Chapter 30: The Unsettled Heart and the Return of the Airship

Meanwhile, Yeowon, who had fled headlong, wandered aimlessly. He eventually collected himself and boarded a bus, only to realize it was going the wrong way. He got off, took another bus, and it was only on his third attempt that he finally boarded the correct one. He leaned his head against the cold window. Only then did he feel like he could breathe again.

Haa.

His shoulders sagged with a long sigh. He felt utterly drained. The exhaustion was more profound than three days and nights spent in battle. Upon arriving home, he collapsed onto his bed without even showering, curling into a ball.

Thump.

Thump.

His heart, usually unnoticeable, now pounded with undeniable presence. Involuntarily, he pressed his hand against his chest. At once, the sensation of another hand, which had touched that very spot, came rushing back. He flinched. His runaway thoughts transported him back to the cinema.

The dark space, awash in a deep, undulating blue. Amidst the battlefield of his mind, triggered by the confession, a thought flickered like a distant beacon.

‘I don’t dislike it.’

His heart felt like it would leap from his throat. He clutched his chest tightly with the hand that had been resting there. The rough scars still pricked his palm.

Yet.

Thump.

Thump.

For now, he was too focused on the wild thrumming within his chest to pay attention to anything else. As the sun set and night deepened, Yeowon’s frantic heartbeat showed no signs of calming.

Whoosh.

In Grisha, a major metropolis, airships coming and going were hardly a novelty. Often, more than five airships a day utilized the dedicated, turret-shaped airship docks.

At Port A-3, two attendants stood waiting. One belonged to the Turret Management Department, while the other was a dock manager. The tall man shaded his eyes with a hand over his brow.

“It’s the Credit Guild, as expected. The sheer class of their airship is different.”

“Their recent arrivals and departures have been frequent. Is something going on?”

“They say there’s been some trouble in Suhae. Perhaps they’ve called for backup from somewhere?”

The Turret Management Department responded to the manager’s words with a scoff.

“Grisha has the most high-ranking hunters, and they’re the best quality too. So why would we call for reinforcements? Other cities are probably scrambling just to defend their own gates.”

“True enough.”

The manager gave an awkward laugh and activated the pad in his hand.

Rumble.

With a heavy rumble, the airship slowly descended, preparing for landing. He checked the trajectory for any anomalies and re-verified the docking equipment. Everything was in order.

Thud.

The landing was complete, and the boarding ramp extended. The airship remained eerily silent. Those waiting tilted their heads in confusion.

Usually, hunters would spill out in droves, exclaiming things like, “Ugh, I’m exhausted!” or “Finally, Grisha!”

The airship ran on magic stones. Every trip cost hundreds of millions, making it a true money pit. Thus, it was standard practice for any guild to load as much as possible, be it goods or people, before setting off. Yet, the Credit Guild’s airship was silent.

“What the? Why isn’t anyone disembarking? Is there a problem inside?”

“No way. It’s the Credit Guild, after all…”

The Turret Management Department and the manager exchanged glances.

“You—you wait here. I’ll go check it out!”

“What?! Hey, damn it, let’s just go together!”

The two men scrambled into the turret, one rushing ahead of the other. At the same moment, the bow of the airship remained eerily still.

From Baekdam to Grisha. They had flown for three full days, rotating personnel. The desire to go home, shower, and lie down was overwhelming. However, not a single person, including him, dared to move carelessly.

This was all because of one person who remained utterly motionless, even after docking was complete and the ramp connected. He was the de facto owner and sole passenger of this airship. Everyone else was merely the crew required to operate it.

Sagyeol sat cross-legged in his chair, unmoving, his gaze fixed solely on the terminal on his wrist. The crew exchanged uneasy glances among themselves.

“What in the world is he looking at to have such a serious expression?”

“It must be the burden and responsibility unique to someone in a high position, something mere folk like us wouldn’t understand.”

“I see.”

“Indeed. Perhaps it concerns the very fate of the city…”

Sagyeol was looking at his messages with Yeowon. To be precise, it was the last message he had sent, thirty minutes ago.

[For a while.]

It was his 234th message. He had, of course, sent them all. Not once had the man replied. Sagyeol’s fingertip tapped the screen.

This wasn’t the first time he had wasted time like this, pointlessly. Even knowing a reply wouldn’t come, he couldn’t help but wait.

‘I really am desperate for a Returnee, aren’t I?’

