Chapter 366

〈 Chapter 366 〉 Part 1, Chapter 15, Section 24

Kim Penril was munching on strawberries, while I indulged in a Mint Chocolate cake.

It was a subtle signal I’d sent to Penril, and Penril had picked up on it.

“What do you want from me?”

“Nothing. Just to stay here quietly.”

I could handle Azidahaka or Hydra. But Penril was different. Working part-time in the middle of Yeouido for several weeks clearly meant she had some tricks up her sleeve.

“So you’re proposing a deal now? I’m an officer of the Dark Legion, ya know?”

“That’s why I’m talking to you. You’re the kind of person who would betray Seongju for mint chocolate.”

“Surely not.”

“’Surely’ is what gets people killed.”

Didn’t the protagonist’s party get spared because of mint chocolate in the original? And didn’t Penril end up being the first boss conquered by falling for them? Sure, Penril did help them out a bit.

“Take a look at this.”

I pulled out Kim Penril’s employment contract via hologram and showed it to Huan for confirmation.

“Boss, is this a real contract?”

“It is.”

The contract stated that Party A (Huan) would provide accommodation and three different types of mint chocolate desserts daily to Party B (Kim Penril). It was simple yet challenging—especially if there were no recipes for mint chocolate desserts.

“This your signature, Kim Penril?”

“It is.”

“If you’re working part-time now, then you won’t be active as an officer, right?”

“Guess not, since there’s no need to right now.”

“In that case…”

I pointed at the menu.

“I’ll ensure Huan supplies you with the finest mint and chocolate possible, and in exchange, you just keep doing your part-time job quietly until I take care of the other officers.”

“You plan to leave me for last?”

“Yes. After I deal with Hydra and Azidahaka, I’ll come for you.”

“Hmm…”

Penril split a mint-colored macaron in half and handed it to me.

“If you eat this…”

Crunch.

Without even bothering to extinguish the flames in my mouth, I deliberately chewed it slowly, making sure to show off every movement of my tongue and lips.

“Satisfied?”

“…How can someone so bad enjoy mint chocolate?”

Penril tilted her head seriously. By Kim Penril’s logic, bad guys were supposed to hate mint chocolate.

“So, will you make a deal with me, or shall we fight here?”

“Well, isn’t that obvious?”

Penril straightened up and bowed to me.

“Nice to meet you, Landlord.”

“Seriously, Kim Penril is such a dork.”

“Aww, thank you!”

Kim Penril waved her hands and laughed, while I discreetly passed a recipe to Huan. Huan glanced at it and jumped in surprise.

“What is this…?”

“Can you make it?”

“Are you serious? Are you asking me to make THIS right now? Come on, man, this is ridiculous…”

“Wanna bet? If she likes it…”

I gestured toward the café wall.

“You can use the entire first floor for your café.”

“Fine, I’ll make it.”

Huan accepted the bet. Though his pride was wounded by the recipe, his desire to expand the café overruled it.

“What are you planning to make?”

“Something that might drive you crazy?”

Like Chang-yeom does, I figured this might appeal to her too. I sent Huan to the kitchen. Now it was just Penril and me at the table. I lowered my voice.

“Jeolpung.”

Penril’s cat ears twitched.

“Penril of Gale. What do you think ‘Gale’ means?”

Depending on her answer, our relationship could drastically change. With my serious tone, Penril put down her fork and gave a wry smile.

“…My past?”

“To be more specific?”

“A spirit.”

“I see.”

Of course. Penril knew she used to be a spirit.

“I won’t ask how you found out.”

“Thank you.”

Despite knowing she was once a spirit, the brainwashing hadn’t faded. Instead, her identity as ‘Penril,’ the officer, had grown stronger. She emphasizes her name as ‘Kim Penril’ excessively.

“You’re scared to return to your former self as a spirit, aren’t you?”

“…No, it’s not that. It’s different, alright? Even if I was a spirit before, I am Penril now. If ‘Gale’ comes back, what happens to me? Would I become a completely different person?”

“That’s true.”

Penril had a strong personality compared to the other officers, making her sense of self incredibly firm.

The playful green-haired maid with cat ears, Kim Penril. That was her way of maintaining her identity.

“If I lose to you, will you leave Penril alone?”

“No. I’ll undo your brainwashing and awaken you as Gale.”

“See? Then I die, don’t I?”

Penril wasn’t wrong.

Seoyea, who became human-like after giving birth and having only her soul remain.

Hwanryong, who existed separately from chaos as an ethereal entity.

Gaechonkwang, who pitied Officer Karna and offered her own body and mind.

Three unique spirits, whereas Penril was perfectly normal as an officer. Chang-yeom despised herself as Phoenix, and I accepted all traces of that Phoenix.

Penril, Azidahaka, and Hydra all resisted becoming Maamryong, Ji Ryun, and Gale. Awakening as a spirit meant death for the officer.

Not wanting to die.

Just as I struggled against Seongju and the interdimensional deity, Penril fought tooth and nail to survive as Gale.

“Do you know? If you keep being Penril, you’ll forever be Seongju’s slave. And if they find out you’ve regained memories of being a spirit, they’ll re-brainwash you.”

“I know. But I still don’t care. I want to live as Penril.”

Penril was afraid. Afraid I might accidentally awaken Gale inside her, so she kept her guard up. I waved my hand, not wanting to cause trouble.

