There Is No Hidden Villain in This Novel Chapter 118

Unlike the misunderstandings of Cassis and others around him, Logan Esteban, the only one who had been excited at the ‘Gyeongju’ announcement, actually had no hobby of enjoying quiet historical sites. At least, the current Logan preferred cutting-edge civilization and the city.

But he had his own calculations.

‘If it’s a boring place, it will be good for observing the young lord without any incidents.’

To grasp his daily life and have something resembling a conversation, a boring place was better than a stimulating and fun place or somewhere like a continuous disaster simulation. Cassis was now even being revered as a noble hero, in a way they couldn’t grasp. There were too many sides of Cassis that Logan didn’t know, and how quickly he could grasp them was the key to resolving the situation.

Besides, Logan had many people to talk to other than Cassis. For instance, Dietrich, with whom he had exchanged magic and punches, or Capone, who had been gradually avoiding conversations with the other two.

Logan was scheduled to be busy throughout this school trip. Even after everyone arrived in Gyeongju in a cluster, and after unpacking their luggage in their accommodations, Logan’s mind was spinning busily.

‘Ugh, a headache…’

He had never used his head this much in his entire life, so what greeted Logan was a migraine. This wouldn’t do. He needed to cool his head for a moment. During free time, Logan slipped away and walked along a deserted trail. As expected, the walk was effective, and his headache gradually subsided. If he returned now and stuck by Cassis’s side,

‘Crazy, what is that?’

Logan’s plan was perfect in its own way. Until he saw ‘that.’

Unlike everyone, even the professors, who were glancing at me and being tense, I surprisingly had no intention of deviating or causing trouble at all. I’m a person too. It hasn’t even been a month since I got back from that dungeon. People get tired, and I want to rest too.

Somehow, for a person who recently confronted a disaster in the form of his past self, rest seems more fitting than causing some crazy trouble.

…I even choked Jung Ian.

‘Choking me while telling me to die…’

As expected, it’s not something to feel good about. Those words telling me to die, those words of curse, that killing intent… I know it’s irrational to be caught up in it and unable to escape, but I can’t help it. If it were the me from before, I might have committed some mischief out of boredom when I was feeling this down, but now I have Ryuseong.

‘He’s been acting quite adorable lately.’

For some reason, he had become more affectionate, and I could see him paying more meticulous attention to me. Seeing him trying to time things here and there to talk more was so lovely I couldn’t stand it. I don’t need things like fun or play. Because Ryuseong is the most fun.

So I wish they would all rest assured. If they keep trying to watch me, it will interrupt our private time, won’t it?

Because I had resolved myself this much, I never thought I would end up committing something more than a troublesome deviation involving alcohol, cigarettes, a karaoke machine, or whatever else the professors were thinking of. But at least for now, I was ignorant of all that, so I was quietly listening to the schedule the professors were explaining.

Around the time we were moving to Bulguksa Temple, I heard the professors whispering.

“Where did Esteban go?”

“What?”

“Student Logan Esteban. The one who accompanies ‘him’…”

“I wasn’t able to confirm?”

“I saw him unpacking his luggage at the dorm, but.”

What is it? Listening to their whispers, it seemed Logan had been missing for a while. Seeing the professors like this, they must have looked for him at least once, so did he vanish without a trace?

‘Did he finally run off?’

He didn’t seem like the type to enjoy deviating in a place like this, so if Logan suddenly disappeared at this timing, it was probably that. But I soon stopped caring. There was no reason to pay attention to whether Logan ran off or not during my break time. Because if I put my mind to it, I can catch him anytime.

Ryuseong, who seemed to have overheard the whispers with his sharp hearing, said.

“I have a bad feeling.”

…Oh, Ryuseong’s feelings are trustworthy. Among people with good intuition, his was, if I had to categorize it, a kind of animal instinct.

“What kind of scent did you pick up?”

“I don’t know. It’s unsettling and feels foul. I thought I’d be able to rest with you, but that might not be the case.”

This is the first time Ryuseong has so directly spoken of resting, and wanting to rest with me at that. My lips slowly parted and formed an arc so naturally it was damaging to my pride, and I had a premonition that the smile would surely be dazzling in Ryuseong’s eyes.

Ryuseong, who was gazing at me, asked with difficulty, as if gulping down empty air from the overwhelming radiance.