It was all just an act anyway. Yet, behaving like this, it felt like genuine courtship. Sagyeol let out a small laugh, just as he was about to give up and rise.

The message scrolled slightly upwards, revealing a differently colored speech bubble at the bottom of the opposite side. Sagyeol’s eyes widened. For a moment, he wondered if it was an error. The man’s reply was that improbable.

[How long?]

CRACK!

Sagyeol, his fist clenched, slammed it down on the armrest. The crew, who had been pretending not to watch their distant superior, flinched in unison.

“W-w-what could be the matter?”

“W-we mere folk wouldn’t know—”

“What’s with that?! Damn it!”

Sagyeol paid no mind to the confused whispers of the crew. ‘He ignored 234 messages, and now that I said I wouldn’t come, he’s asking how long I won’t be coming?’

Sagyeol uncrossed his legs. He detached the terminal from its band, and his thumb, holding it in his hand, began to move frantically across the screen.

[f*cking—]

He stopped mid-sentence, barely regaining his composure. Sagyeol deleted what he had typed.

[What—]

It wasn’t much different from the previous attempt.

Tap, tap, tap.

Deleting it again, he clasped his hands together as if in prayer.

“Ah, damn it all.”

Sagyeol exhaled slowly, first calming his excitement. Having barely regained his composure, he began sending messages.

[For about a week.]

[If possible,]

[together.]

[So,]

[the site’s]

[kind]

[incident]

[I’ll]

[This is]

[soon]

[already]

[I love you.]

However, the messages themselves were anything but calm. Sagyeol smiled contentedly, even though his excitement and doting nature were clearly visible in the text.

‘Hmm. Perfect.’

It was clean, not overly sentimental, and conveyed the main point perfectly. Finished, he scrolled the screen upwards. Then, he captured a screenshot of Yeowon’s reply.

Click.

Only then did Sagyeol finally stand up. Outside, Lee Hyun-su and the guild members were waiting for him instead of the attendants.

“The airship docked ages ago, and you’re only disembarking now?”

“Yes. I’ve returned well.”

“Everyone is waiting. I know you must be tired, but you need to head straight to the meeting room.”

“What about the matter I asked you to look into?”

They were exchanging words, but could it truly be called a conversation? The crew member who followed them out made a strange face, but the guild members, accustomed to this, paid no mind.

“Any absences from the meeting?”

“None. At least one representative from every guild that participated in the ‘Suhae Subjugation’ is present.”

“So, even those morons from Hestia are here. Did their Guild Master come personally?”

“No. The Vice Guild Master came.”

“That’s a shame. I was hoping to freeze that mouth of theirs that only spouts useless orders.”

A chilling aura emanated from Sagyeol’s back, betraying his genuine disappointment. The guild members fussed about the cold, widening the distance between them. Leaving the turret, they split into three cars.

Lee Hyun-su and Sagyeol naturally took the same sedan. Grisha’s downtown was dominated by towering skyscrapers. Reflective glass shimmered, illuminating the streets.

The roads were impeccably maintained, and people bustled everywhere. The expansive artificial forests were filled with people exercising or strolling with their pets.

Those who saw Grisha now could never imagine its past. Its appearance twenty years ago. The devastation and ruins. Lee Hyun-su thought he wouldn’t have believed it himself if he hadn’t seen and experienced it firsthand.

‘But why is he so quiet today?’

Normally, he would be cheerfully listing each of the Hestia fellows’ organs, detailing exactly how and where he would freeze them first. It couldn’t possibly end like this, and his uncharacteristic behavior felt ominous.

‘He’s not building momentum for an even bigger incident, is he?’

With Sagyeol, it was entirely possible. A grim-faced Lee Hyun-su glanced at his unpredictable Guild Master. Sagyeol, oblivious, was staring intently at his terminal.

His expression had become peculiar. ‘He used to treat that terminal like a piece of dung strapped to his wrist, claiming ninety percent of his messages were bad news and the other ten percent were ads.’

It was truly strange. Lee Hyun-su’s suspicions deepened. Regardless, Sagyeol intently scrutinized the screen.

Amazingly, three new messages had arrived. Sagyeol exclaimed, “Oh,” and checked the contents.

[That you like me.]

[My heart]

[keeps]

CRASH!

His fist slammed into the side of the car. The impact dented the car door, causing the entire vehicle to sway.

“Aargh!”

“Aargh!”

The driver and Lee Hyun-su screamed in unison.

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