Recalling the Past (1)
“Hye-jin, suddenly…”
“Master, Jung Hayan has passed away. The cause of death is still unclear, but we’re leaning on suicide as of the moment.”
“What the…”
“It may be hard to believe, but it is true.”
“Clearly, something is wrong…”
“She is really dead.”
“Yeah. The guild members of the Magic Guild confirmed that they saw her hanged figure in her room.”
“Perhaps some assassins entered her room? That’s also a possibility…”
“No, it really is suicide. The suicide note was also found, though I’m not sure about this either… It is said that unknown letters were found in Jung Hayan’s room. We can’t decipher them because they’ve been magically encrypted, but after the news came, other guilds have been thinking about the possibility of communication with them.”
“So, she was experiencing inner pain?”
“It’s just a guess.”
“It won’t be. When you consider the achievements Lindel’s genius wizard has shown so far, it’s stupid to think of that possibility. If I could have made a deal with them, I would’ve been on their side long ago.”
“The Master is right, Hye-jin. Without Lindel’s Archmage, the foundation itself would not have been maintained in the first place. It is not an exaggeration to say that they’ve withstood simply because she was there. The victory in the Battle of the Ramadel Mountains, the Battle of Northern Frost Wall, and even the Defense of Benigor was all thanks to her. Her cause of death is probably disguised as misinformation to divide us.”
“Hye-jin, the will is… What was written in the will?”
“Ah, sorry, sorry… Of course, there was a will, but the Magic Guild refused to disclose it, so the full text could not be confirmed… However, it looked as if there were traces of abuse on her body.”
“Are you sure she wasn’t assassinated?”
“Yeah. I have heard that the wounds that remained on the body were wounds from a long time ago. Considering that there was also a wound just before the fester burst without treatment, some speculate that it was the work of self-harm. Despite being able to heal with potions or divine powers, I heard that not only were the wounds left as they were, but even the unspeakable parts of the body were severely damaged.”
“Self-harm…”
“Yeah. There’s a real possibility that she really did self-harm, Master. I heard that Jung Hayan always had a hard time taking lives. She always had nightmares after the battle was over, and she was very reluctant to participate in the killings. It is not unreasonable to feel guilty because she was the type of person who had been forced to stand on the battlefield.”
That did make sense, considering the character of Lindel’s Archmage, Jung Hayan.
‘Standing on the battlefield itself…’
It had probably been too much.
“If that’s true… I am totally at fault. I shouldn’t have called her to the battlefield.”
“No. It’s not the Master’s fault. It wasn’t just the Master who persuaded Jung Hayan. Everyone in the Holy Empire, the Republic, and the Kingdom Union were hoping that she would go. It was Ms. Jung Hayan, who also made the final decision. The Master’s persuasion didn’t drive her. Jung Hayan also said that she always owed a debt to the Holy Empire and Lindel’s free people. She joined the battle for that very reason.”
“However, no one knows why she had decided to take her life. Master, it’s probably true that you felt guilty, but I don’t think that’s the reason why. Of course, it was undeniable that you suffered, but… you were so proud of who you protected. Jung Hayan is definitely that type of person.”
I could imagine Jung Hayan not getting along with other people, and her smiling faintly after every battle and shaking hands with soldiers who had saved her life. This must also be contained in her memory.
And the conversation we had together.
‘It’s rewarding.
‘You made a tough decision.’
‘No, Mr. Hyunsung. No, of course, it’s not that hard, but everyone is fighting as well. It’s not just about feeling bad… It also feels good to see everyone smiling. Hehe… Thank you for calling.’
‘No. Rather, I am just grateful.’
She must have felt guilty.
However, as Cho Hye-jin said, Jung Hayan must already know the pain she would have to endure. However, to lose her life over guilt didn’t seem to fit.
“Then why…”
“We are still figuring out why. I guess there will be a clue in the letter encrypted with magic, although all the wizards on the continent are currently struggling to interpret the encrypted object.”
“I see.”
That was when I looked at Cho Hye-jin with a bitter expression.
Quaang!
I heard thunder rumble in the distance, and I wondered if the enemy had arrived.
Soon after, I had no choice but to lower my sword.
“Kim Hyunsung!”
“Ah, Young Kim! If you do this…”
“Shut up and open the door. Kim Hyunsung, I know you’re there! Open up!”
