Chapter 85: The Unspoken Truth and a Cabin in the Woods

“……”

A sigh escaped me unbidden. I had no choice but to tug at his collar. Since everyone around us was a Hunter, any secret conversation had to be whispered directly into an ear, even amidst such chaos.

“It’s fine to do it in the barrack…”

My intention was for him to exercise some restraint outside.

Misinterpreting my words, Sagyeol abruptly hoisted me over his shoulder and headed straight for the barrack. Even as I was being carried away, I blinked, utterly bewildered by what was happening. I had been foolish. I should have come to my senses and fled at that very moment.

Consequently, I couldn’t emerge from the barrack until the following day.

The core was drawing near.

As evidence, the demonic energy had grown noticeably denser. The labyrinth, too, had become far more intricate and tightly woven. After a path had been somewhat cleared for latecomers, Yeowon remained at the front-line base camp.

From a certain point, even the slightest movement would conjure Black Mist, blocking their way. Ultimately, without Yeowon, the reinforcement expeditionary force would simply be stuck, unable to advance.

Sagyeol repeatedly stressed the importance of not overexerting himself. He even suggested they return to the city for a few days of rest.

Yeowon refused, demonstrating through his actions that it was no strain at all. As he had always done, he entered the black wall armed with only a single axe. Not long after, the tearing screams of magical creatures echoed from within, and the Black Mist dissipated as if by magic.

Sagyeol experienced conflicting emotions each time this happened.

Yeowon was absolutely indispensable for reaching the core. It was too late to find another Returnee, and having met Hestia’s Returnee directly, Sagyeol was certain. Such a feat was a miracle only Yeowon could accomplish.

Yet, seeing him return so nonchalantly, covered in blood from head to toe, Sagyeol couldn’t help but feel his stomach churn.

Even a small, a very small problem, would be enough pretext to spirit him away and keep him confined in Credit’s home. Despite knowing it was impossible, he was swayed by such a desire.

Public interest and support for Yeowon showed no signs of waning. As his exposure increased, so did the fascination and affection. With his stomach churning, Sagyeol kicked Lee Hyun-su in the shin. Lee Hyun-su whimpered, complaining bitterly.

“No, that’s usually how it goes, isn’t it? This isn’t a misjudgment on my part; it’s just that Yeowon is too capable!”

Sagyeol stroked his chin, conceding the point.

“Hmm. That’s true.”

“……”

‘I really want to quit everything.’ Lee Hyun-su rubbed his shin with a sour expression.

“I’m back.”

Just then, Yeowon returned. Sagyeol, delighted, rushed forward and embraced him tightly. A solid body stirred in his arms.

“You’ll get blood on you.”

“Let it.”

“You really…”

“What?”

As if completely oblivious, Sagyeol hugged him even tighter. Faced with such audacity, Yeowon let out a sigh of resignation.

“It’s nothing.”

“You can’t make someone curious and then just drop it like that, can you?”

“Right. Good boy. I’ll go wash up first.”

When Yeowon raised a hand to pat his head, Sagyeol instantly short-circuited again, melting into a puddle. Lee Hyun-su’s jaw dropped. To handle the boss so easily—it was truly astonishing to witness.

However, this time, Rephtha, seemingly tired of waiting, began to jump around. Yeowon, accustomed to it, gently soothed them again.

Lee Hyun-su finally realized.

“So, the ‘lord’ thing was a lie; they were really a magical creature trainer…”

‘I can hear everything.’ His excellent hearing missed no small sound. Yeowon suppressed a sigh and practically fled into the shower stall.

Sagyeol, who had been spacing out, belatedly rushed over and raised his voice outside the makeshift stall.

“Come out quickly once you’re done showering. No matter what, we’re going home today.”

“…Let’s talk after I’ve washed up.”

“It sounds like you’re trying to persuade me after you’ve washed, but no. Absolutely not. Today, no matter what you offer, we’re going back.”

The list of exchanges Yeowon had offered to stay here flashed through his mind. Each one was full of suggestive content, things Sagyeol could never refuse. A problem arose here:

‘There’s nothing new.’

Since old tactics no longer worked well, he had to keep escalating, leading to increasingly intense offers. To go further than this?

‘It’s better to just go home.’

Yeowon, making a rational judgment, lathered himself with soap. A large, dark shadow circled the stall like an excited husky. It was Sagyeol.

“We’re going, right? Huh?”

“…Alright. Just, please, go over there.”

