chapter 214 – Building a Castle(2)


    As for the meeting ce, it turned out to beire’s bar in the Choin Shopping Center.


    “Isn’t thispletely your home turf? Howcowardly.”


    “Then, are you saying I should head for the Vanguard HQ?”It wasn’t time for the bar toopen yet, and a closed sign hung from the door, so KangShin-hyuk took off his mask. However, ire was wearing a mask shedidn’t usually have on for some reason as shesilently wiped the sses with a dry cloth.He tilted his head at ire’s appearance. Her bartender uniformwas really attractive, but…


    “Why is your noona doingthat?”


    “Don’t you see? She’s pretending to be asecretive yet trustworthy bartender NPC. When the main character meets someoneat a bar, there’s usually such a character.” In response toKang Shin-hyuk’sment, ire nodded silently. BaekIn-ha quickly realized he had no choice but to go along with it.


    “What aconcept.”


    “You’re very simr, BaekIn-ha.”


    “Uh, am I? Am I not getting along wellwith mynoona?”


    “No, aren’t you a little too easygoing?” ire immediately responded, andBaek suffered a fatalwound.


    “I’m always kind to Shinyuk…”


    “Honestly, you were badnow.”


    “Ah, couples. Are you not on my side?” Baek muttered thathe wished Oh Hye-na came soon. At that,the door rattled open, and the bellrang as it swung open. A girlin a long ck coatwith a greatsword on her backappeared.


    “You’re here.” The girl, who lookedlike a lone soldier sneaking into enemy territory, softened alittle when she noticed Baek. However, her face stiffened once more whenshe noticed Kang Shin-hyuk right after.


    “Come and sit down.”


    “I don’t want to sit there… and In-ha,e over here.” Itseemed like she wanted to split the sides.Baek looked over at Shin-hyuk, then nodded and took a step towards OhHye-na. As he approached, however, she hid behind his back. At the sametime, a question mark appeared on the faces of Kang Shin-hyuk andire.


    “Hye-na, what are youdoing?”


    “I don’t know when to reveal myself.Leave it to me.” Oh Hye-na thanking Baek and drew the greatswordshe was carrying, pointing it atKangShin-hyuk.


    “I’m sorry, but Hye-na, that’s my friend.I believe in him as much as I do you.”


    “Then, even if you gethurt…”


    “Baek In-ha, you really are useless. Weren’t you trying to act as a mediator?”


    “She’s not listening to me now!”


    “I don’t care about In-ha. Talk to me.”As Kang Shin-hyuk opened his mouth, Oh Hye-nafrowned even more and stepped forward as if to cover him. Shin-hyukfelt like he had really be some viin… he wasworried about ire, but she seemed so excited bythe harsh atmosphere that he decided to ignore her.


    “Didn’t you say you want to meet me? I don’t knowwhy you took out your de first.”


    “You… I can’t rx.” He was impressed by the response she spat out. That was right;this girl was about to graduate from middle school. It only made sense she would havethe sensibilities of a middle-schooler, just like ire and Karen.


    “You are Shin Eun-hyuk, right? Don’t even think about making excuses.”


    “Okay, fine. Shall I show you?” Rather thandeny it, Kang Shin-hyuk even performed the trick of putting on the Death Puppeteer equipmentstored away. To those who weren’t members of the Hero Universe, itonly looked like an amazingskill. As soon as ShinEun-hyuk, the Death Puppeteer, appeared, Oh Hye-na bit her lip andsteppedback.


    “You are only one year older than me…” There seemed to be manythings she wanted to say, but she held back all her questionsand aimed her sword at Kang Shin-hyuk.


    “You should fightme.”


    “It’s nice that it’s so simple… but you can’tbeat me.” Oh Hye-na should know after experiencing his skillsindirectly at thest gate. Butit was a wee oue, as she had decided to meet with him instead ofrushing straight to the newspaper to report him. That said it all.


    “I don’t care aboutthat.”


    “Surely, it’d be important for you to understand.”


    “Huh… haaaa!” She hardened her resolve and rushed right at him. She skillfullymoved without touching any of the tables or chairs in the store.


    “But, your senses are stilcking.”


