Chapter 276. Side Story   - Change

Gurgle, gurgle.

The sound of a bubbling stew echoed throughout the house.

Hiss.

Crack, crack, crack.

Meat sizzled on the frying pan as salt and pepper were sprinkled over the meat—a fragrant scent wafted throughout the house.

“It smells delicious,” Lee Jun-Kyeong said while scratching his arm. His hair was a mess.

“So you’re unemployed, then.”

The pajamas he was wearing and his messy hair were a perfect vision of unemployment.

“That’s a little harsh, don’t you think?” Lee Jun-Kyeong said with a chuckle. “Don’t you think I should have some time to rest, too?”

“Who said you couldn’t? I’m just saying you’re unemployed,” Yeo Seong-Gu responded to Lee Jun-Kyeong with a sly smile.

The kitchen fluorescent lights made his head sparkle.

Hiss.

Lee Jun-Kyeong asked, “What’s the occasion?”

Yeo Seong-Gu put down the frying pan. “Are you really asking because you don’t know?”

“...”

Lee Jun-Kyeong thought hard, almost as if he really didn’t know.

“People are coming over.”

“Oh.”

It had already been a month since the fight with the Demon King ended, and it had already been a month since Lee Jun-Kyeong had regressed to where it all started and was able to enjoy a peaceful life.

“Hmm...is there anything I can do to help?”

“Just sit. For the Hero who saved the world, just sitting over there and resting is enough.”

“...”

Lee Jun-Kyeong scratched his head sheepishly. “Are you sure it’s not just because the food I cook is inedible...”

“If you already know the answer, then stop asking and just go watch TV,” Yeo Seong-Gu retorted. Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded and headed to the living room, settling down on the comfortable sofa. It felt like heaven.

The sound of the TV turning on clicked.

–Breaking News. The Olympus Guild visits Korea.

As soon as he turned on the TV, big letters reading ‘BREAKING NEWS’ appeared. The news screen suddenly changed to an anchor.

–Current News. The Olympus Guild visits Korea. It has been confirmed that all major executives, including Olympus Guild Leader Zeus, have entered the country. The purpose of their visit to Korea is...

Lee Jun-Kyeong changed the channel.

–Breaking News.

Bold letters appeared on the screen again.

–Egypt, the Nile Guild visits Korea, the Chinese Association president visits Korea.

With every second, the current news changed over and over.

–The British Royal Family visits Korea.

Breaking News appeared over and over as if the words had no intention of leaving the screen. Lee Jun-Kyeong scratched his head and changed the channel again.

–Superpowers from each country are arriving in Korea one after another. Due to their sudden visits to Korea...

–The same thing happened a month ago.

–Could an unprecedented gate be expected to appear?

–Guild Leaders refused to meet with the president. –Each leader left the airport, stating personal business that they had to attend.

Series of news stories were on every channel, speculating the reason for their visit. In the end, Lee Jun-Kyeong turned off the TV.

Click.

“I just wanted to watch some variety shows...”

It seemed as though all of the variety shows that he had wanted to see had been canceled due to the deluge of breaking news.

Gurgle, gurgle.

Unlike the buzzing of the news, the noise of the bubbling doenjang jjigae[1] coming from the kitchen sounded pleasant. Lee Jun-Kyeong sank onto the sofa and quietly closed his eyes.

Ding dong.

But right as he was getting comfortable, the doorbell rang.

“Go get the door,” Heimdall said from the kitchen.

Lee Jun-Kyeong got up from the sofa with a deep smile on his face, his smile becoming even brighter as he stood in front of the intercom. Loud voices came from beyond the front door as he pressed the open button without saying a word.

***

“I mean, you guys have so much money. Why is your house like this?” complained a grumbling voice. It was the sound of Jeong In-Chang speaking immediately after chewing and swallowing the meat in his mouth.

“Oh ho, and you must live in such a huge mansion then, right? How impressive,” responded Heimdall sarcastically.

From what Lee Jun-Kyeong remembered, Heimdall and Jeong In-Chang’s relationship hadn’t been this close.

‘Everyone did say that their memories had returned well in advance,’ Lee Jun-Kyeong thought to himself as he ate the stew. When he had regressed and returned to where it had all begun, his companions had been waiting for him. Although he didn’t know how it had happened, his companions had said that they had regained their memories long before he had actually returned.

‘Although it was different for everyone...’

Their memories had generally returned when they faced a great change. Most of them had said that their memories of Lee Jun-Kyeong had returned the minute they had met a monster. After their memories returned, they looked for each other and waited for him to return someday.

They had found each other and formed bonds, which was what led to the banter he saw before him right now.

“Bald Uncle! Please give me more food!” shouted Heracles casually.

Odysseus tried to stop him. “Heracles! I know you’re hungry, but how could you say that to Lord Heimdall...!”

“Your cooking skills have improved,” Arthur said quietly as he continued to eat without stopping.

“Mhm.”

Although she didn’t speak, Merlin’s chopsticks were moving just as fast. Lee Jun-Kyeong realized that the reason these foreigners were able to eat such a spicy doenjang jjigae and use chopsticks so naturally wasn’t just simply because they were Hunters. No, while he had been away, they had already met each other multiple times.

“Ugh, it’s so cramped it’s killing me,” Zeus’ voice interjected. “Siegfried is right. What do you think about moving? I can’t believe I have to come to a house like this for our monthly meetings. Besides anything else, it’s just too small.”

