Chapter 278.

I cautiously removed Jin Sahyuk’s blindfold . With the cloth blocking her sight gone, Jin Sahyuk slowly opened her eyes .

She frowned, blinded by the light, then she raised her head and looked at me .

“…You’re not Bell . ”

She tilted her head, still in a daze . She sat motionless for the next three minutes .

I was the one who spoke first . With a sigh, I asked, “What are you doing here?”

“…”

Jin Sahyuk didn’t answer and only dropped her gaze to the floor . Her cheeks were slightly flushed from embarrassment .

“If you aren’t going to talk, I’m leaving . ”

As I got up, Jin Sahyuk flinched . She bounced up desperately like a fish jumping out of water .

“Wait! Don’t leave!”

I stopped and looked down at Jin Sahyuk .

“Why?”

“…Release me . ”

I scanned Jin Sahyuk carefully .

She was bound with ‘Magic Power Suppressors’, a powerful effective good from the Tower of Wish that suppressed all magic power .

“How did you get caught in the first place?”

“I… . ”

Jin Sahyuk opened her mouth as if she was about to say something but soon shook her head with a sigh .

“…I can’t tell you . ”

“Then I can’t let you go either . ”

“Why?”

Jin Sahyuk’s resentful glare landed on me .

Our fruitless conversation continued, when suddenly… .

“She said she wanted to borrow you . ”

I heard a new voice behind my back . It was Boss .

I turned around, slightly confused .

“Borrow me?”

“That’s right . ”

Boss scowled at Jin Sahyuk .

“… . ”

Jin Sahyuk averted her gaze without a word .

It wasn’t too difficult to discern what had gone down between these two .

‘Jin Sahyuk thinks I’m Kim Chundong so she probably told Boss that she wants to take me to Akatrina, which led them to have a fight . Although, I’m not sure why Jin Sahyuk chose to announce her decision to Boss… . ’

“Hajin, she’s dangerous . She’s planning to kidnap you,” Boss said as she furtively stepped on Jin Sahyuk’s foot .

“Kuaak—” Jin Sahyuk screamed, but she didn’t forget to bite Boss’ shoe at the same time .

“As you can see, she’s vicious . You can’t set her free . ”

Boss stared at me with a mysterious look . This time I could understand the meaning behind her gaze even without the help from the Magnifying Glass . She was worried for me .

“…”

I scratched the back of my neck awkwardly . Of course, I had no intention of returning to Akatrina with Jin Sahyuk .

However, I was destined to leave Boss one day .

Technically, I didn’t even exist in this world .

A bittersweet taste lingered in my mouth .

“Well, even if I do end up getting kidnapped, it sure isn’t going to be by her . You don’t have to worry-”

“You still can’t set her free . I have to go now because I have other business to take care of, but if this scoundrel isn’t here when I come back,” Boss looked at me sternly, “Bear in mind there won’t be any forgiveness even if it’s you . ”

Boss warned coldly and left immediately .

‘Well, nothing I can do at this point . ’

I shrugged my shoulders at Jin Sahyuk .

Jin Sahyuk also raised her head and looked at me .

She whispered, “Just let me go secretly . ”

“Are you crazy?”

Jin Sahyuk frowned .

“…At least give me something to eat . ”

“Eat?”

“Yeah . I’m starving . ”

Right, since her magic power was sealed, it should be harder for her to withstand hunger and thirst .

“Fine . Give me a moment . ”

I went upstairs to the kitchen . Cooking was easy thank to Dwarf’s Dexterity .

In 20 minutes, I finished cooking a pot of beef porridge and prepared jangjorim and kimchi as side dishes .

Sniff, sniff—

Jin Sahyuk was already enjoying the smell of the dish before I came down the stairs .

“Here . ”

I put the tray down in front of her . But Jin Sahyuk only stared at it without laying a finger on it .

“What?”

