Yoonjeong’s biological parents, Park Won-hyung and Lee Seon-mi, imagined they would finally stroll down a bright flower path after a trade with the Mountain Guild.
They didn’t care about what kind of life their daughter lived.
After all, she was just an accidental child.
She had taken care of herself so far, so that would continue, right?
Having sold their daughter to the China Guild back then had long been forgotten. They were now on their way to Gangwon Land in an old car.
With the money they’d received, they’d enjoy some good meals and have some fun at the glittering casino. That was the couple’s plan.
“He, hic… Why are you doing this…?”
“What did we do wrong…?”
However, the moment they entered a rarely traversed road, they had to shake in fear as a knight in full plate armor suddenly blocked their car with his bare hands.
Who on earth is this?
Now who is it…?
“What did you do wrong? Hmm, maybe existing as a human?”
“………”
Honestly, it was annoying.
He had a lot to do, but it was definitely not his style to come all the way here for some trivial work.
However, he owed Isia.
And it wasn’t just any debt.
He had saved the Elf Great Forest and Olga, and considering that, it might be hard to say he had fully repaid it.
“Please, spare us. We have nothing…”
“That’s right. Our daughter… she’ll do everything…”
“But I’ve heard something.”
“What…?”
“Death is not a punishment? Something along those lines… but anyway, I won’t kill you.”
So don’t worry.
“I’ll let you live. Reality will be even more miserable.”
“…Y-Yes…?”
“Isn’t tomorrow Friday? What do you think will happen when the debt collectors see you? They’ll surely enjoy seeing you off on this little trip?”
“No, our debt is with our daughter and the Mountain Guild!”
“That? By the way, did you know today is your daughter’s birthday?”
“What do you mean…?”
“She’s of age now.”
“Y-Yes?”
“It seems that a certain high-ranking individual has legally severed your ties with Yoonjeong. You’re now completely independent from each other.”
It must be Yeonseo.
How she did it, he didn’t know, but the official for the Yeon family had such remarkable abilities that sometimes it felt like they could even run for president.
Maybe they were an Awakened One from that circle…
“Whether you’ve adopted Yoonjeong or gone through inheritance renunciation procedures, thanks to that, Yoonjeong is no longer legally burdened by your debts. You now need to repay them yourselves.”
“But the debt with the Mountain Guild…!”
“Do you trust the China Guild? They probably don’t even know you existed.”
At that, the couple gave a flabbergasted look.
It seemed they didn’t want to believe in reality.
“Well, since tomorrow is Friday, make sure to take care of things. The debt collectors will surely be thrilled.”
How amusing.
People who spent their lives turning a blind eye to reality are finally coming to terms with it now.
“If I were you, I’d consider selling that useless body to a human trafficking organization in China, don’t you think?”
○○○○○○○
The Mountain Guild in Shanxi Province was quite busy today.
As the dominant guild in the region, they were responsible for security, taxes, and various policies, which meant that numerous personnel and executives were burdened with heavy workloads.
At that moment, Cheon Danaa, the head of the Mountain Guild, was enjoying a cup of tea with a relaxed expression in her office on the highest floor.
“The tea doesn’t taste very good today.”
Crash!
“Right?”
Then, a blue-haired, white-skinned woman appeared before Cheon Danaa.
Yeonseo.
The world’s strongest Awakened One and the first S-grade Hunter.
As if the void itself shattered like a glass window, Yeonseo emerged, but Cheon Danaa sipped her tea calmly as usual.
“It’s been a while, Yeonseo. Is this our first meeting since Daren 30 years ago?”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
Unlike the warmly greeting Cheon Danaa, Yeonseo’s eyes were filled with malice…
“Of course, I’m not feeling any joy or warmth about this meeting.”
Segment
Snap!
Yeonseo lightly flicked her finger, and instantly, Cheon Danaa’s arm holding the tea was severed.
Clatter!
“Pretty violent.”
Blood gushed out from the shattered teacup’s pieces and the severed limb, staining the floor of the office, but Cheon Danaa maintained her impassive demeanor, merely alternating her gaze between her severed arm and Yeonseo.
