"Ku-kuk. In the end, you and I are the same. Don't think you've won."
"You said your name was Kim Su-Hyeon, right? Yeah… you want to save them, don't you? You might be able to. And those bitches… they'd want you to save them too. They'll probably tempt you like that."
"The ramblings of a loser, huh? I suppose it could sound that way. But remember this—eventually, you'll be nothing more than puppets in their hands… Gahhh…!"
*
Suddenly, memories from the first life surfaced, and I felt my chest burn with emotion. I quickly shook off my thoughts about Seraph. There was a time when I had trusted her. But just as they had said, nothing changed even after I obtained the Zero Code. If anything, things unfolded exactly as they predicted…
For now, there was nowhere else I needed to stop by today. The delay in the investigation of the reported expeditions meant my stay in this city would be prolonged, but it seemed best to stick to my original plan. In any case, I would deal with any issues caused by the delay after returning from the Cave of Wailing.
I initially planned to head straight back to the inn, but midway, I changed my mind and decided to visit the library instead.
I clearly remembered the path to the Cave of Wailing. Still, I needed to at least make it look like I was investigating the records for the sake of my companions. Besides, even if it was just for show, reviewing the information with a cautious mindset wouldn't be a bad idea. One could never be too thorough in preparation.
It didn't take long to find the records. After locating the documents on the Cave of Wailing in the library, I immediately made my way back to the inn.
The Modest Lady was still as empty as ever. At this rate, it was bound to go out of business. I spared a brief moment to mourn for Go Yeon-Joo, who was sighing heavily at the counter, before heading up the stairs to the third floor.
Upon entering the third floor, I opened the door to the central room and found Vivienne and An-Hyun sitting side by side at the table. On the table lay an ancient spearman's records retrieved from the Ruined laboratory—judging by the scene, An-Hyun had likely asked for a translation of the ancient text.
As I stepped into the room, Vivienne and An-Hyun, who had been busily scribbling with a quill on paper, abruptly looked up.
"H-heut?!"
As soon as Vivienne saw me, she quickly took off the glasses she had been wearing. I never understood why she insisted on wearing glasses that didn't suit her, but I decided to respect her preference.
Beside her, An-Hyun, who had been silently reading through the translated records, greeted me with a cheerful expression.
"Hyung."
"Yeah. Is Vivienne doing the translation?"
"Yes. There are some illustrations, but I can't really make sense of them just by looking."
An-Hyun answered clearly. Seeing that I wasn't making any remarks about the glasses, Vivienne looked a little relieved and chimed in.
"Yeah. But there's quite a lot to go through. It would take too long to do it all at once, so I'm translating in sections and going over them as we finish each part."
"Hmm. Not a bad approach. It's good to properly understand each section before moving on."
An-Hyun nodded, seemingly of the same mind. He leaned over slightly, peering at the records that Vivienne had deciphered. However, his expression darkened—it looked like things weren't going as smoothly as he had hoped.
Realizing the challenge ahead, An-Hyun smacked his lips slightly before speaking to me.
"Hyung, I have something to tell you. I looked at some of these records, but they seem really difficult. I think there will be many parts where I get stuck… Could you guide me from time to time?"
"From time to time? Well… sure. If it's just occasionally, I don't see why not."
As I agreed lightly, An-Hyun's face instantly brightened. Even though he had already obtained a rare class, it seemed that the fact that Yun-Jung was receiving my guidance had been weighing on his mind. I wouldn't be teaching An-Hyun the sword in the future, but since my Sword's Heart had reached EX rank, I was also somewhat capable of handling a spear. If it was just offering advice, it wouldn't be too much of a stretch.
After gathering my belongings for the exclusive office I'd be using for work, I turned my gaze to Vivienne, who was adjusting her posture to focus on deciphering the text again. I had an important task to give her. Originally, I had planned to tell her before heading out in the morning, but I had briefly forgotten about it after making her cry.
"Vivienne. Finish translating that to some extent and then come to my private office."
Vivienne, who had just lowered her head, lifted her face again at my call.
"Huh? Why?"
"I have something to ask."
"Mm… okay. I'll finish up and come soon."
Vivienne, perhaps recalling what had happened in the morning, answered with a sullen expression. Looking closely, I could see that the area around her eyes was still red and swollen—it seemed she had been truly heartbroken. I gave an awkward smile before quickly gathering my belongings and heading into my private office for work.
After roughly organizing my things, I sat at the large table and took out a book. It was the record obtained from the dungeon of the ancient alchemist, Vivienne—a record that would allow someone to inherit the rare class Chimera Alchemist. I stared at the book, lost in thought.
The best choice would be to give this record to Shin Sang-Yong. His unique ability, Harmonious Magic Square, was highly compatible with it, and he also possessed a skill that worked well in synergy. As a mage, he had the ability to use alchemy magic, and his overall stats were decent. In terms of ability alone, he met the standards I had set. However, I couldn't shake the uneasy feeling about handing it over so easily.
A rare class was incredibly valuable. The moment I gave him this record, it would essentially mean that Shin Sang-Yong was bound to stay with us for the long haul. The real question was—could I trust him enough to entrust this to him? That was still uncertain.
So far, Shin Sang-Yong has left a mostly positive impression on me. He had shown dedication to our group and even demonstrated selflessness. His personality wasn't bad either. But even so, the sheer value of a rare class was too immense to hand over so easily.
However, lingering on this decision wasn't a good choice either. If I had already decided to give it to him, then the sooner, the better—it would greatly aid his growth. Shin Sang-Yong was a second-year player, meaning his stats were almost fully developed. But after meeting Vivienne, his potential ceiling had been raised. If he could ride this momentum and inherit a rare class, he might be able to push that newly expanded limit even further.
