100 – Welcome party and after party
“Greetings. My name is Sonbin Choi.”
A blue-eyed woman with bleached skin was standing in front of us.
Choi Son-bin, a former hunter, once an Abyss, and now a person who could be called a civilian, bowed respectfully in front of me and the other A-rank hunters.
It is not clear what method she used, but she created a new disguised identity and officially became a member of the black hunter company Dreamers.
Regarding this, the Hunters, including myself, began to welcome it willingly.
‘There are still some uncomfortable parts, but that part is something that we have to keep an eye on.
Maybe in the future, there will be an opportunity to receive the authority to command other hunters and troops like this time.
However, the value of the troops I borrowed and the forces I could use under my direct control were completely different, and there was also a difference in the extent to which they could be utilized.
In that respect, although she has weakened compared to the previous overwhelming majesty, it is definitely a good thing that she, who still possesses more power than an S-class hunter, became a companion.
That was the time when I was evaluating the current situation positively.
“Well, he is no longer Choi Sonbin and his official name is Talos.”
Kwon-soon, standing next to her, talks about the new name she gave her this time, as if boasting a little.
Regarding this, Are asked her with some doubt.
“Talosra… Just in case, is this the name you gave me, Joggs?”
“Of course, who could come up with such a cute name other than me?”
“… I feel it every time, but your naming sense is hard to follow in many ways.”
It was a fact that she felt from the time she called herself by the nickname Joggs, but the idea of giving her a normal Korean name didn’t seem to fall within her category.
“Are you really okay with that? with that name.”
“Yes, that is the name Joggs gave it. From my point of view, there is no reason to be dissatisfied.”
There was not even a speck of feeling that he was a monster who had slaughtered the Abyss with his own hands until not too long ago.
She gives off a strong impression of being a little innocent…
Looking at the woman who had taken on the name of Talos, Are said with some sincere concern.
“… Joggs. It’s just what I truly feel. I think you should be really nice to your friend.”
“yes? What are you talking about? I’ll do it even if you don’t tell me, so you don’t have to worry.”
“Ahahahahaha..”
Kwon Soon speaks with a little doubt about Are’s words, and Talos smiles with a little awkwardness about it.
Regarding this, I also showed a slightly bitter smile, and then Glass spoke with a smile on his lips, slightly raising his voice.
“Come on, then, anyway, since I have a new collègue with this, I will prepare a reward for a while. please wait for a moment.”
“Ohh… Glass’ dishes are always welcome!”
“Me too. In the meantime, there are some hardships on the battlefield, so let’s all enjoy it today.”
Kwon Soon and I actively responded to Glass’s words, which always serve dishes comparable to hotel restaurants.
*
“It was really good. Even before I became an Abyss, I could hardly count on a meal this delicious.”
“Whoops. Thank you for saying that, Talos.”
Talos speaks with sincerity.
Regarding this, Glass expressed her gratitude by showing a beautiful smile like a unique goddess.
“But I was really surprised. I’ve heard that French people are good at cooking, but I never thought they would be this good.
“hehehe, yes, I’ll teach you a few dishes later if you’d like.”
Glass speaks in such a joyous voice,
Seeing her like this, Talos didn’t show it, but he began to feel a little moved inside.
‘It’s something I’ve been aware of ever since I came here.. but they all seem to be good people..’
Kwon Soon-ya was a close friend from the beginning, so it can be said that it is, but honestly, the glass in front of her eyes and the person named Iare who used to visit him from time to time were also in a position to feel uncomfortable or wary of himself to some extent.
Although her role was close to that of a puppet, she had a history of becoming a monster and attacking the same humans.
Even though it was a situation that could have been uncomfortable enough, Talos was able to recognize the fact that they were also kind people in that they were giving him such a flawless smile.
Like… old colleagues you can’t see now.
‘Shimyeong.. and Ro.. were all really nice people… but in the end, it was just the two of us left.’
His colleagues who, unlike himself, did not come out alive from that hellish place.
Like that, Talos started to feel a little depressed without realizing it, thinking that he really wanted to see the faces of those people today.
Soon, she made a resolution in her heart, trying to shake off these feelings.
‘I can’t completely forget those people… But, I still have friends I can rely on. And, there are new colleagues. Isn’t it a new life that I received like a miracle? I don’t want to waste time forever being bound by past feelings.’
When she was already used as a tool of the Abyss, she had half-forcibly repeated the feelings of that time countless times.
Now that she was finally freed from it, she began to harden her mind to live in pursuit of a brighter future.
at that time..
“What are you doing there? Come on. On a day like this, isn’t the second round the national rule?”
“yes! okay.”
“Okay, let’s get drunk for the first time in a while!”
Kwon Soon’s lively voice came from the living room.
At this, Glass and Talos rose from their seats with smiles on their lips.
*
“Cool..”
“mmm… ”
After the meal, and after the drinking party, those who were tangled up on the sofa in the living room and fell into the hole.
On the other hand, leaving them behind, I, who had slightly adjusted the amount of alcohol I had mentioned before, sat facing her alone as planned.
“how about it? Would you like another drink?”
“Yes. That will be fine.”
An office with soft lighting.
There… I took a light sip of the wine Are poured me.
“Really… I’m talking about it now, but it seems I’ve been too busy in the meantime.”
“I agree. Since I flew to Paris, the past few weeks have been hectic as things have taken off one after another.”
Are, who speaks with a bit of dissatisfaction.
On this, I also expressed my sincere sympathy.
The schedule in Paris was completed in just over two days, but after hearing about the front line situation on the return flight, things continued one after another.
The time when I was tormented by the death of my old colleagues.
After that, an emergency request from the military suddenly came in and preparations were made in advance.
Right after that was over, I had to fly to Hamheung with the hunters, and as I happened to be given the command of the entire army there, I literally risked my life and had to literally change my soul to gather information while staying up all night.
And the battle and victory that followed immediately. Right after that, I was completely unconscious due to the post-war dealings related to Talos, and finally, all of that work could barely be finished until today.
“But… with this, you can rest well for a while. Thanks to this job, I made quite a bit of money, and if you do that much, the front line will also be in a stable state for a while.”
As 50,000 Abyss were wiped out and the Hamheung front was stabilized, other fronts that had been in crisis for a while were also succeeding in solidifying.
Although the advance to the Yalu River, which was aimed at, failed, most of the area was recovered except for the northern part of Hamgyeong-do and other areas.
Regarding this, the military also declared that it would take a break for the time being and adjust its power, so there was a high possibility that there would be nothing for us to do for a while.
That time, when I was tilting my wine glass in the tranquility of the ebb and flow…
“Jinhyun.”
“yes?”
next moment. Are speaks in a calmer voice.
As a result, I recognized that her mood began to change a little, and a calm smile began to form on her lips as she looked at me.