Chi-Woo remained silent on his way back. Ru Amuh also kept his mouth shut since Chi-Woo seemed lost in deep thought.
“Haaa—” Then, after a while, Chi-Woo let out a long sigh and looked back at Ru Amuh.
“Mr. Ru Amuh.”
“Yes, sir?”
“I have a secret to confess.”
Ru Amuh’s eyes turned wide.
“It’s not really a big secret. It’s a pretty small one, but very personal,” Chi-Woo said.
“You mean that it’s a secret hard for you to tell other people, sir?” Ru Amuh nodded like he understood, and Chi-Woo continued bravely.
“Can I tell you this secret, Mr. Ru Amuh?”
“Sorry?”
“I am asking you if you can keep a secret.”
Ru Amuh’s face turned serious then, and he shook his head. “No, I don’t think I can.”
“How surprising. I thought you would have tight lips.” A sharp glint passed over Chi-Woo’s eyes.
“Not to Ru Hiana though. We never kept a secret from each other since we were young,” Ru Amuh said and smiled awkwardly.
“Not even once?”
“Yes. Even if I tried to keep something a secret, she always found out right away and pestered me until I told her. I suppose I make it obvious if I’m hiding something.”
“But you can just not tell her.”
“It’s difficult for me to hold it a secret if she keeps asking me.”
“Why?”
“For instance, if you keep getting asked the same question night and day without exception for two years and seven months, you’ll have no choice but to reveal the secret,” Ru Amuh replied calmly, but his eyes were now shining with fear.
Chi-Woo licked his lips and nodded. Ru Amuh had the confidence to not tell anyone about Chi-Woo’s secret except to Ru Hiana.
“Then I guess you have to make sure Ru Hiana keeps her mouth shut.”
“I can’t.”
“?”
“The possibility of her keeping a secret is lower than 5 percent.”
“Why 5 percent?”
“There have been 20 secrets that I had been coerced into sharing and out of them, all except one was leaked.”
“19 out of 20…what’s the secret that’s been kept until now?”
“That’s a secret,” Ru Amuh answered, and Chi-Woo let out a burst of lighthearted laughter.
“Then—”
“Yes, I am really sorry, but I have no confidence in keeping your secret. So, I suggest that you don’t even share it with me.”
“…I guess it can’t be helped.” Chi-Woo smiled wryly. He thought he should at least tell Ru Amuh his real name because Ru Amuh kept suddenly popping out whenever he had to give his name, but that didn’t seem possible now.
“But besides that, I heard that you received an offer…” Ru Amuh finally saw the chance to ask what he was curious about and asked.
“I guess you could call it an offer.” Chi-Woo shrugged and looked up at the night sky. “She asked me not to stay put inside the fortress but go out and fight their enemies so they wouldn’t have to bother with them.”
“Isn’t that more of a command than an offer?”
“You can say that,” Chi-Woo agreed. “Though she did tell me that a group named Sernitas were going to attack them, so they needed to focus all their attention on that.”
“Senitas?”
“She told me they were the alien species that invaded Liber.”
“Ah…” Ru Amuh fell into deep thought. He was deeply troubled by their prospects, and it seemed there were so many factors that could bring a crisis onto this land. Therefore, it was even more important now to make the right decision. Rather than worrying, though, Ru Amuh stared at Chi-Woo with equal parts anticipation and curiosity. He wondered what a great hero who had overcome countless crises would choose to do.
“Are you going to accept the offer?”
“I’m thinking about it. But I do have something in mind.” Chi-Woo licked his lips.
“What is it?”
“First…” Chi-Woo hesitated but soon continued, “I should take the offer as an offer.”
“What?” Ru Amuh wondered what Chi-Woo meant.
“And if possible, I want to switch my role from someone who takes an offer to someone who gives it. I am also keeping in mind the possibility of dealing with other groups.”
“You mean you want to make an offer with another faction?”
“Yes, but of course, only if they are willing to listen,” Chi-Woo said and looked forward. His slowing steps quickened again as he continued, “There’s a saying that a crisis and opportunity are two sides of the same coin. That might be the case for us now. Well, let’s go for today.”
Ru Amuh stared as Chi-Woo zig-zagged through the alleyway and hurriedly chased after him in fear that he would lose sight of Chi-Woo.
* * *
The moon set, and the sun rose again. After finishing his afternoon meal and exercise, Chi-Woo took the food he got from the square and went to look for Zelit. Although Zelit had returned to his normal self after being possessed, he was nowhere to be seen. But according to Ru Hiana, even before he became possessed, Zelit hadn’t been showing himself to the public. And now, he was staying put in some corner of the fortress, not responding to any knocks or voices.
Chi-Woo was relieved to see that the problem wasn’t because Zelit hadn’t gotten his entire mind back; Zelit was simply staring at the ceiling while lying inside a dark room when Chi-Woo visited him.
