37 – 37.
Due to the aftermath of the explosion of the main mana stone, the investigations at the headquarters of the association were completely suspended.
The wind that shook the building caused some reports to be filed and became a hot topic on the internet, but the association quickly calmed the controversy by claiming it was a minor incident that occurred during research.
Of course, considering the scale of the incident, it couldn’t be simply dismissed as a mere commotion, and there were many who didn’t believe the announcement….
In the end, no one was injured, and it was resolved at the level of a few simple articles being published.
…Externally, that is.
“What on earth is all this?”
The investigation team dispatched within the association inspected the severely damaged interior of the booth and clicked their tongues.
The inspection room installed in the association headquarters boasted excellent specifications that wouldn’t even leave a scratch with most impacts, as it was mainly used by top awakened individuals.
But that excellent facility was torn to shreds by small fragments of mana stones.
That means an enormous explosion had occurred.
“It’s fortunate that no one died. If someone had been caught in this… Ouch.”
The team leader, who was shaking his head, thought of ‘the nation’s husband’ Kang Yoo-chan, who had conducted the inspection just before the incident.
He had been an ardent supporter of the couple from the Mayan book, and inwardly thought it was fortunate that the two didn’t meet a sad ending.
“Team leader! You should take a look at this!”
At that moment, one of the team members who was checking the internal CCTV outside the forensic lab urgently called the team leader.
“What’s going on?”
As the team leader went outside, the team member who was manipulating the laptop screen slightly covered it with a serious expression.
“I tried to restore the magical burn record… but something seems a bit strange.”
“Strange?”
Taking the spot that the team member moved away from, the team leader glanced at the keyboard and played the video.
“What could be so amazing that you found…”
And after a moment.
“Huh?”
A faint look of confusion appeared on his face as he stared at the monitor.
“How do you zoom in on this?”
From Noble mtl dot com
“If you press Shift and 9, it will zoom in, and if you press 0, it will zoom out.”
“Shift and 9… hey, did you show this to anyone?”
“You are the first one to see it, team leader.”
“…Keep your mouth shut. Got it?”
“Yes, understood.”
The team leader, who was cautious with every word, replayed the scene just before the explosion several times.
And as he recalled the information he had heard during the preliminary investigation, he shook his head.
“They said it was impossible to measure, right?”
Click. The monitor played the scene where Yoo Chan was undergoing examination once again.
The magic released from the magic stone flowed into Yoochan’s left hand, manifesting as a faint shade of blue.
Before long, it flowed out through his right hand.
The magic, which had initially appeared as a pale blue, had now turned into a deep yellow.
It meant that Yoochan’s nature had changed.
Furthermore…
It had become several times darker than before.
And so, the yellow magic flowed from Yoochan and was drawn into the magic stone, which emitted a faint blue light.
[Shake. Shake.]
From that moment on, the magic stone began to show signs of explosion.
This enormous magic stone, which had handled the inspections of numerous S-class awakeneds without any problems, had been overwhelmed by a mere fraction of magic.
“…This is not a problem that I can handle within my jurisdiction.”
The team leader, understanding the situation, grabbed his laptop and once again silenced his team members.
“Is this the original?”
“Yes. The records were completely destroyed, so this is all we have.”
“…Alright. I’ll report on this and see if there’s anything else to find.”
“Understood.”
“Be careful with what you say.”
“Yes.”
He had simply done his job, but he had never anticipated what consequences his report would bring.
*
After the investigation ended unexpectedly due to the explosion of a mana stone,
I received a message from Mae-yeonseo, who still had some unfinished business, to go to the hotel first. It was on the way to the hotel in a vehicle prepared by the association.
‘A grade F summon.’
As a result, I was given the lowest grade, ‘F’.
Although I have the mana, it was impossible to measure the level, so I was given the grade F.
“…Am I weaker than that lizard?”
The lizard monster that Mae-yeonseo first summoned was grade C.
By simple calculation, I, who was grade F, was no match for my senior.
“This is ridiculous.”
While harboring such subtle thoughts, I sat quietly in the car and pondered various things.
“…If only I had a cellphone…”
As I felt a strong irritation from the ongoing forced digital detox in Korea.
“…A cellphone?”
Suddenly, one thing I had overlooked passed through my mind.
It was the luggage that was neatly placed in my house.
“Driver! I’m sorry, but could you stop by somewhere on the way?”
I quickly spoke to the driver.
“I’m sorry, but there were instructions to take you directly to the hotel…”
“Just 5 minutes! I only need 5 minutes! Let’s say it’s for saving a person’s life, please just give me 5 minutes! I really left something important behind…!”
The driver looked troubled as he alternated between the road and the rearview mirror.
And then, as if unable to help it, she let out a short sigh and spoke.
“Where should I go?”
Indeed, the sincerity of the Korean was real.
‘… She probably didn’t unpack her luggage in the meantime, right?’
After a month, I visited my studio apartment, and with a trembling heart, I entered the password and opened the door.
And…
“It’s still the same?”
I could face a household scenery that had hardly changed.
Rather, it looked much cleaner than when I used to live there, as if someone had been taking care of it during that time.
