Side Story 60. Epilogue 2

They say time changes everything. Enough time passed to change, not all but most of the situations surrounding Seol Jihu, both internally and externally.

“Who’s a good girl? You are Jihui! What’s wrong, Sohu? You can’t sleep? Do you want me to sing you to sleep?”

Seo Yuhui had her hands full with the kids. Her eyes sparkled with affection as she looked down at the two children in their cribs. The boy was Phi Sora’s son, and the girl was her own daughter.

It was then. A look of horror crossed the faces of the children, who were refusing to go to bed despite it being past their nap time. Jihui quickly closed her eyes, and Sohu turned his head left and right in confusion before finally rolling over and sticking his tiny head under the pillow.

“Oh? You know how to roll over, Sohu?”

Seo Yuhui asked in surprise, but Sohu didn’t answer. He was entirely focused on hiding. He seemed to think that because he couldn’t see, others couldn’t see him either. Seo Yuhui blinked in confusion, wondering what the children were afraid of. Soon, she heard the sound of the front door opening. Footsteps hurried across the floor to the nursery.

“Kuhuhuhu...!”

A man appeared from the other side of the door. This man, Seol Jihu, stared at Jihui, who lay in her crib completely still with her eyes shut tight.

“...She’s asleep?”

He smacked his lips regretfully. His gaze then turned to the baby trembling in fear with his head under the pillow. A smile spread over Seol Jihu’s face.

“You!”

Seol Jihu lifted Sohu from the crib.

“How dare you pretend to be asleep! Prepare for your punishment! One hundred face rubs!”

“Ueh!?”

Sohu was shocked. His face seemed to say, ‘What!? How did he know?’

“Huhu. Jihui’s sleeping, so I’ll punish you in the living room. Got it?”

“Ueh! Uehhhh!”

Sohu flung his arms and legs all over the place. Laughing, Seol Jihu carried the child out to the living room. His footsteps drifted away, and peace returned to the nursery. Jihui, who had been pretending to be asleep all along, slowly opened her eyes.

“Hik!?”

And then, she flinched. Their eyes had met. Her dad, whom she thought had already left, was watching her through the crack in the door.

“How dare you try to deceive me? You’re no match for Daddy!”

Seol Jihu grabbed Jihui.

“Jihui gets 100 kisses on the cheek! Smooch, smooch.”

“Mommy! Mommyyyy!”

Jihui shouted desperately, but Seo Yuhui could only give a helpless smile. Seol Jihu stopped only after indulging the children to his heart’s content. Seo Yuhui watched the kids who had fallen asleep tired after playing with their dad before moving over to Seol Jihu.

“Jihu.”

“Hm?”

“It’s... soon, right?”

Seol Jihu, who had been rocking Sohu gently back and forth, suddenly stopped.

“...Yeah.”

He carefully put Sohu down in his crib and sighed.

“It’s soon.”

He pretended to be fine, but Seo Yuhui could sense the nervousness in Seol Jihu’s voice.

“Don’t worry.”

Seo Yuhui slowly took his hand in hers.

“Your brother and sister.... Both understood in the end.”

“...Yes.”

Seol Jihu nodded. He patted Jihui’s head lightly and smiled at Sohu and his pouting lips.

“I want them to meet Sohu.”

“They will. Soon.”

Seo Yuhui also smiled, her voice full of confidence.

“Look at how much they love Jihui. They’ll definitely understand. They’ll love not just Sohu, but all the other kids as well.”

“I hope they do.”

Seol Jihu’s eyes shone with hope as he patted Sohu.

“I’ll try my best for the kids.”

*

A few days later.

The day finally came. With renewed determination, Seol Jihu traveled to his parents’ house with Seo Yuhui.

His parents were waiting for them in the yard outside their house.

“Well, there’s our granddaughter!”

They were eager to see their granddaughter.

“Granny!”

Jihui broke into a wide grin as soon as she saw her grandparents. One might say that she liked them more than her dad. It was natural for a child her age to prefer the kind, gentle love of her grandparents over her dad’s dramatic and, in a way, violent expressions of love. Seol Jihu was a bit bitter about this, but he was glad that his parents and daughter got along.

Jihui became the center of the family’s attention. Not only his mother but also Seol Wooseok and Seol Jinhee were willing and eager to do anything their niece wanted. Seol Jihu was especially surprised to see his father crawling on the floor alongside Jihui. According to his parents, Jihui reminded them of Seol Jihu when he was a baby. Basked in the adorableness of his granddaughter, Seol Jihu’s father watched Jihui, who had fallen asleep in her grandmother’s arms, with eyes full of affection.

