NOVEL NEXT Chapter 223
Chapter 224
“Oh, Yeon-woo, did you hear? A dragon appeared in the East Sea!”
Jung Yu-jin, who I ran into while moving to another class, said this. Yeon-woo replied with a serious face.
“Yeah, I’ve only heard it a hundred times so far!”
“What? Did they all come to ask you? That’s hilarious.”
“I think it’s funny too. But just because I’m Shar’s contractor doesn’t mean I’m the contractor for all dragons.”
“Then I guess you shouldn’t go outside the academy today. There are probably reporters swarming around the school gate.”
“Seriously, why would anyone even post that online…”
As Yeon-woo muttered with a tired face, Jung Yu-jin patted his shoulder in comfort. Despite his consolation, Yeon-woo slumped his shoulders.
It’s nice to be able to gather information at a pace rivaling any renowned family or organization.
But when the hard-earned information gets out like this, doesn’t all that effort go down the drain? The information that Riley painstakingly collected…
“What’s up? What exactly happened?”
Shar, who appeared perched on Yeon-woo’s shoulder, asked abruptly. Jung Yu-jin, surprised yet familiar with Shar, greeted her and then answered her question.
“A video was posted online. Thanks to that, everyone knows there’s a dragon in the East Sea. It’s so flashy that it couldn’t help but become a viral video. Want to take a look?”
Receiving the smartphone that Jung Yu-jin handed over, Shar stared at the screen.
A foggy, blurry harbor appeared, and a cocky-looking man filled the screen. He was blabbering about something, but it was too noisy around to hear him clearly.
The signs of an anomaly were swift. Behind the man, waves surged from the distant sea. The man turned around, dumbfounded, staring at the view.
It was a broadcasting accident, but for the man, it was nothing short of a chance.
A pure white dragon-like bone, entwined with seawater like a part of his being, shot up towards the sky. The man mumbled blankly.
“It’s a dragon….”
What to call that was painfully clear. An immortal sea dragon reborn. With the dragon race existing, there wouldn’t be anyone doubting its existence, but it still remained a legendary creature.
Who wouldn’t marvel at such a sight appearing before their eyes? Even if it were a pitiful corpse resurrected by the enemy’s machinations.
“…Wow.”
“Did Shar just gasp in awe too?”
“It’s huge. My mom and I aren’t that big…”
“That feels a bit off in comparison, but… still, it’s definitely massive.”
While listening to the calm conversation between Shar and Jung Yu-jin, Yeon-woo rubbed his temples as a headache came rushing in.
I mean, the issue of information control over civilians had been discussed countless times since before my regression. They have a right to know, after all, when would it be hidden any longer?
Such arguments become more intense the worse the situation gets. Gathering dust makes a mountain; getting help from mana-incompatible people or the disabled might somehow lead to solving the problem.
Because of that, Yeon-woo was able to participate in various operations toward the end. Before that, no matter how many achievements he had, he wasn’t included in critical operations.
However, that wasn’t the reason Yeon-woo felt troubled. Between you and me, what difference does it make? Whether the information control over civilians is lifted or not, it has nothing to do with Yeon-woo now.
“Sigh… There must be a ton of people in the East Sea right now…?”
Yeon-woo’s only worry was that. It was an obvious fact that many people would be present.
“You worry about the weirdest things…”
“For me, it’s a major issue. Besides Professor Hyun-Soo, no one else in Korea is as recognizable as me.”
“Sounds like a bit of celebrity syndrome.”
“It’s literally at a celebrity level, so I have nothing to say about it?”
“Ha.”
Saying that on the surface, Yeon-woo’s unease about being in crowded places stemmed from more than just that.
‘I’m scared that old man Edward will be on my tail…’
If Yeon-woo appears in a crowd, rumors will inevitably spread.
Those rumors would reach the eyes and ears of the nobles guild’s informants, and then furious old man Edward would come axe in hand to crack his skull…
Then I would have to fight not only the Cult of Oblivion but also old man Edward in a dire situation.
Thinking positively, I’d hope the old man would take care of the Cult of Oblivion, but one shouldn’t expect rational judgment from someone who has lost their sanity.
Instead of expecting that, wouldn’t it be a hundred times more productive to think of ways to pit the old man against the cult?
“You seem to have a lot on your mind, so I guess you’re thinking about going soon.”
“Huh, how did you know?”
“It’s been about six months; it was time to figure it out. Although when, I don’t know, but safe travels. Don’t get hurt.”
“Do you have anything for me? Just asking?”
When Yeon-woo looked at Jung Yu-jin with hopeful eyes, he pondered for a moment before pulling out a notepad from his pocket and jotted something down.
“If you run into trouble, contact me this way. I’ll help as much as I can.”
“Oh yeah~. Thanks! When I get back, I’ll treat you to a meal.”
“I can’t not help, you know.”
