Chapter 872

EP.872 [Light Novel Side Story] The Death Dinass of the Sky 1 Vol. 019

<February 7, 1:00 AM, US Club.>

“Please don’t misunderstand—I didn’t come here for any personal reasons.”

“I understand.”

Xian swept his gaze left and right across the confined space. His face brimming with curiosity contrasted sharply with Gaon’s bewildered expression as she asked,

“Have you never been to a place like this?”

“Yes.”

Was he telling the truth? Gaon couldn’t sense any deceit in Xian’s words. As Xian flipped open the menu on the table, his eyes widened at the overwhelming prices.

“Whoa, it’s expensive!”

“The cost of living in New Seoul is a bit high.”

“Probably ranked second worldwide?”

“Yes. After ‘Camelot,’ where Her Majesty the Queen of England resides, this is the most outrageously priced neighborhood. Don’t worry about it; I’m treating you today.”

“Huh?”

Gaon snatched the menu and hid her face behind it.

“It’s because Dad was somewhat rude to you before, and I wanted to thank you for helping out while I went into the dungeon to earn money for Dad’s hospital bills. Also, thanks for taking care of Nuri. So please don’t misunderstand—it’s purely out of courtesy that I’m treating you.”

“…Alright then, thank you.”

Clack. An employee summoned by Gaon cautiously opened the door and entered. Gaon ordered a simple set of fried snacks, while Xian pointed to the back of the menu.

“Two 3000ccs, please.”

“Excuse me?”

“You said you were treating me, right?”

Xian grinned mischievously, leaving Gaon speechless. She raised her index finger toward the employee.

“Let’s start with one first, and I’ll order another later.”

“Understood.”

The employee disappeared and closed the door. Gaon guzzled down the water in her cup as if her throat was parched.

“First, let me ask—why did your dad dislike you so much?”

“…Isn’t it because I ran off with your sister without permission?”

“That was my perspective, but actually, my parents thought highly of you. Do you know why your dad was hospitalized?”

Thinking for a moment while sipping water, Xian replied,

“They mentioned that my deposit definitely went towards covering your father’s treatment. Nuri seemed unaware of this. Wasn’t he injured during a raid?”

“That’s correct. Both of my parents are C-Rank Hunters. They met in the same guild, fell in love, and got married. Then they pushed themselves too hard to cover Nuri’s university tuition…”

Gaon clicked her tongue.

“Getting injured can happen, but the problem was the guild. Have you heard of the guild my parents belonged to?”

“No. I didn’t inquire that far, and neither did Nuri seem aware.”

“It’s a subsidiary organization under the Chinese guild <Zhonghua>, called <May>. All the Core values my parents worked so hard for ended up flowing overseas instead of staying in our country. It’s resource leakage. That’s the first reason why I don’t want Nuri joining the guild you’re planning to create.”

“…Huh?”

Xian was momentarily confused.

“Isn’t there a four-character idiom for this situation? ‘Double Standards’?”

“…That’s not a proper four-character idiom.”

Gaon briefly showed irritation before continuing,

“But the meaning fits. However, you need to understand the current perception of foreign guilds in our country. Surely someone who came all this way to establish a guild wouldn’t neglect market research, right?”

“Of course I know. ‘Don’t even think about going gray-haired unless you’re ready.’ Isn’t that a famous saying?”

“Unfortunately, that’s the reality. The exclusion of foreign guilds. Especially since you’re not just an investor but someone aiming to directly compete by creating your own guild. Naturally, suspicions arise: ‘What kind of hidden backing does this person have?'”

That was a reasonable point. Xian nodded attentively. Gaon felt slightly apologetic seeing him listen without resistance.

“Now, do you understand why your dad dislikes foreign guilds…?”

“He was injured during a raid, received no compensation, and was kicked out of the guild, leading to the need for medical expenses and repayment of borrowed equipment, right?”

“…Correct.”

Impressed by the sharp deduction, Gaon praised Xian, who fiddled with his cup while shaking his head.

“There are various ways for an ability user who lost their Core weapon due to injury to make a living: working as a receptionist or guide within the industry, finding a new job through self-sufficiency programs, or investing in a new business using previously earned money.”

