Chapter 79

00079 New Face =========================================================================

Bibian blended well into our group, at least on the surface. Her unique innocent actions, the contract, and the behavior she had shown so far had at least eased the children's wariness. However, the children, having grown up together through shared hardships since the rite of passage, were more at ease with each other, but not so much with Bibian.

In fact, it might be more accurate to say she was being bullied. During morning training, when all the children would engage in sensing practice, she could often be seen crouched in a corner, wiping away tears. When I called her, she would run over as if she had never cried, trying to hide it as much as possible. Whenever I saw her turn to me with tear-streaked cheeks, my heart ached.

I could roughly guess the cause. However, I decided to let it be for now. They say there's a world of their own among women, and if I were to meddle and give advice, it might only make the children's perception of Bibian worse.

Still, it was a small comfort to see Ansol sometimes look at Bibian with a sympathetic gaze. At the same time, Yujung would often look at Bibian with a subtle expression. And every time, Bibian would naturally lower her head.

Yujung was incredibly perceptive. One could say she had a sixth sense. During personal guidance, she seemed to have noticed that I subtly paid a bit more attention to Anhyun. So when it was just the two of us, she would always be affectionate, but when it was just Sol, Sol, and Bibian, she would act like the big sister. Especially to Bibian, she was a perfect target for Yujung's schemes. Watching her make full use of the contract she had shown before, I could only smile bitterly.

Still, I didn't forget to give her a word of warning.

"Be careful."

"Huh? What do you mean, brother?"

"I didn't say anything. I don't know." Yujung tilted her head with a look that said, "What are you talking about?" I whispered subtly.

"Bibian is an incredibly powerful magician. Right now, she's just trying to recover her intellect and acts like a child, but... what will you do later?"

"There's the contract."

After saying that, Yujung covered her mouth with a "Oops" expression. I laughed briefly and continued.

"Right now, Bibian is no different from a child. Even if it's called recovery, there's a possibility that a new personality could form based on the surrounding situation. Even with the contract, since you're not the one who wrote it, it's not a guarantee. Most importantly, don't forget that Bibian has free will. When she fully recovers her intellect... "

"Hehe. Brother, you really make me out to be a bad person. It's all part of the process."

"Who said that? I'm just worried. Anyway, hang in there."

I patted Yujung's shoulder. Her eyes were smiling, but her mouth wasn't. She was probably calculating what I said at an incredible speed. Given that she's a smart kid, she would have understood the warning I was trying to give.

And coincidentally, that day, when we went out of the city to fight monsters, Bibian proved my words. After we reached the plain and faced a group of goblins, she displayed her true abilities. She did so right in front of Yujung, activating her special ability.

"Come forth, Aranya, the web of death that governs the 32nd Legion!"

I wondered what the 66th Monster Legion's ruler was, but seeing Bibian's full display of power, I could think of one profession.

"Come forth, Agnis, the ruler of the 24th Legion of the Flame!"

The Secret Class Elemental Summoner I saw in the first chapter. The sight of the Elemental Summoner summoning the entire legion's elementals to face the Hell Duke's army during the Atlanta liberation battle was impressive. While there's a difference between the Secret and Rare classes, the Chimera Alchemist, who can summon and enhance chimeras and monsters from this world, seemed to have a similar aspect.

Regardless, the power of the Chimera Alchemist was undoubtedly impressive. It seemed that the stress from Yujung's bullying was immense, as Bibian's face was full of killing intent during the battle, slaughtering the monsters. After wiping them all out, she returned to her innocent smile, and I could see Yujung's Adam's apple move.

Watching her use the magic circle, a part of alchemy, for summoning, I couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.

I was a bit worried about her low rank in orthodox magic compared to her high rank in alchemy, which didn't help in battle, but she dispelled my concerns with a single move. With just the ruler of the 66th Monster Legion, she could show the power of a one-woman army and support the group and summons with orthodox magic, making her a versatile magician.

From then on, Yujung's bullying seemed to lessen. Occasionally, she would be affectionate and talk to Bibian, and I marveled at Yujung's cleverness. Bibian, who knew nothing, just nodded enthusiastically at Yujung's changed behavior.

The children were growing every day, and I couldn't just stand by. Since I was the one making all the major and minor decisions, and the children and Bibian trusted and followed me, I had the obligation to always show them more than they expected.

*

It was early evening. After returning from the battle outside the city, the children, exhausted, returned to the inn. They all cleaned their equipment, which was stained with monster blood, and after a quick wash, gathered around a table in the first-floor lobby.

