ReLife Player

[Windless Day (18)]

On that day, there was no one who did not see the miracle she had performed.

The failure to reclaim Uijeongbu hit the nation faster than any other news.

People were shocked to learn that four out of the Twelve Seats who had participated had died.

Public opinion quickly demanded an explanation of the reclamation.

The Fairy Government issued a statement that it would explain how the reclamation was conducted as soon as the troops returned, but there was no way to avoid public criticism.

Some even called for the fairy removal as head of state.

The government had to pull out all the stops to calm public opinion.

The reason the reclamation forces didn’t return after the failure of the Uijeongbu reclamation was also because of this.

The reclamation forces were waiting for the public opinion to quiet down due to the fear that the military of monsters might invade Seoul.

It’s been three days since the failed Uijeongbu reclamation was reported.

After retreating to Hoeryong Station, the troops disbanded today after an inconclusive debate.

«…This is the worst.»

After receiving nothing but criticism from the Clan Lords who had gone out to defend Uijeongbu Station, Gil Sung-joon leaned back against his seat while looking up at the ceiling.

This was the worst.

There was nothing worse than this.

The troops who retreated against orders would be reprimanded.

If the troops that remained at Uijeongbu Station had been wiped out, they would have been able to cover their asses.

The problem was that the division had been saved by an unexpected event.

Shin Seo-young manifested a <Miracle> against the army of monsters with her body.

And as players fought off the forces to protect her, the retreating Silla Clan rallied their troops to rescue her.

It was a blunder to meet the support troops brought by the Blaze Clan while running away with their tails between their legs.

They should have joined the support troops brought by the Blaze Clan back then. If they had done that, they wouldn’t be receiving such criticism and wouldn’t have been told to take responsibility.

«…And the Minister of the Mana Management Organization?»

«He’s still guarding Uijeongbu Station today.»

«Is that so.»

Gil Sung-joon sighed at the answer from Sublord Jo Yeong-ho, who was attending the meeting on behalf of Shin Seo-young, who was being treated in the intensive care division.

Moon Joon was the person in charge of the reclamation forces

If they could get down on their hands and knees and beg for his life, they might be able to mitigate their liability.

But Moon Joon never attended the meetings and didn’t participate in the discussions for three days, leaving orders that he would never leave the division that disobeyed orders and retreated.

Currently, he was deploying protective magic to keep the army of monsters at bay.

According to reports, he had been practicing the spell for three days and three nights without food or drink.

«…Trouble, this is trouble.»

They were hateful bastards.

The troops who had disobeyed orders and retreated were trying to pass the blame on to Clan Changhae, who had the highest command authority in the division.

It was a tear-jerking display of comradeship.

Therefore, Gil Sung-jun had to find a way through this difficulty.

«I…Clan Lord.»

«What.»

«Why don’t you use Shin Seo-young’s sublord?»

«…….»

Gil Sung-joon was lost in thought at Jo Yeong-ho’s suggestion.

Currently, Shin Seo-yeong was praised as the <Queen> within the reclamation forces and was also worshipped as a hero in Seoul. If they used her as a hero called <Queen>, they might be able to evade responsibility.

«…No, no.»

Gil Sung-joon shook his head.

He couldn’t ignore the importance of her position within the clan.

The situation where clan members who shouted her name as the <Queen> increased was a fact.

One wrong move could solidify her position.

There would surely be a call for a change of Clan Lord.

At that point, he would have no choice but to back down.

Of course, if he controlled her as his lover, it would be possible. If she wholeheartedly followed his words…

Not likely.

He recalled how many times he had disagreed with her during the reclamation of Uijeongbu.

The last one was worse.

He’d chosen to retreat with his troops, and she’d chosen to face the army, even if only as a single person.

Her ideals were dangerous.

They didn’t fit the path he was pursuing.

«What happened to Seo-young, by the way? Was it the third day? Is she still unconscious?»

«Yes…, she’s in intensive care. They say the Fairy has instructed them to take care of the hero in the best environment Uijeongbu can provide.»

«Why are you telling me that now?»

«I’m sorry.»

Gil Sung-jun felt anger rising.

It was easy to see what the fairy was thinking.

Fairy Im Gaeul was planning to obscure the true nature of the failure of the reclamation from public opinion.

She would frame it in a way that praised the heroes and punished the troops who had disobeyed orders and retreated.

That couldn’t be allowed.

«What’s her condition? When do they think she’ll wake up?»

«They say she’s in a condition where she shouldn’t be awake right now, and that the cost of performing the <Miracle> has disrupted her mana circuitry, so she won’t be able to use the same level of power as before.»

«…Does that mean she can’t be active as a player again?»

«They say it doesn’t go that far, but even if they do rehabilitation, it will only affect the power of a B-ranked player on the Mana Management Organization’s scale….»

«Yeah…, that’s right.»

The Twelve Seat <Queen> Shin Seo-young.

Gil Sung jun thought of her future existence as a Changhae Clan Sublord after losing her powers.

