00408 5. Flight (2/2) ————————————- ———————————–=
It’s deep at night, but it’s a little early to call it dawn.
Countless stars were twinkling in the night sky, and a beautiful starry city appeared below.
“Suhyun. “I see Eden.”
“huh. “It arrived earlier than expected.”
I nodded slightly and stretched as hard as I could. As he trembles with his arms stretched out, his older brother, who was walking alongside him, smiles faintly.
“Are you tired?”
“very? “It wasn’t a very difficult expedition.”
“If you’re tired, you can sleep. “Our clan is close from here.”
“What is that… .”
Feeling something strange, I turn my head and see my brother still smiling. I shook my head excitedly, sighed, and concentrated on walking. My brother and I would both use the warp gate anyway, so what’s the point of distance?
After a while.
It didn’t take long before we walked down the street and arrived at the castle gate. The dark floor is shining bluishly in the moonlight. We soon entered a quiet street and headed straight to the warp gate.
When the warp gate was just around the corner, a thought occurred to me and I shook my shoulders.
– Jjorong?
“wake up. “Everyone has arrived.”
– Jjorong… . Jjororong… .
When I look down over my shoulder at the sound of a bird screaming, I see a baby bird yawning with its beak as big as a fingernail. When I put my finger inside it, it quickly closed its beak and bit my finger.
As I lifted my hand slightly, a baby bird floated up, tightly biting my ring finger. Although it is still only the size of a fist, the subtle golden light radiating from its entire body looks unusual.
“ruler. take it.”
“haha. “It looks like he likes you more?”
When I held out my arm to take it quickly, my brother smiled awkwardly and muttered.
“The owner is my brother.”
I spoke with strength in my voice and placed the baby bird on my brother’s shoulder.
– Jjolong, jjororong!
The baby bird glanced at me once and gently let go of Soji. And it seems like he really liked the way he buried his face in his older brother’s shoulder.
After cuddling the baby bird, which kept crying a few times, the older brother opened his mouth with an apologetic look in his eyes.
“Suhyun. “I don’t know if I can really have this bird.”
“brother. “I don’t know if I can really have this equipment.”
I immediately looked behind me. The Mercenary Clan members were quietly following along. Some of them had backpacks strapped to their backs, and when I say equipment, I mean the things inside the backpacks.
That is, the baby bird on my brother’s shoulder and various equipment. This was the result obtained by attacking the recently excavated ruins, ‘Tower of Valhalla’.
“Still, it’s the ruins you found… . “I’m sorry.”
“It’s not something I discovered, it’s a ruin we discovered together. And we borrowed a lot of Hamill’s power in our strategy.”
“You don’t know my heart. Even though I can’t take care of him as an older brother, I feel like I’m taking him away… . So, Soohyun. I guess… .”
“brother. He said he would raise it well. And it’s already over. “You promised not to say anything more.”
The promise was a pledge not to bring up the topic again after the initial performance distribution. I thought they were protecting it well except for one or two times, but as the warp gate got closer, they seemed to have weakened their minds.
Still, I could see that he was about to open his mouth, so I glared sharply at him.
“If you break your promise, you will be disappointed.”
Only then did my brother close his mouth with a shocked expression on his face. To be honest, I think it’s a childish method, but if we had left it alone, we would have had to run endlessly parallel to each other before breaking up.
Did they feel my firm determination(?) not to do anything that would be tiring?
My brother stared at me for a long time and then sighed deeply.
“Even the original guy. “I got it, I got it.”
“It will happen a long time ago.”
“… I will raise you well. “It has brain properties, so it will suit me well.”
“No problem. Even if you look at it, it looks like a ghost. “If you raise it well, it will be quite something to see, right?”
Nod. One way or another, it seems like my brother also likes the baby bird. I gently stroke the baby who keeps lowering his head as if he needs sleep because he is still a baby. When I saw that, I felt happy.
‘Come to think of it… . During the first round, my brother really wanted that bird.’
Did you say you thought it would be a good fit for you?
Anyway, of course I know the identity of the baby bird, but I deliberately didn’t say it. This is because when I gave it to my older brother, I was told, “I want to find out for myself.” I want to get to know each other one by one.
