After Kim Suhyun and a few others returned from Earth, the atmosphere in the Mercenary Castle seemed to come alive, reflected perfectly in the bright, energetic morning.
Sunlight bounced off the windows, and the savory aroma of food began to waft through the dining hall. Sure enough, Vivian appeared right on schedule.
Lately, she had been deeply engrossed in new research with Geunwon, but she never skipped a meal. Not only was she a passionate foodie, but in her routine of spending half the day holed up in the fortress, mealtime was the only chance to recharge.
What delicious dish would delight her palate today?
With a heart fluttering between anticipation and excitement, Vivian took her seat—and then suddenly noticed something strange.
Several women, all with noticeably rounded bellies, occupied tables scattered throughout the bustling dining hall, sitting in the most relaxed postures imaginable.
“Our Sorim is eating well. Should we try this one this time?”
“Yes.”
“Good girl. Here, ah~.”
“Ahh~.”
Each time one of them opened her mouth like a baby bird, someone promptly brought a spoon to her lips.
The catch? That someone was Kim Suhyun—and not just one, but four of him, all appearing simultaneously.
But that wasn’t all.
Soon after, Lee Yujeong entered rubbing her eyes, took over a new table, and shouted loudly, “Oppaaaaa!”
Instantly, yet another Kim Suhyun materialized.
“Bring your own food, and until it arrives, sit next to me and rub my belly.”
How to put it?
Vivian, who was usually on the receiving end of such treatment, was utterly shocked to see Kim Suhyun being so effortlessly bossed around by these women.
No, “shocked” doesn’t quite capture it. It was more like disbelief.
“Hey! You there!”
So she decided to test it.
Another Kim Suhyun appeared in an instant, paused when he saw who it was, and hesitated.
Vivian’s lips curled into a sly smile.
“Bring some food here, too. And before you go, give my head a little pat.”
She crossed her legs, leaned back in her chair, and her eyes sparkled as they fixed on Kim Suhyun.
From countless past experiences, Vivian knew exactly what this cheeky attitude would lead to.
Getting kicked out would be ideal, but being ignored was just as likely.
Well, ignoring him wasn’t the worst option…
“Here.”
Just as she thought this might work out, a soft clink of plates echoed.
At the same moment, Vivian’s nose twitched, breaking her daydream.
She glanced at the table—and her eyes went wide.
In the blink of an eye, a plate piled high with delicious food was set down before her.
“Good morning, Vivian.”
Kim Suhyun greeted her warmly and even gently ruffled the top of her head.
“Well then, enjoy your meal.”
With a tender word, he quietly vanished.
Vivian stared blankly into the air.
Lost for words, really.
It wasn’t so much admiration for his earth-shattering ability to appear and disappear at will, but more a shock of a very different kind.
After a moment, blinking repeatedly, Vivian pinched her own cheek.
Her brow furrowed slightly as the sting registered.
“…Huh?”
Realizing it was real, she tilted her head in disbelief.
Baby Chaos Mimic had been living a very happy life lately.
Or rather, a life with nothing lacking.
Sure, the slightly damp, dark storage room was cozy enough, but the piles of treasures scattered everywhere always lifted its spirits.
The thrill of sneaking a small, pretty jewel when no one was around was the best feeling.
Today was no different.
Feeling particularly bold, the baby Chaos Mimic swallowed a necklace that shimmered with a radiant blue glow and was thoroughly satisfied.
Suddenly, the door clattered open, footsteps following.
“Wow, the clan lord is personally inspecting the storage? I’m a bit nervous.”
“We’re just here to look around. After all the fun, it’s time to get back to work.”
“Wise words. Don’t worry. Even after five years, my memory’s still sharp.”
“Ha ha.”
The two men chatting as they entered were none other than Jo Seungwoo and Kim Suhyun.
For the baby Chaos Mimic, who had been enjoying peaceful days, Kim Suhyun’s arrival was like a thunderclap.
Especially since it had some sins to answer for, trembling was only natural.
“Looks like we really need to clean up. Let’s see…”
Watching Jo Seungwoo carefully inspect the storage, the baby Chaos Mimic quickly played dead.
It was nervous, but with tens of thousands of jewels, surely no one would notice a few missing.
Then—
“Hmm?”
Jo Seungwoo’s friendly smile suddenly sharpened.
“This is strange.”
The baby Chaos Mimic twitched nervously.
“Why are there only 47,948 jewels out of 47,954? Where are the missing six?”
“Beep?!”
“And the Holy Spirit necklace is gone too? What happened?”
“Beep?!”
If the baby Chaos Mimic were human, it would have dropped its jaw in shock.
The tightly shut box actually began to open.
Jo Seungwoo’s obsessive attention to administrative detail had been underestimated.
Kim Suhyun chuckled.
“It’s fine. Losing six jewels is just an administrative error…”
“That’s impossible. I checked this morning’s records—no jewels were taken out.”
