“Anyway, you really have a knack for saying things that can be misunderstood.”

The saint clicked her tongue. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but soon let out a deep sigh.

“The way back will be safe. If any problems arise, call for me. I’ll come running right away. Oh, and since the two of them refused to talk, I’m relaying this message: The Berserker and the Sage will be visiting you two soon? I didn’t get a definite answer on when, though.”

“Tell them I’ll kill them if they come.”

“Such a temper, as always. Stay healthy until then, okay?”

“…”

The Berserker and the Sage? Could it really be the people I know? While I was shocked, Cheon Shin Woo remained indifferent.

“Well then, Emperor. You should get going too, right?”

“Uh, yes?”

The Emperor, who had been meticulously peeling apple rabbits, was suddenly dragged out by the saint. I debated whether to see them off or not, but decided against it.

I had a more pressing matter at hand.

“…”

“…”

I hadn’t noticed it when it was noisy, but now that Cheon Shin Woo and I were alone, a suffocating silence fell. What should I say? Would he still be angry with me? As various thoughts jumbled in my mind.

“The day after tomorrow.”

“Uh, yes?”

“We’ll be leaving for Korea.”

Cheon Shin Woo wasn’t angry. He just spoke in a tired voice.

“…Until then, take it easy.”

With an uncharacteristically weak voice, Cheon Shin Woo also left. I was left alone in what I assumed to be a hotel room.

#Chapter 5. Aptitude, Desires, and Reality

The place I was staying was said to be a luxury hotel somewhere in China. Although there was nothing wrong with my physical condition, I rested for two more days just in case. To be honest, I was fine, but I thought of it as a vacation and rested in bed.

When I returned to Korea like that, it was swept up in excitement bordering on madness.

The sudden incident that occurred in Cheonrang was overshadowed by the ranking tournament, an event that captured the interest of the entire nation, civilians and hunters alike. Of course, the sudden withdrawal of Cheon Shin Woo, known as the strongest, and Cheonrang, the top guild in the country, from the ranking tournament was a huge issue, but it was quickly forgotten due to Cheon Shin Woo’s eccentric behavior not being a one-time occurrence.

After returning home, I spent about three days just sleeping or occasionally checking my phone. I felt somehow listless.

And for good reason.

‘I still feel wronged…!’

I really did my best to defend during the guild siege, you know. The fact that Cheonrang is still this intact is thanks to whom? Thanks to me! But all I got was scolding. Huh? Would it hurt to say I did well? Wasn’t I really good this time? Even getting caught up in that slave market or whatever, honestly, I could have broken through and gotten out on my own!

The resentment of not having my achievements recognized didn’t subside. At the same time, a sense of helplessness washed over me.

No matter what I do, Cheon Shin Woo will try to control me. Using my safety as an excuse, he won’t approve of anything I do, and he won’t let me go out alone either.

To be honest, I got tired of it.

The only reason I wanted to continue working was because I didn’t want to hand over my financial rights to someone else. But now even this felt meaningless…

Occasionally, I saw stories about why Cheonrang withdrew from the ranking tournament on anonymous hunter sites, but most were just speculations. Of course, there was no mention of me.

Although I was a guild master in name only, I had done my best, but nothing had changed, which greatly contributed to killing my motivation.

So, today too, I lounged around resting. I binge-watched backed-up novels, looked up stories about how people live these days. While searching for news, when even that became boring, I just lay down and slept.

Thoughts about Sin also came to mind. Destruction and sacrifice, and the god at the center of it all. The current situation, tangled like a ball of yarn that hasn’t been clearly unraveled, wasn’t particularly helpful in organizing my thoughts.

Sometimes I thought that if I really end up sacrificing myself in the future as Silence said, maybe it would be good to enjoy the present in advance. Though, at that time, Cheon Shin Woo would probably really erase Silence’s existence from this world.

And to be honest.

“Haah…”

Rolling around and resting was too enjoyable.

So much so that I wondered why I hadn’t known this pleasure until now.

“Hmm… The next part of this novel isn’t up yet.”

There’s a reason why people’s dream is to be a rich unemployed person. The past times when I stubbornly tried to live on my own despite having achieved that dream now seemed foolish. I should have accepted it like this from the beginning, why did I make such a fuss all this time.

And seeing me like this, Min Yu Shin clicked his tongue.

“Shina. I’m not saying what you went through wasn’t hard, but you’re not planning to keep living like this, are you? Hmm?”

He, who had been given a pay cut and probation for failing to properly guard me, but was back to normal work after just one day, became the one to roll me around as I rolled about.

“If you keep living like this, like a kimbap… You’ll get fat.”

“I don’t gain weight because of my constitution.”

“What! That’s how you let your guard down and suddenly it happens!”

