They finally returned to the capital. Considering how many times they almost died in their recent battle with Zepar, it was a miracle that they all were able to return in one piece. There was no time for Chi-Woo to dwell on his emotions, though, as Noel was still unconscious on his back.
For Chi-Woo, the fact that someone was negatively affected by his behavior brought him unendurable distress. It seemed he would only be able to rest in peace once he healed her. Thus, as soon as the team passed the castle walls, he announced, “Thank you all for your hard work.”
“Ahhh! Finally…?” Jin-Cheon stretched his arms and was about to say something when he looked back at Chi-Woo.
“I will take my leave first since Ms. Noel needs to be treated,” Chi-Woo said, but he stopped when he saw everyone looking at him in surprise. He wondered if he had said anything wrong.
“Is there a way to treat her immediately?” Apoline asked, and Chi-Woo shook his head.
“No, that’s not it, but…”
“Then why are you speaking as if you will figure things out on your own?”
“?”
“Do you not believe in us? Or is there something you are hiding?” Apoline said in an accusatory tone, and Chi-Woo fell silent.
“We also have responsibility over what happened to this woman,” Jin-Cheon then spoke. “We got separated; she helped save my companion. Thus, we can’t stand by and do nothing. It is our turn to return the favor.”
“Yes, she’s one of the people who saved me. I think it’s only right for me to pay her back properly,” Abis added, and Jin-Cheon smiled in agreement.
“It’s not like we don’t know what you are thinking, boss, but the expedition isn't over yet,” Nangnang also walked over and gave his two cents.
“Although it was a team we created in a hurry, she was one of us. We won’t be able to call ourselves heroes if we turn away from an injured companion just because our original goal is reached,” Apoline said.
“Yes, that’s right.” Jin-Cheon nodded and glanced at Apoline. “You only stated facts, but…it’s surprising coming from you.” Jin-Cheon laughed and quickly added, “Lady Apoline” at the end when one of Apoline’s eyebrows rose.
“I thought you two weren’t on good terms,” Jin-Cheon then asked Apoline.
“…That’s true, but that’s a separate matter.”
“Oh, I suppose you can separate feelings from reason, um, Lady Apoline.”
“Yes, we aren’t fond of each other, and I have absolutely no desire to become so, but this hero didn’t run away from the expedition, nor did she betray us. If what Mr. Ru Amuh told us is the truth, she fulfilled more than 100% of her role as a team player. Thus, it will be only right for me to treat her as such,” Apoline spoke like there was no other option even if she was unwilling.
“And,” she sighed while looking at Jin-Cheon. “You don’t have to address me formally from now on.”
“Huh? Really?”
“Do as you wish. It’s exhausting to see you struggle every time you talk to me,” Apoline said, and Jin-Cheon cheered.
“I have been waiting for you to say that. I knew not all Celestial Lights were so up-tight!”
Apoline eyed Jin-Cheon disapprovingly at his offensive words, but she let it slide and cleared her throat. “You said your name was Jin-Cheon right? Although you are quite lacking in manners, you have skills that live up to your confidence.”
“Oh my, a compliment from one of the Celestial Lights? I didn’t do much, but I’m flattered.”
“I am considering the fact that you hadn’t chosen a denomination yet,” Apoline said firmly, and like she was doing him a great favor, she extended her hand. “How about it? After everything we went through, why don’t we at least save each other’s contacts?”
Jin-Cheon’s eyes turned wide at her unexpected offer. “Uh…oh, really? That’s great for me!” He responded after a beat and reached out.
“Ha, I can’t believe I am adding an Afrilith out of the Celestial Lights to my friend list. I really succeeded in life.”
Apoline raised her head seeing Jin-Cheon make a great fuss about adding her as one of his contacts. This was a normal response considering the fame of her family’s name. After that, Apoline turned to look at one particular person to see if he would regret his actions, yet Chi-Woo wasn’t looking at her. There was a look of astonishment on his face.
