◈ Episode 21. An Existence of Love and Hate (2)
Slam—Number 1, Lee Eunhye.
Daughter of President Lee Junwook and Lady Choi Ganghui.
The only married one among the four siblings.
"Arangi. Say hello to Uncle Hoyeol~"
"Hi, Uncle Ho-yeori!!"
My eldest sister held her daughter, Arangi’s, hand tight and opened the door to my studio.
Number 2, Lee Jiyun.
Number 2 followed her inside and said to me.
"Hoyeol, your dye job is totally amazing. You look totally like an idol. An idol."
Number 3, Lee Yerim.
That sworn enemy looked at me and flashed a rotten smile.
"An idol, my ass. Mom would faint if she saw this. How much you've suffered, going gray already. The young master is going gray before his own father."
Four women burst through the front door.
If this were the old days, I would have been flustered.
Because this was practically the same as being caught hiding something.
But the present me was shameless.
"It's been a while since I've seen your faces. Have you been well? Ladies."
A respectful greeting, bowing not just my head but my waist as well.
Sincerity emanating from that formality.
It was my sisters who grew more serious at my greeting, instead. Number 2 poked the sworn enemy in the side. Poke, poke—
"...Hey. I don't think this is a concept."
"Right? Where did our ill-mannered Hoyeol go?"
"When he called me Nuna, I was half-doubting it, but......."
I had explained most of the circumstances during the phone call.
Not long ago, I had become a Player.
Because of that, my speech and appearance had changed.
I had quit my job due to unavoidable circumstances.
And lastly, the Lee Hoyeol on the news was me.
And so, they had come running immediately.
Saying they couldn't believe it without seeing it with their own eyes.
Naturally, I had no right to refuse them.
‘...Because I have sins to atone for.’
Even if I didn't.
When surrounded by Numbers 1, 2, and 3 and suffering their sharp tongues, even their domineering personalities would somehow become my fault.
In short, it was a natural enemy relationship I couldn't defy.
But as I said, I had changed.
I could act shamelessly even before my natural enemies.
"The wind is cold. What tea would you like?"
At my words, they exchanged glances.
"...What are you?"
"Did our Hoyeol get a girlfriend?"
"It's nice that you're sweet, but what's going on? Hoyeol, big sister will have coffee~ Arangi, do you want something warm too? Uncle~ give some to Arangi too~"
With practiced skill, I took out teacups and prepared tea.
Number 2 and the sworn enemy, who had been looking around, whispered.
"He's got a girlfriend. There's no way a guy living alone could keep a house this clean otherwise. And what's with those teacups? They're so delicate...."
"Even so, the house is too clean. Not a single strand of hair anywhere."
"Look at this, look at the fridge. You're totally busted, Lee Hoyeol."
The sworn enemy took out lettuce from the fridge.
Number 2 picked up chicken breast.
"Seeing nothing but this in the fridge means your girlfriend is on a diet, right? Be honest with your sisters. What does she do? How old is she? Is she pretty?"
...I had a lot of misunderstandings to clear up.
After that, we sat and talked calmly.
Thanks to that, most of the misunderstandings were cleared.
Because there was definitive evidence.
"...You eat the lettuce and chicken breast?"
"Looking at how your body has improved, that might actually be true, man."
"Does that even make sense? How annoying is it to cook for yourself while living alone?!"
"Lee Yerim. Don't judge the world by your standards. You made such a fuss that I also thought our youngest had gotten a girlfriend."
"Then did Hoyeol pick out these teacups too? You've got quite an eye~"
I had done well preparing refreshments according to etiquette.
Was it thanks to the warm and sweet things that went in?
Their reactions became all the more amicable.
Except for the sworn enemy, who looked somewhat aggrieved.
But there was a topic I couldn't avoid.
My eldest sister asked me.
"So how is it? Is it doable?"
It was a short question.
But I knew the underlying meaning was no simple matter.
