Chapter 87
Chapter 87
“I’m done with the treatment. You’ll feel better after some rest.”
“Sorry, Ihyun. It must be tough on you, too.”
Baek Jangmi was lying on the hotel bed, watching Kang Ihyun. Kang Ihyun had been checking her forehead and wrists, smiling with relief.
“It’s nothing. I’m just glad it didn’t turn into a big issue. I’ll go check on Jaeyoon.”
“Is Jaeyoon okay?”
Baek Jangmi spoke with a worried expression. It wasn’t just worry; there was guilt mixed in as well. Kang Ihyun smiled and nodded.
“Yes, don’t worry.”
“But still, handling beasts must be really hard.”
“It’s his summon now, so it’s fine.”
“Still, I feel bad about it.”
“It’s okay. If anything, Jaeyoon should be the one thanking us. If he doesn’t know how to appreciate it, I’ll give him a smack on the head!”
Kang Ihyun waved her hand, saying she’d be back soon, and went outside. Baek Jangmi let out a deep sigh and leaned back against the headrest. Kang Sujin, who had been quietly listening, wiped her face with her hand.
“I really thought I was done for.”
“Sorry. I guess reading the fortune this year’s not gonna help.”
“Is that important? If you had predicted things like that, no one would have agreed. Life is more important. You know that. We don’t need any prophecies. What matters is your health.”
She sighed deeply. She was maintaining composure, but the way she kept her emotions in check was her specialty, so it wasn’t visible.
“What about Lee Jisung?”
“He’s having talks with the government officials down below. He’s a key figure in Wargod, so things should move faster with him there. Luckily, there were no injuries or deaths, so don’t worry.”
There were no injuries, no deaths. Baek Jangmi let out a sigh of relief. There had been signs, but she didn’t expect things to escalate this quickly.
Kang Sujin clicked her tongue.
“Why didn’t you tell me? You should have at least told me.”
Baek Jangmi stared at the ceiling. She felt lighter the moment she regained her senses.
As soon as she realized the creature that had been draining her magic was gone, she asked about the situation, but the answer was much better than she had expected.
“...Sorry. I thought no one would be able to help.”
“I really feel hurt, you know. You think I’m no help? Why?”
“You have almost no combat ability. So it’s better not to worry.”
“Oh, so you told Min Jaeyoon, who you’ve only known for less than half a year, but didn’t tell me?”
Baek Jangmi awkwardly laughed, explaining she hadn’t told him but was caught in the act. Kang Sujin frowned at this.
“He begged others to help him, and in the end, he struck the final blow.”
“Really? I should thank him. He’s the type who would rush in to help anyone. But he’s too young to be bound by beasts. So he tried to handle it alone.”
Baek Jangmi chewed on her nails. She hadn’t expected him to go this far. Honestly, when he first started at White Night, she had a bad thought about passing her burden onto Min Jaeyoon. But after seeing him struggle with basic magic control, that idea quickly faded.
It was too cruel to place such a burden on a young kid like that. It was only after meeting Min Jaeyoon that she understood her father.
Her father had been an only child, loved deeply by his father, until everything changed after the contract with the Constellation. He couldn’t sleep without alcohol, and when drunk, he became violent.
She could still vividly hear the sound of things breaking, her father screaming like a beast, and him crawling on the floor crying in pain. And the words he always repeated.
‘Jangmi... Jangmi! Jangmi! Please, please kill me. No, no! Don’t kill me! I can’t die no matter the cause. But do something, d-do something, Jangmi!’
She couldn’t understand. He had seemed like a monster. She thought it was the alcohol, or maybe drugs. She had even secretly pulled his hair to test it, but everything came back normal.
She only understood him 30 minutes before the first-rank gate opened. In a chaotic situation, her father, bleeding from every part of his body, grasped her hand and gave her his final words.
‘Jangmi... I’m sorry. I couldn’t finish it. I didn’t want to pass this on to you. I’m sorry. But I weakened it a lot, so I believe one day... you’ll definitely escape…!’
What did he mean by that? Before she could even think it, red claws started emerging from his body. And when his hand slipped from hers, it all became clear.
Baek Jangmi realized the leash was in her hand. She also realized it was because of this leash that her father had drowned in alcohol every night.
With a guttural sound, the beast had faced her. And from that moment, she understood. This was a shackle she could never escape from.
She never wanted to pass this curse to a twenty-year-old. She finally understood her father. Even though she kept Min Jaeyoon away for his own good.
But absurdly, he solved it.
“What was different?”
“What?”
“What’s different about me and Jaeyoon? Why was I unable to do what he did?”
At this, Kang Sujin sat up straight and pointed her finger at Baek Jangmi while scolding her.
“Well, it’s because I helped, of course!”
“You?”
“Yes! He begged for help, and I quickly trained him. That’s why he was able to trap that beast in his belly!”
Kang Sujin frowned deeply. She was a master of Trait Evolution Studies. Maybe if she had asked for help, something would’ve changed.
