00510 99 Vs 102.

Despite it being the weekend, Shin Jaeryong seemed incredibly busy. The fading glow of the crystal orb on his desk and the piles of records scattered everywhere were clear signs.

Still, his true nature hadn’t changed. Seeing Ansol bouncing around excitedly, he simply wore that warm, easy smile of his.

“Uncle Jaeryong! Please get me a pass to go out! Please!”

“A pass? Haha. Are you going out to grab something tasty with the Clan Lord today?”

Yeah, right. It felt like Ansol was seizing the moment to tag along just because he wanted to get outside. And yet, Jaeryong asked so kindly, like an uncle talking to his little nephew.

“Yes! That’s right!”

Wait, when did I say that?

“So hurry up and get it for me! Come on!”

Ansol nodded vigorously, practically bouncing, while I quietly rubbed my forehead.

Ah, that headache’s coming back again.

First, I pressed firmly on the crown of Ansol’s head.

“User Shin Jaeryong. That’s not it—”

“Yes! Got it. I’ll get it for you right away, just wait a moment.”

But the moment Jaeryong spoke, I was left speechless.

“Let’s see… I had a few passes ready earlier… Ah, here they are.”

Without any questions or hesitation, Jaeryong handed over the pass. Watching Ansol dash off like a shot, I suddenly wondered if this was really okay.

Noticing my expression, Jaeryong chuckled and tore a page from the records to hand to me.

“Don’t worry. The instructors requesting passes aren’t just the Clan Lord, and all requests so far have been approved.”

I shook my head.

“If you just approve everything on a whim, isn’t that neglecting your duties? There should be some principles. This could cause controversy.”

“I see. But I don’t mind.”

“…Excuse me?”

“If controversy arises, I’ll just quit immediately.”

“U-User Shin Jaeryong.”

“Clan Lord, ever since I started as chief instructor, my respect for you has only deepened. Truly. Hoo~.”

It was hard to dismiss his words as a joke—his face and tone seemed genuinely sincere. Come to think of it, he looked a bit worn out compared to a few days ago. Is the chief instructor job really that tough?

But then, as if it was all a joke, Jaeryong burst out laughing loudly. He reassured me not to worry too much since they always find some plausible reason to get the passes anyway.

Just as he was about to turn away with a light smile, Jaeryong suddenly stopped and grabbed my arm, looking like he’d just remembered something.

“Oh, Clan Lord. Do you know a kid named Maeng Ara? She’s a user who recently joined the academy as an assistant.”

I hadn’t expected to hear that name here, so I turned around, curious.

“Judging by your expression, I guess you don’t know her. It’s nothing serious, but she came to the chief instructor’s office early this morning.”

“Maeng Ara?”

“Yes. She asked if you had issued any passes today. I’m not sure what her intentions are, but I thought I should let you know.”

“Hmm.”

Listening to Jaeryong’s calm explanation, I fell into thought.

Since we’re both at the user academy, I figured she might come looking for me eventually. But so far, we hadn’t even crossed paths—not once. I even wondered if she was deliberately avoiding me.

So why ask about me now? And on the very day I was visiting the shrine?

A new curiosity bubbled up inside me.

But first, I told Jaeryong to keep up the good work, then took the lively Ansol by the hand and left the chief instructor’s office. I couldn’t just stand around here all day, and the passes weren’t unlimited.

Anyway, I’d find out what was going on once I got to the shrine. At least more than I do now.

“Wow, it’s so bright! Brother! It feels so good to be outside after such a long time.”

Ansol’s words were spot on. As soon as we passed through the main gate, the streets outside shimmered under the intense sunlight, like the whole place was dusted with transparent quartz.

“Brother, brother! Let’s hurry to the shrine, okay?”

“Why? You just want to finish the visit quickly and go eat something delicious?”

“Oh, come on. What do you take me for?”

“A little piglet.”

Ansol snapped her head up.

“Hey! Little piglet? What do you mean by that?”

“Why, you’re a baby. Not just a pig, a baby pig. Baby pigs are so cute.”

At the word “cute,” Ansol pouted, then quickly pulled her lips back in and gave me a suspicious look. But she clearly didn’t like being called a pig, because she soon shook her head.

“Still, I don’t like it! I don’t even want to eat!”

“Really? Then after the visit, you’ll have to go straight back to the academy. Is that okay?”

Of course, having a meal during an outing wasn’t a big deal. But I teased her a bit, wanting to see her squirm just this once. (Honestly, I thought she might quiet down if she sulked a little.)

“Yes! That’s fine. So, so! Let’s hurry to the shrine!”

Uh… that’s not what I meant.

Ansol’s reaction was completely different from what I expected, and I was momentarily caught off guard.

But then she grabbed my arm tightly with both hands, urging me to move faster, and I couldn’t help but smile.

Yeah, come to think of it, this is just how Ansol is.

In daily life, she’s the very definition of innocence, but every now and then, she shows a completely different side—like when she was searching for Baek Hangyeol or in the mountain range where the dragon sleeps. The problem is, those moments are as rare as rain in a drought.

Led by Ansol’s hand, we passed through the plaza, and the shrine appeared sooner than I expected. A grand white building stood before us. Now that I think about it, since starting the second round, I hadn’t been to Barbara’s shrine much.

Just as I was about to quicken my pace, a sudden tug on my arm stopped me.

“Huh?”

I looked down to see Ansol standing still. We’d been walking hand in hand, but she suddenly stopped.

Her gaze was fixed ahead, as if she’d spotted someone.