“Lately, skilled pottery is quite rare. It’s a shame to see something so priceless break so easily…”
In fact, she seemed more regretful about the broken teacup than her severed arm.
Click, click.
“I was going to let your crummy tricks slide. I may be retired, but still.”
“Well, I don’t understand what you mean.”
“Hey, you little fox.”
Grind!
This time, Cheon Danaa’s left leg was severed.
Even so, it seemed that Cheon Danaa had no intention to resist or counterattack, maintaining her blank expression even while covered in blood.
“Ouch, that hurts.”
“Talking in circles like this isn’t the way of this old lady, so I’ll get straight to the point.”
“Cutting off limbs while talking? Very touching.”
Blood oozed from Cheon Danaa’s body as it pooled at Yeonseo’s feet.
“Don’t touch what’s mine.”
“Does the government or Association know that the great Yeonseo is doing this? It’s something that could possibly escalate into an international dispute.”
“Huh?”
At that, Yeonseo snapped her fingers.
A drone, stealth mode activated, resembling a hemisphere, was summoned into the air by her power. On the underside of it read, “In Charge of Isia Hunter.”
All actions of Isia, who had escaped during the S-grade advancement and rescued Yoonjeong while taking down the Mountain Guild’s terrorists, were recorded there.
“The white cloud battalion from the Mountain Guild, which returned from Korea, was openly provoking our returnees. Your people touching our citizens, without even involving the Foreign Affairs Ministry, has been fully recorded.”
“…….”
Oh, I didn’t expect that.
In truth, no one would have predicted this.
Wang Soyoung and Baek Wisin had been trying to retrieve Park Yoonjeong, the targeted individual, alongside that troublemaker Isia, especially as she entered the advancement. The S-grade advancement, even at best, completely cut off contact with the outside world for at least a week. So, if Isia had finished her advancement and come out, Park Yoonjeong would have arrived in Shanxi Province. Originally, Isia would have been a sitting duck.
However, however she learned it, just before the advancement began, Isia escaped, turning everything upside down for the Mountain Guild, which in turn put Yeonseo in a position to have multiple leverage cards.
“You want to get involved in some messy upper-class quarrels? I don’t care; I’ve got plenty of time. But you, little fox, you seem rushed, don’t you?”
“………”
In the end, Cheon Danaa had no choice but to let out a deep sigh.
“Sigh, these idiots. It wasn’t such a difficult mission…”
Well, it’s fine.
Plenty of leeway.
Multiple means.
Even though Baek Wisin’s fragment wasn’t recovered and Wang Soyoung’s report was cut off midway, it was a bearable level of damage.
But she wasn’t angrier than she should be.
If it weren’t for that Yeonseo, she could have escalated this incident through embassies and the Foreign Ministry, applying pressure on Korea. It could’ve been possible to bring Isia back like a prisoner to the Mountain Guild.
There was the notion of the targeted individuals designated by the fragments, but for Cheon Danaa, Isia was an extremely enticing talent.
She had planned to prepare everything, from coercion to bribery, sticks to carrots, but that one individual, Yeonseo, had smashed all of those options to pieces.
As long as Yeonseo was around.
Since Yeonseo for some reason had taken the stance of being Isia’s shield, Cheon Danaa’s options would be drastically limited.
“A family that couldn’t protect its own is trying to protect the remaining… Haha, how amusing.”
“…..”
Crack!
Then, Yeonseo’s body disappeared again, this time crushing Cheon Danaa’s neck with her knee, throwing her down to the floor.
Yeonseo’s chill gaze looked as if she could kill this fox-like woman at any moment.
“Indeed, I couldn’t protect my family.”
“Kee, haha… Are you mad?”
“Well, you wouldn’t understand a feeling that someone who has never lost anything would have, would you? You wouldn’t comprehend that emotion either.”
Doom!
The doll’s body split apart.
Blood spurted out and her pupils were red, but Cheon Danaa’s expression remained unchanged.
