The S-Classes That I Raised

Chapter 625: Happy Ending (4)

The book Marisa had been reading was left on the chair. Her calm, plain outfit was so simple you’d never think it was her daughter’s wedding day; it made her look like a teacher left alone in an empty, worn–out classroom. Dim shadows fell long over her face, younger than her age yet clearly marked by time.

“…I did try to get through the ceremony safely.”

Mari blinked as she made her excuse.

“But there were a ton of S–rank Hunters there, and then Han Yujin suddenly changed. And I don’t think we really match that well.”

“The choice was that child’s to make.”

Marisa spoke softly.

“We only make sure everything is prepared.”

Han Yujin could have pretended not to know. He could have offered up Seong Hyunjae as a sacrifice. If he didn’t want to drag himself or his acquaintance Song Taewon into it, he could have pushed that role onto Mari instead. Or he could have asked Seong Hyunjae to sacrifice himself. He could have told the others the truth and shared the burden.

But he chose to hold it all alone.

Marisa’s gaze shifted to Seong Hyunjae. His golden eyes were chillingly cold. His expression didn’t change, but there was no way to call that look friendly. In truth, if he had loosened his restraint just a little more, not only Marisa but the entire mansion ahead of them would have been destroyed.

“I did think you were unusual.”

Seong Hyunjae spoke first. He had run into Marisa once in the past. Back then, he’d thought there was no way she could be just an ordinary B–rank Hunter. But he hadn’t bothered to take an interest.

Because he sensed in her something similar to himself. The same boring, tiresome aura of his own kind. Being born S–rank was, to Seong Hyunjae, a rather dull category. The especially strong and exceptional had that much narrower a range of change. They had no real need to change with their environment.

On top of that, she carried a sensibility that, like his, already showed how sick she was of the world. Could there be anyone more uninteresting than that.

“Maybe I should have paid a bit more attention.”

Still, he had thought the way the world around her shifted when Marisa moved was something worth enjoying. The fact that it was far removed from his usual sphere of activity helped too. So even knowing she was unusual, he had deliberately covered his own eyes. Whether an enemy force, an allied one, or a neutral one, anything that came into being without his knowledge would make things a little more fun.

It was a sort of arrogance. Even if that arrogance grabbed his ankle and dragged him down, even if it outright toppled him, Seong Hyunjae would have been more amused than anything. If only he hadn’t found someone he wanted to keep within arm’s reach and watch over.

“When did it start?”

“It hasn’t been long.”

Marisa answered slowly.

“The original me had no connection to Crescent Moon. The point where a link to her formed was right after you killed me.”

“Before the regression.”

Seong Hyunjae’s eyes drifted to the dark window outside. Far off in the distance, a pure white peak rose into the air.

“Was it then. I heard you raised sheep in Switzerland.”

“I don’t know the details myself. I don’t have those memories. I may very well have asked you to kill me.”

A faint smile touched Marisa’s lips.

“I must have been even more sick of things back then than I am now.”

Born S–rank. But she had lived more than half her life unable to Awaken, feeling only the faintest trace of mana. Even as an unawakened person, the world had been easy for Marisa – and at the same time, boring.

“For someone so tired of it all, you were surprisingly active. On the side of protecting the world, at that.”

“Preserving things is harder than destroying them. Breaking is nothing more than a children’s game.”

“Isn’t preserving by sacrificing someone just as dull.”

“The world cannot be maintained without sacrifice. Most great figures are voluntary offerings. Because the lives of many continue and improve on top of someone’s sacrifice, the world praises sacrifice.”

Their abilities, their time, and at times, their very lives.

“And there are plenty of humans. Using a portion of them as fuel for progress has been humanity’s natural flow.”

Seong Hyunjae didn’t bother asking if she’d say the same if that sacrifice included herself. In Marisa’s eyes, all humans were equal. She herself was just one of them and would hardly make an exception for herself. Just as, before the regression, she had for some reason given up her own life.

Marisa’s approach was much like a system without emotion. She simply found the optimal method and carried it out efficiently. There was nothing in her life she could assign emotional value to, so that mindset had taken root naturally.

“Han Yujin’s regression point was much earlier than I expected. It wasn’t long after that that Crescent Moon made contact.”

Because she had been asleep.

“I can’t speak about the information I received from Crescent Moon. To earn my trust, she shared a part of her consciousness with me.”

That let Marisa know and feel exactly what Crescent Moon wanted, but it also imposed a restriction that she could not speak aloud the shared consciousness.

