Chapter 139

〈Chapter 139〉 Side Story 3: Hot Spring Trip (7)

<4:30 PM, First Floor Lounge of the Royal Spirit Shop>

“So now we all know each other, right?”

Sitting around a round table, Phoenix sipped on her canned drink while scanning the group.

Present were the Blue Wind Sect’s officers, villain Cheon Gaeul, Ji Hwa, and Yu I-shin.


Also present were Round Table representative Hero Seok Harang,


miscellaneous merchant Yun Yuhwa.

“Hold on. A miscellaneous merchant?”

“It’s due to an offense punishable by law. He was trying something fishy.”

Phoenix had no real defense against this accusation. Thanks to cross-checks via Gaeul, Harang, and the boss, Yuhwa’s ambitions had been thwarted, leaving Phoenix to place him as far away from herself as possible.

“Hmph… Let me reintroduce everyone then. Owner of the Meteorite, Yun Yuhwa. And I—”

“Are secret lovers.”

“Is a secret financial alliance. Stop making people misunderstand, you wild one. Next…”

Phoenix pointed at Harang, who bowed humbly in front of the Blue Wind Sect.

“Hello, I’m <Snow Princess> Seok Harang.”

“She’s a water elemental spirit and the mastermind behind creating 5,000 water-attribute special ability users in Seoul. For reference, she’s currently pretending to be a regular person but gets very casual with Busan dialect and informal speech once you get close. Handle accordingly.”

Harang scratched at the hairpin in her hand, causing Phoenix to shiver involuntarily before gesturing toward the Blue Wind Sect members.

“These are our executives. Starting from my left, <Phantom>, <Lighthouse>, and <Gongsung>. There are others in Seoul and someone else is busy with prior engagements, but let’s keep it at this for introductions.”

“Hey.”

Gaeul poked Phoenix’s side with a tentacle that slithered up her chair unnoticed by the others. Phoenix leaned closer.

“So, we’re going by code names around Snow Princess?”

“…Do you mind if I introduce them?”

Both Gaeul, Ji Hwa, and Yu I-shin nodded affirmatively, prompting Phoenix to clear her throat.

“This is <Phantom>, Cheon Gaeul, former actress. She was reported dead but is actually alive.”

“Additionally, she’s an A-rank special ability user who could easily ascend to S-rank anytime. Feel free to speak casually.”

“Whoa, that’s intense.”

Harang covered her mouth in surprise upon learning that someone thought to be deceased was still alive. While she suspected something similar, she never imagined they’d become a special ability user.

“…Intense?”

Gaeul gathered her tentacles hesitantly. Were her features too unsettling for normal people? Sensing her discomfort, Harang quickly waved her hands.

“Not at all! I followed every episode of <The Last Love> since its premiere. Please feel free to speak casually.”

“Thank you.”

Gaeul stretched out her nine tails, which extended and retracted in a peculiar motion that made Harang blink in amazement.

“Are you controlling all of this with magic power?”

“Surprisingly, you’re focusing on that?”

“Um… isn’t that amazing? Managing multitasking like this?”

Yuhwa shrugged and tapped his temple.

“I control seven ‘people’ worth of movement daily.”

“Hmph, just seven? I’ve got nine.”

Their gazes clashed again. Harang, realizing their apparent lack of camaraderie despite knowing each other, shifted his attention elsewhere.

“Umm… Are the people here what you referred to as ‘monsters’?”

“That’s correct. Snow Princess might not recognize me…”

I-shin removed her disguise.

“I’m <Robin>, previously known as part of the Pine Tree Unit, B-Rank hero Yu I-shin. Currently, I operate under the alias <Gongsung> as an A-Rank villain with a bounty on my head.”

“Ahh, I see. Robin from Curve Arrow. Then this person…”

Ji Hwa took off his sunglasses and bowed. His inverted pupil and sclera startled Harang.

“I’m <Lighthouse>, currently known as the leader of the Blue Wind Sect, monster Kim Ji Hwa. Though it’s more like being a figurehead; the actual owner of the Blue Wind Sect is…”

Ji Hwa subtly indicated Phoenix, who nodded in agreement.

“There are four more members, but two are working in Seoul, one is meeting someone on prior engagement… Where’s Deokbae?”

“…He said he’d come with Sky Castle.”

“Don’t beat around the bush. The name of the A-Rank villain <Sky Castle> is Ryu Cheonseong. You know who he is, right?”

