[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
Chapter 125: Night Stroll (4)
♩─ ♪♬───!
[Temporary Performer 'Lee Eunho' deploys a barrier!]
[Remaining Performance Uses: 0]
A clear sound rang out into the night sky.
The precious barrier unfolded, blocking the sharp winds that flew in from all directions.
[All performance uses have been exhausted.]
"It's all used up. It was pretty effective."
The Lute of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, given by Yeon Bora.
[You have obtained Temporary Performer status!]
[Remaining Performance Uses: 3]
By chance, I had gained temporary performer status, and it had helped me greatly in times of crisis.
Now, however, it was nothing more than a cursed item that drained my stamina.
As I smacked my lips in regret, a deep and heavy voice spoke again.
[Answer me, child. Have you passed the Lute’s trial?]
The Lute’s trial, huh?
I hadn’t particularly undergone any trial, nor had I passed one.
"It reacted to breaking the heavens. A remarkable achievement, I was told."
I neither confirmed nor denied it, giving a vague response.
There was no reason to reveal all my cards to an unknown entity.
[Hmm?]
The low voice lifted slightly at the end.
It seemed to have piqued some interest.
[Now that I think about it… I see. That is an achievement it would appreciate.]
With a low sigh, the voice murmured softly to itself.
And then—
[I sense a familiar presence from you… Have you crossed the river?]
"If you mean the River of Three Crossings, then yes."
[Huh…]
The deep sigh felt as if it were scrutinizing me inside and out, and I unconsciously straightened my posture.
Earlier, it had said it 'permitted the protocol.'
The moment its voice rang out, the flying blades that had been coming from all directions halted as if they had never existed.
It was no lie.
'Who is speaking? From where? What is their purpose? Are they the owner of the Lute?'
There was so much information packed into just a few words.
I quickly filtered through the questions running through my mind, but there was still nothing I could confirm.
[Hmm… Your flesh and soul bear no shadows. Completely untainted. And… Huh? You sent back all those pitiful gaki?]
Pitiful gaki, they said.
Considering how they devoured people, that was not how I would describe them.
[Well, they had clung to the rotting end of their lives for far too long. They should have perished long ago… But as I aged, I grew too sentimental.]
There was a hint of regret in the voice.
[You have taken on this old man's karmic burden.]
After a brief silence, the voice continued.
[It feels strange to say this to someone I should be thanking, but… Would you be willing to give me that Lute? I shall ensure you are well compensated.]
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A completely unexpected proposal.
"This Lute?"
[It belonged to an old friend. I had thought it destroyed… But seeing it intact, I cannot help but wish to keep it by my side.]
So basically—
'He’s saying he'll reward me in exchange for this now-useless Lute?'
This situation was taking an interesting turn.
The Lute had become nothing more than a stamina-draining burden, yet a being of this caliber was offering a reward in exchange.
[Of course, it belongs to you, so I will not take it by force. But if you could find it in your heart to grant this old man's request…]
"Take it."
Of course, I’d agree.
It was like exchanging an empty bottle for a brand-new drink.
[W-what? Are you serious?]
"It's a precious item, isn't it? Returning it is only right. Of course, I do worry about how I'll survive this harsh world without it…"
I let out a slow sigh, pausing for a moment before adding,
"But I trust that you will look after me appropriately."
I spoke calmly.
[You… You understand this old man’s heart… A rare one, you are. Very well! I shall grant you a gift worthy of you.]
Perhaps touched, the voice mumbled rapidly to itself.
Just as planned.
[The company will have my head if they find out… But as long as you keep quiet, it should be fine.]
After a brief silence—
Flash!
'…?!'
A bolt of lightning struck the dark sky.
I instinctively lifted my head at the sudden brightness.
Fwoooosh!
The light was so intense that it left afterimages on my retinas.
Then, the lightning began to take shape.
Kuwaaaaaang!
A long, sinuous form.
A fluid movement.
A proud horn atop its head.
—The lightning became a dragon.
"Wh-what is that?!"
"A dragon?!"
My eyes widened.
Then, the luminous dragon approached—
Fwoooosh!
And dove into my eyes.
And then it passed through.
Stagger!