Because it was common knowledge that Player activities were dangerous.
That was why I couldn't bring it up first either.
To say something dangerous wasn't dangerous.
It wasn't something I could lie about.
The sworn enemy warned me.
"Look us straight in the eyes and say it."
...A natural enemy is a natural enemy for a reason.
After all, ever since we were young, she could tell when someone was lying with astounding accuracy.
But in this moment, there wasn't a hint of falsehood in me.
"It suits me."
It wasn't to keep my flesh and blood from worrying.
It was truly an expression of confidence.
During the Count Askyura raid, I had come to realize my potential and my limits.
Because I knew my own capacity.
Because at least beating demonkin to death really suited me.
I could answer without a moment’s hesitation.
"...Well. It doesn't seem like a lie."
"Lee Yerim, it's you again. Didn't I tell you? Hoyeol isn't like you. He's been taking care of himself well ever since he was young. Since it suits him, that's why the news is always talking about him, isn't it?"
"Really? If our youngest says so, then Noona feels a bit relieved."
...They got over it more easily than expected.
Was it thanks to my overflowing confidence?
Anyway, I asked my eldest sister.
"Do Father and Mother know as well?"
"Dad and Mom? They're busy making dumplings from dawn, so they don't know yet. But it's been you on the news all day, so won't they find out soon? Well, your hair color, your physique... Even though you've changed so much, there's no way Mom and Dad wouldn't recognize you."
"Me too, me too! I recognized Uncle Ho-yeori!"
Pat, pat— I stroked Arangi’s head as I spoke.
"I suppose I must tell Father and Mother the truth as well."
"Don't bother. We'll tell them."
...You?
The sworn enemy looked at me and continued.
"Mom and Dad are different from us. Even if we say we're going on a trip, they worry until we get back home. If you tell them as bluntly as you told us, how worried do you think they'd be?"
So she was saying she'd tell them in my place.
...Yes, that seemed better for me too.
As I nodded, thinking that.
Suddenly, a snickering laugh was heard.
"But Father, Mother, sisters, noona. This reminds me of the old days."
"Right. It's not just me, right?"
"...?"
"Let's see, was it about ten years ago? Lee Hoyeol totally had chuunibyou. Suddenly speaking formally to us. Saying he would pay his respects to Mom and Dad."
"...!"
"But he was cute back then. At least, his face was cute. Back then. Now he's had a reverse transformation... No. Looking at him now, it seems like his face from back then is coming back."
"Thinking about that. Hoyeol, didn't you throw a tantrum wanting to dye your hair silver?"
My dark history, recited in rapid succession!
...No matter how I thought about it, she was my natural enemy.
A natural enemy greater than a Demon Hunter and a demon, that was certain....
I carefully handed over Arangi, who had fallen asleep in my arms.
Whisper, whisper— "We'll get going. Keep in touch."
"I want to nag you some more, but there's nothing to nag about, tch."
"We're off."
I bowed my head politely.
The moment I tried to close the door.
Tuk— The sworn enemy stuck her foot in.
"This noona has one last nag."
"...?"
"If it's hard, quit right away. Honestly, that's what we came here to say. Us."
The older sisters seemed unable to say it until the very end, but....
Even without explanation, I knew the meaning behind those words.
As I nodded, she added one more thing.
"And really, one last thing. Save up well while you have it. Above all, absolutely no cosigning. Got it?"
At those words, something suddenly came to mind.
That's right, absolutely no cosigning.
How do you think our house ended up with that red tag... '...Wait, that's not it.'
Rift clear reward!
Whether it's integrity or innocence, you have to take what you can get!
*Rift Clear Reward.
It could be said to be the Players' main source of income.
The reward amount was determined by the appropriate level of the rift, and was paid out differentially to the Players according to contribution.
There were also nations that provided these rewards.
Time bombs that could lead to transnational disasters— rifts.
It was only natural to pay rewards to Players who handled such rifts.
