Chapter 56: 55 – A Bad Habit

The first thing I did when I got back to Haramark was to tell everyone that I was heading back to Earth to check in with my family for a day. Since I was making a habit of it recently, no one really minded.

Well, except Flone. But she seemed to have other things in mind too since she grabbed the necklace back from me and started flipping through old tomes.

So, with that settled, I stepped through the now familiar void and returned to Earth.

xxx

Bright sunlight. Familiar scenery. Once again, I was standing in my apartment, specifically in my room. And once again, there was a backlog of messages on my phone.

I responded to them in order, reassuring my parents that I was fine, telling Jinhee that I was still alive and reminding her to eat properly, congratulating Seonhwa on her coffee shop doing well and declining yet another offer to help her out.

But there was another message this time too, from a person I didn't expect. Yun Seora.

[Let's go eat again sometime, Oppa! I had a lot of fun last time... And it's not fair that you only hang out with Miss Hannah and Jinhee! Let me know when you're free!]

"That girl... Does she really have that much free time?"

I would have thought she was too busy between training and handling Sinyoung affairs... but I guess I was that important to her.

I texted her back, asking if dinner was fine, and then I made a call to my beloved partner.

The phone rang a few times, and then it connected and a slightly irritated voice echoed. "Hello?"

I blinked. "Did I catch you at a bad time, Hannah?"

Silence, and then the sound of rustling clothes and clattering cans. After that, she said, "Sorry, Jihu. I had a... long night."

I changed into a suit and slacks and said, "Is there a problem?"

"Nothing concerning you. Just personal business... damned nosy sister."

Ah.

I tactfully decided to change the subject and said, "Anyway, I wanted to follow up on that thing we talked about last time."

"Hm? You finished it already?"

"It was unexpectedly dangerous, but yes. Can you deal with the fall out?"

"Mm... It should take a few days for the information to spread and the pieces to move, but it shouldn't be too hard. But are you sure you want to save that scumbag?"

"Scumbag?"

"Yes. Phi Sora is infamous for stirring up all sorts of trouble, you know. It might be better to just let someone like that quietly exit the stage."

"...True. But you know how I am."

"Right. You're an even worse scumbag who goes around stealing the hearts of beautiful women."

"Huh?"

"Did I stutter?"

"...Anyway, do you want to grab some breakfast? My treat."

Hannah yawned. "Might as well. I need to let off some steam anyway... Should I drive, or are you going to pick me up like some handsome prince?"

"Well, since you insisted..." I grinned and picked up my keys.

"Wait. I was just kidd-"

"See you soon, Princess Hannah."

"Mother-"

I laughed and hung up the phone before walking out of my apartment, locking it shut.

Afterwards, I walked down to my car.

While it wasn't quite as impressive as Hannah's own Ferrari or the company car I borrowed last time, I'd upgraded to a Rolls Royce. I didn't know too much about cars, but considering the price tag, it was at least enough to not embarrass anyone.

Probably.

So, with that in mind, I hopped in and drove off towards Hannah's house...

Or that was the plan.

As I turned on the engine, I realized I didn't know where she was.

"...Well, I suppose it's fine to use it here, right?"

I muttered to myself and then used Transcendent Insight.

[Kim Hannah's location]

Seeing the familiar status window and punching in the address into my GPS, I drove off.

xxx

Elsewhere, in a familiar family home.

A cute and comfortably dressed female teenager walked into her room. Out of habit, she opened her laptop and then clicked on the recordings she had saved from a certain hidden mic she left clipped on her brother's suit the last time they went out.

Jinhee yawned, having just finished getting ready for the morning and put on her headphones. The moment she did...

[...Anyway, I wanted to follow up on that thing we talked about last time.]

...A familiar male voice played. Her Oppa's.

Jinhee's eyes widened and she quickly focused, straining to hear all she could.