“You seem quite knowledgeable.”

“Well, we have someone like that in my team. I learned a lot from talking to them.”

“So you must also be familiar with cases where guild members are ‘abandoned.'”

Xian chuckled bitterly.

“If they even give severance pay, it’s already something to be grateful for. With so many ability users being treated as expendables by guilds, joining such an organization can lead to situations like what happened to your father. This is especially true for Chinese guilds.”

“Not all Chinese guilds are like that. The Squire Guild led by Round Table Hero <Unjang> is different.”

“But your father’s guild wasn’t, right?”

“…Right.”

Clack. The door opened as an employee placed dishes on the table. The steam rising from the fried appetizers added warmth to the room. Gaon picked up her fork.

“So, this is my way of showing gratitude. I’ll return your deposit eventually. Since I haven’t been able to fulfill my role as a daughter properly, I should at least do this much.”

“Don’t squires usually not make that much money?”

Xian speared a piece of fried food with the fork in his left hand. Caught off guard, Gaon clenched her teeth while chewing on a fry.

“Wow, you really know your stuff about squires, huh? And pretending not to be impersonating some ex-Round Table acquaintance.”

“…You know my leader too, right?”

“Hahaha!”

Gaon burst out laughing, clutching her stomach.

“You’ve even met <Rasputin>? How? Are you friends on Jstagram or something?”

“Eh, let’s say yes for now. Anyway, I’m not planning to reclaim the deposit anytime soon.”

Xian gestured toward the suitcase leaning against the wall.

“I can sleep in the office, and since you don’t seem like the type to withhold payment, I’d rather use that 200 million won to win favor with them—and maybe with you too.”

“Pfft. Why? Planning to charm Nuri into joining, are you? Binding a future S-Rank ability user with just 200 million won?”

“With me, she could reach SS-Rank in 120%. Within a year.”

“PUHaha!” Xian’s overconfident declaration made Gaon burst into laughter.

“Hmm, where does that confidence come from? Do you have some secret trump card stashed away?”

“A couple, but that’s a trade secret, so I won’t tell. If you want to know…”

Xian pulled out his business card from inside his coat and handed it to Gaon.

“If you ever get tired of being a squire, Gaon, our guild’s doors are always open. Come to me, and I’ll welcome you warmly.”

“Wow, hitting on me now? Are you Italian by any chance?”

“…Uh, is it that obvious?”

Xian blushed and averted his gaze. Gaon glanced at the time and took a bite of the fry.

Clack. The employee placed two 3000cc beers on the table. Gaon stopped the departing employee.

“Excuse me. Another set of fried snacks, please. Oh, and…”

Gaon smirked at Xian.

“Five bottles of soju too.”

Xian’s face turned pale.

* * *

<4:00 AM, Xian's Office>

“Who is it?”

“It’s me.”

Xian stumbled in, drunk, and collapsed onto the sofa. Raon wrinkled his nose at the smell of alcohol, oil, and women’s perfume wafting off Xian.

“Where have you been all this time?”

“I was kicked out of home.”

“Huh?”

“And I drank at a club.”

Raon’s face turned ashen. Xian sprawled out on the sofa with his legs wide open, exhaling deep breaths laced with alcohol.

“I got overwhelmed too quickly…”

Thud. Xian toppled over sideways. Suddenly deprived of his bed, Raon sighed deeply as he shoved Xian’s suitcase against the wall.

Four hours passed until Xian sobered up. Raon sat at the desk, glaring at Xian who slept soundly, keeping watch through the night.

* * *

<February 7, 9:00 AM, Xian's Office>

“That’s absurd. You were kicked out just for that?”

“It wasn’t exactly being kicked out, more like I stepped aside to avoid trouble. No need for unnecessary sparks.”

Xian sipped coffee with a haggard look. Raon mirrored his fatigue, also drinking coffee. In their hands were sandwiches brought by Yuna.

“Thanks, Yuna.”

“Thank you.”

As both simultaneously bit into their sandwiches, Yuna became uneasy. For having spent the night in the office, they looked relatively decent.

Kekkek. Yuna tilted her head at the faint scent of body wash.

“Did you both shower?”

“At a bathhouse nearby. We went in together while washing.”