It’s true though… I took a bite of a snack while letting Min Yu Shin’s nagging go in one ear and out the other.

“If you keep this up, Shin Woo will worry… Hmm. Though he might like it. Huh? But aren’t you being too lax? It’s already been a week.”

It’s already been a week since I’ve been like this. Not three days. I guess my sense of time has gone weird.

I let Min Yu Shin’s nagging go in one ear and out the other this time too.

Students have vacations. I’ve been running non-stop until now, so isn’t it okay to rest for a few days? Now there are many places calling for me, and many things I can do. There’s no need to live complicatedly, pulling my hair out.

“I’m not particularly sick or anything, I’m really just resting. I’ll think about future matters on my own… Mister, ahem. Um…”

“I’m a bit hurt right now.”

“It’s a bit… to call you elder brother.”

“…I’m friends with your elder brother, you know?”

“There’s a 7-year age difference though…”

“…Just call me secretary.”

“Yes. Why don’t you take a vacation too, Mr. Secretary?”

“…Are you really okay?”

“I’m fine.”

“Should I make an appointment with a psychiatrist for you?”

“Why go that far… I have 99 mental power, and a mental barrier too.”

“…Alright.”

Min Yu Shin finally gave up on me. After he left, I thought for a moment. Am I really tired? Should I seriously think about what to do from now on?

That worry quickly disappeared due to a newly downloaded game. There were so many fun games that I felt like I had been living without knowing such enjoyment until now. I soon immersed myself in the game without thinking.

There was nothing I had to do, but there were plenty of things I could do. As I was reading through the most recent novel that came to mind, I suddenly thought I might be able to live like the protagonist in the novel. If Cheon Shin Woo, who already lives more freely than anyone else, exists, why couldn’t I live such a life?

As I was turning the pages with such vague thoughts.

[Elder Sister Min Young: Yo!] [Elder Sister Min Young: I’m on vacation tomorrow, want to meet for a bit? Let’s hang out after a long time.]

I got a message from Elder Sister Min Young.

[This is the timeline separator]

“Oh? Then let’s go together.”

“Why…?”

“Why? Have you forgotten what you’ve been through recently?”

“…”

On the day of my appointment with Elder Sister Min Young, I tried to sneak out but got caught by Min Yu Shin.

Actually, I wasn’t trying to sneak out. I was preparing to go out without much thought when Min Yu Shin asked where I was going. When I said I was going to meet a close elder sister after a long time, he said he’d come along.

That’s right. On the day of the appointment, I had forgotten my situation and hit a big wall.

“But I’m going to meet someone I know. Won’t it be weird if you join, Mr. Secretary?”

“But this is my job.”

“I’m stronger than you, Mr. Secretary.”

“Can you guarantee that?”

“…It’s true though.”

“Haha.”

Min Yu Shin laughed as if he had heard an amusing joke.

“This is my job, Shina.”

Then he said this with a serious face. I somehow felt like he was enjoying the current situation.

It wasn’t that him coming along was a problem in itself. Given his sociable personality, he would probably get along well with Elder Sister Min Young without any issues.

It was just my feelings that were the problem. If he came along, it felt like Cheon Shin Woo was monitoring me, and I didn’t like that.

Unaware of my feelings, Min Yu Shin just smiled brightly.

“Hmm, are you uncomfortable? Then I’ll go as a shadow. I can guard you well without being noticed.”

“…That’s even creepier.”

“Don’t you trust my skills?”

“No, it’s not that… It doesn’t make sense for someone with your skills to be guarding me in the first place.”

“By that logic, you, a strength-hiding S-rank, make the least sense, right?”

“Ah, really…”

This person, why is he so good with words! I was about to say that by that logic, I’m stronger than you, Mr. Secretary, so I really don’t need a guard, but I stopped.

‘Should I put him to sleep and go?’

As another thought crossed my mind, he pulled out two things.

One was a mobile phone and the other was a bottle containing a white liquid.

“…What’s this?”

“You know how your elder brother threatens, ‘If you neglect your role again this time, then…’ Sob, sob, Shina. Can’t you really save me? At this rate, your elder brother might really kill me…”

“…What’s the thing next to it?”

“A potion for increasing mental power and resistance to mental magic. By the way, the duration is 24 hours after consumption.”

He drank the potion in front of me as if to show off…

“Why go that far…”

“I told you this is my job, right? And judging by your reaction, you really were planning to ditch me and go, weren’t you?”

“…No, I wasn’t?”

“Your eyes are wavering, Shina.”

In the end, I had no choice but to go to the meeting place with a tail.

Min Yu Shin again offered to follow like a shadow, blocking his presence, but I refused. If I was going to have a tail, I thought it would be better to keep him by my side.

And so, arriving at the meeting place 20 minutes later than scheduled, there was an unexpected face.

“Baek Yi Hyun?”