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Chapter 188

“Thanks to you, I’ve learned a lot.”

“Oh my, oh my….”

A giggle slipped into my mind. Choi Yeon-woo slapped his forehead with a loud smack.

While I could keep Tae-oh and Shar from looking over here, I couldn’t impose that on the gods. It’s better to say I never even thought of it in the first place.

With her face flushed, Nea was stomping away rapidly. She seemed embarrassed.

As her face, now close enough for our noses to almost touch, turned away with a huffy breath, I couldn’t help but push her down onto the bed when I spotted the sticky thread connecting our lips….

Of course, I quickly adjusted my clothes and exited, realizing that lingering here wouldn’t be wise; otherwise, I couldn’t imagine how cold the gaze of the school nurse, sipping coffee outside, would become.

Thinking about how much of that I exposed made Nea’s reaction seem all the more understandable.

“What a stormy few days it’s been.”

Since I could ask about Noel’s matters tomorrow or the day after, I felt I needed to sort out the issues related to Nea and the gods right away.

“Have you talked with Tae-oh?”

– “No, not yet. He doesn’t seem to have caught on at all. Quite infuriating. And by the way, he used informal speech last time, right? Use that. It’s more comfortable.”

“Don’t tease him too much since he’s still a kid.”

– “I’m practically a child myself, you know? Anyway, what was it… oh, the reason for the resurrection. And the identity of the body used for it. I came to ask those two questions. If I don’t like the answers, I’ll kill myself.”

“What a vicious threat to hear.”

Naturally, the implications of legality or morality were non-existent. Especially since Yeon-woo wouldn’t be fond of such things.

“That body is like a biological golem. Remember the golem you controlled? We caught one.”

– “The one that lost connection?”

“Yep. Its name was Antoinette. Anyway, since the biological terminal connected to that golem regenerates endlessly, we researched its components and made a homunculus from it.”

– “…?? Antoinette…?”

So she had questions about that part? It made sense. It was quite an old-fashioned name.

“And the reason for the resurrection is obvious. Why would I go through the trouble of resurrecting a god?”

– “…Are you planning to use me?”

“Exactly. I needed a friend to play with my kids.”

– “You think I’d keep ‘playing’ around…?”

The god sounded flustered. It was understandable; apart from any support, what could a freshly born being really provide?

Since Nea received the Stigmata, she had already received all that could be obtained from a god, so from now on, it was just a matter of learning Divine Arts.

“In your past life, you were an alien god who killed countless people. But now, you’re completely a different being, though your divine position remains the same. This time, live the way you want. Do you know how much Tae-oh wanted to see you?”

– “…I don’t know that. How could I?”

“That’s the reason. There may be times when I’ll need your divine position for assistance, but I really don’t want to depend on it too much, so just relax.”

– “…Okay, thank you.”

“Alright, let’s discuss the Hero next time when Noel is around. That’ll make it easier for me to understand.”

At that moment, I could feel the divine power that had been churning inside quieting down. It seemed like the connection with the god had been severed.

If one is connected to a god in any form, their divine power won’t remain still; it was a simple enough method.

“Looks like the conversation has come to an end?”

“You noticed?”

“Well, when you’re moving your body as if talking to someone when there’s nobody next to you, anyone would find out.”

“I must have looked like a total fool….”

From now on, I need to consciously suppress my movements. It’s a small blessing that I could find something to reflect on today.

“Actually, I was thinking that maybe you don’t like yourself very much.”

“What a shocking thing to say.”

“While you say you love me or whatever, every time you find a moment, you’re thinking about someone else.”

“That’s… just a habit. I’m sorry.”

“Well, how can I stop thinking? Taking a busy person as my lover is my mistake. I might have been a bit petulant since you didn’t pay me attention despite being right next to me. Were you disappointed?”

With those words, Nea looked at me with her eyes raised. Our Nea is so cute. The cuteness she exudes is different from Shar, and it makes Yeon-woo’s mind go hazy.

Especially since Shar became so grown-up so quickly, she often employs her cuteness to comfort others rather than express her own feelings. In contrast, Nea appropriately shows her frustrations, which feels more mature.

“…Don’t do things like this with others?”

“Since I have no other male acquaintance aside from you, do you think I would?”

“Uh….”

Is this what love feels like? I could feel my dormant love cells waking up and going wild. Maybe love cells are just another name for dopamine.

“Hehe, you little cutie.”

Nea lightly patted Yeon-woo’s head. At twenty-five, Yeon-woo was taller than Nea, but at fifteen, that wasn’t the case.

My growth had stopped at seventeen, so until then, I could enjoy the feeling of dating an older sister.

In fact, the current Nea was taller than when I first met her in the rare before my regression. Could it be that there was some change of heart during that time?

