LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 111
Chapter 111: New Family 1
Park Won-hyung and Lee Seon-mi, Yoon-jung’s biological parents, imagined they were about to walk down a very bright flower path after their deal with the Mountain Guild.
They had no interest in what kind of life their daughter had been living.
She was, after all, a daughter born by accident.
She had survived on her own until now, so she would continue to do so.
They had long forgotten about selling their daughter to the Chinese Guild.
Now, they were on their way to Kangwon Land, driving in an old car.
Their plan was to enjoy a nice meal with the money they received, gamble a little, and have some fun at the brilliant casino.
“H-Hik… Why are you doing this to us…?”
“What have we done wrong…?”
However, the moment they entered a desolate road, they had to tremble again at the sight of a full-plate-armored knight who stopped their car barehanded.
Who was this?
Who was it this time…?
“What did you do wrong? Well, being less than human, I’d say?”
“……”
Honestly, this was annoying.
I had a lot to do, and having to come all the way here to take care of this was not to my liking.
However, I owed Shia.
It wasn’t just any ordinary debt.
After all, she saved the Great Forest of the Elves and Olgar. It wouldn’t seem right to consider that debt repaid with just this.
“S-Save us. We don’t have anything…”
“That’s right. Our daughter… Our daughter will take care of everything…”
“But someone I know said this.”
“W-What…?”
“Death isn’t a punishment. It was something like that… Anyway, I’m not going to kill you.”
So don’t worry.
“I’ll let you live. Only, reality will be far more miserable.”
“W-What…?”
“Tomorrow is your collection day, isn’t it? What do you think those people coming to collect will do when they see your sorry state? They’ll be thrilled to see you off on vacation like this, right?”
“But our debt… our daughter and the Mountain Guild…!”
“That? By the way, do you know today is your daughter’s birthday?”
“What do you mean…”
“She’s an adult now.”
“What…?”
“Someone with a lot of authority seems to have made it so that you’re no longer legally connected to Yoon-jung. You’re completely strangers now.”
It was probably Lady Yeonseo’s doing.
I wasn’t sure how she pulled it off, but the administrative officer from the Yeon family was so capable, I sometimes thought they could become the president.
Maybe they were an awakened being from that side of things…
“Maybe someone adopted Yoon-jung. Or maybe she went through the process of relinquishing inheritance. Either way, Yoon-jung no longer bears any legal responsibility for your debts. You’ll have to handle them yourselves.”
“But the Mountain Guild was supposed to cover the debt in the first place…!”
“Do you trust the Chinese Guild? They probably don’t even remember you exist.”
At my words, the two of them wore expressions of utter despair.
It seemed they didn’t want to believe reality.
“Well, tomorrow is your collection day. Do your best. The collectors will be very pleased, I’m sure.”
How laughable.
These human scum, who had avoided reality their entire lives, were now forced to face it.
“If I were them, I’d hand over your worthless bodies to the Chinese organ trade organization, wouldn’t you?”
○○○○○○○
The Mountain Guild of Shaanxi Province was as busy as ever.
The Mountain Guild held the position of the lord of Shaanxi Province, so it was in charge of managing the region’s public order, taxes, and various policies, which required an enormous amount of manpower and officials.
At that moment, Cheon Dana, the leader of the Mountain Guild, was sitting comfortably in her office in the tallest building, sipping tea with a relaxed expression.
“The tea doesn’t taste very good today.”
Crack!
“Don’t you agree?”
In front of Cheon Dana appeared a white-haired woman tinged with a bluish hue.
Yeonseo.
The world’s strongest awakened being.
The first S-rank hunter.
Although Yeonseo had shattered the empty air like glass and appeared, Cheon Dana calmly continued to sip her tea, unfazed.
“It’s been a while, Yeonseo. The last time we met was in Dalian 30 years ago, wasn’t it?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Unlike Cheon Dana’s cheerful greeting, Yeonseo’s eyes were brimming with murderous intent.
“Of course, I’m neither well nor happy to see you.”
[Fragment]
Crack!
With a light flick of Yeonseo’s finger, Cheon Dana’s arm, which had been holding her teacup, was severed.
Clang!
“…Quite aggressive.”
