RG 38

In the end, unable to ignore the voice echoing in my mind, I responded to Kwon Taehyeok with a question instead of an answer, “Doesn’t Yesung Guild have plenty of Support?”

“There are no S-classes.”

I had never mentioned being an S-class, yet his response was unequivocal.

So, he wasn’t even trying to hide it anymore. Well, pretending not to know what we both clearly understood wasn’t my style either.

As I hesitated to make a decision, Kwon Taehyeok spoke again, “This isn’t a bad deal for your guild either. The Bureau’s personnel will be at the scene, so it’s a good chance to make your presence known. Plus, since there are no other cooperating guilds, we can ensure you’re well compensated.”

“…Alright.”

By this point, it was clear there was no room for refusal. I should have rejected it outright from the beginning, but the extended deliberation was my fault.

“Please send me the cooperation proposal and the rift information separately.”

“Will do.” Kwon Taehyeok, showing no hesitation, retrieved his tablet from me and stood up. “My secretary will organize and send the relevant documents by tomorrow. And on the day we head to the site, I’ll send a car for you.”

“Wow, thanks for that.”

There was no need to decline the courtesy of a wealthy benefactor. I accepted with a smile, and Kwon Taehyeok gave me a final glance before leaving the office.

“Hmm.”

With this unexpected burden now on my shoulders, I ran a hand through my hair, feeling a mix of emotions. Had I refused cleanly, it might have been different, but going to the site directly would make it difficult to feign ignorance. However, preventing that disaster on my own was impossible.

‘It would’ve been great if I could have gotten some useful skills from the item shop. What can I do with divine power that only heals others?’

Bringing Cha Sahyeon along was also an issue. To support someone, I had to hold their hand or something similar. Sahyeon was sensitive to anyone touching me, so I doubted he’d stay calm. Leaving him behind would cause another tantrum like last time.

How could I persuade him? I wanted to at least be able to shake hands comfortably.

“I’m exhausted…”

Sighing in frustration, I noticed Cha Sahyeon watching me, tilting his head and blinking. “Are you tired? Because of that person?”

“What?”

“Should I kill him for you?”

“…”

His intense green eyes didn’t waver at all. Just from that, I could tell he was completely serious.

Those eyes. Beautiful enough to remind me of jewels, yet capable of immense cruelty.

Looking at his whole face was fine because it reminded me he was just a child happy with a simple gift. But looking into his eyes alone…

The terrible memories I had locked away threatened to burst out. My heart pounded loudly in my head. I swallowed dryly. 

I forced my stiffened arm, frozen with fear, to move. The warm, soft skin of his cheek met my cold fingertips. “…Kids shouldn’t say such things.” I forced a smile and gently tugged on his soft cheek. Cha Sahyeon looked puzzled as his cheek was suddenly pulled.

“That person is incredibly strong, you know? Don’t say weird things and behave yourself.”

Since I was already holding his cheek, I grabbed Cha Sahyeon’s face with both hands and gently squished and patted it. He responded with a disgruntled expression.

“I’m stronger.”

He probably was. At the very least, he could hold his own in a fight. Once the progression of the Seed of Calamity advanced further, he’d easily overpower most opponents.

What was certain was that if Cha Sahyeon decided to attack someone, I wouldn’t have the strength to stop him. So, while he still somewhat listened to me, I needed to guide him.

“I told you before, didn’t I? You don’t need to step up and face anyone. I’ll be in front of you, and I’ll protect you no matter what.”

“…”

“Or would you prefer I ignore everything you do and not care about you at all?”

At that, Cha Sahyeon, who had been glancing at me anxiously, quickly responded, “No.” He shook his head vigorously, even with his face held.

“Good. So don’t say things like that again, okay?”

“Okay.”

His immediate compliance made me breathe a sigh of relief. To show my approval, I gently stroked the corners of his eyes, patted his cheeks, and ruffled his hair a couple of times before letting go.

***

That day, the rain poured heavily. It was as if the sky mourned the numerous victims of the sudden rift disaster, weeping through the torrential downpour and strong winds.