“What kind of chaos have you stirred up back there?”

Harang looked between Phoenix and Yuhwa in disbelief. Both exchanged glances before simultaneously responding to Harang.

“Villainous activities.”

“Tch, if this counts as villainous activities, real villains would cry.”

Phoenix flicked her finger at Harang.

“You spoke well. One of the goals of the Blue Wind Sect is to eliminate the seeds of destruction.”

“Just a metaphor. It’s about preventing another massacre like Sun Icheol’s. That’s why we’re helping out in this pseudo-villain business.”

At Gaeul’s comment, Phoenix turned to her in shock.

“No, playing? Gaeul, I’m working incredibly hard right now. Is all this just play?”

“Then allow me to clarify. You’re a quasi-villain. More like a dark hero, but your actions make it hard to call you that.”

“That’s agreed upon. Thinking about what you did to someone’s father…”

Harang’s response caused Ji Hwa to drop his sunglasses. After pondering why Ji Hwa was surprised, Harang questioned Phoenix.

“Do these people not know about my father?”

“Well, no one expected you to discuss it so calmly.”

“…Leader. Shouldn’t we resolve this first?”

Ji Hwa raised his hand to summon Phoenix, who nodded knowingly. Ji Hwa addressed everyone seated at the table.

“There’s too much disparity in what we know and don’t know among us. Why don’t we share information?”

“Sure. Since Harang is now on the same boat as us, and it’s currently…”

“4:40 PM.”

Yu I-shin quickly responded. Phoenix, satisfied, counted the number of people.

“Six people here, plus Deokbae and Ryu Cheonseong makes eight. Nice. Wasn’t dinner mentioned?”

“Yes. The boss said he’d prepare barbecue.”

Phoenix stood up and clapped her hands.

“Alright then, how about all ten of us enjoy dinner together and chat?”

“…Ten?”

Gaeul frowned, and Phoenix pointed to her ears.

“Counting the two eavesdroppers, that makes ten. Someone quietly joined the Round Table channel and another little miss hacked into it to listen. Let’s lay it all out and relax.”

Phoenix tapped the table, addressing Harang—or rather, Harang’s smartwatch through which Himeji Hayate and Himeji Hikari were secretly listening.

“If you’re listening, come down, Himeji siblings.”

The two Japanese siblings silently descended, followed shortly by Ryu Cheonseong and Deokbae.

They enjoyed the barbecue prepared by the boss while exchanging stories.

—

<7:00 PM, Individual Rooms>

[Room 205, Himeji Siblings’ Room]

“Thought it was a bit too easy to reveal their true identities.”

Hayate sat on the bed, scratching his head sheepishly. Harang sat across from him, speaking into his smartwatch.

“So, planning to expose everything to the Round Table?”

“Not at all. Can we even escape here? You’re completely siding with them.”

“Not entirely. It’s more like we share the same ‘ultimate goal.’ We go to the South Pole, they head to the North Pole, eventually meeting on opposite sides of the world.”

“Stopping the prophecy of destruction is the same, but… whatever.”

Hayate flopped onto the bed.

“I initially intended to somehow escape and inform Gawein.”

“And why didn’t you?”

Hayate pounded on the bed, which wasn’t even his.

“Would I block my sister’s path?”

Zilphoguest’s other alias, “Murderer.” He truly was a killer, and Gawein subdued him with a sword to reform him, placing him within the Round Table.

“As long as my sister does well, I’m content. They’re raising her, after all.”

Harang chuckled helplessly.

“Truly remarkable sibling love.”

“Of course, I have personal requests too. Isn’t she the one who flattened you in Gwanak, <Blue Phoenix>?”

“Didn’t flatten me! It was the roar of the beast! And now, I might win if we fight!”

“Cut the lies already. Just ask her one favor for me.”

Hayate grinned excitedly, pointing to the sword at his waist.

“One match, just one match!”

After contemplating briefly, Harang smirked and wiggled his fingers at Hayate.

“Beat me first. Hey, let’s go outside. I learned how to set up barriers last time; let’s see how you fare.”

“Perfect for post-dinner exercise. Let’s go.”

Soon after, deep beneath the sea in Busan, an ice barrier formed.

—

[Room 204, Yun Yuhwa’s Room]

“So you’re asking to admit this person into the Meteorite Research Institute?”

Yuhwa read over the contents Phoenix had written, holding unused glasses.