Because the mic was low quality and it only turned on with loud enough sounds, it was hard to hear everything. In all honesty, she was surprised that it wasn't dead yet.

But that wasn't important. Jinhee closed her eyes and listened, double checking her older brother's words.

[It was unexpectedly dangerous, but yes. Can you deal with the fall out?]

She froze.

Unexpectedly dangerous? Fall out?

"Oppa, you liar." Jinhee muttered.

Still, maybe he was talking about something else?

Jinhee reserved judgment and kept listening.

[Scumbag? ...True. But you know how I am.]

[Huh?]

[...Anyway, do you want to grab some breakfast? My treat.]

It was frustrating only hearing half of the conversation. Not only that, but it was only a short snippet since the recording cut off after Jihu asked to grab breakfast, the device's battery finally draining.

Still, from the serious tone of voice and the content...

She grabbed her phone, debating whether or not to confront him about it. And then she saw the new message from him.

[Just got back for a bit. I'm still alive, doing well. Make sure to eat properly! I'll send some money to your account, so don't act like you don't have enough to spend on healthy food! -Love, Oppa]

Jinhee froze, suddenly conflicted. "Oppa..." She clutched the phone close to her chest, frowning.

She didn't know the kind of work he was doing. But she was sure of it now. Despite Miss Seora's reassurances... despite that Hannah's calls... From their talk last time and from how Oppa carried himself...

Jinhee remembered it. Meeting a few of her friend's big brothers in the past.

While it was true that Jihu went to training earlier than usual and finished his duties, the way he moved reminded Jinhee of a few of her friend's older brothers who had gone overseas to fight.

Some were shell-shocked and timid, but others radiated a calm confidence, like they could take on everything. At the same time, they were sharp, always aware of their surroundings.

"Oppa was the same..." Jinhee muttered.

She wanted him to stop. Even if he felt guilty for what he did in the past, he didn't need to do this much.

But... At the same time...

He was working that hard. Putting his life on the line, he quietly hid it and just sent out casual messages and reminders to live well.

The only sign that something was off were his greetings. No, that and the fact that he brought a mysterious woman to his room the other day, but Jinhee had ignored that recording since it would have been awkward to hear her Oppa doing... 'that'.

Jinhee reread the message and muttered, "Still alive, Oppa? Then... is there going to be a time where you aren't?"

She was worried, but she didn't know what to do.

In the end, after an agonizing decision, Jinhee decided to wait.

For now, things were fine. Like he said before, her Oppa wouldn't leave her behind so easily.

So she decided to believe for now. To pretend to accept his lie.

For now.

xxx

A high-end French Café. The usual.

There, I sat in a booth across from my dear partner, Kim Hannah.

She glared at me, her mouth pursed and her arms crossed.

"What?"

"Don't 'what' me. You know exactly what you did."

I shrugged. "If we're business partners, it's natural for us to pick each other up in turns, right?"

"Yes! At the *office*! Showing up at my house when my younger sister is visiting...!"

"Ah. So that's why there was another car..."

"Hmph."

The waiter came by and placed down our orders before quickly leaving. Probably because he could sense the tense atmosphere.

Hannah ordered a towering pile of pancakes and crepes, along with a tall black coffee.

I ordered crepes as well, but instead of pancakes, I had an omelet.

Hannah took her knife and stabbed into the pancakes, carving up a giant chunk and shoving it in her mouth. Only after repeating that a few more times did her anger lessen.

In the meanwhile, I ate a bit of my food as well. It wasn't... bad. But it wasn't too good either. I could have made better food on my own... Well, no point regretting it now.

"So, what brings you back here? You can't seriously have come back only to talk about that," Hannah said.

"Sharp as always." I nodded and said, "In truth, I wanted to check up on you. And it's better to do it here than in the other place where it could be overheard."

"And you think we won't be here?"

I stared at her.

She frowned and then blinked. "Ah. Right." Hannah shook her head and said, "I keep forgetting that you're even more of a cheat here."

