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nSide Story Chapter 14. Words I Couldn’t Say (3)

nIn the distant past, the holy city, Shalyh, acted as the last bastion of Liber and was the base for saving the entire continent. 1,000 years have passed since then. The tavern in the corner of the city alley was bright even till late in the night.

nThere was a hubbub inside. Everyone was busy eating, drinking, and talking excitedly. Eshnunna and Hawa, who had been bombarded with a constant barrage of questions for a while, finally escaped and withdrew to a corner. They stared at the scene inside the tavern without saying a word. Evelyn passed around food, and Flora ate as if there was a hole in her stomach. Apoline was drunkenly admonishing Emmanuel, and a smiling Yeriel added a few cents as well. Emmanuel clenched his teeth and pretended to not hear them while engaging in a serious conversation with Ru Amuh. Ru Hiana had fallen asleep and was now hugging an unwilling Wallie, who found her bothersome. Yunael was having a drinking battle with Teresa, and Raphine looked at the two with a smile.

nWas it because Shalyh alone had preserved its original structure? Looking at the scene in front of them, it really felt like they had gone back in time. It wouldn’t have felt strange at all if this meeting ended, and everyone returned to the Seven Stars homebase and fell asleep there. At that moment, Eshnunna unconsciously wished that this moment would last forever. However, a beginning was always followed by an end. This was the first time Eshnunna and Hawa enjoyed themselves in a long while, but it wasn’t permanent.

n“That’s it for today. Let’s head home now.” Starting with Chi-Woo standing up from his seat, there were signs that this meeting would end soon. Eshnunna and Hawa almost screamed unintentionally. They were so close to asking Chi-Woo if he could stay and enjoy the party a bit more. However, neither of them opened their mouths because they knew there was no point in asking. They would only get the same answer: ‘You guys should enjoy yourselves a bit more, but I’ll be leaving first.’ Then Chi-Woo would turn around and leave without looking back—just like before.

nAt Chi-Woo’s words, the heroes began standing up one by one. Chi-Woo remained in his seat until the very end because everyone came to greet him before they left. After receiving their greeting and sending them off one by one, Chi-Woo could finally prepare to leave.

n“Thank you for today, Ms. Raphine.”

n“It was nothing. I enjoyed myself for the first time in a long while too. It would be great if we could meet up and have fun again.”

n“Then I’ll pick you up for our next meeting, Ms. Raphine.”

n“Thanks for your kind words.”

n“I really mean it. Anyways, then…” Chi-Woo was about to jump across time and space and return to Earth, but when he turned around, Eshnunna and Hawa were standing in front of him.

n“I—” As soon as they made eye contact with Chi-Woo, the two opened their mouths and immediately stopped. They looked at each other and looked back at Chi-Woo again. Then they said at the same time, “Take us with you.”

nThere was a short silence. Chi-Woo stared at Eshnunna and Hawa. The warm buzz and joy on his face slowly faded. Just by looking at his face, Eshnunna and Hawa could tell what his answer would be without him opening his mouth; he was going to ask why he had to bring them.

nEshnunna hurriedly said, “You told me before.” He had said the same thing back then. When Eshnunna asked him to let her follow him, he immediately refused, saying that she had a family to return to. “As you said, I spent time with my family, to the point where I have no regrets left.” After finishing her journey with Hawa, Eshnunna returned to her family’s arms and spent time with them. And a long time had passed after that. She watched her family die, and it’d been so long that they began to slowly fade from her memory.

nEshnunna continued, “I’ve accomplished everything I wanted here…and I don’t know what to do from here on out… Uh, and…I want to experience a new world…” Eshnunna stopped talking and chewed her lower lip. She thought she was babbling now, but above all, Chi-Woo’s gaze towards her remained the same. In fact, she knew that Chi-Woo was asking why he should take Eshnunna instead of why she wanted to follow him. There was nothing Eshnunna could say about that because no matter how much she thought about it, there was no reason for Chi-Woo to take them with him. She knew that, but even then, she wanted to follow him. Because, because…

n“I want to.” At that moment, Hawa, who had been silent so far, finally spoke up. “I want to stay by your side.” She finally said the words she had regretted not saying for 1,000 years. “Please let me stay by your side.” Hawa let out the breath she had been holding. It took her everything to muster the courage to speak those words, the words she hadn’t been able to say in the past. Frankly, she thought she would feel relieved after voicing her desires at last and not have any lingering attachment or regret. However, that wasn’t the case.