“You said ‘alright,’ didn’t you? No backing out?”

Yeowon didn’t know why Sagyeol seemed to grow more childish with each passing day, but he agreed nonetheless. Sagyeol’s shadow swiftly moved away. As he rinsed off the soap, Yeowon thought.

Sagyeol couldn’t possibly be unaware that the end was near. Considering why he was so fixated on the core of the catastrophe, Yeowon should have been the most proactive. Yet, Sagyeol was doing everything he could to stop and rest first.

‘Because he’s worried about me.’

Yeowon had said he wasn’t overexerting himself. Even knowing it was true, Sagyeol still worried. That made it difficult to push forward aggressively.

After finishing his shower, Yeowon immediately sought out Reph. He earnestly implored them not to cause trouble in his absence, and Reph snorted discontentedly.

They were a creature who pretended to be an animal when it suited them and human when they felt like it, so Yeowon couldn’t help but worry.

“Reph. Please.”

Yeowon spoke seriously, bumping his forehead against theirs, and Reph reluctantly nodded.

“Good. That’s a good boy.”

Their tail wagged vigorously. The piercing gaze Yeowon had felt from behind for a while grew sharper. Yeowon turned before the other beast could erupt.

“Finished?”

“Yes.”

“Then let’s go.”

Sagyeol threw out a cube. It was the drone they had trained so diligently, yet hadn’t been able to use effectively since meeting Reph. The two returned to the city, following the labyrinth of the black wall. Even as the outer barrier came into view in the distance, Yeowon worried about the Rephtha left behind.

More precisely, he worried about the trouble they would cause.

‘Just don’t eat people.’

It was already a given that they would bite or throw someone. If Reph controlled them well, it wouldn’t happen, but Reph was, to put it nicely, clever, and to put it bluntly, cunning. If the days without Yeowon stretched on, Reph would undoubtedly cause mischief. And in the most effective way to call him back.

When he raised them as a pet, they were truly gentle and good…

“……”

Yeowon’s thoughts abruptly cut off. Into that gap, a fact he had overlooked until now suddenly surfaced.

‘How is Reph in the catastrophe zone?’

The catastrophe that created the disaster zone occurred twenty years ago. Yeowon was thrown into the Demon Realm that same year. He met Reph several years later, after he had become a lord.

In other words, Reph did not come over during the Great Catastrophe twenty years ago.

That was why, during the preliminary meeting, he had said Rephtha might exist, but he had never imagined Reph would be there.

‘Lord.’

The parasite that had spoken to him in a grating, metallic voice came to mind. It knew Yeowon and had targeted him deliberately. Since they lived in an area adjacent to the territory he ruled, the former was understandable, but…

‘Why would a mere parasite target me?’

To steal his body? Why bother?

‘Besides, that wasn’t the atmosphere.’

His stomach churned. The contract with the Demon King, long forgotten, asserted its presence.

It was fortunate that Sagyeol was walking ahead. Yeowon clenched his left hand, which wasn’t holding the drone, with all his might. Otherwise, he felt he might tear at his own chest. It was sickening. The endlessness, the lack of hope, made it even worse.

‘Now… I can’t put it off any longer.’

He had told himself he would tell him someday, when the right time came, but it had led him here. The opportune moment never arrived. It had been fine when there was nothing between them, but now, with every breath, the truth pressed down on his chest.

‘I’ll have to tell him when we get back.’

Yet, he shouldn’t go too far. Unnecessary anxiety hinders rational thought. Reph must have come through an irregular gate. It couldn’t possibly be what he was thinking. Yeowon repeated this to himself several times.

Even as his heart surged as if about to overflow, the drone steadily moved forward. Before long, the two arrived in Grisha.

“That’s the car. Let’s get in.”

Yeowon’s mind was entirely filled with thoughts of Reph. He habitually nodded and got into the car. As the vehicle began to move, Yeowon became engrossed in his thoughts. Sagyeol was uncharacteristically quiet, allowing Yeowon to delve into all sorts of assumptions and complex musings. A ceaseless, unsolvable cycle of thoughts spun within him.

“We’ve arrived.”

“……?”

Sagyeol opened the car door and stepped out. Yeowon frowned at the pouring sunlight. Something felt off. Instead of the dusty, murky smell of the city, there was the scent of dry tree bark. Stepping out of the car into the cold wind, Yeowon was momentarily speechless.

There stood a solitary log cabin, nestled in the gaps of a coniferous forest where the accumulated snow had yet to melt.

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