“First of all, in the current situation, we cannot expect help from other countries.”
Yoon Taegyeom spoke firmly. The world’s attention had focused on the newly appeared gate. They said they would send people to check and inspect the gate, but among them there were few proper Awakeners. They didn’t want to sacrifice their own country’s Awakeners.
This is why even if they’re called allies, you can’t fully trust them. That’s why for now it was important for domestic Awakeners to join forces. Fortunately, Korea imposed an obligation to enter dungeons in exchange for giving Awakeners various benefits including tax reductions.
Even so, in this situation, complaints couldn’t help but arise. The people gathered here also continued speaking to somehow reduce losses and take profits.
Yoon Taegyeom was too busy dealing with them to notice Vermouth’s actions. Since finishing his greetings, he had been fixing his gaze on Choi Jaeheon. It wasn’t simply a gaze filled with curiosity. At the strange look that seemed to be evaluating him somehow, Choi Jaeheon also glared sharply at Vermouth.
‘Is it that person?’
The one and only family member Ian so desperately wanted to see. But from what Vermouth had learned, Choi Jaeheon and Choi Ian weren’t even registered on the same family register. Though Ian’s parents had brought in and raised Choi Jaeheon, who was their friend’s son, they hadn’t made him part of the family. He didn’t know the reason, but because of that, the two weren’t complete brothers.
Vermouth found that irritating.
Ever since Ian had told him about Choi Jaeheon.
“No, you crazy bastard. I said he’s my hyung! Even if we’re not blood-related, we’re family. This lunatic, your eyes have gone crazy again!”
Each time, Ian would deny they were that kind of relationship at all and smack Vermouth’s forearm.
“Do you sleep with your hyung? Do you?”
What was Vermouth’s reaction when he heard those words? He looked down at Ian with an expression that said he wanted to vomit.
“What insane thing are you saying?”
“It’s the same for me, you lunatic!”
Ian said that and this time struck Vermouth repeatedly.
“Please stop.”
“No, I’m going to hit you more?”
“Then please use this.”
Saying that, Vermouth handed Ian a short whip.
“What’s this now?”
“Doesn’t it hurt when you hit with your hands? I made the handle with a young lamb’s hide, so no matter how much you strike, it’ll be fine.”
“Ha, really, why the hell are you so twisted?”
Ian sighed and threw the whip far away. It was an expensive whip he’d asked a dwarf craftsman to make, but Vermouth didn’t particularly feel attached to it.
“If the whip is uncomfortable, shall I give you something else?”
“Forget it. It’s not like you’ll get hurt anyway. Now that I think about it, if you get hurt, I’m at a loss, right? Ah, there was one more thing I needed to question you about. You, why did you come back injured after fighting hobgoblins last time? On purpose, right? That’s it, isn’t it? Does it make sense that you got injured by something you could press to death with a finger?”
Ian’s anger flared up again. To such an Ian, Vermouth presented the second item he’d prepared.
“In case you disliked the whip, I prepared another tool.”
This time it was a thin, sharp dagger. The tip was coated with poison that could kill even a dragon, so even Vermouth would inevitably suffer damage if stabbed. Ian threw it on the floor and kicked it away.
“Really doing all sorts of things. Really!”
Ian cursed, but even that appearance looked cute in Vermouth’s eyes. Vermouth wondered if he should give the third thing he’d prepared, then held back. If he went further from here, Ian might try not to see him for several days.
Ian had a unique talent, which was naturally hiding anywhere. If he made up his mind to hide, even Vermouth wouldn’t find it easy to locate him.
“Don’t get hurt.”
“Yes, if that’s what you wish.”
Vermouth answered obediently while thinking. Next time, should I try tearing off one arm? Then the time in contact with Ian would increase. He quite liked the kiss they’d done last time, so ideally he wanted to try going further. Though it was a thought Ian would shudder at if he knew.
Around that point, Vermouth stopped his reminiscence of the past.
Meanwhile, Yoon Taegyeom had gotten the Guild Masters to agree to cooperate and received their signatures on the documents.
“I also ask this of Stigma’s Guild Master.”
At those words, Choi Jaeheon also looked over the documents and signed.
“Vermouth will also be participating this time.”
