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Chapter 203: The Joyful Family Outing

After returning from a delightful family outing, Yeon-woo decided to gather and lightly organize the recent information she had acquired. There wasn’t even a need to pull out a notepad; she just swiftly wrote it all down in her head.

First, the private sanctions from the Noblesse Guild. For some unknown reason, they seemed to be encouraging a boycott against Choi Yeon-woo throughout the business district.

To smooth this over, she had reported the situation through Riley to the Magic Tower.

Magic Tower branches are exceedingly rare builds, with only a few in each country. These branches partner with the commerce of the city to provide certain benefits.

Those benefits are so appealing that most merchants don’t want to antagonize the Magic Tower, allowing Yeon-woo to remain relatively free from such sanctions.

However, that couldn’t hold forever. Edward, the guild leader of Noblesse, is notorious for being stubborn and doesn’t give up easily.

As for money, he’s got plenty to go around, so the local businesses might eventually give in to his proposals.

‘Well, it doesn’t really matter much.’

In any case, Yeon-woo just had to draw attention until Aaron Chester took the Noblesse shares into his hands. When the guild leadership clashes with the operational tier, they wouldn’t be able to maintain their sanctions against Yeon-woo anymore.

‘It would be nice to crack old Edward’s head in the process, but… that wouldn’t be easy.’

Even though he stepped away from the front lines due to age, Edward is still regarded as a European hero. Even if he hasn’t surpassed the wall of a master for decades, his experience and divine position cannot be ignored.

After all, he wouldn’t even step out of the guild to meet, which was a shame.

Second point, the Gate related to Moryo’s Demon King, who received a pass from Leviathan.

Fortunately, she had discovered its location. It was a gate that had appeared in the caves of Greece and Sicily. What lies within is uncertain, but since Leviathan recommended it, she was hopeful this time for concrete evidence.

The only downside was that it would take a few days to travel even using the transit gate due to the distance.

She had put in the related procedures through Yoo Ha-yeon, but it was uncertain when the permit would come through. If the schedule was uncertain, it would undoubtedly take longer to process.

Regardless, it was a good sign that a clue had appeared in the form of a gate. She could fulfill her attendance obligation this way.

The third point was the Earth Serpent’s suggestion to visit the Oceanic Academy to meet a dragon.

Given the clue about roaming the sea and the mention that she borrowed her knowledge, it was safe to conclude that the Oceanic Academy was what the Earth Serpent referred to.

However, whether they were meant to ride the dragon while on the island where the Oceanic Academy is located or if there was a dragon in the ocean remained unclear. Either way, it wasn’t going to be an easy task.

Certainly, both scenarios would be as difficult as finding a needle in a haystack.

Most importantly, it’s not particularly easy for students from other academies to visit. There needs to be a clear justification like Harmony City or an exchange student program, or if not, one could sneak in while hiding their identity.

Each academy has its own level of confidentiality.

Still, she couldn’t avoid going, so she would have to use a second-year exchange student or request an invitation from Dang Sa-ryeon. It might be wise to aim for around winter break.

Finally, the fourth point involved the western forest expedition.

The expedition into the western forest was planned to take place around the winter break. The team would consist of Namgung Seong, Kim Yoo-min, Jung Yu-jin, and Sullivan. If she could bring Baek In-hwa along, that would be even better. With this party, the expedition should go smoothly.

“…Is that about it?”

What a busy schedule! Why did she have to roam all over the world like this? Fortunately, priorities were clear. She couldn’t do much about Noblesse and Oceanic for now, whereas preparation for the western forest required time, so investigating the Sicilian gate took the top spot.

If there was anything additional, Sebek’s priest was also scheduled to visit within the week, so she could keep that in mind.

‘Not bad at all.’

She was steadily advancing in her strategy against the Demon King, and as long as she could manage her training from here on out, that would be sufficient.

“…Alright, let’s give it my all today.”

With that thought, Yeon-woo murmured to herself, stretching her stiff body with a big yawn.

*

Fortunately, the strategy plan Yeon-woo submitted was passed in no time. It probably took about two days. The quick turnaround was likely due to her being a disciple of the Sword Master. Normally, when your identity is secure, you can dodge annoying procedures.

“Dad, have you packed everything?”

“I’ve put everything in the warehouse. Did you pack everything, Shar?”

“Yes. It’s all in the warehouse.”

“How about Tae-oh?”

“Same here!”

“Oh dear, the inside of the warehouse must be in total chaos.”

Nea sat on the edge of the bed, looking at the completely excited kids with a somewhat gloomy expression. Coincidentally, she couldn’t join them on this trip.

Most likely, that expression stemmed from her worry for the children rather than her disappointment in not being able to go.

“Is everything prepared properly? We can’t afford for anything to be lacking.”

“I think they managed somehow, but I’m not sure.”

“Be careful. Once you leave this city, there will be countless people targeting you.”