Chi-Woo had thought everyone would leave since the expedition was over. He expected them to not care what happened to Noel even if they pitied her, but that didn’t happen, and they all agreed the expedition would only end once they helped heal their injured companion. They all accepted this fact like it was only natural.
‘They are really…good people.’ Chi-Woo thought he was witnessing the dignity of a true hero and felt his heavy heart lighten slightly. He thought Noel would truly recover if he got all of their help.
And seeing that Chi-Woo didn’t show much response but pure astonishment for his teammates, Apoline snorted and said with her arms crossed, “Since this woman’s condition isn’t that urgent, I think we can rest for the night. Let’s all go back to our respective houses for today. Get some sleep and meet up tomorrow to discuss. Then…” Apoline was about to say they should part ways when she turned around and suddenly flinched.
“!”
She wasn’t the only one who reacted like that.
Thud, thud—
The newcomer’s swift footsteps sliced through the silence, and when everyone saw who it was, their faces stiffened. A man stopped in front of the expedition team.
“Y-You are…” Apoline stuttered. She didn’t need to finish her sentence. It was Choi Chi-Hyun. Everyone fell silent at his appearance, and the atmosphere became extremely heavy, as if a boulder as large as a house had fallen on them. His presence alone made their skin sting from the pressure. This hadn’t happened even when they faced the great demon; Chi-Hyun seemed powerful enough to crush Zepar like a small bug. Even Evelyn tensed. It was unbelievable, but she felt more power from this man than the Abyss’ two masters combined.
‘He is that guy…’ If she wasn’t mistaken, he was the guy who toyed around with her easily while she was the Abyss’ witch. The expedition team looked flustered by the legend’s sudden appearance, but Chi-Woo expected it. He supposed Chi-Hyun must have come flying as soon as he saw the message Chi-Woo sent before arriving at the capital.
Without saying anything, Chi-Hyun stared intently at one person. Everyone thought he must be looking at Noel, but Chi-Woo thought differently. As soon as Chi-Hyun arrived, he had been staring at Chi-Woo with the same gaze he had the first time they sat in front of each other since their reunion on Liber. Then Chi-Woo felt the weight on his back lifted. He looked up in surprise to see Noel hovering. She drew a long line in the air and landed on Chi-Hyun’s outstretched arms. After grabbing Noel and heaving once, Chi-Hyun turned away without saying anything. And only once Chi-Hyun disappeared into the darkness did everyone let out the breaths they had been holding.
“I feel it every time I see him, but…his presence is no joke.”
“Wow, it’s my first time seeing him… He really is…”
“Besides that, didn’t he look angry? His expression seemed so serious.”
“It’s understandable. According to what I heard, Noel is the only hero the legend acknowledged. Since his only subordinate became like that…”
Nangnang and Jin-Cheon started a discussion. On the other hand, Apoline looked suspiciously at where Chi-Hyun had disappeared into. ‘He is angry because his subordinate was hurt? No, there’s no way. That man will never waste his feelings for something like that.’ Apoline was sure of that beyond anything else, but it was also the truth that Chi-Hyun appeared to be in a sour mood.
‘Why…?’ Apoline glanced at Chi-Woo.
But then Jin-Cheon asked while placing his interlocked fingers on top of his head, “What are we going to do now?”
“…That man took her. There doesn’t seem to be any room for us to intervene,” Apoline said in an uncomfortable tone. It angered her, but she had to admit that Chi-Hyun would get more outstanding results than the expedition team no matter what they did. Because he was ’the legend’.
“It’s the truth. Well, this is good news actually,” Apoline said to Chi-Woo, but she looked slightly doubtful. Chi-Woo didn’t say anything and looked dazed. There was only one thing definite now. Since Noel was taken from them, the expedition was officially over—though it left them with an aftertaste of discomfort.
* * *
Clack. The door opened, and a man emerged gasping.
“Wow, so tiring. How many hours has it been…?” The man was wearing casual clothes and a pair of slippers like he was coming back from a fun trip. “I thought I was going to die since it would mean big trouble even if I slipped a bit.” He was a member of one of the Celestial Lights families, Ismile from the Nahla.