“So, tell me. How’s work?”

As much as he liked to play with his granddaughter, he couldn’t wake her from sweet sleep. Seol Jihu’s father finally turned to his son.

“The same. I used to receive reports of various incidents, but lately, things have been peaceful.”

“Sounds like your company has entered a period of stability. Is Team Leader Kim well?”

“Yes. She’s working every time I see her. People are complaining that she doesn’t give them time to rest.”

“Haha. Well, she seemed quite ambitious. She’s alright. She’s a smart, well-mannered, and polite young woman.”

“She’s a natural-born politician. She knows how to deal with people.”

“The fact that she’s a leader at such a young age tells me she’s skilled.”

Father nodded and suddenly asked.

“That’s right. How is she?”

“Who?”

“You know, the one with the unusual last name.”

“Ah. You mean Miss Phi Sora.”

“Yes, her. Not long ago, your company sent us a wedding gift.”

“Yeah, I’ve heard.”

“Miss Phi Sora came over to deliver the gift herself. That was very thoughtful of her. Please thank her for me.”

“Of course.”

“Yes, we were very grateful.”

His mother chimed in, moving Jihui in her arms into a more comfortable position.

“I like her better than Team Leader Kim. She may come off a little strong at first, but she’s very kind and resourceful.”

“They’re both fine. That reminds me, I haven’t seen Representative Jang lately. I wonder if he’s busy.”

Seol Jihu inwardly smiled as he listened to his parents’ conversation. It wasn’t like he had done nothing. He made sure to introduce and acquaint them with his parents through gifts every holiday.

“Still, Jihu.”

Suddenly, his mother turned serious.

“You have to watch out for women.”

“Hrm? What do you mean?”

Father asked.

“Remember the time we went to see that modern dance performance? You know, the one we got invitations for.”

“I do.”

“There was something about the way the main dancer looked at our Jihu.... I was so embarrassed I couldn’t even look at Yuhui.”

“Come on, you’re probably mistaken. Old habits die hard.”

Seol Jihu gave a small cough. Seo Yuhui giggled quietly.

“Anyway, don’t do anything to embarrass Yuhui....”

Backed by her mother-in-law, Seo Yuhui threw Seol Jihu a cheeky glance. He blushed.

“Also....”

It was then that Mother’s expression darkened all of a sudden.

“Have you heard about Seonhwa?”

Seol Jihu flinched.

His family—more precisely, his father and mother—thought Yoo Seonhwa was working in another country. At least that was what they were hoping. They secretly worried that she had run off to another country in shock of Seol Jihu’s wedding. In truth, she had moved out to spend more time with her baby.

“Now, why would you bring that up?”

“It’s all right. Everything worked out fine. And I think Jihu should know about this.”

Mother cleared her throat and continued.

“Seonhwa’s married now.”

“...”

“Just once, her now-husband, who was drunk at the time, made a mistake and she ended up pregnant.”

“...Ah, I see.”

“It was a mistake... but she still chose to keep the baby. She got married abroad and is doing well.”

“So I’ve heard.”

“She said she’d visit us soon....”

Mother’s voice trailed off. She wanted to ask her son if he was okay but couldn’t because of Seo Yuhui.

But of course, Seol Jihu was okay because the drunk guy who slept with Yoo Seonhwa and ended up marrying her in Paradise was him. And he was her baby’s father.

Seol Jihu found himself backed into a corner.

‘She told me to leave it to her....’

He couldn’t help but wonder if Yoo Seonhwa was doing this on purpose to tease him. Seol Jinhee, who knew the truth, giggled to herself but quickly dropped her head when Seol Jihu shot her an icy glare.

“Tell her to visit. They’re both married to different people now, so what does it matter?”

Conscious of Seo Yuhui’s presence, his father quickly changed the subject. Silence briefly filled the air.

‘Now....’

Should I tell them now? Seol Jihu muttered to himself and then cleared his throat.

“I....”

He took a deep breath and knelt before his parents.

“Father. Mother.”

His father turned to him at his sudden change of tone. His mother widened her eyes.

Seol Jihu swallowed once and began to speak.

“I have something to tell you.”

It was then.

“No.”

Father spoke.

“Jihui’s listening. You don’t have to tell us all the nitty-gritty of your life.”

Seol Jihu’s eyes widened. He unwittingly turned his gaze toward his daughter and saw her flinch.

“S-Sweetie?”

