Chapter 80: Soul Chess (3)
Crimson Hawk Club headquarters.
Edmon Atalek slumped into his vice chairman's seat, exhausted and powerless.
"Ah..."
It was still difficult for him to accept reality.
‘I... lost...?’
‘And it was in soul chess, too?’
‘How? How could I lose to a mere first-year freshman in soul chess?’
‘No, even before that…’
‘Did I really... have my qualification for Aslan Seminar... taken away by such a lowly commoner...?’
The magic oath was absolute.
If one didn’t uphold it, not only would he be stripped of all their abilities as a mage, but they would also become a laughingstock in the magical world.
“Damn...!”
Bam!
Edmon slammed his hand on the desk, startling the members gathered in the Crimson Hawk Club headquarters.
They were from the Hong Bi-Yeon faction, but in reality, they were walking on a tightrope.
No one dared to step forward hastily.
It would mean an instant downfall if they were even slightly out of favor with him.
Edmon brought his shaky hand to the telephone.
‘Should I explain it to Father? Should I let him know?’
He couldn't even finalize the contract for the item, and now he had lost the Aslan Seminar as well.
‘How on earth can I explain this?’
If things continued like this, the Atalek family would tread the path of ruin because of him.
The Alterisha Department owned the technology behind items. Not only was the entire Kingdom of Adolevit upside down because of him, but he also lost the attendance ticket for the prestigious Aslan Seminar, which proved them to be a prestigious magic family.
"Damn it, damn it, damn it!!"
Bam! Bam! Crash!
No matter how much he slammed the desk or shouted, his anger wouldn't dissipate.
He felt like his insides were about to explode. He was worried about the future and frustrated that there was no solution.
Moreover, the fact that he couldn't retaliate against that commoner who annoyed him only added fuel to the fire.
"Huff, huff...!"
While he gnashed his teeth, he reluctantly reached out his hand towards the telephone.
Clunk!
The door opened, and someone entered. Despite standing in a position devoid of sunlight, she seemed to radiate an aura that flowed with a shimmering haze.
"Bi-Yeon..."
"Senior."
Edmon tried to gather his strength and say something, but he could only bow his head. He could no longer talk down to her.
‘How does she see me now?’
Edmon was aware of it himself. He had been using his authority to oppress Hong Bi-Yeon all this time.
But now, a part of that authority had crumbled. The balance of power maintained between him and Hong Bi-Yeon had been shaken in an instant.
‘Hmm...’
Hong Bi-Yeon pondered as she looked at Edmon.
She couldn’t dismiss him yet. Although the Atalek family’s power had weakened slightly, she still needed them.
‘Aren’t all the students gathered here practically loyal followers of the Atalek family?’
She intended to take the lead.
Thanks to Baek Yu-Seol, many things were going to change.
She no longer had to forcibly entangle herself with the Atalek family.
She no longer had to suffocate under Edmon’s subtle pressure regarding marriage.
Hong Bi-Yeon could now treat Edmon Atalek as her vassal and herself as his lord.
"Senior."
When Edmon raised his head, Hong Bi-Yeon spoke in the calmest voice possible.
"I will try to persuade that commoner on your behalf."
"That means..."
"I’ll ask him to cancel the statement he made about the trading rights and the Atalek family."
If that happened, at least within the Kingdom of Adolevit, the Atalek family's standing would no longer be shaken.
Edmon looked at Hong Bi-Yeon with trembling eyes.
"But how on earth..."
"That's..."
She made a troubled expression, but inwardly, she was smiling.
She had already finished all the discussions with Baek Yu-Seol. They had even stamped the contract.
At that moment, Baek Yu-Seol smiled and said, “It's absurd for a single school to challenge Adolevit. I simply wanted to diminish Atalek's power and support you.”
"Well, I suppose I'll have to pay a heavy price for it."
A heavy price. Hong Bi-Yeon deliberately said it to weigh down Edmon’s shoulders.
To make him fully realize the reality that he owed her.
"Thank you, Bi-Yeon. I'm really grateful."
"It's just something that needs to be done, of course."
