By Zephyria 
“You fixed my arm.”
Justina tapped her right shoulder with her left fist.
“I was out of it back then, so I couldn’t even say thank you or pay you back.”
“It is all right. I wasn’t expecting a reward.”
“Oh, come to think of it, I heard you provide treatment for free? Is it some kind of philanthropic spirit for humanity?”
“Not exactly. Guild Master Yu’s injury was sustained during the process of hunting magical beasts.”
Furthermore, the reason he provided free treatment within the 7777 Guild was that they were guild members assigned to the same mission. Though a large part of the purpose was also to recover divine power by increasing his recognition and fame.
In Mak Slecht, Kim Si-baek had to build everything from the ground up for the religious sect to make the name of Biyendwe known to the world. No one in this convention hall would understand better than he did what happens when favors without compensation are repeated, and how such kindness can sometimes lower one’s own value.
[Death and Beauty pats you on the back, saying that this is not because you are an old fogey, but stems from life experience and maturity, so you don’t need to be conscious of your age.]
“…….”
He hadn’t been conscious of it until he read the divine utterance of Biyendwe…
Justina curled her lips into a smirk, seemingly pleased with his calm yet cold response. Kim Si-baek smelled the seasoned scent of blood in her smile. She was likely someone who had spent her entire life on the battlefield killing humans and magical beasts. Just like the generals he had encountered in Mak Slecht.
“It’s good that you’re not a pushover. The Seven Guild allows hunters to work as mercenaries—”
“Uh-uh, no, no! Absolutely not!”
Before Kim Si-baek could even respond, Na Jeong-woo nimbly stepped in to perform the mission of swatting away the fly. He crossed his arms in an ‘X’ shape, blocking Kim Si-baek with his entire body.
“And what makes you think I know what he’ll say?”
“You probably want to take my mentor as a mercenary!”
“Can’t I just get permission? It’s not like I’m trying to lure him into our guild.”
“You will lure him! Just like you lured me!”
“If I had stepped on you before Min-hyung did, would I have been able to lure you?”
“I… I give my body, heart, and loyalty to our raid leader…”
Since the conversation was somehow becoming increasingly strange, Kim Si-baek tuned them out and munched on a lychee. As Biyendwe had described, the sweet and slightly tart taste was quite pleasant.
While Na Jeong-woo, tasked with the extermination mission, was struggling with Justina, two hunters stealthily approached. One of them was not only familiar but whose name he also remembered. It was Lee Sarang from the Gabyeolcho Guild, with whom he had formed a raid team at the Management Center.
“A-ah, h-h-hello…”
“Hello, Hunter Lee Sarang.”
“Gasp. You remembered my name!”
Lee Sarang’s face, which had been clearly tense during her greeting, instantly brightened.
“Th-this is our Guild Master. He wanted to say hello for a moment…”
“Ahem, I am Jo Byeong-seok. My daughter has talked about you so much since the events at the Management Center that her mouth is practically worn out. I came to see if I could at least see your face; I hope I’m not intruding.”
Kim Si-baek also exchanged greetings with the middle-aged man with a generous impression, who was her father and the Guild Master of Gabyeolcho. He had heard before that Jo Byeong-seok and his wife, Lee Hyeon-jeong, were the first outsiders from the orphanage to join Tae-un’s group in Seoul.
Justina leaned in and whispered into Kim Si-baek’s ear.
“That fellow is a rare good man. He didn’t greet you with the intention of slyly luring you like I would, so you can talk to him comfortably.”
Because Na Jeong-woo had belatedly regained his senses upon their appearance and was radiating killing intent in all directions, no one else approached. Justina, who was also from the Seoul refugees, seemed quite close with Jo Byeong-seok.
The conversation continued casually, with topics ranging from the magical beasts of the individuality field to their experiences at the Management Center. Justina suddenly threw a question to Kim Si-baek, who had only spoken when a question was directed at him.
“By the way. Since when did our little Si-baek know Tae-un?”
