Chapter 198
Of course, the Administrator and Edel have the power to drive out the intruding Dimensional Creatures.
However, the reason they do not act directly is to prepare for any unforeseen circumstances.
If the purpose of the Dimensional Creatures is to divert their attention elsewhere,
this incident might just be a feint operation, and the main force could be lying in wait fully prepared.
Acting rashly would be the worst possible choice.
Those in positions of responsibility must remain steadfast.
If they act impulsively over trivial matters, they may not be able to respond when something truly critical arises.
“-Why do you think there’s a saying about using a butcher’s knife to kill a chicken? Every situation requires the right personnel.”
“You don’t even know if this is trivial.”
“-Then that’s unfortunate.”
“…”
What kind of nonsense…
Is that something someone who was just talking grandly about responsibility could say?
“-…That was a joke. Wasn’t saying I “spouted nonsense” a bit much?”
“No, it wasn’t.”
And who’s the one who brought up that thing about using a butcher’s knife to kill a chicken in the first place?
“-No, that was just a metaphor… never mind. Anyway, I didn’t say that without any basis. As I mentioned earlier, pulling off something like this without leaving a trace is not easy.”
“So?”
“-I’m saying they couldn’t have put in too much effort. There must be a weakness somewhere. For instance, maybe they’re strong against external attacks but weak against internal ones.”
“That’s just speculation.”
“-I can’t help that since I’m not there in person.”
“Hmm.”
That’s true.
It was such an honest admission that I didn’t even think to criticize it.
Criticizing wouldn’t change what I have to do anyway.
And I don’t want to waste my energy on unproductive things in this situation.
“-The barrier enclosing the Gye you’re in is forming a large circle around Jeju Island. This usually happens when the force radiates out from a single point.”
Because the force spread evenly from one spot, it forms a circular shape.
“-Think of it like placing a roof on a pillar. If there’s only one pillar and you place the roof unevenly, it will collapse, right? If the force doesn’t distribute evenly, weak points are bound to appear, and that’s not what they want”
“Hmm.”
“-In fact, looking from the outside, there didn’t appear to be any particularly weak spots, despite the broad range.”
“So, what’s the conclusion?”
“-Go to the center of the Gye (Dimensional barrier).”
At my straightforward question, Edel responded just as directly.
“-You’ll find something there—whether it’s the culprit who split the Gye or the medium they used.”
“If I remove that, things will return to normal?”
“-Probably.”
“This isn’t certain either?”
“-But doesn’t this sound like a pretty reasonable guess?”
“…Well, I guess it does.”
For someone on-site, the more reliable the information, the better.
But, well, what can you do?
“The higher-ups are incompetent, so there’s nothing we can do about it.”
“-Hey, if you’re going to say stuff like that, at least do it when I’m not listening.”
“Da-eun said it’s bad to talk behind someone’s back. She told me to insult people openly if I’m going to insult them at all.”
“Mmm, mmm. As expected of Kana, so smart and quick to learn.”
“-Wow. You two really flock together, don’t you?”
Edel’s exasperated voice followed Da-eun’s proud words.
“Anything else I need to know?”
“-No. I trust you’ll handle it. You’re the sword I chose, after all.”
“No point trying to hide your incompetence that way.”
“-…You really. Hah… fine, just go already.”
“You’re rushing me for free work. I was going to go anyway… oh.”
As I pushed myself off my knees to stand, I let out a small exclamation.
“I didn’t bring my sword.”
“-…What? How could you not bring it?!”
“How was I supposed to know this would happen?”
Besides, wouldn’t carrying a sword around be more of a problem?
It’s officially classified as a weapon, and there’s no way you could take something like that on a plane.
“What if I hop over to Silia and grab any random sword?”
Hearing our conversation, Yuki suggested an idea.
Before I could shake my head, Edel responded first.
“-Not a good idea. Even though it’s a lower dimension, the area you’re in now falls under their control. Doing something like that could worsen the situation.”
“Hmm, is that so? Then what will you do? You can’t fight barehanded.”
“I said I didn’t bring a sword, not that I’d fight barehanded.”
It might be a bit costly.
But Edel will handle the aftermath anyway, so there’s no need for me to conserve strength.
“-Once you’re outside, you won’t be able to communicate like this anymore.”
“Got it.”
“-Alright, take care.”
With those words, the call ended.
Instead of slipping my phone into my pocket, I placed it gently back on the table.
It might get damaged, so it’s better to leave it behind.
“Are you leaving?”
“I am.”
I answered Da-eun, who was looking up at me with concern, as if it were no big deal.
“I think what Da-eun said is right.”
“Huh?”
“Murphy’s Law.”
I came here to relax, thinking I’d have a break for a while, and as soon as I arrived, trouble popped up.
It’s quite an ironic coincidence.