I smiled and then smoothed my expression. "Seriously though, have you been well?"

"Mm..." Hannah adjusted the ring I gave her last time, the titanium and black diamond glittering in the light. "This has helped a lot. I noticed that there've been more than a few tails following me around recently. Nothing dangerous yet... but it looks like it might get that way soon."

"Are you sure I don't-"

"Like I said, it's fine. Though you kidnapped me like this today, I'm not some princess waiting around to be rescued, you know?"

"I know. I'm just worried. Unlike me, you've got a puny and squishy human body."

"Pft. Well excuse me for just being Lois Lane when you're Superman."

I blinked. "Lois Lane?"

Hannah flushed, coughing. "A-Anyway... I'm doing fine. Business is doing well too. Better than expected, actually." She paused. "In fact... that might be why it's been so busy around me. Sinyoung might think that I'm planning to jump ship soon."

"Well, they aren't wrong..."

Hannah shrugged and took a swig from her coffee. "Anyway, how's your family? They've been calling me less frequently, but your sister keeps calling occasionally. Did you remember to check up on them?"

"I texted them just before coming to get you."

"Mm." Hannah nodded. "That's good. But don't forget to call once in a while too."

"I know."

"Good. Now... about that favor you asked..."

xxx

"Thanks for inviting me for dinner, Oppa!" Yun Seora smiled and sat in the chair across from me, escorted by two men in suits.

One was the driver I met last time, but the other guy was new.

I waved my hand and said, "It's nothing special. I wanted to catch up a bit with you anyway."

Yun Seora smiled, her clear brown eyes bright with happiness.

I'd reserved a barbecue restaurant for the evening, partially because it'd be an uphill battle competing with the heiress to a mega corporation like Sinyoung, but mostly because I wanted to take the food into my own hands after the disappointment this morning.

We were seated at a private booth in the back of the restaurant, with a table and a steel iron grill in front of us. Various ingredients were laid out on the side, ranging from chicken, pork, beef, to various vegetables and seasonings.

However, maybe since she thought it was too impersonal or because she missed me, Seora refused to sit across from me and had slipped into the same booth as me on my right.

When she did, the driver from last time nodded and walked out, followed by the other man.

And then it was just the two of us.

Seora glanced at the uncooked food and said, "I'm surprised though. When you invited me for dinner, I definitely wasn't expecting this..."

I shrugged. "I figured you'd feel more comfortable with knowing how the food was prepared instead of having to watch your back all the time."

Seora's eyes widened and then she smiled, clearly touched. "Thank you, Oppa. But... Are you sure? I mean, I can cook too." She reached out to pick up the tongs, but I grabbed her arm.

"O-Oppa?"

I shook my head and said, "I'm treating you, remember? Just sit back and relax."

Seora flushed but then nodded and leaned back.

When she did, I reached out and placed some beef on the grill, followed by some onions and mushrooms. Glazing it with sauce, sprinkling some salt and pepper, just the perfect amount, I let it sit and then turned back to Seora and poured her some tea.

"How have you been? Sleeping well?"

Seora took the tea from me and smiled. "Yes!" She held out her silver necklace with an amethyst star and said, "This has helped me a lot... But..." She frowned and said, "This necklace is from that place, isn't it? I had it checked and what it does-"

"Don't worry about it." I flipped the meat and said, "As long as it keeps you safe and healthy, the price doesn't matter."

Seora flushed and quickly shook her head. "But Oppa... At this rate, how am I ever going to pay you back?"

"Mm..." I thought about it, recalling that vision I saw a while back. "Do you really want to pay me back?"

"Of course! Oppa... You've done so much for me. And... I haven't done anything in return..."

"Then..." I set down the tongs and looked at her. "How about a corporate takeover of Sinyoung?"

"P-Pardon?"

I stared at her and then said, "Your father and your sister. What do you think about them? An honest opinion, please."

