The 31st Piece Turns the Tables
chapter-118

“Hamun left? Why would he suddenly leave?”

Hamun showed no signs of wanting to leave when he came to Nobira with Seol to create Karen’s sword.

All he did then was look at Karen and Flare, satisfied.

“Yeah, I was shocked too. But this is probably better to hear from Kibo than from me. I didn’t know Hamun that well.”

“Hm…”

“He left a few words with Kibo too.”

It was likely Hamun would do something like that.

In fact, Hamun would have definitely done that.

Even though Hamun wasn’t particularly close with Mira, he was definitely close with Kibo.

‘Since Kibo was the one who connected me with Hamun, if there was anything Hamun wanted to convey to me, he would have left it with Kibo.’

Seol cooly responded to Mira.

“Then we should go meet Kibo right away.”

“Yeah, Kibo’s waiting for you.”

Seol walked alongside Mira for a while and sensed that her earlier light mood had transformed into a more somber and refined one.

‘Has she become a new person?’

Seol assumed that the incidents at Yognatun changed her demeanor.

As Seol continued pondering, they arrived at Kibo’s headquarters.

Kibo’s base looked much worse than the last time he was there.

Seol stepped inside.

The first thing Seol noticed was the lack of guards. The number of guards had dropped down to just a couple of people.

Creak…

“Kibo, I brought him.”

“Ah, Snowman. You really move way too fast, you know? You headed immediately to Nobira after arriving at Gulia, didn’t you?”

“I did.”

“You need to take a break sometimes too, alright? Don’t be too hard on your body.”

“Thank you for your concern. But more importantly…”

“Yeah, I called you here because of Hamun.”

“Did he really leave?”

Kibo nodded.

- What?! Give me Hamun back!

- Our Peerless-quality item machine…

- We lost our golden egg-laying goose.

- We should have cut his stomach open earlier if we knew this was going to happen.

“Are you sad he left without a farewell?”

“Not particularly, but I am a bit surprised.”

“Hahaha… He didn’t tell me anything specifically, but his face did look quite resolved.”

“......”

“It seems like the incident in Yognatun changed him as well. Alright, take this. It’s a letter.”

Slide…

Seol received a letter sealed with wax.

He quickly realized that its unbroken seal indicated that Kibo hadn't read it yet.

As Seol looked at Kibo, Mira responded.

“It was meant for you.”

Rustle…

Seol broke the seal with a dagger on the table and began reading the letter.

- This is Hamun.

‘This sounds just like him.’

Hamun’s letter started with a blunt opening.

Seol then continued reading the rest.

- Snowman, I'm sure you are quite surprised as you read this letter. Well, if it's you, you might have just considered this as something inevitable.

Smirk…

Seol smirked.

Hamun did have a talent for seeing through people, after all.

- I know whatever thanks I say wouldn’t be enough to repay you for what happened in Yognatun. As such, I will stop thanking you through words.

Even this was like Hamun.

- The reason that I left Nobira is because of that. It’s because of you.

‘Because of me…’

Since Hamun wasn’t the type to blame others, there had to be a reason he was saying something like this.

- You are more special than any other transferee I have met, Snowman. Your knowledge surprises me, and you even have the wisdom to match it. To me, you behave like someone who has already experienced Pandea, unlike the other transferees.

‘...Did I go too far?’

Seol already had extensive knowledge of Pandea, and he didn’t necessarily hide it.

That was likely the reason why Hamun felt something off about him.

- And through that, you are changing the world. You are quite an interesting person, Snowman. Can you feel it too? The world has reached its limits after progressing through the Era of Myths, the Era of Dragons, the Era of Iron, the Era of Faith, and, finally, the Era of Lies one after another. Too many evils have filled the continent of Pandea.

“......”

- There was a time when I had given up on the world. After my master, Orgo, left the world from disappointment, I didn’t have the courage to face the world. I turned my back to the world, with the only thing in my hand being the sword he had left me.

The pain Orgo felt had been transferred to his successor, Hamun.

And because of that, Hamun wandered this world without a compass to guide him.

- But one day, you appeared. The fact that I melted the sword my master gave me to give to you… was a kind of gamble. A gamble on my future. I didn’t have any noble belief or will that guided me, I simply…

For Hamun, who turned their back to the world, a new compass appeared.

The new compass was Seol.

- desperately prayed that you would be a good person. I missed the world. I wished for you to become my reason for facing the world again. I know it was a cowardly act. Normally, gambles like this end awfully. You would lose an astronomical sum of money and would have to face the bitter morning.

Did he end up that way, though?

- But for some reason… my pockets were filled. And thanks to you, I had room in my heart to face the world once more. However, there was still one problem remaining. It was myself. Turning my back on the world for so long had made me twisted.