A detailed list outlined what ‘Himeji Hikari’ would research over the next five years and the expected achievements. Yuhwa meticulously compared the practical value with the potential drawbacks of accepting Hikari.

“It won’t be a loss at least.”

Phoenix added explanations. Gaeul, unwilling to leave them alone, sat between them with a chair.

“You’re supposedly a genius in economics, and this child is a prodigy in ‘Magitech,’ comparable to you. I guarantee it.”

“Of course, I trust what the customer says. But some parts are difficult to understand.”

Yuhwa tapped the screen.

“Fourth-generation Core Weapons? When first-generation ones are just entering commercial use?

Personal Magic Affinity Tester? If this exists, anyone can assess their talents. Even determine affinity levels and predict growth limits? Ridiculous.

Awakening Verification Device? What’s this? An item to rescue those unaware if they’ve awakened or not? Discovering hidden S-Rank special ability users?

And…”

Yuhwa pointed to the last entry on the list.

“‘Cube Control Device’?”

“It’s a long explanation.”

“Fine, explain.”

Though an urge welled up inside her, Phoenix summarized.

If the Blue Wind Sect hadn’t existed, Chungsong Soyeon would’ve continued studying cubes in Daejeon, bringing Hikari there to exploit her talents. Developing various devices, Hikari would eventually be used for cube research, discovering its dangers and risking her life to escape.

“The successfully escaped Hikari, under the protection of good heroes, finds a way to appropriately control cubes. She creates a device that purifies contaminated magic flowing from other dimensions, generating countless S-Rank cores.”

Phoenix lamentingly touched her empty pocket.

“In short, this kid will create an infinite power plant extracting magical energy from a single cube, enough to sustain a nation.”

“—!”

Gaeul sprayed coffee, which Phoenix quickly dissipated with a snap of her fingers before it reached Yuhwa. Coughing, Gaeul flailed her tentacles.

“T-Then, the cube used to revive me back then…”

“Economically invaluable. Simply preserving it extracts endless magic.”

“…At least prove the equivalent value of ten thousand S-Rank cores, Miss Cheon Gaeul.”

Yuhwa glared sharply at Gaeul, aware of her resurrection story. Thus, his gaze towards her wasn’t favorable. Gaeul fidgeted with her tentacles nervously.

“B-But there are still twenty-six left, right?”

“Sorry. I used one.”

“What?!?”

Yuhwa’s voice rose. Phoenix couldn’t confess the truth, fabricating an excuse on the spot.

“…Used it hastily to stop Chinese heroes from rampaging. Had to destroy it when it started going berserk.”

She couldn’t admit using it to converse directly with Chang-yeom, nor could she reveal Chang-yeom’s existence, lest she seize Phoenix’s body and kill everyone.

Fortunately, neither Yuhwa nor Gaeul pressed further on Phoenix’s evasive attitude.

“You know its value best, so I trust you’ll use it wisely.”

“But next time, tell me immediately. Don’t misuse it recklessly. Got it?”

“…Understood.”

Phoenix felt like she’d been scolded, inwardly sighing. At least five more cubes needed to be used separately according to calculations.

“I’ll need to sneak around during overseas trips.”

Bring along a tight-lipped subordinate. With a mischievous plan brewing, Phoenix confidently laid her groundwork.

“So, try nurturing Himeji Hikari well. Time may be limited, but with your generous budget, she’ll exceed expectations.”

“And you’ll secure the cores accordingly?”

Phoenix nodded. Gaeul contemplated briefly before panicking.

“T-Then, should we just leave such an important talent unattended? Shouldn’t we supervise closely?”

“There are several S-Rank individuals in this building. Relax. Ji Hwa.”

Phoenix called out to Lighthouse Ji Hwa, who promptly responded with a troubled smile.

[Leader, it’s overwhelming! I don’t know where to start!]

[Th-That area! No, don’t touch it! Ahh!!]

Seeing Hikari caressing a green bow with a sinister grin, both Yuhwa and Gaeul stared accusingly at Phoenix. Phoenix fiddled with her veil, pretending ignorance.

“…’Weaponization of monsters,’ technically, this is fifth-generation Core Weaponry.”

[The magic flowing from the core spreads throughout the weapon…hehehe, hahaha.]

Yuhwa lowered his head, covering his face as he reached out to lower Phoenix’s screen. Phoenix patted his shoulder consolingly.

“Nurture her well.”

“Guess our chairman suddenly became a mom?”

“……”

Yuhwa’s expression darkened.