“…Are you not afraid?”

“What is there to be afraid of? That you said you are concerned for me is enough to make me happy.”

I looked at Ryuseong’s face. For some reason, I felt a certain sadness reflected in his eyes. Why hadn’t I noticed before? What is he thinking about on his own again? I’m happy. I’m happier these days than at any other moment in my life.

‘To the point that if I were to die at this very moment, it would be the happiest, to the point that I would have no regrets…’

To the point that I wish this moment could last forever, to the point that I’ve climbed so high that I’m now afraid of the fall to come.

‘Because my expectations are incomparably heavier than a thousand pieces of gold.’

So the expectation of becoming happier from here, a state of happiness beyond imagination from here, is something I can’t even expect. You have lifted me this high. This moment of flying through a sky I couldn’t find in my entire life combined is so brilliant and wonderful.

So there’s nothing to be sad about at all.

I should be happy.

You made me this way, so I should be happy.

‘For what reason on earth has sorrow settled within that deep gaze…?’

Just as I had looked into Ryuseong’s sorrow, Ryuseong seemed to be trying to look into something in me. But as if he didn’t intend to tell me what he was trying to see, or why he had such eyes, Ryuseong only replied to my words like this.

“Yes, it’s you and me. There is nothing we cannot overcome.”

There may be nothing we can’t overcome. But is there something to be afraid of?

However, the conversation was cut off there. Because the group of students had arrived at Bulguksa Temple. With a subtle state of emergency in effect among the professors who still hadn’t found Logan.

But most of the students had no idea what was going on, so they were showing various reactions to Bulguksa Temple.

“This is a Korean temple?”

“It’s pretty!”

“Hey guys, look under the roof here. It’s so colorful.”

“To truly enjoy Dancheong, you have to look up at the sky from under the roof.”

They were the ones who had grumbled at the mention of Gyeongju, but the students, released after enduring the harsh life of Are-A Academy, seemed to be healing and having fun in their own way. Hae Yuna and Shin Myohan, who were sipping on orange juice cartons, darted around the temple grounds in an excited mood, as if slightly drunk.

Is it time to go to Seokguram Grotto now? You can’t come all the way to Bulguksa and not go there. However, there was a difficulty due to the entrance fee issue. The entrance fees for Bulguksa and Seokguram were separate, and it hadn’t been processed in advance. I could hear the students who were made to wait grumbling.

‘It seems they’re in a state of chaos over there because Logan disappeared.’

There’s no way Are-A Academy’s work processing is this sloppy. It means the professors are finding it hard to pay proper attention right now. What could this be? As Ryuseong’s intuition suggested, perhaps something unsettling had happened.

Before long, the Seokguram fee issue was resolved, and we could soon enter in order. There were people who quietly admired the majestic stone Buddha statues and structures, but more people had their minds elsewhere. I was one of them, and just as I was about to walk out.

“Aaargh!”

Seokguram Grotto is a structure carved out of stone, concave on the inside. That means if someone speaks loudly, it echoes everywhere. Everyone scowled. The culprit who had screamed, Hae Yuna, said as soon as she came outside.

“The Buddha glared at me!”

…Is something really going on? Lee Hyang approached with a worried face.

“What’s wrong?”

I also moved closer. Hae Yuna, still looking flustered, said.

“The, the Buddha in the center, glared at me. I was so surprised.”

“Could it be some kind of ominous sign? Maybe we should tell the professors… Hey!”

Hae Yuna had just started to open another carton of orange juice to calm down, but Lee Hyang glared daggers at her.

“You get scolded for looking at the Buddha after doing something like that!”

I, who had been listening to their words without a presence, abruptly said.

“What do you mean by that?”

Lee Hyang and Hae Yuna were both startled. Lee Hyang hurriedly said.

“She just did something foolish, it’s nothing…”

“That’s for me to judge.”

Logan has disappeared, and the Buddha is glaring at someone? This was very suspicious.

Perhaps if they confessed about ‘that something,’ something might be resolved. As I spoke, Hae Yuna hesitated and opened her mouth.

“Some kind of wicked thing there…”

“You want a carton too…? The one with the sticker is distilled soju…”

‘Ah.’

I nodded.

So above a running eccentric, there is a flying madman.