“Untie me so that I can eat . ”

“You know I can’t . ”

“…What, so you expect me to lick it like a dog?”

Jin Sahyuk glared at me . As a former king, she wouldn’t dare endure such disgrace .

Left with no other option, I scooped the porridge with a spoon and offered it to her .

“Open wide . ”

“…Fuck . ”

Jin Sahyuk seemed to have realized that this was the best treatment she was goign to get as she swallowed the porridge without resistance .

However, the moment that the porridge slid down Jin Sahyuk’s throat… .

“…!”

Jin Sahyuk’s eyes widened .

“Pfft . ”

I let out a laughter as I had expected her to react this way .

Even the most expensive ingredients wouldn’t be able to recreate the amazing taste of my porridge .

The dish was the manifestation of perfection that only [Young Dwarf’s Dexterity] could create .

“It’s good, right?”

“I-It’s… . Give me more . I need to taste it thoroughly for an honest assessment . ”

With a smile, I stuffed the porridge down Jin Sahyuk’s throat .

Jin Sahyuk soon lost all sense of shame .

“Give me that kimchi . ”

“Jangjorim too . ”

“Give me one more bowl . ”

“More . ”

“Hey, don’t you have any dongchimi?”

Jin Sahyuk ate like she had been starving for eons .

**

Meanwhile, around the same time, Rachel had evacuated to her room with Evandel .

Although her heart was still thumping from the earlier incident, she was relieved to see that Evandel had already fallen asleep in her arms .

“Phew… . ”

Rachel let out a sigh of relief .

She was sure Evandel was asleep when she left .

‘Did she wake up because I wasn’t by her side?’

A sense of pride swept through Rachel when she realized that, maybe, she had become important to Evandel . But it was quickly replaced by concern as she remembered what Kim Hajin and Ah Hae-In said to her .

They both had insisted to keep Evandel hidden from others for as long as they could . This was the reason why all royal servants had to swear under the ‘silent oath’ .

Of course, Rachel could always argue that Evandel was her cousin or something… . But everything happened so fast and she didn’t want to lie to Yoo Yeonha .

Yoo Yeonha was dangerous because she could do anything for the honor and glory of her guild . Rachel didn’t want to expose Evandel to such an ambitionist .

But for some reason, it seemed that Yoo Yeonha already knew Evandel . Rachel couldn’t stop thinking about what Yoo Yeonha said about seeing Evandel in Seoul .

“Hmm… . ”

Rachel carefully placed Evandel on the bed .

Zzzz— Zzzz—

Now in a more comfortable posture, Evandel fell deeper into sleep . She seemed as lovely as always .

Putting aside all worries and concerns, Rachel lay beside Evandel and patted her .

“…Guild alliance . ”

Yoo Yeonha’s words suddenly popped up in her mind, but Rachel managed to block it .

She didn’t want to use Evandel as a means for negotiation . Evandel was dear to her .

Rachel patted Evandel’s head until her breathing began to soften .

And soon enough, Rachel began to feel sleepy as well .

“…Haam . ”

Rachel’s eyes closed and her hands stopped .

…The pair fell into a deep seep .

On the other hand, the victim(?), Yoo Yeonha, was unable to sleep .

“What was that?…”

Yoo Yeonha muttered as she twirled a pen between her fingers .

She had returned to her room after failing to locate Rachel .

The girl who came looking for Rachel earlier was most definitely the girl who was with Kim Hajin . So the most probable explanation at this point was… .

“But that girl clearly doesn’t have Kim Hajin’s genes . She only looks like Rachel . ”

“What is… . ”

Yoo Yeonha wrapped her head with her hands .

She couldn’t help but suspect that this all had something to do with Kim Hajin .

Thinking back now, Kim Hajin always wanted to help Rachel out in one way or another .

For example, the negotiation between Essential Dynamics and the British government months earlier was fundamentally the fruit of Kim Hajin’s efforts .