    “Huh?!” The moment she tried to swingher greatsword at him as he satstill in his chair, her foot stumbled oversomething. However, there were no objects in her path. Something had caught onto herbody and stopped her. Of course, it was the that KangShin-hyuk had projected with just the move of a finger.


    “This, what…?”


    “You can’t tear it down. Now, watch the sword.” Kang Shin-hyuk caught her greatsword as itfell out of her hands and offered it back to her. Oh Hye-na felt humiliated,and she was forced to eptit.


    “It was just a simple mistake.” Oh Hye-na insisted as her face was dyed red.


    “Okay. Then shall we try again?”


    “…” Kang Shin-hyuk was excited to see how shewould react. He had been prepared for her toask why he had killed her father, but it didn’t feelbad that she decided to draw her sword first. He had roughlygrasped she had her doubts about the series of events thatled up to Oh Joo-young’s death.But instead of questioning it, she raised her sword.It was the feeling that if you knew youropponent’s de, you knew their heart.


    “Again… I won’t make the same mistake.”


    “Can you really beatme?”


    “…” She frowned and returned to where she had been. Then, sheran in again, this time, cold airflowing around her body. Was she tryingto freeze the threads with it? Or perhaps she was trying todetect them with the coldair.


    ‘Well, in fact, there is no way the thread will becut off or revealed by this.’ Oh Hye-na’s attribute power was at a level that he couldn’tbelieve she was graduating from junior high.His spiritual power was at the level of SS+ through theeffect of the soul connector, however, so that level of coldcould be dealt with easily. But…


    ‘Well, this is a technique I’ve used once.’ He decided to look into it. If she knewthe truth, she would be angry with him, but he wouldn’t tell her. Whenthe thread was exposedto the cold and showed up faintly at his intention, OhHye-na moved quickly out of the way. Her speed was ata level that barely surpassed Karen, and the way she swung her greatswordat Kang Shin-hyuk wasexcellent.


    ‘Her trait must involve swords, as well.’ Kang Shin-hyukmoved his spiritual power, stopping the greatsword halfway tohishead.


    “Ugh…?! Ooh!” She tried to shake the greatsword that had suddenly stopped, but it wouldn’tbudge.


    “This, how… huh? Anotherthread?!”


    “No.” As Kang Shin-hyuk snapped hisfingers, the greatsword moved in the air. At the sight,not only Oh Hye-na but Baek watched with their mouthswide open. Kang Shin-hyuk made it swim in the air likea fish then slowly dropped itin front of OhHye-na.


    “Would you like to do it again?”


    “…” Oh Hye-na was silent as she grabbed the sword.As Kang Shin-hyuk released his control of it, shehugged it and stepped back.


    “Now, huh…” Then she sat down andbegan tocry.


    “Ah, she’scrying.”


    “Baek In-ha,fort her. No, I can’t expect anything from you. ire?”


    “Huh. It doesn’t go well with beinga bartender, but should I make some tea?”


    “Good idea.”


    “ttery? Are you trying to get some tea as well?”


    “No, act a little more awkward in this case.” Baek In-ha watched the couple act stupidand reached out to Oh Hye-na to help her up, but she pped hishandaway.


    “I hate In-ha oppa!”


    “Why me?!”


    “Huh…” Baek picked up Oh Hye-na,who was now crying wordlessly. She didn’tresist anymore and was hugging her greatsword. Baek dragged her over to a seat andsat her down. She had fully given up, yetshe didn’t forget to put Baek between herand Kang Shin-hyuk. Shin-hyuk wanted tough as he watched her, but he hadto respect her desperatewill.


    “Come on, drink. It’sa bartender’s special herbal tea. Wouldn’t it helpyou calmdown?”


    “Huh… I’m already calm…” Oh Hye-na still eptedthe teacup. After a sip, her tension wasrelieved just alittle.


    “Did you kill him like that?”


    “Do you really want toknow?”


    “…Yes.”


    “Okay…”


    “…” They sat in silence for a few minutes before Kang Shin-hyukspoke first, unable to bear the silence.


    “Is there anything else you want to ask?”


    “There is.” Oh Hye-na put down her teacup andlooked down at her swordwith tearyeyes.


    “Did you use a sword when you fought with mydad?”


    “Yes.”


    “?!”


    “Ah… then, should we fight with swords this time?”


    “…Sure.”


    Oh, it had started again.