As Hong Bi-Yeon turned around, she added one last remark. “I’m destined to be the Queen. It’s only natural for me to take care of my subjects.”
After saying that, Hong Bi-Yeon briskly walked away, the sound of her heels echoing down the halls.
Edmon, unable to close his mouth, stared at her back with a dazed expression.
'A... subject?'
Yes, from the beginning, their relationship had been similar to that of a queen and her subject.
Edmon had forcefully manipulated their relationship with his power, trying to alter it.
But now that the balance of power had been shattered, they returned to their original positions.
"Ha. Hahaha..."
Sinking back into the chair, Edmon grasped his hair and remained silent for a long time.
The sense of loss became even deeper and more profound than when he had lost the invitation to the Aslan Seminar.
He felt as if everything had been taken away from him by that commoner.
Stella Academy had an actual phone booth, believe it or not.
Of course, not many people used it. It required that the other person also had a telephone to make a call.
"Thank you for granting my request."
“Of course. Who else would I do it for?”
When Alterisha’s voice came through the receiver, Baek Yu-Seol burst into laughter.
Despite sounding exhausted, it was a voice that seemed happy for some reason.
Even though she was likely busy with research and development at the moment, he was grateful that she took the time to make a phone call.
“Anyway, you said you resolved the trade deal with the Adolevit royal family, right?”
"Yes. Please postpone any transactions with the Adolevit market or companies for about a month. For the time being, it will only be distributed through the royal family."
During that month, Hong Bi-Yeon would exert a significant influence on her homeland. If she could monopolize the entire Adolevit market in her name, it would be a tremendous achievement.
In truth, she might not even need this kind of help.
Hong Bi-Yeon had the power to resist any influence or political manipulation.
She just didn’t realize it yet.
“Oh, and the response to the video you sent was really good. Honestly, it was your first time using that kind of magical tool, but I never imagined you could utilize it to 100… No, even 200%.”
“I’m pretty good at it.”
Baek Yu-Seol couldn't say that he had already used many similar things before.
“In terms of their individual performances alone, honestly, they're still not quite there yet. Thanks to you, we received a great response from sponsors. It seems like we'll be able to accelerate development quickly.”
"Oh, that's good to hear."
“We might be able to produce those items you requested soon.”
The thought of using items he had only seen in the game in real life made Baek Yu-seol's heart race.
“Um... Yu-Seol.”
"Yes?"
“Thank you.”
He was slightly taken aback by the unexpected expression of gratitude.
"It's actually me who should be thankful."
“Well, no. It's all thanks to you.”
"Me?"
“These days, I'm happy every day.”
Alterisha spoke in a strange voice she hadn't revealed before, speaking calmly as if reciting a poem.
“I've always dreamed. A dream of having my own little research lab.”
“Even if the performance wouldn’t be great, having my own experimental tools... I waited and yearned for the day I could do any research I wanted. I thought it was impossible. That dreams are just dreams. And now, an opportunity has been given to me.”
“I couldn't have imagined this in my wildest dreams. The best environment in the world, with brilliant professors... Able to use the best experimental tools and rare materials as I wish.”
Who could have imagined it?
Who could have thought that she, who had been conducting research in a shabby warehouse with crude experimental tools, would suddenly become the world's greatest alchemist and conduct research in a fitting facility?
“Now, no one opposes whatever I do. Everyone respects my opinion and listens to what I say.”
To her, who had always been ignored, wasn’t that the greatest happiness?
“These days, I feel more alive than ever. When I place my hand on my chest, I can feel it pounding. This... It's all because of you.”
“It's the same this time too. Once again, someone tried to take away my precious children... and you stopped them, didn't you?”
"Well, yes..."
“That's why I wanted to express my gratitude once again. Just... yeah, like that.”
As her words ended, Baek Yu-Seol carefully contemplated how to respond to her heartfelt words.
"Um..."
“Oh!”
However, Alterisha, who suddenly realized the confession of her embarrassing feelings, reacted first.
