120 – Endure the Weight of the Crown #1
There was a time when Seugal had a particularly devoted fifteen-year-old junior.
She was a First Stage Awakened One, but her name didn’t stick in Seugal’s mind; she was better known by her nickname, “Weasel.”
Her slit eyes made her look uncannily like a weasel.
In the city, whenever someone mentioned “Weasel,” they were always talking about her.
One day, Weasel said, “Sis, did you hear? Lately, there’ve been a lot of commotions at the outskirts of the city. You know those bandits holed up in that hospital? The pesky ones. It’s said a scavenger had a major clash with them.”
Scavengers were people who sifted through garbage to maintain their livelihood.
Or, alternatively, someone who did dirty work, much like garbage.
Whatever the case, in the final city of humanity, there was no reason for the “Supernovas” to be entangled with such people. Yet “Weasel” had a keen interest in the world outside the city.
After years following the apocalypse, as the boy “Weasel” was growing up in a ruined world, there were many things he wanted to see, and the city walls felt too confining.
“However, do you know what’s astonishing? The hospital bandits were defeated by a scavenger. This scavenger is said to be extremely formidable, an Awakened One. Sis, have you ever heard of a callsign called ‘Loser’ when you attended Yourgs High?”
“‘Loser’?”
Seugal had never heard of such a callsign during her time at Yourgs High.
She did, however, know a few ominous rumors circulating from the city’s outskirts.
Someone who would do anything for a bottle cap as long as they were paid. Still, they were too dangerous to meet casually.
According to rumors, this person tamed ferocious demon beasts like slaves.
“I’m going to see this ‘Loser’ guy. We’ve finally found the headquarters of those Genesis Temple bastards. If we had some extra hands, it would be better, so asking this guy for help will surely be beneficial.”
“Weasel, don’t get involved with people outside the city. Outside the city is the Demon Realm. The people living there are not what you imagine they are. Think of them all as demons.”
“That’s not true. I heard this scavenger might actually be a very nice guy. ‘Cheerleader’ said he does free work for kids.”
In a time when anyone who doesn’t contribute is sure to starve, it’s unusual that he cares for children who can’t provide labor.
“Another moron like ‘Cheerleader.’”
“No, it’s not true! There’s still hope in the world. I’ve also heard that someone has seen flowers blooming outside the city. Not the ‘bl**d Rose,’ but real flowers. Spring might be coming. Spring!”
Weasel laughed heartily.
Soon, the boys and girls giggled along with him.
“Don’t lie! How could flowers possibly bloom outside the city? The ground has been polluted by black rain!”
“But it’s true! I heard someone saw them! They say there’s someone planting flowers outside the city.”
“To plant flowers? How foolish! Truly foolish!”
Though it was cold, the expressions on their faces discussing flowers were already like spring had arrived.
Not long after, Weasel returned, a cold corpse.
The cause of d*ath was due to a nail piercing the cervical vertebrae.
“So, this Third-Rank, Second Stage Awakened will d*e so meaninglessly. He was one of our promising ones.”
“One hit to a weak point. Not ordinary skill.”
“Was it that guy’s doing? The scavenger from the hospital who chased away the bandits.”
After that, Seugal investigated ‘Loser.’
And she discovered a significant connection between him and herself.
Eventually, she even went to him directly.
And now—.
—There’s little time left. Though I couldn’t bring Kore to the Red King, I can now bring something to replace her.
Within the mirror, future Seugal spoke to her younger self, saying everything would turn out well.
—All of this happened because Kore failed to fulfill her duty and escaped from the Great Labyrinth. Even the Fairy Sleep disease that plagued my mother originated from the sickness spread by Kore. I believe that Hanamjin can resolve these matters. It’s bound to be difficult, though.
“So, for a moment, you’re saying my mother’s illness was because of Hanamjin’s mother? That Kore intentionally spread the disease?”
—No, not intentionally. It’s just that when Kore escaped from the Great Labyrinth, the endemic disease fairies suffered from was transmitted to humans. It’s like a cold for fairies but fatal for humans…
Whether it was intentional or not, the plague released when Kore left the Great Labyrinth killed Seugal’s mother.
