Chapter 139 – LV.Twelve Priest Seo Yun – [Five]

Soon, the negotiations began. The two representatives exchanged words.

“So, you’re saying the Centaurs are likely to lead the remaining Dawn Corps in Seoul and invade again? And you want our forces to help at that time.”

In response to Ga Huiyeong’s question, Oh Haengun answered.

“In return, we will provide provisions from our village so you can remain stationed here until then.”

“But the amount you mentioned is far too insufficient. Can’t you give more?”

“Our situation isn’t favorable either. This is already a stretch for us; we can’t give more. Weren’t you originally among those who participated in attacking us? There were many opinions to retaliate and eliminate you before you turned into looters. The fact that we’re not doing that and instead giving you a chance to atone for your previous crimes by dedicating yourselves is the greatest compensation we can offer.”

Oh Haengun, who had tried to pass the village chief role onto a small girl, now took charge of the negotiations and led the conversation proactively. It was heard that various negotiations were proceeding well as planned.

Thus, according to the agreement, on the day the Centaurs invade again, these deserters would either support Happy Village or at least not participate in the enemy’s invasion. In return, Happy Village would not only provide some provisions but also support them to settle here later.

“And you won’t hold us accountable for the previous attack?”

“Only if you keep your promise. Of course, on the premise that you don’t cause trouble in the future, so don’t go around looting elsewhere just to get more provisions. Understood?”

Meanwhile, Seo Yun had nothing to do. Originally, the plan was for Seo Yun, who had influence among the hostile soldiers, to step forward, but the soldiers were quiet, and Ga Huiyeong, a Nursing Officer not particularly close to them, was their representative. There was no need to stir things up unnecessarily.

While the negotiations continued, Seo Yun watched Gaeulbi instead.

Since her aunt had stepped forward as the leader of the soldiers, the girl’s face had lost all color. Even with most of her face covered by cloth, one could clearly see how pale her skin had become.

Time passed, and the negotiations concluded.

Seo Yun deliberately averted her gaze from Gaeulbi. She quietly approached Ga Huiyeong and spoke.

“You’ve been acting as the Leader among the deserters ever since you escaped?”

Ga Huiyeong nodded with a weary expression.

“Yes. I heard our soldiers caused trouble in Gangwon-do; I truly regret—”

“How exactly?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, how did someone who was nursing soldiers end up commanding them?”

In response to Seo Yun’s question, Ga Huiyeong answered readily.

“I was a colonel, the highest rank here. Also the oldest.”

“Weren’t you originally a doctor in society? Even if you were a colonel, that rank was likely just hastily given by that Division Commander to make you a Nursing Officer after kidnapping you.”

“That’s correct. But there were a few officers who escaped with us, though they didn’t seem to be much of a support among the soldiers. After all, whether they were operations chiefs or company commanders in the military, in a situation like this, what difference would they have from the soldiers?

Meanwhile, I was the one the soldiers relied on the most. Not because I had more expertise in strategy or tactics than the officers, but because I was the doctor who took care of them when they were injured. Being the oldest, officers would come to me when problems arose, and soldiers would seek me out when issues occurred, so before I knew it, I ended up playing the role of Division Commander… Is that explanation sufficient?”

“One more thing. Why didn’t you refuse the leader role? Being a Division Commander among deserters isn’t exactly a coveted position.”

Perhaps thinking the questions were getting too personal? Ga Huiyeong slightly furrowed her brow.

“Is this a question I must answer? Or…”

“It would be better if you could answer.”

At Seo Yun’s request, Ga Huiyeong seemed lost in thought for a moment before speaking.

“As I mentioned, there was no one else to take on the role… Someone had to take responsibility and lead, but everyone was reluctant, so I had no choice.”

Seo Yun blinked and asked.

“Is that all?”

“It seems so.”

Ultimately, it seemed she ended up taking on the role without any particular purpose, simply because others wouldn’t.

‘It’s not like being a Team Leader for a group project or something…’

Seo Yun cautiously asked.

“Now, one last question. Didn’t you have a niece you were raising?”

“Did I mention that in the Medical Corps? Well… I did. Though we were unintentionally separated because of the state of the world. Why do you ask?”

Meanwhile, Gaeulbi was listening to all this conversation from behind.

Until now, she had been quiet, perhaps aware she shouldn’t step forward or too shocked, but it was becoming difficult to remain silent.

When Seo Yun looked back, she saw Gaeulbi looking as if she might explode any moment.

“Before explaining the reason, could you send the soldiers away for a moment?”

Ga Huiyeong readily complied with Seo Yun’s request. Seo Yun also asked Oh Haengun and the people of Happy Village to step back temporarily.

Finally, only the four of them remained.

“Eulbi?”

As soon as Seo Yun signaled with her eyes, Gaeulbi removed the cloth covering her face. And she shouted.

“Aunt!”

Even Ga Huiyeong, who had shown almost no change in expression throughout the conversation, revealed surprise at her niece’s appearance. Her eyes widened.

“Eulbi?”

Gaeulbi shouted with a face on the verge of tears.

“Yes, it’s me!”

“How did you…”

“That’s what I want to ask! Why are you here, Aunt? No, I saw you being kidnapped by these people, so I know that! But why are you acting as their Leader?”

“Didn’t you hear the conversation I just had with your friend?”

“I heard, but I don’t understand, so I’m questioning it! Were you brainwashed by some Mind Domination Spell or something?”

