Chapter 906

EP.906 [Light Novel Side Story] The Death Dinás of the Soaring Heavens Vol.2 Ch.23

“Here, have a cup.”

A woman in her twenties—no, a cute young lady, no wait—an ajumma? This enigmatic raven-haired woman raised a glass on the table and proposed a toast to Xian. Upon seeing the state of what she called “tea,” Xian’s knees instinctively buckled.

“Isn’t this beer?”

The mysterious young lady glared daggers and issued a threat.

“Tsk, it’s barley tea!”

“It clearly has foam all over it.”

“Don’t you know about carbonated water? Tch, kids these days are clueless!”

She smacked her lips and lifted her own glass alone. With no choice, Xian reluctantly raised his beer glass and clinked it against hers.

“So, the first drink is salty, eh? Haha!”

Glug, glug. The woman downed her barley tea in one go, and Xian turned his head and drank it straight as well.

“…It does taste like barley.”

“It’s barley tea. Who says you can drink alcohol at the association headquarters? Haha.”

“But it does contain alcohol…”

“For someone who received 200 billion, you sure are picky! If your cup is that small, I don’t even need to look to know what’s behind it! Hehe.”

The woman giggled as she pulled out a can from under the table. Though her delicate hand cleverly hid the label, Xian immediately recognized it as the same beer can design he had shared with Nuri that day.

“Now we’re onto canned beer?”

“Ah, but it’s barley drink! What?! Back in my day, this wasn’t even considered a drink—it was water, water!”

Xian decided internally to revise his address for this woman. This opponent, whose age was impossible to gauge, clearly possessed ‘kkonae’ tendencies surpassing even Jeronimo or Rasputin.

Then the response was simple. Just humor her and make an exit. Xian politely extended his empty glass, and the kkondae gleefully poured more while opening the can.

“May I ask one question?”

“Ho, ask anything, young man. Even the three sizes of this old hag—”

“Who are you?”

At Xian’s question, the kkondae’s hand froze mid-pour. As if the intoxication had instantly dissipated, the kkondae stiffened in apparent shock.

Drip drip.

“Aaaah?!”

Due to the kkondae stopping mid-pour, Xian hastily placed down the overflowing glass.

“It’s overflowing!!”

“How could anyone not know me in this land?”

“I wouldn’t be asking if I knew, right?”

As Xian pouted back, the kkondae seemed to come to her senses and properly set the can on the table. While lamenting the spilled barley tea—alcohol mixture, she wiped her lips.

“Well, it’s a bit dirty…”

The kkondae dipped her index finger into the spilled barley tea on the table. Soon, golden magic power rose from her fingertip, causing the spilled liquid to float and enter her empty glass.

“…Hmmph.”

Xian snorted at the grand yet ridiculous sight.

“This level of magic control should require SS Rank or higher.”

“That’s because I am SS Rank. Hehe.”

You? Xian barely managed to swallow the words rising to his jawline. There were only a handful of current S-Ranked individuals with special abilities in Korea, and among them, only two were female: Seok Harang, the Snow Princess, and one other.

“Surely you aren’t the Light—”

“That’s enough talk.”

The kkondae extended her index finger and pressed it against Xian’s lips. Her barley tea-stained finger moistened Xian’s lips, causing him to wrinkle his nose and pull back.

“…Alright then, how should I address you?”

Now that he’d figured out her identity, Xian couldn’t just speak casually. The kkondae smirked at Xian’s changed attitude and straightened up.

“Call me Heo Yoon-hwa. If that feels weird, ‘ Older Sister’ works too! Hehe!”

“Why go through all this trouble if you don’t mind being identified?”

“It’s just that I don’t want to be known by my alias when I have such a pretty name, hehe.”

Heo Yoon-hwa. S-Rank Hero of Korea and Guardian of New Seoul. Xian finally recalled and sighed.

“Yes, Lady Light Blade.”

“……What a boring person. Fine. Titles aside, that’s not important now.”

Heo Yoon-hwa loosened her tie with a bored expression.

“Then let’s get to the main topic.”

Heo Yoon-hwa sealed the door using magical gear. Xian, suddenly trapped in Heo Yoon-hwa’s room, rolled his eyes around looking for an escape.

“Uh, excuse me, this is inconvenient—”

“What brings you to this distant land, <Alchemist>?”

With that, Heo Yoon-hwa really got down to business, causing Xian’s gaze to drop.

* * *

At the moment Xian was being held hostage by the seemingly underage young lady (appearance-wise), the interview for Seok Harang had reached its final phase.

“……Hiccup.”

Seok Harang hiccuped while wiping away tears. The recruitment interview for Round Table Heroes wasn’t nearly as intense as this. The triangular team of Yuna-Nuri-Laon had pressured her so much that it made her cry.

– Why choose our uncle guild over other foreign guilds?

