Leeha believed that she had noticed his intentions to test her and deliberately overreacted, even showing him a needle.
“Does this answer your question?”
“Yes, well… I understand roughly.”
“Uhuhut, how cute. Now that the war is over, let’s stay in touch. I came just to say hello today, so hopefully, next time we can have tea in a nice place.”
Chiyou slightly bent her knees and greeted politely before returning to the Minis formation.
“Yeah, she’s certainly pretty, but her movements are no joke. As expected, a Ranker is really something.”
“That swift movement was indeed a surprising strike. They say the Japanese are like a chrysanthemum and a sword, and it truly fits…”
“Haihai, what did that woman say?”
Kijung and Tale only admired her, but Biyemi’s eyes turned sharp.
“Oh, not much. I thought of something and wanted to ask, but it seems it’s not her. She said she’s an assassin class.”
Leeha closely watched Chiyou’s departing figure. He didn’t trust her words 100%, but he also had no proof she was the mastermind of the plot.
‘She’s still a suspicious woman… but the chances of her being the ‘invisible enemy’ are slim. After all, it’s strange to reveal her face needlessly.’
If she were truly the one, she would have tried to hide her identity as much as possible. Then, who on earth was commanding the operations within Minis?
‘Aside from Commander Ewin, there must be someone else who is not only proficient in the information of Minis-associated users but also capable of communicating and commanding them…’
For a moment, the name Alexander crossed his mind but was soon dismissed. He knew from experience; Alexander wasn’t that type. He was more likely to wipe everything out by himself. Then could it be Petyr? Or perhaps an outsider who wasn’t even a Ranker?
While Leeha’s thoughts continued to spiral, Biyemi quietly commented.
“An assassin… A self-proclaimed assassin… Keek, interesting.”
While Lizardia’s eyes sparkled as she watched Chiyou, another woman’s voice came from behind them.
“What’s so interesting? Hmph, you guys are still the same, smirking at every pretty face, Leeha.”
With arms crossed, Ram Hwayeon looked at the Special Task Force and Leeha. Behind her was Lee Jiwon, waving his hand towards Leeha, with Kidd and Luger standing awkwardly.
* * *
“Who’s that?”
“What’s what?”
“The woman who was about to cling onto you just now, who is she?”
“Cling onto me? No way! Her name’s Chiyou, she’s an assassin from the enemy nation.”
“Le-really?”
The sharp glare from Ram Hwayeon softened. Leeha couldn’t understand why he felt flustered by her questions.
More baffling was how Ram Hwayeon always appeared precisely when he was with women users, like a ghost.
“Hmph, fine then. We are heading to Fibiel, right?”
“Yeah, we should.”
“There’s time… Won’t you stop by Castle Dale for a moment?”
“Why?”
“Just… because you helped heal me before. Let’s go together…”
Ram Hwayeon slightly lowered her head.
“Heal? Oh, you mean when you were injured? I didn’t heal you; the healers around did. But why go together?”
What was she trying to say? To go hunting together? Leeha briefly pondered if there was a place near Castle Dale where he could level up. Ram Hwayeon, who was mumbling, suddenly shouted.
“I mean, to collect the settlement money! Hmph, make sure you contact me and drop by. Got it?”
“Oh?! Oh, oh, sure, sure, I will.”
Ram Hwayeon swiftly turned around and disappeared.
‘I’m crazy, I’m so crazy. Why did I do that?!’
When isolated and cut off from supplies on the Plains of March, the first person she thought of was Leeha. When she finally got in touch and chain teleported to him, she could feel her emotions.
‘It was because I had no HP, yeah, that must be it! Let’s get back to work quickly!’
Shaking her head, Ram Hwayeon forced herself to calculate the losses from the supply line destruction and the sudden end of the war, then disappeared to Castle Dale through a crystal ball.
“Phew, she seems scarier than I thought, Leeha-hyung.”
“Ah, Lee Jiwon… But why do you keep calling me hyung—”
“Because you’re my hyung, that’s why. I just came to say hello. Next time we have a chance to take down Alexander, I’ll call you. You have to come, agreed? Oh, Bo-gam~”
“What? What are you talking about? And fighting Alexander?”
Lee Jiwon’s communication skills were still lacking. It was unclear whether he completely understood what Leeha said.
