00390 Epilogue 1/4: “Because there is no time to wait.” ————————————————– ———————-=
“Hmm.”
I let out a weak moan as the morning sunlight hit my face.
‘… Is it morning?’
When I realized that the day had already dawned, I took a deep breath and slowly opened my eyes.
When I raised my head with wet eyes, I could see the sun rising in the sky. The sunlight shining diagonally through the window was quite brilliant and intense.
Part of me wanted to close my eyes like this and go back to sleep. But unfortunately, habits are not so easily changed.
As soon as I came to my senses, the first thing I did was, as always, check the inside of my body.
‘huh?’
While checking the flow of magic power swimming along the circuit, I tilted my head. Because I felt something heavy in my abdomen. As I glanced down, I could see a white lump curled up.
“Kyuu… . Kyuu… .”
“… you.”
When I finally saw the tail waving, I realized right away.
The identity of the abnormality was a baby unicorn sleeping sweetly. “Heh.” I wonder if I was having a good dream. Saliva is leaking out of the open mouth. I stared at him for a while.
‘He can make facial expressions like this too.’
When I think about it, I felt a little sorry for the baby unicorn. At best, he abandoned his group of colleagues(?) and followed us, but in reality, I was neglectful, knowingly or unknowingly, because I was busy. Moreover, he is a baby unicorn who is still in his infancy. In other words, it was a time when even more attention and affection were needed.
‘Now that I think about it, you said you’d give me a name when you come back?’
Thinking that I would have to pay more attention to him from now on than before, I slowly raised my upper body.
“What?”
The baby unicorn must have sensed me waking up and suddenly raised its head. And as soon as it opened its eyes, it looked for me, and then buried its head again with a much relieved look on its face. He seemed to be worried that I had disappeared alone again.
I gently held the baby unicorn in my arms and walked out of bed.
“wake up. “It’s morning.”
“Kyaung…” . Wow… ?”
“Right, right. “Even if I’m sleepy, I’ll eat breakfast and go to bed.”
The baby unicorn was still rubbing its head in my arms, but I smiled softly as I looked at it. Before I knew it, the guy’s ears were pricked up and his tail was gently wagging. It seems that Im Hanna was right.
After a while.
After having a fun time washing my face with the baby unicorn, I left the room and took the stairs. As I went down the floor, I noticed several people moving around, so it seemed like I was the last one to wake up.
Eventually, when I arrived at the first floor, the employees who were intently looking at the counter quickly greeted me. Still, if you look closely, it seems like what you saw yesterday was quite shocking.
“Hey, you’re awake.”
“yes. good morning. “Where are the clan members?”
“Awake, those of you who are awake, please stay in the restaurant.”
As he spoke, he kept glancing at me and nodded roughly, then quickly turned around and walked down the hallway leading to the restaurant.
When I opened the door and went in, several clan members were sitting at a table on one side.
‘Younggam, Ko Yeon-ju, Jeong Ha-yeon, Shin Jae-ryong, Im Hanna, An Sol, Baek Han-gyeol… . ‘There are no kids.’
“oh. You’re awake. Clan Lord.”
Im Hanna, who was facing me, immediately pretended to know me. Still, she had a kind smile on her face, and it seemed like she was talking about something that happened yesterday.
“Su-hyun?”
“Did you have a nice night?”
I swallowed my saliva as I saw Ko Yeon-ju and Jeong Ha-yeon turning around after me.
Im Hannah. To be honest, if we had just hugged each other, I would have had something to say, but since our lips were locked, it was impossible to get away. (Even if it wasn’t intentional.)
After gesturing to the clan members who were struggling to get up, I placed my butt on the remaining seat. Then, when I glanced over my shoulder, I saw a baby unicorn breathing loudly, as if he had fallen asleep again.
“Kyuuu… . Wow… .”
As I placed the baby unicorn, which was trying hard not to fall off, on the table, I looked back at everyone.
“Did you get some sleep?”
“yes? Ah yes. I was able to sleep well for the first time in a long time. After all, home is the best. “What about Suhyeon?”
“For me, there is no place like home. ah. “Is today’s meal A proper lady’s set menu?”