nShe didn’t know why, but a more intense nervousness and anxiety seemed to be squeezing her heart. After what felt like eternity, they were able to clearly see the change Chi-Woo’s face went through. He asked, “Will it be alright? You both have an organization to lead.”

nHearing something that sounded close to a permission, the two finally felt an unexpected surge of joy. Indescribable emotions seemed to swell like balloons in their hearts.

n“Yes! It’s all right! I’ve already told them everything—!” Eshnunna exclaimed excitedly. In case she had to suddenly leave, she had told her followers repeatedly to not be surprised if she suddenly disappeared one day. She had told them that when that time came, they were to continue running the nation as they had prepared beforehand and not be confused. This is what the official had meant when they said after seeing Eshnunna leave with Chi-Woo, ‘I think that day has finally come.’

nChi-Woo asked, “What about you, Hawa?”

n“Me too.” It was the same for Hawa. Before leaving during the ceremony, she had firmly told the next saintess what to do in case she never returned. Both Hawa and Eshnunna had thoroughly prepared for this. With all the preparations they had made, Chi-Woo was left with no reason to oppose.

n“Well, if that’s the case.” In the end, he split the space with his hands, saying it couldn’t be helped. “Then let’s go together.”

nEshnunna and Hawa’s faces brightened with the permission they finally received. Soon after, they rushed out at the same time and threw themselves into the portal after Chi-Woo. Before they disappeared, it didn’t seem like they had any lingering feelings for Liber. It was inevitable as the moment they had been desperately wishing for had finally arrived after 1,000 years.

nThe street where the three had disappeared from was again silent. Raphine, who had watched everything play out without a word, smiled. It was a bitter smile mixed with traces of envy. Left all alone, Raphine let out a long sigh and turned around. She went back to the tavern and closed the door. It was not long until the street lights also went out.

n* * *

nAt the same time, after the meeting was over, Emmanuel didn’t immediately head back to where he originally was. It was because the meeting went longer than he expected, so he was drunk. Although he felt a bit bad because he was the only one who took a break in the middle of a battle, he thought it wouldn’t be decent manners to fight in this state. Therefore, he drove away the drunkenness with sufficient sleep before heading back to battle.

nTo state the obvious, Emmanuel had no idea in his wildest dreams about the situation back at the battleground. If he had known, he would have gone out a second faster, at least out of pity. When he arrived, the frozen space was automatically released, and Emmanuel coughed, feeling embarrassed for some reason.

n“Hmph, I’m sorry. The meeting went longer than I thought… Anyway, thanks for waiting. Shall we continue where we left off?” Then he pulled out his fleuret. There was confidence in the way Emmanuel aimed his fleuret at the demon god.

nHe had gotten enough rest, but above all, he felt more relaxed as he didn’t have any urgent arrangements now. He could concentrate on the battle completely. That wasn’t all. At the meeting, he had discussed with Ru Amuh about the way of the sword and found a way to make a breakthrough in his growth. It still felt like he was trying to catch a floating cloud, but there was nothing better to materialize the new knowledge he had earned from his discussion than practicing it in a real battle. Emmanuel, who was excited and happy to grow further, suddenly noticed there was something strange about the situation. Come to think of it, the demon god hadn’t said a single word. He didn’t even show the slightest movement when Emmanuel announced that they should resume their fight.

n“Hey.”

n—…

n“What are you doing?” With his head tilted, Emmanuel approached and tapped the demon god. Immediately, the demon god collapsed and crumbled. As soon as he touched the ground, he turned into a handful of ashes. Emmanuel quickly blinked. Unbeknownst to him, the demon god had waited for millions of years. The 1,000 years that Eshnunna and Hawa had waited was laughable in comparison.