“I’ll be back soon, so just rest.”
“I think I’ve rested enough already… I’m so bored I could die.”
“I’m coming with you.”
Yuki raised her hand enthusiastically.
Of course, there was no way I’d agree to that.
With her current condition, she wouldn’t be able to help and likely wouldn’t even be able to make her way through the rough rain outside.
For the record, this wasn’t out of concern.
If taking her along would serve no purpose and only be a hindrance, why would I bother dragging along dead weight?
When I shook my head, Yuki pouted but obediently sat back down.
“Ah, wait…!”
Like someone bouncing on a seesaw, as soon as Yuki sat down, Da-eun sprang up and hurried off.
She rummaged through her bag and, upon finding what she was looking for, raised her hand high.
The item in her hand gleamed bright yellow under the light.
“Here, wear this!”
“What’s this?”
“A raincoat! It’s gross to get soaked, and it’s not like you can fight while holding an umbrella.”
When had she even prepared something like this?
Curious, I glanced at Da-eun, who puffed out her chest proudly.
“When it comes to preparedness, it’s me, Shin Da-eun, of course!”
“…Sure.”
Would this tiny raincoat really stand up to that torrential rain?
No. Definitely not.
Still, even as I thought that, I took the raincoat Da-eun handed me.
“Thanks.”
“Oh, it’s nothing!”
Her lips curved skyward, clearly overjoyed.
“This thing wasn’t cheap, so don’t ruin it. And don’t get hurt, either. Got it?”
“I wasn’t planning to get hurt, even if you hadn’t said so.”
“When someone says that, you’re just supposed to reply with, ‘Got it.’”
“Okay.”
Even if it wasn’t particularly practical, I could feel the care she had put into giving me this raincoat.
So I quietly slipped it on.
And then I spoke.
“…I take back my thanks.”
“Eh?!”
Of course.
I should have known better than to expect Da-eun’s preparations to be ordinary.
Well, in this case, I hadn’t even considered this possibility.
Attached to the sleeves of the raincoat Da-eun gave me were something resembling feathers, while the hood sported a pointed tip that looked like a bird’s beak.
To top it all off, there was a chick design printed on the pocket.
At this point, it was impossible not to know what had inspired the design of this raincoat.
“Why would you give me something like this?”
“Well, out of the raincoats I brought, this is the only one that fits Kana’s size!”
“You could’ve just brought a normal raincoat.”
“….”
Of all the raincoats out there, was this truly the only one that fit me?
Choosing this one over an ordinary raincoat… her intentions were glaringly obvious.
Da-eun clamped her lips shut, refusing to say anything.
Da-eun might have a playful streak, but she was also incredibly kind.
Every time I went to Silia, she fretted endlessly about the possibility of me getting hurt. There was no way she would lie in this situation, so it must be true that this was the only raincoat available.
Still, the thought of fighting in something like this felt… well, strange, to say the least.
“Hah…”
Sighing, I approached the shoe rack and finished getting ready to leave.
“You’re really going to wear it?”
“I’m already wearing it. Taking it off now would just be more trouble.”
“…Hehe. Thanks.”
“…For what?”
“Nothing!”
I turned my head away from Da-eun, who was grinning like an idiot.
“Do you know where the center of Jeju Island is?”
“Why the center? …Ah.”
Having listened to the call with me, Da-eun quickly caught on to my intention.
Edel had said that the boundary of the Gye separated from Earth was centered around Jeju Island.
And she had mentioned that the source maintaining the separated Gye would be at the center.
So it was clear that my destination was the very heart of Jeju Island.
“I don’t know the exact coordinates, but if you’re talking about the general area, I have an idea.”
“If I search the area, I’ll find something. Just tell me what you know.”
“In that case, I don’t even need to tell you. You already know the place.”
“A place I know?”
“Yeah.”
Da-eun nodded.
“Yesterday… no, was it the day before? It’s hard to keep track with it being dark all the time. Anyway, the mountain we climbed.”
“Hallasan.”
“Yeah, that’s the center.”
“…Tch.”
As soon as I heard Da-eun’s words, I clicked my tongue and frowned.
…I don’t like it.
Why… I couldn’t say.
But one thing was certain—I was feeling displeased.
Why, though?
I racked my brain for an answer, but nothing came to mind.
Rather than dwell on it, I decided to set aside my unease for now and spoke.
“Well, at least I won’t have to worry about being noticed.”
Surely, there wouldn’t be any crazy people hiking in this weather.
…Or so I thought.
“Hey, someone’s here! Over here…!”
“Please save us…! There are people here!”
“…”
What the…
I stared blankly at a pair of figures waving their hands in the distance.
Unable to suppress my feelings, I let out an unfiltered remark.
“…This is ridiculous.”
Turns out, there really were crazy people.
—
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