“Calm down… H-He’s in a meeting right now!”
“You’d better open the door before my patience runs out.”
A familiar face came into sight as the loud noise rumbled once more.
“Young lady…”
“Kim Hyunsung, you motherfucker!”
In an instant, the huge sword she held swung my way, the loud sound echoing once more. Then, objects flew around in all directions, and the window that could not withstand the pressure broke.
“Son of a bitch! You killed her!”
“You dragged her into the war. This is bullshit! She died because of you!”
“Ah-young… What are you doing now? Coming here suddenly and aiming your sword at our Guild Master… I will formally protest this against the guild.”
“Shut your mouth, Cho Hye-jin. Do you want to protest? Go ahead. What will it mean in this situation? Do whatever you want. We’re all going to die anyway. Fuck that shit!”
“Nevertheless…”
“I told you clearly, Kim Hyunsung. She said she would not participate in the war… She died because of your greed!”
“If Jung Hayan had not been on the front line, countless civilians would have died, Kim Ah-young.”
“Did you hear me telling you to shut up? I’m talking to Kim Hyunsung!”
“It was an unavoidable judgment. Of course, our master persuaded Jung Hayan, but because of her, we managed to win numerous battles…”
“My sister died because of those numerous battles. She is dead!! should never have listened to you.”
“The reason why she took her own life isn’t clear yet. The possibility that she killed herself in the shock of battle has not been confirmed yet. You must check the evidence first.”
“That’s all you’re going to say? You dirty hypocrites. I should have listened to him instead…”
“Who is that person…”
“You don’t need to know!”
“Sorry.”
“Now you’re sorry, huh? Kim Hyunsung, a hero? Don’t be ridiculous.”
“You should think a little more calmly.”
“Shut up. Our guild will leave this shitty alliance. It was absurd to think that the enemies fighting each other would soon become one. The Republic and the United Kingdom uniting is such bullshit. I regret listening to you. Kim Hyunsung, the hero who saved hundreds of thousands of people. What does it all matter? My sister died… My sister is dead! No matter how many people were saved because of her, it has nothing to do with me. Do you understand?”
“You will never see me again in the future.”
“Please wait a minute, Kim Ah-young.”
“Cho Hye-jin.”
“The reason Jung Hayan took her own life would not be because of her guilt.”
“Don’t bullshit me.”
“If you say so, but I know she wouldn’t want you to do this. She indeed suffered a lot, but I clearly remember Jung Hayan being happy about saving a lot of people.”
“There is no exact will yet. Actually, we are not aware of even the possibility of assassination. Perhaps there is indeed a clue in a sealed letter or will. If after all investigations, it is revealed that Jung Hayan’s death is related to us, then…”
“I will apologize for this with my death.”
“I’m not interested in your life.”
It felt strange, not knowing what Kim Ah-young wanted. With this, I opened my mouth once more.
“The same is true of me. I will apologize with my death after all of this is over.”
“Master!”
“That’s right, Hye-jin. Obviously, I am responsible, too.”
Perhaps I didn’t deserve to live. I had already made numerous mistakes in the past. It felt funny apologizing for them now, but I had no choice but to do so.
However, I knew I still had work to do.
It was natural seeing Kim Ah-young’s conflicted expression in response to my words. I patiently waited for her answer.
Bang!!
Suddenly, a loud noise resonated from somewhere.
“What?”
“We’re under attack!”
“Master!”
“We’re under attack! Hye-jin, behind the current wall… Ahh!”
It felt like a familiar yet disparate magical force that rained from the unseen. We reflexively moved our body upon seeing this type of magic emanate from Kim Ah-young.
As she slashed down the sword, the split magic began to break down the walls of either side completely.
“I’m going to head to the wall now.”
“Please don’t!”
“First, we must gather our strength. After everything is done, I will leave my treatment to Kim Ah-young. Please lend me your strength for now.”
“Shit.”
“Hye-jin, is Cha Hee-ra still in the city?”
“Yeah. Signals keep coming from 12 o’clock. Perhaps the Red Mercenaries also headed there…”
Qawahhh!
A blinding, white light engulfed the entire city of Lindel.
As the light burst from all the buildings and lit up the entire surroundings, my eyes started to open.