IH Ch 73

Chapter 73

[We’re planning to handle the beast matter after first resolving the issue with the village. The other side won’t know how we’ll move, so they’ll probably lie low for a while.]

“Got it. Do that.”

Since he had caused the incident and left the cleanup to the guild, making any further comments would’ve been shameless. Just as it seemed the call was about to end, Ahn Yuna added, “But still…”

After a brief reply, she fell silent for a moment, then asked,

[Why did you really do it?]

“……”

[We’ve managed to clean things up for now, but this isn’t like you, Guildmaster, You know that better than anyone.]

There was no need for further explanation, as both of them already understood. It wasn’t as if Jae-i was the type to answer even if he was pressed anyway. Still, she waited, thinking he might say something, but only silence followed. With a sigh, Ahn Yuna said she understood and would relay any further developments before ending the call.

“……”

Jae-i, sitting on the couch, absently fiddling with his phone in one hand, looked over at the TV. The screen was still cracked and the wall behind it dented. Slowly rising to his feet, Jae-i walked over to the large TV and inspected it. Then, using a restoration effect inside the house, he returned everything to its original state.

He wandered around the house, wondering if anything else needed fixing, and eventually made his way to a potted plant that Hwang Suhyeon had left behind. It was designed to provide its own nutrients and moisture, so there wasn’t anything he needed to do. Tapping the pot lightly with his toe, Jae-i stepped back.

Feeling something underfoot, he activated the robot vacuum and glanced toward the room where Dohwa was.

“……”

The time he saw on the phone during the call was 7:43 AM. Though they’d returned home late the previous night, it should be about time to get up. One hand stuffed in his pocket, Jae-i stared endlessly at the closed door, frowning. It was his house—why was he acting so cautious?

Striding over, he stood in front of the door and raised his hand. But he couldn’t bring himself to knock immediately. After several attempts, he finally managed to knock twice—knock knock—and, as if waiting, the door swung open.

“……”

Not expecting the door to open so quickly, Jae-i froze when he saw Dohwa standing inside. Looking puzzled, Dohwa asked,

“What is it?”

“……Let’s eat.”

“Okay.”

Despite having eaten a lot at the rest stop the day before, Dohwa nodded without hesitation, apparently hungry again after sleeping. His eyes gleamed brightly as he looked up, now fully awake. He really likes food, Jae-i thought, though it was hardly a surprise. Then he suddenly noticed Dohwa’s damp hair.

“You washed your hair?”

“Yeah.”

Dohwa immediately raised his hands to his head, fidgeting with his hair.

He’d taken a shower upon waking. That should be fine, right? But realizing he might’ve done something wrong, Dohwa glanced at Jae-i for a reaction. Jae-i’s gaze slowly dropped from the wet hair to the oversized clothes Dohwa still wore.

Up until a few days ago, those things didn’t bother him. Now, though, they were starting to.

Did they even have clothes that fit him? There was no way anything in this house would. Maybe the clothes Yohan had given him at the guild were set aside for laundry? There were also the ones Ahn Yuna had provided. Just then, a vibration sounded. As if in sync, both of them turned their heads.

The vibration wasn’t from a regular phone alert. Knowing what it meant, Jae-i immediately went to the living room and grabbed the phone off the couch. It was a gate alert. Location: Hwaseong. That was within his guild’s jurisdiction.

A call from Ahn Yuna came in immediately afterward. Jae-i answered with a short reply.

“I’m heading straight to the gate.”

Ending the call right away, Jae-i lifted his head.

Dohwa had come out of the room and was standing by the wall, looking down. Wondering what had caught his attention, Jae-i followed his gaze and saw the robot vacuum busily doing its job. Dohwa seemed intrigued, staring at it for a while before losing interest and looking up.

“A gate opened?”

Jae-i nodded while still holding his phone.

After quietly watching him for a moment, Dohwa stepped forward.

“Should I put the chain on?”

“……”

The last time Jae-i had to leave Dohwa alone, he’d secured his ankle with an A+ grade item—shackles. He would probably need to do the same this time. But the thought didn’t sit well with him. As he hesitated, the phone kept vibrating.

More information about the gate—rank, attributes—began appearing. It was time to move, but strangely, he lingered. Noticing this, Dohwa lowered the foot he had lifted.

“If you leave the item behind, I’ll take care of it myself. Let’s eat together when you get back.”