nEven though he was a demon god, his mind couldn’t hold out. He had waited, blamed, and cried after being in a daze. Then he hated, went crazy and lost his mind, and at some point, came back to his senses. However, he despaired at the reality that he couldn’t do anything about and repeated this whole process with no end in sight. The demon god, who couldn’t hold out any longer, ended up killing himself with what remained of his consciousness. His body should have disappeared normally, but Chi-Woo’s power was so great that his form had been maintained.

nIt was only after Emmanuel returned and the suspension was lifted that the demon god’s body could finally return to nothingness. Emmanuel, who wasn’t aware of the situation, was stunned. He simply stood frozen, and like this, Emmanuel saved another world. Regardless of the process, he received the firm support of the elders in his family thanks to this achievement and succeeded in establishing himself as the next head of the Eustitia family.

n* * *

nAlthough he returned to Earth with Eshnunna and Hawa of his own will, Chi-Woo had his concerns. The most important one was his parents. He was worried about what his parents would think with the added members to the family. However, his worry turned out to be unwarranted.

nNeither Su-Ho nor Elrich was surprised to see the two women. They coolly accepted it when Chi-Woo said he wanted to live with them as a family in the future. All they said was that the house was too small, so they should find a new house to move into. Chi-Woo was very grateful for his parents’ easy acceptance, but it was only the natural course of events since after returning from Liber, Chi-Woo had become head of the Choi family. Furthermore, one would be hard-pressed to call Su-Ho and Chi-Hyun the Choi family’s elders or advisers anymore as Chi-Woo had forced both of them to step down from their position in the name of letting them live their respective lives.

nAs a mere member of the family, they were in no place to oppose the orders of the great Choi family’s head. Therefore, Eshnunna and Hawa were accepted as family members and settled down on Earth. Eshnunna received a new name as ‘Choi Hyo-Seol’, and Hawa as ‘Choi Ah-Ra’, and they both became naturalized citizens.

nA sufficient period of time, encompassing a few years, passed, and during this time, Eshnunna and Hawa had not only fully adapted to their life on Earth, but completely immersed themselves in it. Chi-Woo thought they might miss their homeworld sometimes, but it seemed as if they were so sick of Liber that they didn’t even show the slightest signs of homesickness. In fact, Chi-Woo had never imagined that they would adjust to Earth this well. That was the case for today as well.

nChi-Woo, who had fallen asleep late at night watching a video, suddenly woke up from a loud noise.

n“Ah, **! This **ing troll!”

nWhen he opened his eyes, he saw Hawa sitting on the computer chair in the room. It seemed as if she’d gotten angry while playing a game and was furiously typing on the keyboard like crazy. What she had typed was even more shocking.

n—U **ing braindead moron. I pity ur mom and dad who had to raise a trash like u lol

n“Hey.” Chi-Woo raised his upper body as soon as he read what she typed. “Watch your language.”

nHawa cried out, “Ah, this bastard picked a fight first!” Hawa shouted as if she had suffered a grave injustice. “He suddenly acted like a troll and began insulting my parents. Should I have just quietly accepted them?”

n“Ah, is that what happened?”

n“Yes!”

n“Then you do it too. Pay him back double what he did to you.”

nWith Chi-Woo’s permission, Hawa’s fingers quickly moved. She tapped on the keyboard like playing the piano for a while and sighed when the words ‘you lost’ appeared on the screen. She clicked her tongue and took out a cigarette from a pack before putting it in her mouth. Then she pushed up the hair she hadn’t washed for days with a hairband and sat on the chair cross-legged in a loose sleeveless shirt and Chi-Woo’s boxer.

n“Damn it. I need to seriously stop playing this game.” The sight of her smoking in such a messy state and playing another round showed just how well she had adapted to Earth.

nChi-Woo had scolded Hawa severely when she first smoked, but he gave up after she said, “My body automatically purifies the toxins in cigarettes as well as the smell. Shouldn’t it not matter if I’m just enjoying it as a recreational product?” Although he said he wouldn’t interfere with her hobby since she wasn’t harming others, he still couldn’t help feeling regretful.

