148.
If he couldn’t be persuaded until the end, they could use the last resort. But since brainwashing was not preferable, they decided to try their best to avoid it. Of course, Yu Jin’s opinion wasn’t included in this. Yu Jin seemed to ponder for a moment before nodding.
“I’ll leave Gee behind.”
At Yu Jin’s words, Gee’s hand twitched, but Greyardin didn’t notice. He had no interest in Gee. If he had been a little more sane, he might have made a move, but now he was in a state where he couldn’t even stand up. It was natural that he didn’t feel threatened. Gee was too insignificant for Greyardin to imagine something that wouldn’t happen.
San’s worries increased. Before meeting Jinhyeon, he had fiercely worried about how to make a living. He was so struggling to get through each day that he had never thought about human affection. He only thought about how to get a little more to eat, how to prove his usefulness to the back alley gangs and secure a place. But after reaching a turning point in his life, San experienced many new things.
He learned that people could be trusted. He learned to give and receive affection, and felt joy in the exchange of emotions. It wasn’t always pleasant, but it was still enjoyable. Especially, the most enjoyable times were when he was with Gee.
The reason San came to be with Gee was Jinhyeon’s order. However, as the time spent together increased, San became certain. This person would care for and cherish me even without orders. San was completely immersed in this new relationship. And the more he immersed himself, the more anxious he felt.
‘What if Gee gets hurt or dies when I’m not there?’
San knew how easily people could die. So rather than wishing to be together until they died of old age, he hoped to be by each other’s side at the last moment. For this, San gave Gee one gift.
“Where did you get money for a gift? You’re just a kid.”
Gee said this as he opened the gift box San gave him. Then, seeing the rice-grain-sized red stone inside, he let out a hollow laugh.
“Did you get scammed somewhere?”
“Do I look like someone who would get scammed?”
“No, you’d be the one scamming, not getting scammed. So what is this?”
“It’s a location tracking stone.”
“What?”
Although Gee had heard of location tracking stones before, it was his first time seeing one in real life. Seeing Gee’s bewildered expression, San calmly explained.
“It would have been better to buy a bigger one, but this was the limit with the money I saved.”
“I thought you were getting paid well?”
“I am getting paid well.”
San was receiving a salary incomparably larger than when he was wandering the back alleys. If he saved for a few more years, he could even buy a house in a decent area of the capital.
“But location tracking stones are expensive.”
“I know they’re expensive, but…”
From the looks of it, it seemed more money had gone into this than Gee thought. Why would he give me such a gift? As Gee pondered, San added.
“You do dangerous work, Gee.”
“It’s not particularly dangerous right now.”
“It might become dangerous someday.”
“Okay, let’s say that’s true.”
“The location tracking stone is for that time.”
“I feel like some explanation is missing here.”
At Gee’s words, San pulled out a blackboard he had prepared in advance. He had prepared it in case Gee didn’t want to use the gift. However, before San could write on the blackboard, Gee chuckled and pulled out a dagger to stab his arm. Then he pushed the location tracking stone into the wound. More blood began to flow as he forcibly opened the wound, but Gee didn’t stop his actions.
“Well, you’re smart. You must have a reason for doing this.”
Just as San liked Gee, Gee also liked San. At first, he thought San was just a cheeky kid, but now his thoughts had changed a lot. Sometimes when he unknowingly showed affection, San looked cute to him.
‘Like a little puppy.’
If that San was asking for this, how could he not do at least this much? It was just a small stone going into his body. With that thought, Gee embedded the location tracking stone in his body.
San walked anxiously through the forest, holding a necklace with a small red stone embedded in it.
‘I should have bought a bigger one even if I had to borrow money back then.’
If he had, the tracking range would have been wider, and it would have been easier to find Gee.
‘Why didn’t I do that?’
It was too late for regrets now. San stared intently at the red stone with a gloomy face. Because of this, he didn’t properly see the stone at his feet.
“You should be careful.”
Jinhyeon caught San who was about to fall.
“…Thank you.”
Looking at San who slowly expressed his gratitude, Jinhyeon repeated the question he had been asking all along.
“Don’t you want to rest for a moment?”
As his gaze touched the necklace, San clenched his fist tighter. Rationally, he knew it would be better to hand this over to Jinhyeon. He also knew that once they started moving in earnest, Jinhyeon would be much more efficient than San. Knowing this, he still couldn’t take the necklace off his body.
‘Jinhyeon must be tired too.’