Anyway, for now I just look forward to the future collaboration between my brother and ‘Thunderstorm’ with joy.
Eventually, I slowly slowed down my steps.
Before we knew it, we had arrived at our destination. Now all that remains is to enter the warp gate and return to each city.
“Ha~. “We’ve finally arrived.”
“I see. “You want to go right away?”
My brother’s voice said he was disappointed about something. I understand the desire to share a toast right after the expedition, but it’s broad daylight right now. Since it was this late, it was better for both of us to get back quickly.
“You’re late. “It looks like the clan members are also tired.”
“is it… . I get it. “Then I’ll contact you tomorrow.”
I nodded once. And when I turned around, I could see the faces of the clan members who looked very tired but in good spirits.
After saying a brief goodbye to the Hamill Clan members, I immediately entered the warp gate.
“Monica, a small southern town. “There are eight people.”
“16 gold and 24 silver.”
I’d like to pay off the equipment I acquired during this expedition, but it would be better to go back and get a good night’s sleep first. With that thought in mind, I quickly buried myself in the activated portal.
7 days to prepare, 4 weeks for the expedition and round trip.
It was a return after a long month and five days.
*
smart.
When I opened my eyes to the faint sound of the door, I felt the cool dawn air. When I took a deep breath, I felt like I came back to my senses a little.
Sweet!
Suddenly, the sound of the door opening was heard. I quickly raise my head and look at the door, but I don’t see anyone. However, I could see something black disappearing through the slightly opened gap.
“… … .”
I blinked once or twice and then hurriedly stood up. And then I slowly got out of bed and walked out the door.
Eventually, when I went down to the first floor, the employee sitting at the lobby counter turned to look at me. It was very admirable to come to work at the crack of dawn and stay there, but when I saw the sleepy eyes and the saliva on the corner of my mouth, I ended up laughing.
“good morning. Mercenary Lord.”
“You’re having a hard time.”
The voice was hoarse, clearly someone who had just woken up from sleep. He may have woken up on his own, but it is also possible that ‘someone’ woke him up.
“Oops. Come to think of it… .”
“Where are you?”
“yes yes?”
“Who didn’t come?”
When I said that I already knew everything, the employee showed a blank expression. Then he slowly raised his arm and pointed in one direction.
“To the restaurant… . “He’s gone.”
“thank you.”
I nodded and then immediately turned around.
After a while.
When I lightly pushed open the restaurant door, I could see a woman sitting at the center table, looking intently at something. The woman with her long, light gray hair was none other than Go Yeon-joo.
Slurp.
I guess he knew I was coming. Go Yeon-ju raises her head at a glance and takes a cup of tea with a deep smile.
After scratching my head once or twice while still in a dazed state, I sat across from her at the table.
“Suhyeon~! It’s been so long… .”
“yes. “When did you come?”
“… just now? When I heard that you came back five days ago, I asked for an outing pass. “I was able to come out because it was the weekend.”
“Has the rumor spread to Barbara?”
“I’m already digging it.”
I don’t know how widespread it is that they say that, but first of all, I nodded to show that I understood. I finished the temple report the day after I returned, and it was expected anyway.
What’s so fun about it? Go Yeon-joo rested his chin and looked at me with a bright smile.
“Su-hyun. How was the expedition? This is my first time collaborating with another clan… .”
“It was okay.”
After answering briefly and shaking my head, I felt my mind clearing up a bit.
“And what were you reading so intently?”
“… “Look at this.”
Go Yeon-ju looked a little sad and pointed at the table with his index finger.
“… This.”
When I looked at her to ask what she meant, she continued speaking in a drowsy voice.
“These are the records distributed yesterday and today.”
As I followed the direction pointed by the pretty fingernails, I saw several neatly placed records. I quietly focused on recording.
– Hamill, Mercenary Clan. Excavation of the eastern ancient ruins ‘Tower of Valhalla’.
– Mercenary Clan. What kind of clan is this? Following ‘The Frozen Forest’ not long ago, this time we discovered ‘Tower of Valhalla’… .
-What dungeons have you discovered so far? ‘Ancient Alchemist Dungeon’, ‘Laboratory of Ruins’, ‘Cave of Screams’, ‘Ancient Magic City of Magia’, ‘Frozen Forest’, ‘Tower of Valhalla’. All of this was achieved in one year… . What is the truth?
