Chapter 83: The Battlefield Beckons

The proposal was simply to meet, each side flanked by a formidable contingent of combat-type espers. While not precisely quantifiable, the Airain faction’s esper forces were also substantial.

Sa-yoon’s face hardened. Airain seemed to possess an unusually high number of Irregulars.

Even when comparing espers of the same rank, Irregulars were inherently stronger. This was due to their fewer restrictions or their possession of anomalous abilities, surpassing those of conventional espers.

For this very reason, Sa-yoon felt confident he wouldn’t lose even if he faced other S-rank espers one-on-one. Han Do-hoon, understanding this, likely intended to bring Sa-yoon to the battlefield rather than arresting him outright.

It was a calculated move to create an environment from which Sa-yoon could not escape.

“They’ll mobilize all combat-type espers to act as escorts, then.”

“That was my expectation, yes. But this time, the roster for deployment is slightly different from what I anticipated.”

Sa-yoon approached the director’s side and reviewed the newly issued directive. Normally, the director would have stopped him, citing confidentiality, but this time, he allowed Sa-yoon to proceed.

As Sa-yoon meticulously examined the deployment list, his expression grew rigid.

“My name is on the list?”

“I have no idea what they’re thinking. Sending Han Do-hoon should have been enough. But to request you as well? What do they take Korea for, to make such an absurd demand? Even if it’s only a short-term deployment.”

In stark contrast to the enraged director, Sa-yoon’s body temperature plummeted. According to the document, it was a brief deployment, lasting about a month, yet Sa-yoon was still required to go to the battlefield.

It hadn’t been long since he’d felt relieved by Han Do-hoon’s absence, but now, circumstances had taken this turn.

“Well, I understand that your ability is specialized for escort duty. But if that’s the case, they should return Han Do-hoon. These shameless bastards. I’ll have to lodge a proper complaint this time.”

A ‘summit’ — what a convenient pretext. Thanks to the global breaking news that had spread recently, all eyes were fixed on the battlefield. With the world’s attention focused there, Sa-yoon’s deployment left no room for refusal.

At this point, Sa-yoon himself was starting to wonder. Had Airain truly requested a summit, or was this an elaborate ruse, using a non-existent meeting as an excuse to drag him to the battlefield?

‘Still, they wouldn’t spread fake news and escalate things just to capture me.’ Sa-yoon thought, even as a bitter taste filled his mouth.

“Sa-yoon, it seems you and a few of your team members will have to go to the battlefield.”

“If they call, I must go. But I am worried. What if I also leave the country?”

Sa-yoon asked, concealing his bitter feelings. The director’s concern was valid. When Sa-yoon and Han Do-hoon had both vacated Seoul simultaneously, trouble had erupted. If both were to leave the country entirely, responding to crises would become incredibly difficult.

The director let out a deep sigh.

“There’s one more S-rank esper in the country, you know.”

“Ah, that person? The prophecy-type esper.”

The elder known as Go Ok-kyung came to mind. ‘It must be difficult for someone her age to work in the field.’

“Somehow, she knew. I received a call from her this morning. No, of course she’d know. It’s her ability. She contacted me to say she would focus on monitoring domestic incidents for the time being, so we should coordinate our responses.”

Sa-yoon had considered using domestic stability as an excuse to avoid the deployment, but that path was now closed. Indeed, while a prophecy esper might not contribute directly to combat power, they were an exceptional asset when it came to defense.

He had heard that before Sa-yoon and Han Do-hoon appeared, she had protected the land with minimal force, relying on her abilities. For the month Sa-yoon would be away, she would undoubtedly be able to cover things adequately.

‘If it’s truly only a month, that is.’

‘Will I be able to return?’

‘Could Sa-yoon, once he arrived on the battlefield, safely return home in the same state he left?’ An unspeakable anxiety once again churned within Sa-yoon’s quiet mind.

A month was far too long. No, even a single day felt too long. If Irregular Hunters were waiting in that desolate expanse, Sa-yoon would be captured without a proper fight.

“Oh, and Go Ok-kyung-nim had something she wanted me to give you.”

The director handed him an unopened, sealed envelope.

“It hasn’t been checked? Is it really okay to just give this to me?”

“It’s fine because it didn’t come through official channels. She insisted that only you see it. She emphasized several times that I shouldn’t look either. Anyway, take it with you. I’ll contact you when the concrete schedule is set.”

Sa-yoon clutched the letter and returned to his lodgings. In his empty room, he didn’t even bother to turn on the light, eagerly tearing open the envelope. He was curious what the prophet, who had once seen Sa-yoon blessed and gloriously shining, had left for him.

Hoping the letter contained hopeful words—perhaps that Sa-yoon would safely return home and escape with Jung Hyun-woo—he unfolded the paper.

