Chapter 5
Sooryun brought Sungjin to the outskirts of the city. It was the edge of the world where cities didn’t exist. In that direction, there was nothing but mountains and trees, so they couldn’t see past them, but once they stepped through the rivers, they could see small houses in the rough terrain.
It was old compared to the clean and bountiful air of the city.
“We may not have the best conditions, but this is the best we could make out of what nature could provide. Please excuse us.”
“No, it’s fine. I myself have only brought one set of clothes and my body with me into this world, so this much is enough.”
As they entered the grounds, several people gathered around them. Unlike the people in the city who wore clean clothes and lived healthily, their clothes were dirty and their bodies were frail, yet… their faces had expression.
There were unhappy faces, worried faces, tired faces. Each and every one of them had their own expression, their own thoughts.
There were times when it wasn’t peaceful, and there were crises of misfortune, but they were those who could think for themselves.
Sungjin smiled at them. They were the ones who would become his comrades in overthrowing this world.
“M’lady!”
“You’re back.”
“You’re safe!”
They looked at Sooryun and greeted her.
“Have you been successful in your subterfuge?”
“To be honest… no. While I was scouring the new supply point, I was found out for having a fake chip.”
“My! I’m glad you were able to escape!”
“I’m sorry for worrying you all while failing my mission.” Sooryun lowered her head a little. Despite the order to her actions, there was the grace of a dancer.
“No. We’re glad you were able to return safely.”
“But the person beside you…?”
“He’s the person who saved me. His name is Sungjin.”
“Ah!”
“If it weren’t for him, I would have landed in the enemy’s hand.”
“He is a benefactor, then, but how did he… save you?”
“I will tell you the details later. First, let me prepare a resting place for Sungjin.”
“Oh, I understand.”
“That house is empty, isn’t it?”
“Yes, it is.”
“Sungjin, this way.” Sooryun led him to it. Although it was run down, it was organized. Although the bed made of grass and hide wasn’t grand, it was clean. “Please, take a break. I will call you when dinner is prepared. Let’s talk while we eat.” She bowed gracefully and solemnly.
“Fine, let’s do that.”
“Then please excuse me, as I have several matters to discuss with the others.” She walked away with reserved steps.
Sungjin stood after a while. I should still have time until dinner. His body was too wound up to remain still.
After running, fighting, and walking across several plains, his entire body was dirty. He walked out of the house. Coincidentally, there was a person on the other side. “Is there a facility to wash around here?”
At Sungjin’s question, the young man of the resistance pointed. “If you go around that building, there will be a bath.”
“Thanks.” It would also be better to wash before the formal meeting.
Sungjin walked around the building as told and came across a worn bathing house. Inside, there was the sound of running water. Seems like someone’s already here.
But that didn’t matter. This was a rebellion headquartered in the mountains. They wouldn’t have space to create individual baths. Even if he had lived the life of a king in Valhalla, now was now. He hadn’t been a ruler from the beginning, after all.
“Excuse me. Let’s share the bath.” Saying so, Sungjin opened the door and made eye contact with the person inside.
The clean bathroom had a basket to put clothes in. There wasn’t a dressing room. It was a system of pulling water from a large tub into a small bucket and pouring it over one’s body.
His eyes trailed down the body automatically. Dark hair like ebony ran down the back. The drops of water flowing down the fair skin were like pearls. The eyes were wide open with surprise. They were beautiful and clear.
The unfinished woman trembling underneath was also attractive.
Slender neck and smooth shoulder curves. Flat chest and thin waist before womanhood. Freshly curved hips.
Its appearance was reminiscent of a soft but noble pedigree, a charm different from the cuteness of a very young child, but attractive, as it was beginning to bloom. The body, yet to enter womanhood, was still appealing to him.
“Ahh!” Even her shout sounded like the beautiful crisp chirping of birds.
If this deer were to be cooked, its skin would be soft and chewy. It was truly a lustful sight.
The problem was… it wasn’t proper.
Damn. Sungjin prepared himself for profanities. Was this a shared bath?
Even if it was a worn resistance ground, it had been his miscalculation to think that they would still have separate baths for women and men, and even then, he had believed there would be different assigned timetables for its use.
But as the person who had pointed out the road didn’t warn him of anything, he had let his guard down, believing it was available to use. But it was also cowardice to blame it on someone who had told him where to go.
Firstly, he had not looked into the situation properly. And lastly, he was the one who had ogled at the sight before him.
Closing his eyes a moment later, he turned his head. “Sorry.”
“Go away!” Unlike the elegance he had seen so far, Sooryun screamed again and again.
“To ask to bathe together! How rude!”
“No… That’s not…” Sungjin tried to explain that that wasn’t his intention, but he gave up and turned around. It was not the time or place to talk about such things. “I’ll walk out, so see you later. Sorry.” Sungjin moved politely from the scene.
Sigh. It could have gone worse. Leaning against the closed door, Sungjin gathered his breath. One mistake, and he could have been mistaken as a pervert. She’s younger than what I thought she was.
He had thought that she was older because of her extravagant words, but she wasn’t. She had simply been trained to speak like that and was otherwise a child.
