[I don’t know how to thank you…]

[Hey, you don’t need to thank me[1], Mr. Sahaga. You’re the one who went through a lot of things. I’m sure you had to consider many things when making the move… so I didn’t think you’d accept so quickly…]

[Actually, I had to consider many things… but I thought Gela’s side was where I needed to be. I also feel bad towards my creations… and I’m really happy that I can answer them now.]

[

Ahem.

]

[...]

[

Ahem… ahem…

Anyway, like I said, in ten years… The wanderers will discover Gela’s temple and naturally, your gift and story will be placed in that temple.

[Laves will believe you two have a shared destiny. Many theologians will acknowledge that their past interpretations were wrong, and a new story and legend will be published.

[It will be said that Mr. Bel was behind all of it… and he’s the one who split you and Miss Gela. I’ll have to see how they get interpreted, but that will mostly be the story.]

[I hope this won’t trouble him… Actually, I’m not sure… if this is even necessary…]

[No, I’m sure Mr. Bel will like it.]

[...]

[And… this has to be done. It’s a legend that will be around for tens and thousands of years to come, so it’s better to go all out when handling this rather than doing it in a half-assed way.

[I’m actually relieved. Sometimes, close-minded beings tend to put their guard up when it comes to work that requires flexibility…]

[What more can I say? You were being considerate… and now I’m just thankful that I can be on this continent with Gela again.]

[I hope you’ll use that passion of yours for the continent. I was actually worried because I’ve been busy recently.

Ah!

Are Miss Gela and Benigoa doing well?]

[Actually… I think there’s a bit of conflict…]

[I trust that you’ll handle it well. Lastly, if you know anyone who’s worthy, try contacting them and let them know that they’ll receive the best treatment.]

[Okay, Mr. Lee Ki-Young.]

[Lee Ki-Young! Lee Ki-Young! I have something to say! It’s about Gela! Do you know what she said?!]

Benigoa chimed in.

[I’m busy, so I’ll be heading out.]

[Lee Ki-Young! Are you listening to me?]

‘I was close to getting a headache.’

I closed the communication channel.

It was nice taking Gela and Sahaga up there, but they still needed time to adapt.

‘Two beings had decided to join a group of ancient transcendents, not just one.’

Thankfully, the two liked me, but it felt like Gela was already having problems with Benigoa. There were other problems I needed to deal with, but other than that…

‘It was handled pretty well.’

I was able to get Elias away from Jo Hye-Jin.

Dialuria and the children were finally able to get their hands on the guild badges.

Ji-Hye noona seemed satisfied with Lee Ki-Yeon and Lee Ji-Hoo’s ending.

I managed to recruit Gela and Sahaga, even though the production was done at the last minute. I enjoyed it as well, so I felt like I used the past three days pretty well. I had a fun time, and I felt rested, even though I was working.

‘Are you happy, Father Lee Ki-Young?’

'Of course, I'm happy, Desert Guide. This is what I call happiness.'

I took a sip of my remaining coffee while sitting in a cafe somewhere in Laves.

Just then, I heard a familiar voice. “How is it, Mr. Ki-Young?”

It was such a familiar voice, but it had been a while since I heard it. I turned and saw Kim Hyun-Sung, the man with whom I had a connection thanks to the Regressor Instruction Manual. He was the Guild Master of the Blue Guild and the God of Sunset.

Like a child excited about his field trip, it looked like he had a hard time falling asleep last night, as he looked kind of tired, but overall, he seemed the same as usual. Unlike Elias, who had the word "tacky" written all over his face, he still had his handsome face that one would see on sports drinks or something.

The only difference was that he was wearing his everyday clothes instead of his usual armor. He looked as if he had dressed up to fit in with the popular kids, but thanks to his height and broad shoulders, it was hard to tell that he was an outsider.

Unfortunately, his behavior betrayed him. His breathing, awkward movements, and his nervous face made it obvious that he was an outsider.

Anyway, I expected Kim Hyun-Sung to act this way, and it would be kind of annoying if he were obvious. He had to have thought a lot about what he ought to do. I was not sure who had decided to help him, but he had to have received help from many people.

‘He was probably really looking forward to it.’

He was so excited about it that he actually decided to visit me when I was busy talking to the Desert Guides. I understood his excitement, but it was kind of rude for him to do that, as I was busy working.

'Damn it, I clearly told him to wait for me at the place where we promised to meet.'

“How is it… Mr. Ki-Young?” Kim Hyun-Sung asked.

‘Thinking about it is making me angry again.’

“How… does it taste?” Kim Hyun-Sung asked.

‘No, don’t get angry. Subdue your anger for today.’

“Mr. Ki-Young?”

I had no choice but to nod.

“I like that it has a slightly sour taste. It’s my favorite…” I answered.

‘Sorry, but I actually came here with Elias once.’

“I’m glad you enjoyed the museum as well, Mr Ki-Young,” Kim Hyun-Sung said.