Seora looked hesitant, but then nodded. "Father is... a cold and harsh man. He... I'm not sure if it's because of that place, but he cares only about profit. And Unni... I don't know." She shook her head. "I... don't think Unni is a bad person. In fact, I think she's a bit pitiful. Since she was born first and wasn't a son, Father placed all kinds of expectations on her to try and mold her into the perfect successor. Since I was second, I was more of an after thought. That was why I was so desperate in the Tutorial."

Ah. That made sense... and it explained a lot. Also confirmed a lot.

Staring at Seora, I said, "Then... do you hate them?"

"Hate?" Seora frowned. "Unni... No. I don't think I hate her. But Father..." She narrowed her eyes and clenched her hands. "Yes."

"Enough that you wouldn't mind if he died?"

Seora blinked, suddenly realizing my train of thought and then gasped. "Oppa. No, you can't."

"Can't what?" I scooped up some rice in a bowl and placed the prepared meat and vegetables.

"You can't! I know that you've been doing well, but if you go against Sinyoung... Even if I'm the second in line, I won't be able to protect you!"

I grabbed some food for myself and said, "You worry too much, Seora. I'm not as helpless as you think I am."

"But-"

"Do you want to know a secret?"

"Huh?" Seora blinked. "Um... Sure?"

I looked around to make sure no one was watching and used Transcendent Insight to be certain. Then, I pulled Seora close.

"O-Oppa?! Th-This... It's a bit too sudden! I'm not-"

"Shh..." I pulled her close to me and lowered my hand under the table.

Seora followed it with her eyes, blushing red.

But then-

"You see."

-Light scattered, followed by faint crystal dust. A slowly rotating ice shard, floating in the palm of my hand.

Seora's eyes widened.

"In that place, I'm a warrior. But here... I'm more of a magician, you know?" I smiled and then clenched my hand, shattering the ice shard and getting rid of its traces.

Seora leaned back, her eyes narrowed in thought and concentration. "That's..."

I pulled my hand back and said, "You can think about it later. For now, eat, alright?"

"...Alright." Seora nodded and took a bite from her food. The moment she did, she shuddered in pleasure. Then she turned at me, glaring. "Oppa."

"Yes?"

"...You're unfair."

I laughed.

xxx

After finishing up dinner with Seora, the second Sinyoung heiress said that she'd think about it. When she decided, she would send someone trustworthy to tell me.

I agreed, and then, after seeing her off, I headed back home.

Shutting the door to my apartment behind me, I locked it up and headed back to my room. Once I made sure things were in order and that my phone was charging, I sent a few messages to warn that I'd be out of contact for a few weeks on a confidential business trip and then headed back to Paradise.

xxx

When I arrived back at the office, it was in the dead of the night.

Even so, when I walked inside, there was someone sitting on the couch, reading a bundle of parchments.

Jang Maldong looked up, mildly surprised and said, "Back already?"

I closed the door behind me and said, "It was just a check up to make everyone know I hadn't vanished off the face of the Earth. Why? Were you expecting me to be gone long, Coach?"

"No." The elderly man shook his head and said, "It's just curious timing." He gently put down the papers he was holding. "I opened up the envelopes while you were gone."

"That's fine." I nodded and walked over to pick up the parchments, skimming through it.

Most of the information was random trivia, but the last paper was short and concise.

[The wind has begun to blow the other way.]

You are reading story The Second Coming of Gluttony, the First of Vainglory at novel35.com

With that as a heading, the article talked about Phi Sora returning alive and how an information broker that sold information about the expedition to two parties turned himself in. Not only that, but she dropped a bombshell about Bok Jungsik, the leader of White Rose. Specifically, about his actions regarding the information about the expedition...

The article ended with a note about how the Scheherazade Royal Family had thoroughly reviewed the claims and would summon Bok Jungsik.

Maldong shook his head when I finished reading and said, "Don't take the reports at face value. At best, they're the same as a newspaper article."