Equally flustered, Seo Yuhui quickly picked Jihui up and shuffled out of the room so that the rest of the adults could continue their conversation in peace.

“Babies know more than you think. And you have to be extra careful around Jihui because she’s smart.”

Father chuckled. Seol Jihu didn’t know what to say. His father’s words kept ringing inside his head. No? You don’t have to tell us all the nitty-gritty of your life?

‘Could it be that....’

Seol Jihu looked around in slight panic. Seol Wooseok looked as perplexed as him, and Seol Jinhee was fervently shaking her head to protest her innocence.

“You should know that I don’t know anything. No one’s told me a thing.”

His father began to speak.

“But I know you’ve been keeping a secret from us, Jihu.”

“How....”

Seol Jihu smacked his lips.

“What do you mean how? I’m your father. I know my son.”

His father snorted.

“You said you quit gambling.”

“...”

“You said you were working hard, and it’s something that you can take pride in.”

“...”

“Am I wrong?”

“N-No.”

Seol Jihu managed to answer.

“Good. That’s all we needed to know.”

Father stressed again.

“That’s all.”

Seol Jihu turned his dumbfounded gaze to his mother. Without saying a word, she gave him a warm smile.

Seol Jihu bit his lower lip.

“...We’ll go get ready.”

Seol Wooseok patted Seol Jihu once on the shoulder and left with his sister.

“Get ready for what? Did you plan something?”

His father smirked.

“Anyway.... So? Are you finally ready to tell us your secret?”

A light chuckle escaped his lips as he looked at his son, who still seemed nervous.

“I’ve been curious. Even our sternest scolding couldn’t stop you. So how could you have suddenly gotten better?”

“...Um.”

When he finally came to his senses, Seol Jihu asked in a slightly hoarse voice.

“Did you read the book I gave you?”

“Hrm? Oh, that?”

His father widened his eyes at the unexpected mention of a book.

“I did because you, Wooseok, and Jinhee kept nagging me to read it.... What about that book?”

“And you, Mother?”

“I read it, too.”

“You know, son, I’ve meant to ask you.”

His father’s voice lowered to a whisper.

“Why does that book mention our family?”

“So you really read it.”

“I don’t mean to blame the author, but did he base the main character off of you?”

“Yes. That’s exactly right.”

Seol Jihu nodded. Seol Wooseok had asked him the same question. Unlike Seol Jinhee, his parents seemed to have read it thoroughly.

“Do you remember what was written on the first page?”

“Wasn’t that a print error?”

His father let out a dumbfounded chuckle.

“Or what? Are you trying to say that book is true and not fiction?”

“If I say yes, will you believe me?”

“Of course not.”

His father answered immediately. Seol Jihu had no more reason to hesitate.

“That’s why I brought you evidence.”

Seol Jihu took out two stamps and two invitations from his pocket.

His parents blinked in confusion.

**

Surrounded by light, Seol Jihu’s father and mother woke up at a school auditorium.

“Welcome to the first Tutorial!”

A clear voice rang out. The duo looked around in confusion before being dumbstruck. It was because they saw Seol Jinhee on the stage, wearing a conical hat.

“What are you doing there?”

“I’m here as the guide. Though, I’m sure Jihu Oppa will take care of things.”

Seol Jihu’s father and mother turned around. Seol Jihu was standing straight with a smile.

“At first... I thought it was a dream.”

He slowly began to speak.

“But then I got a text message saying I should go to the school auditorium within ten minutes.”

“...”

“When I did, I saw a bunch of other people there. They were all people who received an invitation or signed a contract and thus were summoned there... Just like you, Father, Mother.”

“...”

“That’s when the Guide appeared, and the mission began after a brief explanation. It was to escape the auditorium while avoiding a monster.”

With that, Seol Jihu looked up at Seol Jinhee.

Seol Jinhee lifted her chin and shouted as though she was waiting.

“Oi! Guide! Open the door!”

“Don’t get too cheeky.”

Seol Wooseok grumbled quietly and then opened the auditorium door.

“Follow me.”

Seol Jihu led the way.

“Let’s go! Mom, Dad!”

Seol Jinhee dragged the dazedly standing husband and wife. Then, just as they were about to leave the auditorium and enter the school’s main building...

“Huuk!”

“Uwoaaah!”

They screamed simultaneously.

It was because a scary-looking monster was hiding behind a wall, peeking its head out.

“Ah, hey! Who told you to come out!?”

Seol Jinhee growled...