“oh. Look at my mind. “I’ll get it right away.”
Without even having time to say that it was okay, Go Yeon-ju put down the spoon and quickly stood up. As I watched her quickly enter her kitchen, I let out a short sigh.
“haha. After washing like that, the water is clear and it is really nice to see. “Now I feel like a clan lord.”
The old man must have almost finished his meal and smiled, holding a cup of warm, steaming tea. I nodded a couple of times and stared at Ansol, who was quietly eating his food. I couldn’t see it in detail because my head was down, but for some reason, I felt like I wasn’t over the shock yet.
“Now that I think about it, where are the other clan members? “Have Anhyeon or Yujeong Lee already finished eating?”
At my words, Jeong Ha-yeon pursed her lips for a moment and then moved her neck.
“Uhm. I do not know. “I haven’t been seen since I went into the dorm yesterday.”
It was then.
“I’ve been there.”
The person who answered in a sharp voice was none other than Go Yeonju. She was holding a large tray in her arms, as if she had already been to the kitchen. Eventually, she carefully placed the tray in front of me and continued speaking in a slightly thorny voice.
“I’m still locked in my room. “Let alone coming out, he doesn’t even answer when I call him.”
“okay. “Then what about Vivien?”
“Vivian wasn’t in the dorm?”
‘Not in the dorm?’
“Hmm. “If you’re not at the dorm, where have you gone?”
I patted the baby unicorn while looking at the various foods on the tray. Then he raised his front leg, rubbed his face, and looked up at me with bleary eyes.
I was just about to grab the spoon with the intention of feeding him soup first.
“excuse me… . older brother.”
When I heard a soft voice and raised my head, I saw Baek Han-gyeol looking at me with a worried face.
“why. I know?”
“if… . that… . “Maybe he’s in the lab?”
“Lab? “Why is he there now?”
“that… . In the past, I always stayed up all night in the lab with Sangyong… .”
It was then.
The clan members who had been eating quietly until then all stared at Baek Han-gyeol. And the guy covered his mouth with a shocked look on his face.
“?”
Then everyone turns their gaze to one side.
I tilted my head and followed his gaze, and soon I saw Ansol who had stopped spooning. And her shoulders were shaking very slightly. It looked as if it was about to burst into tears at any moment.
“Why is everyone suddenly… .”
It was the moment I opened my mouth in a strange mood.
“… Ugh.”
Ansol’s head suddenly lifted up with a short groan. And the moment I saw her exposed face, I knew why she had her head down.
Ansol’s eyes were slightly red, as if he had already cried a lot, and traces of tears that had flowed from his eyes remained clearly on his young cheeks.
“Ansol? why are you like this?”
Although I vaguely understood the reason, I still called Ansol. Then she bit her lip for a moment.
“Pfft… . Sigh… .”
Even though it looked like he was trying hard not to cry, the tremors in his eyes and shoulders were gradually getting worse.
Then.
“Buddie~.”
In the end, I couldn’t bear it anymore and ended up crying with my mouth wide open. She must have been scooping up food when she suddenly cried.
“Ugh… .”
“S-sorry… .”
At the same time, light sighs broke out here and there. However, a few people were looking at me here and there, and it seemed like they were quite concerned about my reaction.
“Sol. Pop. You can’t cry. Your brother is here. huh?”
Eventually, I heard Ha-yeon Jeong’s soothing voice, but I sighed and stopped paying attention.
“Huh… . Ugh… .”
“Oh, that won’t work. Su-hyun! for a moment… .”
He seemed to be asking for permission, so I shrugged my shoulders as if telling him to do whatever he wanted. Then, Jeong Ha-yeon looked at Ansol and me in a helpless manner, and then took her out of the restaurant.
Eventually, the crying gradually faded away. And in the silence that returned, Go Yeon-joo quietly opened her mouth.
“I guess I’m still in great shock. After all, we worked together from Mule to Caravan… .”
“I guess so.”
“But the kids are so… . Without notice… .”
“Be careful… . “Are Anhyun and Lee Yudo like that?”