He could see how her status within the clan would rise.

Regardless of whether she had lost her powers.

Just being alive was enough to disrupt the clan’s operations.

If there was even a trace of power left, he would have somehow manipulated her, but…

She, who had lost her power, was worthless.

Instead, she was a presence that threatened his own position.

«I wish she were dead instead….»

He, biting his nails, suddenly had a thought at his mumbled words.

Her achievements had utility for manipulation.

It was just that her existence was a thorn in his side.

In that case, what if she died?

«…That’s fine.»

Her death would be useful.

There’s a saying that one should leave when they’re being applauded.

Heroes should die when they shine the brightest to experience the sorrow of the masses.

He chose to use her death to obscure her essence, just as the fairy used her accomplishments to obscure his.

A distraction.

From anger at the failure to the reclamation Uijeongbu to grief at the death of the <Queen>.

Pouring oil on the fire.

There were unspeakable horrors in the <Queen>’s death.

The moment they heard that, the sorrowful public opinion mourning the <Queen>’s death would turn into anger again.

«There’s a saying that crisis is an opportunity.»

It was something to be thankful for, even from the government’s perspective.

The Fairy Government didn’t have to do anything.

He would blur the essence.

After blurring the essence to the point where he couldn’t even remember what the essence was, he would sell the one who horribly killed her.

Of course, the one who horribly killed her had to be someone among those who followed her.

To disband her power.

He could absorb it as a foundation to solidify his own position.

And he would emphasize that he was the lover of the hero, shedding tears for the hero’s death, to sway public opinion in his favor.

As long as her achievements and death were remembered, public opinion would always be his ally.

Indeed, there was no saying more true than «crisis is an opportunity.»

«Good, very good.»

Gil Sung-jun chuckled, his shoulders trembling.

He looked at Jo Yeong-ho, who had silently followed him all this time.

«By the way…, how do you know so well about Seo-yeong’s condition?»

«That’s…»

Jo Yeong-ho hesitated.

Gil Sung-jun noticed something and raised his eyebrows.

«…Ah, I see. That’s how it is.»

He didn’t need to hear the words; he could already tell.

How he felt about her.

«How many years have you been with me?»

«…Nine years.»

«That’s a long time, but in all that time, you haven’t gotten anything in return, have you?»

Gil Sung jun stood up and put his hand on Jo Yeong-ho’s shoulder.

«…….»

Gil Sung jun said in a small voice.

«That’s…!»

Jo Yeong-ho’s eyes shook.

He showed a flicker of emotion.

Gil Sung-jun prodded him as if he had been waiting.

«No matter how much you’ve worked for me up until now, this is the moment.»

«No matter what, that’s…, it’s against the rules.»

«When have we ever been moral, and you, frankly, are not qualified to discuss morality?»

«…….»

«Think about it. I’ll lay the groundwork. You just have to enjoy the goods and eat the rice cake.»

«…….»

«…It’s been hard for you all this time, just watching, hasn’t it?»

«…Just watching was enough.»

«Is that so? Then should I ask someone else?»

«…….»

«This is your chance. Be honest. Even if you can’t win her heart, isn’t it possible to mix bodies at least once?»

«…Are you trying to dismiss me?»

«Why would I dismiss you? You’ve been with me for nine years. I wouldn’t do that.»

He succeeded.

Gil Sung-jun suppressed his laughter inwardly.

Manipulating people’s minds was so simple.

«I’ll just cover it up with Kang Cheol.»

☆

«Ah, Sublord Jo Yeong-ho.»

«How is Sublord Shin Seo-young?»

«She’s still asleep.»

The clan members were taking turns nursing Shin Seo-young.

Kang Cheol, who had been nursing her since lunch, shook his head in frustration.

Shin Seoyoung still hadn’t woken up.

He was worried that she might have suffered some kind of physical or mental abnormality in exchange for manifesting the <Miracle> .

«Don’t worry too much. The surgery went well.»

«I wish it was as Sublord said….»

«More than that, do you know about the shift change?»

«Huh? Is it that time already?»

Kang Cheol checked the time.

It was shift change, just like Jo Yeong-ho said.

He stood up and looked back at her lying on the bed.

He felt sorry to leave her like this.

He also felt a little uneasy.

«…I, can I stay a little longer?»

«Huh? What do you mean?»

«Nothing, just…. I have nothing better to do, so I’ll just protect my noona….»

«…Do you even realize what kind of condition you’re in right now? You don’t look like you’ve had any sleep. I know you’re worried about Shin Seo-young Sublord but take care of yourself first.»

Jo Yeong-ho scolded Kang Cheol for his hesitation. He tried to force him out of the hospital room, even if it meant pushing him around.

In the end, Kang Cheol was forced to leave the room.

«Then…,please take care of my noona.»

«Leave her to me. I’ll keep an eye on her.»

Seeing that he had moved away from the hospital room, the corners of his mouth turned up ugly.