“Sorry, Nea. If I were stronger, I could have gone with you…”

“I trust you’ll make it up someday. For now, focus only on coming back safe. Understood?”

At Nea’s gentle smile, Yeon-woo nodded solemnly. While Nea looked at the glum Yeon-woo with some concern, she turned her gaze to the kids.

“I’ll head out first, Dad, Mom.”

“Hmm? Why do you have to go out first…? D-Don’t push!”

Shar, having understood the meaning in Nea’s gaze, shoved Tae-oh out of the room. Then, Nea cleared her throat awkwardly, blushing as she held Yeon-woo’s cheeks in her hands, forcing him to look up.

Nea filled his vision. At that moment, Yeon-woo’s brain was already in overload. Watching Nea approach with her eyes closed, his heart raced as if it might burst any second.

It goes without saying. Who wouldn’t feel their heart flutter seeing their beloved partner approach?

The golden hair enveloping them like curtains, her shyly falling eyelashes, her tiny pink lips—all of it tickled Yeon-woo’s heart. A scene that seemed like it belonged in a fairytale was right in front of him.

…A soft sensation brushed past the space between his lips and cheek. As Yeon-woo jerked his head back, regretting having interrupted such a beautiful scene, he caught sight of Nea, crossing her arms and hiding her own face.

“I-I put a curse on you so you can come back safely. To relieve it, we must touch our lips together.”

Having calmly said that much, Nea suddenly became bashful and dashed out of the room while shouting.

“I won’t meet you until you return safely, so remember that…!!”

“A-Okay…”

Yeon-woo found himself frozen in place, like a statue, taken aback. There were various circumstances involved, you know, for a man of his age…!

*

In any case, with Nea and Dawn excluded, the three of them left Harmony City and hit the road. Nea had high chances of being targeted no matter which direction they went, and Dawn wouldn’t pose a problem since he was directly linked to Yeon-woo as long as his physical condition was fine.

She had told Tae-oh and Shar that they didn’t have to come along, but the two insisted they would definitely go with him. Their expressions were soaked more in obligation than in the desire to travel.

“It wouldn’t be fair for Dad to go working alone…”

“Hmm. Tae-oh and Shar will always be with Dad.”

“Those kids….”

When did they become this grown up? Although he never felt lonely or anything, still, he was grateful for their thoughts.

The three of them were headed on a monster train towards the transit gate. It was fine while operating within Korea, but they had to stay on alert once they left for another country.

The further the distance, no matter how great the name of the star’s protection, it would hardly have much influence.

Even without the likes of Noblesse, there were plenty of folks out there eyeing them. Villains who don’t belong to any guild and the crazies pretending to be normal could be anywhere.

Therefore, while planning the safest route, Yeon-woo prepared his disguises as well. Fortunately, he was able to rent decent magical tools at a proper price from the Magic Tower.

Thanks to that, Yeon-woo was now sporting golden hair like Shar and Nea. With his exotic looks and blue eyes, even a synesthete would have a hard time noticing that he was in disguise.

Naturally, Shar and Tae-oh also had to alter their appearances since they had become recognizable due to the academy tournament. Tae-oh just needed a slight change in skin tone, while Shar had to change her hair color, eye color, and overall appearance.

“Remember, once we pass the gate, you’ve got to call me Ian, not Dad, alright?”

“Hmm, got it. Ian hyung!”

“It’s kind of new calling you ‘hyung’ instead of Dad! Hurry up, hyung!”

Beaming. Yeon-woo couldn’t hold back the huge grin plastered on his face at the children’s cuteness. How could he resist? Holding back now would make him a true master of patience.

D-Rank Hunter Ian with two younger siblings. That was the fake identity Yeon-woo had crafted. The name Choi Yeon-woo had already become a well-known figure in the industry, making it easier in many ways to go with a fake identity.

At that moment, a communication came through from Relin’s Warehouse. The sound was akin to a smartphone’s ringtone, a measure taken to ensure clarity in communication.

[Yeon-woo, can you hear me?]

‘Yeah, I can hear you, Riley. What’s up?’

[The priest from Sebek has already arrived. He says he’ll send his location as soon as you arrive, so he’s asking you to come over. Is that alright?]

‘That works for me. It’s better than letting him know our accommodations, right?’

[Then I’ll let him know. Here are the details: His name is Amir, he’s twenty-two, and though he’s just an ordinary priest, he’s mentioned to be a potential successor to the head priest.]

‘That’s quite a significant individual, huh?’

[Of course, after making a hefty donation. I’ll let you know as soon as I find any additional information.]

With a beep, communication ended. The reason why Priest Amir was waiting was simple. They planned to connect with the priest of Sebek while mapping out their route to Sicily.

In a midway meeting, in the historic land of Transylvania, Romania, they were set to have their discussion.

(To be continued in the next episode)

 

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