IN GAME
NO. 23
W. Seolha
I will remember the day I buried my sister's body for the rest of my life. I couldn't bring myself to leave her body in the barren mountains, so I buried her in a spot with plenty of sunlight. Perhaps not confident enough to take her on a day when she was crying to the point of exhaustion, the rest of the group decided to camp there that day. The loss I had suffered was too great for me to feel guilty about delaying our plans.
The three remaining Revelators asked me if I wanted to return to Rochester Territory. Perhaps they were concerned about me, but I politely declined their offer. My sister was curious about the end of this journey. I wanted to stop by and tell her on my way back. I wanted to tell her of the things that had happened since she left. And if her death was caused by a traitor,I will definitely find that traitor and kill him.. For that reason, I had to stay with the group.
The journey continued, but the mood among the group was less cheerful than before. This was understandable, considering more than half of the group had died.
(syncopation)
The writing is damaged and illegible.
(syncopation)
I think I saw something I shouldn't have. If I found out, I'd probably kill myself.
I'm thinking of a way to escape. But how? I can't leave the rest of the group in this mountain to survive alone. If I do, I'll lose my life in vain at the hands of a traitor. I want to save the remaining two, no matter what. Isn't there a better way? If only my sister had helped me...
Finally, another person died. After witnessing the death with my own eyes, I blindly took Melia and fled. My entire body was covered in bruises from the tumbling down the mountain. I fled, oblivious to the pain, and arrived at the Crea Empire. What should I do next? Melia must have been deeply shocked to witness the traitor with her own eyes.
Ian Bahnine betrayed everyone who saw him.
-Excerpt from Vivian's Records-
IN GAME
"I'm going back to the empire."
Jeon Jungkook frowned at my carelessly blurted words. "What are you talking about?" Unlike Jeon Jungkook, who sat up from where he was sprawled on the sofa, the other three remained silent, their mouths clenched shut. I placed Jin's letter on the table. Kim Taehyung's lips twitched.
"I knew this all along."
“…Calm down first and let’s talk about our story-,”
"You should have told me, you should have told me the moment I got back to the inn."
"……."
"How did you hide the fact that there was a rebellion in the Empire?"
Jeon Jungkook's face paled. … What do you mean? He demanded an explanation, his fists clenched so hard they turned white. Isn't a rebellion usually a form of civil war caused by resentment against the leader of a country? Jeon Jungkook, who had entered the body of the crown prince of the empire, and whose memories as the crown prince now dominated most of his memory, it was only natural that he would react more violently than anyone else to the news of a rebellion in the empire. This was especially true when he remembered Jeon Jungkook's occasional joy in talking about the princess. Even I, who had no memory of Yulia, was worried about the Duke's family, so how much more so? Kim Taehyung sighed and gestured for me and Jeon Jungkook to sit. It was a silent message that he would tell them the truth.
"First of all, I'm sorry I didn't tell you. You and Jeon Jungkook were in the ocean for three weeks, right? Of course, I thought rest came first, and Jung Hoseok and Min Yoongi agreed."
"Yes, I tried to explain slowly after getting enough rest."
"Still, how can you hide something like this?"
Kim Taehyung, who had been observing my state for a while while I was speechless, relaxed his stiff body and leaned back on the sofa.
"I need to check your condition properly before I speak. You look so tired that I could faint at any moment."
Kim Taehyung was right. Julia's body was so exhausted that if she relaxed even a moment, she could fall into a deep sleep. He was perfectly right, but something inside her kept bubbling up. Jung Ho-seok's hand gently patted her shoulder, as if to calm her down, and her ragged breathing gradually calmed. She already knew that getting angry now would only waste her energy. She was just throwing a tantrum out of frustration.
Jeon Jungkook agreed to my request for a detailed explanation of what had happened. Kim Taehyung nodded to Min Yoongi. Min Yoongi, who had been silently observing the situation, reluctantly spoke. A quiet voice whispered, explaining the situation in the empire.
"There was an attack on a noble in the empire."
That's what I read in Jin's letter. Glenn lost his life in this incident, that's what it said.
"Even that would have been a major incident, but the noble attack was a cover-up. Since it happened in each territory, not the capital, people's attention must have spread throughout the empire."
"……."
"Naturally, the troops concentrated in the capital were dispatched to the territory where the incident occurred. Taking advantage of this gap, the rebels attacked the imperial palace."
Min Yoongi continued. It started with the imperial palace, then the territories of the attacked nobles. With their leader gone, there was nothing easier than attacking those territories in disarray. Next came the nearby territories. Nearly half of the empire had fallen into rebel hands. This was all in just three weeks. Jeon Jungkook, having heard that the imperial palace had already fallen to the rebels, washed his face dry. Seeing him, I quietly asked. …What about the Orte Duchy?
"It's still okay there. But the townhouses in the capital must have already passed."