She quickly stammered and exclaimed, “I… Um… Dr. Halsecoden is looking for me! I have to go! I'm hanging up now!”
"What? Wait, just a moment! Alterisha?"
Baek Yu-Seol was silenced by the dial tone.
Before he could respond, Alterisha hung up the call, leaving him feeling empty.
"Oh, really..."
After hanging up the phone, he leaned against the wall and absentmindedly stared out the window.
The sun was setting, but the sunlight was still dazzling.
"What a truly chaotic person..."
Imagining Alterisha getting worked up and blushing at that moment, Baek Yu-Seol chuckled and sighed quietly.
Suddenly, the recent events flashed through his mind like a panorama.
Soul Chess.
Honestly, he was a little nervous.
He wondered if the capabilities of the specs would hold up in real life.
Perhaps it was limited to abilities within the computer's NPC.
That was a slight concern because of the spec’s performance.
But it seemed that such worries were groundless as the cheap-looking specs boasted an incredible performance, completely tearing apart the soul chess prodigy named Edmon Atalek.
How could a human defeat artificial intelligence?
‘Unless it’s Lee Sedol, the 9-dan player.’ (1)
Discovering that the performance of the Sentient Specs exceeded expectations was a good harvest.
‘By the way, obtaining a pass to the Aslan Seminar is great and all, but the problem is that it’s kinda useless.’
The main characters would naturally be among the twelve rising stars, so they wouldn't need it.
'Hmm, what to do…?'
While he was lost in thought, someone spoke.
"Commoner."
"Yeah?"
When Baek Yu-Seol turned to the side, Hong Bi-Yeon was leaning against the wall, gazing at him with a mysterious aura.
The gentle sunset rays filtered through, gently falling on her hair and illuminating it like stardust.
Although he had never seen a real fairy, she seemed more like a fairy than an actual one. Her red eyes were even more captivating than the sunset, and she had a smile full of contentment.
"Why, is there another problem?"
He had already finished the contract with Hong Bi-Yeon.
Was there any reason for her to come again?
While Baek Yu-Seol was contemplating, she hesitated for a moment and swept her hair behind her shoulder.
“This time, I owe you greatly. Thank you."
‘Wow.’
‘To receive words of gratitude from her is…’
She looked at him intently and spoke cautiously.
"You said it before. That there was a price for helping me... If you tell me what that price is now, I'll give you an immediate answer."
The price.
In truth, the price that Baek Yu-Seol desired was quite simple.
It was for her to stay untainted by evil and stand on the side of goodness, building a happy ending with him.
That was the only price Baek Yu-Seol wished for.
However, it would be inappropriate to outrightly say, “I hope you become a good person.”
Drawing from 29 years of experience, he provided the most appropriate and textbook response to the situation.
"Buy me a meal."
"What?"
"Just buy me a meal. I want to enjoy a hearty meal served by the Princess."
Hong Bi-Yeon looked dumbfounded, not expecting such an answer from Baek Yu-Seol. Suddenly, she burst into laughter and nodded her head.
"Sure. I can definitely treat you to a meal."
She gestured for him to follow. It may sound outdated and even comical in this era, but the Stella Academy had a parking lot.
If cars existed in this world, it was only natural.
While cars themselves were much rarer than on Earth and mainly used by the wealthy, the majority of Stella's students had money, and the parking lot was filled with various luxury cars.
Among them, Hong Bi-Yeon's car stood out prominently, clearly indicating its exorbitant price to anyone who saw it.
Originally, an escort mage should have been in the passenger seat, but they were not present.
When the elderly driver respectfully opened the car door, Hong Bi-Yeon gracefully stepped into the car, with Baek Yu-Seol awkwardly joining her right after. The car soon eased out of the parking lot.
Indeed, the sensation of riding in the car was similar to modern cars, so Baek Yu-Seol couldn't help but be slightly surprised.
He raised the corner of his mouth at the thought of enjoying expensive food.
‘Hehe, what should I eat?’
While he had eaten black pork before, it seemed like a bit of a waste to savor it in front of the princess.
With her wealth, she could probably treat him to the five delicacies of aether until he was stuffed.