“…Separate men’s and women’s sections, remember? The one we visited last time.”

Raon had gradually adapted to Xian’s explanations, calmly clarifying to dispel any misunderstanding. But Yuna remained skeptical.

“Then did you both sleep on the couch again like last time?”

“Cough!”

Xian barely managed to suppress a cough, hastily clamping his mouth shut. Yuna handed him a moist tissue, which he used to clean residue from his hands while glancing between Yuna and Raon.

“…I don’t remember. Did I drink too much yesterday? My memory’s blank.”

“Again, just the two of you?”

“No. When I came in, I was already drunk. He mentioned drinking with a woman at a club.”

“Wait…was that me?”

Now Raon joined in interrogating Xian, who struggled to recall the events from beginning to end, ultimately revealing everything that transpired until returning to the office.

A little later.

“So, summarizing: you hung out with Nuri’s older sister at a club in the middle of the night, booked a room, and even drove her home after autonomous cars weren’t available?”

“Even worse, you dropped her off at home too.”

“Hey, stop imagining things. She just drank a ton. Ugh, how could a woman drink that much?”

Xian shook his head in disgust.

“Definitely sisters. Actually, she might be worse than Nuri. How can someone have that much energy? I felt like all my energy was being sucked out.”

“Ah, is that so?”

“Yeah. She’s not human—she’s a tiger, a tiger. How does such energy come from such a small frame? Ugh, she’s terrifying, seriously.”

Raon stared stiffly out the window. Xian reclined on the sofa, clutching his throbbing head.

“I need to rest for a bit. Two hours should suffice, and we’ll deal with the aftermath then. We still haven’t sorted out the dungeon clearance rewards.”

“Guild Leader, do you know what day it is today?”

“February 7th, right? What’s wrong with that?”

In response to Xian’s answer, Yuna gave a disapproving look.

“Today’s Nuri’s graduation ceremony.”

“Damn it…”

* * *

<At that moment, Gaonnuri Parking Lot>

“What are you doing drinking so much again?”

“…”

Gaon leaned against her car, gripping her throbbing head. Hyang, freshly dressed and descending, scanned the surroundings and supported her.

“Reporters are already lurking around. Should your sister see you like this?”

“Don’t talk…my head’s pounding…”

Hyang pinched her nose and stepped back. The strong smell of alcohol still emanated from Gaon’s mouth.

“This won’t do, kid. Don’t drive. I’ll take over.”

“Mom. I can handle this with magic, uh…”

Gaon dashed toward the flower bed at the end of the parking lot. Hyang covered her face in embarrassment as Gaon emptied her stomach.

“…Haa.”

Frowning at the sour traces in front of her, Gaon summoned mana. Soon, a basketball-sized cloud floated in the air, releasing a torrential downpour.

Gaon wiped her lips with her finger, sweeping across the cloud. The trace of vomit on her pink lipstick vanished cleanly.

“The only person who uses mana like this must be you, really.”

“Mom, this is like Korea’s basic passive skill for citizens.”

“Leave Mom out of this. Seriously, who did you drink with last night? Did you possibly-”

“Dear.”

Doyun and Nuri had silently arrived at the parking lot. Hyang adjusted her husband’s neatly dressed suit and shot a glare at Nuri in her dark coat.

“Relax your face. Do you want photos taken like that?”

Click. A flash from a distant reporter went off. Though all family members were capable ability users who could endure the flash, Doyun frowned at the reporters’ rudeness as they approached with cameras once they exited the parking lot.

“That…”

Squeak. Without a word, Nuri opened the rear car door. Doyun, with his injured arm, settled into the passenger seat, and Hyang took the driver’s seat. Gaon, limping toward the driver’s side, hesitated upon seeing Hyang buckle her seatbelt.

“Mom?”

“If you want to surrender your Hero license due to drunk driving, go ahead.”

“…Got it.”

Gaon opened the rear door and sat in the backseat behind the driver. Nuri, seated beside her, closed her eyes, lost in thought.

“Gaon.”

Doyun gently called out to her. Hyang rolled down the window for ventilation.

“Drink moderately from now on.”

“…Yes.”

The car pulled out of the parking lot. The reporters waiting outside followed its movements.