She’s slightly older than Rachel but younger than Ereka. No wonder her body was so light.
On Earth, she would have been a budding middle-schooler, and as a high schooler, he would have seen her as a little sibling.
Even after the door closed, Sooryun couldn’t get out of the bath. Have I gone too far?
Had it been a good decision to push away someone who wished to become one with her?
If it had been any other stranger, it would have been the right thing to do.
But Sungjin may be my fated person.
She had thought it over. She had thought it twice: when she almost got pushed over by a robot and implanted with a chip and when she had no way to escape, completely surrounded by robots.
He had been there. He had saved her when no one else could.
The same insurgents like herself just talked, and did nothing about the situation.
Hadn’t her heart pounded in her chest as she escaped in his arms? It was not just from touching a man’s body… … It was because she felt that this man was her fated partner.
If a man who saved her life wanted to court her, it was acceptable.
If so, was it correct to reject him so coldly?
She shook her head. Her elegant hair shook and water splashed.
No, there’s still order and law. Sungjin hadn’t officially said anything about their relationship.
Even if she didn’t need brilliant gifts, she still should have received the words of sincere promises and requests.
Okay. I wouldn’t seem flirtatious if I remained at a distance from him.
She had done well.
It was the right decision.
No matter how desirable he was, she couldn’t allow that last step without first confirming a good relationship.
After bathing, she put on her clothes and went back to meet Sungjin.
This time, seated quietly in his room, Sungjin greeted her. “Haha. Are you done?”
“Yes.”
Sungjin admired her once again. Originally dignity and elegance had oozed out of her, but when she had washed and decorated, it was enhanced.
Her hair, which had been pinned with a hairpin, was elegant and refined. It was difficult to pinpoint the specific era, but her clothes seemed to be of the royal family.
But when observed closely, he could see that the material was made of cheap cloth. The clothes formed an optical illusion created by her princess-like appearance in her own palace.
She looks older than she really is, although she’s actually a lot younger.
“Well, uh, earlier… … . ” He wanted to apologize once more, but she stopped him from talking.
“I will tell you clearly. I was saved by you, and I was thrilled with your heroism.” She was ashamed to say so, and she blushed slightly. Still, she kept talking. “But if you force yourself on me in that way, it won’t work. We are not in such a relationship yet.”
She didn’t want to scream anymore. With elegance, but in clear denial, she asked Sungjin not to do this in the future.
With some misunderstanding. Sungjin scratched his cheek.
“I will apologize once again for the recent occurrence. But it really wasn’t on purpose. I asked where I could wash, and a man pointed me there. I just thought it would be a men’s bath.”
“Really?”
“Really. I was not hungry enough to defile a child like you.”
“I’m not that young.” She pouted her lips as she spoke.
Ha. Sungjin stifled his laughter. Her anger at being treated like a child only caused her to look like one. She was perhaps a little bit more mature than Rachel, somewhat like a young girl who wishes to be treated like an adult in her growth spurt.
“Well, it would be nice to loosen the hairpin so that your hair flows more naturally. But ok, that’s your choice,” Sungjin indulged her.
“… … I’m not young.” Sooryun frowned without noticing that his tone had subtly changed.
“Hahaha. Let’s get to the point. Do you know how to get out of this world? ”
Sooryun also regained her graceful original form. “You want to get out of this world and go back to the original world? Is that your purpose?”
“Right. I have many people who I must go back and meet.”
“Who are they?”
“Well… there are precious women I should be responsible for, the many people who believed and followed me, and the more ordinary people I should protect.” Sungjin remembered each face one by one.
“I see. That aligns with our purpose. We also want to break this prison.”
“Is there a way?”
“Yes. I had figured out how to be freed from this world. I just didn’t have the power to do it.”
“That’s great.” Sungjin’s eyes flashed at her saying that she had no power. Challenges were always welcome. He knew that destroying Varca’s prison wouldn’t be easy.
“But since you’re Sungjin, you may be able to… I’ll explain first.”
“Please.”
“Sungjin, the city you were residing in is a countryside city of this world. And in the center is the core city, and in the center is the source city. ”
“Right.”
“There is a World Stone in the most central city”
“World Stone … By any chance….”
“Yes. If the stone is broken, this created world will be broken. ”
“And everyone will be freed?”
“Yes, then we can go back to the original world.”
“Right.” Sungjin nodded.
Even if Varka was a Kaiser, it would still take tremendous effort to maintain this one small world as a whole. If Sungjin could break down the sources that helped him maintain it, Varka wouldn’t be able to trap them anymore.
Varka himself had said that this skill was called “The Seal of the Devil From the Western Sky.”
Then he would awaken from within the seal.
“On the contrary, there is no way out of this world unless we break it. Even death is a brief pause here—soon we get a new body and wake up.”
“Unless it’s clear, it’s an infinite continuation. I see. Later, by that time, it would be a prison for the soul.”
“Yes. Varka, who claims to be the god of this world, is also the jailer of this world. That is this world’s identity. I see you already know that.”
“What are the challenges in breaking the World Stone?”
“That is… It’s hard.”
“Tell me what difficulties you have.”