Chapter 879. Epilogue (2)
Everyone knew that Lindel was a popular city to Koreans, who had been summoned here. Dawan was just next to the Republic, and the city was pretty close to the capital, unlike Celia.
Of course, Lindel was closer to the capital than Dawan, which was the reason so many people traveled to and fro to Lindel. The city had also made great improvements over the years, but it only became popular when the Blue Guild rose to power.
The three major guilds of the Sacred Democratic Power grew in power, attracting merchants who wanted to receive commissions from the three guilds. As a result, the city became a popular destination for merchants with money to burn, which fattened up the city as a result.
The majority of the warp points all over the continent had Lindel as its destination, so it was only natural for the city to obtain so much gold. The huge temple that was built for the God of Sacrifice and Revival still existed, and Miss Dialugia’s dragon lair became known as one of the main tourist attractions of Lindel.
In some ways, redevelopment was a need, not a choice. It had already been nine months since the city welcomed the new city plan. Today, the city was the most beloved city by the denizens of the continent.
‘And...’
“That’s not all.”
The three guilds and Miss Dialugia’s nest weren’t the only things that the city was famous for.
‘Food.’
As people arrived in droves, the commercial district thrived. A large shopping center and multiple restaurants appeared amidst the city redevelopment plan.
From famous restaurants located all over the continent to hole in the wall restaurants, one could find just about anything in Lindel. Lindel's street food was high quality, too.
From what I[1] heard, the Guild Master of the Blue Guild worked hard to attract people to the commercial district, and there was even a rumor going around that the Sunset Swordsman was a big foodie.
Restaurants and shopping centers were neatly arranged in a row. I smiled unknowingly upon seeing people enjoying their daily lives here. There was an adventurer square nearby, but it was natural for people to be more interested in this place.
‘Should I go get some Mirror Salmon?’
The Guild Master of the Blue Guild had successfully aqua-farmed the Mirror Salmon, and it became the specialty of Lindel rather than Mirror Lake's specialty.
‘No. I think I’ll feel stuffy if I eat too much.’
It’d be a relief if I didn’t vomit the things I had eaten in front of Father Lee Ki-Young, but the sweet smell from all over the place was stopping me from walking any further.
‘Rainbow Cotton Candy.’
That was Lindel's specialty as well.
Did Father Lee Ki-Young enjoy eating that as well?
It became popular because a picture of him eating the cotton candy was posted on Benigoa Net.
Just as I expected, I saw marketing texts near the shop. It said things like “Taste the flavor that even Father Lee Ki-Young has approved” or “Taste the seven flavors.”
The Goddess' Mirror even showed a video of the time when Father Lee Ki-Young visited the shop.
- What do you think, Mr. Ki-Young?
- Not bad.
- I’m glad.
- But why today...
- I heard the auction house finally has a stock of an item that you'll definitely like. Let’s go.
The taste of the cotton candy didn't really matter, and I could see based on the crowd that was in front of the shop. I moved without realizing it, and I saw familiar faces when I stopped.
“How much do we have left, Cheru?” Sera asked.
“We can buy exactly three,” Cheru replied.
“That’s why I suggested we save money on equipment. Mother said not to spend all of it. We’re in big trouble. Ugh...”
“What should we do?” Cheru asked.
“T-T-Then let’s buy three and share,” Sera suggested.
“No. We’re already late...”
The brown-haired child was complaining while the blonde-haired child was looking at the blue-haired child as if they wanted to really eat cotton candy. The silver-haired child kept looking at me as if trying to keep an eye on me. Well, I did seem suspicious.
‘Why do we keep running into each other?’
He was looking at me as if I were some kind of criminal, but our encounter was purely coincidental. Those four children were cute, but I had no intention of following or spying on them. Of course, I could have stared at them for too long at the warp point because I had dazed out, but that was beyond my control.
They whispered among themselves and slowly distanced themselves from me.
The child named Domi looked at me with disgust.
‘It’s really not what you think.’
'I don’t know what was going on, but I felt like I had to deny it for now.'
“D-Do you want me to buy you one?” I offered.
I said that to get out of this situation.
“What?”
The child named Cheru cast a suspicious gaze at me.
Sera was already nodding, and the silver-haired child still looked like he was questioning me.
“I’m not a strange person... I-I just...”
“It’s fine,” Cheru interrupted.
“I-I’m really not a strange person,” I said.
“You definitely look strange. Can you keep your distance from us? Mother said that when it comes to strangers...” Cheru trailed off.
“I’m really not a strange person. I simply thought you guys were cute...” I said.
“Mother said not to listen to people who call us cute,” Cheru said.
“I’m just visiting because of the interview at the Blue Guild. See? My pass. I couldn’t help but notice you guys while I was passing...” I told them.
I didn’t expect them to recognize the pass, but I was sure they recognized the Blue Guild’s seal, even if they were just children.
The guild's public credibility was incredibly high, so it was basically impossible not to know the Blue Guild.
I couldn’t help but feel anxious because if I just backed off here, I'd really look like a suspicious person.
The blue-haired child, who was staring at the pass, caught my attention.
“Is it real?”
“It’s real.”
“What should we do?”
It seemed like everyone was waiting for Cheru's decision.
And that was when Domi said, “The pass is real.”
“R-Right?” I stuttered.
“We don’t really have a lot of allowance money. If you don’t mind, would you like to trade with an item that I have? What’s your name?” Cheru asked.
“B-Belier...” I replied.
The child took out a small pebble.
I chuckled and dropped the change into the child’s hands, which were spread open wide open. I talked to him for a bit and heard him thanking me.
I felt proud about that, and I felt even more proud when I saw that they each had a cotton candy in their hands. Domi and Cheru were eating their cotton candy quietly, and the silver-haired child was the only one who wasn’t eating it.
