Episode 59 My First Love Story
The sudden sight of Irlya speaking with sparkling eyes as if asking for help with her wrongdoing made my head throb.
It was a headache so intense that I began to suspect whether I had caught a cold from too much eye contact.
“I don’t think there’s anything more to hear?”
“No. It’s not just about assassinating my dad. The way you’re viewing my actions as mere wrongdoing…”
“Viewing what?”
Irlya seemed to suddenly think of something and left her sentence hanging.
“Listen well, this is simply about succeeding the throne.”
“What do you mean?”
“Shut up. Don’t interrupt what I’m saying.”
I followed her instructions and kept my mouth shut.
“Anyway, it’s not just about killing parents as a mere wrongdoing. It’s about me taking over that position instead of my dad, who now seems exhausted by everything. If I were to succeed the throne, I’m sure… Dad would be proud. Well, from my dad’s perspective, who in any case wants to sacrifice his life… it’s just self-defense.”
Something felt off, but there was some logic in her words.
“If I’m going to be passive, I might as well strike first… right?”
Resist against those who threaten one’s life.
Escape from the grasp that seeks to take one’s life.
And… indeed, Verdium seemed to show an expression and actions that indicated he had given up somewhere.
Then why did he suddenly attack me?
“Irlya, did I do something wrong to Verdium?”
“Uhmm… about my dad? I really don’t know. It’s the first time I’ve seen him react like that.”
I shoved the now seemingly useless book labeled “Vampire Journal” back into my inventory.
I had gone through a spatial pocket and left the book there.
“Anyway, you wouldn’t want to marry a monster like me that drinks blood, right?”
After that, she added with a smile, “… Well, to us, high-quality blood is as good as delicious water.”
“Uh?”
“So… let’s assassinate our fathers together.”
Irlya Violet and Verdium Violet.
Who would have known the relationship between the two was so desolate?
I was captivated by her eyes and unconsciously caressed her cheek.
“Hehe… really, is it only you who can excuse such rudeness?”
Her cheeks were red.
Seeing Irlya’s flushed face made me feel my sanity returning from having run away.
I finally collected myself and stopped caressing Irlya’s cheek, withdrawing my hand.
“Uh…”
Irlya made a somewhat disappointed expression.
“So? What are you planning to do next? Your father is strong, after all.”
Right now, I wouldn’t even be a training opponent for Verdium.
‘My information.’
– Ding!
[Checking your information.]
[Information]
Name: Han Shiwoo (21)
Level: 30
Position: Dealer
Stats: 0
-Current Stats-
Strength: 11
Agility: 8
Intelligence: 5
Luck: 7
-Available Skills-
Dampen-Nerf (EX) LV.1 (Max)
[If a command is used after physical contact with a being of the same race, that being’s abilities are reduced by two levels.]
P.System’s Blessing (EX) LV.1 (Max)
[Assists holder Han Shiwoo in growing. Various rewards can be obtained during growth.]
Hereditary Power (S) LV.1 (Max)
[Can inherit abilities from the corpses of beings one has defeated. (One can be chosen.)]
King’s Insight (S) LV.3
[Gain more information. (Amount of information increases as the level rises.)]
Soul Protection (S) LV.1
[Nullifies the effects of abilities that inflict mental damage. (Cooldown 24 hours./only blocks harmful effects.)]
Soul Summon (A) LV.1 (Max)
[Can summon the soul contained in the sword. (Release is also possible if both parties wish.)]
Transparency (A) LV.1
[Makes one invisible during non-combat. Duration is proportional to intelligence stat. (Intelligence stat x 5 minutes)]
Acceleration (B) LV.1
[‘Debuffs’ on the ‘enemy’ erode at a faster rate.]
P.Sharp Swordplay (D) LV.5
[Can handle a sword more keenly.]
4-Consecutive Attacks (D) LV.5
[Attacks rapidly four times.]
P.Pothead’s Blessing (D) LV.3 (Max)
[Increases the duration of beneficial effects of drugs by 20 times. (Effects of drugs stack.)]
Painless Transplant (F) LV.0 (Max)
[…]
==========
Despite having leveled up to 30, I felt somewhat gloomy about my weak self.
“… Please don’t strategize for me to ambush and kill Verdium.”