“What kind of…”

“If not, there’s no reason to abandon the niece you were raising and play boss among soldiers! Didn’t you even think about looking for me?”

“With the world in this state, how could I have looked for you?”

“You could have at least tried to look! Instead of playing Commander among the people who kidnapped you!”It seemed that Gaeulbi was enraged by the fact that she had thought her aunt was being held captive among the soldiers because she was a valuable doctor, but that wasn’t the case—and even so, her aunt hadn’t been concerned about her.

Ga Huiyeong, as if trying to get past this unexpected situation first, spoke in an awkward voice.

“Right, sorry I haven’t made an effort to do that. How should I apologize…”

“An apology isn’t necessary!”

“Then?”

“Come back right now!”

“Come back where? You can’t mean the house that’s collapsed…”

“To my side!”

“Your side?”

“Yes! You’re practically my mother, aren’t you? Then shouldn’t you keep taking care of me?”

Ga Huiyeong stared at her niece’s face for a moment before speaking.

“Judging by your complexion, you seem to be doing quite well, no? You’ve grown so much I barely recognize you—anyone can see you’re eating and living well, almost too well for these times…”

“I am doing better than most. Why does that…”

“You know what I mean.”

Gaeulbi’s face went blank, then her lips moved.

“Are you saying… there are other people you need to take care of?”

“Mhm.”

“Not your niece who seems to be doing fine even without you, but the starving, emaciated soldiers you should keep looking after?”

Ga Huiyeong didn’t deny it, and Gaeulbi seemed shocked by that fact. She muttered as if she couldn’t believe it.

“The looters who kidnap people?”

“That’s my job now.”

After that, a long tug-of-war ensued.

Gaeulbi poured out every plea and persuasion to her aunt in a dazed voice, until finally, her anger exploded.

“Shut up and come back!”

Ga Huiyeong’s face hardened stiffly.

“Stop throwing a tantrum.”

“How is asking family to come back a tantrum!”

Naturally, Gaeulbi showed no sign of giving up. Unidentifiable cries—whether sobs or shouts—kept erupting from her mouth.

And Ga Huiyeong closed her eyes tightly, then opened them.

An expression—whether annoyance or difficulty—floated across her face and vanished before she spoke.

“To be honest, I didn’t raise you with some tremendous affection.”

“Huh?”

“It was a cat your father was raising and then tried to abandon… I took it in and raised it instead, but I didn’t really grow attached. I just fed it roughly, took it to the vet when needed, and after it died, I just put it in a volume-based waste bag and threw it away.”

“What are you saying now—”

“Some might curse me for being heartless, but I did as much as I could. More than my duty.”

As if understanding the meaning, Gaeulbi’s eyes widened.

Seo Yun also understood—Ga Huiyeong was now saying this: ‘I had no obligation to take in and raise something in your father’s place in the first place. Whether it’s a cat or you, it’s the same.’ So, don’t expect anything more from someone who’s already done more than their duty.

It was impossible to tell if she meant it sincerely, or if she was saying it to cut ties because she had work to do now and you seem to be doing well enough already.

Either way, it was an utterly cold statement. Enough to freeze a young girl solid.

Seo Yun suddenly recalled the character of Gaeulbi’s aunt as introduced earlier. In the past, she took in and raised a cat that her father was going to abandon because it had become ugly, and later, she also raised her niece Gaeulbi in place of her father?

Just hearing it, she sounded like a truly maternal figure, but Seo Yun remembered that the Nursing Officer she encountered in the Dawn Corps was a cold person focused solely on her work, devoid of any affection. She had given various instructions to the girl who was practically her daughter, dragged into the military, without any emotion.

Because of that, Seo Yun had suspected she might have lost her maternal love after suffering too much, but now she realized that suspicion was wrong.

‘It wasn’t maternal love—she just had a strong sense of responsibility. A personality so responsible that she even takes on duties she doesn’t have to. But then, she doesn’t attach any special meaning to the responsibilities she’s taken on…’

Seo Yun looked at Gaeulbi.

The girl who had committed all sorts of deeds so far to get revenge for her aunt, as if about to explode in anger, moved her lips, then clenched them tightly, slumped her shoulders, and began shedding tears drop by drop.

Beside her, Han Siwoo was fidgeting, unsure of what to do.

So Seo Yun stepped in instead.

“Stop talking nonsense, ma’am.”

Ga Huiyeong looked this way.

“Hm?”

“Whether it’s a cat or a person, once you take them in, you have an obligation. What’s with this nonsense about having done your part just by taking them in? If you’re going to hurt people by spouting this kind of nonsense, you shouldn’t have taken them in at all.”

“So what do you want me to do…”

“Don’t use informal speech with me, ma’am. I’m your niece’s friend, not yours.”

As Ga Huiyeong kept her mouth shut, Seo Yun continued.

“You had an obligation to keep looking after the niece you agreed to raise. Finding a lost niece in this chaos might have been too much to ask, but don’t act so brazenly about not doing it.”

And Ga Huiyeong sighed. Turning her head toward Gaeulbi, she muttered.

“Right, I’m sorry. I really couldn’t help…”

Since Gaeulbi didn’t seem to be listening to that apology, Seo Yun continued asking.

“Will you come back someday, if not now?”

“Once the situation is sorted out.”

“Then, that’s enough.”

Seo Yun turned the crying Gaeulbi around. Holding her hand, she guided her to the truck’s cargo bed. Han Siwoo cautiously followed behind.

The truck started. And until the truck stopped, Seo Yun didn’t let go of the hand she was holding.