It felt like my eyeballs were on fire.
Whether I closed or opened them, the unbearable heat remained, leaving me writhing in agony.
[Congratulations!]
[You have obtained 'The Third Eye (Lv.-)']
With my now-empty hands—
[The Dhṛtarāṣṭra's Lute has been delivered.]
—A new notification rang.
[Would you like to check the skill effects?]
"Yes."
What was it?
Still trembling from the unexpected pain, I read the message that followed.
And then—
「The Third Eye (Lv.-): Allows you to see others' abilities.」
「However, it cannot be used on the same target more than once.」
My expression immediately shifted.
'…Incredible.'
[Ah… This brings back memories. Thank you.]
I should be the one thanking him.
His voice, tinged with emotion, trembled slightly before he continued.
[What do you think? That should help you avoid at least some of the dangers ahead.]
"Indeed…"
So this meant I could discern an enemy’s skills beforehand.
That would allow me to formulate countermeasures in advance—an enormous advantage.
They say, 'Know your enemy, and you will never be defeated.'
But now, I could enter battle already knowing everything about my opponents.
Without realizing it, I nodded and spoke sincerely.
"I'll make good use of it. Thank you."
I gave a slight bow as a gesture of gratitude and was about to leave when—
[Come to think of it, you have quite a number of people depending on you.]
"There are quite a few who barely survived."
[Hmm, in that case... Very well. Consider this an old man's final gift.]
The owner of the voice handed over the last gift.
With a hearty laugh.
* * *
"That person, his name was Lee Eunho... right? The Korean representative."
"Yeah."
"Who is he even talking to?"
Saito shook his head, saying,
"No idea."
The last thing he had heard was something about the 'Lute's trial.'
After that, nothing.
Not a single sound.
"It's kind of scary. His lips are moving, but there's no sound at all."
"Hey, could it be...?"
"You mean... a ghost...?"
"Yeah! Just like the monsters here—we didn't even realize they were there until he started attacking them."
Hearing Jun and Sakamoto’s conversation, Saito nodded as well.
Flash—!
"Thank you."
"For what?"
He offered his gratitude to the Korean schoolgirl.
"I'm just supporting from the back, really. You should be thanking that guy instead."
"That guy... You mean Lee Eunho?"
"Yeah. You saw it, right? He took care of almost everything by himself."
The girl raised her eyebrows proudly.
They shared a deep trust.
Even without exchanging many words, it was obvious.
Thinking this, Saito asked,
"What kind of person is Lee Eunho?"
The girl hesitated for a moment before answering.
"Someone you can entrust everything to."
"……!"
"If you gave him all your money, he’d double it and give it back. That guy."
Saito couldn’t believe it.
Entrusting everything—wasn’t that the ultimate form of loyalty?
She might be a young student, but for her to display such devotion…
‘A true leader.’
Different from himself, a leader in name only.
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
The more he observed him, the more curious he became.
As he stared at the man’s back—
Flash—!
The heavy, stifling air suddenly cleared.
"Thank you."
Eunho’s voice finally reached them.
And then—
Sway—!
"An—an earthquake?!"
"No! Something’s rising from the ground?!"
The world turned upside down.
Rumble—!
A grand palace emerged from the shaking earth.
A dazzling, U-shaped ancient palace.
"Eunho! What is this?!"
"Ah, our new lodging."
"What?!"
The girl who always followed Eunho around widened her eyes.
The other Koreans were just as stunned.
"A mansion?! Wow… This is even better than the place we had yesterday!"
"There are so many rooms!"
"Whoa… Does this mean I can finally sleep without getting seasick?"
The Koreans cheered.
No matter who you were, a comfortable place to sleep was a luxury no one would turn down.
Meanwhile—
"Whoa… That’s Korea’s lodging?"
"…It looks amazing."
"Shouldn’t we set up our own sleeping area too? Should we start digging the ground?"
The Japanese survivors murmured among themselves, while the Westerners—presumably from another group—stared at the palace with longing.
Thud! Thud!
As someone quickly grabbed a shovel and started digging, Eunho approached.
The leader of Korea—who possessed overwhelming strength, leadership, and now even new accommodations—spoke.
