<Reminiscence 1/2>
Rewinding time, three days earlier.
Bang!
“What did you say?”
In the pre-dawn darkness before the sun had risen, the sharp sound of something striking hard against a frost-covered building echoed, mingled with anguished cries.
Inside a room on the top floor were two women. One stood quietly, composed, while the other paced anxiously, biting her nails and wringing her hands, her entire body betraying her unease.
After circling for a minute, Lee Hyo-eul finally sat down at the desk and pulled out a cigarette. Her trembling hands made lighting it a slow, painstaking process.
The woman watching her intently finally spoke softly.
“Wait a moment, Yeon-ju. Just a moment.”
Before she could finish, Hyo-eul raised a hand to stop her.
“I’m only going to smoke this one. I’m just too shaken right now, okay?”
Her voice was almost a plea. With a sigh, Go Yeon-ju nodded in understanding.
The cigarette burned down to the filter. Hyo-eul’s voice, now steadier, broke the silence.
“Let’s start by going over the situation again.”
“So, you’re saying…”
“No. I’ll explain. Just listen, and if I get anything wrong, stop me. You went on an expedition with the mercenaries, encountered a monster beyond your control, and just as you were about to die, another monster was summoned. You defeated the first monster and saved Mercenary Lord’s life. Is that right?”
“That’s right.”
Hyo-eul rattled off the facts quickly. When Go Yeon-ju nodded, she gripped the armrest tightly.
“And now it’s coming here? It’ll arrive within half a day?”
“Yes.”
“You said yes? Just like that?”
“…”
Hyo-eul’s disbelief was clear. It was only natural. This was a monster that had taken on ten thousand elite soldiers alone. Though it hadn’t appeared when Gehenna first showed up, the devastation it caused in the Steel Mountains was enough to shock anyone.
“I heard it’s not entirely hostile.”
“Do you want to sleep next to a ticking nuclear bomb that might not explode now but could go off anytime?”
Though she didn’t shout, Hyo-eul’s voice was sharp with reproach. Under her fierce glare, Go Yeon-ju lowered her eyes, speechless.
“…I’m sorry. When I think about it, it’s not really your fault, Yeon-ju. I just got too worked up.”
After a moment, Hyo-eul apologized. She realized it wasn’t Go Yeon-ju’s doing, and getting angry now wouldn’t help.
But even with her sharp mind, Hyo-eul couldn’t find a solution. Even if they mobilized every user on the Northern Continent, victory wasn’t guaranteed—and she wasn’t willing to risk the chaos that would follow.
“I honestly don’t know what to do. Do you have any ideas?”
“For now, we plan to meet and talk.”
“You really think it’s possible to negotiate?”
“I told you. The monster said it doesn’t intend to be hostile to humans. One of our clan members is with it, and it even saved Suhyun’s life.”
“But—”
“Above all, it said it can’t stay forever. It wants to stay by Suhyun’s side until it can return.”
Go Yeon-ju trailed off. Hyo-eul sighed deeply, sensing that, though she hadn’t heard it firsthand, there was no other choice.
Rubbing her forehead, Hyo-eul shook her head.
“Damn it. So it all comes down to this ‘special relationship’ with Kim Suhyun. Did it… get her pregnant or something?”
As she muttered to herself, Go Yeon-ju flinched. Hyo-eul, not noticing, spoke weakly.
“Would it be enough if they just let it come and go? Is there anything else we can do to help?”
“First, this has to stay a secret.”
“Of course.”
“And contact Hamill Lord. Tell him the situation and ask him to come to Mercenary Castle. I need to go back immediately, explain everything to the clan, and ask for their cooperation.”
“Hamill Lord? Why him?”
“He’s Suhyun’s older brother. He has the right to know and might have some leverage.”
Go Yeon-ju answered as if she’d been waiting for that.
Hyo-eul stared for a long moment, then sighed and picked up a communication crystal. Seeing this, Go Yeon-ju silently melted into the shadows and disappeared.
