“How long are you going to keep crying?”
“I’m not crying.”
Sniffling as she said it, there was no persuasive power in her words at all. Ever since handing Xuemei over, Lee Pyeonghwa had been like that. She’d cried so much that instead of moving right away, we had to sit on a bench in the small park in front of the office and wait for her to calm down. Well, considering she’d even gotten attached to her fellow soldiers during basic military training, it was only natural that she’d be even more affected by the pitiful child we’d found in a dungeon.
“You even made sure she had a tablet and a phone. There’s nothing to worry about.”
“That’s right. I also spoke to the local guild, so they’ll let us know if anything happens. If you’re ever curious about how Xuemei is doing, just tell me.”
I looked at Han Jaeyeong, who was trying to comfort Lee Pyeonghwa. Tell me? That was surprisingly kind of them. Of course, Lee Pyeonghwa had potential A-rank stats and was fairly well-known in Korea, but not to the extent that she would normally exchange personal contact information with Han Jaeyeong, the head of the HP Guild. Granted, since Han Jaeyeong was a fairy rather than a demon, they did have a relatively kind personality, but when you really thought about it, Han Jaeyeong ultimately prioritized their own interests. In other words, they were only kind when they judged it worthwhile.
So then, the reason they were treating Lee Pyeonghwa so kindly was…
“Why are you looking at me like that?” Han Jaeyeong noticed my gaze and smiled, tugging at the corner of their mouth. “What, do you think I’m going to eat Lee Pyeonghwa or something?”
“Feels like you might. What is it?”
“Well, since it’s nothing I need to hide, I’ll say it plainly. I suggested that Lee Pyeonghwa join our guild.”
“Ah…”
At Han Jaeyeong’s words, Lee Pyeonghwa rolled her eyes awkwardly.
It was a little unexpected. Had they thought that highly of her, enough to recruit her?
“I appreciate the offer, but I’m still thinking about it. Honestly, I never even considered taking the social service route…”
“As you saw in this dungeon, rather than spending your mandatory service period in the military dealing with low-level dungeon cleanup, experiencing a variety of dungeons with mages in a guild would be far better in the long run. Of course, I won’t force you.”
“…Yes, I’ll think about it.”
“It’s a big decision, I know, but I’d like an answer once we return to Korea. You’ll be busy in a lot of ways after that.” Han Jaeyeong didn’t press any further and stepped back, acting as though they had nothing to regret either way. And, well, that was true enough. “Ah, I have an appointment with another guild now, so I should head out. You two can get back to the hospital on your own, right?”
“Is it the guild you mentioned earlier, the one you signed a cooperation agreement with? Are you going to talk about Xuemei?”
“Yes, that’s part of it, but…”
After asking Lee Pyeonghwa for a moment of understanding, Han Jaeyeong led me a short distance away.
Then they whispered in a low voice, “We also need to go bid on the dungeon where we were stranded.”
There was only one dungeon Han Jaeyeong could be referring to. The dungeon that led to the world of my previous life, where the lifeless idol had been.
In the U.S., just like in Korea, guilds bid on and manage dungeons, or rather, it would be more accurate to say Korea modeled its system after the U.S.
“Judging by current trends, there will probably be a dungeon leading to that world in Korea as well, but it’s better to secure the New York entrance too. Cooperation with a local guild is essential for the bid. After we win it, our guild will dispatch personnel to manage it.”
No matter how prestigious the HP Guild was, this was still America. They wouldn’t simply hand dungeon rights over to a foreign guild.
“Didn’t the guild you partnered with ask why you’re bidding on that dungeon?”
There was no way they could explain in detail what we’d gone through when we were dimensionally stranded, that there existed a mage who had survived for centuries by using other people’s souls as a battery, and that there was someone capable of communicating with another world connected by a dungeon.
Of course, Han Jaeyeong still hasn’t realized that they keep getting drawn into a specific dimension because of me or Yu Hanul.
Even just that much would surely cause an uproar if it became known to society, and it was obvious how such information could be abused. Even setting aside everything else, just the existence of a mage who extended her life by hundreds of years at the cost of others’ lives…
That alone was enough to shake the world.
It’s information that’s hard to reveal to the public rashly.
So we needed a suitable excuse.