I nodded. "Of course."

"Good." With that, Maldong let out a sigh and stood up, leaning heavily on his cane. It seemed like he was weary, not just from fatigue, but mental fatigue as well. "I'm going off to bed. Don't stay up too late."

I watched him leave, but then spoke up. "Sora proved her innocence. She wasn't responsible for it."

Maldong glanced back at me. Like that, the corner of his mouth rose just a bit and he said, "Yes... you're right." Saying that, he pushed his fedora down to cover his eyes and then walked off. "You did well. Rest up."

"...I did well, huh?"

I shook my head.

Seems like I shouldn't underestimate the experience of elders, huh?

xxx

The next few days were fairly uneventful in terms of the White Rose situation.

When summoned, Bok Jungsik refused to answer. In fact, he had gone completely missing, leading the Scheherazade Royal Family to forcefully search White Rose's building. But he was gone, no doubt hiding out on Earth.

But that was obvious. Since the information broker came clean, there was no way out of taking the blame.

As a positive result, the guy's claims that it was all due to Phi Sora's decision lost all credibility.

While Sora wasn't completely absolved, at the least she wasn't charged with the worst case scenario.

But even so, she didn't run away by saying she was being used. Instead, she 'temporarily' rose to the position of White Rose's leader to settle the incident.

But that wasn't all.

Not long after that news came out, I got a personal request from that 'temporary leader.'

xxx

While entering Scheherazade, I was lost in thought.

Instead of rebuilding White Rose from the bottom-up, Phi Sora officially announced its dissolution. But she didn't stop at just saying that, she was actively running around doing everything she could to put it into action.

At first, I thought it might have been out of anger, but it wasn't to that extent. Instead, it was like someone trying to settle their debts and tie up loose ends before moving on.

And that bothered me.

While I was sure she wasn't going to off herself any time soon, I still felt concerned so I quickly made my way to the White Rose Guild building.

It was empty. The splendid building that had been lively and packed the last I arrived was now vacant except for one or two people gathering their things.

Seeing that, I traced my way back up to the conference room.

As expected, Sora was waiting there.

"You're here." She stood up from her chair and waved her hand as I arrived.

I smiled and said, "I couldn't keep you waiting, could I? You aren't dragging your feet, so I figured I'd at least keep up with you."

"Heh." Phi Sora shook her head and gestured to the chair opposite from her. "Have a seat."

I did.

Looking around the room, Phi Sora sighed and said, "I let everyone go. People who wanted to leave left, people with time left in their contracts were transferred elsewhere, and the hired-for-help had their contracts cancelled." She stared at the emblem hanging on the wall and said, "We have to leave this place by the end of the day as well."

I blinked, shocked.

Phi Sora shook her head and said, "We finished negotiating with PAX. The land belongs to the Royal Family, so we can't do anything about that. But the money from the transfers, our shared assets, and this building will all be handed over to them."

I frowned. "Do you really have to go that far?"

I didn't understand. Even if it was a big incident, with Phi Sora's personality, I thought she would at least go down swinging...

Sora sighed. "Technically, the incident isn't over yet." She gazed off in the distance for a bit and then looked at me. "In Paradise, coming to an agreement is incredibly important. More so than you might think. And..." She hesitated before saying, "It's true that I pushed for the expedition on my own."

"Even so-"

"No. I'm not making excuses." Sora steeled her gaze and said, "I didn't know this would happen, but what I did should get me charged with manslaughter... Well, I can technically be shameless like a certain old man was to get away with it, but I don't want to. Moreover, PAX reluctantly accepted this offer instead of digging their heels in to possess me." She shrugged and said, "Like this, we can at least end it cleanly."

I nodded.

Sometimes, it was better to end it that way. Instead of dragging it out to the bitter end, cut it off to start anew.

"...This is the end." Sora muttered. "After the negotiations, I'll be done too."