Of course he would. They’d promote it extensively on broadcast. And if Choi Jaeheon got injured there, perhaps Ian might come. He was such precious family, after all. Would he really just sit still and watch?
Vermouth smiled the smile that people of Lancia had sent praise to, calling it beautiful.
The investigation results showed that the dungeon that suddenly appeared in the sky was not an invasion type. It was an emission-type dungeon, extremely rare even among dungeons. It meant that when the time came, monsters would come pouring out from inside in droves.
Because of that, an evacuation order was issued for Seoul. Since they didn’t know what monsters would appear, they intended to move people in the vicinity to other places. And within that range was Choi Jaeheon’s house as well.
“You want me to evacuate?”
Because Choi Jaeheon was so busy, his guild member came to find Ian.
“Yes, I’ll accompany you to the evacuation site.”
Yoo Nabi said that and smiled kindly. The people of Stigma Guild all had desperate wishes. And they sincerely congratulated comrades who achieved them. So the family Choi Jaeheon had recovered was precious to Yoo Nabi as well.
“First we need to get out to the outskirts of Seoul.”
Not knowing in detail what kind of ability Ian had, and Choi Jaeheon wanted him to be safe. So having a protector accompany him was a natural course. But even knowing these circumstances, Ian didn’t want to leave here.
“Can’t I just stay here?”
“The dungeon is predicted to be S-rank or higher. Plus it’s a type we’ve never seen before, so we don’t know what monsters will appear. If Ian-nim stays in a safe place, the Guild Master will be able to fight comfortably too.”
“But!”
What if hyung gets hurt during that? When he first returned to Earth, he’d seen demons in the dungeon they’d fallen into. And emission-type dungeons like that mostly had the demonic hands of demons reaching through them. They enjoyed turning the world outside the dungeon into a mess.
He knew Choi Jaeheon had become an S-rank Awakener, but Ian still hadn’t properly seen his hyung’s abilities.
‘Still, Vermouth is there.’
No, no. Because that bastard is there, it’s even more worrying.
‘He’s the kind of guy who’d do anything to meet me!’
Even if it meant destroying himself, he wouldn’t hesitate. But if the target wasn’t himself, he could become even more cruel. It meant the family he’d struggled to meet because of Vermouth could get hurt or die.
‘Why did the goddess make someone like that a Holy Knight?’
In fact, his faith in the goddess didn’t seem that deep either. It seemed she’d just chosen the human with the most outstanding talent and made him a Holy Knight because it was urgent at the time. If he’d really been devout, he shouldn’t have followed all the way to this world without the goddess!
Ian bit his lip.
“Could I meet hyung even for a moment?”
“Hmm.”
Yoo Nabi rolled her eyes around.
“Let’s try telling him over the phone.”
Since they had phones, calling was certainly possible. But he knew words wouldn’t be enough to persuade. Hyung was the stubborn type too. He wouldn’t want to put the younger brother he’d barely reunited with in even a little danger.
“Just for a moment. A moment is fine.”
“Then I’ll report it first.”
“Please do.”
Well, if it really doesn’t work, there’s another method. Sorry to hyung, but he could shake off the people he’d attached and hide somewhere else for a while. Then when the gate bursts, he’d run right over there. If he went to the scene, he’d surely meet Vermouth, but whatever. Until now he’d been passive, trying to avoid him somehow, but since it came to this, he decided to go out boldly.
He wouldn’t be dragged around by Vermouth anymore. If he’d known it would come to this, he should have kept the tools he’d been given before. He never expected this situation to come back then!
Ian felt belated regret and waited for his hyung, Choi Jaeheon.
***
The first thing Choi Jaeheon saw when he returned home at Yoo Nabi’s contact was Ian sitting on the living room sofa with his legs crossed.
“Ian.”
When he called his name with a low sigh, Ian raised his head.
“Hyung.”
“Just listen to hyung this once. Evacuate for just a while.”
“What if you get hurt or die during that?”
“I won’t get hurt. I won’t die either. Why would hyung die and leave our Ian behind?”
“I don’t want to say such ominous things either. But you know the situation won’t flow so easily.”
Ian got up from his seat and approached Choi Jaeheon.
Vermouth is one of the craziest fatherfuckers I’ve ever seen and I’ve been reading about literal psychopaths