“Beep… beep…”
“And there’s no record of the Holy Spirit necklace being lent out either… Hey, do you hear that weird noise?”
Quickly, the baby Chaos Mimic snapped its mouth—or rather, the box—shut, but it was too late.
Both men’s gazes were fixed on the same spot.
Then, Kim Suhyun, who had been watching quietly, suddenly seemed to realize something and strode forward.
He grabbed the struggling little one, flipped it upside down, and shook it.
Sure enough, six jewels and one necklace fell out.
With the crime exposed, the baby’s parents Chaos Mimics panicked and caused a scene.
“Oh no, what were you thinking?!”
“I told you not to eat just anything!”
“We’re sorry! The little one didn’t know any better…”
“It’s our fault for raising it wrong! Please, punish us instead…”
Of course, none of this made any difference.
Kim Suhyun smiled gently and held the box open with both hands.
The baby box whimpered in fear, and the parents sobbed pitifully.
But then—
“That one.”
Contrary to expectations, the box’s opening wasn’t torn.
Instead, Kim Suhyun carefully lifted it and placed it safely where the parents were.
He even placed a handful of jewels on top as a comfort.
“Don’t just pick up and eat things from now on, okay?”
His voice was as kind as could be.
Watching Kim Suhyun turn away with the necklace in hand, the box family fell silent as if a mouse had scurried by.
“Clan Lord.”
“It’s okay. Chaos Mimics naturally want to swallow and keep anything valuable. I just gave it a good talking to, so it won’t happen again.”
“But…”
“Oh, by the way, didn’t the Central Management Organization say they were coming today? I heard things are a bit noisy around here.”
The sound of the iron door closing echoed, footsteps fading away.
In the regained peace, the three box family members clung to each other in disbelief.
Only the baby Chaos Mimic tilted its head, staring at the handful of jewels Kim Suhyun had given it.
“…Beep?”
About a week had passed since Kim Suhyun returned to Hall Plain, but nearly three months had gone by since the demon vanished from Terra.
During that time, the situation on the Northern Continent had become, unsurprisingly, quite chaotic.
When Kim Suhyun was captured, every possible measure was thrown into rescuing him.
But now that the common enemy was gone, conflict between the old Northern Continent and the new Northern Continent was inevitable.
Setting aside the struggle for control over each fortress, there were countless clans with longstanding rivalries—Old Golden Lion, Goryeo, and many others.
The Central Management Organization was doing its best to mediate, but it was clearly not enough.
In this context, Lee Hyoeul harbored deep resentment toward the Mercenary Clan.
After all the effort to save them, they just stood by, arms crossed, watching.
It wasn’t like the Mercenary Clan was powerless.
At this point, they were the strongest and most influential clan representing the Northern Continent.
They controlled not only Istantel Row and Hamill but also the major southern city of Atlanta.
In other words, they had more than enough power to calm the situation.
Ultimately, it was Kim Suhyun, at the top of this hierarchy, who needed to take action.
So Lee Hyoeul came to visit the Mercenary Clan as head of the Central Management Organization.
The situation had deteriorated so badly it was almost like the Warring States period had returned, so he was prepared for a serious confrontation with Kim Suhyun.
“Are you really just going to stand by and watch?”
Bang! Lee Hyoeul slammed his hand on the table, pressing hard.
“Is it enough for you just to live well and eat well? Don’t you know what’s going on? Even if you claim neutrality, don’t you understand that you can’t just do nothing?”
After unloading everything in one go, Lee Hyo-eul felt a refreshing relief and gulped down her tea.
Still, a small worry crept in—had she been too reckless? She sneaked a glance ahead.
To her surprise, Kim Soo-hyun was seriously reviewing the documents submitted by the Central Management Agency.
He stopped twirling his quill and lightly pressed it to his lips. Suddenly, Lee Hyo-eul felt her heart race.
As she pressed gently on her left chest, Kim Soo-hyun spoke.
“The situation is definitely serious.”
“Wait, don’t just brush it off—say something… hmm?”
“I’d heard bits and pieces, but I never imagined it was this bad. It seems beyond what the Central Management Agency can handle.”
“No, it’s not something we can just manage on our own… hmm?”
“I understand. Since this happened partly because of me, it’s only right that I take direct action.”
“No… hmm?”
By the third statement, Lee Hyo-eul finally stepped out of her expected mindset—‘If it’s Kim Soo-hyun, this is exactly how he’d respond’—and took his words at face value.
But Kim Soo-hyun wasn’t finished.
“It’s still too soon to mobilize the entire mercenary force. If we do, the other side might see it as an attempt to suppress them by force.”
Lee Hyo-eul jumped to her feet.
“Let’s try talking first. I think if we can restore some of the old Northern Continent’s territory, they’ll be willing to compromise. It’ll be tough, but the Central Management Agency should arrange a meeting soon.”
