NOVEL WEB Chapter 192
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There was a bit of commotion, and the immigration check took longer than expected, but thanks to the assurances of the mages, we made it safely to the airport.
Even though we arrived, it wasn’t without its ups and downs. Walking through the maze of mages, Hong Yu-ri clicked her tongue nervously.
“…So annoying.”
It wasn’t surprising, given that similar situations had occurred during the departure check. But experiencing it in her own country felt entirely different.
“Are you okay?”
At Baek So-yul’s question, Hong Yu-ri nodded but grimaced.
“I told them to be waiting for me to avoid this crap…”
Outside the airport, she let out a deep sigh, understanding the attention she was drawing. With wings, a tail, and even horns, it was hard not to grab people’s eyes, even if they thought it was just a costume.
…Well, it’s annoying even if it is just a costume.
While Baek So-yul comforted Hong Yu-ri, the Wolf shifted his gaze to Anela and asked.
“Where are we heading?”
“Hmm…”
Knowing he was learning from Anela, Baek So-yul would inevitably follow her. He asked her, and Anela replied while looking at someone.
“…Maybe Daejeon.”
The night of Daejeon. The place where Agail died. It was also home to the Forest of Euna, where Euna resided as the representative clan. They would likely meet again during their stay in Korea.
“I’ll count on you in the meantime.”
“Don’t worry. They say you’ll become the next Square Master~ I’ll make sure to take care of you.”
The Wolf nodded silently, and Anela’s eyes widened in surprise. This meant she completely believed it without a doubt.
She couldn’t take lightly the reaction from Marang, who had defeated the beasts of disaster, Plague and Disease. It surely meant he had such abilities.
“That’s impressive…”
Of course, the Wolf harbored some confidence in that too.
Thinking of the Witch who had openly appeared in Seoul with the Plateau and Dawn, even if she wasn’t as dire as Plague and Disease, she could certainly be called a disaster.
“If I teach him wrong, it’ll come back to bite me, huh?”
Despite saying that lightly, she stared at Baek So-yul intently. She had stated that her role was to teach the basics. She already had an idea of who would be Baek So-yul’s true teacher. …She hadn’t intended to put them in debt, but it seemed that’s what it had come to. Her gaze was far from loose like before. If it had been, they wouldn’t have traveled this far with Anela. Given her current self, she figured it was alright to trust.
“I’ll count on you.”
“You can leave it to me.”
Thus, Baek So-yul and a few from the Purple Square took off. There was no need to say goodbye to Baek So-yul again. On the morning she entered the Purple Square, she’d said everything she wanted to say.
So, she felt a bit relieved.
As long as she was in Korea, where the Master of All Things was not present, it meant she could reach out at any time. Ultimately, if she set her mind to it, such barriers would mean nothing…
The Wolf and Baek So-yul exchanged a brief silence, their eyes meeting. Soon, the Fairy-type Monster egg gifted to her would likely hatch into a Fairy. No one knew when she would meet her again, but having told her she’d wait, she needed to solidify her resolve at least until then.
After all, she couldn’t keep her waiting forever…
***
The clan member she had called for arrived ten minutes later. She had suggested they walk to the fantasy world, but Hong Yu-ri grimaced and insisted on finding out who had the audacity to make her wait, and the Wolf shook his head disapprovingly.
When a vehicle finally arrived, Hong Yu-ri’s eyes twitched.
“XT16…?”
It looked oddly familiar, but she frowned quickly. After all, the owner of that car probably wasn’t in any condition to drive right now. Contrary to Hong Yu-ri’s thoughts, the Wolf peeked through the tinted window and chuckled.
“Hey, sorry. Traffic was a bit heavy.”
Casually rolling down the window, a bulky guy scratched the back of his head sheepishly as if the driver’s seat were cramped. As Hong Yu-ri clicked her tongue and attempted to hail a taxi, Kang Tae-ho was shocked and quickly stopped her.
“Hey, just get in. Come on, I’m sorry, right?”
Hearing that, Hong Yu-ri sighed deeply, and the Wolf caught her mumbling something under her breath about how he was the last person she wanted to see. When they got into the car, Kang Tae-ho glanced back at the rearview mirror and stepped on the gas.
“What happened to your car?”
“Jin-ha can’t use it, so I borrowed it.”
That stingy guy wouldn’t lend out his prized vehicle, even if the world ended. No way. Imagining that scenario made Hong Yu-ri want to say something but kept her mouth shut.
“Did you finish all your work?”
“…Yeah.”
At least the Butterfly of Covenant wouldn’t betray her. Elements causing confusion, including the Master of All Things, still lingered, but Kang Tae-ho nodded.
“Yeah, that seems about right. Oh, by the way, I heard you turned into a dragon. Can you show me that?”
“Hell no!”
“I’m curious…”
His intense reaction showed disappointment. Right now, Hong Yu-ri was in a bizarre getup wearing a long coat that was two sizes too big for her—bizarre enough that without the Fairy and the Wolf by her side, she’d probably be unrecognizable.
“Kyu.”
Since her transformation into a draconic being, for some reason, they had been spending a lot of time together.
“Come on.”
“Kyu~ Kyu~!”
Even while saying that, she didn’t seem to mind the nagging from the Fairy. Seeing that, Kang Tae-ho whistled.
“Can’t you take it off now? You plan on wearing that forever inside the clan?”
“I said no.”
“Stop being so petty.”
Thus, they returned to Dawn. Arriving just before the clan, Hong Yu-ri clicked her tongue. Although she had come back, she was at a loss for words. There had been so much happening in the Square.