“Despite your efforts to save the world, unfortunately, the wedding turned into a mess. The groom and the bride both look like this, as you can see.”

Seong Hyunjae lifted his arms lightly. His pure white formalwear was soaked in blood, drying to black. The dress of Mari, half–hidden behind him, was in no better shape.

“If you had fallen into Crescent Moon’s hands, everything would have ended right there. But now she’s gained Han Yujin instead.”

“…Did they make some kind of contract.”

“There is no contract. Even if Crescent Moon resides in his body, it’s impossible for her to harm those precious to Han Yujin. The moment she tries to take their lives, his body and mind will violently reject it. So forcing a contract is difficult.”

“I died twice.”

Seong Hyunjae sounded faintly sulky.

“The one who died wasn’t the current you. It only means that now it’s twice.”

Marisa looked down the long corridor stretching out behind Seong Hyunjae as she continued.

“Han Yujin has accepted Crescent Moon. The third time, the restrictions will be lighter than they are now. Even so, if he rejects her, she won’t be able to reside in him unless many conditions are met.”

“…He might want it.”

If it were Han Yujin. Seong Hyunjae’s voice dropped lower.

“Crescent Moon’s power is useful.”

“Even aside from that, if you want to enjoy your freedom a bit longer, kill them. My daughter behind you, and Han Yujin.”

Mari flinched and took a couple of steps away from his back.

“They’re the only vessels prepared at the moment.”

“Mari is.”

“I’m not planning to marry the Sesung guild leader anymore!”

“Regardless.”

As for Han Yujin. Should he go back and give him a warning even now. While Seong Hyunjae wavered, Marisa spoke.

“You won’t be able to do anything in the end.”

It was Crescent Moon’s message.

“As always, you’ll only watch and let it all slip through your fingers.”

Unable to stay anywhere, even now. Either pressing down on someone’s windpipe with his own hands, or stepping back to watch them drift away.

“Sincere hearts wither and lie down, the gentle vanish on the wind. The lovely ones are already asleep, yet you’ll be left alive alone in desolation.”

“The last rose of summer.”

A single bloom that can never wither. Seong Hyunjae laughed. As long as he couldn’t escape Crescent Moon, it would go on like this, all the way to the moment he lost himself and gave up.

Marisa picked up the book that had been left on the chair. She glanced back at Mari.

“Don’t come back too late.”

“…Okay.”

Mari nodded awkwardly. Marisa turned her gaze back to Seong Hyunjae.

“I’ll go ahead.”

He watched silently as she turned and began to walk away. How many times had he felt this same powerlessness. How many times had he alone been left behind, moved to a new garden, blooming by himself among the fallen leaves after summer passed.

“I’m not totally sure,”

Mari said, sneaking glances in the direction her mother had gone.

“but it seems like you’ve got it rough too, Seong Hyunjae.”

She had thought he was someone who didn’t care about anything and just lived exactly as he pleased.

“Do you need a happy ending?”

“I think ‘and they lived happily ever after’ is a fairly boring line.”

For him, right now, though.

“I would like to enjoy a normal life for a couple of years, at least. Normal life isn’t ordinary for me anymore.”

Something so commonplace and dull for others had become an extremely difficult, nearly impossible time for him to obtain. Seong Hyunjae started walking again at an unhurried pace. Mari fell into step behind him.

“Normal, how? What would you do?”

“Well. Maybe invite them over for a meal. Han Yujin would grumble, but he’d happily come. Chief Song Taewon would be a bit more finicky. Still, once I sit them down, they’ll both eat well.”

And they’d talk about nothing in particular.

“I… do need to go home.”

But he didn’t want to. Mari gave his sleeve a little tug.

“What should we do?”

“Well, since you’re a princess now.”

Seong Hyunjae turned to her gently as he continued,

“how about inheriting the throne.”

“What?!”

Mari puffed out her cheeks, as if to say, what kind of nonsense is that.

“Stubborn child.”

Crescent Moon smiled. Han Yujin had turned down her offer. If the moon set and the sun rose like this, Crescent Moon’s power would also recede. In the end, she had failed to reclaim the little moon, but she happily twined her fingers through the countless strands of moonlight connected to her.

Han Yujin would protect Seong Hyunjae. As long as he was there, the eclipse could not swallow the moon. The little moon, too, would be unable to give up his life. For Crescent Moon, it was as if one of her greatest worries had vanished.

And one more.

Crescent Moon’s fingers lightly tugged on a new strand of moonlight. It was so thin it looked like it could snap at any moment, yet it was clearly connected.

