Chapter 72
“Your name is Hanyeong? Are you all better now?”
Nod, nod. Hanyeong communicated by moving his head like a bobblehead doll. Then he wrote on the tablet he had been given.
[I’m fine except that my voice doesn’t come out.]
“Wow, the kid writes so neatly. Looks like you’ve got good strength in your fingers too.”
Joo Hyeonwoo looked at the tablet with admiration.
[Geumseum taught me.]
Pride spread across Hanyeong’s round cheeks. Neat handwriting was a talent that had no use in “the Bottom” and had never been something to boast about.
The guild’s new residence was in District 1, near Woo Nayeong’s home. It was also close to the Huiseon Guild building. Thanks to that, they were able to quickly meet Lee Haesu, who had been at Huiseon.
Eunseong, Mujin, Hanyeong, and Lee Haesu had all just moved into the new place.
As if they had grown attached to Hanyeong in such a short time, Woo Nayeong and Ryu Sehyeon had come along as well. Guild members who had been scattered about also began to gather one by one, and soon the building was bustling with activity.
“It’s rewarding to see Hanyeong awake like this. Eu… Geumseum-ssi must be relieved too. Congratulations.”
Lee Haesu, who kept making mistakes with names, bit his lip and rolled his eyes. Fortunately, Ryu Sehyeon seemed preoccupied with chatting with Joo Hyeonwoo and Hanyeong.
“Since you’re already here, take a look at Geumseum. He’s still running a fever.”
Mujin said, nudging Lee Haesu. While everyone was showing great interest in the awakened Hanyeong, only Mujin remained indifferent throughout. Yet he had been the quickest to bring him here…
Eunseong wanted to point out that Lee Haesu’s ability had no particular effect on his symptoms, but he didn’t bring it up. First, because Mujin’s expression wasn’t good, and second, because he didn’t want to hurt Lee Haesu’s feelings.
“Right, well, there’s nothing more I need to do for Hanyeong now. Geumseum-ssi, shall we go somewhere quieter? Is there a place here that could be used as a treatment room?”
“Not yet.”
Lee Haesu reached out casually and began infusing energy into Eunseong. Eunseong gently pushed his hand away and shook his head.
“Since all the moving boxes seem to have arrived, let’s all eat first. We can do this afterward. We need to unpack anyway. Oh, and…”
Eunseong rolled his eyes, silently asking if Hanyeong could eat too. Ryu Sehyeon, who was nearby, understood and gave a thumbs up. Though he had seemed overly calculating when first taking on the job, he had shown a highly responsible attitude in caring for Hanyeong. Eunseong gave a slight bow to express his gratitude.
“Then, since we’ve moved, shall we order jajangmyeon?”
As soon as Joo Hyeonwoo shouted this, Ha Yera began counting heads. There was no delicacy in asking each person for their menu preference. She immediately found a nearby restaurant and ordered plenty of jajangmyeon mixed with other dishes according to the number of people. Someone who yelled to order alcohol got smacked on the back by Yeon Seokchun.
Amid the hubbub, Hanyeong tugged on Joo Hyeonwoo’s arm, who was standing closest to him. After writing something on the tablet to ask, Joo Hyeonwoo nodded repeatedly. Hanyeong’s expression brightened immediately. He had undoubtedly asked if he could eat too.
Having survived in the Bottom, Hanyeong had excellent adaptability. He quickly exchanged greetings with people and even had the composure to take care of his own meal. Part of it was because he had let down his guard early with Eunseong nearby, but it was also possible because of his outstanding ability to read the atmosphere.
Yet in the midst of the pleasant atmosphere, Eunseong somehow felt like he might collapse. He exhaled softly and pressed down on his chest. It felt as if all the tension in his body had suddenly been released at once.
“…”
Feeling something hard against his back, he turned his head slightly to find Mujin.
When had he noticed?
Checking his forehead had become a habit over the past few days, and Mujin covered Eunseong’s face with his large hand. Having removed his safety glasses at Woo Nayeong’s house, the warm sensation spread over his stinging eyes. Eunseong shivered from the goosebumps rising from his neck and leaned against Mujin.
***
Their new residence was more modest than the building in District 3. The short, stout five-story building had only one elevator. The treatment facilities were inadequate, and there was no employee cafeteria either. Although all the guild members had experienced Yuseong’s golden age and might have complained, fortunately, the atmosphere was generally good.
For Hanyeong, who was being shown around the building by Eunseong, it was like a whole new world.