n“Oppa, where are you going?”

nAs soon as Chi-Woo climbed out of bed, Hawa turned around.

n“I’m going to the convenience store. Why?”

n“Convenience store? Then can you buy me a pack of cigarettes?”

n“What, are you out of your mind? Hey, are you crazy?”

n“Aghhh, come on. I’m in the middle of a game. Pretty please, oppa, just one pack?”

nChi-Woo shook his head as Hawa called him oppa and acted cute all on her own to get a pack of cigarettes. How did La Hawa, who was revered as La Bella’s saintess and the La Federation’s great prophet, end up like this? It was all because of that blasted game. Games themselves were not the problem, but the game called the War of Stars was. It was an indie game developed in Korea that went viral, and it was way too addicting. Otherwise, Hawa, who was so expressionless and blunt, would not have become like this.

nCompared to Hawa, Eshnunna was faring a bit better, but it was hard to say she was doing well either. She was lying on her side in the living room, watching TV with her head propped up on one hand. Judging by how she had her legs extended and was shaking her feet, she was completely immersed in the K-drama she was watching. In the past, she used to quickly get up and straighten her posture whenever Chi-Woo came out, but now she was so comfortable around him that she no longer paid attention to him when he showed up. Where were the great prophet and iron-blooded empress now?

nChi-Woo sighed deeply and picked up his clothes before going outside. When he got to the convenience store, he looked in from the outside for a while rather than immediately entering. Evelyn was standing at the counter. Two years ago, Evelyn had begun working various jobs, including part-timing at a convenience store and building up her work experience. With the reasons that there were two more people to support in the family, and that she needed to set an example as the older sister, she jumped into the frontlines of earning a living.

nAlthough the two people who had to learn from her were not learning from her at all, Chi-Woo thought that as expected, Evelyn was the best. At that moment, Evelyn was bowing and apologizing to a male customer who had his phone out to her. It seemed that she had received another confession and had to refuse again. Suddenly in a playful mood, Chi-Woo waited for the customer to come out and then moved inside.

nRing.

n“Welcome in~ Oh my.”

nChi-Woo put both hands in his pocket as Evelyn looked at him with sparkling eyes. “Hey~ Young lady over there~ when is your shift ending?”

nWhen he came swaggering in, Evelyn blinked. Then she smirked and played along. “Sir, it’ll be over soon. I’m waiting for the next person to come and take the shift… Why do you ask?”

n“Really? Then why don’t you go out with me after this?” Chi-Woo chuckled, talking boisterously like a street gangster. Of course, his laughter did not last long.

n“Okay, fine with me.”

n“What?”

n“You asked me to go out with you, right? Alright. Let’s go out.”

n“No, I was just…” This wasn’t what he expected. Flustered, Chi-Woo coughed and made a very mean and sly expression. “Ah, is that so? You’re much more forward than you look. But will it be alright?”

n“What do you mean?”

n“I’m the type to play nasty when I seriously get into it. Will it be okay if it gets really steamy~ Hehe!”

n“Oh my! That’s great!”

n“?”

n“Steamy? How fantastic! Please give me a few minutes. I’ll be right out.”

n“What?”

n“Manager! I’ll be heading out first!” Evelyn shouted, and after taking off her part-time job outfit, she went outside, linking her arm with Chi-Woo’s. “I got paid today, so I’ll buy you something delicious. Let’s fill up our stomachs first and play all night like you wanted. Deal?”

n“No, please wait a minute, Ms. Evelyn.”

n“What? How did you know my name? Are you perhaps a stalker? Well, that’s okay. Let’s go, come on.”

nLike this, Chi-Woo was dragged by Evelyn and disappeared from the street. That night, Chi-Woo, who went out to buy cigarettes from the convenience store, wasn’t able to go back home as he had to stay up all night making history. And not just any history, but a sticky, steamy, hot history that burned up like an active, explosive volcano. In the end, he had to reap what he sowed.

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