“So you’d better laugh a lot now.”
Hee, ha, hak…!
“You’ll lose not just your family, but everything you hold dear.”
“Hot-headed old lady… still the same, huh?”
“How absurd is it that you think I can’t do it?”
Crack!
“I swear on the Yeon family’s name, I will make sure that happens.”
Crunch!
“When that time comes, you can chatter like you do now.”
With that, Cheon Danaa’s limbs disassembled.
Blood, flesh, and body were smashed like powder according to the space’s segmentation. Eventually, nothing remained at the spot where Cheon Danaa had been, except for bloodstains.
Naturally, Yeonseo knew that body wasn’t her main body.
But it must have been a proper warning and declaration of intent.
If you want to go all out, then let’s see how far this can go.
○○○○○
The food stall was empty.
Maybe it was because it was a weekday.
Or perhaps, it was due to the commotion in Korea from the S-grade advancement.
Normally, there should have been at least a couple more people, but only Yoonjeong and Shia quietly occupied a table.
“…….”
“……..”
It was quite awkward.
No, it wasn’t just awkward; it was a bit embarrassing.
No matter how much Shia had a strong personality and was quite self-reliant, she wasn’t strong enough to face Yoonjeong after having cried so much, rubbing her red eyes.
And Yoonjeong felt the same way.
An inept mother.
A bad mother.
How embarrassed must she have felt at seeing her daughter after doing something almost selfish, despite knowing it was wrong…
“….Congratulations on your coming of age.”
“U, umm… Thank you…”
Breaking through the awkward atmosphere, the only thing that Shia could force out was a clumsy compliment.
Now that they met again it was hard to articulate what they should say.
They had no idea where to even start the conversation.
They couldn’t find a single thing that came to mind.
So…
Glug, glug!
Pffft!
Kyaaa!
“Cheers!”
“Cheers!!!!”
Thus, they decided to drink to relieve the awkward air.
Awkward atmosphere?
Alcohol’s the answer.
What? Can’t think of what to say?
Alcohol’s the answer.
Today is a monumental day as Yoonjeong turned of age.
How could they not celebrate with drinks?
Physically not resembling each other at all, they both downed their drinks in the exact same posture like a parent and child.
Hee, hee, glug, glug…
“Whoa! My son’s drinking so well!”
Heeheeheehee, you’re drinking well! I prefer clear liquor over soju!
“Hey! Get me ten servings of skewers and more clear liquor!”
“Yes, ma’am!”
Despite it being an empty day, the owner of the food stall was happy as Yoonjeong and Shia single-handedly boosted his sales.
Hehe…
Heeheehee…
And so, the two drank like there was no tomorrow.
They didn’t lack anything to say; rather, there was too much to say, so they decided to let the alcohol do the talking until they were both deeply inebriated.
Hehehe…
Glug… hee…
About five hours after they had arrived at the food stall, the momentum of Yoonjeong and Shia, who had unreservedly devoured drinks and side dishes, calmed down.
“….Hehe, Shia, are you okay…?”
“What do you mean…?”
“I mean, I remember everything, but you’re like a completely different person…”
“……..”
Yeah, they had to wrap things up somehow.
“I’ve thought about it a few times… No matter how I think, I feel like I’ll only be a burden to you… my son.. no, my daughter…”
“Mom. Don’t think like that…”
“Shia, I may not be very smart… but I don’t know how you have lived, what made you become a woman. I don’t have any clue how strong you are. Seeing you entering S-grade advancement… you seem pretty strong but… Shia, those Mountain Guild guys? Do you think this will end just this once?”
They said she was the proper candidate.
They had tried every means imaginable, even erasing her personality, and those who did that wouldn’t easily give up just for one Isia.
“Shia, no matter how fierce you fight… you’re still just one person… against the world’s largest guild or maybe a national-level organization… are you really going to fight those on my account?”
“……”
“No matter how guilty I feel, no matter how weak I seemed… I can’t make you do that…”
“Stop it.”
Shia’s firm voice made Yoonjeong look up.