“On that note, could you give me a glass of water please, Choi? I am so thirsty—” Ismile slumped on a chair and sighed.
“There’s one on the table. Get it yourself,” Chi-Hyun told him.
“So mean~ You suddenly called me and made me do back-breaking work for hours. Can’t you at least give me a glass of water~?” Ismile complained, but got his own glass in the end. He downed it in one gulp and sighed deeply in pleasure. Chi-Hyun waited for him to finish.
“How was it?”
“Why do you even ask? Don’t you already know?”
“I’m curious about your opinion.”
“…It’s fantastic. If I had to describe it…” Ismile poured himself another glass of water and gripped the glass. As he applied more pressure with his hand, the glass began to crack. The web spread until the glass broke into pieces, and water seeped out from the cracks.
“Noel was in this state,” Ismile said, watching the water drain from the glass. “She should have already crossed the river Styx and rowed far away by now.”
“…”
“I don’t know who did it, but someone supplemented her with as much life force as she was losing.” Ismile tilted the glass before all the water from the glass escaped. As more water was poured in, the water inside the glass neither increased nor decreased.
“And in that state, you did a great, meticulous job.” Ismile demonstrated this by picking up the cracked pieces on the table and pieced them back. “And though I did my best in binding the broken pieces…” Ismile splayed his hands, and something surprising happened. His five fingers stretched and became thin as threads, penetrating into the cups and twirling inside to pull together the broken parts, thus closing the cracks. Even less water was seeping out. When Ismile shook his hand again, the threads escaped and returned to his fingers.
“But unfortunately, a human’s body isn’t as simple as this cup. It’s infinitely more complicated.” Ismile licked his lips, his expression uncharacteristically sullen. “You know it too. What has cracked once will crack more easily next time.” Ismile pushed the glass with his index finger.
“Now, even if I put very little pressure on it…”
Craack! The glass, which had looked fully restored, fell apart at the seams. Water splashed out, and without a place to go to, soaked the table.
“It really isn’t a world that you can take lightly,” Ismile said bitterly as he looked at the water droplets. Drip, drip.
“Even the hero known to be a divine punisher has already received her call to retreat from the center stage,” Ismile said.
“…”
“Well, she will wake up soon, but I’m sure she will be disappointed. You should tell… I guess it won’t be necessary. She must have known this would happen before doing what she did.” Ismile glanced at Chi-Hyun. Chi-Hyun was sitting with his back turned, silent. Ismile shrugged and got up.
“Anyways, I’m going now. I’m tired since I haven’t used my abilities in a long time. I need to rest.”
“Good work. I will repay this debt later.”
“I really did good work. Well, there’s no need to keep track of debts between friends.” Ismile chuckled and walked toward the door, but stopped for a beat. “Oh yeah,” he suddenly recalled. “A strange phenomenon happened in the sky recently…Did you perhaps see it?”
“A strange phenomenon? I don’t know what you are talking about,” Chi-Hyun responded without a split second of hesitation, and Ismile gave him a knowing smile.
“I’m sure you don't. Let’s see each other later, Choi.” While walking out of the door, Ismile added, “Well, do I call you big Choi now?”
“…What?” Chi-Hyun turned around, but Ismile was already gone. Chi-Hyun glared at the closed door and sank back into the chair, looking up at the ceiling with a face full of fatigue. There was a saying about talented people; it was said that no matter how much one tried to keep a low profile, a talented person would always be found out by others. Chi-Hyun thought this saying was especially fitting for Chi-Woo, and Liber was too small to contain someone like his brother.
With the way things were going, Chi-Woo’s identity would get found out eventually—not just his family name, but everything else. That must be prevented at all costs. He needed to stop that from happening…but was it possible? Would he be able to maintain this cover-up any longer?
“…” Chi-Hyun closed his eyes looking very conflicted. Even he couldn’t answer the questions with a definite ‘yes’.