Min Yoongi added that the capital had already fallen to the rebels, leaving nothing to be done about it. If the townhouse had already fallen, then Jin had already… He roughly tousled his hair. Jin's final letter, telling him never to return to the Empire, kept coming back to him. What should he do? He leaned limply against the back of the sofa and closed his eyes. A slight headache surged through his mind, but he couldn't stop thinking.
“…But if possible, I want to return to the Empire now.”
"I said." Kim Taehyung seemed eager to retort, but he didn't bother to speak. The firm "no" came from someone other than Kim Taehyung. Jung Ho-seok spoke with a hardened face. His eyes, usually gentle and relaxed, were tense, and his lips, once soft and relaxed, were now rigid. "The empire is in danger."
"The Empire is not in a situation where you can go just because you want to."
"Isn't there a way? No, how did you find out about the Empire's situation in the first place? If there's a contact network within the Empire, you could find a way back through them."
"It's been a week since all correspondence stopped. ...There's something you need to know. There's only one way we can know the state of the Empire."
“…What is it?”
"I used Min Yoongi's ability."
"They say you can send evil spirits quite far away."
Min Yoongi added to Jung Ho-seok's words. My eyes and Jeon Jung-kook's widened. Min Yoongi, Suga, and I knew that as necromancers, we could gather information through spirits, but we'd never imagined he could send spirits so far away, from the Kingdom of Hishak to the Empire.
"What I'm trying to say is that the information we have is limited. We don't know exactly which vast swathes of the Empire have fallen into rebel hands and which haven't. Aside from Min Yoongi's demonic presence, we have no way to contact the Empire."
"……."
"Even if we take that risk and cross the border, what happens then? What if the information we get is a step behind and we're captured by the rebels?"
"……"
"Will the rebels really leave the crown prince alone? You, too, are a princess, so you're just as dangerous."
"…but,"
"I know you're worried about your family. But right now, you can't act solely on fear. You need to use more rational judgment and choose the option that offers a slightly higher chance of success. Your life is threatened not by the system, but by the people of this world."
Every word of it was true, so I kept my mouth shut. I nodded slowly in agreement.
Looking at it another way, being in a foreign country might be an opportunity. It allows for relative freedom of movement. If I could devise a plan to restore the empire even here, and then complete and execute the plan, it might be far more stable than simply returning to the empire and rescuing Jin. Of course, not returning to the empire doesn't mean I'm abandoning the Dukes.
“…but I think a little differently.”
Everyone's eyes were focused on Min Yoongi, who was leaning back on the sofa with a relaxed expression.
"I think I need to return to the Empire."
“…Why? Even though it was obvious that returning to the Empire, no, even the process of returning, would be dangerous….”
"Even when we were wandering the continent, trying to destroy the 'Source,' there were always dangers. We've had more than one near-death experience. So, isn't it inconsistent to say we shouldn't do it now because it's dangerous?"
“That’s a completely different issue, so wouldn’t it be right to think about it differently?”
"Nothing different. I'm sure it's a risk we can take."
Jung Hoseok continued to refute Min Yoongi's words. Jeon Jungkook, who had been listening to their ongoing argument, spoke up during Jung Hoseok's brief silence. Jung Hoseok nodded at the suggestion that it was right to hear Min Yoongi's opinion, too.
"As I said, roughly half of the empire's territory has fallen into rebel hands. The truth is, the remaining half could fall at any moment."
"Isn't that what you're saying about it being dangerous?"
"Listen. Think of it another way: half of the territory hasn't been conquered yet. Even within that half, we can sufficiently plan and execute. Furthermore, the news of the rebellion within the Empire hasn't even reached the Kingdom of Deroba, its closest neighbor. Is this any different?"
"……."
"What are we going to do by staying here? Grabbing someone who doesn't even know what's going on and telling them there's a rebellion in the Empire and asking for help? It's better if they don't treat us like lunatics and send us back to the Empire. There's no benefit to us staying in a foreign country. And—"
"What you're most worried about is that there's no way to get to the Empire, right?" Min Yoongi said, pointing at Jung Hoseok with his fingertips.
"I will open the way to the empire."
Min Yoongi continued, unfazed by Jung Hoseok's silence. Where the rebels were stationed, which part of the empire's border had fallen to rebels, and which was still safe. I know where it was safe to go, and where it would be dangerous. A vague black object floated behind Min Yoongi. It was a ghost. With a gesture, Min Yoongi sent it somewhere. Perhaps somewhere in the border area. As if he had said everything he wanted to say, Min Yoongi picked up the teacup in front of him and sipped it. Jeon Jungkook seemed deeply troubled, and Kim Taehyung seemed unmoved, as if he would follow whatever decision was made. Jung Hoseok looked at Min Yoongi for a moment, seeming to collect his thoughts. I, too, couldn't speak easily because my mind was about to explode. Everyone had a lot on their minds.
Anyway, nothing would get better if I just sat here and thought about it for a hundred days. My body, overworked, seemed to have reached its limit, and Jeon Jungkook didn't seem much different from me. Since I couldn't move right away, Kim Taehyung concluded that we should think things through and decide slowly. Calling the lengthy meeting to a close, Kim Taehyung got up first and headed to his room. Jeon Jungkook and Min Yoongi followed.