“And such a Hanamjin’s mother died because I killed Nam San-ho…”
Seugal and Hanamjin had deeper ties than anticipated. If Seugal’s mother fell ill because Kore escaped from the Great Labyrinth—.
Seugal found herself slightly resenting Hanamjin, but at the same time, she felt guilty and regretful for destroying the life of such a person.
“…Complicated.”
—It’s not complicated. Your task is simple. Put the Red King to sleep with this sword. Afterward, the choices and decisions that follow will be Hanamjin’s responsibility. But I trust this guy will make the right decisions, so I’ve chosen him.
“What kind of decision are you talking about? What exactly are you?”
When Seugal asked, her reflection in the mirror had returned to normal.
“Did I just talk to myself in the mirror?”
Am I really going crazy?
If this scene was witnessed by Baek Yeo-ul, Yu Yeo-reum, or Hanamjin, they would probably burst out laughing and tease her relentlessly.
So Seugal resolved to keep this to herself after quickly looking around.
#
“I want to go back… It’s not too late yet!”
The small Bangdaengi, Mibang, cowered behind Baek Yeo-ul, who was much larger than herself, trembling in fright.
She looked exactly like Baek Yeo-ul did when, on two consecutive days, she wet her bed with a map.
“So, like I said earlier, this is me. A smaller me. My alternate self or twin? I’m not really sure! If I’d known this would happen, I would’ve studied harder during science class!”
Baek Yeo-ul explained incoherently about Mibang.
Her parents looked at Mibang with very serious and bewildered expressions, and upon detecting their bewilderment, Mibang decided to leave.
“I’m fine…! Let’s just enjoy a delicious dinner…! Focus on eating more meat-based dishes…!”
As Mibang turned to walk toward the exit, Baek Yeo-ul tried to grab her collar.
“Stay and eat. Adding another pair of chopsticks to a prepared table isn’t difficult.”
Mrs. Dang Hwa-yeon’s words made Mibang stop in her tracks. She then burst into a bright smile.
“Wow!”
Mibang sat at the table and eagerly dug into the food.
“Whoa, ribs taste this good…! Delicious!”
“Honey, look at her, only eating the meat dishes. She’s just like a young Yeo-ul.”
“That’s true. It brings back memories. I don’t know what a ‘Doppelganger’ is exactly, but seeing it firsthand makes it hard not to believe.”
President Dang Hwa-yeon and President Baek Jung-won couldn’t bear to ignore the small girl who resembled their young daughter.
Moreover, they had certain insights about this girl.
Mrs. Dang Hwa-yeon recalled the time she met a “Witch” in the Fairy Forest.
—Please save me! Please!
She begged the witch to save the baby in her womb, even if it meant sacrificing her own life.
—Perhaps my clinging to this long life was solely for this moment. Everything must follow the guidance of fate, it seems.
The witch pulled out a glowing stone from her chest and extended it to Mrs. Dang Hwa-yeon.
—If you wish to live, eat this “Concept Stone.” But, no one knows what will happen afterward.
The witch’s body quickly shrunk and weakened after extracting the Concept Stone from her own body, as though a vital component of her very being had been removed.
However, Mrs. Dang Hwa-yeon stayed focused on saving her unborn child.
After swallowing the Concept Stone, her body was completely healed, and the following year, she gave birth to a princess.
But at that time, the Concept Stone that Dang Hwa-yeon ate existed within Baek Yeo-ul.
The powerful concept was slowly devouring the newborn Baek Yeo-ul.
To save her daughter by removing it, Mrs. Dang joined forces with the government.
‘That extracted Concept Stone…’
Mrs. Dang recalled the Concept Stone that once put her newborn daughter in danger.
It was natural for the concept stone to be disliked, shaped like her daughter.
However, that concept stone also saved Mrs. Dang and her daughter.
Consequently, without hesitation, Mrs. Dang made a decision.
“You can call me mom. To be honest, as a mother, I always wished Yeo-ul had a younger sibling. It never quite worked out though.”
“Hmph, dear, why bring that up? I’ve been so busy with work…”
Mibang’s face lit up as she ate the food.
She had truly become the daughter of real parents.
“Mom…”
But it still felt awkward,
So she carefully called out, and Mrs. Dang gently stroked Mibang’s head.