“What did the white bird see in you.”

And that power that even Crescent Moon, who had faintly sensed it when she resided in Han Yujin’s body, could not begin to fathom.

What was certain was that the time was not far off. In the end, the two of them would have to choose. Either Han Yujin would give up the little moon, or the little moon would kill Han Yujin. Or, unable to choose either, they would meet the world’s end together.

Crescent Moon would eventually take in the little moon left alone. And then the full moon would be born. The moon that, after a long time, had finally found a garden where it wanted to sleep, only to lose it once again. A new god, standing alone.

It was cold. Not just because of the bitter winter mountain wind. His insides had frozen solid. Forcing out ragged, blocked breaths, he shifted his eyes to the side. The blood–soaked floor filled his vision. The stench of blood was still thick.

‘…I.’

He couldn’t hand over Seong Hyunjae. Honestly, he just wanted to accept Crescent Moon’s offer. I tightened my grip on Yuhyun’s arms wrapped around me.

The Sesung guild leader was someone I never needed to worry about. Strong, the type to land on his feet no matter where he fell, someone who would always put himself first. That was why I’d wavered.

‘Why did he have to look like that.’

The image of Seong Hyunjae covered in blood rose before my eyes. Why the hell do you look like that. If he’d just looked like he usually did – fine, composed, like he could handle anything that happened.

Then even if Crescent Moon dragged him away, I might have thought, he’ll figure something out and get out of it on his own.

‘Even when I told him to run… he wouldn’t listen.’

So that made it even more impossible. I couldn’t even tell him the circumstances. In case he said he was fine with it.

“Hyung, are you feeling a bit better now?”

Once my sobs had started to die down, my little brother spoke to me gently.

“Mister, what happened? It’s okay if you don’t tell me, though.”

Yerim asked anxiously too. That only made me feel more sorry. Both of them could have been freed from danger, from having to worry ever again.

White hair flickered at the edge of my vision. A little flustered, I grabbed my own hair. Back in the Christmas dungeon, they’d said only my eye color had changed… Would it go back to normal once morning came. And Crescent Moon…

“…Chief Song.”

“Yes.”

Song Taewon answered immediately to my cracked voice. I pushed myself up from where I was half–collapsed against my brother and looked around. The moon was still up. The spreading moonlight felt like my own mana. Seong Hyunjae seemed to be inside somewhere the moonlight couldn’t reach. I wanted to ask him what he was going to do now, but I didn’t have the nerve to face him again.

[Whenever you like, child.]

Crescent Moon spoke to me. Even if the sun rose and a day passed, it didn’t mean every chance would be gone. I had connected with Crescent Moon twice. She told me that if I wanted, I could always call her again and make another deal.

[But your lifespan will inevitably be spent. Even so, you’ll be able to grasp a peaceful time.]

As long as I couldn’t find another way, I would end up wavering again. I couldn’t help it.

“For now, could you go upstairs? Take the kids with you.”

“Ack, wait a sec!”

Song Taewon was a step faster than Yerim, who had been quick on the uptake and was trying to slip away. Yerim struggled to pull free, but Chief Song didn’t budge an inch. Noah also wrapped both hands around Gyeol.

–Dad!

“Just in case. They said it would be fine once the sun comes up. Yuhyun.”

“I’m not going.”

Yuhyun spoke stubbornly. Chief Song and Noah both had a hold on the kids for the moment, but neither of them looked like they wanted to back off.

“It’ll just be for a little bit. I can’t rest if you’re here; it makes me nervous.”

–Dad, Gyeol doesn’t even get attacked!

“Mister, you get more depressed if you’re alone! I was like that too, that’s why going to school felt good!”

“…And you’re okay now?”

“Of course I’m okay! So let’s stay together. We’ll light a fire, and I’ll patch up the ceiling!”

“I don’t know the exact situation, but I also don’t think it’s good to leave you alone, Mr. Han.”

“Me too, Yujin. It’s fine if you don’t tell us anything. Let’s just stay together. I liked being together too.”

Peace let out a cute, high cry and rubbed his body against me. It might still be dangerous. As I hesitated, Yerim quickly sent mist up toward the ceiling. The mist turned into fat droplets, and soon an ice ceiling formed. Yuhyun lit a fire next. The red, flickering flames painted everyone’s faces a warm pink.

“Get that pink cardigan out and… oh.”

Yerim’s voice trailed off, maybe because she thought of Seong Hyunjae, who had gone off alone. My mouth tasted bitter too, but I still pulled out the cardigan and slipped it on.

It was warm.