Chapter 625 – The Stormy Period (3)
How ironic and unfortunate.
Now that Grandfell is gone, I, Lee Hoyeol, must be even more shameless than Grandfell himself to survive…!
Even after leaving, you’re still tormenting me, Grandfell.
In that sense—
–”□□□□ Me.”
I can’t help but think even more about saving you.
‘Even for my own sake.’
They say familiarity makes people forget what’s precious, and that you only realize its value once it’s gone.
For me to survive,
I’ve come to understand—
Grandfell, I need you.
“Ah, Chief Lee…!”
On the perilous stairs of the Magic Tower, I lightly nodded to the apprentice mages who made way for me.
They weren’t the adept mages I often met in Topaz Hall, nor were there many familiar faces among the apprentices.
“I appreciate it.”
A bit of gratitude for their consideration wouldn’t hurt, would it?
Regardless, my destination was set.
I needed to retrieve it quickly—
『The Post-Cataclysm Bible』…!
‘Please, let everyone else be just as busy as I am.’
Hiel’s rebellious phase.
The World Tree’s rampage.
And now, the sudden rise of the new Arcana factions, clearly empowered by Hiel and the World Tree’s influence.
Unlike Grandfell, who could elegantly handle everything alone, I, Lee Hoyeol, had to struggle beneath the surface like an ugly duckling.
‘I simply didn’t have the bandwidth to care.’
Half a day had already passed since Amethyst Hall opened.
With so much happening, I hadn’t had time to think about the Bible.
Thankfully, it seemed I wasn’t the only one.
‘Phew, found it.’
『The Post-Cataclysm Bible』, written by Lorenzik the Romantic Explorer.
If Grandfell were here to see this, he’d probably lecture me about how I was foolishly passing up the chance to declare my pride.
Silently, I slipped it into my inventory.
‘Like I’ve said before—if you don’t like my actions, feel free to come back anytime, Grandfell.’
I swiftly exited Amethyst Hall.
Ssk.
I glanced around the corridor, just in case someone had been watching.
Fortunately, there was no sign of anyone.
With the Bible successfully retrieved, my business in the Magic Tower was done.
Now—
‘Time to begin my duties as Supreme Commander of the Holy War Alliance.’
I was entering the Arcana Continent.
Not alone.
Not as Lee Hoyeol, but as Supreme Commander of the Holy War Alliance— with the entire alliance at my side.
‘The weight of it is no joke.’
At times like these, I felt grateful to the Claudi family.
Maybe it was thanks to the “preparation shots” I got from being raised as the head of a great noble house—
My nerves weren’t shaken to the point of trembling hands and feet, nor was I so overwhelmed that I couldn’t think straight.
‘Just use what I have properly, Hoyeol.’
Of course, doubts remained.
–“Show me your growth.”
I wouldn’t call it self-praise, but that phrasing…
It was even more Grandfell than Grandfell himself.
Thinking from their perspective, they could’ve easily found it irritating.
From an outsider’s view, it sounded as if I had provided some great help to the Holy War Alliance.
‘When in reality, we all suffered equally.’
Yet, they reacted as if they had been waiting for me to say those words.
It almost made me feel like I had misunderstood something fundamental.
‘Anyway, let’s think positively.’
This, too, must be thanks to the almighty Grandfell.
I decided to put aside analyzing the reasons for now.
Like I said—
To maintain elegance, one must tirelessly struggle beneath the surface.
Ttogak.
As soon as I entered the Magic Tower lobby,
All eyes—
and all camera lenses—
turned toward me.
It had been a while.
Since so many cameras last surrounded me.
‘I used to teleport away to avoid this in the past.’
Even if it felt unnecessary, there are times when you must do what must be done, Hoyeol.
After all, I had a Today Arcana recording scheduled soon.
I clenched my jaw.
A storm of questions poured in.
“Can you elaborate on the current situation—?”
“Can you summarize the key points from the meeting—?”
“Supreme Commander Lee Hoyeol, how are you feeling right now?”
“In a recent stream, there was mention of the Cataclysm—”
I took a deep breath.
And spoke.
“It seems I must remind you.”
“……What?”
I uttered the word ‘attention’ in Grandfell’s language.
“Silence.”
“!!!”
“That’s the beginning of formality.”
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*
Holy War Alliance
“As expected.”
Senior Flame Mage Bensch William wore an odd expression.
It was a smile tinged with sorrow.
At the very least, there was unmistakable grief in his eyes.
“Chief Lee has changed. Vangrit, you know this as well, don’t you? Our Chief Lee was never the type to be so openly kind…!”
It wasn’t just Bensch’s imagination.
The entire Holy War Alliance interpreted Hoyeol’s declaration in the same way.
“Chief Lee watching over our growth…?”
“I, Bensch William, feel both joy and… sadness. Because it means we may never again see the cold and unyielding Chief Lee we once knew.”
To them, his words had been warm.
Even Vangrit, who usually spoke bluntly, remained silent for once.
Only after a moment, he spoke cautiously.
“Should we really be celebrating?”
“Bensch, you know this well.”
“Chief Lee’s every action carries a meaning beyond our comprehension.”
“Sometimes, it feels like he’s looking into the future itself.”
Hearing this, Bensch nodded.
“True. That’s what he called ‘preparation.’”
“Then this must be part of his preparation as well.”
“Wouldn’t you agree?”
Yet, Vangrit remained uneasy.
“Then what is this preparation for? What lies ahead? That’s what worries me.”
Bensch pondered for a moment.
