Everything has melted away (1)

A full day had passed since two disasters struck Adolveit, including Lisbond Port.

No one was unaware that the rampage of the pirate king's vengeful spirit, which was awakened on the Levian Coast, and the rampaging treasure Hwaryeong Flower of the Adolveit royal family almost wiped out the entire country.

This was the first blemish in the life of Hong Se-ryu, a Class 8 mage and queen of Adolveit, who had lived a flawless life.

And... People also knew. The one who perfectly covered Hong Se-ryu's mistake was none other than the third princess, Hong Bi-Yeon.

She controlled the Hwaryeong Flower which couldn't be managed by anyone after ancestor Adolveit. Then, she calmed its rampage and even used its power to defeat the pirate king's vengeful spirit!

Was there any more dramatic story than this?

"... I'm telling you, I didn't defeat him."

Hong Bi-Yeon's name spread far and wide across Adolveit's media and globally.

It was only natural. After all, a seventeen-year-old girl prevented a disaster caused simultaneously by the spirits of ice and fire.

In the meantime, Queen Hong Se-ryu did nothing, making Hong Bi-Yeon shine even more in comparison.

She liked the praise and adoration she received. Being revered by people was something Hong Bi-Yeon truly enjoyed.

However, it felt unfair to Hong Bi-Yeon that Baek Yu-Seol, the one who actually defeated the pirate king, received no spotlight.

Few witnessed Baek Yu-Seol, who split the clouds and rode the aurora to defeat the pirate king in a single blow. It was only known that a bolt of lightning struck.

So Hong Bi-Yeon desperately tried to spread the word about Baek Yu-Seol's achievements, but no one believed her.

Who would believe that a high school boy, found without a scratch and consciousness, defeated the pirate king in a single blow?

Though, in the first place, it didn't make sense that a seventeen-year-old girl did such things.

"Princess. Are you ready to be discharged?" The attending doctor at the university hospital in Lisbond Port asked cautiously. Since Hong Bi-Yeon had no physical issues, she could be discharged immediately after being admitted.

"..... Well."

She hesitated for a moment.

She could return to the royal palace right away.... But she didn't.

"No. I'll do it later when I wish to."

"Ahem, I understand."

The hospital at Lisbond Port had a very well-organized system. It had to be. The city itself was a holy land for adventurers, and many got injured while exploring dungeons or hunting demons.

However, despite that, it appeared burdensome to have a direct royal family member admitted. Even the expressions on the doctors' faces looked quite uncomfortable.

Of course, Hong Bi-Yeon didn't care at all about others' discomfort. She was selfish.

"Princess... Then, what should we do about the reporters waiting outside?"

Hong Bi-Yeon slightly lifted the curtain and looked outside the window.

Indeed... A huge crowd was swarming in front of the hospital.

The royal knights were blocking them, so no one could easily approach, but this way, patients wouldn't be able to be properly admitted.

But would there really be any patients needing admission?

Hong Bi-Yeon looked far out to sea. The sparkling and rippling seawater under the warm sunlight was beautiful.

That's right.

The Levian Coast started to breathe again.

Though the waves were calm, they rolled in. The wind stirred the water, and the temperature dropped significantly, making the sunlight quite warm.

The ice hadn't completely melted yet, but soon Lisbond would fully regain its former appearance, and turn back to what it was like a thousand years ago.

With the fall of the Pirate King Black Belize, the Ice Spirit which had been slumbering on the pirate ship was sealed, and the curse of eternal winter had completely vanished.

Of course.... Whether that would bring entirely positive effects immediately was uncertain.

Lisbond had lost its function as a port over a thousand years ago, and no one remembered that era.

But it was inefficient for Lisbond to remain frozen and paralysed forever. After all, it was located in a fantastic position right at the heart of the continent.

If it were to be developed as a port, it would become a stepping stone that would make the Adolveit Kingdom even more powerful.

".... Send the reporters away."

No matter how selfish she was, considering the potential injured or the already admitted patients, she decided to keep the place quiet for now.

After all, all the patients here would become her people in the future...

While she found no value in others' possessions, Hong Bi-Yeon cherished her own.

"Then, what should we do about the distinguished guests who are visiting?"

"I believe I told you to send them away."

"The thing is... They are such high-ranking individuals that it's difficult for us to easily shun them away..."

At the doctor's words, Hong Bi-Yeon briefly ran her fingers through her hair, pushing it forward. It wasn't a particularly meaningful gesture, just a way to hide her twitching lips.

Until now, the forces supporting her were merely students within Stella trying to grab hold of a royal line, and at most, the Duke of Atalek.

But now, it was different. Everyone wanted her, and everyone started seeking her.

"Tell them I can't meet them yet. Announce my discharge, and they can come to visit then."

"Are you announcing your discharge...?"

"That's right."

If Baek Yu-Seol had heard it, he would have rebuked her as a 'publicity seeker to the core,' but no one here dared to say such a thing to Hong Bi-Yeon.

Her treatment was deserved from the beginning. Even the doctors here might have been swept away by the disaster and disappeared without a trace if it weren't for Hong Bi-Yeon.