“...”

Lee Jun-Kyeong definitely felt it as well. They were in an apartment in Seoul, which definitely wasn’t cheap. However, it still wasn’t enough to accommodate them all.

Thud!

“Ouch!”

“Heracles! I told you to be careful with your head! I know it doesn’t hurt, but...”

“How much of a nuisance do you think it would be if the ceiling collapsed?!”

The most important part was that the ceiling was too low to accommodate people with larger statues like Heracles.

“Whew...” Lee Jun-Kyeong exhaled without saying a word and lifted his spoon. He still loved this. It made him feel like he had really returned. Although he had come back a month ago, things had been a little different back then. He hadn’t been able to shake off the endless battle yet.

He had thought everything would have been over with his regression, but his senses, heightened by the endless lighting, had refused to return to their original state. His companions could do nothing but look on pitifully at his sharp, blade-like appearance that jumped at every sound.

However, that had been a month ago. Now, he could say that most of the hardened edge had fallen off.

“Mmm...”

Lee Jun-Kyeong looked away while munching on his meat.

“...”

Two quiet and elegant women were talking to each other in low voices.

“Athena...” Ungnyeo began. “When are you and Heimdall planning to start dating properly?”

She had spoken in a very quiet voice. It was so soft that it should have been difficult to hear in Lee Jun-Kyeong’s house, which was full of noise. “Cough, cough!”

However, everyone still most likely heard it seeing from Heimdall’s reaction, who spat out the stew in his mouth.

“Now, now, let’s eat quickly and leave,” Zeus said, quickly changing the subject.

***

Not everyone had gathered at Lee Jun-Kyeong’s and Heimdall’s house. Although, as Jeong In-Chang had said, their house was too small, Horus and the others apparently hadn’t been able to attend due to some international responsibilities.

“It looks like Lord Horus is busy,” Jeong In-Chang said.

“Well, it makes sense considering his position.”

Horus, Liu Bei, and his brothers were in a slightly more special position than the other companions.

“Because of their responsibilities as leaders, they probably won’t be able to meet us until tomorrow.”

The Nile and Utgard had become representative guilds rather than secret organizations. As the leaders, Horus, Liu Bei, and his brothers became in charge of entire countries. Liu Bei had succeeded his father as General Secretary, while Horus became the Secretary General of Egypt—or rather, the League of Arab States. Their other companions would have been in the same position as well.

“Because our levels of responsibility would be different.”

It was just as Zeus said, and that was why the others would arrive after attending official events.

“So, what do we plan on doing today?” Arthur asked, his eyes shining.

“Hmm...”

Heimdall looked around. They were standing in a street full of people in the middle of a busy city. Despite that, people seemed to be passing by without any concern, even though world-famous people were standing right next to them. Of course, this was all due to Merlin’s mind-retention spell enveloping their group.

“What do you think would be fun?”

“Did you not make plans beforehand?”

“No, because there are too many things we could do.”

Heimdall, Arthur, and Zeus playfully squabbled as Lee Jun-Kyeong looked elsewhere.

‘It’s peaceful.’

He turned to gaze at the street. People walked by on the street at night, which was a level of peace hard to find even before the cataclysm had erupted in the previous timeline. It truly was completely different.

‘It really is peaceful.’

He couldn’t feel any anxiety or fear coming from the humans. Hunters existed, and that meant that gates and monsters would also exist. Thus, people should have been somewhat afraid at all times, even in the midst of their ordinary daily lives.

However, things were different now. There was no fear whatsoever within any of them.

“Karaoke...!” At that time, Ungnyeo, who had been walking quietly, interjected. “Let’s go to karaoke!”

“Sounds great.”

“Mmm.”

Several people looked flustered by her suggestion, but because of Athena’s agreement and Merlin’s silent approval, they all realized that their destination had already been decided.

***

“AgHHHhHhhhHHH!”

A sound that made one think a cow was being slaughtered echoed in the room.

Fortunately, Merlin’s mind-retention spell didn’t just prevent people from recognizing their appearances but could even change their voices.

“Wow, isn’t this song really good?”

“Is he a singer?”

While the most important point was that it made it nearly impossible for people to recognize them, the side effect was that the singing that sounded like a cow writhing in pain seemed like a sweet ballad to others.

“Pfft.”

Lee Jun-Kyeong swallowed his laughter and left the room as the group seemed excited for the first time in a long time after arriving at karaoke. Who could have imagined it? The people who were plastered all over the news just by visiting Korea were actually gathering at a karaoke downtown and making such loud noises.

“Whew.”

Lee Jun-Kyeong left the karaoke room and sat down on the street. Just looking at the people passing by made him feel peaceful. The tension and vigilance had long since subsided. There was no longer any reason for him to have to fight to the death or fight with anything on the line.

This was true peace. Stability had come not just for himself but for everyone on the planet.

“Mr. Lee, why did you come out here?”

Jeong In-Chang sat next to Lee Jun-Kyeong as if he had followed him. A lot had also changed for Jeong In-Chang as well. He had been used as a tool by the Northern Army Guild in the past.

‘Northern Army Guild Leader.’

But now, he was the Guild Leader of the Northern Army Guild, also known as one of Korea’s three major guilds. Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at him with a blank expression and just replied, “I’m happy.”

It was such an unprompted remark, but Jeong In-Chang just turned his head to look at the street quietly alongside him in response.

“Good.”

. A stew flavored primarily with fermented soybean paste ?