SERA (6)

Regressor's Instruction Manual Episode 906"

It seemed very natural for Jeong Ha-yan to hide her true state.

Perhaps she judged that I might come for counseling, but it seems that Jeong Ha-yan's thoughts haven't changed yet, maybe because she is too stuck in her old ways.

It seemed like she still believed that she had to be competent to be loved.

I couldn't blame others since I was aware of my own mistakes.

If I think that I am paying the price for abnormal growth of Jeong Ha-yan...

'It's much easier this way.'

As I quietly sipped my tea and glanced sideways, Jeong Ha-yan, who was anxiously looking around, came into view.

She appeared no different from usual, but there was a slightly downcast look in her eyes. It felt like she was trying to act as usual, but there was a strong sense of artificiality for some reason.

As I glimpsed her looking towards the tent, it seemed like she wanted to go inside as soon as possible.

Perhaps she needs some time to check what happened on this expedition. She must have felt that her magical power was evaporating even while drinking tea.

It's typical of Jeong Ha-yan not to react to sudden phenomena. It's probably because she doesn't want to let anyone know that there's something wrong with her body.

In her mind, she must be having many thoughts about what happened in such a short time.

Certainly, that must be the case. But the first thought that came to mind was that she shouldn't show any signs.

'I could've been in big trouble.'

Of course, such a thing would not have happened. However, when I considered various possibilities, it made me somewhat uneasy.

If this were actually in the middle of a real expedition, and Jeong Ha-yan unexpectedly entered the dungeon while her magic was sealed...

As I have the mind's eye, I would be able to assess Jeong Ha-yan's condition, but I don't want to read painful texts every time.

If I weren't a member of the expedition, the problem would be even more serious. There could have been a possibility of a complete wipeout of the party or facing the worst situation.

If it were during a foreign war or a battle, it could have ended up like this.

I thought I was handling things quite well, but it wasn't exactly the case.

There were uneasy factors, and it is right to assume that those uneasy factors are still present.

I could see Jeong Ha-yan's expression changing rapidly.

"Ha-yan, are you okay?"

"Huh? Yes? Me? I-I-I'm... Why? I'm, I'm perfectly fine..."

'Let's start with the excuses.'

"No, it's just that you look unhappy... Is it because of the Seraphim?"

"Oh, no, it's not like that. Yes... Oh! Um, I just realized. How is Sera... Is he doing well?"

"He seems to be taking care of himself."

"I'm working here with the party members, so you don't have to worry too much."

"Um... Yes... Then I'm relieved."

"If there's anything you want to say, you can talk to me anytime."

"Yes. Well, for now... I, I don't have anything to say."

"Really?"

"Yes, re-really. Yes... It's the same as usual. Oh, oh, oppa, I... I'm a bit t-tired right now..."

"Oh, really? Ah, I want to go back to the guild for a moment. Is there a warp gate...?"

"Oh, no, I'm s-sorry. Really. I-I'm just really tired, so... I th-think I need to go inside..."

"Then it's better to do that."

"Jeong Ha-yan, are you going inside already?"

"Uh... yeah."

"Is there anything I should take care of for you?"

"N-No, it's not necessary. D-Don't come in, even Sora. I-I want to be alone for a little while."

She seemed uneasy with her gaze.

"Yes?"

"S-Sora, don't come in..."

"Ah...

Sora's gaze also seemed uneasy. It seemed like she was shocked in a different way.

I guess I never imagined she would hide it even from Sora. It seems like she thinks she can rely on herself even when she's tired or in the worst situation.

'But it wasn't like that...'

Whenever she wanted to go out... Why is she regretting it now? The concept of human emotions is quite amusing.

"I'm... really sorry... I'll rest for a moment and come back, oppa. Sorry... Sora:"

"You don't need to apologize. I can take a griffin to Blue. Your well-being is always a priority."

"Take good care of yourself, Ha-yan."

"Jeong... Ha-yan..."

With that, Jeong Ha-yan slowly entered the tent.

"You said you want to be sent somewhere else."

"When did I say that?"

"Did you not expect Ha-yan to hide even from Sora?"

"I... I didn't..."

"It seems like she has low self-esteem. It's normal for someone to live with the thought that they might be abandoned at any moment.'

Well, I also had similar thoughts when I first met Kim Hyun-sung. It's funny how Ha-yan and I have many similarities.

"It's not like that... Just... You don't have to hide it from me..."

"That's Sora's wish. Ha-yan might have a different opinion. She might be more concerned about Sora than I am, considering how much Sora taught her."

"Oh, let me send a message real quick."

[Please confirm.]

[Are you doing your tasks properly?]

[Don't nitpick. Lee Kiyoung.]