Blood spurted from the severed limb and the shattered teacup pieces dirtied the office floor, but Cheon Dana remained calm, glancing between her severed arm and Yeonseo.
“Nowadays, it’s hard to find a good ceramicist. This piece can’t even be bought with money, and it breaks so easily… How unfortunate.”
She seemed more regretful about the broken teacup than her severed arm.
Click. Click.
“Whether it was your petty tricks or your sly scheming, I was willing to overlook it. After all, I’m retired now.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Ha, listen here, you little fox.”
Slash!
This time, it was Cheon Dana’s left leg that was severed.
But even covered in blood, she made no effort to resist or retaliate, still wearing the same expressionless face.
“Ouch. That hurts.”
“I’m not one for useless chit-chat. Let’s get to the point.”
“Cutting off my limbs and calling it a conversation. How touching.”
Blood from Cheon Dana’s body began to pool at Yeonseo’s feet.
“Don’t touch what belongs to me.”
“Does your government or the association know that the great Yeonseo is acting like this? You know this could escalate into an international incident, right?”
“Ha?”
At that, Yeonseo snapped her fingers.
A dome-shaped drone, cloaked in stealth mode, appeared in the air, summoned by Yeonseo’s power.
The bottom of the drone displayed the words ‘Assigned to Hunter Shia.’
Everything related to Shia’s actions, including her escape during the S-rank promotion test, saving Yoon-jung, and wiping out the Mountain Guild terrorists, had been recorded.
“The Baiyun Battalion of the Mountain Guild, which had returned to the country, openly provoked Korean returnees and waited for them. All of it has been recorded. And the fact that you meddled with our citizens without going through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs? That’s all documented.”
“……”
Well, I didn’t see that coming.
In fact, no one could have predicted this.
Wang Soyeong and Bai Weishen had planned to take Yoon-jung, a shard’s suitable vessel, during Shia’s S-rank promotion test.
Normally, an S-rank promotion test cuts off all external contact for at least a week, so by the time Shia completed it, Yoon-jung would have already arrived in Shaanxi.
At that point, Shia would have been powerless to do anything, like a duck stranded in the middle of a river.
However, for some reason, Shia had escaped just before the test began, completely ruining the Mountain Guild’s plans. As a result, Yeonseo now had multiple leverage points.
“Do you really want to engage in a dirty, predictable political battle? I don’t mind. I’ve got plenty of time. But little fox, what about you? It doesn’t seem like you have time to spare.”
“………”
In the end, Cheon Dana let out a deep sigh.
“Haa, those idiots. It wasn’t even that difficult of a task…”
But it’s fine.
There’s plenty of power left.
Plenty of methods, too.
It was unfortunate not to have retrieved Bai Weishen’s shard or receive a report from Wang Soyeong, but the losses were manageable.
Still, it didn’t mean I wasn’t angry.
If that bitch Yeonseo weren’t here, I could have escalated the situation through the embassy and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, pressuring Korea and maybe even dragging Shia back to the Mountain Guild like a prisoner.
Besides being targeted as a key person by the shard, Shia was also a talent I coveted for personal reasons.
I had plans to use any means—coercion, persuasion, carrots, or sticks—but all those options were shattered because of Yeonseo, standing right in front of me.
As long as Yeonseo was here…
And if she was determined to be Shia’s shield, then my hands were severely tied.
“A washed-up old hag who couldn’t even protect her family, now acting like she’s going to protect someone… Haha, what a joke.”
“…..”
Crack!
Yeonseo’s body disappeared again, this time slamming her knee into Cheon Dana’s neck, pinning her to the floor.
Yeonseo’s cold gaze made it seem like she could kill the fox-like woman in an instant.
“That’s right. I couldn’t protect my family.”
“K-Khahaha… You’re really angry, huh?”
“Well, I suppose you wouldn’t know the feeling. You’ve never lost anything in your life.”
Crack!
Her doll-like body split open.
Blood burst out, and her pupils turned bloodshot, but Cheon Dana’s expression remained unchanged.
“So laugh as much as you want now.”
“Heh, ha, haha…!”
“Because not only will you lose your family, but you’ll lose everything you’re holding onto as well.”
“Your hot-blooded temper… is still the same…!”
“Do you think I won’t be able to do it?”
Crack!
“I will.”
Crack!