Moreover, despite clearly hearing the words of the Gold Dragon, what was that strange remark? As Lee Jiwon looked at Leeha’s baffled expression, he smiled—a smile as pure as a young boy’s.
“Whether you care or not, it’s none of my business. Placing a blessing on me? That’s insane. Everyone knows a crazy dragon is best sliced and diced, right? Anyway, I’m leaving!”
With a wave, Lee Jiwon turned and ran off. Kidd, who had been awkwardly standing with Lugher, quickly followed suit. The purpose of his approach was clear just from the state of the item he held, the ‘Cobalt Blue Python.’
“Stop, Lee Jiwon!”
“Aaargh, get lost! You crazy old geezer!”
Swoosh―!
Lee Jiwon’s body vanished in an instant. The Musketeer couldn’t follow the Magic Swordsman who had disappeared using teleportation.
“…Old geezer?”
“Ahem, hmph.”
“Huh?”
Leeha, Kidd, the Expert Taskforce members, and all other nearby users tried to ignore Lugher’s murmur. Kidd subtly approached Leeha.
“It’s best if we leave quickly before more people notice.”
“Why? Because Lugher wants to fight?”
“If you know, then don’t ask. I’m leaving now. Naturally, the Three Musketeers’ teleport skills are―”
“Okay, obviously we need to deactivate them. Let’s disappear while everyone’s still panicking. See you next time, Kidd.”
As Kidd listened to Leeha’s words, he nodded. Soon, with a whoosh―! he vanished as well.
Before Lugher, who was still muttering “What does old geezer mean?”, could regain his senses, Leeha needed to hide himself.
“Kijung, let’s go!”
“Yes, hyung. Expert Taskforce! Everyone, return! Great job, everyone, let’s have a party next time!”
Yes, Guild Master! Thank you, Ha Leeha!
“Oh, what thanks― Oh no, Lugher has regained his senses, run!”
Lugher’s head snapped up at the loud voices of the guild members. Leeha hastily took out a teleport scroll.
“Stop, [Accuracy]! I need to ask you about your―”
“Aaah! Why are you pointing your weapon while saying that?”
Lugher’s demeanor clearly indicated that it was not a mere question but a threat to kill if unanswered. Riiip― Leeha tore the scroll.
Even in that last moment, he saw Lugher rushing towards him with a frown, but the image quickly disappeared.
Leeha found himself in the capital of Fibiel, Aelstock, in an instant.
“Whew… it’s really over.”
He had traveled from near Minis’ capital to Fibiel’s capital in one go. With the mana interference gone and all the whisper and teleport restrictions lifted, he finally realized the war had ended.
Leeha felt the strength drain from his body. Perhaps it was because he had absorbed so much information at once and thought about it excessively. However, now was not the time to be overwhelmed by such information.
“When it’s time to rest, you must rest properly!”
After taking a brief glance around the bustling and lively streets of Aelstock, Leeha prepared to log out. Throughout the war, he had barely had any proper sleep, so how much fatigue had he accumulated?
“I need to sleep for at least 24 hours straight.”
The national war between Fibiel and Minis-Kraven, which had seen much controversy and commotion, would be recorded in the history of Middle Earth.
At the center of those records, Ha Leeha’s name was prominently etched. The increasing fame carried by rumors far surpassed Leeha’s previous endeavors.
Finally, Leeha had made a name for himself among the Outsiders.
However, the tasks that would make Leeha’s fame skyrocket were still far from over. The rewards based on contributions hadn’t even started yet.
“Okay, okay!”
Leeha happily logged out.
* * *
“Son, son! How long are you going to sleep? At least eat something!”
“Uuuugh… What time is it?”
“Eight in the evening!”
“Only 12 hours have passed… I’ll sleep a bit more.”
Leeha sluggishly pulled up the blanket. Falling asleep just as the morning sun rose, he now found himself awake at barely 8 PM? However, his mother was utterly astonished.
“You! You! You’ve been asleep since 8 AM yesterday!”
“…What?”
“Ugh, I should have known! Once you get absorbed in something, you completely lose track! Who sleeps for 36 hours straight? Get up, quickly! Quickly!”
Leeha’s mother spanked his behind. Although it had no impact due to lower body paralysis, Leeha was momentarily stunned by her words.