“Alright. I’m on vacation anyway, and I don’t feel like thinking too hard. I just came here for a palate cleanser, not to fight.”

Just a day ago, I battled Nuclearian. I had no intention of fighting until the Round Table meeting.

“So let’s make a pact, Penril. You stay quiet in Seoul, and I’ll turn a blind eye to your existence.”

“But Hydra and Azidahaka won’t sit idly, will they?”

“Then I’ll rip their heads off. With Gaechonkwang on our side, it shouldn’t be too hard, right?”

Karna traveling the world with Yun Yuhwa had multiple reasons, but one was definitely showing off where those two were.

Now 4:3. With Karna joining us, the power balance was clearly broken. Even if it were a 3:3 battle without me, we’d have a good chance of winning.

“Hmm… Alright. I don’t plan on leaving before my contract ends anyway. Besides, I can’t just leave this delicious mint chocolate behind!”

“That’s a relief.”

“By the way, is this café’s mint chocolate recipe really yours?”

“Yes.”

There was no reason to hide it. Revealing this information would pull Penril’s double-agent tendencies further toward my side.

“Why?”

“I planned to offer it to you when you visit later. Didn’t expect you’d already be here eating it beforehand.”

“You?”

“Yes. Gale doesn’t like mint chocolate.”

In fact, Gale outright detests it. My heart sank when I called to visit the café and Kim Penril answered instead of Huan. Penril crossed her arms and frowned.

“So I can’t die. I can’t give this body to Gale. If I die, I won’t be able to eat mint chocolate anymore, right?”

“That’s correct. So when we eventually clash, you’ll die.”

“Ugh… No way. I absolutely refuse to die.”

“Sure, go ahead. Enjoy mint chocolate in Seoul until the day of your demise. Once Hydra and Azidahaka fall and awaken as Maamryong and Ji Ryun, you’ll become Gale.”

“You say you don’t want to fight, yet you’re stirring trouble like Phoenix. You’re such a peculiar existence.”

“So what? I’m Phoenix now.”

I stood up. Unintentionally, Penril had fallen into the mint chocolate trap I set through Huan, turning her into Kim Penril just like in the original story.

“Leaving already?”

“Yes. Don’t want to waste energy.”

Since Penril decided to live lazily as Kim Penril, there was only one thing left for me to do.

“Will you really just play around until the end?”

“Of course. Even if a sword is at my neck, I’ll still play around.”

“After almost twenty years of slacking, you still want more?”

“All I can think about is enjoying these remaining five years.”

“Alright. Keep that spirit. Have fun until I come for you.”

“Hehe, you won’t catch me easily.”

Penril remained confident. I couldn’t understand why she was so full of herself, but I had a hunch.

‘She must have a few Cubes.’

Using Cube powers makes sense. If she has them, I can only fight her after pulling her out of Seoul.

‘Or else I might destroy the city.’

I can’t afford to lose all the infrastructure I worked so hard to build. Like in the original, I have to rely on Kim Penril staying lazy.

“Boss.”

“What?”

“If she tries anything funny, let me know.”

“There’s more than enough weirdness already.”

“…Like starting a rebellion as a villain, killing people, or causing trouble as you are.”

“As long as I’m alive, I’ll let you know. Hehehe.”

Huan was pretty bold. Apparently, he liked the green-haired cat-eared maid more than expected. Fits his profile as someone who settled in Korea after tasting kimchi and fell in love with it.

“Phew. I’m heading out. Kim Penril, don’t stab me in the back, got it? Behave in Seoul, and I’ll share more mint chocolate recipes.”

“Slacking around is something I can totally do.”

Seeing Kim Penril smiling peacefully made my appetite disappear. The taste of mint chocolate in my mouth reminded me of toothpaste, souring my mood.

Strangely, I hadn’t noticed the impending danger.

‘I’ll need to keep an eye on her.’

I should inform the other spirits.

– Do not disturb Kim Penril while she’s being Kim Penril.

I informed the key figures that Penril was in Seoul, causing another upheaval.

“Eh, whatever.”

Let me sleep.

I’ll take a nap and rethink things in the evening.

I returned to my room.

***

A short while later.

After Phoenix left, Kim Penril sighed in relief, burying her head on the table.

“Whew, survived…”

“So if fighting scares you, why not run away?”

Huan handed her a drink made according to the recipe given by Phoenix. In the white mug, milk foam bubbled, and the coffee aroma wafted.

“What’s this?”

“The landlord’s special recipe.”

“…This feels suspicious.”

“Just drink it.”

With a stern face, Huan placed the Mint Chocolate Café Latte on the table. He sipped his very light Americano and shook his head.

“So, Kim Penril, why did you answer Phoenix’s call?”

Huan didn’t quite understand. Penril was practically an enemy of Phoenix, and there was no need to reveal her identity directly.

Honestly, she could have hidden completely. All Huan needed to do was cooperate a little.

“Ahaha, wouldn’t that inconvenience you, Boss? I felt like it would eventually come out anyway. But if I had to choose…”

Penril lifted her cup with a casual smile.

“Because the person inside wasn’t Blazing Phoenix?”

“What does that mean?”

“Just internal stuff. If dialogue works, it’s better to solve things that way, right?”

Penril took a sip of the latte and sighed in relief.

“Lucky the person inside was sane.”

“…Sane?”

“Yes. To explain the original…”

Penril shook her head while flicking her tail.

“She was a crazy woman who would burn everything just for kicks.”