"I see. But..." I frowned and stared at her. "Do you have a place to stay afterwards?"

She didn't do anything wrong. All Sora did was try her best to support her friends and allies. In fact, if that had been a normal expedition, things would have ended well.

But because it wasn't- No, because she had been backstabbed, she lost everything.

That...

Sora smiled and said, "Why, are you offering?"

I paused, contemplating her question.

I wanted to say yes... but I wasn't confident in everything just yet. I still had a few more preparations to make before I could declare war against anyone in front of me. And while Hannah did a good job sorting things out, if Carpe Diem suddenly took Sora in after all of that...

Before I could give an answer, Sora laughed and said, "Thanks for worrying, but do you think it'll be that hard for someone like me to find a new home?" She shook her head and said, "I already know where I'm going- Ah, wait. Why am I telling you this..." She muttered, frowning.

It seemed like she was really lonely and stressed if she was rambling to someone like me.

"Anyway... Here." She dug in her pocket and flicked two pieces of paper at me.

I grabbed them, frowning.

Not long after, a pen rolled along the table towards me.

I picked it up and then scanned the paper. When I did, I frowned. "The Yi siblings' contract?"

"Right. Since that bastard ran away, I have the rights to those kids."

I looked up and said, "Then the transfer fee-"

"I don't need much." Sora quickly responded, as if worried I might decline. "You can probably tell by how empty this place is, but as long as you don't lowball me too much, I'll accept whatever offer you have."

In other words, she didn't mind as long as I gave her something.

Sora smacked her lips and said, "If I had more time and room for leisure, I could have sent them to you free of charge, but as you know I'm dirt poor right now. Anyways, Carpe Diem must have thought of a price, right? I'll accept it as long as it's not too out of line."

I stared at her.

"W-What?"

She said she would have given the Yi siblings over free if she could. At the same time, the only reason she was asking for money was because she needed it.

I frowned and said, "Do you need money for a new place?"

It was odd. If it was just her, she shouldn't need that much. And it seemed like she was really reluctant about not being able to just hand the two over.

Sora shut her eyes before tucking her hair away and muttered, "It's private. Do you really need to hear it?"

I nodded. "I have to know to decide the price."

Sora sighed. "Fine. It's nothing much, just..." She stared at me, seeing if I would let it go. When she saw that I didn't intend to, she continued. "We made a promise before. All 18 of us were from the same country, so if anyone died, we promised to take care of them on Earth."

I blinked. That was a surprise. Seeing her personality, I thought she didn't have that side to her.

...Then again, she had been working an honest job back on Earth, so maybe it wasn't that surprising. Still...

"But wouldn't they have money saved up?"

"That depends." Sora shook her head. "It's different on a case-by-case basis... After all, you need contribution points to bring anything to Earth."

Right. That was true... I kept forgetting about that since I could either just pull things out of thin air or bypass the protection with my own innate abilities.

Still... Out of curiosity, I decided to check Sora's status.

[Phi Sora’s Status Window]

Summoned Date: 2015. 03. 20

Marking Grade: Red

Sex/Age: Female/26

Height/Weight: 168.6cm/56.8kg

Current Condition: Healthy

Class: Lv 5. Royal Guard

Nationality: Korea (Area 1)

Affiliation: White And Rose

Alias: Scumbag, Big Unni, Action-taker

[2. Traits]

1. Temperament

—Whimsical (Temperament and attitude changes often)

—Sharp (Keen and acute)

—Responsible (Regards assignments and duties with importance)

2. Aptitude

—Brilliant (Gifted and talented in a way that stands out from the rest)

—Passionate (Shows intense feelings about things)

[3. Physical Level]

Strength: Intermediate (High)

Endurance: Intermediate (Intermediate)

Agility: Intermediate (Low)

Stamina: Intermediate (High)

Mana: Intermediate (Low)

Luck: Intermediate (Low)

Remaining Ability Points: 0

[4. Abilities]

1. Innate Abilities (0)

2. Class Abilities (8)

—Shield Application Technique (High)

—Hand-To-Hand Combat (Pinnacle)

—One With the Sword (High)

—Occaceo Sword Technique (High)

3. Other Abilities (0)

[5. Level of Cognition]

Scumbag (Words and actions are not particularly good) / Ashamed / Black and White (Divides all problems into two extremes)

Scumbag. Big Unni. They were two seemingly contradictory aliases, but that wasn't the case.