“……”

“I ate so much yesterday, I’m still not that hungry.”

Odd, considering how bright his eyes had looked earlier when Jae-i suggested eating.

Well, judging by the gate’s level, it wouldn’t take too long. Just as he was thinking that, a loud gurgle sounded. Jae-i’s expression stiffened, and Dohwa pressed a hand to his stomach.

He was flustered. Back then, even if his stomach was empty, it never made that kind of noise. But here, even a short period without food made his body react like this. He wasn’t that hungry—he could endure. Still, just as he was about to insist he wasn’t, Jae-i moved first.

Heading into the kitchen, he opened the fridge and took out a pack of rice and frozen galbi. As he heated the rice, he transferred the galbi into a specially made bowl and held it with both hands. Heat spread from his palms, turning the inside of the bowl red. The frozen meat began to sizzle with a crackling sound. Curious, he shook the bowl side to side, even tossed it upward.

The clumped meat lifted into the air, revealing carrots, potatoes, and other vegetables underneath. Though he’d slightly burned it at first due to poor heat control, after about two minutes of effort, it turned out okay. Just in case, he maintained the heat and placed the dish in the center of the table before looking up.

“Eat.”

“……Mm.”

Dohwa, who had followed Jae-i into the kitchen, couldn’t resist the tempting smell of the galbi. As he sat down, Jae-i scooped the warmed rice into a bowl and also took out a few pieces of cake.

“Eat this too.”

“……”

Dohwa furrowed his brows at the sight of a cake topped with a large, glistening strawberry. Looking up with a confused expression, he asked,

“Are you going to be out long today?”

“I’ll be back right after dealing with the gate.”

It would take about two hours to move, scout, and clean things up. Sometimes, depending on his mood, he’d linger at a gate and push the hunters harder, but today he planned to skip that.

“It’ll take around two hours.”

“……Really?”

Responding quietly, Dohwa looked again at the food before him, then pointed to the galbi.

“Can you eat before you go?”

“……”

There’s a lot of it—he added. Hearing that, Jae-i clenched his fist. There it was again. That strange feeling. Gathering a spoon and chopsticks, he deliberately replied in a blunt tone.

“I know you can finish it by yourself. Just don’t scarf it down when I’m not here. Chew ten times before swallowing.”

At that, Dohwa picked up his chopsticks and went straight for the meat. Seeing him choose the largest piece, Jae-i inexplicably felt reassured. Though he immediately questioned why he felt that way.

As if trying to make up for the time spent preparing the meal, his phone vibrated again. Once he saw Dohwa spearing a piece of meat with his chopsticks, Jae-i moved quickly.

He went to his room, threw on some clothes, and pulled a hat low over his head. He planned to head to the guild and use a teleportation stone to go straight to Hwaseong. Passing through the kitchen, he paused for a moment and glanced inside. Dohwa was eating with chopsticks in one hand and a spoon in the other. His crossed legs under the chair swayed back and forth. He looked cheerful, enjoying the delicious food.

Fiddling with his phone, Jae-i spoke.

“Hey.”

Dohwa turned immediately. His cheeks were puffed out with a mouthful of meat.

“Don’t go anywhere. Stay here.”

“……”

“If you wander around recklessly, the Association will come for you.”

If he didn’t want to end up in jail, he had better stay put. At the very least, no one could enter this place without Jae-i’s permission. Not because it was the safest place, but simply as a warning—don’t act on your own.

Then, suddenly, Dohwa stood up. Setting his spoon and chopsticks down, he walked over to Jae-i. Jae-i frowned. Why isn’t he sitting down and eating?

Dohwa tapped him on the arm.

“Come back safe. Take care of yourself. And—”

“……”

“Try not to lose your temper.”

Each word was strange. Not incomprehensible, but Jae-i couldn’t understand why Dohwa was saying these things to him. Judging by the message, the gate wasn’t even that high-ranked. Nothing was going to happen to him. He wouldn’t suffer so much as a scratch. And as for not losing his temper—

Now that everyone in Korea knew he was an illegitimate child, there would be a crowd of reporters at the gate. Even if he wanted to pass quietly, they wouldn’t let him. It was bound to be noisy. Was it even possible for him to just quietly endure all that?

That was impossible.

You know better than anyone how damn awful this world—and its people—are to me.