“Go away! Shoo! Are you going to take responsibility if Mom and Dad faint from shock?”

...while her mother and father doubted their eyes.

“Kyu...”

The monster dropped its head dejectedly.

“That’s the Gaekgwi.”

Seol Jihu gave a weak smile.

“I think it came to say hi... It does look a little intimidating, doesn’t it?”

Seol Jihu chuckled as the sullen Gaekgwi turned around with a placard that read, ‘Welcome to the Tutorial!’

“Thanks, Gaekgwi!”

But when Seol Jihu thanked it, the Gaekgwi smiled like a little kid and waved its hand.

“That’s... the Gaekgwi?”

Seol Jihu’s father blinked, having recalled the description of the Gaekgwi from the book.

Since when was it so docile?

Seol Jihu led his confused parents to the second floor, breaking through the prepared stages one by one. Meanwhile, he explained how he felt back then and what he did.

There wasn’t anything remotely dangerous.

With the Master Stamp, which was the highest-ranked of the newly created stamps, they did not need to prove their qualification to enter. All they were doing was taking a tour of the place to help visualize Seol Jihu’s explanation.

Soon, the five of them arrived at the school rooftop. A portal had already been created there.

“This is where the Tutorial ends.”

Seol Jihu led his parents with a look of hesitation.

“Let’s go. Hurry. There is something waiting for you.”

His parents’ movements looked quite awkward as they were pushed toward the portal.

The next stage was the Neutral Zone.

After going through a long pathway, they arrived at a theater-like place. The curtains covering the stage opened up to the sides, and the lights turned on.

Seeing the man standing in the middle, Seol Jihu’s father exclaimed in shock.

“R-Representative Jang?”

“Great to see you!”

Dressed handsomely in a tuxedo, Jang Maldong welcomed them with open arms.

“Welcome to the Neutral Zone. As you probably know from the book, this is the middle area.”

Jang Maldong laughed and then gave a gentle smile.

“Of course, that’s not the important part.”

Jang Maldong cleared his voice and continued.

“If you read the book and if you’ve experienced the Tutorial, I’m sure you two have begun to realize it, no matter how far-fetched it seems.”

Seol Jihu’s parents were still speechless. Seeing their faces, Jang Maldong nodded as if he empathized.

“Then again, the world is full of things you can’t believe even after seeing it for yourself. Suspecting something as truth and accepting it as reality are two completely different things.”

Jang Maldong looked at Seol Jihu for a moment before giving a delighted smile.

Jang Maldong had long been waiting for this day.

He was sincerely happy for his disciple’s internal growth.

“That’s why I figured I would help you out.”

This was why he rolled up his sleeves and came out personally.

“I’m sure you have many questions, but...”

Jang Maldong trailed off before smiling and exiting the stage.

“Let’s watch this first. It’s gone through heavy editing, but it’s still quite long. I’m sure it will be worth your while.”

Following Jang Maldong’s exit, a large screen appeared on the stage.

The person who appeared on the screen was none other than Seol Jihu.

A movie began telling the story of Seol Jihu’s life after he arrived at the Tutorial.

Seol Jihu also watched the movie and then stole a glance at his parents.

“...”

“...”

Before he noticed, they were completely absorbed in watching Seol Jihu storm through the Tutorial.

Completing the Neutral Zone as the top graduate, setting off to Haramark and then departing as a porter on his first expedition.

Encountering a group of monsters, the expedition team was almost defeated before Seol Jihu’s participation turned the tide.

Discovering the tomb and being considerate of Flone.

A sigh of relief was heard when Seol Jihu participated in the Arden Valley War and led his baiting plan to success.

That wasn’t all.

They looked refreshed when he beat up Audrey Basler at the Banquet, and they looked proud when he took out the exchange card and calmed everyone down.

They watched with their fists clenched when several Army Commanders appeared at the valley war, and they cheered when Seol Jihu defeated the Parasites’ First Army Commander at last.

They furrowed their brows when Seol Jihu fell into a coma, and they flew into a rage when humanity pulled underhanded tricks against him after his triumphant return.

They jumped a little in surprise at the incident that took place on the first night at Eva, and they shook their heads, seeing Yun Seohui.

There was one scene that his father paid attention to the most.

—What was that, brat!?

—You son of a—ah, let me go!

—Just what kind of people are your family? Did Buddhist saints reincarnate into one family?

—...W-What? There’s Paradise, after all? You... arrogant punk...

It was the scene where Jang Maldong beat Seol Jihu up.