“…I’ll go up too.”
I said. Jeong Ho-seok, who seemed still deep in thought, raised his head at the sound of my voice and met my eyes. A faint smile spread across his previously stiff lips, and he replied, "Yes."
"Get some rest and see you tomorrow."
"Yeah, good night."
I dragged my legs, heavy as a thousand pounds, up the stairs to the inn. Even as I reached the last step leading to the second floor, I heard no sound from below, so I couldn't tell how long Jeong Ho-seok had been there.
/
Unlike before, when I struggled to fall asleep, tossing and turning every time before finally managing to do so, my body, almost crippled by fatigue, fell into a deep sleep the moment I laid down on the bed. Everything was dark, leaving me with no time to think.
And when I opened my eyes again, I was in a room awash in blue. Lying on the bare floor, I slowly blinked, raising my body. A room awash in blue. It felt so familiar. Thinking, "What if?", I quickly sat up and waited for white letters to appear on the wall. Just like when I first met him, so long ago.
But nothing happened. The pristine blue walls still radiated a soft blue glow. Neither the playful phrases etched in pure white letters nor the sonorous voice that had slowly become familiar could be heard. I slowly sank to the floor. It felt as if the system, "Jimin," would burst out at any moment, but nothing happened.
"……."
I opened my mouth. I tried to scream Jimin's name. I frowned at my throat, which seemed blocked by something, only letting out a hoarse sound. Words wouldn't come out. All that came out was a raspy, croaky sound, like someone without a voice. Naturally, I couldn't even call Jimin's name.
I sat up and slowly approached the wall. If I couldn't speak, I wanted to knock on the wall to let it know I was there. My slow steps picked up speed. The blue wall, which seemed so close, didn't seem to be getting any closer, so I gradually quickened my pace in impatience. Faster, faster. My pace became a run. I ran until I was out of breath and beads of sweat formed on my forehead, but the wall didn't get any closer. I stopped running and looked around. I was still in the same place. Only then did I sense something strange.
I turned around. I took another step in the direction I'd come from, running briskly. This time, I walked slowly. After a while, I was still in the center of the stark blue room. Only one thing had changed.
"……!"
Something had appeared where I had been sitting. I quickly ran over and grabbed the small object. It was familiar. Thinking I'd seen it somewhere before, I picked it up, and the moment I did, the bright blue room rang. The seemingly solid blue wall began to crack. With a loud rumbling sound, the cracks in the wall grew larger. The floor was no different. I walked hesitantly on the floor, which seemed ready to crumble at any moment. I heard a thud, a creak. An indescribable fear overcame me. The floor had collapsed. I felt myself sinking into the void.
And then I opened my eyes.
My eyes, wide open, rolled around. I'd fallen asleep face down on the bed, my face pressed against the pillow, and I could only roll my eyes. It was an inn. A wooden bed, luggage strewn across the floor, and papers scattered across the desk. Realizing this was a familiar sight, I sat up with a start.
"…dream?"
What kind of dreams are these? I still vividly remember the feeling of the ground beneath my feet collapsing. I ran a dry hand over my face. A deep sigh escaped me. My waking mind slowly began to turn. This must be a dream. I sat up in shock, then laid back down on the bed.
"evil-,"
And then I woke up again. Something was pressing against the center of my back. … A pebble? A small object lay in the middle of the bed where I had just been lying. Small, round, and pretty, like a pebble. Just like the object I had been holding in my dream…
[Space Stone]
Consumable items
If you break it and use it, it will go to the designated space.
Can move.
Currently designated location: Blue subspace
Number of uses remaining: 1 time
“…Mad, space stone!”
I half-screamed as I picked up the Space Stone in the familiar Item Window. System! The spaces I'd seen in my dreams flashed before me. A pure blue space, a wall devoid of white writing, myself unable to speak, and the Space Stone. Roughly put together,
"You can't tell me through the quest window, so come find me yourself?"
"What is this?" I muttered, then placed the spatial stone on the bed and busily moved about. I roughly tidied my messy hair, changed from my street clothes into comfortable clothes, and, just in case, took out the notebook and quill I'd tucked away in a corner of my suitcase and left a note.
'system'
It was only a single word, but I left the note with the thought that either Kim Taehyung or Jeon Jungkook, who already knew about "Jimin," would foolishly interpret it on their own. I placed the note on my desk, in a prominent spot, and grabbed the spatial stone. We were finally meeting. It was a reunion after three years. For nearly three years, since the day the subspace shattered, I hadn't been able to see the system.
Embracing the excitement of a girl setting off on a picnic, I placed the spatial stone on the floor. Crunch! My thick-soled shoes crumbled the spatial stone, and white smoke rose from beneath my feet. The white smoke, which had been spreading, quickly transformed into blue graphic fragments, quickly enveloping my body. My vision, once covered in a bright blue window, became opaque. Between the translucent graphic fragments, I could see the rippling shape of the inn.
✨