Chapter 1415. Aina Peneloti (6)

RUMBLE!

“PENELOTIII!!!”

No, it wasn't just a feeling. I was actually being pulled somewhere else. It felt like I was entering a black hole with my bare body.

'What the hell is this?'

What was this?

'What’s going on right now...'

Before I could scream and ask about what was happening, I saw Second Life Commander Jin taking off his mana armor.

I frantically looked around.

Just moments ago, I was in a suspicious underground space, and now, I was somewhere I had never seen before.

Of course, I realized that I was teleported away. Soon afterward, an unbearable wave of nausea hit me. I was not sure if the spell wasn't complete yet, but it seemed to be the type of spell that forced the user to take the burden of its activation. My head was spinning, and it was hard to stand.

I staggered like a newborn deer trying to find its balance. I felt drained. I was soaked in sweat to the point that it was uncomfortable, and I felt like I was about to collapse.

Just then, someone grabbed the back of my neck with a sharp tug.

“

Huh?

”

I was pulled away, and I landed on an extremely soft sofa.

'This is really fancy.'

The soft sofa made me calm down. Of course, I still found it difficult to breathe. This place felt like it was a completely sealed space. I took a closer look around and noticed things I hadn’t seen before.

I was in a cramped, enclosed room with a few doors and furniture that looked luxurious even at a glance. Somehow, it reflected Commander Jin’s taste pretty well. I saw large oriental paintings on the wall, and there were also various items in the display cases nearby, but I had no idea what those items were.

“Where are we? Did we teleport away? Commander, you know how to use teleport?” I asked.

“This isn’t teleportation. You just entered my pocket dimension,” Commander Jin answered.

𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

'Wait, that’s even more amazing.'

“A pocket dimension? Isn’t that just for storing things? You were actually capable of casting this kind of spell?” I asked.

“...”

“Is this like a secret room or something? Since you have something like this, why bother dealing with cupcake attacks while working in your office? I’d be holed up here myself. But I guess it’s a little cramped,” I commented.

“It’s not at a level that can be used regularly yet. You’re probably feeling it the most,” he said.

He was probably talking about the burden on those inside it. A pocket dimension was not an environment suitable for human beings. It was a space made entirely of mana, so it had no oxygen or anything else.

Apparently, Commander Jin had tried, or rather, he had attempted to make this space habitable for humans. Breathing was a bit uncomfortable, and the aftereffects of entering the pocket dimension were significant, but I was still amazed at the fact that he managed to create something like this.

This was a completely independent space—a space Commander Jin had shaped entirely according to his own whims.

Right now, it was only the size of a studio, but if this space were expanded into a palace, or even to the size of a continent, and an ecosystem were established, it would essentially be like creating an entirely independent world.

I felt like my presence here meant he had taken the very first step toward doing that.

“Just a bit more research and this could be really useful, you know that, right?” I said.

“This isn’t a place I made for you to rummage around in and use however you please. And it’s not even a complete spell yet. I only dragged you in here because I needed a place to hide immediately. Let me warn you, don’t touch anything. Don’t move from that sofa,” he warned.

“

Uh

, you should’ve said that earlier,” I said.

“Damn it. It’s common sense not to touch other people’s belongings. You miserable brat,” he said.

“Hey, I’m not

other people

,” I told him.

“Don’t spout nonsense and put that back where it was. Damn it,” he mumbled.

‘This jerk... this is like his personal sanctuary.’

After snatching away the artifact I had been fiddling with, he put it back in place, and even then, he kept adjusting it. It was like he

had

to get it perfectly aligned.

Looking closely, every decoration was placed with exact precision. It was almost like someone had measured everything with a ruler.

‘This guy definitely has issues.’

“What’s this space, anyway?” I asked.

“I told you clearly not to move around on your own. Lee Ki-Young!” he shouted.

“Why are you so touchy? Since I’m here, I should at least look around a bit. Did you make a bathroom or bedroom here, too?” I asked.

“Don’t even dream of going in,” he warned.

“All your collected artifacts and items must be here, then. Do you have a storage room, too?” I asked.

“Damn... damn it... I can’t believe I let you into this place...” he grumbled.

“I’m the first one, right? Should I have brought a housewarming gift or something?” I teased.

“Crazy fool,” he said, insulting me while staring at me as if I were some filthy insect. His face looked like someone who had severe germaphobia and had just seen some bacteria crawling across their skin.

I felt like he was going to deep-clean the entire place the moment I stepped out of her, and the thought of it made me want to mess up this room even more.

To be precise, he seemed to hate the very fact that I was breathing inside this space. The only place he allowed me to stay was the red sofa, and whenever I moved even a little, he would glare at me, so of course, I became a bit self-conscious.

‘This jerk is seriously too much. I’m leaving as soon as I can.’

“

Ugh

, stop looking at me like that. How long do I have to stay here anyway?” I asked.

“Until things have settled down. Even without your nagging, I already want to throw you out of here right now. I’m only holding back because I don’t want to ruin everything at the last moment,” Commander Jin answered.

“...”

“It should be settled now, right?” he asked.

“How should I know?” I answered sarcastically.

“What?! What kind of nonsense is that?!”

“I’m telling you, I really don’t know. Maybe you don’t get it because this is your first time dealing with that hexagram, but this place isn’t like the continent, where a nice little quest window will pop up to guide you.

"You have to think for yourself and make decisions based on your own judgement. It could mean just watching where the first life goes, or it could mean influencing it. Sometimes, you just go along with the flow, but there's always a clear goal,” I explained.

“...”

“The only good news for you, Commander Jin, is that we’ve basically accomplished all the main objectives,” I added.

“Was keeping Kim Hyun-Sung alive one of them?” he asked.