After all, I was the same.

Someone who didn't care about how others looked at them and only cared about those she held dear, willing to stoop to the level of a villain. At the same time, someone responsible...

I see. So this was why Maldong said we were similar... Both the way the world saw us, me as domineering and uncompromising and her as a scumbag, as well as our temperaments, black and white as well as my karmic rule... We matched.

They were very slightly different, but at the core we were the same. Not forgiving those who go against us, doing everything we could for those who helped us.

Sora seemed to interpret my silence the wrong way as she nibbled on her lower lip and said, "I'm grateful that you saved me. If I could, I would take care of the Yi siblings' matter for you, but I'm all out of money. I even sold all my equipment to shut PAX's mouth, so I'm penniless... Ah."

She dug around her desk and pulled out a familiar steel sword. The one I lent her.

"I managed to keep this though. It was a hassle trying to keep those guys off of it, but I managed to get them to back down when I said it was a borrowed sword from one of Grandpa's friends." She slid it on the table towards me.

I grabbed it, staring down at the blade.

Even though it was made in a rush, it was definitely high quality. It should fetch at least a gold coin or two. Yet she kept it. Not only that, but from the polished shine on it, Phi Sora took the time to clean it up too.

I glanced back at her and realized that she was only wearing casual clothes. Even the armor I saw her with last was missing, leaving only a slightly frazzled crimson shirt and pants.

Sora shook her head and said, "I didn't want to say this, but I received dozens of recruiters for Yi Seol-Ah as soon as I announced White Rose disbanding. Sinyoung even offered four gold coins, though they also asked for Sungjin on top."

In other words, she refused those offers and called me instead.

It also seemed like Yun Seora was keeping tabs on the Yi siblings for me too if Sinyoung was offering.

I stared back at Phi Sora.

Her gaze was lowered, as if she didn't want to ruin the negotiations... Or rather, to not give the impression that she was begging. Her pride didn't seem to allow it. Even so, when she spoke again, her voice quivered. "As I said before, I'm not asking for much."

Hearing those words and seeing that defeated look... And remembering the first time I met her, I decided.

"I'm hoping you could give me at least 100 to 200 silver coins-"

I rolled something across the table.

"Eh?" Sora subconsciously grabbed it before it could fall off the table. When she did, she yelped. "E-Eh?!"

A pure platinum bead. While it was only the size of a fingernail in diameter, it was still platinum.

"S-Silver? No, this is-"

"Platinum."

"W-Wait." Sora blinked and shook her head. "What are you-"

I tossed another on the table, watching it bounce.

Sora's eyes widened and she jumped in fright, quickly grabbing it. "A-Are you crazy?! You can't be serious! What the hell!?"

I shrugged. "If you don't want it, you can give it back."

"No-!" Sora shook her head. "I do! It's just..." She gingerly held the two platinum beads and said, "I only expected 200 silver coins at most..."

"Weren't you going to use them for someone else?"

"...I am."

I shook my head and said, "Then what the hell are 200 silver coins going to do? You have seventeen people to take care of. Not only that, but because of the penalty, the expenses increase dramatically." I stuck out my hand and started counting off. "Living expenses, medical expenses, psychological treatment... not to mention insurance and in the worse case handling unemployment. Even for one person, that's at least a billion won over the course of a lifetime."

Hearing that, Sora's calm expression broke.

"Honestly..." I sighed and said, "There's no harm in asking for a little more, you know? I'm not some heartless demon."