– [Exclusive] ‘Ancient Alchemist’s Dungeon’, ‘Russian Laboratory’, ‘Cave of Screams’: valuable items obtained from the unexplored city of Mule. ‘Ancient Magic City Magia’, ‘Frozen Forest’: Confirm the findings at the request of Istante Low… . ‘Tower of Valhalla’ is known to have been discovered together with the Hamill Clan… .
– [Exclusive] Mercenary Clan Lord Kim Soo-hyun. It has been revealed that he is the biological younger brother of Clan Hamill leader Kim Yu-hyeon… . Clan also has an ‘alliance’ relationship.
“The Mercenary Clan. Hamill, what on earth is your relationship with Istantel Row? . Six ruins were excavated in less than a year… . Maybe you can think of it as a kind of nurturing with some purpose… .”
“It’s fun, right?”
As I was reading for a while, a drowsy voice flowed in again. At the same time, a teacup was suddenly thrust out, blocking part of the record in front of her eyes. White steam rises little by little every time the jet-black water ripples with gentle ripples.
“There are some disturbing records, but… . “All in all, it’s okay.”
Since I was desperate for a cup of hot tea, I accepted it without hesitation. As soon as I took a bite of the teacup, I felt a moist texture. Did you give him what he was drinking?
Next, Go Yeon-ju’s question followed.
“Did you go with the Hamill clan because you knew there would be articles like this?”
“Rather than I thought it would come out… . “Just doing it together?”
Eventually, after savoring the warm energy spreading throughout my body, I finally took my eyes off the record.
“What is the reaction there?”
“There is a lot of interest.”
“Details. So, what interest do you have?”
“… “Most reactions are incredulous, but sometimes there are reactions that are not favorable.”
As expected, I smiled blandly at the thought.
Currently, Mercenary has excavated six ruins in one year. This is an unprecedented record that will surprise anyone, but will users really be surprised?
no. Not like that.
Relics are the ‘settings’ most directly connected to the benefits of users. Therefore, it was obvious that suspicions would be raised, ‘How was it possible to excavate so many ruins in such a short period of time?’ but… .
“okay.”
“It’s not something I’m going to reveal openly yet… .”
“… You don’t have to worry too much. “As long as Istantel Row and Hamill are involved, I won’t show it openly.”
“It will be like that for a while. “I think they will probably move quite cautiously until a clear relationship is revealed.”
“In the meantime, Hamill and Istantel Rowe will not sit still. Of course, you will also need the power of a high performance.”
When it comes to information on the Northern Continent, the second most disappointing thing is the ‘Shadow Queen’, so it will be of great help.
Soon, Go Yeon-ju seemed to think for a moment and then shook his head as if it was difficult.
“It’s hard to fight against media from all over the continent.”
“You don’t have to win.”
“sure?”
“You only need to accept the records you think are wrong.”
We also have something to talk about.
‘Ancient Alchemist Dungeon’, ‘Ruin Laboratory’, and ‘Cave of Screams’ were discovered in the unexplored city of Mul.
‘Ancient Magic City Magia’ and ‘Frozen Forest’ are ruins discovered at the request of Istante Low.
If possible, ‘Tower of Valhalla’ can be attributed to what was discovered by the Hamill clan.
Of course, these do not provide a complete explanation. I know that very well. But what I wanted was a softening effect from ‘a strange clan with something to it’ to ‘a very lucky clan’.
‘If it’s okay, it’s okay to raise it.’
Go Yeon-ju stared at me blankly for a while. Then he spoke quietly.
“Soohyun is aiming for the noise marketing effect.”
“well. “I think of it as a rite of passage before stepping forward in earnest.”
I did not deny Go Yeon-ju’s interpretation. Anyway, since I had decided to get to the top 10 in a short period of time, I was planning to build up my performance at the same time.
Go Yeon-ju seemed to have nothing else to say, but just quietly ate his mouth. Then he sighed heavily and opened his mouth in a hollow voice.
“Working as an instructor is hard, and it will get busier in the future.”
It was then. The moment the word instructor came out, a thought suddenly passed through my head.