Half a day passed.
Perhaps because it was still early morning, Mercenary Castle was quiet. The sun had only just risen, and a mist hung in the air, lending a dreamlike atmosphere.
“First, I want to sincerely thank you for saving my brother’s life.”
In the central plaza on the first floor of Mercenary Castle, Gehenna sat calmly in a chair. Opposite her were two people: Go Yeon-ju, her gray eyes tense, and a robed wizard bowing respectfully—Kim Yuhyun, Suhyun’s older brother.
When Kim Yuhyun raised his head, Gehenna’s eyes regained their usual calm.
“I accept your thanks, but you look like an unwelcome guest.”
“I won’t deny it. After all, your presence caused tremendous damage to humans. And your power makes us uneasy.”
Kim Yuhyun admitted this without hesitation. Gehenna tilted her head, puzzled.
“Well, I wouldn’t say it was that bad… I tried not to kill if I could help it.”
“Over two thousand humans were wiped out just because you appeared.”
Go Yeon-ju’s voice was sharp.
“Hmph? That wasn’t my doing.”
“What? You don’t remember?”
Kim Yuhyun raised a hand to stop Go Yeon-ju and spoke calmly.
“It’s sudden, but I’ve been briefed on the situation. I understand you don’t intend to be hostile to humans.”
“Hmm.”
Gehenna nodded. Kim Yuhyun pulled a small crystal from his robes—the Truth Crystal. As he slowly pressed it toward Gehenna, a flicker of surprise crossed her eyes.
“What’s this?”
“It’s called the Truth Crystal.”
“Oh? The Truth Crystal, huh?”
“I’m not trying to accuse you. Think of it as a tool to ease our inner doubts. If what you’ve said is true, please channel your magic into the crystal and repeat your words.”
Gehenna chuckled lightly but then calmly placed her hand on the crystal and activated it. She repeated her earlier statements, and the crystal’s glow remained unchanged.
“Is that enough?”
Gehenna teased the two, who stared blankly.
“Oh, one more thing.”
She rolled the crystal between her fingers.
“I want to say that judging my true feelings by some trinket like this is absurd.”
Kim Yuhyun’s face stiffened.
“…You probably shouldn’t have said that.”
“Well, that’s my truth too.”
Gehenna shrugged indifferently.
“Then what exactly happened back then…?”
“Well… like this time, I was summoned against my will. But I can tell you they had horns on their heads and bat-like wings.”
At that moment, Kim Yuhyun was startled inside. Gehenna’s description matched almost perfectly the demon Suhyun had described. He also recalled hearing about a witch who had allied with a demon and summoned the Hell Duke during the first cycle.
‘I need to check with Suhyun about this later.’
As Kim Yuhyun tried to calm his swirling thoughts and focus ahead, Go Yeon-ju’s eyes flashed sharply.
“Even if that’s true, what you did can’t be overlooked. It was a massacre—one-sided slaughter. Some of our comrades were among the victims.”
“So?”
“That means it’s hard to trust you.”
“So?”
But Gehenna’s response was indifferent.
“…Excuse me?”
“So what do you want me to do?”
Gehenna leaned back comfortably, crossing her legs. She rested her chin on one hand and fixed them with a steady gaze. An overwhelming charisma radiated from her, pressing down on the two.
“I ask you this: I clearly harmed humans—your comrades—back then. Does that make me your enemy?”
“Of course, that’s how we have to see it.”
“But this time, I saved your comrades and even saved a man named Kim Suhyun. So, what do you think now? Am I an ally?”
“Th-That’s…”
Go Yeon-ju was at a loss for words. Gehenna smirked knowingly. Kim Yuhyun swallowed hard. Despite his caution, he had momentarily underestimated what kind of being Gehenna was.
“Why no answer?”
