Chapter 300: Laios, the Neutral Country (1)

I still was anxious, but pressuring Jung Hayan had been done properly. I really wanted to get mad and ask what crazy thing she was doing, but I couldn’t say that right now.

Jung Hayan wanted to annoy Cha Hee-ra little by little, and Cha Hee-ra had overreacted.

I thought they both had their own faults.

If I were to take Cha Hee-ra’s side too much, it might cause other problems.

First, after pointing out Hayan’s attitude, I started by saying that she should show a little more respect, and I also expressed that I wasn’t really uncomfortable.

Of course, it was natural to flatter her in the midst of that by saying, ‘thank you for thinking of me’ or ‘I understand you.’

When I first pressed her a little harshly, she had produced thick tears, but after that, I could see that her face melted at the other benefits that flew in.

Everything didn’t go as she thought, but I was satisfied as to how it had ended.

‘Damn.’

It felt like she was still thinking the way she wanted to.

Of course, she had nodded at my stern warning, but I had doubts about how far this effect would go. This was only a preview of the disaster that was to come.

Seeing that she had shown her teeth to Cha Hee-ra right after gaining strength, it was evident that she would do this to others even more.

If she was left alone, even if she was quiet right now, an incident would definitely happen someday.

In the first place, magic was a difficult area for me to understand.

It was hard to imagine what a wizard like Jung Hayan can do when they got enough momentum.

‘Although it is difficult…’

Nevertheless, Jung Hayan was very important to me.

In a way, this was no different than an equivalent exchange. If the price of dealing with Jung Hayan magician was to care for her mentality enough, it was a business that I could do.

The problem was that it became strangely dangerous, but considering the future, this could be well-tolerated.

Of course, she was not the only one who I needed to take care of.

However, Cha Hee-ra was much easier to care for than Jung Hayan.

Among the people I knew, she was one of those I communicated the best with. At least, until she turned crazy.

From my perspective, the two should stay the same without any friction. However, it was not that easy to solve other people’s work.

Of course, Jung Hayan wasn’t starting any quarrel with Cha Hee-ra, but anyone could feel a strange atmosphere between the two of them.

Park Deokgu and Han Sora, who specialized in detecting Jung Hayan’s dangers, was no exception.

“So, recently, I felt like Hayan had a sharp edge!”

“Ah… right.”

“Yes. It’s what I’ve said many times. We haven’t had time to do anything properly because we’ve been busy, but, naturally, even Hayan is stressed!”

“…”

“I think it’s definitely time to refresh. In fact, Hee-ra also had a little edge in her reaction, but Hayan’s eyes were a little harsh, too. It’s hard to define just what… honestly, I was a little scared, too. I’m sorry to say this, but I just wanted to leave.”

As I slowly turned my gaze toward Han Sora, I could see her trembling.

“You can believe it because I definitely saw it with my love dating expert Park Deokgu’s eyes. Honestly, it seems like Hyung-nim and Hayan are getting along well, but the progress is too slow, and since Hyung-nim is so popular, every woman sticks to you like this! And like that! Ahem. No matter how freely this continent thinks about love, people like Hayan, who is too soft and can’t kill a single ant, get too stressed out about this. Yes, absolutely! Isn’t that right?”

“Yes… Sure…”

I was curious about where the information ‘being unable to kill a single ant’ came from, but there was no energy left to tackle Park Deokgu’s words.

Han Sora, the biggest victim of Jung Hayan, was also staring at Park Deokgu as if he was talking bullsh*t, but for the sake of her social life, she nodded meekly.

However, with her lips tightly closed, she seemed to be preparing for the real situation that might come.

“It’s a good idea for you two to go on a trip sometime. The territory from the man said to be that Nabot Baron, no, now he’s a senator! Didn’t he say there was such a thing as a Mirror Lake? You can go out there sometime, enjoy the boat, have dinner, and then it’s the best if the carriage gets cut off…”

“We have to go around here for a long time to get to the Mirror Lake. And why would the carriage be cut off? I have a griffon.”

“Of course, that’s all excuses. That’s what they usually do. Ahem. I can’t say… exactly, but that’s what they usually do.”

“I may go out to play someday, but…”

“Not now. You mean this?”

“We can take a rest in Laios. They’ll be taking care of us there. Of course, after that, we’ll have to move busily, but we can still rest. Anyway, as you said, I should go out with Hayan.”

Even Yuno Kasugano’s trip to Laios was also scheduled.

Except for Lee Jihye, who was in the Black Swan, all those related to me were gathered.

There was no need to explain that I felt a little guilty as much as there had been an incident with Yuno.