I answered calmly. Then, Go Yeon-joo lightly scratched his head and then spoke once more.
“just… . Should we bring them all now?”
Instead of answering, I scooped up a spoonful of soup and offered it to the baby unicorn. The guy just turned his head around as if he still didn’t understand the situation, but then he took the soup I offered him and ate it.
Eventually, I finally opened my mouth as I saw the baby unicorn starting to eat the flat porridge I was given.
“Just leave it alone.”
“yes?”
“Just leave it alone. This is their problem, not something other clan members should worry about. So don’t force it, just let it come out on its own. “There is a lot to do now.”
With those words, an awkward atmosphere descended on the table. Even without looking around, I could tell that everyone was feeling awkward.
“Su-hyun. Of course it should be so… .”
“High user performance.”
“yes yes?”
Even Ko Yeon-joo seemed a little embarrassed, perhaps because he sensed my tone of voice was unusual. But I deliberately interrupted her.
Since I had already made up my mind after this morning, I had no intention of bringing the kids to comfort them. I didn’t even intend to do that in the first place.
“for a moment… . “Try this too.”
“Kyuu.”
To give it a bit of a break, I tore some warm bread and offered it to the baby unicorn. But the guy shook his head and instead pushed it towards me. It looked as if he was telling me to eat too and to eat together.
I smiled very weakly and chewed my bread. And only after swallowing it did he look at Go Yeonju again. She was still waiting for me to speak.
“What happened to Shin Sang-yong’s body?”
“ah. I handled it well. He keeps it in the room he originally used… .”
“Thank you for your hard work. Then, after you finish eating, take it out to the garden.”
“… all right.”
It seemed like he had something more to say, but Go Yeon-ju reluctantly nodded.
Afterwards, I focused on eating with the baby unicorn again, and one by one, the clan members made their awkward faces and started eating the rest of their meals.
*
After finishing my meal, I immediately left the restaurant alone. Then, after having his employee take a shovel, he went straight to the garden.
No one was visible in the warm, sunny garden. I looked around closely to find a suitable spot, and then walked to the selected location.
It was like that. Rather than cremating Shin Sang-yong, I planned to bury him inside the Mercantile House.
First and last.
Before getting right to work, I took out a piece of tobacco that I really wanted to smoke and put it in my mouth. However, I didn’t sit down. He lit a fire with a sparkling stone and put it in his pocket. Then, with a piece of tobacco in his mouth, he picked up a shovel and started digging the ground where Shin Sang-yong would be buried.
Pak, pak, pak, pak, pak, pak, pak, pak!
The ground was gently dug just by the power of muscle strength, without any need for magical power. Even though the garden had only been shoveled thirty times, the flat ground in the garden was gradually turning into a pit.
Eventually, as I dug about ten more times and was about to level the ground for a moment, I felt the presence of someone walking slowly at the entrance to the main gate. So I stopped shoveling and turned my head to see Go Yeon-ju approaching, holding a long and wide pipe in both hands.
I took out the tobacco that I had been holding for a while. And as he watched Ko Yeon-ju come closer and put down the coffin, he nodded slightly.
“You handled it well. Thank you for your hard work.”
“yes. I… . Su-hyun.”
“?”
“Other clan members told me not to come out for a while. “I have something to tell you.”
“It doesn’t really matter.”
I replied roughly and looked down at the coffin Go Yeon-ju was carrying. It was not an ordinary tube, but was made of translucent blue crystal.
When you look inside, you see Shin Sang-yong with a calm smile. His body was completely recovered without any wounds.
After staring at Shin Sang-yong blankly for a while, Ko Yeon-ju, who was next to him, suddenly spoke up.
“You were very hurt earlier. The kids keep ignoring Suhyun’s feelings… .”
“yes? ah. no. “It didn’t hurt much.”
“… What you said earlier about leaving it alone. “Are you serious?”
I picked up a shovel. Then, he put the tobacco in his mouth again and started digging the ground.
Of course, I didn’t forget to answer.
Nod.
“okay. but… . Of course, I know what Soohyun means, but… .”
“… … .”
