After seeking the understanding of the others, Katrina took Kyu-seong and Ara with her.
While they were gone, the remaining people stared at the empty space with serious expressions.
“World peace? What on earth does that mean…”
“Could it be that they’re trying to kidnap Mr. Kyu-seong under some ridiculous pretext?!”
“Hmm, even if it’s really related to world peace as she claimed, I don’t understand why she specifically took Kyu-seong, the awakener.”
As various speculations flew around, Johann from the Terror Guild narrowed his eyes and muttered.
“I heard there was a recent Level 9 meeting…”
“A Level 9 meeting?”
Baek Tae-seop and Han Seok-jun looked at Johann with surprised faces. Johann nodded in affirmation.
“A few days ago, I heard indirectly that a Level 9 meeting was held. I was curious about it, and just as I was wondering, Katrina, a Level 9 awakener, appeared here. So, I thought it might be related…”
“That makes sense.”
“But I still don’t get how the Level 9 meeting is connected to Mr. Kyu-seong. His items are impressive, but compared to the legendary items that Level 9 awakeners must possess, I don’t think they’d be of much help.”
Kyu-seong’s strength lay in his ability to mass-produce consumable items without cooldown periods.
Thanks to this, he could help clear dungeons that would normally be a bit challenging, safely and quickly.
In short, while it was extremely useful for overwhelming weaker enemies, its efficiency naturally declined as the difficulty level increased.
In fact, the European Union’s primary reason for using Kyu-seong’s items wasn’t for tackling the Seven Deadly Sins bosses, but for the quick and safe exploration of dungeons.
Since dungeon exploration required going back and forth dozens or even hundreds of times, Kyu-seong’s items, which imposed no burden, were perfect for the task.
“Mr. Kyu-seong is a Level 1 awakener. Besides mass-producing items, does he have any other advantages…”
“Could they have wanted him to cook?”
“Hmm, cooking with delicious ingredients? But what does that have to do with world peace?”
The conversation gradually veered into confusion.
Then suddenly, they remembered.
“His familiar.”
“Ara?”
But even this was ambiguous.
Ara’s stats, which hadn’t been updated yet, were only considered to be between 4th and 5th Level.
In the end, the three guild leaders continued their discussions, still unable to figure out the reason.
***
Wow, this is really convenient.
Katrina’s magic must be the most enviable ability among all awakeners.
Having instantly moved to another place, I soon realized I was in a serene pavilion.
“Sorry for suddenly coming to bother you despite having prior arrangements.”
“It’s okay. We had just finished our conversation, so it was almost time to part ways anyway.”
“I ate a lot of delicious food. I am full.”
Ara tapped her slightly protruding belly beside me.
“There are some snacks left. Would you like some, Katrina?”
“Could I have a little?”
Even though she had rushed over to find me, she still couldn’t resist my food.
I smiled slightly and took out some cookies and ice cream from Bokkeum’s snack stash.
“Have some.”
“Thank you.”
We nibbled on cookies and ice cream.
Although she claimed to be full, Ara soon settled next to Katrina and started eating with her.
“Mr. Kyu-seong, did you hire a pastry chef?”
“Huh? What’s that?”
“A baker.”
“No, Ashu made these. She’s improved a lot, right?”
“Ah, haha.”
When Ashu’s name came up, Katrina gave an awkward laugh. For some reason, her hand, which had been eagerly picking up cookies, slowed down.
“Um, Mr. Kyu-seong, the reason I came to see you is…”
“Yes, go ahead.”
Katrina hesitated for a moment, glancing at me.
Then she cautiously spoke again.
“Do you know anything about the Hero and the Demon King?”
Gasp!
Katrina said something completely unexpected!!
For a moment, I involuntarily held my breath but tried to stay calm.
“You do know something, don’t you?”
“Wh-What?! No!! I mean, yes!! No!!”
What do you mean I know something? How do I look like I know anything?
Don’t I seem like someone who knows absolutely nothing?!
