Chapter 336: Aftereffect (2)
It had been a while since I came outside. I had been lying down so much that I wasn't used to walking anymore, but I felt good.
I was just walking around the Laios's royal castle, but I felt like I was definitely abroad. Unlike the State, where colorful flowers were lined with other colorful flowers, Laios' garden was green with an unorganized feeling.
I liked the light coming through the thick trees and trunks, and the overall atmosphere was not bad.
Kim Hyunsung seemed to be supporting me, and even at my request for him not to, he refused to listen. He looked a little relieved because of the first aid, but his guilt didn't seem to disappear.
'I don't even know why the hell he is feeling guilty...'
However, I could expect this a little. Until now, Kim Hyunsung had only been focusing on his personal work than on actual guild work.
In fact, there were more times when he didn't stay, than when he actually stayed in the guild.
He was trying to fix the wrong things from the first round, but in the present, when the future had changed a lot, it was a very meaningless act.
He had been so lost in the specter of the first round that he was missing out on something really important. It was a mistake for him not to know that the masked trash Jin Qing was making a new start in the Republic.
In such a situation, since I had received a big aftereffect, being busy, he might feel the responsibility of not taking care of the guild members properly.
In my case, it was fortunate that he wasn't sticking to me, but I didn't want to bother to stop him from thinking like that.
Right now, I felt like he was taking care of me greatly. I would never fall, but he seemed to be thinking about my leg getting rubbery and falling.
'There is no need to do this.'
I didn't know why, but I could feel the eyes of those who were wandering around us. It was starting to stand out, and I could see the maids glancing at this side.
I wondered if it would be nice to go to another place, but perhaps our voices won't reach them.
"What did you want to say...?"
"It's something a little important."
It was natural to think about a better way to tell him. It might be questionable if I were to talk too openly about the identity of Jin Qing.
Of course, Kim Hyunsung didn't seem to be suspicious of me right now, but there was still nothing wrong with being careful.
At last, he started to speak. It looked like he was not slow. He seemed to be expecting what I was trying to say.
"About what happened in Laios..."
"Yes. You're right. I think it would be good to know the exact progress..."
"I know a little about it, Kiyoung-ssi. I don't want to burden you right away. I'll take care of everything this time..."
"No. No. It's fine. You don't have to worry that much. It's a little frustrating just to keep lying down, and this is important to me as well... Yes. It's really important. It's probably something that Deokgu doesn't know. And... I have something I would like to ask for a while."
"What do you mean?"
'Should I do it now?'
Since I couldn't tell what he's thinking, I felt frustrated in many ways.
I began to wonder if he was really suspicious of Jin Qing as the masked man. There was a high probability that he was thinking that way, but if Kim Hyunsung saw Jin Qing with the masked man in the first round, things might get a bit twisted.
'What if...'
What if Jin Qing and Kim Hyunsung were close friends in the first round?
Or what if Jin Qing was also building a hostile relationship with the masked trash?
What if Jin Qing was also one of the people who were murdered by the masked man?
As in the example above, if there was a certain situation that was certain that Jin Qing was not the masked man in the future of the first round that I didn't know, Kim Hyunsung might be excluding the demon summoner as masked trash, Jin Qing, from the suspect ship.
He may be starting an investigation on the premise that a third force was maneuvering to condemn him.
If Kim Hyunsung was really investigating, considering this case to be the act of a third force and, my rash remarks may rather raise doubt.
I had to slowly, yet carefully, make him suspect that Jin Qing was the masked trash, to the point that he felt that everything he had seen in the first round was a lie.
The key to the beginning was Jung Hayan.
I felt like it was a little early, but for now, speaking out would be the correct thing to do. There was no need to worry any further.
As soon as I started explaining, I saw Kim Hyunsung nodding frantically.
"It's something related to Jung Hayan."
What I wanted to say was very simple.
'That Jin Qing bastard kept flirting with our Jung Hayan.'
Of course, I couldn't say it simply like that. It was because there must be a form. If I were to exaggerate this a little, then I might be able to produce a plausible result.
I shouldn't give him the answer.
Kim Hyunsung must realize by himself that Jin Qing was trash.
"What about Hayan-ssi?"
He looked puzzled. However, Kim Hyunsung slowly fixed his expression as he read my serious face.
"Of course, it would be nice if it was my misunderstanding and unfounded, but I feel something is not right."
"Okay."
"In fact, when I first encountered the foreigners of the Republic..."
When I tried to open my mouth to explain everything, case by case, a loud voice started to come from somewhere.
"Hey! Hyung-nim! Hyung-ssi! What are you doing there?!"
'Ah... Shit. Park Deokgu!'
As I turned in the opposite direction, he opened his mouth with a louder voice.
"Hyung-nim!! I am here!"
It was quite the spectacle to see him running over here.
The atmosphere became uncertain because he invaded just when I was about to start a serious conversation.
Although I beckoned for him to leave quietly, he accepted it as an expression to come this way.