“I just said that we found something interesting while we were stranded and asked them to bid on it for now. Since the dungeon is located in a slum area, the price isn’t that high either. They probably won’t even pay much attention to it. There are so many dungeon rights like this they’ve already bought up. Mages are all like that.”
“Are you sure? If this goes wrong, it could turn into a major disaster.”
If someone like Han Jaeyeong personally stepped forward to bid on a dungeon, it might draw attention. And if someone else grew curious and ended up discovering the people trapped inside that barrier, along with countless corpses…
Han Jaeyeong shrugged. “But it’s not like we can just not bid on it. If Yu Hanul were to step in, that would be headline material, and we can’t let it fall into someone else’s hands either.”
“That’s true…”
In every sense, it was a dead end.
“The dungeon’s current danger rating is C-rank, so it shouldn’t attract much attention.”
When Yu Hanul first entered it, it hadn’t even been assigned a rank since it was uncharted, but after the first clear took down the S-rank monster, the lifeless idol, its danger level dropped and it ultimately became classified as a C-rank dungeon. In the end, all that remained there now were ghosts unable to escape the barrier.
“…All right, I get it for now. Good luck.”
“Yes. Then you two head straight back to the hospital on your own. I’m a bit pressed for time, so I won’t be able to walk you back. Is that okay?”
“I’m not a kid. You don’t have to worry.”
“If you were a kid, at least you’d be cute…”
“Not even worth responding to. I’m heading out, then.”
“Go straight back to the hospital, okay?”
“I said I got it.”
With that, I practically shoved the busy Han Jaeyeong off. They glanced back at me a few times, as if suspicious, but must really have been in a hurry, because they eventually grabbed a taxi and disappeared quickly. Only then did I turn back toward Lee Pyeonghwa, who was still sitting on the bench, sniffling. She lifted her head. She’d been crying and sniffling for a long time, but at least the tears had mostly stopped now. Thank goodness. I’m terrible at comforting crying people.
“Done talking?”
“Yeah. Um… you should just head back to the hotel too. I’m thinking of taking a short walk around here before I go back…”
“A walk, my ass.” Lee Pyeonghwa brushed herself off and stood up. Her eyes were still red, but her posture was resolute. “You need to recover quickly. Let’s go straight to the hospital.”
"..."
I stalled and sat down next to Lee Pyeonghwa again.
“Nice weather, huh?”
“What nice weather? It’s totally overcast…” As she said that, Lee Pyeonghwa’s eyes narrowed sharply. “What are you doing? Let’s go already.”
“Why? Let’s just sit here a bit and enjoy the breeze—”
“What’s that in your hand right now? That’s an item, isn’t it?”
Damn it.
I clicked my tongue. Lee Pyeonghwa stared at me, eyes wide. “Y-you! You were about to use an item on me again, weren’t you?!”
“…No, you’re misunderstanding.”
“Don’t make me laugh. Do you think I’d fall for the same trick twice?”
She clearly still remembered how I’d secretly amplified her emotions inside the dungeon. Back then, everyone had been tense for so long and exhausted from marching that I could use items without getting caught, but now she noticed right away.
I clicked my tongue again. So this is a swordsman’s intuition.
Lee Pyeonghwa grabbed my hand angrily and spread it open. Of course, I’d already recalled the item, so there was no trace left, but she was already convinced. “You were trying to put me to sleep and run off, weren’t you?!”
“Run off where? No, that’s not it. What’s wrong with you?”
“Hey, Jeong Daon. Do you think I’ve only known you for a day or two? That look you get when you lie, I saw it just now.”
“I have a look like that?” Honestly, that surprised me. “What kind of look?”
“So you can practice it away? No way I’m telling you. So? What is it?” Lee Pyeonghwa glared at me sharply. If looks could take physical form, I’d be dead already. “What are you really up to?”
“…It’s not like I’m up to anything.”
I just had something I needed to do. The reason I came out like this wasn’t because I was particularly concerned about Xuemei’s situation. I only wanted to get some air, and figured that if I begged to see Xuemei one last time, the hospital would grant me permission to go out, so I used it as an excuse. I just didn’t expect it to be this hard to shake Lee Pyeonghwa off. Instead of insisting on repaying my debt by fixing Xuemei’s mana circuits, I should’ve bolted out into the streets during that time…
“Hey, be honest. You’ve got something you need to do right now, don’t you?” Lee Pyeonghwa studied my eyes. Her gaze was quite serious. “Then there’s no need for you to trick me. If you tell me to keep it secret, I will. What do you need me to do?”