“…”
“Heh. Of course. You humans are just as self-centered and repulsive as ever. No matter how much time passes, that hasn’t changed.”
“…”
Go Yeon-ju and Kim Yuhyun were frozen in place, overwhelmed by Gehenna’s intense presence. Inside, Go Yeon-ju blamed herself. She should have kept her emotions in check like Kim Yuhyun, but she had unwittingly shown hostility.
But did they realize? Gehenna hadn’t even begun yet.
“Well, I understand. This world never accepted me, so expecting you to understand me with your narrow minds is hopeless.”
At that moment, Gehenna’s crimson eyes gleamed with a wicked light.
“And to tell you the truth…”
At the same moment,
“I really do hate you all.”
A fierce, deadly gleam flashed in Gehenna’s wide-open eyes.
After finishing all our tasks, I returned to the office with Gehenna.
“Mmm. This feels good. Keep stroking.”
Leaning against me, Gehenna let out a contented sigh. I softened the hand caressing her belly and whispered close to her ear.
“Feels good, doesn’t it?”
She glanced at me, cheeks flushing, then cleared her throat awkwardly.
“It’s not me—it’s the baby inside who’s enjoying it.”
“Oh? How do you know that?”
“A mother can always tell.”
“Hmm.”
Surprised, I watched as Gehenna smiled warmly, her eyes full of affection as she looked down at her belly.
“See? The baby’s kicking up a storm right now.”
Hmm. Kicking up a storm, huh? That might be a bit much.
“Want to listen?”
“Huh? Ah, yeah.”
Gently placing her hand just below her abdomen, Gehenna turned to me. I quickly knelt down and pressed my ear to her belly. Warm skin. My heart fluttered with anticipation, but I couldn’t feel a single kick or movement.
“…I don’t hear anything.”
“That can’t be… Ah.”
Pulling my ear away and looking up, I saw Gehenna blink in confusion, her expression shifting to something mysterious. Why was she acting like that all of a sudden?
“She just started kicking again.”
“Huh?”
“It’s amazing. The moment you put your ear there, she stops moving, but the second you pull away, she kicks again… Heh.”
“……”
For some reason, Gehenna’s words stung more than I expected.
“Well, maybe she’s just shy.”
I told myself it was a coincidence and slowly straightened my knees, but the bitter taste in my mouth wouldn’t go away.
Then, a thought suddenly struck me.
“Oh, Gehenna. By the way, when’s the due date?”
“Probably soon… I’d say. Judging by how active she’s been lately, it feels like she wants to come out any moment now.”
“How are the symptoms?”
“Hmm. Well, actually, I’m starting to feel sleepy.”
Despite my question, Gehenna just smiled mysteriously and changed the subject, not giving me any details.
We spent quite a while talking on the bed, and I eventually fell asleep holding Gehenna from behind.
How much time passed, I don’t know.
“…Ugh! …Hyun! …Kuh! …Hyun!”
A sudden groan woke me. Opening my eyes, I saw the room shrouded in deep darkness.
“…Suhyun! Kim Suhyun!”
A desperate voice whispered in my ear. I turned sharply and was shocked to see Gehenna curled up, trembling.
“Ge-Gehenna?”
I called out instinctively. She barely turned her head, sweat beading on her upper lip, her hair soaked with sweat.
Finally, in a strained voice, she managed to speak.
“My… my belly…”
Her voice was filled with anguish.
In that moment, all the fog clouding my mind vanished.
I sprang up like lightning.
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
A little while ago, I received a somewhat painful comment. Someone said the name “Suna” felt really uninspired. I personally think it’s a pretty name and easy to say… but I guess it didn’t sit well with some readers. If you have any better name suggestions, please leave them in the comments. “Suna” can always be used as a nickname. :)
P.S. I didn’t realize it, but we’ve surpassed 40,000 likes! I’m truly grateful for all the love from readers. There’s still a lot to improve, but I’ll keep doing my best until the very end.