Saving My Favorite in a Doomed World Chapter 103

“H-Have you returned, M-mister—.”

 

Am I dreaming right now?

 

The ones who welcomed Hwashin and Jaeha as they emerged through the VIP passage after arriving at the airport were, as expected, the members of the SH Unit. It had been a short period of less than a week. Since he had left Ha Cheongwon behind as well, he hadn’t thought much would change.

 

“Why is this kid’s way of speaking like this?” 

 

Hwashin lightly flicked Lee Suho’s forehead with his finger.

 

“He caught that from Ko Youngwoo.”

 

Yoo Jian shrugged his shoulders.

 

“They went on a Gate mission once while you were gone, Hyung, and he must have seen Ko Youngwoo then. Since their abilities are similar, I heard he’s currently receiving instruction from him.”

 

That’s why he’s like that. Jeong Mueum, with both fists on his waist, stole a glance at Lee Suho, who was welcoming Hwashin.

 

“He said that to master one’s abilities, one must f-first build up the body and m-make the tone of voice strong!” 

 

“Is that so? Right, right. You’re doing well. This Hyung is very happy to see our Suho growing up so well.”

 

Hwashin gave an eye-smile and stroked Suho’s hair. Then, as if it had never happened, Suho’s rigid expression softened and melted.

 

“R-Really?”

 

To think he’s teaching such a strange way of speaking to a kid who hasn’t even lost his baby fat yet. Should I have caught that crazy b*stard Ko Youngwoo back then and half-killed him?

 

Hwashin opened his mouth with a gentle voice. 

 

“Yes. But do you really need to learn from Ko Youngwoo? How about learning from me instead?” 

 

“From… Hyung personally?” 

 

“I’m back now. What do you think?” 

 

“I’m worried… that I might just be bothering you for no reason.”

 

Lee Suho hesitated, stammering. Being able to come this far was already thanks to Hyung and Mueum, so if he caused any more trouble here.

 

“You don’t want to? If you don’t want to.” 

 

“N-No! It’s not that! If only hyung is okay with it, I like hyung much better!” 

 

Lee Suho, waving his hands exaggeratedly, even shook his head violently.

 

“Truly!” 

 

“Right, from now on, don’t meet that son of a… that guy Ko Youngwoo. Got it? You’ll only learn strange things.” 

 

The moment he took his eyes off Suho, Hwashin’s expression stiffened completely. Yoo Jian, who was watching this from the side, was tongue-tied at that level of expression management.

 

Ha Cheongwon was waiting for them in front of the vehicle on standby outside the airport.

 

“Get in quickly. Reporters will be swarming here soon.”

 

The members of the 1st Unit and Ha Cheongwon, who had boarded the car, headed straight for the Association. Since what happened at the conference was planned to be shared with the S-rank Heroes, Hwashin told them first.

 

Yoo Jian, perhaps heated up by the story, repeatedly struck the innocent seat.

 

“Isn’t that insane? No, that experiment. Haah, and they used those people to attack your Chairman? Those Freak b*stards did? Just… how.” 

 

“It seems like what Hyung said before was true. You said it when we encountered the Freaks underground. That there would be a spy.”

 

Mueum hooked his finger on his chin. After pondering something deeply, he spoke abruptly.

 

“Is the culprit definitely an S-rank?”

 

Cha Jaeha, sitting in the passenger seat, spoke up.

 

“Most likely. If it weren’t an S-rank, they wouldn’t have been able to know where this conference was being held. The information regarding the Red Gate is the same.” 

 

“Hyung is right. Haah, it’s difficult.”

 

Mueum, running his fingers through his permed curly hair, leaned back against the headrest.

 

“….Was the Red Gate okay this time?”

 

The boy, subtly changing the subject, looked toward Hwashin.

 

“Of course. I resolved it with Izawa-ssi this time.” 

 

“Heh! That Izawa? You mean the one who is said to walk around wearing a mask? I know her to be someone who is extremely shy.”