“Why is it so dark in the middle of the day?” Chi-Woo asked while pulling the curtains and lighting up a candle. “Are you some child of the darkness?” Even though his eyes were closed, it was clear that Zelit’s mind was awake based on his quiet breaths.
“…I haven’t heard those words for a long time,” a raspy, low voice replied. “When I was at the academy, my professor always said that to me when he saw me sleeping inside a dark classroom.”
“I suppose it’s the same everywhere you go.” Chi-Woo smirked and plopped down at the edge of where Zelit was lying down. He also placed a steaming bowl near him.
“Fancy a meal?”
“…”
“I won’t force you to eat. I came here because I wanted to tell you something.”
“I’m sorry,” Zelit immediately responded. “You participated in the exploration because I asked you to… I know it’s my fault. I’m really sorry.”
Although baffled, Chi-Woo quickly realized what Zelit was talking about and snorted. Then he waved his hands and said, “No, that’s not what I’m trying to say. I have something important to do, and I came to ask for your opinion.”
Zelit didn’t respond for a while, and after a stretch of silence, his creaking voice spoke up again, “…My opinion?” He sounded very surprised and a bit distressed as if he was questioning his own worthiness to express his thoughts. Chi-Woo laughed a humorless laugh.
“Why are you acting like this? You’re acting like an amateur.” Chi-Woo had never expected him to ask someone this question, but he voiced it all the same. “Mr. Zelit, are you really a hero? Why are you so distressed about such a small matter? You’re not a newbie anymore.”
“…How could you call it a small matter?” Zelit let out a shrill snort. “I might have agreed with you if we’re facing an event at a dangerous level lower than stellar-system…but Liber is under a galaxy-scale event.”
“…It is.”
“Not even star-cluster, but galaxy.”
“…”
“Thus, what I did was no small matter in the scheme of things and it led to so much trouble.” A long sigh escaped Zelit’s nose and lips. “I…think I’m too tired now. No matter how much I try or struggle…I can’t see what’s in front of me. I don’t know what to do at all.” After that, a silence as heavy as a boulder pressed down upon them.
For a moment, Chi-Woo wondered what he should say, but in the end, he decided to comfort Zelit first. “There’s no need for you to carry everything on your shoulders. If you think you can’t do it, you can ask someone else to take your place.”
“And that’s exactly how things ended up like this.” Zelit clenched his teeth. “I almost crushed our only hope…with my own hand.”
Chi-Woo felt awkward; Zelit seemed to be more emotionally hurt than he’d expected. As Zelit said, he wasn’t only feeling troubled because he felt guilty about suggesting Chi-Woo to be on the exploration team to find food; ever since he arrived at Liber, Zelit had been feeling stressed. It felt like he was getting tested every second he was here.
He had endured in the beginning; he tried to do something to make the situation better and worked hard to do what he could. But they had all been useless. Moreover, he had even brought about the worst result, and they almost lost Chi-Woo. Zelit, who had been continuously enduring and suppressing his frustrations so far, finally broke down at that point.
After experiencing firsthand what happened due to Chi-Woo’s absence, he had finally given in to his emotions—everything felt meaningless. “I…know my place,” Zelit spoke again after a long pause. “This is the limit. No matter how hard I try to climb up, I feel that the ceiling above my head is too high and sturdy like a rock wall. On Liber, I’m—.”
“It must be nice.” Chi-Woo suddenly interjected.
“…What?”
“Mr. Zelit, if your limit is such a big and hard wall…,” Chi-Woo continued while Zelit looked confused, “When you’re able to break through it, it will be a very reliable ground that will allow you to stand on.”
…Yes, Chi-Woo was right—if he could break through it.
“How?”
“By holding our hands together.”
Zelit didn’t respond. He couldn’t grasp if Chi-Woo was being serious or joking.
“Let’s do it together. If it’s difficult to do on your own, we can do it together.”
Zelit wasn’t so dense that he would miss the fact that Chi-Woo was making an offer to him for the second time. Zelit opened his mouth, but it was difficult for him to speak. Hesitation kept hindering him from voicing his reply.
“But…if I, again…” Zelit’s words came out trembling and weak like he was squeezing out each syllable from his throat. He was clearly scared. He was scared that in a situation where he was constantly treading on thin ice, he might misstep again. Liber’s World had disappeared; it was a planet where heroes couldn’t be heroes. As a result, he had become weak. Rather than a hero, he was more similar to an ordinary person.
“Mosajaein Songsajaechon,[1]” Chi-Woo suddenly spoke up. “It means that humans make the plans, but the fulfillment of those plans are dependent on the heavens.”
“Does it mean that fate has already been decided then?”
“No.”
Zelit gave his own interpretation of what the saying meant, but Chi-Woo shook his head. “It means that no matter how hard you try, there are some things that can’t be done.” He smiled brightly and continued, “Let’s make it work out this time.”