[I confirmed that the Commander handled the tasks first, oppa. It's not bad, right?]

[Check again thoroughly. Nuna.]

[You fucking bastard. Don't nitpick. I already decided that you'll handle that situation.]

[By the way, did Dominion contact you? What are you doing there?]

[I had some trivial business related to Seraphim. Ha-yan also has some issues. Oh, and we're also dealing with rescuing the two Mole saintess. There's more than I thought. Anyway, it seems difficult to focus on that place for a while. Please take care of it. And make sure the commander there does his job properly.]

[What happened all at once... But fortunately, we have Military Commander Jincheong. Right, oppa? It's a good thing we have the commander. It allows us to divert our attention elsewhere. We should give Jin Qin a reward someday...]

[Naturally, we should. What kind of great thing should we give him as a reward? He can only handle administrative work. And don't make the newbie stand out too much when he's just starting to learn the ropes.]

[Confirm and talk.]

[Speak at a level that matches your abilities, General. A rookie trying to instruct a veteran] ((T/N: It's either General, or commander, I'm sticking to general))

[You little bastard Lee Ki-Young. Did I...?]

[Lee Ki-Young has left the chat room.]

[Lee Ji-Hye has invited Lee Jihye.]

[Take care of our Domi, my love.]

[Don't worry. My shining star.]

[What the hell. This is making me nauseous.]

[Jincheong has left the chatroom.]

Oh, and also to Hee-ra nuna...

[Nuna ♥]

[Nuna.]

[What's up, honey?]

[It's complicated to explain, but I hope you ignore Cherubim's contact.]

[Let's do that.]

[Just like that?]

'Just that easy?'

[I thought it would be necessary at least once. He should learn how to live alone. What are you doing right now?]

[Crying.]

[Really? Cry a little more. And you can visit the guild, and there's something to talk about.]

'You're raising a strong kid.'

I could see them (Cherubim and Seraphim) comforting each other inside the cave, but I quickly averted my gazes. They weren't the important ones at the moment.

Then I heard Han Sora's voice.

"Do you know what's important right now? Vice guild master. It's not the time to casually send messages."

"Yes."

"What is Jeong Ha-yan doing? Is she okay?"

"Just a moment. I was worried about Ha-yan too. I needed some time to sort things out. I'll see Raphael and Thronus later. And I put snow on the tent. Turn it on. Ha-yan won't even feel it melting at the moment anyway. Ah! That's right..." [T/N: er... I think he meant a monitoring device, and since she has no magic, she wouldn't know.]

Finally, I noticed the sight of Hayan approaching. Naturally, I turned my gaze as well. In fact, I could tell Ha-yan's condition without even looking. It must be an anxious and uneasy state, probably similar to the tutorial phase.

She was seen spinning around in circles, muttering to herself, checking her own condition over and over again.

She moved her hands, tried to memorize spells quietly, and tried to move her mana with, but the effect written on the potion judged by the cumbersome system that she could hardly resist. It was the effect of an item.

-What... What should I do? Hi... What... What do I do...

She trembled, and tears kept falling every time her eyes blinked.

Her bad habit, which she thought she had almost fixed, started to show up again. She bit her nails or scratched her head excessively. She became overly anxious for no reason.

-No... Please... Please, please... Hiccup...

Honestly, it's not a scene I want to keep watching.

Han Sora must be feeling the same way.

"I, Jeong Hayan, What... What should I do? It's so pitiful... What should I do about our Jeong Hayan?"

"That's why we're doing this, trying to fix it for Hayan."

"..."

"But still... It seems more serious than I thought."

-Hic... It's... It's over. Everything... Everything is over. What do I do... Hic... Move.

-You... You idiot! Move! Why! Why won't you listen!

" .... "

Eventually, Han Sora runs away from the spot.

-Jeong Ha-yan.

-Huh? Uh... Wait, wait... Just a moment...

-Jeong Ha-yan, I...

-Don't come... Don't, don't come in!

-Hearing the sound of crying.

-Oh, it's nothing.

-Are you really okay?

-It's nothing... It's, it's nothing.

-Are you really... Are you really... okay?

- ....

There needs to be a place to lean on even for a moment, a more comfortable environment to make it easier to talk.

'The problem is...'

I don't know if she'll open up."

-You said you would share everything with me. We made a promise... right?

-.....

I saw her fidgeting with their fingers.

Yeah.

-You don't have to hide anything from me.

-You said you would tell me everything. Tha... That's right, isn't it?

I thought it might be a little hasty, but I judged that it wouldn't be a bad thing. It seemed like Jeong Ha-yan was in a desperate situation.

~~~~~

This chapter left me contemplating if I should really continue translating this side stories. It took me 4 hours with a leftover headache.