 

Beaming. Seeing the smiling expression, Mueum spoke as if he understood.

 

“Ah… well, if it’s Hyung, I suppose you would have become close quickly.” 

 

“I even got an autograph.” 

 

“Hyung is truly the first person to go to a conference and come back with an autograph.”

 

Hwashin stuffed the transparent phone case with the autograph into his pocket.

 

As soon as they arrived at the Association, Cha Jaeha headed straight for the Association President’s office. Seeing as he said he had something to say regarding the experiment, it was probably ‘that.’ To check if they were conducting that type of experiment in Korea on a scale similar to Russia.

 

With Cha Jaeha’s personality, he would definitely try to stop that experiment.

 

Hwashin told Kang San that he had returned from the conference and that he would give him some news fodder soon, and then he headed toward the training center. As soon as he entered the dedicated private room prepared at the training center, Ppii, who was running around on the grass, welcomed him.

 

“Ppii, you waited a long time, didn’t you.” 

 

“Ppii, Ppiiiii.” 

 

“Sorry, sorry. It was really hard to take you along this time. You don’t have any abilities, so it’s too dangerous.”

 

At the comment about having no abilities, Ppii raised its voice as if angry.

 

“Ppii! Ppii!” 

 

“What? When did I ever care for you that much? That’s too much, Ppii. You know my heart. Then, for today, I’ll really play with you all day long. How about that, Ppii?” 

 

“Ppii!” 

 

.

 

.

 

.

 

“Ppii, you must have been very bored.”

 

Haah. Hwashin, exhausted from playing and lying spread-eagled on the grass, looked up.

 

It’s peaceful and nice.

 

The private room created for Ppii was an environment that felt separated from reality. They seemed to treat Ppii preciously with the hope that they might be able to handle monsters that came from other dimensions, but.

 

‘Ppii isn’t a monster; it’s just something like a pet for dragons.’

 

Ppii stomped its feet a few times on Hwashin’s stomach as he lay there and soon fell fast asleep.

 

It would be nice if this daily life continued for a long time, but unfortunately, reality could not be like that.

 

The conference in Russia. The attack using experimental subjects who had lost their reason. The infiltration into the Red Gate.

 

The development of  was steadily heading toward destruction. It meant that even if a few minor premises had changed, the major premise did not change.

 

This world will be destroyed.

 

‘While I was away, Gates even appeared.’

 

And not just one, but three simultaneously.

 

The change that had occurred since the development first went off track. At the time of the SH Unit selection, it could be regarded as just a mishap, but.

 

He couldn’t do that anymore. The occurrence of Gates, which had been blocked until now, would pour out like a flood. It wasn’t just Korea, where Cha Jaeha was. It would be the same for the countries he met at the conference, and of course, for the countries that were absolutely lacking in Heroes.

 

“Han Jeyu and Cha Jaeha.”

 

In the original work, the two of them meeting was a bit later than this. But the timing of them meeting due to Gate matters at the conference had been moved up. Is this a coincidence? Is it something that occurred because I intervened?

 

‘Probably not.’

 

Hrmm. Hwashin stuck out his lips.

 

Back when he was the mage Elric, there were… of course, countless things that went well because he stepped in. If one were expecting things he ruined by stepping in, it was a pity.

 

‘A genius is involved, so what matter wouldn’t work out.’

 

However, people disliked him. Naturally, when one exceptional person is involved, people are bound to be jealous. At any rate, it was rare for anything Hwashin intervened in to fail. The source of his confidence came from such experiences, and.

 

At the same time.

 

The source of helplessness was also due to that experience. 

 

– Why. Are you suddenly anxious? 

 

‘Riel.’

 

He asked toward the voice in the air. Riel could read Hwashin’s thoughts just by him thinking them. Riel, having read the narration written in the book, asked back.

 

– ….Are you asking if it’s right that you are the only one changing the dimension? Why do you ask that suddenly? 

 

Hwashin stroked Ppiii’s soft fur.