“In the name of the Yeon family, I will make it so.”
Thud!
“Just try running your mouth then, like you are now.”
With those words, Cheon Dana’s limbs were torn apart.
Blood, flesh, and body were crushed to dust, along with the spatial distortion.
Soon, nothing remained in the spot where Cheon Dana’s body had been, except for bloodstains.
Of course, Yeonseo knew that body wasn’t the real one.
Still, this much should serve as a proper warning and declaration of war.
If she wanted to see it through to the end, then let her try.
○○○○○
There was no one at the food stall.
Was it because it was a weekday?
Or was it because the entire country was buzzing with news of the S-rank promotion match?
Normally, there would be at least one or two more customers, but now only Yoon-jung and Shia quietly occupied the place.
“…….”
“……..”
It was quite awkward.
No, rather than awkward, it was more like a bit uncomfortable.
No matter how independent and self-centered Shia could be, she wasn’t so tough as to calmly rub her swollen red eyes and face someone after crying her heart out.
And Yoon-jung was no different.
A pitiful mother.
A selfish mother.
Even though she remembered everything, she had tried to push it away, having committed an act close to a nuisance. How ashamed must she have been to face her child… no, her daughter?
“….Happy coming-of-age.”
“Uh, uh-huh… yeah, thanks…”
Shia finally managed to break the awkward silence with those words.
Now that they had met again.
Now that she had been reunited with her, she didn’t know what to do.
She didn’t know where to begin or what to say first.
So…
Gulp, gulp!
Pfft!
Kaah!
“One more drink!”
“Cheers!”
“Yeaah!!!”
So, the two decided to drink.
Awkward air?
The answer is alcohol.
Don’t know what to say?
Alcohol is the answer.
Besides, today was a momentous day, the day Yoon-jung celebrated her daughter’s coming-of-age.
How could they not drown the day in alcohol?
Though they didn’t resemble each other outwardly, the two drank in the same posture, like mother and daughter.
“Heehee, gulp gulp…”
“Hey! My kid drinks better than me!”
“Heeheehee, this is so tasty. I like Cheongju much better than sojuoo~”
“Auntie! Bring us ten more skewers, and more soju and Cheongju, please!”
“Coming right up…!”
Even though there were no other customers, the stall owner was all smiles, running around eagerly serving the food and drinks to the table that was keeping her business alive.
“Heeheeheehee.”
“Heeheehee…”
The two continued drinking without a care in the world.
It wasn’t that they had nothing to say, but rather, they had too much to say. So, they borrowed the power of alcohol and drank, and drank some more.
“Heehee…”
“Gulp…hah…”
About five hours had passed since they had arrived at the food stall.
The momentum with which Yoon-jung and Shia had been devouring their drinks and side dishes gradually subsided.
“…Heh, Shia. Are you… okay?”
“What do you mean…”
“I mean me. Even though you remember… I’m really a different person now…”
“……….”
Yes, in the end, this was something that had to be addressed.
“I’ve thought about it a few times… No matter how much I think about it, I feel like I’m only going to hold you back, Shia… my son… no, my daughter.”
“Mom, don’t think like that…”
“Shia. Even though I may be a useless mother, I’m not completely thoughtless. I don’t know how you lived and ended up becoming a woman. I don’t know how strong you are. You seem pretty strong if you’re entering the S-rank promotion match, but… Shia, do you think those people from that mountain guild or whatever will stop after just this one time?”
They had called her “The Chosen One.”
They had used every possible means, even trying to erase her personality.
It was hard to believe that they would give up on their goal now, just because of one person—Shia.
“Shia, no matter how strong you are… in the end, you’re just one person. Are you really going to fight against the world’s largest guild… or maybe even a national-level organization because of me?”
“……”
“No matter how shameless and useless this mother is, I can’t ask you to do that…”
“Stop.”
At Shia’s firm words, Yoon-jung lifted her head.
The cute, drunken face she had just seen was gone, replaced by Shia’s confident, assured expression as she stared at Yoon-jung.
“Stop sacrificing yourself. Stop pushing me away in the name of caring for me.”
“Shia. I…”
“Don’t hide behind ‘caring for me.'”
“….”
“If you really care for me, if you worry about me, and if you love me… just embrace me.”