Having lived in the Bottom since birth, Hanyeong had learned about residential districts through waste disposal sites. When secretly collecting discarded items, he would often find pictures—sometimes abandoned albums, books, or even discarded advertising flyers. He had also imagined from the exaggerated stories told by groups of exiled hunters.
‘Residential district? It’s not much different from here. All places where people live are pretty much the same.’
Only Geumseum had said that, but now that he was here, Hanyeong realized Geumseum had been a liar.
[I thought the Boss was lying when he said he lived in a 100-story building…]
Seeing Hanyeong writing on the tablet, Eunseong smiled silently.
“Are you disappointed that this is only 5 stories?”
[No? No, no!]
Not content with just writing his answer, Hanyeong shook his head vigorously from side to side.
Whenever he saw something new and interesting, Hanyeong would get excited like a child and pour out questions. Eunseong held his hand tightly as they zipped around every corner of the five-story building, with Mujin accompanying them.
In truth, Eunseong was also quite curious about the new building. It was Yeon Seokchun and Mujin who had gone looking for this place. The criterion they had used was security. Mujin wanted not just to rely on mechanical installations for security but to have Joo Hyeonwoo’s technology put an undetectable shield around the entire building. As a result, this was the largest size they could manage for now.
The building, covered with Joo Hyeonwoo’s items, was essentially a high-end, cutting-edge structure with rift energy draped around it like a curtain, making it extremely expensive. It was said that those not invited couldn’t even detect the building’s existence.
Being compact, the building itself was quite pretty. The first-floor lobby was decorated with soft lighting, wooden benches, and foliage plants. If not for the security gate, one might believe it was a large café rather than a guild building. Mujin pointed to the empty sign with his finger and nudged Eunseong’s side—a silent pressure asking when he would name it.
Instead of taking the elevator, they climbed the central spiral staircase to find the communal dormitory space spanning two floors. Identical doors lined both sides of the corridor densely. Room assignments seemed to have been completed already, as nameplates were attached to each door.
It wasn’t until the fourth floor that the scene began to resemble a guild building, but it was still chaos itself. Though the space’s outline was defined by the placed desks and equipment, it was as disorganized as a storage warehouse. The items related to artifact creation, in particular, were piled up to an overwhelming degree.
[I’m good at organizing!]
Hanyeong suddenly thrust the tablet with his writing in front of Eunseong’s face. Looking down, Eunseong saw his eyes sparkling. It was the expression of someone who had found his role. He seemed to have taken to heart what Mujin had said about earning his keep. Eunseong narrowed his blue eyes.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
Mujin feigned innocence.
“I’m going to make sure Hanyeong gets an education.”
“Did… did the kid agree to that idea?”
He raised one eyebrow, looking amused. Hanyeong looked at Mujin and then back at Eunseong. Education? His eyes were full of curiosity and intelligence. If possible, Eunseong wanted to send Hanyeong all the way to university.
“We’ll start and let Hanyeong decide.”
“Good. Then send him to study abroad. I’ll cover all the costs.”
What a leap in thinking. Did he think Eunseong wouldn’t understand his intention to send the boy across the ocean? His ways of showing displeasure were varied. Eunseong gently shook his head, indicating they should drop the subject.
The fifth floor housed the guild leader’s office and the residences for Eunseong and Mujin. The entire floor had been soundproofed out of consideration for Mujin’s sensitive senses, making even the air feel heavy.
As Eunseong, still holding Hanyeong’s hand, tried to open the door to his residence, Mujin grabbed his arm.
“You’re going to sleep with me.”
“What…? Sleep with you? And how can I leave Hanyeong alone?”
Eunseong’s pupils darted back and forth, worried that Hanyeong might find this strange.
“At twelve years old, he needs his own room. Besides, Team Leader Yeon is in your place.”
“When did the Team Leader…”
When Eunseong asked, Mujin showed him his phone. So that’s what he had been busily messaging about while touring the building. Eunseong pressed his lips tightly together.
Having thoroughly blocked any escape route, Mujin smiled handsomely.
“You know. I’m too anxious otherwise.”
There was no comeback to his clincher, which seemed to blame Eunseong.
Baek Sangyeon was the original cause. Since the incident at the Rift Control Agency, Eunseong had found no way to escape Mujin’s embrace. Meanwhile, Sangyeon himself seemed to have fallen into a rift and not yet returned.
Eunseong had wanted to separate their sleeping arrangements now that Hanyeong was back, but he was blocked before he could even try. Perhaps the lingering low-grade fever was due to being embraced every night.
Eunseong met Mujin’s unwavering black eyes before lowering his gaze. It was just sleeping. The warming of his ears and quickening of his blood from mere skin contact was probably his alone.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