—So you wanting to stay in Paradise without returning to Earth was just you trying to run away!?

—I told you to shut up! You son of a gun! How dare you pretend to be the victim, huh? Huh!?

—You idiot, do you think your family abandoned you? Damned fool. Think about what your father said when you went home!

It was then that Seol Jihu’s father remembered Seol Jihu saying the following.

[To tell you the truth, I got scolded. I even got beat up.]

[There’s an old grandpa at my workplace. I told him about my situation... and he got furious and raised his cane at me.]

[He said I shouldn’t be making the decision so shamelessly when I almost ruined other people’s lives. Strangely enough, he said the same thing you did.]

[That I should put myself in your shoes... So I did. And I finally understood how much of an idiot I was back then.]

He thought Seol Jihu was just describing his internal realization metaphorically. It turned out Seol Jihu was telling things exactly how they happened.

It was just that it wasn’t at his workplace but a place called Paradise.

“Mmm...”

The complicated expression on Seol Jihu’s father’s face softened for the first time.

The movie continued.

Seol Jihu’s mother covered her face, unable to bear seeing Seol Jihu die over and over again in the Path of the Soul.

Seol Jihu reached the peak after indescribable difficulties, but when Black Seol Jihu left, and Seol Jihu started rolling the boulder up again, even his father had a pitying face.

Then, when Seol Jihu broke out of the Parasites’ encirclement and escaped...

[To be... honest... I haven’t... been able to... see... for a while....]

[What will happen to me...? Will I... really forget...?]

[I can’t forget...]

When he fell, unable to climb up the hill...

[I can’t... go back... to how I was...]

His father and mother could not raise their heads for a while.

They found it difficult to watch any more of it.

Time passed, and the long-awaited final battle came.

With Seol Jihu and his comrades defeating the Parasite Queen, the movie ended, and the screen flickered off.

A serene silence flowed in the theater.

“What do you think?”

Jang Maldong appeared before they noticed and spoke.

“This is what your son has achieved. Though you might find it hard to believe, he achieved what even gods failed to achieve.”

“...”

“Huhu, I’d love to hear your thoughts.”

“...I feel like I saw a movie.”

Seol Jihu’s father replied, just barely.

“You can think of it as a movie, yes. It’s just that it’s based on a true story.”

Jang Maldong grinned and pulled the two of them up.

“Now, let’s go on.”

“Pardon?”

“The cast of the movie are waiting to see just who gave birth to Paradise’s hero. Let’s hurry!”

Seol Jihu’s parents were dragged along in a daze.

When the Neutral Zone’s door opened, a brilliant ray of light blinded them.

As the light subsided, what they saw was a flourishing cityscape.

The first thing that caught their eye was a phoenix circling the sky. It looked down with a grin and then shot up a beautiful fiery breath.

Below the majestic bird was a garden where many people stood in front of an imposing building. It was Valhalla’s building, which they saw in the movie.

“You’re finally here.”

A black man walked up to the front.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Edward Dylan. I was the leader of Seol’s team at the beginning. I took an early exit though, haha.”

He offered his hand with a smile.

It wasn’t just Dylan that did this.

“I’m Like’em Titties, the author of the book you read. Hehe.”

Ian.

“Me too! Me too! I’m Richard Hugo! Seol and I are best friends who went through life and death crises together from the beginning!”

Hugo.

“Nice to meet you. You must be the parents of Paradise’s hero. I’ve been hoping to see you... dear in-laws.”

Prihi.

“Oi, oi! You’re finally here! I knew you’d come! I’ve been waiting!”

Hoshino Urara.

“Hello! I’m Valhalla’s mascot, sexy provocative cutie, Yi Seol-Ah!”

“Noona, please! They’re Seol Hyung’s parents!”

Yi Seol-Ah and Yi Sungjin.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I don’t appear in the book, but I’m Mister Seol Jihu’s true heroine, Maria.”

Maria.

“I’m sure you’d understand my anger if you watched the movie. They say two tigers can’t give birth to a dog. How did you educate your child for him to turn out this way?”

Teddybear, or rather Agnes.

[Hello. This lady is Flonecia Lusignan La Rothschear. Please call me Flone.]

When Flone flew up to them, they almost fainted from shock.

Many more people came up and introduced themselves. They’d all come to help Seol Jihu.

Seol Jihu’s father and mother busily shook hands before seeing eight women nervously waiting nearby. One thing they immediately noticed was that they were all carrying a baby blanket in their arms. Furthermore, they were familiar with a few faces.