It sounded casual on the surface, but it was clearly a question with a specific intent. She was someone who seemed to be calculating in various ways, eyeing Kim Si-baek’s abilities.
When he stared back in silence instead of answering, Justina shrugged and admitted it readily.
“Sigh, sorry. Just the memory of you treating my arm is enough to snap me out of a drunken stupor instantly.”
“I’ve known Un-i for quite a long time.”
“Hmm, I see, I see.”
Justina nodded and didn’t pry further, but this time Lee Sarang’s eyes sparkled with pure curiosity.
“May I ask exactly when that was?”
“It was from before the Great Cataclysm.”
“Wow, as I thought! Seeing the relationship between you two, I figured that was the case!”
The events at the Management Center were obvious. Since he didn’t want to hear specific details about what kind of relationship she had observed to make such a judgment, Kim Si-baek brushed it off with a smile.
The ones who were actually puzzled by those words were Justina and Jo Byeong-seok.
“Is that true? Guild Master Tae-un never wondered about or searched for anyone’s whereabouts back then…”
“Pardon? What do you mean?”
In response to Kim Si-baek’s question, Jo Byeong-seok continued the explanation.
“As you’ve experienced the Great Cataclysm yourself, Hunter, you know that when such an event occurs, even families are scattered.”
It was a time when many people had gone out to watch and cheer for the World Cup. Those who survived the magical beasts wandered desperately to find family and acquaintances. The children of the orphanage also worried about the whereabouts of friends they had met at school or in the neighborhood.
“Strangely enough, Guild Master Tae-un somehow found and brought back those friends who hadn’t died. Like Gae-un’s friend who ran a Chinese restaurant.”
But that meant Tae-un had not done so for him. A 14-year-old Tae-un who neither wondered about nor searched for ‘someone’s’ whereabouts.
Kim Si-baek suddenly felt a strange, scraping sensation in one side of his chest and slowly asked back.
“…Did Un-i ever ask the people at the orphanage if they knew someone?”
Jo Byeong-seok’s answer was blunt.
“You should ask the kids for the details, but as far as I know, he didn’t.”
〈As for me, Hyung. For 21 years, while searching for you, I thought I was going crazy.〉
The dry voice of Tae-un, etched into the deepest part of his heart when he returned to Earth, echoed coldly.
He went up to his room using the excuse that he wanted to rest. On the way, he ran into Seo Gae-un and asked her, and her answer was the same.
〈During the Great Cataclysm, Tae-un Oppa never searched for anyone or asked us separately about anyone’s whereabouts.〉
Rather, she asked a strange question about whether he had ever come to their orphanage in Seoul to volunteer. Kim Si-baek had no choice but to answer that he hadn’t.
[Death and Beauty explains that human memory is fragile and subjective. It preaches that since more than 20 years have passed, it is natural for there to be a mistake.]
“Well, I suppose so…”
The divine utterance of Biyendwe, comforting him as soon as he returned to his room, triggered a strange sense of déjà vu.
Since 20 years had passed, memories could be confused. …How many times had he had this thought? If he were asked to recount clearly what happened 20 years ago, Kim Si-baek himself might not be able to do so.
Since it wasn’t something that could be easily concluded, Biyendwe first sent him into the bathroom to wash up. While he was cooling his complicated mind with the cold winter wind by opening the window, he heard the sound of the door opening.
Tae-un had returned.
“Si-baek Hyung, you said you were tired. How are you feeling?”
Knowing Kim Si-baek’s absence, Tae-un seemed to have slipped away early, even before the banquet ended. Seeing his face full of worry, Kim Si-baek felt somewhat sorry for feeling suspicious of Tae-un’s answer.
It was just a memory from 20 years ago. Not even an important one.
He thought about whether he should just bury it without asking. However, treating him while harboring an unresolved doubt was an even worse thing to do. Ultimately, Kim Si-baek pondered how to phrase it and cautiously broke the silence.
“Hey, Un-ah.”
“Yes?”
“A while ago. I was talking with Guild Master Yu and Guild Master Jo, and they said you never once searched for people outside the orphanage during the Great Cataclysm.”