This time, she practically leapt.
Talk it out?
From the guy who wiped out the Koran Alliance?
Adding to that, Kim Soo-hyun gave a gentle smile.
“Anyway, thank you for your efforts. And I’m sorry—you must have been carrying this burden alone all this time…”
Clang!
Before he even finished speaking, the teacup in his hand slipped and shattered on the floor.
The woman’s eyes widened as if they might tear, and she covered her mouth with both hands.
Lee Hyo-eul’s expression was beyond disbelief.
She staggered back, then fell hard on her backside.
But she didn’t even realize she’d fallen.
“Lee Hyo-eul? Are you okay?”
“Uh, uh…”
“L-Lee Hyo-eul?”
“Uh-uh-uh…”
How much time passed?
Suddenly, the door opened and Ko Yeon-ju appeared.
“Excuse me,” she said, casting a sharp glance at the man.
Kim Soo-hyun made a helpless gesture, and Ko Yeon-ju snorted dismissively, clearly sending the message: “I’m always watching you, so don’t even think about messing around.” She then swept up the broken teacup shards.
What’s important here is the huge difference between the shadow queen Lee Hyo-eul remembered and the Ko Yeon-ju standing before her now.
Sensing Lee Hyo-eul’s distant gaze, Ko Yeon-ju glanced over and placed a hand gently on her rounded belly.
She said, a bit embarrassed, “It’s about seven months along now. Hoho.”
After a moment, Ko Yeon-ju got up with a groan, rubbed her waist, and left the room.
Lee Hyo-eul sat in silence for a long while, then suddenly jerked her head up.
She let out a deep sigh, then, as if losing her mind, started laughing quietly to herself.
“So it was just a dream after all.”
In the end, unable to accept reality, she decided it must have been a dream.
“Yeah, there’s no way that bastard would do this. It was a dream! Just a dream! Ahahaha!”
“Ah, um…”
“Ha! Guess I’ve really lost it… Hey! Hey, you!”
“Yes? Yes?”
“What? Yesss? Well, I knew something was off when you started using formal speech. I thought you were mocking me on purpose. Anyway, try acting like this in real life too. Damn it, I almost fell for you.”
“W-Well…”
Truly convinced it was a dream, she started acting completely wild.
Kim Soo-hyun tried to say something, but Lee Hyo-eul laughed it off like a madwoman and clumsily got to her feet.
“First lucid dream and it’s a total mess… Well, it wasn’t all bad. …But why won’t I wake up? It just hurts!”
She slapped her cheek and pinched her thigh in frustration, then suddenly dashed out to the terrace.
“This is the best way to wake up!” she shouted, and without hesitation, leapt over the railing.
Thud.
A loud noise echoed, and chaos erupted outside.
“Why did that woman suddenly jump?”
“Obviously. Another victim.”
Murmurs spread.
Kim Soo-hyun scratched his cheek awkwardly as he checked on Lee Hyo-eul, sprawled unconscious in the garden.
He muttered quietly, “Did I really have to be such a bastard…?”
---------------------------= Author’s Note =---------------------------
Hey there, readers.
I’ve already requested to ban the name Royumi.
So why does it keep popping up…?
You all keep expressing regret, and it’s making me nervous. ^^;
Anyway, I plan to keep requesting all words related to Royumi be banned.
No matter what, this time I won’t back down.
I’m going to root it out completely.
To those who’ll join me, I sincerely ask for your support.
Please lend your strength to Royujin.
(__)
Cheol-ui Norae / Of course, it’s not a typo. :)
Shatien / I couldn’t update because I secretly visited Cake Square on January 2nd. They promoted the Memorize visual novel on Joara, and seeing it firsthand was truly moving. ㅜ.ㅠ
Cladin / The new work will be based on a modern-day magician. However, many things will change—from the framework to detailed settings.
Ham Nang / Of course, you can see it.
AriAri / Thank you sincerely for playing the visual novel! Seraph was a bit embarrassing even for me at first. But there’s an even more awkward service scene in the visual novel, so Joara asked to tone down the illustration. Haha. :D
Dimos / Right. Ju Heewon is a newly added character. While some parts follow the original, there are many new adaptations. You can see Ko Yeon-ju’s lovely face in the opening video. :)
Optolove / I’m going to request all of it be banned. Seriously. Real Madrid… Sorry, sorry.
Deulmaro / Yes, the truth must come out. Haven’t you ever been told you don’t look like a woman? It’s so embarrassing I could die. Now I want to live boldly as the rough, fierce, wild man Royujin. I think it’s a great opportunity. Hehe. Happy New Year to you too, Deulmaro!
Hyeoljeokpung / It’s not just the big city—we might have to worry about the world ending…
Hiyasense / Actually, I want to write an episode about Kim Hanbyul too. It’s a bit, well, quite perverted though. ;;;;