‘...So that’s why he left.’

- I wish to forge an even greater sword. And I wish to give you that sword the next time we meet. So for now, I will say goodbye. Stay well.

Seol closed the letter.

“...What did it say?” asked Mira.

Mira seemed extremely interested in the contents of Hamun’s letter.

“Nothing much. He simply stated he was leaving.”

Kibo, who sat beside Mira, laughed.

“Haha… That’s just like Hamun. The way he left is just like him too. Still, don’t you have any lingering regrets? He left yesterday, so if you go now… let me see, hm… if it’s you, you can catch up to him.

[The requirements for Adventure 'Desperately Clinging' have been met.]

Seol then saw a few options.

[[Hamun, a powerful helper of yours, has departed. If Kibo's words are true, you can still catch up to him. How do you respond to Kibo?]

1. I need to catch up to him right away.

2. Was this the only thing he left behind?

3. There was nothing about where he was headed. Do you know where he left?

4. Now isn’t the time to cling to him.

……]

Seol smiled and gave his own answer.

“Let him go. We’ll meet each other again someday.”

[The requirements for Adventure 'Desperately Clinging' have not been met.]

[Adventure ‘Desperately Clinging’ can not be scheduled.]

“Oho… Even though Pandea is massive?”

“Pandea’s much smaller than you think.”

“Hahaha! I can’t believe you, a transferee, is teaching me! However, you might be right too, Snowman… Aren’t these paths fated to converge the higher you climb?”

It seemed like Kibo quickly realized what Seol was implying.

Kibo spoke to Seol as if he knew that Hamun left to train himself.

Seol nodded in response.

‘This is a good opportunity.’

Seol had received as much as he could from Hamun already.

Hamun's helper rank was Heroic.

Despite that, thanks to the title of Orgo's Successor, Hamun managed to create two Peerless-quality items. However, that was likely his limit.

It was a miracle that came together through good materials and a good opportunity.

It seemed like Hamun knew that himself as well. He knew he had reached the limits of his ability, and he couldn’t support Seol any further.

Seol grew stronger at a pace much faster than any ordinary transferee.

After every two Adventures, he returned significantly more powerful, as if he had undergone the equivalent of five or six Adventures.

‘It’s time for Hamun to rank up too.’

Rank up.

Just as Seol’s summons ranked up from Heroic to Legendary, Helpers could rank up as well.

Just as Koopa left the Shade Canyon to grow his wings and Mael roamed the world to gain new experiences, Hamun was about to do the same thing.

‘I hope it goes well… I’m going to worry if he’s gone for too long.’

Seol gained an Exceptional Skill and was supremely strong, but there was never any guarantee in one’s future.

Seol needed Hamun to reappear the next time he needed to break through another wall.

‘The closest place would be the Tomb of Swords… and I guess Marcellin, the Heart of Iron if he goes a bit further?’

The Tomb of Swords was practically a holy ground for swordsmen and blacksmiths, while Marcellin was a nation that exported the most weapons in all of Pandea.

The nation was filled with many experienced blacksmiths and high-quality steel.

‘Well, I’m sure he’ll be fine on his own.’

Seol stood up.

“It’s time for me to leave now.”

“Hm… Have you found a place to stay?”

“No, I plan to leave Nobira immediately.”

“What? Hahahaha! I see now, that you and Hamun were just two sides of the same coin!”

- LOL Look at his drive hahaha

- Hamun: What? You too?

- This is how it should be! What could they even gain by being together? Haha

- Our jungler’s pathing is insane…

Seol tried leaving the building after saying his goodbyes to Kibo.

“Hold on.”

“...Hm?”

“I have something to tell you. I just need a second.”

Mira rushed out of the building before Seol and waited for him outside after asking for a word.

Seol had an odd look as he followed her outside. It seemed like something that Mira didn’t want Kibo to hear.

The moment Seol stepped outside, Mira got straight to the point.

“Let’s become friends.”

Seol quickly realized what Mira was referring to.

“You’re talking about adding each other as friends, right?”

“Yeah.”

Seol messed with the interface as he learned it to add Mira.

[You have become friends with ILikeBeingAlone.]

- It says you like being alone, though?!

- You lied to me! I believed in you too…

- Did she fall for Snowman? 👀👀👀

Seol added her for now, but he was still curious about her reasoning.

“Why did you want to become friends with me, though…?”

“I plan to repay my debts. The debts from Yognatun.”

“...You don’t need to worry about that.”

“No, I am.”

Mira looked firm.

A look that even surprised Seol.

“I can’t do that. I owe so many lives to you.”