"Saito, right?"
He knew his name?
"Yeah."
Was he going to ask for payment in return for saving them?
Saito swallowed dryly, tense as he answered.
Then—
"712, right? The number of Japanese survivors."
"……?!"
Saito doubted his ears.
Even he, the Japanese representative, was still in the process of counting the exact number of survivors.
But this man, who had just finished a battle and spent time conversing with some unknown entity—how could he possibly know faster than him?
'Did he count in the middle of battle?'
Impossible.
Saito had been trained as a special agent under Japan’s secret forces.
Even for someone like him, maintaining extreme focus while simultaneously scanning his surroundings was difficult.
But Eunho didn’t seem interested in explaining.
"Use the north wing."
He gestured toward one of the palace buildings.
With an unshakable composure that made it hard to believe he had just emerged from life-and-death combat.
"The remaining three groups can use the east wing. There aren’t too many of you, so it should be fine."
Not only had he saved their lives, but now he was offering them a place to stay.
Saito couldn’t believe it.
Surely, this was a setup.
He would use this as leverage, demand a price for their lives.
Saito steeled himself, warning himself to stay alert.
And then he asked.
"…Why?"
"What?"
"Why did you save us? And why are you offering us rooms?"
Eunho shrugged.
"You were still breathing, so I saved you. And there were extra rooms, so I gave you some. Do I need to explain more?"
"……."
Saito realized.
The difference between them.
This level of confidence.
This ability to embrace even former enemies.
This overwhelming strength.
A true leader should be someone like him.
Not someone like Saito, whose only skill was slitting enemies’ throats.
Of course, just because the world has changed doesn’t mean that a mere lapdog of an organization can suddenly act like a leader.
"I'm going."
So, he stepped in front of Lee Eunho, blocking his way.
"Wait."
"Do you still have something to say?"
And so, he spoke.
"Once the training is over... I will become your sword."
A proposal to use him as a weapon.
"I may be weaker than you... but with my abilities, I could still be quite useful."
"What?"
"In exchange, I want you to teach me how to become stronger. Will you accept me?"
Lee Eunho let out a disbelieving chuckle and asked,
"What about the Japanese survivors?"
"…I am not worthy of being their leader. I watched my comrades die, and I couldn't do anything."
Saito lowered his head in despair as he spoke.
Lee Eunho responded in a dissatisfied tone.
"I don’t think that’s a good idea."
A bitter but expected answer.
"…I know that I lack a lot. But if I keep training and improving, I’ll surely be of help—"
"No, that’s not the problem."
Lee Eunho gestured with his chin toward the Japanese survivors watching us with anxious expressions.
"You’re only looking at yourself."
"…What?"
"Weak or not, to them, you are the strongest and most reliable person."
"!!"
He added words Saito hadn't expected.
"Besides, how can I trust someone who abandoned their own people?"
"T-That’s…"
He was at a loss for words.
Neither to him nor to the survivors watching with worried expressions could he say anything.
"…You're right. I wasn’t thinking clearly."
Swoosh.
Saito lifted his bowed head and added,
"I'll take your words to heart."
Clenching his fist even tighter.
* * *
Morning arrived once again, as expected.
The last day of training, where 'promotions' and 'settlements' awaited both full-time employees and contractors.
By the end of today, the fate of the thousands standing here would be decided.
"What do you think today’s mission will be?"
"I have no idea. Yesterday was full of unexpected things too."
But no one dared to speak of those things aloud.
Perhaps because it was an uncomfortable topic, they filled the air with small talk instead.
[Alright, everyone! It’s finally the last morning of training!]
[The moment when our little rookies’ fates will be decided—!]
"Why is she here again?"
"Wasn’t the event over?"
"Damn, she’s way too excited."
The only person making an energetic sound in this place was the host.
Once again, Sera's lively voice rang out through the microphone.
But today, something was different.
[Target: 'Saito.' The JP sector sure has a lot of survivors left, huh?]
She stuck close to Saito, throwing questions at him like an interrogation.
[How did you manage to survive the Silver Blade incident?]
[Could it be…]
Saito's face hardened.
[Did someone pay you a visit?]
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]