“Ssshh, ssshh…”
She gently scratched her cheeks and jaw with her nails, mimicking exactly the feeling Mibang used to experience and envy while looking through Baek Yeo-ul’s eyes long ago.
“Mom, I love you! Woo ah nee!”
Mibang jumped up and eagerly hugged Mrs. Dang’s neck.
Mrs. Dang felt a pang of sadness upon her new daughter’s innocent affection, realizing too late how long this child had been used in experiments.
“Cough! Hmmmm…”
At that moment, Mibang started coughing and shaking her body violently.
But despite the fiery sensation of pain, she refused going back into the tank.
Meeting her real family was even better than she’d ever imagined, warmer, gentler, with delicious food, and the smell of her mom felt good too.
Although her father’s smell of cigarettes was off-putting, just seeing him was comforting and admirable.
Mibang wanted to spend even a single second with this real family.
Anyone would feel the same way, whether they were Mibang or someone else.
#
“The operation starts at midnight, right? I’m sure I was informed.”
Two hours before entering the Great Labyrinth, at 10 PM.
Yu Yeo-reum came to my house.
She gently poked at the buds growing in the garden’s flower bed.
“I know. There’s still two hours left.”
“Then why are you here? You should spend the remaining time with your family.”
Seugal and Baek Yeo-ul would also spend time with their families before the big operation.
That’s what facing a big event is about: wanting to spend as much time as possible with those you want to be with.
But Yu Yeo-reum seemed different.
“My mom and brother are fine. But ultimately, those bound by bl**d can never truly be my real family. I’m always alone. So, if I want a real family, I have to create one myself. What do you think?”
She subtly pulled down her top collar, revealing a hint of cleavage.
My eyes, which can instantly spot recyclable items in a landfill, wouldn’t let this opportunity pass.
“Let’s create a family directly, fellow orphans—owch!”
Yu Yeo-reum pinched my cheek with her right hand.
“Stop hitting me! Stop! I didn’t say anything out of the ordinary! I was just being honest about your hidden desires! You want it too! Hah ha ha!”
Punch-punch! Slap!
It was funny watching her perform like a one-man-two-roles dumb show while hitting herself, nose punches and slaps.
In the battle between light and darkness, who came out on top?
Yu Yeo-reum straightened her clothes with a fake cough.
“Let’s pretend that didn’t happen.”
“It already happened. How can we pretend it didn’t?”
“You can just pretend not to know, that’s all.”
If you pretend not to know, it didn’t happen. Perhaps.
But I don’t want to live like that.
That’s when Yu Yeo-reum asked.
“Do you ever feel lonely being alone in this big house?”
“I’m not alone. Baonoi and Inonoi are here. And Yining is here too. They’ve just finally calmed down, so don’t make a fuss and wake them.”
The nymphs never stop chattering. It’s so noisy that they could possibly argue that the fairy kingdom collapsed because of their incessant chatter.
After listening to my story, Yu Yeo-reum added her thoughts.
“Don’t you ever miss your family? I don’t even know what my mother looks like, but sometimes I want to. What does she do? How is she living now? I heard our father, Yoo Dogwan, knows something about her…”
Yu Yeo-reum’s words ended there.
Is she deeply troubled?
It’s only natural to respond to a question.
“I’m a man. A man is born with an air of authority and self-reliance? To be truly a man, one must also know how to live alone.”
“Idiot. Being a man means you can’t honestly say you miss your family. Even if something hard happens, you can’t say it’s hard. I’ll just be a girl.”
This girl identifying herself as such is a rare scene.
But funnily enough, if she and I were to fight using Yacha Rules, this man might end up unconscious at the hands of this girl.
“Ugh, I’m sleepy. Since darkness Yu Yeo-reum keeps popping up whenever I sleep, I haven’t been able to sleep. I’ve been up all night. I’ll just take a short nap on the couch, wake me when the time is right.”
Yeo-reum went to the living room couch.
By the time she began to softly snore, I discovered a new flower growing among the fragile buds in the garden.
“Hell yeah!”
No matter how much a man lives life with an air of authority, to have no one to boast to about this is quite a pity.
