Chapter 30….
To be honest, it really was extortion.
I’d been dragged straight into a café and made to buy a cake, after all.
“₩42,000.”
“……Here you go.”
“Thank you. How many candles would you like?”
“I don’t think I’ll need any.”
And not just any cake—a big one.
₩42,000…
“……I spent this much money on bread.”
It was the first time in my life I’d ever paid that much just to buy pastries. I’d never even bought a cake on my own birthday before.
“Sorry… I didn’t bring my card.”
“……Then you could’ve just gone back to get it. Why use my card…”
“……Thank you. It’s annoying to go back and forth… ah, never mind.”
“…….”
“Thanks.”
Irene picked up the cake and started moving. Earlier she’d practically flown—now she was walking. As I quietly watched her—
“…If I fly, the cake gets ruined.”
“…Do you use mind reading too?”
“No. People usually ask, so I answered in advance.”
“…….”
No matter how you looked at it, she was a really strange character.
“I’ll pay you back soon…”
“……Suuure.”
“This café has great reviews. I hope the cake tastes good.”
She looked excited. I hadn’t known her long, but she usually seemed expressionless—yet whenever there was cake involved, she lit up like that.
“You really like cake.”
At my words, Irene let out a small chuckle.
“…Do I seem childish?”
“Huh? No. I just thought it was your preference.”
“I like it.”
Her tone was oddly clear.
“Once, I even wondered if there was magic that could turn the whole world into cake…”
“…….”
That sounded dangerous.
‘If it’s Irene… isn’t that actually possible?’
A great archmage.
If you were the strongest being in the world, maybe it really was possible.
“You’re not serious… right?”
“Everyone makes that face when they hear it…”
“Isn’t that inevitable?”
“I’m joking…”
“…?”
That was a joke? It didn’t feel like one at all.
“Then I’ll see you in a week…”
“…Yes. Understood.”
Irene went upstairs, and I arrived downstairs shortly after.
I was sulking a bit, having been suddenly extorted for cake. She will pay me back, right?
Oh, right.
‘What about rent?’
There was the monthly rent and deposit on my old place. I needed to pull that out suddenly—was that even possible?
‘…Money’s a problem too.’
I didn’t have much on hand. I’d heard you got paid once you became a knight, but…
“…Hmm.”
Could I get an advance?
That ridiculous thought crossed my mind first.
* * *
Morning came.
Seeing sunlight stream in, I pushed myself up.
“…Ugh.”
The bed was too comfortable. This really must be a nice place.
‘I felt it back when I was in the hospital too.’
Seems like beds really are something you should buy expensive. I got up, enjoying the softness.
My body still creaked from lingering recoil, but still—
“Should I run?”
First, I needed to go outside.
6 a.m.
Just when the sun was barely preparing to rise.
I moved my body in the morning air.
“Huff… huff…”
A routine I’d repeated for years. I couldn’t run while hospitalized recently, but—
I was fine now.
‘Nice neighborhood.’
I ran at a slightly fast pace… no, a much faster pace. Maybe because I’d become a superhuman—normal speeds didn’t even feel tiring anymore.
‘…What pace is this?’
It was ridiculously fast. I used to run just over a five-minute pace, but now that kind of metric felt meaningless.
Refreshing. Running like this, at this speed.
As I kept moving—
“Jinwoo?”
“…….”
I stopped dead.
“Jinwoo, right?”
A bright, refreshing voice. I looked ahead at the person approaching me.
“Yujin.”
“What a surprise.”
A cheerful smile on a handsome face. It was Yujin—Korea’s SS-rank superhuman.
“Why are you here—ah, right.”
He clapped lightly, as if realizing something.
“You became a knight, so you came here. Good to see you.”
Yujin held out his hand. I hesitated, then shook it carefully.
“I heard you did your rank assessment. They said A-rank.”
“…Yeah.”
“That’s great. Congratulations. Oh—are you okay after the terror incident?”
“That’s fine too. It was resolved. Irene was there.”
“Oh. Irene…”
For a split second, Yujin’s expression changed—but only for a moment. He quickly smiled again.
“That’s a relief. I was really worried.”
“…Thanks.”
“I didn’t expect to see a friend here. Didn’t think I’d be this happy about it either. Let’s run together sometimes—I always come out at this hour.”
“Yeah. Sure.”
“I’ll head off first. See you!”
Yujin sped away, smiling. Watching his back, I lightly bit my dry lip.
I shouldn’t run at this time anymore.
I made that decision.
* * *
When I got back, I realized something I’d completely forgotten.
“…Wow. My phone’s about to explode.”
Seventy missed calls.
My message inbox was on the verge of bursting too—every single one from Gyeongbeom.
Riiing—
Before the call tone even lasted a second, the other side picked up.