“They are still in their 0th year. This is my first time seeing a war, and this is my first time seeing the death of an acquaintance… .”
Before I knew it, the beginning of the year had burned all the way to the end of the filter.
I took one last big gulp at the beginning of the year. Then he spat out smoke and started shoveling even more vigorously.
Pak, pak, pak, pak!
“I know. And I do this because I understand. So nothing changes.”
“Suhyun and the kids are different. “I think it would be good for Soohyun to talk to the kids.”
“I don’t think so.”
Go Yeon-ju closed her mouth at these words. But since it was still in place, I eventually stopped shoveling.
There was a quiet silence. Suddenly, I turned my head and saw several clan members looking at me from afar. After making eye contact with them for a moment, I calmly continued speaking.
“High user performance. “The war is over.”
“yes.”
“Let me say it again. The war is over. And now it’s time to get back to normal life. But I think… . I think I’m going to be really, really busy from now on. And that too without even batting an eye. “Then do you know why you’re so busy?”
“that… .”
Perhaps taken aback by the sudden question, Ko Yeonju trailed off quietly.
I gathered my thoughts for a moment, then opened my mouth softly.
“I don’t want to think simply about the outbreak of this war. Why did this occur, or what impact will it have in the future? . Anyway, one thing is certain: from now on, the world of the North Continent in a small way and the Hole Plain in a big way will soon begin to change significantly.”
Go Yeon-ju still had a confused look on her face. But it was also something she couldn’t help. There is a big difference between knowing the future related to the devil and not knowing it.
Feeling the need to change my explanation, I cleared my throat once or twice.
“We need to keep pace with those changes. High user performance. Do you remember what I said before on Mule?”
“… … .”
“I have one clear purpose here. I mean. “I didn’t create this clan called Mercanary to eat well and live well in Hall Plain.”
Go Yeon-ju remained quietly silent. Since he didn’t reply at all, it seems like he is planning to listen to what I say first and then judge.
I manipulated the shovel for a moment, then spoke quietly.
“I want to go home.”
“… yes.”
“It’s not something I’ve thought about once or twice. I want to see the end of this damned world called Holplane someday and return to Earth. So I want to enjoy the life I was meant to enjoy… . However, I don’t want to go back alone.”
To do that, he would have returned to Earth alone when he obtained the Zero Code in the first place.
“then… .”
“I want to go home with my brother, my clan members, and people I know. That is the ultimate goal pursued by Kim Soo-hyun, a user who exists in this hole plane now and then.”
I finished speaking and took my stance again. Then, while smoothing out the rough part of the dug-out area, he opened his mouth again.
“The death of user Shin Sang-yong is clearly unfortunate and sad. “I also understand and sympathize with what the kids are feeling right now.”
“… … .”
“It’s okay to be sad. It’s okay to cry. However, we should not be held back by that.”
Eventually, I roughly selected the hole and began to expand the hole again to match the size of the coffin.
Pak, pak, pak, pak!
“I hope that now the kids have a clear idea of what it is like in this world. If that happens, you will feel it yourself. Will they follow or be left behind? In the end, the choice is entirely up to the kids.”
“therefore… . “He didn’t abandon Soo-hyeon, but wanted him to overcome it on his own.”
Ko Yeon-ju’s voice was heard much brighter than before.
I put the shovel aside and lifted my waist for a moment. Then he looked up at the sky and opened his mouth.
“yes.”
The sun rose in the sky and was still shining brightly. I gently closed my eyes and felt the sunlight, then calmly continued speaking.
“now… . “I really don’t have time to wait.”
—————————= Review of the work ——————– ——-=
“Ho Ho. “I guess I was worried for no reason.”
“Thank you for your concern. And thank you for yesterday’s sheets.”
“What. ah. But after doing the sheet, something started to make me curious.”
“?”
“You went to the bathhouse yesterday, right? “The exchange of glances with Hannah this morning was subtle.”
“Yes, yes? ah. Oh, the weather is nice today.”
“Su-hyun?”
“Oops. “I’m planning to leave for Barbara again today and tomorrow, so it would be a good idea to prepare in advance.”
“Huh~?”
fantasy,