“What are you…”
“Trust me, Jeong Daon.”
"..."
A hollow laugh slipped out of me. Trust? Coming from a greenhorn whose blood had barely dried on her head, someone who probably didn’t even fully understand what that word meant.
“I don’t betray my friends.”
The look on Lee Pyeonghwa’s face as she said that was utterly earnest. The problem was that it was painfully obvious she was trying to earn my trust.
Since when were we even friends?
Thinking that, I ran the calculations in my head. Could I trust her? Of course the answer was no. I didn’t know Lee Pyeonghwa as a person. No, I had never truly understood humans as a species.
“…Can I trust you?”
When I asked that, Lee Pyeonghwa’s expression brightened instantly. “Yeah, of course!”
Of course, I had no intention of trusting her. It was just that…
This will probably work better.
I might not understand Lee Pyeonghwa as a human, but I understood her personality to some extent. Judging by how she’d looked after me since we escaped the dungeon, I seemed to occupy the position of an “ill-fated partner” or “troublemaking buddy” in her mind. And I’d already seen many times how devoted she was to people she considered friends.
There’s no harm in keeping her close.
Besides, if Orbis’ goal was to use me to draw in my previous world, then, just like before, incidents would keep happening. In that case, having a swordsman I could “use” at any time nearby was convenient, even more so if Han Jaeyeong were to contract with Lee Pyeonghwa.
And if… Yu Hanul tries to kill me again, it’ll be easier to buy time if Lee Pyeonghwa is nearby.
Given Yu Hanul’s personality, he wouldn’t try to kill me in front of Lee Pyeonghwa.
After organizing my thoughts, I opened my mouth as if hesitating, “Actually, my recovery is too slow, so I was thinking of making a potion that’s good for stamina. I reserved a lab nearby for that.”
“A potion? Why are you making it yourself? If you need one, you could ask Hunter Han Jaeyeong, or the hospital—”
“I’m not planning to rely on Han Jaeyeong unconditionally. There’s no guarantee they’ll always help me.” After cutting her off firmly, I added one more line, “And even low-grade potions are expensive. I don’t have money. The embassy isn’t going to pay for potions I request personally, either.”
“…That is true.” Lee Pyeonghwa nodded awkwardly.
Everyone in Korea knew about my family situation by now, so there was no need to be self-conscious about it. Some people look down on you when they know you’re broke, but Lee Pyeonghwa wasn’t that type. If anything, she’d be more considerate once she knew. In reality, I still had a decent amount of the contract money from Han Jaeyeong left—but that was staying a secret.
“Th-then I’ll pay for it. Let’s just ask the hospital.”
“Do you even know how much potions cost? You know medical insurance doesn’t apply in the U.S. If things go wrong, it could run into the hundreds of millions.”
“…H-hundreds of millions?” Lee Pyeonghwa’s mouth fell open at a price unimaginable in Korea.
And this wasn’t even a lie. Potions were expensive in Korea too, to the point that illegal drugs were rampant, but the U.S. was on a whole different level.
“Th-that is expensive. Still, even so, making and taking potions on your own without a hospital prescription is—”
“Lee Pyeonghwa.”
“Huh?”
“You saw it too, didn’t you? Me getting dragged into incidents even in the military.”
Now that the subject and motive were left aside, there was nothing to hide about that anymore.
“W-well… yeah.”
“I don’t know who’s targeting me, but I want to protect myself as soon as possible. And I don’t want to drag anyone else into it anymore.” Even if it hadn’t been her intention, Lee Pyeonghwa herself had once suggested that Lee Seunghui might have died because of me. “To do that, I need practice. Completely in secret.”
Perhaps remembering that, Lee Pyeonghwa’s face stiffened for a moment, then took on a resolute look. And in truth, this wasn’t entirely a lie either.
“…All right.” She nodded, as if she’d made up her mind. “Where’s the lab? I’ll go with you.”