“Perhaps we’re overreacting, Vangrit. Chief Lee may seem rigid and rule-abiding, but deep down, he’s always been a kind person. And you, of all people, should know that.”
“…Me?”
“Oh, don’t pretend now.”
Bensch smirked playfully.
“I still remember what you did at Chief Lee’s first academic conference. If I were him, I wouldn’t even look at your face after that disaster.”
Only the senior members of the Magic Tower knew what had happened that day.
Even Chief Lee, who never overlooked anything, had let Vangrit’s blunder slide.
“H-Hey! Why are you bringing that up now?!”
Meanwhile, observing them from behind—
“Did you hear that?”
The three guild masters of the Great Alliance exchanged glances.
“Even the adept mages are thinking the same way as us. So, we’re not crazy for suspecting that Ms. Hiel might be involved in all of this.”
Then, shifting his gaze—
“More importantly, Leonie, can you do something about that face of yours?”
“What about my face?”
“What’s with that vague expression?”
Leonie’s face wasn’t much different from Bensch’s.
And with good reason—
her emotions were complicated.
Leonie shook her head.
“Tsk. This is something you blockheads wouldn’t understand.”
“Blockheads? Us?”
“Pardon me, but isn’t Leonie’s nickname ‘Dead-Eye’—”
“HEY!”
But Leonie’s outburst wasn’t directed at Hisagi.
It was aimed at the large, pointed hat moving ahead.
At the sound of her voice, Jesse Heinness,
who had been hurrying along, turned around.
“Did you call me?”
“Yeah, Jesse, you.”
“?”
Leaving the two behind, Leonie trotted up beside Jesse.
She didn’t bother making eye contact.
There was still an awkward distance between them.
But even so—
“Let’s talk for a moment.”
“Talk?”
“About that guy. No, about Chief Lee.”
For some reason, Leonie felt that talking to Jesse might help clear up this uneasy feeling.
Even with her usual scowl, Jesse smiled warmly.
“Of course! Follow me, Leonie!”
“Follow you? Where?”
“Believe it or not, I’ve got an office in the Magic Tower now!”
“W-Wait, for real?! Even I don’t have an office anywhere!”
At the base of the Magic Tower staircase, Nam Taemin and Hisagi stood still, watching the two walk away.
Hisagi spoke first.
“Do you understand the meaning of ‘alliance,’ Taemin?”
“Uh, something about sticking together, right?”
“More precisely, it means aligning in purpose.”
Hisagi’s point was simple—
The Holy War Alliance had finally become a true alliance.
From the Supreme Commander to the members themselves, it felt like their will had finally united.
“Now that the Commander has paid an unseen price in the battle against Bael… the strength of the Holy War Alliance may be weaker than ever.”
It wasn’t about having an escape plan.
It wasn’t about being a cunning snake.
Hisagi’s voice was steady, absolute.
“But our determination burns stronger than ever before.”
Nam Taemin smirked.
“Now, huh?”
“……What?”
“I made that decision a long time ago.”
Hisagi responded coolly.
“Then all that’s left is for us to become friends, Taemin.”
“Friends? With you? Are you insane? No way!”
“Shall I explain the meaning of ‘alliance’ again?”
“Forget it. Get lost, jerk!”
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“Everywhere I turn, it’s all about Hoyeol.”
“Hoyeol is my uncle!”
“Yeah, Arang, your uncle is really something.”
“Big Aunt, why do you talk like that?”
“Right? Auntie is weird.”
A mother and daughter, both equally exhausting.
Lee Jiyoon, the second eldest, clicked her tongue.
Just for fun, she teased her only niece.
“Arang, you were so cute when you still spoke with a lisp.”
“What’s a lisp?”
“Never mind that. Why are you acting so grumpy?”
“Sigh, you two even talk the same way.”
Jiyoon shook her head.
“I’m not the grumpy one. It’s that guy—Lee Hoyeol. He always calls us ‘sisters, sisters,’ but when was the last time he even showed his face at home? It’s been months, hasn’t it?”
Her complaints were easy to translate.
On the TV screen, the anchor’s voice relayed the latest news about Hoyeol.
–This is the first time Player Lee Hoyeol has officially declared that he will lead the Holy War Alliance as its Supreme Commander.
–Some speculate that this expedition will serve as a test to evaluate the Holy War Alliance’s overall strength.
–Additionally, according to a live stream by well-known NetTuber Player Park Hwigang, a book related to Player Lee Hoyeol was discovered in a newly unlocked section of the Magic Tower…
Hearing such important news from strangers?
It wasn’t a pleasant feeling.
And on top of that, hadn’t they said this latest update was particularly dangerous?
“Well, not like it was ever safe before.”
Jiyoon, sulking, lifted her head— just in time to see Lee Yerim burst through the front door after work.
With a deep sigh, she looked utterly exhausted.
“Ughhh, the project is finally over…!”
“Yerim, how many days has it been since we last saw you?”
“Forget that—what has Lee Hoyeol been up to while I was working?!”
About a week.
Yerim had been buried in her job, completely cut off from the world.
Meaning, it had been a full week since she’d even seen Hoyeol’s face on TV.
Hudadag.
As Yerim rushed to the television, Arang scolded her.
“Auntie, wash your hands first when you come home!”
But at that moment—
Even her beloved niece’s words didn’t register.
Because the very next second, something caught Yerim’s attention.
Something about her one and only younger brother.
With a puzzled expression, she spoke.
“…Lee Hoyeol, what’s up with his hair? Did he seriously dye it?!”
*
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