—Hey!
“…Ow.”
My ear almost fell off.
“Why are you yelling?”
—You insane bastard. Why didn’t you pick up?!
“I slept. I was asleep.”
—Yeah right. You sleep at that hour? You think I don’t know you just ignored me?
“Hey, I can miss calls sometimes. Wouldn’t you normally think I was busy? Seventy calls is scary.”
—You’re annoying because you didn’t answer! And what’s with that voice?
“My voice? Oh.”
Was he talking about yesterday?
“It was Irene.”
—What…?
“She didn’t have her card and asked me to buy something, so we went together.”
—And she just comes and goes from your house?
“…That’s what I want to know.”
Why would she come and go? And without making a sound—it was terrifying.
Anyway, I briefly explained the situation to an irritated Gyeongbeom.
—So you have to live in that house?
“Yeah. Look into a moving company for me. I need to take my stuff.”
—With that woman?
“What woman?”
—Hale Irene.
“Oh.”
Live together? What nonsense.
“We’re on different floors. How would we live together?”
—Still the same building.
“True. They say close is good.”
—…That’s annoying.
“What?”
—Nothing. I’ll handle the movers.
“Why? I can take care of it myself.”
—You said it’s dangerous. You think you can go back and forth to your place? Or are you planning to ask Irene?
“…Ah.”
That was a point.
“Well, then I’ll just contact the company—”
—I’ll do it. Don’t worry. You’ll just get ripped off anyway.
“…….”
I had nothing to say.
—I’ll handle it and send you the bill. I won’t overcharge. Just transfer the money. Got it?
“…Yeah. Thanks.”
—I’m hanging up.
“Yeah—oh, and—”
Click.
“…….”
He hung up before I could finish. I briefly considered mentioning that I’d run into Yujin here too, but—
“Why even say it.”
I scratched the back of my head awkwardly.
“Well then…”
Time was about right, and I had nothing to do for a week.
“…Should I use this?”
[■ Martial God’s Mental Image (II) (EX)]
[■ Would you like to use it? Y/N]
It was something I’d obtained after clearing the quest in the Colosseum.
I had nothing to do for a week anyway.
‘I should do it.’
It was a quest given by the Martial God. Something necessary to become stronger.
—I warned you in advance. If you don’t think you can protect it, then hide it properly.
Irene’s words echoed in my ears.
If you lack the power to protect something, you should hide it.
‘She’s right.’
She was right.
If you don’t have the strength to protect something—
Whether it’s a person or anything else.
“…Let’s go.”
I pressed [Y].
My vision darkened once again.
* * *
A dark room with no lights.
In a space lit only by a small lamp, someone whispered.
“…Irene…?”
Crunch.
A man’s voice. A young man’s voice brushed through the room—but strangely, the person sitting on the bed was a woman.
There was no one else.
The woman removed the ring she was wearing.
Sss—
A faint energy brushed past.
“…She’s really pissing me off.”
The man’s voice instantly changed into that of a delicate woman. Sharp eyes turned somewhere.
“What? Going in and out of his house? Cake? Don’t be ridiculous.”
And she moved without even realizing?
“…That means it all happened in one day.”
If it had been even a day later, she would’ve known. But taking him suddenly meant she hadn’t noticed.
“Hah.”
Kidnapping him? How dare they?
“I was already furious when I heard he’d been attacked.”
She’d been returning from Japan after handling business. And in that gap, this happened?
“…So he went into a residence knights come and go from?”
The pretext was protection.
Who would object to the world’s strongest acting as a guard? Safety-wise, it was perfect. The problem was—
“It bothers me.”
Of all people, Irene. Knowing who Hale Irene really was made her angry.
There was only one reason.
“She’s pretty.”
Irene was beautiful. Excessively so.
That stone-faced bastard wouldn’t move just because of that—but you never know how things might turn out.
“…Hoo.”
She brushed her hair back.
Crackle.
Lightning sparked in response to her emotions. With cold eyes, she made a call.
“…So he went somewhere I can’t reach.”
Non-knights couldn’t enter. Which meant—
—Yes.
“Dad.”
—Yeah? What’s wrong, sweetheart—
“I’m quitting my company job and becoming a knight.”
—…What?
“I’ll join the new knight order they’re forming. Just know that.”
—Wait—daughter? What are you talking ab—
“I’ll hang up. Yeah. I love you too.”
—Wai—!
Click.
She ended the call. There was no need to hear the rest.
“Sorry, Jinwoo.”
The woman—Jin Yeonhee—opened her eyes coldly.
“But I…”
Never lets go of what belongs to her.
That was the kind of person Jin Yeonhee was.
And among all those things, Lee Jinwoo—
“I have no intention of ever letting you go.”
He was the most special existence in her life.