Then were Kim Hajin and Rachel really… Wait .

Then what about Chae Nayun?

“I don’t understand . ”

Was Kim Hajin a womanizer who chased after girls at every chance he got?

‘No,’ She thought, ‘He may be a sociopath without empathy but he’s definitely not a player . ’

Maybe it was a momentary mistake?

That made more sense . Anything could happen between a man and a woman on the spur of the moment .

“…Oh my god . ”

Yoo Yeonha covered her hot, flushed cheeks with her hands .

“Oooh . ”

‘So that means… . ’

The girl seemed to be about five years old at the least .

Which meant it must have happened when they were still in Cube… .

“Oh god, I can’t believe him… . ”

Yoo Yeonha started to feel a sense of betrayal as her imagination intensified .

**

The next morning .

Rachel slowly opened her eyes . Evandel was already gone, probably having left for her morning meditation session with Ah Hae-In .

“Haam… . ”

Rachel stretched with a yawn .

—Tok, tok .

This knock was probably from her butler .

“I’m awake,” Rachel answered, and the old butler opened the door and came into her room .

“Were you able to get a full night’s rest?”

“Yes . And Evandel is…?”

“Lady Ah Hae-In picked her up this morning for their morning meditation . Would you like a cup of tea?”

Rachel nodded and pulled herself out of bed .

“Yes, black tea, please . ”

As soon as the butler clapped his hands, servants brought her the tea . Rachel combed her disheveled hair and sat at the table .

“Enjoy your tea . ”

The butler left, and Rachel poured the tea out of the teapot into the cup in front of her .

Just as she was about to fight off her remaining drowsiness and begin yet another beautiful day with a sip of bittersweet tea-

—Excuse me, you can’t do this .

A small commotion occurred just outside her room .

—Stop!

—This place is off-limits to outsiders!

‘What’s happening?’

Curious, Rachel turned her head towards the hallway .

—What do you mean by off-limits? I’m the princess’ teacher and I need to speak to her right this moment!

It was then that she recognized the familiar voice .

Rachel flinched . Immediately, the door swung open and a woman entered the room .

“Ah~ I knew you’d be here, Rachel . ”

“…!”

Rachel’s grip around the cup tightened the moment she saw the woman .

“How have you been?”

This woman was Rachel’s former teacher, the elementalist ‘Shin Yeohwa’ .

Rachel suddenly felt dizzy .

All those horrible days she had spent with Shin Yeohwa unexpectedly emerged in her mind .

She had been beat up, insulted and humiliated for no good reason .

Rachel wanted to erase that portion of her past from her memory forever .

“Why haven’t you been keeping in touch? Do you know how much I missed you?”

However, despite the horrendous treatment she had received from her former teacher, Rachel chose not to take any action against Shin Yeohwa . It wasn’t just because she was afraid of Shin Yeohwa’s reputation as the Earth’s best elementalist . Rachel didn’t want to betray her teacher .

“Why won’t you answer me?”

Shin Yeohwa, oblivious to her former student’s generosity, took advantage of Rachel’s publicity and promoted herself as ‘Rachel’s Master’ .

“Don’t you know better than to ignore your teacher?”

Shin Yeohwa gave a sly smile .

**

[Gangwondo, Underground Bunker]

Three weeks had passed since the start of the training camp .

Chae Nayun stayed awake all night again because of the memo Heynckes had left behind the day before .

—Oh, by the way, I met Kim Hajin last week . He seemed to be a feisty lad .

Chae Nayun couldn’t find the right words to answer him . She no longer remembered what she was supposed to feel about Kim Hajin . The only thing that she was sure about at this point was that she wanted to see him badly .

Chae Nayun spent the night in distress and morning came before she knew .

Tiriring-

Everyone got out of bed at the sound of alarm and stood in a line at the center of the bunker .

“Did you sleep well?”

Soon enough, Team Leader Yun Seung-Ah appeared .