But state-level rewards were, quite literally, paltry.
"We understand there are limits to the national budget, but...."
"But shouldn't they increase it a bit?"
"At this rate, we can't even cover labor costs."
Then.
Who was paying the Players such enormous rewards?
Arcana's developer, 'Cosmo.'
No, it would be difficult to call them Cosmo now.
Everyone except one person had resigned.
Because they had transferred to AAU.
So, just one person.
Cosmo's CEO, one 'Raymond Sean.'
As if he had known Arcana would become reality.
Arcana's homepage had changed along with that upheaval.
Not to mention the revamping of the ranking system.
New update notices.
Even rift clear status.
The Great Upheaval.
The world had literally been overturned like a game, yet it had been able to maintain itself as it was now because of Arcana's homepage.
Thanks to that, a re-evaluation of Raymond Sean was taking place throughout society.
"Let's say Raymond Sean really is the culprit behind the Great Upheaval. Would he have any reason to continue operating the homepage? Thanks to the homepage, hasn't humanity progressed rather than regressed compared to before the Great Upheaval?"
It was a reasonable opinion.
A social system maintained thanks to the homepage.
Arcana civilization encroaching upon reality.
Through the synergistic effect of mutual exchange, the world had actually advanced beyond what it was before the Great Upheaval.
"That is an undeniable fact, but.... I believe we must make this clear before any re-evaluation. Whether Raymond Sean is operating the homepage to truly prepare for the Great Upheaval. Or whether he is operating it simply to sway public opinion as he is now."
Of course, the difference in opinion wouldn't be easily bridged for some time.
But at least the Players couldn't help but defend Raymond Sean.
Because the rift clear rewards paid by Cosmo and Raymond Sean were enormous.
"...The throbbing pain completely disappears."
"Yeah. This is financial healing."
"This is why I can't quit being a Player. Me."
Where did that enormous reward money come from?
If anyone asked, one need only recall the monthly subscription fees of the ruthless Arcana Continent era.
Hundreds of thousands of won per month.
Not to mention the price of the dedicated access devices reaching tens of millions of won.
It was an undeniable fact that Cosmo had raked in astronomical amounts of money.
For decades to come.
Even paying enormous rift rewards to Players, it was an amount where the principal would be preserved.
So it was only natural that interest was focused on the new rift clear reward.
Because even judging by the appropriate level alone, it was expected to be unprecedented.
Guild, Berserker.
A shaggy crimson bob twitched.
Having counted the numbers appearing on the screen, she muttered.
"...What the hell is this?"
"What's wrong? Are the numbers too big to read, unnie?"
"Damn it. Shut up. I'm counting again."
One, ten, hundred, thousand, ten thousand....
Leoni, who had been counting the digits, swallowed her shock.
...Wh-why is there so much? Is this for real?!
Guild, Gaon.
Nam Taemin and Nam Cheolmin couldn't help but flinch.
"Even considering the appropriate level, this is insane."
"...It's an amount I can accept. Thinking about it, this rift was incredibly tricky. Even just us and Inazuma nearly met with a crushing defeat in the Count's territory."
"Really? Even thinking that, this is the first time I've seen this unit......"
Similarly, questions poured in for Jessie.
"Jessie, can't you just tell us the first digit?"
"No."
"We're curious~ We got this much, so how much did you get?"
Yes, each had their reasons.
Berserker for the first clear of a new rift.
Gaon for conquering the most difficult trap rift among the same rifts.
Jessie because she slew Count Askyura.
Then natural curiosity arose.
About Hoyeol, who was involved in all those incidents.
Just what unit of reward had been assigned to him?
At least, one thing was certain.
"..."
That his expression gave no hint whatsoever....
I counted the numbers.
"..."
One, ten, hundred, thousand, ten thousand, hundred thousand, million, ten million, hundred million, billion, ten billion, hundred b—....
Even before that astronomical number, I shamelessly opened my mouth.
"This, too, is only natural."