“See you next time, Yu-jin oppa.”
“Yeah, see you later, Shar.”
With a wry smile, Jung Yu-jin said goodbye to Shar, and Yeon-woo left the scene. Then Shar asked Yeon-woo.
“Can’t mom come with you this time either?”
“Um… I’m contemplating that. I thought maybe I could talk to the dragon.”
“Shar can do that too!”
“Then there wouldn’t be a reason for Nea to come, would there?”
“Huh… Then I don’t think Shar can do it…. I’m scared of talking to an old dragon….”
[Aren’t you going on a trip with mom!?]
“It’s not really a trip….”
It was funny how quickly attitudes could change, but seeing the kids happy was what mattered.
I did have some doubts about bringing Nea along, so I needed to devise some countermeasures, but I had sketches of plans for that.
“Shall we go ask for permission~?”
With a hum in my step, Yeon-woo headed towards the Magic Tower.
*
“Riley, let’s take a vacation and go on a trip. Oh, Amir should come too.”
“…What do you mean all of a sudden?”
“I have business in the East Sea. Let’s take all the lab members and go have fun.”
Riley nodded as if she understood what was meant by Yeon-woo’s words. Riley was quick-witted, making it easy to converse. Even when speaking clumsily, she grasped the core without difficulty.
“I see, you want to take Nea with you to deal with the cult that appeared in the East Sea. Since she doesn’t want to let her out of the academy as much as possible, do you think it’s okay since I’m here?”
“…Please don’t read people’s psychology so accurately. It’s a bit creepy.”
“Isn’t it a problem that Yeon-woo is too easy to read? Anyway, I will submit the plan to the Magic Tower. Since I recently submitted a report on research results, there’s no reason for them to refuse.”
That was good news. I wanted to leave as soon as possible; the path seemed to be opening up. The sooner we uprooted the cult, the better.
“Then I’ll proceed accordingly. How about meeting Nea on the way? Also, please tell the researchers they can leave early.”
“Sure. Please contact me as soon as the schedule is set.”
“I will do that. See you next time.”
Even in a casual suit, the gesture was instinctive, and Riley paused as if to grab the hem of her skirt but just bowed her head.
I almost burst into laughter at that sight, but somehow managed to hold it back and left the room.
The lab had an office at the deepest end of the straight corridor, with active research happening on both sides, and a break room near the entrance.
From the researchers’ perspective, having one person monitoring two studies at the same time made it a bit inconvenient, but thankfully, Riley’s integrity alleviated all discomfort.
In the end, the personality of the professor decides a graduate student’s agony, and since Riley was mechanical yet diligent, she turned out to be quite a decent professor.
They took breaks when needed, worked efficiently, and shared resources. It was clear that it was a popular lab even within the Magic Tower.
Amidst researchers in white coats chatting in the break room, a stunning blonde woman, exuding a glamour fit for a magazine, caught my eye.
Without a doubt, it was my wife.
As Yeon-woo pushed open the break room door, the gazes of about six researchers shifted to him. Oh no, it’s embarrassing to be stared at like that. Just kidding. I wasn’t embarrassed at all.
“Ah, you’re here, sir.”
The oldest researcher greeted him warmly. Considering that a fifteen-year-old kid calls him sir, this person must be quite a character.
“Hello, Sang-jin. How have you been?”
“Well, thanks to you, sir. Are you here to pick up the lady?”
“Yes. The head told you all to leave early.”
At Yeon-woo’s words, the researchers in the break room quickly packed their things and hurried out. Sang-jin, standing in the middle of that whirlwind, smiled awkwardly.
“…I hope you understand. You know, there’s a certain magic to the word ‘leave early’, right?”
“Haha, I know well, so it’s okay. You should also leave early, hyung.”
“Well, I can’t refuse…”
After Sang-jin smiled as well and quickly exited the lab with his belongings, Nea finally raised her chin, as if just realizing something.
“You’ve come.”
“Yeah, I’m here, Nea. Want to go back together?”
“I can’t hear the invitation of a man who came to meet another woman at his lover’s workplace.”
“No, who in the world did that? What nonsense are you talking about?”
“It was you!!”
Nea shouted angrily, and Yeon-woo chuckled. Perhaps feeling embarrassed that she got angry over his joke, Nea slowly cleared her throat and took a seat.
“I’m not going anywhere today. I will stay here.”
“Wow, that sounds like a spoiled child begging for toys.”
“Hmpf.”
She seemed more sulky than pouting… rather, it felt like she wanted Yeon-woo to soothe her feelings somehow. As he stroked her jaw and pondered, Yeon-woo slowly spoke.
“Shall we go on a trip, Nea?”
“Is that for real!?”
Yeon-woo burst out laughing, unable to hold back the laugh that threatened to erupt. Is she really that happy?
(To be continued in the next episode)