“That was the most important one. No matter which direction things branch off into, that part never changes,” I answered.

“You don’t need to tell me that. You won’t be coming back here anyway,” he said.

“Either way, that’s always the top priority. It’s unlikely, sure, but if Kim Hyun-Sung suddenly drops dead somewhere, everything will come to a halt. It means the first life is effectively ruined.

"The second objective was probably the Brigade succeeding in their revenge and escaping the capital. As for the third, it was probably turning the debutante ball into the starting point of the continental war.

"The fourth would be making sure First Commander Jin wouldn't die, and as for the fifth...”

“Strengthening the Union of Kingdoms,” he said, finishing my sentence.

“You know your stuff. Anyway, I’m hungry. Is there anything to eat? Or is there a kitchen here? Commander Jin? What do you want to eat?” I asked.

“Damn it, don’t you dare move from there. I’ll make something simple,” he said.

“...”

“...”

“Fine, I’ll allow you to sit at the table,” he said.

“How generous. You’re just pretending to be nice because you’re afraid I’ll drop something on the sofa,” I said teasingly.

“Stop talking nonsense and continue our conversation. If things are as you say, we should be able to get out of this annoying place soon. Those ladies seem to have turned out to be pretty competent,” he commented.

“Right?”

He nodded and added, “Especially the one called Lady Paint. I liked her quite a bit."

“The others are great, too. From their perspective, you must’ve looked like some kind of legendary hero. Did you see them charge in at the end without feeling scared? Just from that, you can tell they’ll become valuable on future foreign fronts.

"They overcame their fear and grew a lot mentally. Their base abilities were already good. With the right push, they’ll grow fast. You can say things have mostly been wrapped up. I’m asking just in case, but those girls...” I trailed off.

“Some might be seriously injured, but all of them should be alive,” he reassured me.

“And the undead?” I asked.

“I burned all of them before entering the pocket dimension,” he answered.

“You really handle everything without needing to be told,

huh

?” I commented.

“Are you calling me an idiot, Lee Ki-Young?” he questioned.

‘He really did take care of everything without needing instructions.’

I put a spoonful of the mapo tofu he had made into my mouth, and I couldn’t help but look at him with a softened gaze.

‘You really did it right.’

Everything from the opening to the final moment was nearly perfect. It was a bit of a shame that I didn’t get to deliver a final line, but sometimes, it was better to end things cleanly like this rather than drag out a messy farewell.

Aina Peneloti was the catalyst, a reason to grow stronger, and the turning point that pushed them to choose a life entirely different from the confined existence they had been living as noble ladies.

Putting it all together, one could honestly call the outcome nothing short of legendary.

There were other possible routes, like trying to protect the doomed nobles of the Union of Kingdoms and minimize the damage they would suffer, but the trash heap led by Duke Pinkrain was beyond salvation.

There was no fixing scums like them.

In a year, no, even before a full year could pass, the Union of Kingdoms would be reborn. By surviving the continental war, those ladies would become even more resilient, and in the end, they’d contribute to the foreign front as unsung heroes.

“It’s thanks to you, Commander Jin. Honestly, I thought you’d refuse,” I said.

“I didn’t like it, but...” Commander Jin paused.

“...”

“Actually, even thinking about it again makes my skin crawl, but it was a mission. That’s the only reason I judged it differently from that disgusting encampment back then. Human will is far more fragile than you think. I agreed they needed a catalyst, and of course, the most important part was... making sure

your

exit timing was fixed. Without that, you wouldn’t have been able to go back,” he said.

‘Yeah. That’s how I get to return.

’

“I’ll have Belier and Alps clean up the Peneloti Family,” he added.

‘This jerk actually seems kind of satisfied.’

Sure, some things were swept under the rug here and there, and from his point of view, a few things had to have been irritating. He definitely disliked the process, but if one were to only think about the result, it was a clean outcome.

'It’s like working with garbage teammates, so the entire project becomes stressful, but if you get an A+, you'll end up being able to tolerate most of it. Anyone who’s pulled an all-nighter for a class project knows that feeling.'

'It's the same for work. If you get a hefty performance bonus from one project, the stress from it tends to evaporate. Especially when you’re about to quit anyway.'

Everything would eventually become a part of one's memories.

At first, people would think that they wouldn't do anything, but they would end up playing a surprisingly important role, and once everything was over, every moment would become something they could laugh about.

And for someone who thought he would never have to step into the first playthrough again, he finally reached the point where he could say, “Yeah, that happened.”

‘

Yeah. Commander Jin, you went through a lot. He saw so many things he shouldn’t have seen.

’

“You’ve worked hard, Commander,” I told him.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” he muttered.

“But is the view blocked here?” I asked.

“If you want, I could open it. Not that it matters to someone who has a Telescope anyway,” he offered.

Even so, he quietly opened the view. We were in an independent space, so the view was a bit distorted, but I could see things clearly. I could even hear their voices.

I saw the ladies who had united once through Peneloti's sacrifice.

My Black Rose Salon’s young ladies...

— You killed her!

Heuuuk... heuuuuuuk... heooooooong...

You killed her...

— Please stop, Lady Pastel. I’m sure it’s hard for Lady Paint as well.

— You said you’d open up the path! YOU SAID WE SHOULD GO!!! YOU! IT’S ALL YOUR FAULT!!! Die! Just die already! Don’t pretend you’re sad!

United as one...

— You should’ve told her not to go!

Heuuuk... heuuuuk...

You should’ve told her that...

heuuuuk...

Bring her back! Bring her back! Peneloti... bring her back...

First Life Commander Jin ended up awakening as well...

— Commander...

—

Ah... ha... haha... ha...

— Commander?

— Let’s... go back.

'Why are his eyes dead? Why the hell did that bastard lose his emotions?'