Sora's beautiful ruby eyes blinked, glimmering with tears. But she held them back and then said, "What... What's the reason?"

"Hm?"

Sora shook her head and said, "I know the situation you're in too. Won't Grandpa say something if you spend your money so willy-nilly?"

"Coach? Hmph, it's my money so he can complain all he wants but I don't have to listen."

Not that he would considering I had unlimited money.

"But..." Sora blinked. "What's the reason? Why are you doing all this? Haven't I treated you...? I mean..."

Staring at her confused expression, I shrugged. "I told you before, didn't I? The only reason we got out was because those guys fought back with all their might. I'm just returning the favor."

How much willpower must it have taken to persist after death as a spirit? To endure the pain, fear, and knowledge of oblivion just to save someone?

I could only imagine it. But even the fraction that I could guess was worthy of respect- No, admiration.

Sora furrowed her brows. "That again? Listen, Sohyun... That priestess is my neighbor. I was worried after hearing what you said, so I personally checked up on her. She was rolling on the floor clutching her head, so I brought her to the hospital. But she was fine, not like what you said. And the others were fine too when I checked up on them."

I shrugged. "Believe what you want. But I know what I saw, and I'm not the type to lie to make a stranger feel better. We were being chased by an indescribable 'thing' and over a dozen souls flew up to desperately block it."

Phi Sora looked shaken. "That's-"

"If they returned to Earth, then they clearly weren't bound to the villa. Like I said, they must have wanted to stay behind to make sure you were safe. In fact..." I frowned and said, "They must have really cared about you. To stick around despite everything in that terrible place..." I shook my head. "In any case, I'd be a bastard if I didn't respect that effort and the opportunity they made."

Saying that, I picked up the pen.

Phi Sora looked at me and quietly said, "I can really take these?"

"Geez." I sighed and said, "Do you really want me to take them back?"

Phi Sora flinched and unconsciously held the beads close to her chest.

"I thought so." With that, I turned my gaze back to the papers, reading the clauses and looking to see where to sign.

"But this much... Isn't it excessive?"

"Mm..." I checked a few boxes and said, "I guess I did do that priestess a favor by saving you... but considering that she saved Flone's life too and prevented me from having to go all out and get knocked out for a while, I'll consider this as having returned the favor."

Besides... I recently remembered that I kind of forgot to leave a tip last time despite ordering so much with Jinhee back at the Good Pork Belly Restaurant.

Sora blinked and absently said, "Returned the favor?"

I signed the contract and then looked up. "That's right. Return goodwill with goodwill, malice with malice... That's the way I decided to live. Ah, but I guess there's a caveat to that."

"A caveat?"

I nodded and stood up. "That's right. I'm a bit of a hypocrite, but it's fine if I give them a bit extra back when I can, right? Good or bad, if I can return it a few magnitudes higher, why not?" With a cheeky grin, I grabbed the contracts and waved. "No need to see me out. I'll grab the siblings by myself and get out of your hair."

Sora was quiet as I walked off, but I didn't mind it.

Black and white. Goodwill and malice... It was similar. We were similar.

As a result, I was certain of it. Like this, I would be on 'white' and she'd do her best to keep me out of how she returned alive.

Of course, I didn't realize it at the time.

The fact that my bad habit of excessive goodwill had unexpected consequences.

xxx

Phi Sora stared at the man who came in and left like a storm, quietly clutching the platinum beads against her chest. "Returning the favor..."

She couldn't understand him. If it was just that, then saving her would have been enough. But... "What an idiot."

There was the saying about returning a wrong sevenfold, but that guy went out of his way to repay goodwill in the same manner... No. Even after how she yelled at him and ignored his warning, he still showed up to save her. 

An upright and just man who couldn't ignore the wrongs playing out in front of him. Who reached his hand out to those left despairing in the dark like her...

Phi Sora quietly clenched her hands, determination in her eyes.

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