Chapter 74

〖“…Do you not want to hear it?”〗

“Huh, no, no. I enjoy listening to your voice. Please do it whenever you can.”

〖“I didn’t realize it was possible to convey a voice. This is my first contract too.”〗

Oh, she was their first contractee? That made Seora feel unexpectedly good.

〖”But it’s not advisable to do it frequently. So, from now on, I’ll only use emoticons.”〗

“You know what? Administrator-nim, your actual voice and emoticons don’t match.”

〖”Really? Should I resort to throwing stones for communication if you don’t like it?”〗

“Oooh. Dismissed.”

The administrator burst into laughter. Her ears itched again, but this time Seora restrained herself. Excuse me, if you laugh with such a pleasant voice, I might go crazy.

‘But it’s strange. It’s a laughter that gives me a sense of déjà vu. Where have I heard it before?’

“It’s really nice to get closer gradually… Is this possible because of something called synchronization?” she wondered aloud.

There was no immediate response. That should be accurate.

“Since when did that start? I had no idea until it reached 30%.”

The synchronization process that commenced with her awakening of the L-class had actually begun at 16%, not 1%. This indicated that it was already underway prior to that point.

“You couldn’t have been unaware.”

〖”Now that you’ve heard my voice, you know I’m a man. Will you still address me as Elizabeth?”〗

“It’s endearing and pleasant, like that of a princess or a young lady. If you dislike it, shall I refer to you as ‘lady’ instead?”

〖“You hate ‘Headbang’.”〗

“Argh! Don’t say that with that voice!” Seora covered her head with a pillow and held it tight. Goodness, I’m getting goosebumps from head to toe. This is driving me insane. “And let’s not change the subject. When did the synchronization start?”

〖”From the moment I was able to send non-emoji messages.”〗

Ah, that’s right. If hearing voices was a result of synchronization, then everything that changed must be connected to it somehow.

“The deeper the contract, the more the synchronization develops. The term itself sounds somewhat significant, but what exactly does it mean?”

〖”I will be able to provide you with more, like I am now.”〗

“What did you mean when you said it’s not good to do it frequently? What will happen?”

〖”Seora, you are my contractee. Even if something were to occur, I won’t let you be in danger.”〗

Seora’s eyes widened at the resolute tone.

〖”I have no intention of forcing you to do anything against your will. If that were my intent, I would have manipulated you from the very beginning.”〗

Ah, really. Why did he keep flustering her like this? Seora buried her blushing face into the pillow. “I’m not blaming you. I was just curious. Don’t try to overwhelm my heart.”

〖”Oh, I see. Should I stop talking then?”〗

She hadn’t expected him to be surprisingly grumpy. Seora sullenly glared into the air.

“I won’t listen either. Didn’t you say you didn’t like the ongoing synchronization?”

〖”Yet, here I am doing it now.”〗

“Elizabeth-ssi, you sure have a lot to say.”

〖”…Seora, do you realize that the more you call me Elizabeth, the more it becomes my actual name? Contractees hold that much influence, you know?”〗

Oh? That’s quite fascinating to know

As Seora delighted in this newfound information, she sensed a sigh from the administrator.

〖”Yes. Ultimately, everything will unfold as you desire. I never expected the name Elizabeth to become a reality, but… you don’t wish to call me by another name, do you?”〗

“Yup.”

〖”In that case, I should give up…”〗

Seora burst into laughter at his quick acceptance. However, after her hearty laughter subsided, fatigue began to set in. Today had been quite eventful.

〖“Go to sleep.”〗

A golden light, resembling a gentle touch, caressed her eyes. Seora reached out for the radiant glow she saw, feeling the warm energy enveloping her hand.

“You know, Administrator,” Seora began.

〖“Mm.”〗

“I didn’t really pay much attention to you before. Sure, I had basic questions, and you provided assistance and care, which was sufficient. It didn’t matter who you were,” she confessed.

〖“…”〗

“But after hearing your voice, I became incredibly curious for the first time. You’re a man, a person. So, what is your real name? Where are you right now? …Is there a possibility of us meeting in person someday?” she inquired, her hands tightly clasped to contain the light. She was certain that it wouldn’t escape. In fact, the light quietly remained in her hands. “Can you answer any of those questions?”

【Administrator: ( —᷄ ω —᷅ )】

In response to her inquiry, all she received was an emoticon, not a voice. Seora chuckled.

What she held in her hands was his will. He had demonstrated that he could slip away at any time, right before her eyes.

“You know so much about me, yet I know nothing.”