‘… It must be Ryeowon…’
It was definitely her touch.
“……”
As I recalled her leaving with only a formal greeting, I swallowed the discomfort that was slowly rising and entered the house.
‘Let’s pack up quickly and leave.’
In my heart, I wanted to enjoy the coziness after a long time, but unfortunately, there was someone waiting, so I had no choice but to grab my phone and wallet and leave…
At that moment.
“…?”
I noticed a single letter placed neatly on the tidy desk.
‘This is…’
It was a letter left by Hanyeo-won.
[Yoochan. The fact that you’re reading this letter means you’ve returned home, right?]
The letter detailed how the house was taken care of in my absence and how everything was organized, one by one.
It was a kind gesture, considering I might not come back.
[I’ve cleared out all the spoiled side dishes. I’ve put some cash in your wallet, so if you’re hungry, you can order delivery or something.]
When I glanced at my wallet, there were indeed two yellow bills tucked inside.
Two 50,000 won bills struck a deep chord in my heart.
“……”
I also noticed traces of the paper being wet and then dried in various places on the letter.
I couldn’t begin to imagine how much she must have cried to write this one letter.
[I miss you.]
My heart felt heavy.
“……”
With the letter in hand, I immediately left the house.
I got into the car and put the battery back into the phone that I used to match with Hanyeo-won and other couples.
As soon as the screen turned on, a familiar background picture appeared.
The two of us in the photo on the screen looked so happy.
*
While Yoochan was deeply troubled.
In a secluded shrine in Japan.
Rumble rumble. Rumble rumble.
In a spacious room with tatami mats, people sat in a circle, engaged in a serious conversation.
Each one of them was a prominent figure in the Japanese political and business circles.
“Shahid Khan is dead. Can you believe it?”
“What is happening? Why are things turning out like this?”
“I’m worried that something might happen to the nun as well.”
“Oh, please. Don’t talk nonsense.”
They were discussing the recently deceased Indian S-class Awakener, Shahid Khan.
Externally, it was reported that Shahid Khan died during a tower raid.
This was an order from the Indian government, fearing a drop in approval ratings as the ‘Stone’ disappeared….
However, some countries that had sent spies realized that Shahid did not die in the tower.
And with his death, the ‘Stone’ had disappeared as well.
“Don’t we need to increase security?”
“If we act hastily, it will only backfire and become a publicity stunt.”
“…Let’s trust and wait. I’m sure they have a plan.”
“Mm-hmm….”
How long had it been since people had been whispering anxiously with worried expressions?
Swoosh. The door on one side of the wall opened, and a young woman in a kimono entered the room.
Then, as if they had made an agreement, the people in the room fell silent and politely bowed their heads towards the woman.
More precisely….
They showed respect to the ‘someone’ hiding behind the woman.
“Thank you all for coming all the way here in your busy schedules.”
The woman conveyed the statement of the ‘Munyeo’ she served to the people.
“I would like to talk about the prophecy regarding the recent death of Shahid Khan.”
Prophecy.
At the mention of that word, people held their breath and listened intently.
Everyone gathered in the room were the ones who had received prophecies from the existence called ‘Munyeo’ and gained great wealth and honor.
However….
Among them, no one knew the true identity of ‘Munyeo’.
All they knew was that she was an awakened individual and that she had taken the ‘Time Stone’ found at the Tokyo Tower.
She was truly an unknown existence surrounded by rumors.
“There are people who are sweeping the world right now, collecting the ‘Stones’. We haven’t been able to determine who they are and why they’re collecting them.”
‘Munyeo’ revealed through the woman that it would be dangerous for her to hold the Primordial Stone.
Even Shahid Khan, who used the power of God, met a miserable death, so there was no need to mention others.
“So I tried to predict my own fate…. Fortunately, a hopeful outcome emerged.”
Sighs of relief could be heard throughout the room.
For those who had accumulated immense wealth and honor, the ‘Munyeo’ who could see the future was both a religion and a hope.
That’s why they were trying to restrain each other and prevent themselves from either pleasing or monopolizing ‘Munyeo’.
After all, as long as she, the goose that laid golden eggs, was alive, they could continue to make money.
…Or so they thought.
“That’s why I left Japan.”
The atmosphere was disrupted by a single remark.
“(…What?)”
“(Th-the nun has left Japan…?)”
A ripple of agitation spread through the crowd.
“I cannot disclose when or where she left. Just know that she is in a safe place.”
With that, the woman who unilaterally made the nun’s statement quietly left the room.
“W-what does this mean? The nun has left Japan!”
“This can’t be! What are we supposed to do?!”
“Are we the problem now? The nun’s safety should be our priority!”
“Despicable scoundrel!”
“We must live so that the nun can live too!”
The remaining people were confused by the fact that the nun had left…
And so it began.
Tokyo Narita Airport.
A seemingly ordinary middle-aged woman checked her message and whispered to the young woman sitting next to her.
“(Miss, it’s all over.)”
In response, the young woman smiled slightly and replied.
“That’s good.”
The ‘nun’ who had shaken the Japanese political and business circles alone was now waiting for a flight to Korea like any other ordinary tourist.