– Why do you still want to join Si-an’s guild after being rejected and having your number blocked once?

– Can S-Rank heroes just barge in like this?

– Could it be you fell for Uncle Setwha at first sight?

– It’s suspicious. Coming all the way to New Seoul to find our studio…

– Now that I think about it, didn’t Si-an also post a profile picture that time? Could it be…?

– It’s not like that!!

Compared to this, Si-an who let things slide appropriately was better. After evaporating the tears streaming down her eyes so they wouldn’t show, Seok Harang took a short rest while waiting for the trio’s discussion to conclude.

“Hem. Sorry.”

Yuna sitting in the middle cleared her throat to regain attention. Apparently, the three interviewers had already reached their final decision.

“I’m for it.”

Nuri was the first to raise her hand and declare her decision. She supported Seok Harang joining the guild.

“We already have one S-Rank member, what’s the big deal about having two? Rather, it’ll be good. Anyway, dealing with it later will be harder than going through some trouble now. That’s what I think.”

One vote for. Nuri didn’t seem particularly concerned about the repercussions of recruiting Seok Harang.

“My final decision is ‘against.'”

Unexpectedly, Laon opposed Seok Harang’s recruitment.

“If it becomes public knowledge that Setwha Princess joins our guild—officially our studio—there will be endless gossip. When Setwha Princess, who hasn’t chosen any guild until now, suddenly joins somewhere, people will inevitably speculate about the relationship between Si-an and Setwha Princess.”

Laon worried excessively about the ‘repercussions’ that Nuri took lightly. Actually, regarding the impact and gossip, even Nuri acknowledged it to some extent.

“That’s something Setwha Princess herself knows well, doesn’t she?”

“……Yes. People will probably talk about it for over a month. What kind of relationship they have, whether it’s a paid employment… …There might even be unspeakable rumors.”

Since Seok Harang herself was aware of the potential scandal, she had been moving quietly without drawing attention until now.

“Still, I don’t regret this. If I miss this chance, there won’t be another opportunity to meet.”

Because there was no reason to come from Busan to New Seoul, she deliberately requested to participate in the Seoul restoration operation, and on the eve of returning to Busan after completing her purpose, she hurriedly made her move. Her desperation shook Laon’s resolve.

“…Fine. Then I’ll leave it to Yuna to decide.”

One vote for, one vote against. Laon passed the decision to Yuna.

“So now it’s up to you, sister?”

“That’s right.”

Yuna was staring silently at the coffee on the table. Seok Harang felt a fleeting sense of fear from Yuna’s silent contemplation.

“It should be fine, right? No matter what happens later.”

Yuna sipped her coffee and gave an ambiguous answer.

“Regardless, having an additional S-Rank power will definitely help in many ways. And…”

Yuna warmly smiled at the resolute Seok Harang and continued.

“Si-an said that if there hadn’t been any misunderstanding with Setwha Princess, he would have recruited her directly. Since he already has the intention to recruit, it feels wrong for me to interfere. But please remember one thing.”

Yuna smiled like a forsythia flower blooming in the warm spring sunshine and bowed her head respectfully to Seok Harang.

“Si-an’s first is me.”

“…….”

The inner thoughts of the three, excluding Yuna, became complicated. What did she mean exactly?

Yuna straightened her back and thrust her chest forward.

“This is non-negotiable. Si-an’s first is me.”

So what does that mean?

* * *

“……That’s why.”

Xian revealed the reason for coming to Korea with a stern face. A golden sword glowing faintly was pointed at his throat.

“Do you truly mean that?”

“Yes.”

Having consumed several cans of barley tea containing alcohol, Heo Yoon-hwa questioned Xian with not a trace of drunkenness on her face. Xian calmly and resolutely expressed his firm intentions.

“I don’t understand. If that’s your intention, wouldn’t any country suffice?”

Heo Yoon-hwa furrowed her brows.

“If it’s just about gathering capable individuals who will listen to you, wasn’t America where you’ve been active sufficient?”

“That’s true. Any country—even the Middle East or Africa—would have worked. The reason I chose this country is…”

Xian tapped the magical gear with his finger and blinked. His head couldn’t nod due to the sword. Heo Yoon-hwa resolved to sever Xian’s neck if any frivolous reason came out, infusing magic power into the sword.

If there’s even a hint of falsehood, I’ll cut him down. From the beginning, Heo Yoon-hwa had warned Xian to tell nothing but the truth.

“Isn’t this the country with the fastest internet speed in the world?”

“……?”

“The United States where I was, and even the UK where ‘the Queen’ resides, couldn’t match South Korea’s information and communication network infrastructure. Whether it’s due to the high population density in this narrow land or the ‘hurry hurry spirit,’ I don’t know, but for researchers like me—”

“A, I get it. That’s enough.”