“So tell me whenever you need help! Do you think I majored in Hunter Studies for nothing?!”
Baek Jangmi thought for a moment. She realized she had closed herself off from everyone else. She had cut off every hole for help.
For a brief moment, she felt grateful and guilty to her old friend. But soon, Kang Sujin went back to complaining.
“Also, how did you raise that kid? His mind works so fast. What did you teach him to pull off such a crazy stunt? You said you’d leave the kids’ education to me.”
“What? Are you touching my methods? Are you the only one raising kids? Huh? I taught Ihyun’s speech methods, you know.”
The bickering continued for a while, and naturally, their tangled emotions started to dissolve.
“Okay, so what are we going to do about the aftermath? Do you want me to cover for you?”
“I’m not sure.”
Baek Jangmi lay back down and stared upward. Then she closed her eyes tightly.
No one would understand if she told them. She couldn’t solve it. She knew that revealing the risks would cause panic, fear of the nation’s collapse. It was more harmful than helpful.
So, she hid it. She tried to solve it alone. But maybe that wasn’t always the right answer.
“I should reveal everything honestly.”
“Really? White Night will have a tough time.”
Kang Sujin looked at her. Baek Jangmi shrugged with a smile.
“Lies always get found out. Like now. And I can’t handle the aftermath.”
Baek Jangmi lost her Constellation, while Min Jaeyoon had subjugated one. No change in rank, but everyone would notice.
‘Sorry’ might end the issue for now, but burying it would cause even more trouble down the line. She realized this in the current event, so she decided to confess everything as quickly as possible.
“You didn’t really commit a crime, but still, the blame will be heavy.”
If she revealed everything, White Night’s reputation would certainly plummet, and worst case, people with darker tendencies might face discrimination.
But lies are always exposed. Just like her father. Just like herself. It was better to be open and ask for help, like Min Jaeyoon did.
And ultimately,
“White Prophecy is not necessary anymore, right? You will handle everything even without it, right?”
“Yeah, that kind of prophecy isn’t needed.”
Baek Jangmi smiled. She had someone who would support and help her. That alone made her feel a little hopeful.
At that moment, there was a knock at the door. And then a familiar voice.
“Are you in? It’s Lude.”
Kang Sujin and Baek Jangmi exchanged glances and quietly opened the door. Lude entered, still wearing his ceremony outfit, perfectly in place.
“May I come in?”
“Yes. Please, come in.”
Lude nodded and sat at the table. He looked at Baek Jangmi for a moment and then spoke.
“I’m glad to see you’re healthy.”
“Yes, thanks to you, I’m alive. Thank you, Lude.”
“I haven’t done much.”
After Lude sat down, he hesitated, arms crossed, and adjusted his shoulders. He hummed a few times, then spoke cautiously.
“Well, I… uh, I have something to say.”
“Ah, is it about work? Should I step aside?”
He seemed suspiciously uncomfortable. Lude shook his head, then cleared his throat.
“I’ve been thinking seriously about this. It’s not really anyone’s fault, but please listen carefully.”
“Okay, please, go ahead.”
“Well, I think,”
* * *
“Jaeyoon! Again, again with the nosebleed!”
“Ah, it’s happening again.”
“I told you not to tilt your head back! Lean forward! Here, tissues!”
In the next room, Min Jaeyoon was once again pouring blood from his nose. Kang Ihyun was desperately pouring his holy power to help, but it didn’t seem to be working. The blood was gushing uncontrollably.
“It’s because he’s still being tamed. Wait a moment.”
He used his red magic power. The magic waves surrounding the ring on his finger that had been softly wrapping around it turned aggressively. The dying cries of a beast echoed, and Kang Ihyun looked on in horror.
“Is this normal for summoners?!”
“Oh, it’s because he’s a strong one. It’s special. I have to digest it slowly, so it’ll probably be like this for a few months.”
“Still.”
Min Jaeyoon frowned, blocking his nose with tissue, his eyes tightly shut. It seemed like people always looked the most impressive when they were working, as in just a few hours, his demeanor had become noticeably more mature, leaving Kang Ihyun at a loss for words.
Suddenly, Min Jaeyoon lifted his head and, as if asking what he was looking at, burst out.
“Hey, but this is kinda unfair, you know?!”
“Huh? What is?”
“I even ended up consuming the beast! So why hasn’t my rank changed! Why am I still 3rd?!”
Min Jaeyoon grumbled. Despite such a huge event, his rank remained the same. Kang Ihyun answered as if it was obvious.
“Well, it’s because me and Lude didn’t just casually take 1st and 2nd.”
“Ah!! This is seriously cheating!”
“Don’t worry, you’re probably the strongest in Korea at a regular Hunter level. Oh, hold on.”
The phone rang. Ignoring Min Jaeyoon’s complaining about being ignored, Kang Ihyun answered the call. It was a call from his aunt.
“Yes, Guildmaster, what’s up?”
And his expression froze instantly.