“Kyu-seong Kyu-seong, your breathing is rough.”
“M-Me? Not at all.”
At my reaction, Katrina let out a baffled chuckle.
“Are you doing this on purpose?”
“Huh? Doing what?”
“Sigh… Never mind.”
Katrina shook her head.
“A few days ago, there was a meeting exclusively for Level 9 awakeners.”
“Oh, could it be the legendary Level 9 meeting I’ve heard about?”
“So you’ve heard of it. Yes, sometimes when extraordinary situations occur, the Level 9 awakeners gather to discuss matters.”
“The Hero and the Demon King… did that come up during the meeting?”
“Yes. To be precise, Eli, an awakener known as the Coordinator of the World, identified that the Hero and the Demon King have been chosen.”
“Ah, I see.”
‘What? You can even figure that out?’
Could it be that they’ve identified who the Demon King and the Hero are?
“Actually, the important thing isn’t the Hero or the Demon King. It’s the phrase that came along with them.”
“Phrase?”
“The term ‘causality’ appeared. It’s the same phrase that showed up when the Seven Deadly Sins emerged.”
I felt a brief sense of relief when she said the Hero and the Demon King weren’t the key issues.
However, as soon as the topic of the Seven Deadly Sins came up, cold sweat began to form again.
“This is no ordinary matter. We ignored it when the Seven Deadly Sins appeared, and we paid a hefty price for that. Even now, the Seven Deadly Sins are essentially an enemy humanity can hardly overcome…”
Katrina paused mid-sentence, then glanced at me cautiously.
“Well, not an enemy exactly, just an opponent we can’t defeat. Ahem.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Anyway, we believe this Hero and Demon King are beings on par with the Seven Deadly Sins. In fact, since there are only two of them compared to the seven sins, their importance is even greater.”
Trembling slightly, I exhaled calmly.
Then I got to the point.
“So, the reason you came to find me is…?”
“Ah, well, I saw that Ara’s daily life video was uploaded recently. In it, she referred to a girl named Emily as the Hero.”
Gulp!
Ara flinched.
She must’ve realized from the earlier conversation that it would be bad if we got caught.
“We were just discussing the Hero and the Demon King when, coincidentally, the word ‘Hero’ popped up. So, without thinking, I rushed over to see you first, Mr. Kyu-seong.”
“I-I see. Haha.”
“So… who is Emily?”
At that moment, Ara frantically waved her hands and shouted.
“Emily is my friend!”
“Ah, I see. Then why did you call her the Hero?”
“Because she wields a sword very well! She seemed like a Hero, so I gave her that nickname!”
“Hmm. Is that so?”
“Y-Yes! Emily is not the Hero!”
Technically, it wasn’t a lie.
Emily’s ability was Sword Master, and even her quest still labeled her as a Hero candidate.
Meaning she wasn’t an official Hero yet!
“Is Emily an awakener too?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Once I organized my thoughts, there was nothing to fear.
Emily wasn’t the Hero yet! And I was definitely not the Demon King!
“Do you happen to know what her ability is?”
“Um, she’s a sword expert? That’s what I know.”
“Is that so?”
Katrina gave me a suspicious look.
“Could I meet her in person?”
“Uh… well…?”
“Actually, I already know who Emily is.”
“What?”
Katrina smiled softly.
“She’s Kyler’s daughter, right?”
“Oh, so you knew.”
“I’m aware that Kyler is staying with you at your place, Mr. Kyu-seong. I believe only Nathan, the intelligence director, and I know about this.”
Well, that’s a relief.
When she first asked to meet Emily, it put me in an awkward position. But the fact that she already knew and was keeping it a secret basically meant she was on our side.
Of course, I thought it would be best to check with Kyler first.
“Can I ask Kyler’s opinion first?”
“He’ll probably be quite annoyed, but it can’t be helped. Please do.”
After that, Katrina used her teleportation magic again, and in an instant, we were in front of our dungeon.
