’t know if it’s possible to use warmth magic on a per-sex basis, but if it were possible, it would certainly make life much more comfortable.
‘If that really happens, it could potentially become a resort.’
If it could be a warm magic, it would naturally be a cold magic. Then it would be a perfect vacation spot that would be cool in the summer and warm in the winter. It was clear that the Cassadic Coin would explode.
The voice broke off for a moment. Kanna’s face was heavy, as if she was groaning. When I pressed his head, Kanna opened her mouth.
“But I’m still not confident with fire magic… Ah! I can do it! Of course I can do it, but still….”
Kanna made a confident expression, but then quickly shrank back down. I thought she was just a genius, but it seemed like she had her own concerns.
‘Well, the first thing I wrote was ice beer.’
It was amazing that the little kid who was so scared while sitting at the gambling table came all the way here.
‘Still scared.’
I clicked my tongue as I watched Kanna avoiding eye contact. It can’t be helped, since that’s how she grew up.
“It’s okay. If you fail, you can just kick Kua Ba Rou… No. You can just beat him.”
Kanna’s eyes widened. Kanna nodded after thinking for a moment. I looked at her untainted purple eyes and thought for a moment.
I felt like I had something great to say, but nothing really came to mind.
I just pressed my head hard.
When he promised to beat Kkwobarou together if he failed, only then did Kanna’s face lighten.
Kanna promised that the first day of operation of the Magic Tower would be a sacred day and that she would show something amazing on that day.
A strange sense of anxiety rose up in me rather than anticipation, but I nodded when Kanna smiled brightly.
***
“Why is the Master of the Sword doing that?”
Imperial Knight Full Harta pointed into the distance and asked.
There was an old man standing there, still. The snow was slowly falling in front of him, and the old man was standing exactly on the borderline.
The boundary line was as precise as if cut with a sword. The old man was in the area right in front of where the snow was falling.
It had been there for quite some time, and weeds had grown over the old man’s shoes.
“The master of the sword doesn’t go where it snows. He’ll just stay like that until the snow stops.”
“Oh, is that so? I guess you hate the cold.”
Full Harta exclaimed in admiration. Even the owner of the legendary sword hates the cold.
I thought he was a completely different hero, but in a strange way, he was similar to me. Full Harta also hated the cold.
“Fuck, why are you so relieved there? I told you, you’re really weird.”
Full Harta’s marksman Jarn laughed softly. Why was that laughter so ticklish? Full Harta lowered his helmet.
“Oh, I didn’t expect to come all the way to this remote area. Now I can’t even ride a wyvern.”
Jarn grumbled softly. Wyverns couldn’t go to cold places either. Their wings would fall off as soon as they froze.
Even an imperial knight would die if he fell from a high place.
‘What on earth is going on?’
Full Harta glanced around. There were other imperial knights and Marshal Balhar Khan.
The central region was in chaos, so I couldn’t understand why the enemy was personally leading the imperial knights to this remote area.
I couldn’t even ask because it was an order from the captain.
But when I arrived, the sword’s owner was there. It was clear that something was going on. And it was something very, very big.
Gulp. Full Harta swallowed nervously. It was a nervousness that stemmed more from anticipation than fear.
“It’s nice to be able to see the snow though. It doesn’t snow in the center.”
Jarn said with a small smile. Her voice was really cute. It was hard to believe that a woman like that could change so much just by holding a sword.
“I’m fine with that too.”
“Didn’t you say you hate the cold?”
Jarn asked in a mischievous voice. Full Harta thought it was fortunate that the helmet was a single piece.
“Let’s go. Our target is Cassidy.”
The enemy gave the order without explaining the reason.
“”yes.””
The imperial knights answered without question.
Whatever was beyond that blizzard, when the order was given, it was simply carried out.
Twelve imperial knights stepped into the blizzard.
***
‘······Why did it turn out like this?!’
Eastern Management Office, cold sweat ran down Gesher Wind’s back.
It was because of Selena, who was sitting across from me and checking the documents.
Why would the director of the Central Administration suddenly visit the Eastern Administration? There was only one reason.
‘···Avery, you b*tch! You got caught again?’
Avery Gesher Wind ground his teeth at the accident that occurred even while on assignment.
“Is this all?”
Selena’s cold voice broke my thoughts. She shook the paper.
It was a rough draft of Selena’s investigation report, just in case Avery came back. What a coincidence, I got caught on that. What bad luck.
“That… That’s the last thing I wanted to do, Director Avery, no, that… Bitch! Yeah! Isn’t that a Bitch ordering you around! Even though I told you several times that Selena-sama wouldn’t do that!”
Gesher Wind quickly knelt down and raised his voice. The person he was talking to was the director of the Central Administration. If he fell out of favor, he didn’t know what would happen, but it wasn’t a good future.
And how many times could I kneel before such a beautiful woman? I felt a strange sense of pleasure when I knelt before her.
“Your superior is Avery.”
“···Yes? Oh, yes! My superior is Sang-nyeon! I’m sorry!”
I didn’t understand what he was saying, but I agreed. When I didn’t know what was going on, I could just nod my head and move on…
At that moment, an invisible energy weighed down on Gesher Wind. Gesher Wind, the top graduate of the Academy, immediately raised his magic resistance, but it was completely ineffective.
In this case-.
‘···Ancient magic?’
Gesher Wind fell forward helplessly.
“If you do this, you won’t be able to make it on time. Will you please work harder?”
At the cold, unchanging voice, Gesher Wind only lifted his head. He turned his eyes away, thinking that his underwear might be visible, but those cold eyes brought him back to his senses.
“···Yes! I will work harder!”
Selena didn’t seem to like the report about her.
I don’t know what his intentions are, but Gesher Wind nodded vigorously.
“Because timing is important when it comes to gifts.”
“Yes! Of course! Timing is important!”
As I desperately tried to affirm, Sinan Halina returned. Sinan Halina was holding two steaming cups of coffee.
Gesher Wind sent a look to ask for help, but Sinan Halina looked down at Gesher Wind with sharper eyes than usual. Gesher Wind’s eyes, as if looking at an insect, brought tears to his eyes.
“Ah, that’s not it, this···.”
As Selena tried to take the glass, Sinan Halina hurriedly held out the other glass.
After a while, Selena and Sinan Halina left.
‘Do it right… Why are you giving Avery a weapon to stab himself with?’
I couldn’t figure out his true intentions, but what could I do? I had to do it.
Gesher Wind rose from his seat and sipped the coffee Sinan Halina had given him, looking over the report again.
Avery’s request was to first find a connection between the character Aaron and Selena.
Gesher Wind placed his hand on the wad of paper. It was a spell he had devised after seeing Avery, and it worked quite well.
The contents of the piled up papers flashed by in an instant. Among them, the one that mentioned Selena and Aaron was-.
‘···What? Why are there so many?’
The emotion that followed confusion was shock.
Gesher Wind’s eyes narrowed.
‘Surely that’s the gift Selena is talking about…’
Gesher Wind’s once blank face became sharp.
Gesher Wind, who had been observing it for a long time, took his hand away.
“Crazy bitch.”
Gesher Wind shook his head from dizziness and sipped his cold coffee.
The coffee was much thicker than usual.