This time she was accompanied by a rather unusual guest .

Spirit Speech Master Aileen .

With a stern look and a pair of short legs, Aileen stood beside Yun Seung-Ah .

Yun Seung-Ah looked down at Aileen with a mixture of emotions .

She let out a small sigh and began her speech, “So… today is the day that we begin our mission… Miss Aileen will explain the details . ”

Surprised murmurs filled the bunker as no one had expected the mission to begin so abruptly .

Aileen explained, “My Team 1 and your Team 3 will enter Orden’s territory today . We’ve been keeping the exact date hidden for confidentiality, and I hope you understand . ”

It was an astonishing and sudden declaration .

“But there’s no need to worry . Our first and foremost goal is to build an outpost . We’re simply setting up a place for us to eat, sleep, and rest while we fight Orden . ”

Aileen took out a card from her pocket .

“This is a 7-star card called [Building Fortress] . ”

===

[Building Fortress] [7-star] Effective Good

○ Instantly build a fortress: above the sea, beneath the earth, over a cliff, anywhere .

○ The fortress possesses Lv . 7 Defense and is equipped with a ‘portal’ that only the card owner’s allies can use .

===

“This card can be used to build a fortress anywhere . We’ll use it to build our underground outpost near Orden’s palace . ”

Aileen stopped and laid out on the ground the various camping gears that had been reduced in size with magic engineering .

“All of you, take one each . ”

Though they were still stunned by the sudden announcement, the Heroes quickly retrieved the gears from the ground just as they had been instructed to do .

“And now, I introduce you to the man who will help us travel to Orden’s territory . ”

A dense fog rolled over the bunker the moment Aileen finished speaking . A man in a robe appeared from within the fog .

“…Nice to meet you . My name is ‘Rebé’ . ”

The man who introduced himself as ‘Rebé’—’Bell’—smiled at the Heroes . To Bell, the members of the Task Force were basically gold mines, destined to become leaders of the future .

“Is he an outsider?” Kim Suho asked, slightly suspicious .

Aileen answered briefly, “…Yes, he is . ”

To be honest, Aileen was also suspicious of this outsider . She had hesitantly agreed to let him in on the mission only because the administration insisted that he was trustworthy .

“Ah, please, do not be worried . I am already under ‘Spirit Speech Seal’, as well as ‘Oath and Vow’ . ”

It was true . Not only did Bell sign all sorts of contracts, but he also agreed to be put under Aileen’s ‘Spirit Speech Seal’, which proved that Bell’s intentions were pure . He didn’t need to lie about Orden because his goals aligned with the government’s .

“Unni, Spirit Speech Seal is that thing where… . ”

“Yeah . ”

Aileen nodded to Yun Seung-Ah .

“Even if this man has the intention of betraying us, it’s okay . His heart would burst and he’ll die a painful death with just one word from my mouth . ”

Everyone was surprised . This meant that Bell had basically entrusted his life to Aileen .

“Well, in that case…”

Kim Suho nodded and stepped back .

“Thank you everyone, for trusting me . ”

Bell spoke, trying keep his voice modulation in control .

“My role in this mission is very simple . I’m going to transport all of you to Orden’s territory using my Skill, ‘Mass Teleport’… . Well, I guess I shouldn’t waste any more of your time . Everyone, please gather around me . ”

Chae Nayun, Kim Suho, Shin Jonghak, Yi Jiyoon, Yi Yeonghan and the remaining members of Team 3 hesitantly approached Bell .

“Please hold onto each other tightly so that you don’t end up outside the spell circle . Ah, but don’t look so nervous . You’ll be returning here as soon as you finish setting up the outpost . ”

Bell released his magic power . Violet air currents swirled around Bell, creating a complicated geometric shape .

Bell shouted cheerfully, “Here we go~”

Guoooo… .

Before long, the spell circle was completed and Bell’s Skill, ‘Mass Teleport’, was activated .

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