I went straight inside with Ara to find Kyler.
“What’s going on?”
Kyler appeared, tilting his head in curiosity.
Emily happened to be with him.
“This might take a while to explain…”
I told Kyler everything that had just happened.
From the Level 9 meeting to Emily’s appearance in Ara’s daily video, and the fact that Katrina knew Kyler was living here with me.
Even though I tried to keep it concise, I think I spoke for at least ten minutes.
“Hmm, I understand. Since she already knows, there’s no need to hide it.”
“Are you okay with this?”
“Yes, it’s fine.”
After getting Kyler’s consent, I brought Katrina inside.
Even though it was her second visit, Katrina still seemed fascinated as we sat down for a three-way meeting.
“Long time no see, Kyler.”
“Just get what you need and leave.”
Emily stood confidently.
Seeing her, Katrina let out a breath of admiration.
“This is the first time I’ve seen her in person, and she really does resemble her.”
“Huh?”
“She’s the spitting image of her mother.”
Oh boy, did she really have to bring that up now?
I glanced at Kyler cautiously, but thankfully, he didn’t seem upset.
In fact, he looked rather pleased.
He must’ve taken it as a compliment.
“Kyu-seong Kyu-seong…?”
“Huh? What’s wrong?”
“Did I do something wrong?”
Oh dear.
Ara, who had been shrinking back all this time, seemed to be blaming herself, thinking she had made a mistake.
I hugged Ara and gently patted her back.
“It’s okay, it’s okay. Our Ara didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Is that really true?”
“Of course!”
Meanwhile, Katrina, having observed Emily, casually asked a question.
“Are you the Hero? Or not?”
“Hero? What’s that?”
“Hmm, I can’t tell if you’re pretending not to know or if you’re genuinely clueless.”
“Why would I pretend? Though I wouldn’t mind trying out being a Hero. Whatever that is.”
Emily replied boldly.
At that, Katrina burst into laughter again.
“How can she resemble her so much? That was a delightful sight.”
With those words, Katrina waved her hand nonchalantly.
“Alright, that’s enough. Let’s go.”
“Uh, are you sure that’s okay?”
“I’d love to take a few days off and enjoy some vacation here, but I’ve got urgent work to handle. Would it be alright if I contacted you later for another visit?”
“Oh, yes! Of course.”
I escorted Katrina back outside.
However, she seemed lost in thought, reminiscing about the past.
“Ah, sorry. I zoned out.”
“It’s fine, really.”
“I’ve known Kyler for a long time. I was friends with Kyler’s wife, Catherine.”
“Oh!”
“Catherine was my childhood friend. Because of her, I stayed connected with Kyler. It’s quite a remarkable connection.”
I listened quietly to Katrina’s words.
“From around Level 8 —or was it the 9th?—I got too busy, and I didn’t keep in touch with Catherine often. Eventually, I heard about her passing.”
“Oh…”
“I was busy even then, so I didn’t have much time to grieve. Over time, my emotions dulled. But seeing her daughter, who looks just like her, feels so strange.”
We stepped outside the dungeon.
Katrina gave me a faint smile and said,
“If anything happens, don’t hesitate to tell me. I’m on your side.”
“Ah, yes…”
“Emily is a bit suspicious, but she doesn’t seem eager to reveal anything, so I’ll let it slide. Besides, she’s Kyler’s daughter, so I can’t just meddle recklessly. And living under your roof, Mr. Kyu-seong, I wouldn’t dare… ahem.”
Awkwardly wrapping up her words, Katrina soon disappeared, saying she’d be in touch again.
Ah, I should’ve told her the restaurant had opened.
“Whew! Did we get through that okay?”
“Our Ara was so worried. It’s all fine now.”
“Yes!”
Still, the fact that all the Level 9 awakeners knew about the Hero and the Demon King…
‘Why do I feel anxious?!’
I’m not the Demon King, but…
I’d better be cautious, just in case.
Cliche Novel 