"Hyung-nim. Can you move already? Are you alright? Didn't you say you were in pain earlier? When I saw Hyunsung suddenly running toward the royal castle, I thought something happened... I was really worried, you know? It seems like you're okay seeing you move like this. Well, I'm a little relieved now."
I couldn't resent him. I didn't know if he was really worried, but it was apparent that he was indeed looking for me diligently.
He pretended to be okay, but seeing him with his eyes getting red, I felt sorry for some reason.
However, that was a separate issue. First, as there was something important to talk about, I had to make him leave.
"There seems to be some misunderstanding. My body is fine, Deokgu. Nothing has changed. Anyway, we can talk later, first, tell Hayan..."
"Ah! Was Hyung-nim about her? No need to worry. I asked Jeong-yeon to take care of Hayan. You can be relieved. Probably not a single ant will be able to invade her room."
'What bullshit is this pig talking about...?'
"I was the only one who knows since Hyung-nim and Hyung-ssi might be worried. Oh... As expected, you can't be fooled, as expected from Hyung-nim!"
"What do you mean, Deokgu-ssi?"
I also couldn't understand what the hell he was talking about. Following the previous moment, Kim Hyunsung also looked very confused.
It would be nice to realize that he made a mistake by looking at Hyunsung's face and my distorted face, but he began to open his mouth with a loud voice.
I grabbed my head for a moment, but Deokgu's next words really worked in my favor.
"That Jin Qing Demon Summoner trash guy! He is aiming for Hayan!"
'Deokgu! Fuck. I love you!'
"Of course, I'm not sure. But seeing that Hyung-nim thinks the same way as me, I think I can reveal it now!"
'This pig bastard...'
"I'm sure!"
'Why are you so helpful...?'
He may not be stupid. I always thought about it, but today I started thinking more and more like that.
Unlike ten seconds ago, when I wanted to tell him to leave immediately, it was natural that I felt like Park Deokgu could join our chat at any time.
"That filthy demon summoner trash even... flirted while handing her a note! At that time, I thought that because she is so attractive and kind, it would be an insect twisting, but... no matter how I think about this, it's too suspicious. Then I came to the right conclusion today. Yes, absolutely!"
'Yeah, that's it, bastard.'
"I don't know much about magic power, but for some reason, it seemed to contain suspicious magic power! Actually, she seemed a little weird at that time, but I didn't mention it because Hyung-nim didn't seem to want to talk. I was doing some kind of volunteer work, but Hyung-nim asked me to follow him, so I just followed. Who would have known that the demon summoner was standing there?"
"I see."
"This is just my guess. Hyung-ssi, maybe we should think about the possibility that the demon summoner intentionally attracted Hayan! It's weird that he even flirted with her, giving a note even though he was there that day! Most of all, it was the most suspicious that the devil's seal was not completely released. Yes, absolutely! Perhaps... I even thought that those rotten guys were trying to sacrifice Hayan!"
'That's another new interpretation...'
At this point, he was capable of telling a story interesting enough to become a writer.
It was so ridiculous that it made me laugh, but if there was something that could support this evidence, then I would have the power to make it come true.
"Even I know that Hayan was blessed with magic power, but wouldn't they know about that? Probably, they couldn't have summoned the demon completely by their own power. Inevitably, they had no choice but to find her ... Everything was a setup from the beginning."
"It may be possible."
"I don't know the details, but maybe they're still looking for a chance!"
Park Deokgu looked at me as if he was asking what I thought of his deduction. It was different from the scenario I had originally written, but this was also convincing in its own little way.
Kim Hyunsung, who said that there was a possibility, stiffened, but he seemed to have not yet believed what Deokgu had said.
He seemed doubtful of this explanation – it was up to me to make his resolve weaken.
"What Kiyoung-ssi was trying to say..."
"Yes. Although different, they are similar. Of course, it would be nice if I were mistaken, but this is not impossible. It was late, but I was also feeling some strange signs. At the time of the museum expedition, there was a moment when Max said that she was a human blessed with magic power, remember?"
"Yes."
"As far as I can see, Jung Hayan's body is a crystal of pure magic. I don't know much about black magic, but it would be hard to find a better quality material than her if she is used as a sacrifice. Maybe they have a different purpose, too. Most of all, strange things keep getting caught in my eyes. To be precise, it was bothering me."
"What are you talking about?"
It wouldn't be bad to hesitate here once. It was time to bring up something important.
"Before the Republic left Laos, I had seen some people hovering around Jung Hayan. Of course, I could be mistaken, but..."
"..."
The faces seen in the first episode should appear at this point with strength. These were the trashy people that voted against for me to enter the brigade.
Perhaps it was petty of me to exact revenge this time around, but I couldn't help it. Though I didn't know who they were, I knew Hyunsung probably did.
"A man and woman twins who looked like archers, a young man without one leg, and a tall skinny man."
Now the displeasure on Kim Hyunsung's face was highly evident.
"...brigade."
Everything had fallen into place.