Zelit’s eyelids slightly trembled.
“Ah, but please don't misunderstand,” Chi-Woo said, noting Zelit’s reaction. “Mr. Zelit, you’re just here to state your opinions and make suggestions.” After hearing Zelit’s condition from Ru Hiana, there was something that Chi-Woo definitely wanted to say to him. “I’m the one who decides to accept those suggestions. In the first place, I was the one who decided to agree to your plan.”
Zelit flinched.
“I’ll be merely taking your suggestions into consideration, and I’ll be making every decision related to this matter. So, if this doesn’t work out, it’s because I failed. It’s not your fault, Mr. Zelit.”
It was the first time Zelit opened his eyes since Chi-Woo visited.
“Of course, I’ll be taking most of the credit if it’s a success.” Zelit saw a soft smile tugging Chi-Woo’s lips. “Should everything go well, it’ll be troublesome for me if you go around saying that you did everything, okay?” Chi-Woo folded his arms and continued, “Well…but I’ll still let you brag with me a little bit since you need to recover your honor.”
Zelit’s pupils shook. Zelit was not too stupid to know what Chi-Woo was hinting at. Sending a food exploration team was something that needed to be done. Zelit had merely suggested it to Chi-Woo, and hadn’t forced his plan on him. Chi-Woo was the one who made the final decision, and he failed because of his own lack of skills, so there was no reason for Zelit to feel guilty for suggesting Chi-Woo to go on the exploration mission.
“We talked about it before. About making a restaurant and guild and inn… Things like that.”
“…”
“What about you, Mr. Zelit?”
“…”
“What do you want to do?’
“…A magic tower,” Zelit managed to say. “I wanted to create…a magic tower.” Zelit had realized his limit after arriving at Liber, but it didn’t mean he could just give up and stop doing everything. If he couldn’t be the main character, he should at least look for ways to provide support to the main character. The answer he came up with was the magic tower. Mages were strong and useful everywhere. As a mage himself, he wanted to provide an environment where he could help other heroes with a high affinity for magic develop and improve their skills. He wanted to help the main hero who would save this World in any way possible.
“You wanted to create a magic tower? Or do you still want to do it?”
“I want to create it.”
“Then you have to get up,” Chi-Woo said cheerfully. “Is it all right for the future owner of the magic tower to be like this right now?”
“…No…” While Zelit looked at Chi-Woo, the skin around his eyes reddened. When his vision began to grow blurry, he quickly covered his face.
“Hm?” Chi-Woo blinked and moved closer to Zelit. “Are you crying?”
“What do you mean I’m crying? My eyes hurt because it’s been a while since I’ve seen the sun.”
“You’re a crybaby.”
“Hey.” Zelit wiped his eyes and made a serious expression. Chi-Woo silently lifted both of his hands. After a while, Zelit slowly sat up. After letting out a sigh, his foggy mind began to wake up a bit. It felt as if the things weighing his heart had melted away. “Did you say you have something important to tell me?”
“Yes.”
“Would you be able to give me a bit more time? Just one day,” Zelit continued. “I want to first sleep without being bothered by anything. I also want to wash after not washing for a long time, and then I want to hear your story.” It was difficult for Zelit to give his suggestion or even listen to Chi-Woo in this condition, so he wanted to prepare himself first. Then he could give Chi-Woo his full concentration.
Even though Chi-Woo didn’t have much time, a smile appeared on his face. Chi-Woo had always had a favorable impression on Zelit because Zelit was fair. There were times when he interrogated people like a police, but on the other hand, he knew how to listen to the other party. Just the fact that he asked Chi-Woo to give him time to properly listen to his story was proof of this character. Anyway, it turned out it had been a good thing for Chi-Woo to get one more day to consider the offer using his fake name as an excuse.
Chi-Woo got up from his seat and said, “Just one day is fine.”
“It seems like you don’t have much time. As soon as the day breaks tomorrow, I’ll go to your place.”
“Even if you’re going to sleep, you should at least eat before you sleep. I find it difficult to sleep when I’m hungry.”
“I’ll do that. Thank you for bringing this to me.” While hearing the utensils move around the bowls, Chi-Woo quietly closed the door.
* * *
The next day, Chi-Woo had a visitor. As promised, Zelit had come to his place after eating and sleeping well, as well as washing himself thoroughly. He took a few deep breaths in front of the door and knocked.
“A moment please.” Soon, the door opened. Chi-Woo smiled as he saw a long-headed hero with a thick book on his side, his face clean and his robe neat. The Zelit that Chi-Woo had been familiar with had returned.
“You came.”
Zelit calmly asked, “Hmm. May I go in?”
“Of course. Please come in. Quickly.”
Zelit went in agreeably; the door closed behind him. The rising sun lit up the two heroes walking on the mat, as if it was blessing their future paths.
1. 谋事在人，成事在天. It’s a commonly known idiom in asian countries. ☜