“Everyone’s gathered, but… Why don’t you go to your room for a bit? And take that off for now.”
Nodding at those words, Hong Yu-ri knew where they would gather. The conference room. They would want a report on what had occurred. They must have enough knowledge of what happened in the Square. Given the circumstances, it probably meant they needed to discuss urgent matters.
When she headed to her room, the Wolf, following behind with Kang Tae-ho after Har Yeon’s guidance at the entrance, couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight of him idly moving his tentacles.
“So it was true.”
At the words of the one-armed man, Kang Tae-jun, who sat at the head of the conference table, the Wolf nodded.
“Yeah. It’s been a while. Seems like everything went well.”
Nodding back, the Wolf surveyed the room’s occupants. Aside from Hong Yu-ri, who had briefly stepped away, and Har Yeon waiting outside, all the leaders and vice-leaders of Dawn were gathered. Each of them looked at him with different expressions.
***
Returning to the room after several days… It hadn’t been long since she was with Baek So-yul, yet it felt strangely nostalgic.
“……”
Lost in thought for a moment, Hong Yu-ri shook her head. With people waiting, it made sense to hurry along.
However, she couldn’t easily let go of the edge of her coat.
Others wouldn’t matter. But these were people she knew. What if the clan members freaked out? She bit her lip in anxiety.
No, she knew that wouldn’t happen. Deep down, she was aware… yet that didn’t make it any easier.
…It’s okay. It’ll be fine.
Taking a deep breath as if calming herself, Hong Yu-ri soon threw off her coat and headed toward the conference room.
***
She reported the main events.
She couldn’t lay everything bare, but within her knowledge, she disclosed as much as possible. The Butterfly of Covenant hadn’t betrayed her, and she had been pressured by the Master of All Things, who was the wayward son.
“…Could it be that person?”
Gu Jin-ha showed a confused response.
The origin of magic was relatively unknown to the world. Only the leader of Dawn might have seen her even from a distance. She was at the pinnacle of humanity, despite being literally unparalleled. Of course, her true essence wasn’t merely limited to that.
“Then why did they establish the Law Society… No, why the wayward son…”
He seemed to be increasingly lost. That was not unreasonable. More than a few people grew skeptical of the Wolf’s words. The Wolf smiled bitterly.
That was a perfectly natural reaction. Without magic, without the Square, humanity would’ve been doomed long ago. Yet it was contradictory to think that the origin of magic would be part of the very foundation of those who turned rogue.
He himself didn’t know the answer either.
But the system must certainly know. Otherwise, there wouldn’t have been a warning issued to the Master of All Things.
―This far, the charade ends.
Why hadn’t she revealed all the answers to him? He had many doubts about how much she knew and what she was hiding. But soon, as he planned to visit, he would find all the answers. For now, the Wolf decided to speak up about what he needed to say.
“Setting that issue aside, there’s something I want to address first.”
With the Wolf’s low voice, everyone’s thoughts shifted back, and all eyes gathered once more.
“The Plague and Disease. This is the tale of someone who had to forsake humanity to defeat those two calamities.”
***
Outside the conference room. She had tried to avoid meeting people, but she couldn’t ignore Har Yeon, who waited up front.
The moment their eyes met, her cold gaze flickered with emotion. She couldn’t help but read that momentary look in those eyes.
“…You’ve come.”
Hong Yu-ri only nodded in response but felt an odd atmosphere linger.
While their intellect remained unchanged, she was no longer human. It was inevitable to receive some uneasy glances—something she had prepared for, and Hong Yu-ri reminded herself of that.
As the door opened, several pairs of eyes took in her form.
For that brief moment, she thought maybe it would have been better to heed Alpha’s suggestion to gulp down some fake elixir, but she quickly shook her head and dismissed such thoughts.
“Third Team Vice Team Leader Hong Yu-ri. Returned.”
“…Right. Welcome back.”
However, the gaze of the room was anything but normal.
Why? Nothing about her had changed. She just had a few horns, wings, and a tail…
That somber, tense atmosphere in the room felt exceedingly unpleasant.
Thus, she wanted to hide away from the scrutinizing gazes and escape somewhere. As she rolled her eyes around, when her gaze met Alpha’s, she finally felt a bit reassured.
…Yes. No matter what goes wrong, Alpha would help, so it’ll be fine. It’s going to be okay…
Dispelling her anxiety, Hong Yu-ri quietly closed her eyes. Yet she wouldn’t realize how that made her appear as if she were resigned to her fate.
“Ha…”
When she heard a voice, reminiscent of someone’s regretful sigh, she flinched involuntarily. It couldn’t be, but she conjured paranoid thoughts of being expelled from the clan.
“…You’ve truly done well.”
At the words that came through, Hong Yu-ri blinked in surprise.
Well done? …For what?
“I’ve heard everything. You had to drink Dragon Blood to defeat the Plague. …It was a tough job.”
Kang Tae-jun, the clan leader, nodded earnestly, chewing on his lips, looking at her. Even Kang Tae-ho hung his head low in a solemn atmosphere, making Hong Yu-ri cautiously think.
What… on earth is going on?
Seeing her bewilderment, the Wolf chuckled inwardly, and Kang Tae-jun continued with unfinished words.
“No one will belittle your sacrifice. If anyone says otherwise, let me know. I won’t let it go.”
Even so, she couldn’t openly confess that she drank it to outdo Dorothy. Sometimes, the Wolf thought there was a need for a little white lie.
…Yeah. For everyone’s sake.
In that solemn atmosphere, it was only Hong Yu-ri who kept blinking in confusion.
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