Chapter 381

The next morning, Do-Jun arrived at the office before the clock even struck eight. The place was empty, and no one else had shown up yet. The office still bore the aftermath of the previous night’s chaos. Civil defense uniforms were strewn about, and desks were cluttered with all sorts of mess. It was a total disaster.

The night before, an emergency evacuation drill had been issued. Every employee of Seoul City Hall had been mobilized to guide citizens to shelters. The drill didn’t end until after four in the morning, and by the time they returned to the office, no one had the energy to clean up.

Do-Jun cracked a window to let in some air and began tidying up.

***

Even though they’d worked until dawn, the reporting time for Fissure Management civil servants hadn’t changed from the usual 9 AM. By around 8:30, staff started trickling in, and as expected, they looked awful. None more so than Cheol-Soo, whose dark circles hung so low under his eyes that it seemed like he might collapse at any moment.

“Chief, would you like a cup of coffee?” Do-Jun asked.

“Yeah, put two packs in there for me, thanks...”

Do-Jun added two packets just as requested and handed over the steaming cup.

Taking a long sip of the bitter brew, Cheol-Soo blinked and suddenly realized the office was noticeably cleaner. He was certain he had left his uniform in a crumpled heap on the floor the night before, too exhausted to care. But now it was neatly folded over his chair.

“Do-Jun, you cleaned up, didn’t you?” he asked.

“I got here early, and it was just too messy, so I tidied things up a bit.”

“You stayed the latest last night, too, waiting for everyone else to head out before leaving. Aren’t you overdoing it a little? You’re still in your twenties, sure, but push your body too hard, and you’ll pay for it later.”

Letting out a deep sigh, Cheol-Soo opened a cabinet and pulled something out. After glancing around, he snipped the top open with scissors and handed it to Do-Jun. It was eel extract from his secret stash, used only during times of extreme exhaustion.

“Chug it,” he said to Do-Jun.

“Oh, it’s alright. I think you should take it instead...”

“

Tsk

. Just drink it. It’s the last one. I just remembered I have an eel allergy anyway.”

That, of course, was a blatant lie, but Do-Jun appreciated the gesture. He accepted it and drank without protest. Cheol-Soo watched him drink with a regretful look and swallowed hard. Do-Jun pretended not to notice.

“Good morning.”

“Oh, hey, Hyuk-Soo. You did great yesterday, too. You’ve got some dark circles yourself. Here, take this. There’s plenty of carp extract,” Cheol-Soo said, offering him a packet.

“Excuse me?” Hyuk-Soo bowed slightly in thanks, accepted the rather random packet of carp extract, and downed it in one go.

As he took a seat, he glanced sideways at Do-Jun. He hadn’t been able to participate in the evacuation drill due to other duties. What exactly had happened?

It was the same then, too

. Hyuk-Soo thought of the time the S-rank Great Fissure opened at Umyeonsan Mountain.

Do-Jun had gone straight to the site for that raid himself. This must have been of a similar scale, if not greater.

“Do-Jun,” he called.

“Yes, Senior?”

“That thing you mentioned you needed to take care of yesterday... Did it go all right?”

He didn’t know exactly what it was, but seeing Do-Jun smile and nod as if it were nothing reassured him. He had worried that something serious had gone down, but perhaps he had been overthinking it. With that thought, Hyuk-Soo felt a weight lift off his chest.

“At least we only need to finish up this morning. We’ve got the afternoon off. That’s something,” Cheol-Soo muttered.

The rest of the office murmured their agreement.

Cheol-Soo knew exactly how hard the team had worked last night, especially since everyone had even taken over some of the Fissure Exploration Unit’s responsibilities. He even felt somewhat guilty about it.

“Since everyone worked so hard, lunch is on me today.”

“Really, Chief? Well, if you insist.

Haha

.”

“Chief, I heard there’s a new sushi place that just opened nearby. Supposed to be amazing!”

***

Byeol quietly watched as Kiriel wrote a letter.

“Is today letter day?” Hakase asked.

“Yeah. I’ll tell him when he comes by tonight,” Kiriel said.

Once a month, Kiriel penned a letter to his father, who lived on the Raden Continent.

Hakase hadn’t learned Raden’s language, but after experimenting with an interpretation skill, he’d figured out how to understand most of what Kiriel wrote. Thanks to all the apology letters he’d written, his penmanship had improved immensely. He wrote with fluid strokes and no hesitation.

“Did you wite about me too?” Byeol asked, hopeful.

“Of course. I’m writing all about how sweet our Byeol is. I’ll even add another line.”

“Yay!”

“Once again, I must say: Byeol is no different from an angel.”

“Did you write about me?” Hakase asked this time.

“Yup. I’m including every single detail about what a cocky little lizard you are.”

“There’s this guy named Hakase, and he’s a really good guy. I hope I can introduce him to you someday.”

“You have no idea what I wrote, do you? You stupid lizard,

pfft

!”

Suddenly flustered, Hakase turned his head away. He made a silent vow never to let anyone know he could understand the Raden language using his interpretation skill.

Just then, Do-Jun stepped into the food stall. He gave Byeol a pat on the head and glanced over at Kiriel’s letter.

“Ah, right, today’s letter delivery day, right?” Do-Jun muttered.