He would gain new abilities, and if his magic stat could reach the low 90s, he would become an incredible asset.
"I originally planned to discover a promising newcomer before giving this away… but this is quite the fortunate dilemma."
Muttering to myself, I let out a small chuckle at the so-called happy problem.
Just then—
While I was internally weighing the pros and cons of Shin Sang-Yong, I heard someone knocking at the door. I immediately lifted my head and told them to come in.
A moment later, an anxious voice came from the other side of the door.
"Kim Su-Hyeon. I'm really coming in."
"...Huh? Yeah. I told you to come in."
After I gave my permission again, the door slowly and cautiously opened. As expected, Vivienne hesitantly stepped inside, creeping forward with small, timid steps. It seemed that the teasing I had put her through in the morning had left some lingering resentment.
"Why are you coming in like that? Anyway, just come over and sit down."
"N-no, it's fine. I'll just stand here and listen."
Seeing Vivienne immediately wave her hands in refusal, I let out a small chuckle. However, I wasn't in the mood to tease her any further, so I quickly dropped my smile and got straight to the point.
"Alright, fine. I have something to ask of you."
"Okay."
"Before that... I think I'll have many opportunities to guide Sang-Yong-ssi in the future. What do you think of him?"
Vivienne tilted her head at first, seemingly not understanding my question. But after noticing my serious expression, she soon fell into deep thought. Since she had spent more time with Shin Sang-Yong than I had, she might know him better.
However, after a moment, she shook her head.
"I'm not sure. It sounds like an important question, so I don't want to say anything carelessly. But… he does seem like a good person. He's polite, kind… though he speaks a little awkwardly."
"Hmm… So, you're saying it's too early to make a judgment."
"Yeah. Up until now, I was mainly focused on teaching him. If I were to base it only on that, I'd say he's a good person. But… Why are you asking all of a sudden?"
I let out a sigh and nodded. Then, I pushed the record on the table toward her. As Vivienne leaned in for a closer look, her eyes widened in surprise.
"This is…"
"Players who can wield blessings can use them to gain power beyond their current class. That… I want you to hold onto it for now. And when the time is right, give it to Sang-Yong-ssi."
"You want me to give this to him? Just like that? On my own?"
"Of course not. You can't just decide that by yourself. Let me explain the conditions first."
Seeing Vivienne say something so reckless, I quickly added a few conditions.
First, if Shin Sang-Yong agreed to join the clan after our discussion tonight, that would fulfill the first condition.
Second, Vivienne would continue to guide him and observe his character. If she felt that he was trustworthy, that would be the second condition.
Finally, for the third condition—if he passed both of the previous ones—I would personally have a conversation with him for a final evaluation.
After I laid out the three-step process, Vivienne seemed to accept it, nodding as if she found it reasonable.
"So in the end, Su-Hyeon has to give the final approval before this can be handed over?"
"Pretty much. It's too valuable to just give away so easily."
"This is valuable? Heh. That makes me feel a little embarrassed. Should I write a few more?"
At her naïve remark, I let out a faint smile and shook my head. Vivienne might not know, but that book had been infused with the setting of the angels. Honestly, when I met Seraph this time, I expected her to bring up something about Vivienne, but she didn't mention anything, which was a bit surprising.
Or maybe I left before she had the chance to say anything.
Either way, unless the angels had collectively lost their minds, there was no way they would apply the same setting to every book Vivienne produced.
"Even if you write another, it won't have the same powerful effects as the one in front of us. Of course, anyone interested in alchemy could use it as a reference book, but that's about it. This record has a latent power that has built up over countless years. It's similar to what An-Hyun went through back at the laboratory."
"Hmm, I see."
As Vivienne listened to my words, she pursed her lips slightly, but before I knew it, a faint smile had appeared at the corners of her mouth. Since she had personally written this book, she seemed pleased to receive such high praise.
I couldn't help but think how simple-minded she was, but in any case, it was best to maintain the current atmosphere. With that in mind, I continued speaking in a softer tone.
"So for now, I think it's best if you hold onto it. I plan to bring up the clan matter tonight, and I'll let you know the results tomorrow. But honestly, you can pretty much assume he'll agree to join. Anyway, the most important thing right now is what I've asked of you. Don't just focus on teaching him—pay close attention to what kind of person Sang-Yong-ssi really is."
"Got it! I'll watch him closely. If he passes, that means I'll have my first official disciple, right? Hoho."
"Something like that. Anyway, good. That's all I had to say, so… you can leave now."
Vivienne's expression quickly turned confident, and her enthusiasm flared up. Seeing her so fired up left me feeling satisfied as well, and without hesitation, I dismissed her.
However, at my dismissal, Vivienne immediately frowned again.
"Huh? You're telling me to leave?"
"Uh? Yeah."
What else did you expect?
Vivienne shot me a displeased look, and I found myself feeling strangely unsettled. Just moments ago, she was sulking, then she cheered up, and now she was complaining again. There probably weren't many people in the world who could express such a wide range of emotions in such a short time.
But that was part of Vivienne's charm—her inability to hide her feelings.
However, what she said next completely caught me off guard.
"You're not going to tease me anymore?"
"...?"
"Are you really not going to tease me anymore today? I even prepared myself for it before coming in."
It took me exactly two seconds to fully grasp her words.
I tapped my fingers on the table for a moment before firmly pointing toward the door—an unmistakable signal for her to leave immediately.
Vivienne pouted for some reason but obediently turned around.
Even as she walked away, she kept glancing back at me with a lingering expression. She would take a step or two, then steal a glance. Walk a little more, then peek at me again. The pattern repeated over and over.
Watching her sneak glances at me like a restless puppy that needed to go outside made me feel… strange.
Somehow, it felt like both Vivienne and I had just awakened something dangerous within ourselves.
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