‘Fuck…’

Of course, I just said nothing had happened at the time.

Rather, I escaped the crisis by getting angry, but there was no doubt that Jung Hayan had not forgotten about that.

As she revealed her teeth to Cha Hee-ra, there was no guarantee that she would not do so to Yuno Kasugano.

‘She’s different from Cha Hee-ra…’

Although strong enough to rise to the Eight Seats of the Empire, Yuno Kasugano was the support-type.

If I measured her in terms of combat power, Yuno Kasugano couldn’t handle Hayan.

‘She’s not going to do crazy things like when we were in the Shrine.’

Since the Jung Hayan regression case, there was no way that she had been thinking of such crazy thoughts until now.

However, it was worth considering that, upon having a lot of time alone with her, as Park Deokgu said, as much as something could happen.

While pondering, Park Deokgu opened his mouth again.

Seeing that the subject hadn’t changed yet, it seemed that he also took this case quite sensitively. Of course, he didn’t seem to have the same worries as me, though.

“That’s that… So, what are you going to do about Hee-ra and Hayan? To be honest, I’m definitely on Hayan’s side… Still, the atmosphere is uncomfortable. That atmosphere is more terrifying than fighting openly. I’d rather try to make them talk…”

‘That’s probably the thought of those who wish to commit suicide.’

“But I’ve heard that there are a lot of problems like this on the continent these days. Since everyone is monogamous and polygamous, of course, there is such a thing as having a staring contest. Well, I had a drink with a friend in the past, and I heard that he also had two wives.”

“Oh. Who?”

“Maybe Hyung-nim knows… It’s Gal Oh-sik.”

“Of course, I know. That friend was quite useful… How did you get to know him?”

He was the one I wanted to make strings with.

Seeing that he was quite close to Deokgu, I didn’t have to do anything.

“Of course it is by a love consultation! In any case, he’s running a clan, and he earns good money, so it seems like it happened. But the problem is that the two don’t get along. Every time they met, they stare at each other, they talk behind their backs, they raise their voices, and they fight, so my friend is in the middle having a hard time.”

‘That’s not even having a hard time… That’s good enough.’

If it had been that much, I would have just laughed off.

Whether he understood me or not, Park Deokgu began to open his mouth, taking that guy as an example.

It was a very long story, and honestly, I didn’t care enough to listen.

“Ahem… Well, that’s what happened. Hyung-nim, you have to stay alert, too. It’s good for the person in the middle to get in tune and balance. There is the famous adage saying that the balance of power must be maintained.”

“Never heard of it.”

“Well, anyway, it is nagging to say that Hyung-nim’s role is more important than anyone else in this. Whatever it is, arrange a meeting once and make the two get close. This way, no one would suffer. Of course, it is important to take care of Hayan first. If Hyung-nim is going to have a relationship with several people, it is correct to improve their relationship little by little from now on. I bet it’s really dangerous if it doesn’t happen.”

He must have said without thinking, but the words saying that it would be dangerous were true.

Park Deokgu was right, by a hundred times.

‘I have to do it somehow.’

I wanted to call Kim Ye-ri and Ahn Ki-mo to act once again, but they were not in this wagon.

‘Are we almost there?’

Come to think of it. It felt like we had been on this wagon for quite a long time.

In the middle of the conversation with Park Deokgu and Han Sora, I glanced at the window, and I could see the background passing at a fairly fast pace.

It was just a wild guess, but unlike the State, the exotic landscape stood out a lot.

‘Neutral country.’

This was the only country on the continent that stood for a neutral state.

It was not as strong as the State or the Republic, but it was one of the countries that I thought had numerous possibilities.

As it was located in the south, it was warm, had a wide variety of food, and close to the sea, making it a resort and travel destination often visited by foreigners from the State and the Republic.

Although the purpose of coming here was far from rest or Jung Hayan’s care, it was correct to take action as Park Deokgu had said.

“The landscape is awesome… Isn’t that right, Hyung-nim? Isn’t it Sora’s first time to see such a landscape?”

“Yes. Of course, this is the first time, but…”

“Anyway, Hyung-nim, this is an opportunity. Originally, a place like this makes people more open! Obviously, Hayan must also be preparing herself.”

I needed to find out more about what kind of preparation it was, but I didn’t want her to be preparing herself.

Of course, everything went according to my wish.

The carriage, which had been running continuously, stopped, and the door of the carriage opened. A little childish voice was heard.

“Welcome to Laios, Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung and Mercenary Queen of Lindel.”

We had arrived in the neutral country.