Saying this, Shia slightly spread her arms.
As if to say, “Hold me.”
Her considerable presence and the pouch of holy power at her waist puffed up slightly, but Yoon-jung didn’t hesitate to hug her tightly.
“Hoo…”
“…..I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“For everything… for it all…”
As Shia hugged Yoon-jung, she whispered into her ear.
In that moment, the beautiful, hymn-like voice of a saintess echoed only in Yoon-jung’s ear.
“If you don’t speak, I won’t know. If you don’t express it, I won’t understand.”
“No matter how much you love me, no matter how much you care for me… keeping your distance will only make me feel like you hate me. Like you might reject me.”
“Do you know how much despair I felt when you pushed me away?”
“If a parent doesn’t speak, how can the child know?”
“No matter how long I live, no matter how many experiences I have, you’re still the one who created my world, Mom.”
“The world may change. I may cross between life and death. But to me, you will always be my only mother.”
I don’t want to let go.
I don’t want to let go of this hand, this warmth, this touch, ever again.
“…Shia.”
“If you still love me, if you still see me as Shia, if you don’t hate me… then don’t push me away anymore.”
Let’s clear up the misunderstandings with words.
Let’s resolve the hurt through honest conversation.
Let’s share the affection we haven’t been able to express for so long.
Let’s not be apart anymore.
“Don’t worry about anything. Just…just…”
Just. One time.
“Just hold me… one time.”
When I come home like I did when I was young,
If I say, “I’m back,”
Please just say, “Did you have a good day?”
That’s enough. That’s all I need.
It’s always been enough.
“I know what you’re worried about. Just like you said, I know this won’t end with just this one time.”
Yoon-jung, still in Shia’s arms, looked up at her.
Without any trace of worry.
Her daughter was full of confidence and assurance, reliable and strong.
“But it’s okay. I can handle it.”
“…Is that so.”
“I’m not exactly the Isia you remember, I’ve changed a little, but I’ve gotten stronger. Strong enough to protect you, Mom.”
Shia gave a wonderful smile.
“And now I’m not alone anymore.”
She stroked Yoon-jung’s dry hair and placed her hand on her cheek.
Seeing Shia up close, Yoon-jung couldn’t help but feel that she looked much more reliable and impressive than when she had been her son.
“So, Mom, don’t shoulder everything alone anymore. If it’s hard, lean on me. If it hurts, say that it hurts.”
“……”
I… I also… had a hard time.
It was really hard for me too.
“But… is that okay…?”
“That’s what family is for.”
Family.
A word that was heavier than anything, yet so longed for.
Without realizing it, Yoon-jung felt her eyes begin to redden.
A mother being comforted by her child… How pathetic.
“So please, don’t push me away for something you didn’t do wrong.”
And once again, tears started to stream from Shia’s eyes.
Was it because of the alcohol? Or was it because the dam of emotions she had been holding back had finally burst all at once?
“I… I really missed you, Mom. So much.”
“There were times… when it was so hard, I wanted to just quit everything.”
“There were times when I wanted to run away.”
“There were good people too, but still, Mom… I missed you the most.”
As she looked at Shia, Yoon-jung’s own tears began to fall like large raindrops.
“I’m sorry… I’m so sorry… This mother is really sorry…”
“Please don’t say you’re sorry. Hic… Don’t say sorry. Just you being here is enough for me. I just wanted to hold you, to be comforted, to hear that everything would be okay.”
“Yeah, yeah… Hic… It’s okay.”
It’s okay now.
Everything will be okay.
“Just hug me like you always did.”
“Yeah, yeah. Yes… Hic…”
“Huuu… Huuu….”
“Why are you, hic, crying so much as a boy… no, I guess you’re a girl now… Hic…”
“Huuuu…”
“Hic… my son… my sonnnn…. Hic…”
For a long time, the food stall was filled with the sounds of two women drunkenly sobbing their hearts out.
“…Transgender?”
The food stall owner was the only one with a confused look, glancing back and forth between the two.
Hearing someone call the silver-haired woman, who clearly looked female, their son… What was going on here…?
○○○○
-The Next Day-
“Squawk.” (Feed me. You bastard.)
“…………..”
What the hell is this?
It had been a long time since even the tentacled figure had expressed shock.