“Aren’t you going to eat it?” I asked.
“I’m going to give it to my father,” replied the silver-haired child.
“D-Do you want me to buy you another one?” I offered.
“It’s fine,” the silver-haired child answered.
The blonde-haired child stared hesitantly at the silver-hailed child. The silver-haired child was already drooling, but he looked away from the cotton candy because he wanted to give his own portion of the cotton candy to his father.
“It’s okay. I have a lot of money,” I told him.
“It’s really fine. I don’t want to cause you more trouble. I’m genuinely thankful,” said the silver-haired child.
Meanwhile, Cheru gave his cotton candy to Sera.
Sera looked happy as he ate the cotton candy in a hurry.
It seemed that he couldn't hold it in, as he immediately devoured his cotton candy after taking a bite of Cheru’s cotton candy. I’d understand it if he were just annoying, but he told him to take his time, so the blue-haired child—with the name Cheru—had to be the oldest brother.
“A-Are you really not going to eat it?” I asked.
“Yes.”
“How about I give you some of mine?” I offered.
“I’m okay,” Cheru answered, but his body responded in a different way.
When I pulled a piece of cotton candy and placed it near his mouth, he immediately started drooling. He closed his eyes and swallowed the cotton candy as if he were doing it subconsciously.
The cotton candy was tailored to children's tastes, so he reacted instantly toward it. I was sure he felt conflicted because he kept looking at the cotton candy in his hand. He probably felt that a demon was tempting him.
‘He must really love his father.’
“Then are you heading to the Blue Guild, noona?” he asked.
“Yes,” I answered.
“Great timing. Sera and Thro will take you there,” Cheru said.
“Huh?”
“Are you guys heading to the Blue Guild as well?” I asked.
“Only Thro and Sera. I have to stop by the Red Mercenary Guild,” Cheru answered.
“I need to stop by the Black Swan Guild first. Mother is waiting,” Domi replied.
I questioned why these children were heading for the three major guilds.
No matter how hard I tried to guess, I couldn’t think of a reason behind it. I thought maybe they were playing a prank, but I rubbed my eyes in disbelief upon seeing the build-haired child entering the Red Mercenary Guild.
The building was actually bigger than the Blue Guild—no, it was more like a castle. The overwhelming sight caused my jaw to drop, and the building appeared as if it were a warrior holding up his sword.
It was an unrealistic sight to see a child walking into the Guild House of the Red Mercenary Guild.
‘His mother is in there?’
“See you later, Sera. Make sure you hold her hand,” Cheru told Sera.
“Okay,” Sera replied.
“Thank you, noona,” he said to me.
“Ah... yeah...” I said.
It was the same after that, too. I soon found myself standing before the Black Swan Guild—a guild with only female members. They were the best intelligence organization throughout the continent, and their financial prowess was on the same level as the Blue Guild.
The majority of them were rangers, thieves, or assassins.
When Miss Lee Ji-Hye became the Sub Guild Master of the Black Swan Guild, the massive guild started making a name for itself in the business industry.
Their guild house was smaller than the Red Mercenary Guild, but the building looked like it was built to be efficient rather than to appear magnificent. The building was decorated in black, and it made me feel like it was dangerous.
“Belier unni, thank you,” Sera said.
“Sure...” I said.
“I’ll make sure to pay you back. My mother said to never forget grace and your enemies, but especially your archenemy,” he said.
“Ah... I see... I’ll see you later, Sera,” I told Sera.
“Thro, take good care of Sera,” I instructed Thro.
“...”
“How late is it... Ugh... Mother is going to scold us...” Thro mumbled. He walked away with slouching shoulders and with Sera in tow. The front gate opened this time as well.
‘What the hell?’
This meant that the two were heading toward the Blue Guild, too.
I finally understood why they became so relaxed after checking my pass.
‘Are they children of the Blue Guild's high-ranking executives? Who are they?’
“W-What does your mother do?” I asked. I finally asked the stupid question.
“My mom is a mage.”
“R-Really?” I asked.
“Yes, she’s the most famous mage on the continent, a-and Thro doesn’t have a mother.”
“You shouldn’t say stuff like that to your hyung,” Thro warned Sera.
I flinched, but I recovered quickly and nodded.
“Thro lives with his master. He receives training every day... and learns from his master. Except for Thro, we all learn from our mothers.”
“Really?”
“Thro said it’s fine if he doesn’t have a mother.”
‘What is he talking about?’
I thought perhaps I wasn't supposed to get involved with them.
What if this was the final interview to join the guild? Was I supposed to keep my guard up around the children? What if an illusion-type spell was cast on me? I suppressed my anxiety, but I felt uncomfortable as we walked into the Blue Guild.
Soon, I saw a familiar figure. She was of average height with short hair.
At first, I couldn't see her face clearly, but I eventually identified her as I got closer to her.
“Miss Han Sora.”
She was a well-known mage of the Blue Guild. She was archmage Jung Ha-Yan’s right hand and left hand. She was the hero who had saved Laios twice, and she became Father Lee Ki-Young’s secretary, thanks to her outstanding alchemy and political skills.
“S-She’s really Miss Han Sora,” I mumbled. How could I not be nervous? She was the hero I admired, but why was she outside? Was she waiting for me? Or did something happen to the guild? Why—
I heard Sera’s loud voice.
“Auntie!”
Sera ran up to Miss Han Sora and hugged her.
“A-A-Auntie...” Sera stuttered.
“You’re here, Sera,” Han Sora greeted.
“Sniffle... Auntie... Heuuung... Auntie...” Sera cried.
“You did great. Come here,” Han Sora comforted Sera.
I didn't expect to see this.
“What’s going on...”
I had stumbled upon some silly kids; I was sure of that.
1. Belier's POV ☜