 

‘Because if it were just me, I don’t think it would change in this way.’

 

– What’s the basis for thinking that? Mages don’t usually speak without evidence. 

 

‘It’s a hunch, though.’ 

 

– If you’re going to tell such hollow lies, just take better care of Ppii. 

 

‘You really don’t believe what people say.’

 

– Don’t you think that I just don’t believe your words? Elric? Besides, if it’s not just you, who else would there be? In the first place, for that world to be maintained, life must maintain a certain numerical value. Then, does your word mean that someone sneaked in without even the Origin knowing and is interfering with your work? 

 

‘Han Jeyu. That guy knows something. Because he emphasized once again that this world will be destroyed. Furthermore, under normal circumstances, something like Han Jeyu interfering inside a Gate opened at the conference would never happen.’

 

– ….Is that so? 

 

‘The Freaks in the original were threatening, but they were only at that level. They weren’t a group that could pressure Cha Jaeha like they do now.’

 

Riel’s voice seemed to have become a bit serious. After thinking about Han Jeyu’s appearance once more, he spoke to Hwashin.

 

– Elric. No, Hwashin. Do you remember the day you first entered the ‘rift’ where we are? 

 

‘Yeah.’

 

– Actually, before you came, there was a guy like a rat who sneaked into our ‘rift.’ He stole a look at the book and left on his own. 

 

‘That’s possible?’

 

– In the first place, he didn’t cross over through the dimension we opened. I’m telling you that guy entered as he pleased and left as he pleased? 

 

‘Why are you only telling me that now.’

 

– It’s relatively recent that I became certain that guy is Han Jeyu. You told me that he has the 「Space-Time Transfer」 ability. I became certain because of what you said.

 

Hwashin jumped up from his seat. Ppii, who was on his stomach, tumbled down and plopped onto the grass.

 

“Ppii, Ppii?”

 

Ppii, waking up in surprise, looked up at Hwashin.

 

If everything Riel said was true, it meant that all future developments could be overturned. It was impossible to know how Han Jeyu knew about the destruction and even sneaked into the ‘rift’ where they lived.

 

But what if such a man interferes with him in the future? Now that he had learned there was one more person who knew the original work perfectly just like himself, simply reading one or two moves ahead was not enough.

 

Like bringing Lee Suho out of the dimension, and like saving everyone who was supposed to die. He had to give the original work a change that would completely overturn the development.

 

“Haa.” 

 

Hwashin ruffled his hair.

 

‘I thought that as long as I closed all the Gates, I’d be able to avoid destruction somehow. It’ll be hard to resolve it with just that. Since that bastard will interfere at every turn.’

 

– Hey, are you okay? 

 

‘I’m not okay….More than that, was there no dragon who attempted to avoid destruction like me in the first place?’

 

– Huh?

 

‘There must have been a dragon who felt an attachment to a world that was being destroyed. Then I think there would have been a dragon who wanted to change that world like me. Is there none?’

 

– ….Uh, about that. 

 

The end of Riel’s words trailed off. In a voice that was crawling, unlike usual, Riel answered.

 

– There… are.

 

There are?

 

‘Then why didn’t you tell me?’

 

– Because there isn’t a dragon who would be of any help. 

 

‘…Then.’

 

Whir—

 

Before he could even finish his sentence, the automatic door of the private room opened. Ha Cheongwon could be seen through the gap. He bowed his head briefly in greeting.

 

“Did I perhaps disturb you?”

 

He looked back and forth between Ppii and Hwashin.

 

“It’s okay. Is something the matter? Your complexion doesn’t look good.” 

 

“It’s about the task you asked me to do before you left, Hwashin-ssi.”

 

Ha Cheongwon bit his lip. After hesitating for a long time, he spoke.

 

“Just as you said, through my precognition ability… I saw the future. I haven’t seen it perfectly yet because I’m not skilled.”

 

Ha Cheongwon’s pupils shook unsteadily.

 

“Are you going to die, Hwashin-ssi?”