Even if it was selfish, he wanted to find Gee himself.
“I’m sorry. For being a burden.”
“Not really.”
They were just walking now, but until then, Jinhyeon had been carrying San on his back. When they first met, San was so scared of Jinhyeon, but now he had changed a lot too. It must be because he had learned about love. As San became even more dejected, the man standing next to him spoke.
“I’ll carry San on my back.”
The tall man with a strong appearance was Blando, Jinhyeon’s subordinate and Gee’s friend. He had come out of the back alleys for the first time in a long while after hearing about Gee’s situation. He was the one who couldn’t refuse to accompany them after hearing about the location tracking stone from San.
“It’s fine.”
The reason Jinhyeon insisted on carrying San instead of Blando was due to the difference in their abilities. In case of a sudden attack, he needed to protect San. It wasn’t particularly because San was cute or young. It was for Yu Jin, who couldn’t bear the death of related people.
“But it doesn’t seem right for one person to keep carrying him.”
When they first met, he thought Jinhyeon was simply skilled, but now Jinhyeon had far surpassed Blando. Freena’s help had played a big part in this. Freena had passed on various techniques to Jinhyeon as if she had taken him as her disciple, and Jinhyeon quickly absorbed them.
“I’ll carry him.”
While Blando was repeating what he had said before, San, who had been staring blankly at the necklace, shouted.
“The necklace is glowing!”
It meant they had entered the range of the location tracking stone. As soon as he heard this, Jinhyeon’s eyes sank into darkness. He immediately tucked San under his arm and started running. He didn’t say anything else, but San understood Jinhyeon’s intention.
“To the right!”
The closer they got, the stronger the light of the necklace became. It was a subtle difference because it was so small, but San desperately estimated the location. At first, Blando was running right behind them, but soon he started to fall behind. His voice could be heard from behind, but Jinhyeon completely ignored it. And not long after, they discovered a small mansion hidden by illusion magic.
“A mansion in such a deep forest.”
San said in surprise.
“Well, being that level of villain, he must have a lot of money.”
Moreover, it seemed there were quite a few people. Why did that Aksen guy have so many disciples? It was quite stressful as one of them popped up to interfere every time they moved.
‘I can sense presences inside.’
Three people. Two were weak and one was strong. In Jinhyeon’s opinion, the strong one was good enough to easily defeat Blando. Jinhyeon first put San down and waved his hand. San obediently hid behind a nearby tree with his mouth tightly shut. He was so small that when he crouched down, he was at least invisible to the eye. In that state, Jinhyeon immediately entered the mansion.
Yu Jin was slowly wrapping new bandages around Gee’s wounds. Greyardin didn’t refuse Yu Jin’s request to treat Gee one last time before leaving. In the process, Yu Jin realized that Gee had woken up.
‘If I noticed, Greyardin probably knows too.’
Even thinking this, he didn’t turn his gaze away. He just continued to tend to Gee’s wounds as he had been doing. When Yu Jin took Gee’s hand, Gee lightly tapped his palm. They hadn’t had a separate conversation, but somehow Yu Jin felt he understood the meaning.
“Is it not done yet?”
“It’s almost done.”
“That? It seems like you just started wrapping the arm bandage.”
“I’m just naturally slow.”
Greyardin narrowed his eyes but didn’t press Yu Jin further.
‘That’s fortunate.’
It seemed he shouldn’t leave this place right now. Of course, if they stayed like this indefinitely, Greyardin would start to get suspicious. So Yu Jin decided to strike up a conversation with him.
“Do you resent your parents?”
At this sudden question, Greyardin looked at Yu Jin. He flinched at the gaze that seemed to ask why he was suddenly asking such a thing, but the worst-case scenario he had imagined didn’t happen. He answered Yu Jin readily.
“Resentment. If I had to pick a target for resentment, it would be my father.”
After all, he had Greyardin from an elven mother’s body without being able to properly care for him.
“What about you? Don’t you resent them?”
“It would be a lie if I said I didn’t.”
A father who only loved his mother, and a mother who believed in such a father. If he had been born to different parents, wouldn’t he have been happier? He often imagined such things in his childhood. But no matter how much he imagined, reality never changed. Yu Jin had to be broken to survive, and it was difficult until he remembered his past life and met Jinhyeon.
“But I’ve forgotten it now.”
“You’ve forgotten that?”
Greyardin, who knew Yu Jin’s past, snorted as if he found it ridiculous.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