Heo Yoon-hwa dismissed the explanation with a grimace, causing the sword to dissipate like fireflies fading away. Xian tilted his head in confusion.

“……?”

“Why do you look so surprised?”

“Ah, never mind. It’s just…”

Was it a mistake? Though it was a casual technique, it somewhat resembled Gawein’s style.

‘It must be a coincidence.’

As the sharp atmosphere relaxed, Xian realized the purpose of his wandering in the hallway.

“…Excuse me, may I leave now?”

“Eh? What are you talking about?”

The problem was that the tension had also eased on her side. Heo Yoon-hwa’s face began to show signs of intoxication again.

“It’s time to start drinking seriously. Hearing about the extermination operation in Seoul just through hearsay has gotten my body heated up. My disciple mentioned you designed the entire operation, didn’t they? I should hear it from you personally, shouldn’t I?”

“Disciple?”

“Harang. Didn’t I mention it?”

“No, I didn’t. …Did the association request it?”

“Indeed. I asked my disciple to bring you here for a chat. Hehe.”

Please don’t act so youthful with that face and voice. Unable to say that, Xian tightly shut his eyes and stood up.

“I urgently need to use the restroom!”

“Ah? ……Oh, I see.”

Heo Yoon-hwa smiled mysteriously. Empty cans were scattered around.

“Then—”

* * *

A little later.

Xian, who had barely relieved himself, fanned his face with his left hand to cool down. Heo Yoon-hwa, who seemed completely relaxed, laughed heartily while guzzling beer. Xian glared irritably at the beer Heo Yoon-hwa offered.

“You’re enjoying it thoroughly.”

“You foreigners really do enjoy it, huh?”

“I’ll report sexual harassment.”

“Report away! I saw nothing!”

Heo Yoon-hwa perked up her ears and twitched them.

“…I regret coming here to use your restroom.”

Embarrassed, Xian gulped down the remaining barley tea in one go and asked his last question.

“How did you know my identity?”

“About the alchemist?”

“Yes. Currently, there’s only one person in this country who knows my true identity.”

Xian’s words carried meaning that Heo Yoon-hwa quickly picked up on.

“You suspect that person told me. Are you trying to silence me?”

“Yes.”

“…Don’t worry. I learned of your identity through another channel.”

Xian’s statement deepened his confusion.

‘What other channel?’

Though tempted to press further, Xian refrained since the opponent was Korea’s strongest hero and S-Rank Hero. Had it been someone related to the Round Table, he might have persuaded them, but unfortunately, Heo Yoon-hwa was merely an acquaintance to Xian.

Which made it even more perplexing. How exactly does this woman pinpoint my identity?

“If you’re curious, let’s make a bet.”

Heo Yoon-hwa raised her index finger and declared.

“Turn my disciple, Setwha Princess Seok Harang, into SS-Rank. If you do, I’ll resolve your curiosity.”

* * *

“Feels like that was the ultimate goal all along.”

Xian grumbled while walking down the corridor. Heo Yoon-hwa, who had intercepted him on his way to the restroom, forced him to share barley tea—what was clearly beer—and sent him off with a “take care of my disciple.”

“A teacher-student relationship, huh.”

Forgot about it. Or rather, didn’t care.

Before worrying about Seok Harang, Xian had poured all his energy into the Seoul restoration operation and underground extermination operations. Then upon returning, he was troubled by the 200 billion deposit and Seok Harang’s recruitment wish.

He needed some quiet time to think. Recalling one prepared excuse, Xian opened the door where his companions waited.

“Did you discuss thoroughly?”

“…….”

Yuna and the others were glaring at each other from a distance.

Though he occasionally saw Yuna-Laon-Nuri trio doing this when he stepped out, he didn’t expect Seok Harang to join the quartet glare-off.

“Uh, Yuna. What’s the result?”

“……More than half approved.”

“Good? Congratulations, Seok Harang. You’re now part of our guild.”

“……Excuse me.”

Seok Harang spoke sharply.

“Don’t try to seduce me. Got it?”

“……What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I absolutely won’t fall for you!!”

“Are you drunk? Why are you acting like this? What happened?”

“Didn’t you hear, Yuna? I have zero interest in this man!”

“That’s quite hurtful, but why is she acting like this all of a sudden?”

Confused, Xian asked the trio. He clearly didn’t understand why Seok Harang was saying such things.

“Uncle knows everything.”

“…Just something personal.”

While Nuri and Laon evaded the topic, Yuna, who had been avoiding eye contact, sniffed and widened her eyes.

“Si-an smells like alcohol and women’s perfume…”

” ”

Until the association staff arrived for lunch, Xian struggled to clear up the misunderstanding.

“It’s a misunderstanding.”

“Really, it’s a misunderstanding.”

“Just ran into some kkondae on the way and ended up drinking barley tea while chatting!!”