“Mira…”

“My members and Kibo… those innocent people… We all owe you a lot, Snowman.”

“There is no need for you to repay all of their debts, though, Mira.”

“You’re wrong. They’re all things I have to repay.”

“Why…”

Mira changed.

Her eyes, her expression, and even her mood.

“Because I plan to lead them now.”

“......”

“I doubt we’ll meet too much in the future since I’ll be staying in Nobira. That’s why… That’s why I wanted to add you as a friend.”

“What do you plan to do in Nobira, though?”

“It’s obvious, isn’t it?”

Mira laughed awkwardly.

She had an awkward smile as if it was her first time laughing. Still, it was fine.

"I plan to conquer the Great Forest. I will conquer it with my own new ruins hunter party."

“I pray that you succeed.”

“Goodbye, Snowman. Thank you, really. And I hope you remember this…”

Mira then proceeded to say her final words.

“Let me know if you ever need my help. I might not be much help now, but who knows in the future? If there ever comes a time where you need help, Snowman…”

Seol could feel her sincerity with every word she spoke.

“I will do my best to help you. I promise you.”

Seol then gave her a small smile and left.

He then quickly got into a carriage that was leaving Nobira.

- Ah, so that route was impossible.

- What a waste of time fuuuuck

- Who the hell said to take on the Yu Mira route?

- I wanted it to get sweeter! It was going well earlier!

- Sir, please don’t do this here.

- Woah, they didn’t even turn back to look at each other… They’re so fucking cool LOL

* * *

Translator - goguma

Proofreader - Karane

* * *

Seol’s carriage arrived at its location.

After arriving, Seol immediately set the city as his location.

[Your Rest location has changed to Audenin.]

[You have moved to a different location. The Travel Luck Dice is rolling.]

[Travel Luck Dice has rolled a 4.]

[You are considerably lucky.]

[The Adventures you undertake near Audenin now will proceed smoothly.]

[The Adventures you undertake near Audenin now will have an easier difficulty.]

[The Adventures you select near Audenin now have a near zero chance of forcibly changing to a Sudden Adventure.]

[Your luck is fairly good to take on the Adventures nearby.]

“Phew… that’s a relief.”

- Finally! Guys! We finally got a 4!

- 4 is our lucky number! Fuck 7!

- Just a reminder that the maximum number is 6.

- 44444444444444444444 EZ!

- There was a lot behind that sigh LOL

- I can’t believe he’s this happy over a 4. Maybe human beings can be happy really easily?

- I thought he was abandoned by the dice!

- Dice: I’ll let you slide this time. See you next time!

Seol was beginning his new life in a different location.

And he definitely started off on the right foot with this.

Karen rubbed her eyes, yawning, and then placed her hand on Seol’s shoulders.

“Yaaawn… Are we here now?”

“Yeah, let’s look for a place to stay first.”

“Yeah.”

Seol went deeper into the city to find an appropriate place to stay. Seol slipped in and out of the winding alleyways as if he already knew of a place to stay.

The people trailing Seol picked up their paces as he walked in and out.

As they quickly turned a corner to rush into another alley, something stopped them.

It was Karen’s sword.

“Krgh…”

“It’s my first time being trailed this awfully. Who are you?”

“H-Hold on!”

“A girl? Do you know them, Master?”

“No. And it isn’t just her.”

“I know.”

Step…

The alley was quickly filled with people who were pursuing Seol.

They filled up both sides of the alley in an attempt to stop Seol. There were roughly 7 people around him.

Seol, a bit annoyed, spoke.

“I think you’ve got the wrong person.”

One of the people trailing Seol realized his intent and quickly tried de-escalating the situation.

“Hold on… Could you please just hold on and wait here? We don’t intend to harm you.”

“...Wait?”

Seol didn’t understand this strange situation at all.

Even though Seol was more than capable of leaving if he wanted to, he decided to wait as he was curious about their intentions.

And not too long after, he heard a voice.

“Over here!”

“Gasp… Gasp… Did they wait long?”

“I am not sure.”

“Got it… Gasp… Gasp…”

A man was breathing heavily.

He was a man who had desperately searched for Seol in the past too. He came out in his pajamas, running, to meet Seol.

“Fuuu… I apologize for the discourtesy. Were you waiting for a while?”

“I’m more upset about the method than the time wasted.”

“I apologize, I was just so anxious that… For now, could you just please listen to what I have to tell you?”

“But…”

“Ah! I’m sorry. I haven’t told you my name yet.”

The man reached his hand forth as if he was going for a handshake.

“It’s nice to meet you. My name is Park Changsik.”

He then smiled while flashing his teeth.

“Pardon me, but are you perhaps ‘Private’?”