ocean-life Chapter 21: Decision [1]
Chapter 21: Decision [1]
The letter from the family was a headache.
"What? You used the elixir without permission and now you want to be compensated?"
Who is saying what to whom, really?
Baek Seol-hee is Baek Seung-woo's younger sister, known for her calculating and meticulous personality.
Given her personality, the fact that she sent such a letter means she has already set the stage to some extent. Whatever it is, it's likely something that will harm me.
"Why are you billing me for the elixir in the first place?"
The elixir is a universal potion.
A potion that can save anyone as long as they're not dead.
Mass-producing it could make you filthy rich, but even producing a single one is difficult, let alone mass-producing inferior versions.
So, for emergencies, the Cheonho Baek family had stored a few.
And now, you're asking for compensation?
That's utter nonsense.
The elixir is clearly the property of the Cheonho Baek family.
And I am the head of the Cheonho Baek family.
How can you demand compensation for me using my own property?
This goes beyond mere overreach; it's almost an act of rebellion. If Baek Seol-hee really demands compensation from me, I have no choice but to stand up against it.@@@@
"...I guess I'll have to visit the main house soon."
Until now, I had no intention of going to the main house.
I planned to watch the protagonist awaken and let the events unfold as they would. I didn't want to stir up trouble by unnecessarily visiting the main house.
Even if I were to go, I intended to delay it as much as possible.
But now, my thoughts have changed.
'I need to reclaim all the lost privileges.'
I will personally recover everything Baek Seung-woo lost.
By doing so, the massive power of the Cheonho Baek family will fall into my hands.
Vast wealth, honour, connections with major families, and the military power that underpins it all.
If I can fully conquer the Cheonho Baek family, most episodes will be easily manageable. But then, a question arose.
It's good that some episodes can be easily managed.
But what does that even mean?
"I'm not the protagonist, after all."
I can't do anything.
I tried to save the students even while preventing the protagonist's awakening.
So, what exactly did I gain?
Nine students who didn't need to die, still died.
The protagonist probably resents my actions.
And I almost died while trying to overturn the episodes.
There was no gain at all.
Thinking about it, it's obvious.
Everyone has their own role. My role is that of an extra villain.
My purpose is to be utterly defeated for the protagonist's sake.
Unknowingly, I must have been intoxicated by a hero complex and vanity.
Why did I forget that simple fact?
"...I can't change anything."
I let out a deep sigh.
I sighed until my chest ached and hurt.
I sighed until there was no breath left in my lungs, and my head felt dizzy and light.
I needed oxygen, fresh oxygen. I desperately needed breath to fill this hollow chest.
I channelled magic into my hands and tore off the restraints.
Although the blood vessels carrying magic and the flesh containing them haven't fully healed yet, I used the medical pole with various IVs as a cane and stepped outside.
Step by step, my footsteps were as slow as my heavy sighs.
***
Before I knew it, April had arrived.
It's the full swing of spring.
Freshmen have somewhat adapted to the academy and are making friends. It's also the time when couples start popping up like mushrooms after rain.
In the past, I found those flaunting couples quite annoying.
"Now, there's no one."
Flower buds have bloomed all around.
As someone with pollen allergies, my nose itches, but my eyes are delighted.
Ah, this place would suit young people better than an old man like me who can't enjoy the charm.
Despite my mental age being in my mid-twenties and my body only 21, I'm quite pessimistic.
It's quite melancholic that in this park full of colourful flowers, there's no one but me. It's not that it's lecture time, or everyone has gone out.
Professors are rushing back to the academy to handle the aftermath.
Second and third-year students are absent due to their midterms and guild training. And then there's the issue of the first-year students.
"All first-years have PTSD, truly a blow to the reputation of one of the world's top five academies."
Hundreds of students are hospitalized in the academy's infirmary. There are professors skilled in healing and experienced health teachers, so there's no need to worry about injuries.
The injuries are not a concern. The problem is the psychological scars.
"Yes, training. It's similar to a Buddhist attaining enlightenment and reaching nirvana. Now that I've explained, why don't you go back to work?"
I gave a rough explanation, but I'm not sure if it was clear.
I don't know much about training myself.
A fox growing its tail is different from simply acquiring knowledge.
It's not about increasing physical strength or patiently waiting for a hundred years.
I can't even guess the method.
Well, that's why it's called training.
"That's fascinating."
"Now that you know, why don't you go back to work?"
"I'll have a cigarette first."
"You...!"
Bang Seok-hoon took out a cigarette from his pocket.
Click, click!
He lit the cigarette with a lighter.
What is he doing now?
"What are you doing in front of a non-smoker? I'm a patient, are you crazy?"
"Nice rhyme."
"Wow, I knew you were crazy, but not this crazy."
He's been beating around the bush since earlier.
I knew from the start, but I didn't expect him to be this crazy.
Bang Seok-hoon handed me a cigarette.
"...Are you asking me to light the cigarette?"
"Have a smoke."
"I'm a non-smoker."
"..."
Offering a cigarette to a non-smoker. And I'm a patient.
Now that I think about it, he must have asked about my lung health because of the cigarette.
Wow, where else would you find a senior like this?
He's truly the worst.
"But you used to smoke, right?"
"...How did you know?"
"Just a guess."
"..."
What could I possibly ask this guy?
Talking to him really makes my head go blank.
I stared blankly at the cigarette Bang Seok-hoon handed me.
It's not that I don't want to smoke.
I used to smoke due to stress on the battlefield, but I was forced to quit due to a lack of luxury supplies. I don't mind smoking.
But I don't want to smoke the cigarette he's offering.
Look at that.
A cigarette with no brand on it.
How can you trust and smoke something like that?
I can't. I just can't.
Bang Seok-hoon watched me intently.
His eyes no longer held the previous hostility. Instead, there was a sense of pity, or perhaps a sense of kinship.
I felt a gaze on the back of my head and turned around.
There, Bang Seok-hoon was flicking away the remaining cigarette.
White powder flowed from the cigarette butt, then evaporated into the air.
It looked like an angel had scattered gold dust in the air.
It was a strangely fascinating cigarette.
He straightened his collar and stood up from the bench.
"...Don't do this kind of thing."
"Huh?"
"Then I'll be going. You should recover quickly and come back."
Is he crazy?
Before I could ask, Bang Seok-hoon left.
Bang Seok-hoon returned the way he came, and someone approached along that path. They seemed to know each other, exchanged greetings, and parted ways.
As the distance closed, I saw the face and was startled.
It was someone I never expected.
***
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