Chapter 198

The door burst open and a man in a white robe exclaimed, gasping for breath:

“Elder! Hunters have entered the Cradle!”

Unlike the frantic man, the Elder calmly sipped his tea and said:

“That’s fine.”

“But! When considering the possibility of failing the Cradle—”

“That’s not it.”

The Elder set down his teacup and rose from his seat.

He gazed out the window with its half-lowered blinds.

Outside, people seemed to be going about their daily lives, unaffected by the Cradle.

“Elder.”

At the man’s urging, too anxious to wait even a moment, the Elder turned his head.

“The Cradle isn’t the end.”

“What?”

“It’s merely a test platform to examine our resolve. The true destruction isn’t the Cradle.”

The man stared at the Elder with startled eyes.

“What is there to fear? Don’t you know who stands with us?”

“Ah.”

The man fell to his knees and pressed his forehead to the floor.

“I apologize.”

The Elder shook his head at the man and turned back to watch the people.

“We must move again after the test ends. Don’t waver. Remember that our will is God’s will.”

“I believe.”

“Then go and set things in motion. The time of destruction will soon come.”

The man jumped up and left the room.

The Elder continued watching the people without turning at the sound of the door closing.

The ignorant masses were avoiding the truth, moving only for what they could see right in front of them.

The Elder clicked his tongue and said:

“Everything according to God’s will.”

***

“How about this?”

“Hmm. Not really.”

At Minhee’s response, Hanseong put down the clothes she was holding.

“Nothing catching your eye?”

The personal shopper asked with a kind smile.

“No. I’d like to see something more comfortable.”

“Ah. How about I return tomorrow with some more comfortable options?”

“No. I’ll talk to the Chairman myself. You don’t need to visit again.”

“But—”

“It’s fine.”

The personal shopper looked uncertain at the firm response.

“I’ll explain it well to the Chairman. Don’t worry.”

“Thank you.”

After the personal shopper and staff left, Hanseong sighed and sank into the sofa.

“Why not buy at least one or two outfits?”

Minhee said while picking up a cheese-scented madeleine.

“You saw the prices. How could I wear that?”

“Hey, you think those are the real prices in this house?”

Hanseong responded with her eyes closed.

“This isn’t my house – I’m just staying here until the Cradle is over.”

“But they’re offering to buy them for you. What’s wrong with just accepting?”

Hanseong waved her hand.

“It’s too much.”

“Honestly. But these are really delicious.”

Hanseong sat up at Minhee’s words about the taste and picked up a madeleine.

True to Minhee’s words, the madeleine was delicious. The way it crumbled finely in her mouth and the slight cheese aroma after swallowing were so satisfying that she’d probably remember the taste even after leaving Shin Sooha’s house.

“How long are you staying here?”

“Probably until tomorrow?”

Minhee’s eyes went wide.

“You’re leaving first?”

“No. Oppa said he’d finish the Cradle conquest within three days. So it should end around tomorrow.”

Hanseong answered while picking up a blueberry macaron after rinsing her mouth with Americano.

“It could take longer though.”

“No. Go-woon oppa always keeps to his plans. So it can’t be wrong.”

“But something could happen…”

Unlike Minhee who didn’t know Go-woon’s circumstances, Hanseong knew well that Go-woon was knowledgeable about the Cradle and answered firmly:

“No. He’ll definitely keep to it. The problem is…”

“Problem? What problem?”

“…Nothing.”

Minhee gave Hanseong a suspicious look, but Hanseong just stuffed a macaron into Minhee’s mouth without saying more.

Though Minhee felt hurt by Hanseong hiding secrets, she didn’t pry and changed the subject.

“Did you give him the clothes well?”

“Yeah. Oppa liked them too.”

“Hey. Honestly, he would’ve liked it even if you gave him a sack to wear.”

Hanseong burst out laughing at Minhee’s words.

It was true – Go-woon would wear anything as long as it was comfortable.

Though his face suggested someone who’d be picky about fashion, he always tried to wear just black shirts and black pants, to the point where Hanseong had caught him several times and helped coordinate his outfits.

“The news is still going on about oppa going there, really. I want to gather all those people and make them go through a dungeon with oppa once.”

Hanseong tilted her head.

“Why? I was fine when I went through the Tower with oppa.”

“That’s because oppa gave you special treatment.”

“Hey. What special treatment?”

Minhee clutched her chest in frustration and said:

“Ask Ga-eul later. How much we rolled around.”

“Rolled?”

“Hey, monsters appear, right? We have to defeat them within one minute.”

Minhee’s party consisted of hunters who could all convert to attack types except for the healer.

With everyone attacking simultaneously, defeating monsters of reasonable levels within a minute wasn’t a problem.

Seeing Hanseong’s expression that seemed to ask what was so hard about that, Minhee scrunched up her face and shouted:

“You think only one monster comes?! Oppa makes us defeat ALL monsters within one minute, no matter how many there are!”

“No way.”

“Sounds unbelievable, right? Nobody in our guild believes me when I say this either. They all think I’m lying, just like you.”

Hanseong tilted her head at the voice full of indignation.

“Really?”

“Yeah, really. Go-woon oppa even worked Woo-jae oppa hard.”

“Isn’t Woo-jae a healer?”

To Hanseong’s understanding, Woo-jae was a healer.

Like Mei in the Tower, healers just stood still unless someone was injured, so Hanseong tilted her head, not understanding how they could be “worked hard.”

“He said healers die early if they just laze around, so he made him do physical training.”

“What?”

Hanseong’s eyes went wide.