“By the way, I should mention this. You mentioned you’re researching how to get yourself out of the Gate, right? Riley told me.”

“Yes, that’s right. Thanks to that, I’m looking into various artifacts. Even with decent funds, artifacts are so expensive that I can’t buy them right away.”

“I hear you’ve made some progress. Seems like there are plenty of experiments to conduct.”

“Yes, I’ve devised a methodology. Since it’s based on what Riley has actually used, as long as I prepare well, the success rate should be nearly 100%, which is the most important part.”

“Right. So, would it be okay for me to assist you with that research?”

“Uh… what?”

At that statement, Yeon-woo felt a slight cognitive dissonance. Nea was here, yet she was offering to help bring herself out…?

But upon reflection, it wasn’t wrong. The Nea standing here was merely a clone created with the consideration of returning to the main body. I hadn’t realized it in my excitement at meeting Nea, but that was the reality.

“The current you is essentially a clone designed to consider returning to your main body. If you’re separated from your main body for too long, you’ll deteriorate in some way. So for my sake, you must hurry up and get your main body out.”

“That’s… true….”

“Why the sad voice? In the end, all you need to do is bring back the main body on time. Luckily, when the main body was separated, she left enough leeway, so I think she can hold out for about two years.”

“Two years, by the time I graduate, huh? Can I really get Nea out by then…?”

At Yeon-woo’s question, feeling a bit down, Nea suddenly burst into laughter. Yeon-woo couldn’t help but react with confusion to her laugh. Why was she laughing when I’m worried about this?

“Right, just think of me that way. Keep other women only at a working relationship.”

“Didn’t expect that, but you have quite the possessive streak?”

“Dragons are greedy species. It’s the same for any males I like.”

With that remark, Nea smiled brightly and began to speak slowly.

“I’m sure it’s possible for you. There’s no way it won’t be possible. After all, you love me this much.”

As she said that, Nea planted a kiss on Yeon-woo’s cheek and dashed a few steps towards the dormitory. Stunned, Yeon-woo quickly followed after her.

*

Dinner was a stew that Nea said she made before coming over. Even though she said she had never cooked before, Yeon-woo thought it didn’t taste too bad.

It wasn’t entirely free of the signs of a novice cook, with the seasoning being slightly off.

It seemed that the unique talent of a dragon was shining through in this respect. Nea, who received a majority of positive reactions, including Claire, let out a sigh of relief.

And watching that scene, Yeon-woo reminded himself even more strongly that nothing was finished yet.

The joy of meeting Nea had momentarily clouded my mind. I hadn’t achieved anything yet. I hadn’t created a beautiful world to show to them at all.

“It’s delicious, Mom! You’ve got talent!”

“Is that so…? Hehe.”

“I’ll give it a Michelin Guide 2-star rating. If you keep improving, you’ll have the potential to become an excellent chef.”

Tae-oh’s incredibly serious review made everyone burst into laughter. Claire looked a bit awkward. Did she feel she was intruding on a happy family moment? It wouldn’t be an issue if they thought of her as Grandma.

“Did you just think something strange, Yeon-woo?”

“N-no way.”

I flinched at her sharp voice. Thank goodness I hadn’t let that slip out, as I took a spoonful of the stew, and Nea spoke in a voice full of questioning.

“Speaking of which, Claire, when are you planning to get married?”

Pffft!

I ended up spitting it out. How could this happen, that precious spoonful of stew that Nea made would be wasted like this?

“…Um, there’s no man who catches my eye.”

It seemed that even for Claire, making a dragon angry required some courage, as she quietly replied.

In the end, is power what rules this world? Yeon-woo had asked the same question before, and she had angrily told him to get married instead.

In this case, it felt like the lack of a formal relationship turned it somewhat into a common-law marriage, erasing any retorts he could make.

If there’s a lacking aspect on both sides, it’s fine, but bringing up a different defect turns it into an ad hominem attack….

“Hmm, I see. Elves are known for being picky, so that makes sense. Not to mention you possess immense strength, so it’s only natural that no ordinary man would meet your standards.”

With those words, Nea’s eyes curved into crescent shapes as she turned them towards Yeon-woo. Considering the topic of conversation, she might be thinking something like ‘You’ve certainly picked a good groom for yourself’.

I’m indeed the top groom recognized by the nun. Before the regression, while living as a hunter, I accumulated countless scars, so I never received such a positive evaluation.

Thank you, Sister. Even though it’s a bit late, I think I understand why you always said to take care of my looks.

‘Being handsome is the best thing. Always fresh.’

I must keep managing myself. Just like brushing my teeth, I need to pay attention to washing my face and applying slime lotion every night. It’s tough, but the returns make it too rewarding to stop.

(To be continued in the next episode)

 

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