However, in truth, Hong Bi-Yeon had already decided what to eat the moment she received the dinner proposal.
She didn't know much about the person named Baek Yu-Seol. He was a mysterious being with many secrets.
She recalled the times when he had disregarded various sponsorship offers and love calls from the famous Magic Tower.
At that time, she thought of him as an arrogant commoner who didn't know his place.
It was a simple way of thinking.
But he already had a plan.
He didn't want to follow the predetermined path of the Adolevit royal family.
He had his own path to pave.
Yesterday was despair, today was accepting that despair, and tomorrow he had to face another despair.
Baek Yu-Seol’s past, which was filled with wounds, was now revealed.
What was the most painful thing in his memories? People breathed oxygen to live, while he lived by breathing pain.
What do people do when they feel that their emotions have become too worn out and barren?
They search for something beautiful and radiant within themselves.
No precious and expensive jewels or dishes held any value to Baek Yu-Seol.
If there was one thing that had any value and could heal his torn and broken heart, it would be jjajangmyeon.
Perhaps there was no one else who understood that.
[Jjajangmyeon Restaurant]
They arrived at the place.
"Are you for real?"
"Yes."
Baek Yu-Seol looked at Hong Bi-Yeon and the shop alternately in disbelief, but she walked in with confidence.
He followed her with a desolate gaze.
‘Is this really it...?’
‘My foie gras entier? Caviar canapé? Black truffle cream risotto...?’
He, who had expected to taste all kinds of luxurious delicacies, weakly followed Hong Bi-Yeon into the restaurant.
"Welcome!"
Hong Bi-Yeon's elegance was enough to overwhelm ordinary people, and the owner of the jjajangmyeon restaurant, who had been yawning, approached with a surprised expression.
"Menu."
"H-Here it is!"
She confidently sat down and stared at the menu intently.
She didn't know any of the dishes.
However, there was one thing she knew for sure: jjajangmyeon.
"I'll have this," Hong Bi-Yeon said as she placed her order.
She then looked at Baek Yu-Seol, who was sitting across from her.
He, too, was reading the menu board, but his expression didn't look too good.
“Why?”
Baek Yu-Seol contemplated for a while, struggling to make his choice, and finally managed to utter, "Um, three bowls of jjamppong and one order of tangsuyuk."
"Huh?"
That order puzzled Hong Bi-Yeon.
"Why? Can't you have three bowls?"
"Well... It's not that... I..."
She hesitated and quickly shut her mouth before asking why he didn't order jjajangmyeon. Suddenly, she realized.
'Could it be...?'
Hong Bi-Yeon realized her mistake.
'Why did I think that he, a commoner, overcame his past...?'
Why did he write about his mother and jjajangmyeon in the assignment about his past?
Why were all those words so filled with sadness?
Baek Yu-Seol was still haunted by that past. His mother, who had a thin and frail body, scraped and saved every penny she had and spent it all on a bowl of jjajangmyeon for her son.
Baek Yu-Seol realized his mother's grace only as he grew older.
However, it was already too late.
She had already left the world before he could show his filial piety.
He was clearly focused on the future. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to live so desperately.
But Baek Yu-Seol was still struggling, bound by the chains of the past.
When he was young, his favorite food was jjajangmyeon.
However, now the dish had become a symbol of regret for Baek Yu-Seol.
She realized this fact only now. She felt so ashamed and sorry that her cheeks turned red. She lowered her head.
"I'm sorry. Treating you to a meal in a place like this."
"Huh? No, it's fine."
Hong Bi-Yeon lowered her head and fidgeted with her fingers.
‘What a strange person.’
But seeing her embarrassment, Baek Yu-seol thought it might be due to financial constraints and chomped down on some pickled radish.
‘No matter what, it should be okay to make an additional order since she’s a princess, right?’
With that thought in mind, Baek Yu-Seol shouted to the kitchen.
“Mister, an order of fried dumplings, please!”
“Fried dumplings are on the house, sir!”
"Oh."
Today’s luck wasn’t bad at all.