The cute, slightly drunk face she saw moments ago was gone, replaced by a strong and assured face as Shia met Yoonjeong’s gaze.
“Stop sacrificing yourself. Stop pushing me away. Don’t hide your feelings under the guise of love.”
“Shia, I…”
“Don’t hide yourself for my sake.”
“….”
“For your sake, if you love me and care for me… just hug me.”
As she said this, Shia opened her arms slightly.
As if asking for a hug.
Yoonjeong didn’t hesitate and embraced Shia.
“Shh….”
“…..I’m sorry.”
“What for?”
“That’s… that’s it all…”
Shia whispered into Yoonjeong’s ear while holding her tightly.
In this moment, the beautiful voice of the Seongnyeo, like a hymn, echoed right in Yoonjeong’s ears.
“If you don’t express it, I won’t know. If you don’t share it, I won’t understand.”
“No matter how much you say you love me, no matter how much you say you care about me… the expression of distance can make me feel rejected, maybe even lead to disdain.”
“When you pushed me away, did you know how despairing that felt?”
“When parents don’t say anything, children can’t pick up on it.”
“No matter how long you live or how much experience you have, it was you who gave me my world.”
“No matter how the world changes, even through life and death, you will always be my one and only mom.”
I never want to let go of this hand, this warmth, this feeling, forever.
“…Shia.”
“If you still love me, if you see me as Isia, if you don’t dislike me… please don’t push me away anymore.”
Let’s resolve misunderstandings through words.
Let’s untangle entangled feelings through honest conversations.
Let’s share the affections we’ve long missed.
Let’s not part ways anymore.
“Don’t worry. Just… just…”
“Just once. Hug me.”
Like when I was little.
When I come back home, just ask, “Did you come back safely?” like always.
That will be enough. That will be sufficient.
It’s always been that way.
“I know what you worry about. Like you said, I know this won’t be the last time.”
While embraced in Shia’s arms, Yoonjeong raised her head to look at her.
Without a trace of worry.
She was a reliable, strong daughter filled with confidence.
“Even so, it’s alright. I can handle it.”
“…Is that so.”
“I’m not the Isia you remember anymore… I’m different, but I’ve still grown strong enough to protect you.”
Shia showed a beautiful smile.
“So, mom, stop carrying everything on your own. If you’re struggling, lean on me. If you’re in pain, speak up.”
“……”
I’ve carried it all… it was so very hard.
I really felt burdened.
“So, is it okay…?”
“That’s what family is for.”
Family.
The word that felt the heaviest yet longed for most.
Yoonjeong felt her eyes getting moist without realizing it.
Having become a mother… receiving comfort from her own child… how absurd is that?
“So please, don’t push me away saying you did nothing wrong.”
Then tears began streaming down Shia’s cheeks again.
Was it the alcohol talking? Or had the dam of a repressed emotion burst open all at once?
“I truly… missed you so much… mom.”
“I, I… when it got too hard, when I just wanted to give everything up…”
“I wanted to run away.”
“There were good people, but still… it was you, mom… I missed you the most.”
Then, tears began to flow down Yoonjeong’s cheeks as she stared at Shia.
“I’m sorry… sorry… I’m truly sorry…”
“Please don’t say sorry. Ugh… don’t say sorry. Just being here is enough… everything’s okay. Everything will be alright. I wanted a hug, just to be comforted.”
“Right, right… ugh… it’s okay.”
Now, it’s alright.
Everything is going to be okay.
“Please, hug me like you always did.”
“Okay, okay… ugh…”
“Waaahhh!”
“Why do you cry so much… no, you’re a girl now, isn’t that wrong?”
“Waaaahhhh!”
“Ugh, son… my son… ugh…”
So the food stall was filled with the loud wails of the two drunken women.
……Isn’t that a transgender?
The food stall owner could only look back and forth at them with a perplexed expression.
To hear a distinctly female-looking silver-haired woman calling herself a son… what could that be…?
○○○○
– The Next Day –
“Caw.” (Feed me, damn it.)
…………..