"Ah, I'm so annoyed."

After waiting for the food for a while, Yujung buried her head on the table and grumbled.

"What's so annoying?"

When Anhyun asked, Yujung slightly bent her fingers and pointed to the surrounding tables one by one.

"We're not celebrities. They keep staring at us when we sit down. It's so annoying. If they have something to say, they should just come over."

Yujung's sharp voice made Anhyun hum and nod.

"Hmm. Our Sol is indeed a bit pretty."

"Ugh. Brother, don't say that."

Ansol glared at Anhyun and scolded him. Anhyun laughed, finding her cute. Since this was a common sight, Yujung sighed deeply and closed her eyes.

To me, we were definitely a group that attracted attention. However, it was hard to see that attention as positive. We had been wearing beginner academy uniforms until recently, but now we looked quite presentable.

Smart users would realize that we had hit a big score on a single expedition. Of course, considering that 80% of the gazes were from male users, there was a certain amount of ulterior motives. After all, Yujung, Sol, and Bibian were beautiful women with unique charms.

"Thank you for your hard work. The food you ordered is ready."

After waiting a bit longer, Go Yeonju brought the food to our table. When Go Yeonju came, Anhyun straightened his slouching posture. Seeing this, Go Yeonju smiled sweetly and began to place the food on the table with a composed attitude, showing a much different demeanor from before.

"You must be a bit tired today."

"From the innkeeper's perspective, good business is always good. Anyway, this time of day is when users are around... Hmm?"

When I glanced around and responded, Go Yeonju replied with a gentle voice. At that moment, I saw Anhyun suddenly stand up from his seat.

"I'll help."

Anhyun, with a stern face, lowered his voice and began to help Go Yeonju serve the food. Go Yeonju turned to me, but I just shook my head with a blank expression. She let out a small sigh.

"You're really a gentleman. Thank you."

"Hmm. It's nothing. I should help, of course."

"Anyone would be happy if someone did this for them..."

I ignored her words and took out a cigarette, lighting it. If it were just the two of us in the middle of the night, I would have played along, but I didn't want to do it in front of the children. Besides, her eyes were full of mischief, and I wanted to avoid getting involved in unnecessary trouble. However, that was just my thought.

When I turned my head, Go Yeonju came back to me with a mysterious smile and forced eye contact. Just as I was about to frown and speak, she got as close to me as possible and crouched down.

"..."

If I were to pull down my pants here, it would look like I was doing something inappropriate. Seeing this in front of the children, I tried to pull my chair back, but she quickly extended her hands and grabbed my chair. Then, Go Yeonju stuck her head between my legs and whispered in a small voice.

"Two users came this afternoon."

"…Yes."

"They were looking for Kim Suhyun, so I told them he would be back around dinner time, and they said they understood and left. They were the mages we saw before. Do you remember?"

"Hey. What are you doing? Brother, what are you doing?"

When I heard Yujung's voice, I took a deep breath and nodded. Go Yeonju smiled lightly and straightened her legs. Anhyun looked at me with envy, and the female users, led by Yujung, looked at me with ambiguous expressions. Feeling a bit wronged, I spoke in a sarcastic tone.

"You could have told me that in a more normal posture."

"Oh, I was just a bit tired and sat down. Did you imagine something strange?"

"Whatever. I'll eat well."

Go Yeonju chuckled at my response and turned to head back to the kitchen. Following her, I heard Yujung's voice, "What's with that person? So annoying! You think so too, right? Don't you?"

Anyway, the food arrived, and Go Yeonju's cooking was good. Bibian, who seemed very hungry, quickly picked up her fork, but Yujung slapped it away with a quick hand movement. The fork rolled on the table, and Bibian, with a blank look, opened her mouth. Yujung's sharp voice followed.

"What did I tell you?"

"Sniff..."

"Brother said not to pick up your utensils before he starts eating."

"Sorry. I was so hungry..."

"Excuses aside. Did you do well or badly?"

"I did badly. Sniff."

"Phew. You're crying again. I'll let it slide this time. Don't do it again next time."

Seeing Bibian being scolded again, I smacked my lips and picked up my utensils. When Yujung nodded as if giving permission, Bibian carefully picked up her fork again. However, seeing her bow her head deeply, I felt sorry and scooped a generous portion of the best part of the meat onto her plate. Bibian's innocent eyes looked at me.

"Bibian, you worked hard today. Eat well and let's do our best tomorrow too."

At my warm encouragement, Bibian's face lit up, and she nodded