Chapter 242 – Choice (1)

A woman dressed in snow-white robes sat on the lord’s throne, delivering a verdict.

“Verdict. The Black-Rump Bee Faction shall not enter the territory of the White-Beard Bee Faction.”

“Hmph, My Lord. We bees are beings who can only survive by fighting.”

“That’s right, Lord. The genes for endless battle are alive and well in us bees, you see.”

The two gangster bees spoke while growling at each other.

They dared to hold sashimi knives in the lord’s presence, eyeing each other warily.

Seeing this, the young lord spoke dispassionately.

“Bees have to fight, you say?”

“That’s right.”

“Now you’re talking some sense. We can’t suck honey alongside those black bug bastards.”

The gangster bees’ feud had already been going on for over a hundred years.

Despite living for only a couple of months, they were just recklessly fighting over territory.

The problem was that the citizens of the domain were suffering from their bloody turf wars.

Some disputes never seemed to end. Though there were judges, cases that couldn’t be resolved at that level were brought before the highest authority in the domain for a direct ruling.

It was uncommon, but here in the Rania domain, the lord did not shy away from the trouble.

“So you want them exterminated.”

“That’s right.”

“And he wants you exterminated.”

“That’s right.”

“Then I’ll exterminate you both.”

“…Why did the conversation turn out like this?”

The lord gestured to her subordinates with an indifferent expression.

The knight protecting her stepped forward.

The gangster bee leader flinched in surprise.

The knights of Rania were all powerful. Even ten or more gangster bees would be no match for them.

Most importantly, they were clad head-to-toe in steel armor, rendering the bees’ signature stingers useless.

“Slit both their throats and spray insecticide all over their territories.”

The knight drew his sword with a sharp, chilling sound.

Seeing the black knight grin grimly, the startled gangster bees threw their arms around each other’s shoulders.

“Oh my, we’ve reconciled.”

“Actually, I find this friend’s black rump rather sexy.”

“I also thought his beard looked tough and handsome.”

Seeing their phony display, the lord spoke.

“Then the two of you can get married.”

“Married… so suddenly?”

“You’ll just fight again once you leave here.”

The gangster bees looked dumbfounded at the lord’s words.

“But we’re both male…”

“That, or insecticide.”

In the end, the two male gangster bees had to get engaged.

Having finished her ruling, the lord—no, Katrinne—rose from her seat.

“There are still more cases.”

“Lee Ja-rang… no, Sir Vincent. You deliver the verdicts in my stead.”

It felt like a name she hadn’t spoken in a long time. It was awkward.

The black man nodded without a word and sat on the lord’s throne.

“I told you to sit, but aren’t you a little too comfortable with it?”

“Vincent delivers verdicts. It is a difficult position, but he sits nonetheless.”

Katrinne glanced at Lee Ja-rang as he spoke.

He was sitting comfortably with his legs crossed.

“Bring in the accused.”

Katrinne left her seat to Vincent.

“Bring forth the dog guillotine!”

Leaving behind the sound of Lee Ja-rang’s voice, which seemed to still be running on a Korean patch, Katrinne stepped outside.

It was her duty as lord to listen to the stories of her wronged citizens and offer them relief.

It was what her father had always done, and a duty she had continued. But today, she felt exhausted.

Standing on a balcony with a clear view of the landscape outside the castle, she could see soldiers training in one area. Beyond them, the citizens of the domain bustled about in the marketplace.

*Whoosh.*

A cool breeze tickled her cheek.

Even being outside didn’t dispel her gloomy feelings.

From the beginning, she had been nothing more than an emotionless doll.

It was because she had learned about the world too early, had matured too quickly.

She found adults ridiculous and believed there was nothing she could trust.

Then, a man entered her childhood.

He was such a dazzling existence that just looking at him filled her with a warm feeling.

Because of him, she learned to smile.

-You, no. We are nothing but a hindrance to Ajeossi.

Katrinne recalled the words she had heard a month ago.

She had wanted to refute them. But on reflection, Ajeossi had always ended up on dangerous paths because of her.

-The future we hope for will never come.

She had once seen a precognitive dream of a sweet future with Ajeossi.

As long as that dream existed, she believed he could overcome any danger.

The desire to become a family with the man who had saved her and always stayed by her side.

Such feelings were not something a person couldn’t have just because they were young.

But the future revealed by the regressor was tragic.

Ajeossi dies at the hands of the Demon King Alliance.

It wasn’t just once.

Twice, three times. Ten times.

She witnessed the death of her precious Ajeossi over and over again.

No matter what she did, she couldn’t prevent his death.

Katrinne felt the regressor’s emotions completely. The misery, and the despair.

There was little one could do in the face of the repeated deaths of someone so precious.

‘Ajeossi…’

Katrinne bit her lip bitterly.

She wanted to be with Ajeossi. She wanted to, but she couldn’t.

If she was around, Ajeossi would overexert himself.

He had taken up the sword again to protect her, and he had crushed the Seven Kingdoms to keep her safe.

Of course, she knew.

She knew it wasn’t solely for her.

She also knew.

The feelings Ajeossi had for her were different from the feelings she had for him.

Just as he had protected her, she wanted to protect him in the same way.

-Your existence is of no help.

Cold, venomous words spoken by her own self.