“Yuhui? And Seonhwa?”

“Manager Kim... M-Miss Phi Sora too?”

How could they not be surprised? Women they thought to be Seol Jihu’s co-workers were here with babies in their hands!

“Seonhwa, just what’s going on here?”

“Huh?”

“Didn’t you say you...”

“Well... I am in a foreign country if you think about it.”

Yoo Seonhwa spoke clearly and then raised the baby blanket when the baby mumbled.

“Yes, yes. It’s Grandpa and Grandma. They came to see you. You’ve wanted to see them, right?”

The baby in the blanket glanced at Seol Jihu’s parents curiously.

Of course, Seol Jihu’s parents doubted their eyes. The baby looked just like someone they knew.

No, it wasn’t just this baby. Nevermind Seo Yuhui, but the rest of the women’s babies all resembled Seol Jihu one way or another.

“Say hello, everyone.”

With Seo Yuhui speaking up, Phi Sora, Teresa, Yoo Seonhwa, Kim Hannah, Charlotte Aria, Chung Chohong, and Eun Yuri all stood with their backs straight.

“Nice to meet you, Father, Mother.”

All eight women bowed at the same time.

“You...”

Seol Jihu’s father turned his head and looked at Seol Jihu.

Seol Jihu coughed and scratched his head.

“My goodness!”

Seol Jihu’s mother screamed a beat later while his father shut his eyes and pressed his forehead.

“Wait... wait... let me get this straight...”

He shook his head as if he had a headache.

“So when you said you joined a company...”

“He wasn’t lying.”

Seol Wooseok stepped up.

“He did go to a company. He’s still affiliated with one. It’s just that the company is based in this world.”

“Wooseok, when did you...”

“I was the first to know after everything was over.”

“What?”

“I understand, father. You must be confused... but keep this one thing in mind.”

Seol Wooseok raised his glasses and continued.

“Jihu had a special experience. That’s it. Now that everything is over, he’s sharing that with us.”

“He’s right, Mom, Dad.”

Seol Jinhee also stepped up in support of Seol Jihu.

“I understand what you’re feeling right now. It was the same for me. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel at least a little betrayed.”

Right. Seol Jinhee finally came to trust Seol Jihu, but when she found out he was having fun in a game-like world, she didn’t see it in a good way.

Of course, such a thought disappeared when she personally experienced the world named Paradise.

Traces of war still remained in Paradise.

And the Earthling who ended this war was Seol Jihu.

Crowds gathered wherever Seol Jihu went, regardless of race. They expressed respect and gratitude or admiration at the very least.

Even the Seven Sins were not an exception.

Learning what kind of an Earthling Seol Jihu was in Paradise and seeing everyone she met praise and worship him and his achievements, Seol Jinhee changed her mind.

“Jihu Oppa didn’t lie. He quit gambling and did his best to become a new person.”

Seol Jinhee took a brief pause and then continued.

“In a way... what he achieved is far more incredible than earnestly working at a company. Think about it. Saving a world can’t be that easy, right?”

She then glanced at Yoo Seonhwa.

“Moreover, Oppa wasn’t the only one who hid this...”

Yoo Seonhwa winked.

“No... I mean, okay. I understand what you’re saying, but...”

“What... what’s going on...?”

Seol Jihu’s parents still had their hands on their foreheads. They saw and experienced a lot on their way here. But it was still too incredulous to believe on the spot.

The scale was too big, even for a surprise event.

“...Jihu.”

In the end, Seol Jihu’s parents looked at him at a loss for words. It seemed they would need to hear the story from the person himself to be satisfied.

Seol Jihu smiled faintly.

“I know.”

Seol Jihu spoke.

“Don’t worry. I’ll answer any questions you have, even if I have to stay up for days without sleep. I’ve been waiting a long time for this moment.”

He would not be speaking so grandly if he did something bad. However, Seol Jihu’s voice was brimming with confidence.

Hearing this confidence, his parent’s pounding hearts calmed down a little.

“But before that...”

Seol Jihu straightened the hem of his clothes.

“I should begin with an introduction.”

Seol Jihu moved his steps.

Under a quiet sky devoid of even a single cloud, taking Valhalla’s building as a background, under the eyes of his comrades, Seol Jihu stood at the center of his eight wives.

“Welcome, Father, Mother.”

He finally spoke.

“Welcome to Paradise.”

He smiled more brightly than ever before.

Sunlight that was just as warm as his smile illuminated the garden that was filled with the scent of spring.

It was a typical afternoon, as always.