‘Sorry, but I went there with Elias as well.’

Obviously, I couldn’t disappoint Kim Hyun-Sung, so I tried to look as happy as possible.

I decided to say things like, “

Wow

,” “Amazing,” or “It’s my first time seeing this.”

I made comments and even gasped to put Kim Hyun-Sung in a good mood. He planned it so that it was easier for me to take a look around the museum, so the credit ought to go to him instead of Elias.

If I were to show him a half-hearted reaction, he’d be disappointed, so I had to play along.

‘I really need to play along for today.’

“I especially liked those catalysts. I also enjoyed learning about the ecology of the monsters living in the desert. I read the Red Mercenary Guild’s log as well, and I went to that restaurant with a theme centered on Laves,” I said.

“I knew you’d like all of those things, Mr. Ki-Young. I was worried that you’ve already been to those places, so all this while—”

“I’ve been resting in my room. I visited the nearby cafes and restaurants with Ha-Yan… and I had work piled up, so I’ve been working on those things,” I interrupted him.

“I knew it,” Kim Hyun-Sung commented.

“...”

“I was really relieved when I saw how happy you were,” Kim Hyun-Sung continued.

“Of course, the monster museum was really amazing, but…” I paused.

“Yes?’

“It’s been a while since we spent time together, so anything we do will be fun,” I continued.

“

Ah…

”

“We’ve been really busy,” I said.

“Yes, we really have been busy…” Kim Hyun-Sung said.

“Something always happens whenever I think things are going to quiet down, and it's been like that for quite a while now. I actually forgot how to relax. It’s really been a while since I spent time at a cafe like this and spent time with you,” I explained.

“You’re right,” Kim Hyun-Sung said.

“They’re not empty words,” I told him.

“...”

“I know we went out a few times when you still had no job, but it was a pretty crazy situation. We had to clean up the mess after the continent dungeon incident, and all we really did was go to places near the guild and Lindel,” I continued.

‘Yeah, the time when you had no work and didn’t do anything.’

“After that… Templar—”

“Mr. Ki-Young,” Kim Hyun-Sung interrupted me.

After the Templar Gen incident, Kim Hyun-Sung and I were in a cold war. When he was unemployed, we barely spent time together.

Kim Hyun-Sung, who hadn't spent time with anyone else other than me since birth, was probably waiting for this opportunity, as he was acting as if he were one of the popular kids.

“So, what have you been up to?” I asked.

“I had many things to do, but… I can’t tell you the details. I think it’s better to tell you later rather than telling you now,” Kim Hyun-Sung replied.

‘Look at him acting all confident.’

“That makes me even more curious,” I said.

“I’ll tell you later,” Kim Hyun-Sung repeated.

“Don’t be like that,” I said.

“I’ll tell you everything later,” Kim Hyun-Sung insisted.

“Is it some kind of great secret?” I asked.

“It’s nothing like that… Anyway, let’s get going,” Kim Hyun-Sung said.

“Where are we going next?” I asked.

“It’s a tour of the Laves Desert,” Kim Hyun-Sung answered.

‘I already did that with Elias as well, damn it.’

“Actually…” I paused.

“Yes?”

“How about we ride our griffons?” I suggested.

'I’d feel bad if I’m the only one having fun. You need to have fun as well.'

“What? Really?” Kim Hyun-Sung asked.

“Of course. It’s been a while since we rode together, and it does relieve stress, doesn't it? It’s dangerous to ride alone, and it's also quite boring. However, it’s a different story if we're riding together,” I said.

“Right, if you say so…” Kim Hyun-Sung mumbled.

“And I have a lot of things to worry about when riding alone,” I added.

'If I ride with you, you'll take care of everything for me, including putting on the equipment and doing a safety check.'

Of course, I wasn't worried about falling, as I had wings, but his argument was we needed to be as safe as possible riding on a griffon. It wasn't like I didn’t care about safety, but riding with Kim Hyun-Sung did make me enjoy riding griffons.

“I’m sure it’ll be boring for you to go with me—”

“No, that’s not true. I have so much fun that I can’t describe it with words,” Kim Hyun-Sung interrupted me.

‘You like it that much?’

“Anyway, let’s go. I’ll contact the griffon station in advance,” Kim Hyun-Sung said.

“Isn’t Whitefall in Lindel?” I asked.

“The Whitefall juniors are in Laves,” Kim Hyun-Sung answered.

“

Ah

, so they’re already…”

“Yes, I think this is a good opportunity. I trained them personally, but I've never taken them out for a ride, so this will be a good opportunity for them,” Kim Hyun-Sung informed me.

‘Do they even remember me? The last time I saw them was when they were babies.’

“I’m sure the babies will be happy,” Kim Hyun-Sung added.

The griffons truly looked happy upon seeing their owner for the first time in a while.

“Damn it! Hyun-Sung! This one bit me!” I shouted.

1. Lee Ki-Young’s POV ☜