Chapter 1067 – #253_Hide-And-Seek (4)
#1061
1.
After the battle, Siwoo absorbed the prey with the lotus.
Given the number of people, it took quite a while even with his accumulated know-how.
Each time the transparent lotus gradually filled with a red glow, a mix of hope and a dark emotion he didn’t want to face arose.
“Done.”
He retrieved the lotus and placed it in his pocket.
Things had become easier thanks to it.
If they had scattered and holed up in their own defenses, things would have been much more complicated. But they had stayed well-grouped and been taken down all at once, saving a lot of unnecessary time.
The barrier of the other dimension lifted, and the coastal village regained its peace. The Akula, floating at an angle on the rippling water, opened its hatch.
Siwoo wasn’t alone in this endeavor.
Amelia couldn’t help due to her pregnancy, Linne due to her injuries, and his teacher due to convalescence, but Lluellia and Sharon were providing invisible support aboard the Akula.
It was Lluellia who had sunk Solidus’s smuggling ships under Siwoo’s orders.
“It has been a while.”
“Have you been well?”
“I am always hale and hearty.”
After a light kiss, Siwoo entered the hatch with Lluellia, and the interior of the luxurious nuclear submarine Akula greeted him.
He had spent months here before, and there were no significant differences from when he had last left.
“……”
Putting aside his thoughts, Siwoo glanced at Lluellia.
Just moments ago, Lluellia had shown what it meant to be the queen of the sea, but…
Honestly, he was very worried.
This was her first real battle, and regardless of the justification, her first kill.
Although Lluellia had strongly appealed to join the operation, and Siwoo hadn’t been able to stop her, he was concerned whether the inexperienced Lluellia could handle the shock.
“Hmm? Is there something on my face?”
But Lluellia, turning back at his piercing gaze, seemed very composed.
So much so that it felt awkward to ask if she was okay.
However, even if she didn’t seem like it, the surprisingly considerate Lluellia might be putting on a brave face, worried that Siwoo would be concerned.
“Are you really okay?”
“Ah, is that what you were talking about?”
Lluellia turned her back again, casually placing her hands on her hips.
“Those who kill must also be prepared to be killed. I have merely reaped the seeds they sowed.”
“……”
“Moreover, if there is a chance to seize my friend who was sent away in vain, rather than a hollow revenge, why should I hesitate?”
“I understand.”
Seeing this, the difference in disposition due to upbringing was clear.
Lluellia’s predecessor, Shalit Nukelavi, was an old witch famous for her ironclad rules.
Lluellia, her descendant, also boasted considerable fortitude.
“I am fine, but what about you?”
“Me? I’m just okay. There hasn’t been anything particularly difficult.”
Siwoo shrugged.
Except for when he faced Herja’s closest aide, the tragic witch Talia, from the Lehar Group, it had been almost a one-sided hunt.
“Don’t overdo it. If you get hurt, even if Dorothy is revived, it will be for naught.”
“I know. But I still have to push myself.”
“Then push yourself just a little. Ah, speaking of which, the chef caught some good seafood the other day. I shall hold a small feast to celebrate our victory.”
“Oh, that sounds good?”
Everyday conversation, just like any other day.
He felt the sharp blade in his heart, which had been standing fiercely for weeks, dulling a little.
Wouldn’t a sword that’s been sharpened too keenly break easily?
Not to become lax, but also not to break.
With the mindset that this was a ritual to maintain balance, he engaged in banter and loosened the taut string of tension.
He had achieved the feat of hunting down seventeen enemies at once.
He planned to rest for a day or two.
It was also to throw off Lydia’s pursuit and to understand the movements of the Lehar Group.
In the Akula, a natural hideout that could freely submerge to depths of several kilometers, there would be no worries about being tracked.
“Where is Sharon?”
“The green-haired one is carrying out the task you entrusted to her.”
Following Lluellia’s guidance, Siwoo saw Sharon, her hair tied up, deeply engrossed in something.
On a piece of paper larger than any carpet, a complex magic circle was drawn.
“Hmm, umm….”
Perhaps because she was concentrating, she didn’t notice him even as he peeked around her.
Siwoo, Lluellia, Sharon.
These were all the people who participated in this ‘Lotus’ project.
Originally, he didn’t want to involve his loved ones.
The act of using the lotus itself was a precarious tightrope walk between good and evil, and it was quite dangerous.
But Lluellia had followed Siwoo, claiming she also had the right to revenge, and Sharon had also boarded the Akula, determined not to be idle.
Coincidentally, only Sharon and Lluellia, who had been initially excluded as ‘young witches’ when Linne had kidnapped them, had participated in the operation.
“Woah.”
“Kyaaah!”
When he tapped her shoulder and startled her slightly, Sharon was shocked out of her wits.
“Is it going well?”