I wandered through the guild in search of Ryu Seonghyeon. Luckily, I ran into Kim Suho in the hallway, who informed me that he was in the representative’s office. So, I headed there.

At that time, I had only recently been rescued from the lab and brought to the Circle Guild. Thus, I hesitated in front of the firmly closed office door, unable to muster the courage to knock.

[Come in.]

Just as if he understood my hesitation, a gentle voice came from beyond the door before I could knock.

Ryu Seonghyeon must have sensed my presence in the hallway and called out to ease my burden. This small gesture showed how kind and considerate he was.

[I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to intrude.]

As I entered the office and awkwardly apologized, the guildmaster, standing by the window, smiled faintly and replied.

[Intrude? I said you could come by anytime. Please, come in and have a seat.]

[…Then, excuse me.]

After glancing around and seeing no one else, I cautiously sat on the sofa opposite Ryu Seonghyeon, as suggested by the guildmaster. Feeling awkward, I fiddled with my ear and sneaked a glance at Ryu Seonghyeon, who was looking at me with a similar smile. His gaze, like that of someone admiring a promising child, only added to my discomfort.

That gaze was unfamiliar to me. If he had looked down on me or dismissed me like others, I would have just acted stubbornly as I always did. Because of that, I couldn’t muster my usual relaxed smile in front of the guildmaster and Ryu Seonghyeon. The burden of owing them gratitude weighed on my heart too.

[Shall we continue our discussion? Hunter Seohu, you should listen as well. By tomorrow, all the guild members will know anyway.]

All the guild members? As I wondered about this, the guildmaster handed some documents to Ryu Seonghyeon. He received them with a complicated expression and hesitated before speaking.

[Are you really going to do this?]

[I must.]

[But… it won’t be accepted. Our request will quietly be buried, as always.]

I didn’t need to hear the rest of Ryu Seonghyeon’s words to understand. The guild master seemed to feel the same, as he sighed softly and looked up at the heavily clouded sky.

[Even if it gets buried, we can’t just stay silent.]

[…]

[Seonghyeon, as you know, unlike dungeons that are somewhat systematized, rifts are extremely unstable. People are increasingly looking out for their own interests and ignoring the dangers of rifts.]

Worry clouded his light green eyes, reminiscent of new spring leaves.

[I’ve always been concerned about that, and now it’s led to this result. Our guild is the closest to the site of the disaster…]

The eyes revealed under his loosely tied wheat-colored hair were filled with distress.

[If I had known a rift would occur, if I hadn’t sent them to a C-class dungeon…]

[Guildmaster…]

Ryu Seonghyeon’s face mirrored the pain in the guildmaster’s regretful whispers.

The guild master genuinely felt remorse and sorrow, despite not knowing that the rift incident would occur. It was an unfamiliar sight for me. An accident was just an accident, and if anyone should bear responsibility, it should be the Management Bureau that sold rift information only to well-known guilds.

The guildmaster’s sense of guilt stemmed from one thing: his guild was the closest to the accident site, and at the time of the disaster, they had no available DPS guild members to send as support.

[If our guild had been a bit stronger, we would have been able to get that information…]

[…]

[I just can’t stop thinking about that.]

The guildmaster turned toward the window, hiding his face, his pained smile accentuating his furrowed brows.

A heavy silence settled over us. In that silence, the only sound was the rain pouring down as if it would engulf the world. I slowly closed my eyes, feeling the damp and chilly sensation of the rain as it gradually receded. All my senses were buried in darkness until a piercing sunlight pulled me back.

“Ugh…”

I raised my arm to shield my eyes from the bright light and opened them. The curtain had fallen off in the previous chaos, letting the morning sun flood the room.

As I sat up, I heard the cheerful chirping of birds. Cha Sahyeon, who had been sleeping snugly against me, fluttered his eyelashes. I gave him the blanket and mumbled softly, “Alright, I’ll handle it.”

I wondered how deeply the accident had affected me for it to bring back past memories.

Muttering to myself as if lamenting to the guildmaster, who had now become just a memory, I got out of bed.