[What you seek will be on the battlefield. Go. And die there.]

The letter contained words entirely different from what Sa-yoon had anticipated.

“Absolutely not.”

Jung Hyun-woo stated firmly.

“The battlefield? You can’t be saying this without knowing your own situation, Sa-yoon?”

“There’s no other way, hyung.”

Sa-yoon spoke, trying to calm the agitated Jung Hyun-woo. The moment the word ‘battlefield’ was uttered, Jung Hyun-woo had thrown down his gown and erupted in indignation. Even as Sa-yoon calmly explained the situation, he couldn’t stay still, uncharacteristically.

“This won’t do. There’s no more time to wait. Rather than playing into this scheme, let’s leave the country now.”

Jung Hyun-woo began gathering the belongings on his desk, as if he meant to leave immediately. He collected various items and shoved them into a trunk.

“Not yet, hyung. You know that.”

Sa-yoon soothed Jung Hyun-woo, calling him ‘hyung’. He still needed to remain at the headquarters. More of the rings Sa-yoon wore needed to be crafted. The rings contained materials that Jung Hyun-woo, as a medical officer at headquarters, could acquire more easily.

Jung Hyun-woo had to remain affiliated with headquarters until enough supplies were prepared to conceal their identities for an extended period. Moreover, his mother was still alive.

Though she might not realize Sa-yoon was gone, he couldn’t simply leave her behind. Furthermore, he couldn’t predict what Jin Jung-woo would do to hide evidence once he discovered Sa-yoon’s disappearance.

“This is so frustrating.”

Jung Hyun-woo beat his chest, lamenting. Reality was too bleak. He could only envision a future where Sa-yoon was crushed to death under a collapsing sky, with no escape route in sight.

“And I’ve made up my mind. I think there’s something I need to do on the battlefield.”

“What could you possibly do on the battlefield? Are you just going to grab Han Do-hoon by the collar and resent him now?”

“Of course not.”

As time passed, Jung Hyun-woo’s words grew harsher. He wasn’t usually like this, but Jung Hyun-woo had suffered as much emotional distress as Sa-yoon.

“I received a prophecy. It said I must go to the battlefield. Myeong-ah will be there.”

Sa-yoon relayed the prophecy he had received from Go Ok-kyung to Jung Hyun-woo. He omitted the part about ‘dying there’, only mentioning that he would find what he sought on the battlefield.

This was the first clue to finding Myeong-ah, whose whereabouts had been unknown for years. If he had hesitated after Go Ok-kyung’s first prophecy, unsure who the person he’d reunite with at Christmas was, this time, it was clearly about Myeong-ah.

After all, Myeong-ah was the only one Sa-yoon had been searching for all this time.

Jung Hyun-woo, who had been lost in thought at these words, quietly sat back down. He meticulously picked up his discarded gown and put it on.

“…So that’s how it is. It really comes to this.”

Muttering in a low voice, Jung Hyun-woo roughly ran his hands through his hair. He rubbed his face like a drunken man, pondered for a long time, then asked Sa-yoon again.

“Are you absolutely sure you’ve made up your mind to go?”

“Yes.”

“If you’re making that choice because of Myeong-ah, Sa-yoon, you don’t have to shoulder this danger.”

“You know you don’t have to stay at headquarters because of me either, hyung. Yet, you’re still staying…”

When Sa-yoon smiled at Jung Hyun-woo, Jung Hyun-woo couldn’t help but laugh in exasperation. In their current situation, hearing such words made it impossible to dissuade him further.

In truth, if he were to abandon Sa-yoon and escape alone right now, Jung Hyun-woo, who had only the tenuous connection of being a close medical officer, would be free. Yet, he remained, determined to stay with Sa-yoon until the very end.

“Yes. We’re both equally foolish, aren’t we?”

“Is it suddenly obvious?”

The heavy atmosphere lightened. Their resolve to head into peril remained unchanged, but their mindset was different from before. Even if they might die, they both seemed to understand, though unspoken, that the moment they had so desperately sought was approaching.

“Since you’ve decided to go to the battlefield, Sa-yoon, there’s something I’ve hidden from you all this time.”

Jung Hyun-woo lowered his gaze, speaking to Sa-yoon as if recalling a very old memory.

“When we received the notification of Myeong-ah’s death, it briefly mentioned the mission he had undertaken just before. I only knew because it was a mandatory item sent to the family of the deceased.”

As he quietly recounted the past, Jung Hyun-woo’s face grew increasingly somber. The moment he and his parents had opened that mail, his mother’s disbelieving cries and his father’s silent, heartbroken gaze at the sky were still vivid in his mind.

“Myeong-ah’s last mission, the place where he died, was the battlefield.”

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