She could feel it. The immense pain her other self had felt.

They were the same person, but she wondered if she was even capable of doing what the other had.

She might never see Ajeossi again.

But that was fine.

If that was the way to protect him.

“Gwaaak!”

Startled by the sudden sound of Lee Ja-rang’s throat being squeezed, Katrinne spun around.

It was noisy. Something seemed to have happened.

“Guh, hnghh!”

When Katrinne hurried back inside, she saw Lee Ja-rang being embraced by someone.

A sturdy arm was hugging him so tightly that it was denting his steel armor.

“Aigoo, good to see you. My Ja-rang?”

“Not good… ghhhk.”

“Aigoo. Were you *that* happy to see me?”

*Crack.*

The sound of Lee Ja-rang’s bones breaking echoed.

“So happy you urgently called for the dog guillotine?”

Hearing the familiar arm muscles and voice, Katrinne felt her eyes welling up.

“Ajeossi…”

Hyunbin peeked out. He let go of his manly embrace with Lee Ja-rang.

Finally free, Lee Ja-rang collapsed to the floor and sobbed.

“You run away from home without a word?”

At Hyunbin’s words, Katrinne couldn’t answer.

“This life has gone wrong. Vincent cannot be happy.”

Ignoring Lee Ja-rang’s sad lament, Katrinne muttered weakly.

“Ajeossi, what are you doing here…?”

She had never imagined he would come here.

He had the ability to move to the floating island, but this wasn’t above a modern city.

This was a completely different world, a different dimension.

And yet, he, who shouldn’t have been able to be here, was.

“I ran away from home too.”

Before she knew it, Katrinne was moving toward him.

As if drawn by a magnet, she soon found herself leaping into Hyunbin’s arms.

Hyunbin had returned to the other world.

* * *

“You look thinner.”

Katrinne looked skinny.

“Are you sick or something?”

It was strange seeing the girl who used to eat like a monster now acting prim and picking at her food.

“What are you talking about? In that world, the power to operate the floating island came from me, so I had no choice but to eat a lot, you know?”

Katrinne pouted with a coy expression.

The same girl who had been clinging to me and sobbing her eyes out a moment ago was now trying hard to maintain her dignity as a lord.

“Ajeossi, about the world you used to live in…”

Katrinne asked, watching my reaction.

“It was just a hassle, so I wiped out all the annoying guys there. Now I can’t go back even if I want to.”

“…”

I had disposed of Ian Kruger, the head of the Union, and subjugated the troublesome 6-star boss monster.

Extracting its data revealed all the atrocities it had committed.

The bastard had known about me.

I hadn’t expected it to be the second Hero of this other world.

It had been hostile toward me, sacrificing many people in its quest to become stronger than anyone else.

Among them were Heroes and Saints from other dimensions.

Of course, it died at my hands without ever getting to properly use that power.

“Ajeossi, is it really okay for you not to return to your original world?”

Katrinne asked, looking worried.

“You built so many new things there.”

Everything I built there, I can build again.

But as for my team members, and my comrades, I’ve already done all I can for them.

From now on, they will find their own paths.

“It’s the same here.”

This other world. I’ve accomplished far more here than in the world I used to live in.

By now, rumors of my return had already spread rapidly across the continent.

“Still, if you just cleared up the misunderstanding, you could have kept living there…”

Katrinne murmured.

I had lost my Hunter license in the Republic of Korea. Of course, there were plenty of other places I could go.

The misunderstandings about me might have even been cleared up by now.

But I chose not to go back.

“Everyone was making such a fuss trying to save me, so I figured I’d listen to them just this once.”

“…”

Katrinne’s pupils dilated.

Did she think I wouldn’t know?

The unnatural betrayal, the strange patterns of behavior. And the words the Demon King had spouted.

Against the overwhelmingly powerful Demon King Alliance, there was no guarantee I would win.

A bloodbath would likely ensue.

The more I try to protect, the more I lose. I’ve learned that fact several times already.

“Yeah.”

Katrinne replied softly and smiled.

There was no way I wouldn’t know the meaning behind that sorrowful smile.

I felt like I had made this young kid suffer too much.

When I first met Katrinne, I thought she was admirable for acting as the lord at such a young age.

But always, out of sight, she would become a small child, sobbing for her dead parents.

I could only imagine how much she must have suffered, becoming a regressor and repeating a painful life after losing me, her only family.

I stroked Katrinne’s head.

“Why?”

“Your hair looks like it hasn’t been washed.”

“What are you talking about? I washed it today.”

After that meaningless bit of teasing, I stood up.

This must be the right thing to do.

The Demon King’s words had a point.

I am a being that invites death.

I cause more deaths when fewer could have died, and I make people suffer more when they could have endured less.

“Just give me a job.”

Hearing my words, Katrinne’s eyes curved into crescent moons.

“Ajeossi, just trust me. I’ll parachute you into any position you want.”

This kid learned all the wrong words in the other world. What a mess.

Still, it’s good to be back in this world. It feels like coming home.

In any other subculture story, this would be the kind of night that leads to a peaceful ending.

*Zzzt-!*

In a fleeting moment, I saw an army of pitch-black demons being brutally torn apart.

And I see myself standing in the middle of it all.

I still witness my own death every night.