Upon hearing this, Irlya’s expression changed dramatically.
“… Leave that to me.”
“You’re not thinking of poisoning him, are you? I don’t think that strong person would easily succumb to poison.”
“You just need to buy time and draw his attention. The rest… I’ll handle on my own… So, there’s no need to know about the means and methods.”
The red moon reflected in her crimson eyes made her look even redder.
Even in this moment, I began to worry about Harin, who would be alone somewhere imprisoned, looking up at the night sky, watching the snow slowly cover the ground like a white blanket.
I too began looking over the railing to see the scenery that Harin was witnessing.
The landscape, creating the purified beauty of nature, plunged me into deep thought.
I was blankly staring at the calmly falling snow when Irlya pulled on my sleeve.
“… Why?”
“If you get that much snow on you, you’ll catch a cold.”
I was unable to focus on the conversation while continuously getting hit by the snow drifting over the railing.
I snorted and said, “I’ve already been hit plenty.”
The snowy night sky looked like a scene from a fairy tale… it captivated any creature gazing upon it.
‘Is there a civilization within the Gate?’
With that question, I quietly wondered to myself, but Chaewon appeared to be sound asleep without any replies.
“Hey, Shiwoo.”
Irlya called my name.
It felt somewhat unfamiliar.
“That ‘white female’ you came with… is she your girlfriend, by any chance?”
The “white female” probably referred to Harin.
Her entire being was white from head to toe.
Recently, we had been hanging out frequently and the atmosphere was good, but… if asked whether she was my “girlfriend,” our relationship wasn’t firmly established yet… so I responded to that question.
“No, not yet.”
“… Not yet? So you don’t have anyone you could call a girlfriend right now? Is there someone else?”
I hesitated slightly.
“Yeah, not anymore.”
Irlya seemed dissatisfied with my answer, puffing her cheeks.
“Not anymore?”
“Yeah, there was someone back in the day… but right now, well… we parted ways because we didn’t click.”
“So, that person who was your girlfriend… could she be called your first love?”
First love.
Sometimes it can be approached beautifully, but… for me, it was different.
“My first love… I guess it could be called a relationship where I could put it that way.”
I imagined the moments of brilliance I spent with her while watching the snow come down from the crimson sky.
“Looking back on it now…”
At the time when I was dating Yena, I was always afraid of getting hurt by her.
“I was her first love.”
I constantly worried that the relationship could change in an instant.
“She may not have considered me to be her first love?”
Everyone fears such things, but I thought I was different.
“But… still, that relationship felt like it would last forever.”
I believed that I was different from others.
“Whenever I saw her smile, I felt that nothing could go wrong.”
Now, however, I began to ponder whether she had ever been truly interested in me.
“People say you can never forget your first love, but back when I was dating her, I thought that was a lie.”
But this issue, when thought about again, would quickly unravel.
“I thought I had forgotten everything.”
Could someone really date a person they had no interest in for 3-4 years?
“And now, remembering those moments… I miss them. Those school days.”
To that thought, I could respond with ‘no.’
“Do you want to go back? To that moment…”
I shook my head.
“No, in certainty, my feelings are different now… sure, there would be plenty of fluttering and excitement… but I don’t want to go back.”
Because…
“It is first love.”
Describing it feels like a fusion of warmth and freshness, much like spring.
Everyone expresses their first love differently.
But I believe the beginning of such emotions is indeed first love.
‘Those were moments when magical and pure feelings intertwined.’
“Could you tell me about it?”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“Your ‘school days.’ If you say that much, I can’t help but become curious about your past, can I?”
“Um… what should I do…”
I pondered.
No. Why bother pondering?
It wouldn’t be a bad idea to share a bit of my past on a sleepless night.
“Alright… are you familiar with the term ‘high school’?”
“‘High school’? Is that the term referring to ‘high-level’ magic?”
“Yeah, that’s right. You know it well.”
“Do you really see me as a child?”
I smiled faintly.
“Then, I’ll summarize the important parts for you.”
Irlya nodded her head rapidly up and down.
“Where should I start… Alright, it all began on the first day of high school graduation…”
We go back to the year 2037.
The story begins from the moment I first met her and promised a future until ‘that day’ at the fountain.
And now, the story of student Han Shiwoo begins.