Stupid thing. Leave it to me.

I’ll keep an eye on her.

He looked down at the sleeping woman and bit his lip.

Her chest rose and fell with each breath she took.

«…I never thought a day like this would come.»

The hospital that the Reclamation Army was using to treat the wounded was an abandoned building.

There were no surveillance cameras.

Visitation lists were handwritten.

It wasn’t hard to pin the blame on Kang Cheol.

A weight lifted off his shoulders.

«You won’t know. How much I’ve been… how much I’ve admired you, Sublord Shin Seo-young, all this time…»

Excited, his heartbeat accelerated rapidly, and his breathing became rough.

He slowly pulled off the blanket.

He saw the patient gown revealed.

It clearly showed off her figure.

There was no need to mention her chest, and he just couldn’t take his eyes off her well-defined waist..

He ran his fingertips slowly over her body from top to bottom.

Unable to hold back any longer, he climbed up to her abdomen.

His fingers trembled as he unbuttoned her gown, exposing her lightly tanned skin and revealing the valley below her collarbone.

«Don’t be too hard on yourself. I was only going to watch, but Clan Lord said I could.»

«He said to do it before you die.»

«Yes, that’s right, Sublord Shin Seoyoung, you’re going to die, and you should have kept a close eye on Clan Lord, because I’m the one who’s benefiting from it now….»

With a flushed face, Jo Yeong-ho continued to unbutton, muttering hesitantly. He felt he couldn’t handle what lay ahead without speaking. He wanted to rid himself of the guilt, even if it meant stuttering.

«─Is that so?»

Ironically, this exposed his own crime and Gil Sung-jun’s scheme.

«Shi-, Shin Seoyoung Sublord!»

Jo Yeong-ho, who was about to reach for her chest, was so startled that he fell backwards.

Shin Seoyoung frowned. She grasped his wrist and struggled to sit up.

«So you were thinking that way.»

There was no resonance.

But it didn’t matter.

Shin Seoyoung, without the aid of her player device, conjured up a gust of wind.

«Ugh…!»

Jo Yeong-ho raised his arms in defense.

Her strength was not what it used to be.

He, on the other hand, was a Sublord, classified as an A-class by the clan’s standards. Among the Named Players, he boasted considerable skill.

He intended to defeat her by force if necessary.

If she were alone.

«─Are you ready to die?»

«……!»

It came out of nowhere.

Incomprehensible sounds escaped Jo Yeong-ho’s mouth.

A fist appeared out of thin air and struck him in the side of the head as he lunged at her.

His head spun several times around its center, and he fell to the ground with a dull thud.

«Don’t kill him.»

«I know.»

The fist hovering in mid-air clenched. As it moved as if untangling wrinkles in the air, the figure hidden beneath the transparent cape emerged.

A man with a bulky, bear-like physique. His rough face and thick arms were marked with minor scars.

«Ah, huhuc…»

The man grabbed Jo Yeong-ho’s head with his large hand, covered in foam.

Shin Seoyoung, sitting at the edge of the bed, wasn’t even surprised by the distorted form of Jo Yeong-ho the man was holding.

Instead, those who burst in after hearing the commotion were the ones taken aback.

«What’s happening! …Noonim?»

With a mouthful of rice balls in his mouth, Kang Cheol doubted his eyes when he saw what had happened in the hospital room.

Shin Seo-young was awake, and a mysterious man was holding Jo Yeong-ho.

«What the fuck is this….»

After swallowing his rice ball, Kang Cheol tried to deal with the man who was much bigger than him.

It wasn’t until he saw Shin Seo-young adjusting her clothes that he realized what was going on.

«No way, Jo Yeong-ho, you asshole, you did this….»

«Shin Seo-young, what’s going on?»

«I suddenly heard a loud noise and ran over, but this….»

«Unnie, are you hurt?»

Kang Cheol cried out.

Do wanjun, who had taken off his hat, frowned, while Guyeounsu looked at Jo Yeong-ho in disbelief.

Park Hye-rim looked past the mysterious man to check on Shin Seo-young.

They weren’t the only ones.

Players who heard the commotion quickly gathered.

Among them was a pale-faced Gil Sung-jun.

«I understand the situation, but we should know what exactly happened…?»

Kim Yoo-jin, who made her way through the crowd, spoke while examining Shin Seoyoung’s condition.

«That’s true, but who on earth are you?»

Doh wanjun, with his hand on his holster, adopted a posture ready to draw his device at any moment.

The player standing guard over Shin Seoyoung was a man he had never seen before in the retrieval team.

He hadn’t even taken out any mana from his body yet, but he was exuding an aura of fear just by looking at him.

«I am—»

The man who had thrown Jo Yeong-ho into a random mate replied as he placed the cloak he was clutching with one hand over Shin Seoyoung’s head.

«─No Bruno.»

UGH, HOW DARE YOU DO THAT TO HER!!!!!

Gil sung jun, you are so dead, I swear.