Making a healer do physical training when they should be treated with utmost respect.

“You know how much he drove him around saying a true healer should be able to heal while dodging monsters? Now Woo-jae oppa can heal while gathering monsters.”

Hanseong’s eyes grew even wider at Minhee’s words.

Occasionally, you could see tank-type hunters gathering monsters when there was a hunter with AoE skills who could handle multiple monsters at once. But healers were clearly different.

By now, pride in Woo-jae even showed in Minhee’s eyes.

Wasn’t she just saying how oppa was rough on Woo-jae and made things difficult for him?

Though something seemed off about Minhee’s words, since it ultimately seemed like praise for Go-woon, Hanseong nodded.

“Talking about oppa makes me miss him.”

“Me too.”

Just because they lived together didn’t mean they were together 24 hours a day, and there were many times they were apart – when he went to China, or was hospitalized at the research facility.

But she had never missed him as much as today.

Feeling her mood dropping, Hanseong shook her head slightly and asked Minhee:

“How’s the guild atmosphere? Are they still hostile toward Taeju?”

“Don’t even ask. It’s true the Vice Guild Leader likes to run dungeons alone and doesn’t take care of others, but he would obediently take people along and look after them when the Guild Leader ordered.”

“Yeah.”

“But now it’s like none of that ever happened – everyone’s saying the Vice Guild Leader only went alone for his own level, and rumors are spreading that he looks down on others.”

“What?”

Hanseong frowned.

“On top of that, when the Guild Leader said he’d expand the guild and recruited investors, word came that the investors want the Vice Guild Leader to become Guild Leader.”

“Fucking hell.”

Minhee sighed at Hanseong’s intense reaction.

“So now there are even rumors that the Vice Guild Leader actually manipulated the investors and sent them to the Guild Leader to take over the guild. Well…”

“What does that have to do with anything? More importantly, Taeju is trying to leave Sunset Guild.”

The night before going to the Cradle.

Taeju had come to Hanseong.

He explained about how Go-woon would change after returning from the Cradle, and said he planned to leave the guild and create a new guild, asking if she would join him.

But taking over Sunset Guild?

That was too absurd.

“Hey. You know how that rumor spread? Word got out that the Vice Guild Leader threatened to quit if the Guild Leader didn’t hand over Sunset Guild.”

“They’re fucking crazy. Really.”

“Yeah. So the atmosphere is really bad now. There are rumors that the Guild Leader will strip him of his Vice Guild Leader position and make him a regular member, and talk about claiming damages for all the trouble Go-woon oppa caused that the guild had to clean up before.”

Hanseong did a dry face wash with a sigh.

The reality awaiting Taeju upon return seemed too harsh.

“It’ll be tough for Taeju when he gets back.”

“Yeah. After all that effort conquering the Cradle, he’ll be treated almost like a traitor at the guild.”

“Yeah.”

“At least make him comfortable at home. That’s what living with family is for.”

“Huh? I’m not going back home.”

“What?”

“Actually, that’s why I called you.”

“Hm?”

“You live alone, right?”

Minhee nodded.

“Yeah. Why, are you moving out of that house?”

“Yeah. I can’t stay at Taeju’s place forever.”

“Why? Did the Vice Guild Leader tell you to leave?”

Hanseong frowned and said:

“How could he do that?”

“Then why?”

“Just… I can’t keep imposing on someone else’s home.”

Minhee looked at Hanseong with worried eyes at her voice tinged with bitterness.

“You wouldn’t fight with oppa, did you fight with the Vice Guild Leader again?”

Hanseong responded seriously:

“Hey! I don’t fight with Taeju – that bastard picks fights with me!”

“That’s not important right now – why are you trying to move out?”

“I told you. I can’t keep imposing on someone else’s home. Hey! Stop changing the subject and tell me, how much is your house deposit?”

Though still looking suspicious, Minhee answered Hanseong’s questions.

Hanseong’s detailed questioning only stopped around sunset.

“Thanks. That cleared up everything I was curious about.”

“Are you really going to live independently?”

“Yeah.”

“What about the forge?”

Minhee asked worriedly, knowing how enormous the cost was to create a forge.

“I’ll use mine since it’s mine. I’m just moving houses.”

“That’s good then. I should get going.”

“Want to eat dinner before you go?”

When first invited here, Sinteabeom had offered to send a driver, but Minhee, who had declined using driving practice as an excuse, made a regretful expression.

“I’m scared of driving at night. I should move before sunset.”

“Okay. Got it.”

After seeing Minhee off, Hanseong took the remaining madeleines and entered her room.

The room was pristinely cleaned like a hotel, presumably by the housekeeper.

But it still didn’t feel like a place where she could rest.

I want to go home.

Despite the spacious luxury house, delicious food, and how well Shin Sooha’s family treated her, this place was uncomfortable.

That place was comfortable – even though it was small and messy, with Go-woon’s cooking and bickering with Taeju.

It won’t exist anymore.

Feeling her appetite disappear, Hanseong set the madeleine down on the table.

“Oppa will go well, right?”

Actually, she wanted to hold him back.

She wanted to grab him and say isn’t this place better than there? Isn’t this place with money and us better than a place with no family and no money? Couldn’t he just not go?

She couldn’t bring herself to say it because she was afraid he might hate her.

Afraid she might not even leave good memories.

“Oppa was the only family I had left.”

Even without blood ties, Go-woon was family to Hanseong.

Family who saved her when she was struggling, comforted her, and gave her new life.

Hanseong buried her face in her hands to hide the tears welling up.

Goodbye, oppa.