“Siwoo!”
Despite being startled, Sharon didn’t complain, her eyes sparkling as she hugged him.
The soft body that he hadn’t touched in a while felt like it was secretly comforting his exhausted mind.
“You must have had a hard time? Come here, I’ll give you a big hug.”
“…No, wait a minute.”
“Oh my, look at your hollow cheeks. You must have been through a lot!”
“How can a spirit lose weight….”
“I can’t believe it! Look here. I told you not to get hurt, and you still come back injured….”
Tears welled up in Sharon’s large eyes as she poured out her lively worries.
She knew.
How dangerous a river Siwoo was crossing.
She knew his strength, and even if he went into the hunt with thorough preparation, he was still pushing himself too hard.
“You idiot….”
“Nothing happened. I’m okay.”
Siwoo held Sharon’s trembling shoulders for a while.
2.
A feast was held in the Akula’s dining hall for the first time in a while.
Dishes made with seafood as fresh as any high-end seafood restaurant were laid out on the table.
They kept work talk to a minimum.
It was more of a check-up on the current situation.
Siwoo shared the information he knew, and they checked the progress of the magic circle Sharon was working on.
A trump card that might not be needed right now but could be used someday.
Only Sharon could carry it out.
“It’s almost done. I might be able to give it to you by tomorrow?”
“Really? That’s great. You’re amazing, Sharon. You’re a great help.”
“Oh, it’s nothing, hehe.”
“Eii! Enough with the work talk! It’s ruining our appetite!”
“Okay, okay.”
The atmosphere wasn’t serious or tense.
Sharon, Siwoo, and probably Lluellia as well, tried their best to push the sense of solemnity, tension, and inexplicable unease out of the dining table.
“Green-hair. Have you ever seen anything like this?”
“Wow, what is that?”
“Ah, this is called a coconut crab. It’s a rare creature that can be found near the South Pacific.”
“Really? Is that really it?”
“Hehe, if you are someone who shows respect for the delicacies of the sea, then you are worthy to eat it.”
Lluellia, with a proud expression, presented a very strange and large crab.
Honestly, to Siwoo, a crab was just a crab, but Sharon, a crustacean enthusiast, was reacting with her hands on her head in surprise.
“I, I, I saw this on YouXube. I really wanted to eat it…!”
“Is it that special?”
“Yes! Thank you! Lluellia! Thank you!”
“Hehehe, enjoy it to your heart’s content.”
Siwoo also changed his mind after tasting the rich innards.
It had a depth of flavor like eating a carefully prepared risotto.
As he enjoyed the creamy, melting flavor and the slightly pungent aroma unique to crustaceans, he saw Sharon shuddering as if melting.
“This is it, this is what I’ve lived for….”
“Is it that delicious? Eat more! Dip the meat in the innards!”
“Uhihihi!”
Siwoo, who had been watching the scene in amazement, remembered.
Right.
He mustn’t forget his goal.
The driving force to fight shouldn’t be hatred and revenge towards the enemies.
He had to fight to protect this peaceful everyday life, to protect this scene of his precious people smiling.
But a ferocity that was the opposite of that surged like a sharp backlash.
The voice within pointed out that such thoughts were too idealistic.
It rebuked him, saying that it was because of his soft heart and immature sense of justice that he had lost Dorothy.
“Siwoo, you should try it too!”
Lluellia was holding out a crab leg, as if trying to smear coconut crab innards on Siwoo’s cheek.
“Oh my, thank you.”
He couldn’t decide which was the right answer for now.
But today, he decided to be a little more focused on enjoying the taste of crab.
3.
Lydia once again realized a very obvious truth.
Hide-and-seek is much, much more advantageous for the one hiding than the one seeking.
“Ah, damn it. Forget it. It’s pissing me off.”
After searching the South American continent thoroughly for a while to find Siwoo’s trail, Lydia gave up on that futile effort in two days.
She would have tried if she could, but she couldn’t figure it out on her own.
“I’d rather find a needle in the desert. Secretary.”
“Yes!”
The secretary, who had been anxiously watching her boss grumbling, straightened her spine and answered.
“I need to meet the kids and heal for a bit.”
“Ah, should I contact the orphanage?”
“Yes, and prepare gifts too. You know to be mindful of their age, right?”
“Of course.”
It wasn’t uncommon for Lydia to visit the orphanage.
It was a necessary task for education, not just for healing.
She felt the need for an ally.
No matter how she thought about it, it wasn’t something she could handle alone.
“Ah, and.”
Shin Siwoo had secretly revealed his identity, making Lydia chase him alone.
But that was a hasty conclusion.
Although the public world was full of betrayal where no one could be trusted, Lydia had a direct unit that would never betray her.
“Call in as many of the ‘Las Huérfanas’ as you can.”