“Yesterday morning? I’ve been asleep for nearly two days?”
“Yes! Do you remember calling me to use the restroom now and then?”
“…Did I?”
He had no recollection at all.
Was this what true unconsciousness felt like? He felt as if he had been dreaming. Despite his body still feeling heavy with accumulated fatigue, he realized he had slept for over 36 hours.
‘I must have really overdone it with the battles.’
Since the victorious report on Plains of March, he had thought his sleep patterns had stabilized in line with the war’s flow, but apparently, that wasn’t the case.
Leeha slowly got up.
Confirming the passage of 36 hours, he noticed three missed calls and over twenty messages from Kijung, chuckling wryly as he saw them.
[Hyung, how long are you going to sleep?! We’ve got an announcement!! Wake up, now!!!!!!]
‘Good grief.’
Leeha checked Kijung’s messages but decided not to rush. More important was not to disappoint his mother, who looked at him with concerned eyes.
‘I’ll see the reward announcement sooner or later anyway.’
While he slept, nearly two weeks would have passed in Middle Earth. In reality, concluding the post-war procedures would take quite some time, but the AI processed everything much faster than humans could.
“Come eat! And no capsules until you’ve eaten and washed up for the night.”
“Oh, don’t worry, mother.”
As Leeha settled at the dining table with the most filial expression ever, his mother, relieved, picked up her spoon. Leeha knew well how much his mother struggled with her low-paying job. As he ate, another thought crossed his mind.
“Ah, mom, about that restaurant you’re working at now.”
“Huh? Restaurant?”
“Yeah. How much would it cost to start something like that, about that size, around 50 pyeong (165 square meters)?”
“About that much…? Why are you talking about opening a restaurant all of a sudden?”
Feigning nonchalance, Leeha took a bite of radish kimchi.
“Just thinking… if we set up something like that, wouldn’t it make things easier for you? You wouldn’t even stay at home if you were told to rest anyway. You could watch the counter and help in the kitchen when bored—”
“Oh, stop it. Just the thought is already enough. Restaurants are for those who know the business. Handling money unwisely can bring big trouble. Focus on getting your legs better. I’m saving up diligently too.”
Of course. Leeha nodded knowingly at his mother’s answer. He expected any conversation revolving around money to circle back to concerns over his legs for the time being.
However, Leeha wasn’t just going to back down.
“That’s why I think opening a restaurant would help. Mom, you have such great cooking skills! Attract more customers, earn money, and I’ll earn my share too! That way, we can fix my legs even faster! It just seems like the quicker path.”
He wondered how she would react to that. Leeha’s mother’s eyes widened momentarily before she quickly sipped her soup.
“If it’s truly possible… that’d be great, but…”
Quick calculations ran through her mind. Most importantly, she found the idea of developing her own ambitions and hopes appealing. It also resolved the issue of unreliable and irregular income from her son’s earnings inside the capsule.
It was better for her to engage in business herself than blindly waiting for his income. Leeha knew his mother would reach that conclusion.
“Regardless, I’ll handle the money part, maybe I can manage something. Do you know any reliable local real estate agents?”
“There’s a small auction company above our restaurant. One of its frequent diners, the representative, seemed quite capable. Should I ask him? He said to reach out if looking for affordable properties.”
“Is he trustworthy?”
“His name is Lee Subaek, seems fine. He hands out business cards calling himself the ‘Auction King.’ I have his card somewhere—”
“No need to look for it now. But anyone calling themselves a king is usually dubious… especially an Auction King Lee Subaek. Anyway, I’ll leave this to you. Let me know when something comes up, and I’ll visit with you. How’s that?”
“Okay, sure. But don’t overdo it. We are just gathering information for now.”
Hearing his mother’s raised and faster tone, Leeha smiled.
‘Shopping itself is the most thrilling when you’re choosing, ordering, and waiting for delivery.’
It had been a while since he saw his mother so excited. His suggestion, although initially for her, ended up empowering him too.
It was clear that setting up a restaurant would be far more feasible than the minimum 2 billion or possibly 3 billion needed for his treatment. Concrete and realistic goals cultivate greater will and desire.
After enjoying a meal with his mother, Leeha sent a message to Kijung.
TL’s Corner:
Author self-insert 😀