So he drank all the remaining tea and opened his mouth with a clearer voice.
“Now that I think about it, Go Yeonju. “What happened to the things I asked you to do?”
As my brother said, Mercantile was able to obtain permission to participate in this round of the User Academy. There must have been over 500 new users by now.
However, since they could not continue to wait for them to come in, they had to force Go Yeon-ju to take on the role of instructor.
And before leaving the city with the Hamill Clan, I gave Go Yeon-ju two more instructions.
one of them… .
“joy. Here you are.”
Go Yeon-ju pursed her lips and took out a thick bundle of records.
“Is this it?”
“Yes, yes~. “This is the list of chicks who came in this time.”
The smiling face from before has gone, but now it’s a grumpy tone full of dissatisfaction.
I stared at her blankly, then opened my mouth in embarrassment.
“You must still be busy… . “I’m sorry for expecting a lot from Ko Yeon-ju.”
And at that moment, Go Yeon-ju shouted sharply in a sharp voice.
“what? “Do you think I’m doing this because of that?”
“… then?”
Go Yeon-joo’s face looked astonished when I asked him with my eyes closed. Her lips were bitten and her cheeks were slightly swollen, which was not the usual ‘shadow queen’ look.
As she said nothing, she weakly put down the record in her hand.
“… Su-hyun. Do you know how long it’s been since we’ve seen each other?”
“?”
Although it was a random remark, the atmosphere was serious. Did a woman’s unique sensitivity explode at dawn?
Go Yeon-ju immediately showed a sullen expression and continued speaking in a weak voice.
“I was looking forward to the day when I could go out… . As soon as I arrived, I secretly woke up only Su-hyeon… .”
“… … .”
“You can at least say how you are and that you missed me. But as soon as he saw me, he asked about the progress of the work… . I’m so sad. “I think only about myself and wonder if I was the only one waiting.”
And the quiet silence that followed.
“… … .”
“… … .”
I tilted my head for a moment. Then, after being lost in thought, he calmly got up.
Go Yeon-ju was still turning her head with a very sad look on her face.
And then I gently kissed her flushed cheek.
side.
“oh?”
The flagship Ko Yeon-joo.
“W-what suddenly? no! Do you think this will solve my problem?”
The moment Go Yeon-ju touched the soft skin of her lips, she was startled and made a fuss.
I spoke naturally.
“Go Yeon-ju. “I’d like another cup of tea.”
“yes?”
side.
And when I kiss her one more time, she puts her hand on her cheek with a blank look on her face.
“now… . “What are you doing?”
“What are you doing? Go Yeon-ju said that last time. If you want to drink tea from now on, pay for it… . That’s why I paid in advance.”
“… … .”
“Surely you won’t eat it off?”
Did I finally remember it now? Go Yeon-ju showed a blank face for a moment, but then burst into empty laughter. Then he gently looks at me and gets up.
“really. I can’t live. is it so. “It’s the fault of the person you fell for.”
“Ramon Tea, please.”
“Kick. Please know that we will raise the price from next time. “You should probably do it on your lips and not your cheeks.”
“please.”
When Go Yeon-ju responded as if he could do whatever he wanted, he calmly changed his words.
“Now that I think about it, having s*x once would be better.”
“… “That’s a bit much.”
“Karr.”
Go Yeon-ju’s tea is one of the few small pleasures I have, and if that happens, I don’t think my body will survive.
“Hehehe, hehehe. Hehehe, hehehe.”
As I watched Ko Yeonju heading to the kitchen while humming, I quickly picked up the record.
And that was when I calmly turned the page, relieving my excitement.
“!”
‘This woman… .’
The name caught my eye from the first page, and I reflexively grabbed the record tightly.
—————————= Review of the work ——————– ——-=
Since I started writing a little late, I was inevitably late. _(__)_
This week the series was published every other day. I did my best to write this in small chunks of time, so please understand if anyone was disappointed.
Next week is truly a break.
Since it is a period of direct examination, I think serialization will be really difficult. After the exam is over and I have vacation, I will pay more attention to the series.
Once again, I ask for the readers’ understanding, and I will now take my leave.
Well then, have a good night everyone. _(__)_
fantasy,