Following her line of sight, a stiff chill ran through me. At the same time, the words I’d heard in the chief instructor’s office flashed through my mind.

“Oh, Clan Lord. Do you know a kid named Maeng Ara?”

“She asked if you had issued any passes today. I’m not sure what her intentions are…”

There, in the center of the stairs leading up to the shrine, stood Maeng Ara.

Though still some distance away, I could clearly feel her eyes locked on me, as if she’d been waiting.

The plaza was bustling with countless users coming and going, climbing the stairs.

But right now, I heard nothing. It felt like only Maeng Ara and I existed in this space.

We stood there, silently staring at each other for a long moment, until I felt compelled to take a step forward. One step, then another, climbing the stairs until I reached her halfway up.

I spoke softly.

“Hello.”

“Hel-lo….”

Her voice was barely above a whisper, but she met my gaze without looking away. Her eyes shimmered with a pleading light.

“I heard you came looking for me this morning. Were you… waiting for me?”

She nodded, wordless.

“How? How did you know?”

This time, a hint of embarrassment crossed her face.

It seemed she either didn’t know herself or found it hard to say outright. So I changed my question.

“Then, why were you waiting for me?”

“Are you… going into the shrine?”

At last, Maeng Ara spoke again. I nodded calmly.

“Yes. As you can see.”

“Then… then…”

“Then what?”

“Could you… not go?”

“Huh? Why?”

“……”

Not going to the shrine? What kind of request is that?

I felt a surge of confusion at her vague words.

“What do you mean by that?”

Still, she remained silent. I waited a moment, but Maeng Ara said nothing more.

“……”

“……”

This is frustrating. Do I have to just stand here like this?

Then, as I was about to lose patience, I felt a gentle shake.

“Brother… brother…”

A whisper slipped into my ear.

“Brother, just go.”

“…Huh?”

“Don’t worry about it. Just go.”

“……”

Maybe it was my imagination, but Ansol’s voice telling me to just leave sounded as sweet as a warm, comforting drink.

Either way, that’s how it felt. If you have something to say, just say it clearly.

She’s keeping that inscrutable silence, so there’s really no need for me to open my mouth.

Before I knew it, Maeng Ara’s head was hanging low. I felt like I’d heard everything she had to say, and honestly, I didn’t want to get tangled up any further. With that thought, I followed Ansol’s lead and walked past Maeng Ara.

No—just as I was about to pass by—

Clap! Snap!

“Ah!”

“Hmph.”

Suddenly, I felt a firm grip on my arm, followed by a sharp smack against my skin. A short cry escaped, and then the grip vanished as quickly as it had appeared.

For a moment, I was too stunned to understand what had just happened, so I stopped in my tracks.

Maeng Ara was clutching her right hand, her face twisted in pain. The back of her hand was clearly marked with a bright red welt.

Meanwhile, Ansol stood a step back, smirking at Maeng Ara. Slowly lowering her hand, it became clear that the sharp smack had come from her.

So, was Ansol cutting off Maeng Ara’s attempt to hold me back?

As if confirming my suspicion, Ansol suddenly stepped between Maeng Ara and me.

Maeng Ara bit her lip tightly, glaring at Ansol with a look full of frustration.

Though I couldn’t see Ansol’s expression clearly, I couldn’t shake this strange, uneasy feeling.

If they’d been bickering like kids, whining and fussing, it might have been easier to understand. But with this clear hostility radiating between them, I wondered if this was really the Ansol and Maeng Ara I knew.

Then, Maeng Ara quickly raised her eyes and called out urgently.

“Mercenary Lord!”

“Brother, please come inside.”

But once again, Ansol cut her off. Half-turning, she looked at me intently. Her eyes were deeply focused, as if completely absorbed in something.

“I’ll wait here.”

The moment Ansol spoke again, I didn’t hesitate—I turned and walked into the temple.

“Wait, wait a moment!”

A sharp gaze burned into my back, but like Ansol said, I just kept walking, trying not to think about anything.

A little while later—

“Welcome.”

When I came back to my senses, I was standing on the dark, ash-gray floor.

At the same time, the Seraph’s calm, clear voice hummed in my ears.

“It’s been a while, User Kim Suhyun.”

I had finally arrived in the summoning chamber.

---------------------------= Author’s Note =---------------------------

Maeng Ara: I can’t just take this lying down! Activating 99 points in Luck! Let’s go!

Ansol: smirks

Lesson of the day: 99? That’s nothing against 102.

Haha. Hello, everyone. There was a bit of controversy over yesterday’s note, so I wanted to clarify a few things.

First off, I wasn’t lying. Saying it was April 1st (Tuesday) was my mistake. But I really am planning to visit Joara on April 1st. I have to review a couple of contracts—one for the e-book renewal, and another for a visual novel.

As for the visual novel, talks have been going on for a few months, but it hasn’t entered production yet.

Noblesse is planning to release two visual novels in total (I won’t mention the other one out of respect for that author’s wishes), and the other project will start production before mine.

When I asked why, I got this answer: When they first drafted the script, they thought their mind would break. While other works average around 600 pages, mine came out to 3,000 pages. Haha.

Anyway, although it’s called a visual novel, it’s not really a game per se. It’s more like a novel brought to life visually.

For example, in episode one, the line: “Drawn by that sound, I slowly lifted my head. As I looked up, the ash-gray brick floor caught my eye. When my gaze finally took in the thirty-pyeong space, it stopped rising.” That part will probably be cut, since the background illustration will show it anyway.

I hope this clears things up. :)