“Yes! Ah, p-please wait just a moment. I wrote twenty more. I’ll go grab them—”

Do-Jun interrupted, “Sorry, but I’ve got something else to take care of today. I won’t be able to deliver them.”

Kiriel’s shoulders slumped. He was genuinely heartbroken. Still, he didn’t complain. After all, Do-Jun delivering letters to his father was simply a kind gesture, never a responsibility of his.

“Then I suppose it can’t be helped.”

Seeing Kiriel utterly dejected, Hakase let out a soft sigh. Even Byeol, sensing the mood, quietly clutched the hem of Do-Jun’s pants, her head lowered slightly.

Kiriel started putting the letters back into his coat pocket, one by one, but just then, Do-Jun smiled and said, “From now on, you can deliver them yourself.”

“Excuse me...?” Kiriel blinked.

***

There wasn’t a single person on the continent of Raden who didn’t know the name of Prince Kiriel.

There had been a time when the outskirts of the continent were plagued by suffering. Nobles and lords ruthlessly extorted the common folk, imposing crushing taxes and committing all manner of abuses. Many citizens, unable to pay on time, were demoted to slavery and sold off, or simply starved to death. But rooting out such deeply embedded corruption was no easy task.

These were longstanding noble houses, steeped in tradition and closely tied to former emperors. Even Emperor Willius knew that if he acted carelessly, it would give them grounds to claim rebellion. He had no choice but to turn a blind eye. But Kiriel was different.

In some ways, one could call him reckless. He crossed the vast continent alone, tearing out corruption by the roots with his own hands. The nobles were furious. They accused him of tyranny and launched relentless attacks on the current regime. Some even began to plot actual treason. Emperor Willius, well aware of what was happening, tried to stop his son.

But Kiriel declared he had no regrets about his actions and saw nothing wrong with what he was doing. If the title of prince was what made his actions problematic, he said he’d gladly relinquish it. He would devote his life to saving the people suffering under noble oppression.

A small number of conscientious nobles and lords began to support him. The majority of the common people followed. Amazingly, three years later, Kiriel had brought order to the continent. He purged the rot of the past and ushered in an age of prosperity. His name spread far and wide, praised throughout the land.

“Prince Kiriel has returned!”

“Whooaaaa!”

Even if his appearance or style had changed a “little,” to the people of Raden, the awe they felt for Prince Kiriel had never faded.

Hakase gaped, his mouth wide open in disbelief, as the crowd erupted in cheers at Kiriel’s appearance. Byeol was just as shocked. To her, Kiriel had always seemed like a kind older brother—someone gentle, without even a hint of charisma.

“

Hmph

. Noisy bunch,” he muttered, though the slight twitch at the corner of his lips betrayed his effort at nonchalance.

At that moment, Hakase finally understood where Kiriel’s usual cocky tone came from.

The crowd parted before him as if performing a miracle, like Moses parting the Red Sea. Before long, they arrived at the palace, where Kiriel was able to meet his father, Emperor Willius.

***

The emperor looked at Hakase and Byeol. He recognized them immediately. And why wouldn’t he? Kiriel had sent him thousands of Earth photos, and he had pored over them hundreds of times.

“It’s good to meet you. I’m Kiriel’s father.”

“I’m Hakase. It’s an honor to meet you. I’ve always been indebted to this kid.”

“You have a noble character, just as I’ve heard. And you... you must be Byeol!”

“Hello, Mistah!”

“

Hahaha

! How can someone be this adorable?” The emperor patted Byeol on the head a few times.

She was even cuter in person than in the photos. Far, far cuter. He now understood why Kiriel cherished her so much.

“But how did you manage to come here?” he asked.

“The King of Earth said cross-dimensional travel is possible now.”

“Is that so?” The thought of visiting whenever he missed someone overwhelmed him with joy. The emperor’s eyes grew faintly misty.

Kiriel gave a sheepish smile. “There are still a lot of friends I want to introduce you to. I’ll bring them here soon.”

“I’d love that. We have all the time in the world now. Bring them whenever you like. I’ll make sure they’re Raden’s honored guests. Guards! Prepare a feast!”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

The attendants bustled into action.

𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Meanwhile, Byeol turned at the sound of whispers behind her. A group of well-dressed, middle-aged men quickly pretended to whistle innocently, as if they hadn’t said a word. Byeol tilted her head.

Most of them, if not all, were completely bald.

***

The banquet was a true feast. Every delicacy imaginable was laid out across the table. However, for some reason, Kiriel felt a sting on the back of his head. It made swallowing even a piece of meat almost impossible.

“

Cough, cough.

”

As he pounded his chest, one of the ministers quickly rushed forward with water.

“Thank you.”

“Of course! If there’s anything you need, please don’t hesitate!”

“But, uh, where did the attendants go? Why are you guys—”

The minister interjected, “We have taken the liberty of serving Your Highness ourselves. Please think nothing of it. That said...”

“Hm?”

“If you could spare a thought for us humble servants, we’d be deeply grateful.”

After catching a glimpse of their gleaming heads, Kiriel finished eating and immediately traveled to the first floor of the Core and returned with a generous supply of Darians.

The ministers, now freed from their bald fate, were brought to tears. They swore undying loyalty to Kiriel from that day forward. And so, without even trying, Kiriel further solidified his position as the next emperor.