〖“It’s okay if you don’t know.”〗

“See? You only speak like this. You always assist me greatly, so if there’s anything I can help you with, I would like to…” Her eyes gradually closed. She tried to endure it somehow, but today had been too eventful. The light in her hands caused her eyelids to shut.

She couldn’t hold on any longer.

〖”I’ll be fine. It’s enough for you to continue growing like this.”〗

“I’m not satisfied. I want to be with you right now…”

As her eyes closed, a sense of drowsiness washed over her. Eventually, Seora could no longer keep talking and fell into a deep sleep.

The light that had closed her eyes now gently stroked her hair.

〖“You’ve worked hard, Seora.”〗

“…Thank you for being by my side today.”

After those words, her consciousness slipped further away. The administrator remained by Seora’s side, watching over her as she slept soundly.

〖”You just don’t understand. It wasn’t until the sixth time that you chose me.”〗

Seora, lost in her slumber, did not hear his voice.

〖“Sleep well. May peace be with you.”〗

The hand that had lingered there for a while dissipated quietly into the air. Only the sound of serene breathing filled the room.

***

The autumn sky shone with a clarity that seemed almost too bright.

The National Cemetery for Men of Merit.

As Seora lowered her head, shielding her eyes from the radiant sunlight, she noticed two small tombs before her. Side by side, the names of S-class Hunter Hyeon Jaehui and A-class Hunter Yun Seowu were inscribed. It was the grave of her parents.

“I’m glad it’s autumn. There are so many beautiful flowers,” Jaeheon remarked, placing a bouquet of flowers in front of the grave. Seora, on the other hand, had brought only two bottles of her parents’ favorite beer.

“Can you hear it? It’s as if Mom and Dad are patting you on the back.” She could imagine her parents’ frustration because of their son’s dangerous quest for revenge. Yun Jaeheon quickly fell silent. “Well, in the end, they would have laughed and said you did a good job,” Seora continued, opening the caps of the beer bottles with her bare hands and placing one bottle at each grave.

Oh, I should have bought some chicken too. Chicken and beer are the perfect combination for a day like this.

“No, Mom would probably be praying for the remaining dungeons to disappear soon.” Hyeon Jaehui had always been a kind and selfless person. Seora wondered how she, as her daughter, could ever live up to her mother’s incredible example. Deep down, Seora knew she would never be able to live up to her mother’s selfless nature. And truthfully, she didn’t even want to.

“Do you blame her?” Jaeheon asked.

“I used to blame her a lot when I was younger. Heroes, monsters, and all of a sudden, Mom and Dad vanished like bubbles.” The peace their family had fought so hard to maintain was shattered that day. It was an incredibly difficult time for a ten-year-old child to endure. “To be honest, I still don’t fully understand. I don’t want to live like that,” Seora admitted.

“Mom wouldn’t want that either.”

“I suppose you’re right. She was never one to impose her ideals on others.”

Especially not on her own child. No parents would willingly wish for their children to sacrifice themselves the way they did. But why hadn’t she considered that her child might feel the same way?

Seora let out a sigh and took a seat. Gazing at the tombstone, she reached for her mother’s beer bottle and took it in her hands.

“I guess I still harbor some resentment toward Mom and Dad.”

Even though they were in a graveyard meant for men of national merit, Seora drank the beer without hesitation. They may have been men of merit to others, but to her, they were her parents. Besides, there was no one watching.

“It’s alright. I feel resentful at times too,” Jaeheon said with a mischievous smile as he raised his father’s bottle and took a sip. He had always come and gone quietly on his own, but today he was grateful that he wasn’t alone.

“When will you return to Athena?” Seora asked.

“Once I’m fully healed. If I were to go back with this body right now, I don’t think I could withstand the captain’s wrathful punches.”

“Ah, because you’ve been recklessly using your body, which belongs to Athena. Because you’ve been taking risks and engaging in dangerous endeavors?”

Jaeheon slowly turned his head.

“My parents, my older brother, my entire family… we’ve all chosen to pursue dangerous paths like this. Is it a defining characteristic of our family? A tradition?”

“I’m sorry…”

“Even my heart won’t be spared.”

“It won’t happen again,” Jaeheon promised.

“It shouldn’t. The damn enemy is dead too.” Seora hoped that everything would return to normal now. Even without her parents, she longed for a peaceful daily life. Twelve years had been far too long to search for just a semblance of peace. “Now, if all the dungeons were to disappear, true peace would be attainable.”

Would there come a day when everything would suddenly change once again, as drastically as the initial upheaval?

Seora gazed curiously into the air, her thoughts drifting.

In this world, no one dared to predict the end of the world. But perhaps, someday, she might find the answers.

After all, she was the sole contractee of the system administrator in the entire world.