She was a benefactor of the entire nation. In fact, it might already be an honor for the doctors just to send away all the hospital patients and only take care of her.

"Then, we will relay that message."

It was not the doctor who answered but the knights escorting Hong Bi-Yeon. Originally, there should have been an officer assisting her, but since the queen hadn't appointed one, the knights had no choice but to handle such matters.

Queen Hong Se-ryu returned to the capital immediately after the incident ended.

She knew well how shameful and dangerous the great incident triggered by her was.

She would probably prepare something for a public apology soon... But that was none of Hong Bi-Yeon's concern.

"Okay."

After the doctors left, in the silent hospital room, Hong Bi-Yeon quietly hummed a tune.

Everything was perfect.

Could there be a more perfect day than this?

She felt so happy, so overwhelmingly happy that she felt like she could fly away and ascend immediately.

But she hadn't yet put down all her worries and concerns.

There was just one.

One major concern remained.

'... When will Baek Yu-Seol wake up?'

Right after the battle, when Hong Bi-Yeon woke up in the hospital room, she looked for him first. Fortunately, the doctors' responses were positive.

"There are no physical problems... but it seems he has experienced tremendous mental stress. It's a bit puzzling that something could give such extreme stress, so we conducted a thorough examination but couldn't find the cause. He must have gone through something quite difficult just before losing consciousness."

Listening to the doctor's opinion, Hong Bi-Yeon's heart felt heavy.

Baek Yu-Seol experienced something stressful enough to recieve such frightening consequences.

He had never shown signs of struggle through all the trials and adversities he had faced, so she couldn't help but worry.

"But he will wake up soon. His recovery is astonishingly fast."

Hong Bi-Yeon decided to trust those words.

It wasn't just out of respect for the doctor's knowledge and examination, but more so because she trusted Baek Yu-Seol. She believed he wouldn't fall due to something like this.

Knock! Knock!

Lost in her thoughts for a moment, she heard a knock.

"Yes."

"Princess. Lord Black Matale has come to visit."

"Let him in."

Black Matale, the lord of Heavenly Ice Palace. Someone who ruled Lisbond Port and the descendant of the legendary Pirate King Black Belize.

As the door to the hospital room opened... Matale rushed in. He looked better than he did a few days ago.

Although she was still wearing a patient gown, she covered herself with a coat for decorum, and stood up to greet him. However, Matale suddenly knelt in front of Hong Bi-Yeon.

"... What are you doing?"

Following him, the men who came in after also knelt towards her.

Hong Bi-Yeon couldn't understand the situation but quietly watched them.

"We are greatly indebted to you, Princess."

"I know."

"It is not just simply a life saving grace."

Matale raised his head and met Hong Bi-Yeon's ruby-colored eyes directly.

"For a thousand years. Precisely for a thousand years... Our Black lineage has fought against a curse."

The irresistible impulse to go out to sea. However, those who went out to sea would inevitably die.

The dreadful curse that began with Black Belize's generation grew stronger with each passing generation, and now it had reached the point where just looking at the beautiful horizon was painful.

The reason the Black lineage couldn't live long was truly absurd: they couldn't resist the impulse to go out to sea, and eventually threw themselves into the ocean to end their lives.

Just like Matale's father and grandfather, he too might have met the same end.

But.

Not anymore.

"Thanks to you, Princesss. Our Black lineage can finally go out to sea again after a thousand years."

".... That's fortunate."

Hong Bi-Yeon turned her head to look out the window. Watching the slowly melting sea made her feel a sense of relief.

Although they were freed from the curse, they still couldn't go out to sea.

It was because of the contract with the Adolveit Royal Family.

"If I ever... become the king, I will free all your lineage."

".... Really?"

"Yes. It's not a joke. Go and live as you please, whether it's as pirates or whatever."

"Thank you for your words alone."

"It's not just words. I will become the real queen."

"That's not what I meant."

"What?"

Black Matale looked at Hong Bi-Yeon with clear eyes.

"I too... have fought against the impulse to go out to sea all my life, and now that I am free from that curse, I have no intention of turning my back on the Adolveit Royal Family."

"Then... What are you going to do?"

"It's fine if the next generation roams freely on the sea. I will stay here in Lisbond and help this city grow. And... if it ever reaches a point where it can be of help, I will lend you my strength."

"What?"

Hong Bi-Yeon appeared bewildered at his unexpected words.

The value of a port city still carried significant weight in modern times. Even though warp hole and airship technologies had been developed, transporting all the cargo was extremely inefficient, so water transportation remained the main means of trade.

In that sense, the Lisbond Port was practically at the heart of the world, and if it grew properly... It would become an immense power.

The lord of Lisbond, Black Matale, had held a nominal position until now, but would it still remain nominal when it becomes a true port city?

Of course not.

In the future, his power would skyrocket unlike ever before.

If Black Matale, who would hold wealth and power at that time, supported Hong Bi-Yeon, it would be a significant help in the fight for the throne.

"That is...."

"... If you don't like the bloodline of a pirate, I will gladly give up my position as lord and step back."

"No. There's no need for that." If Black Matale gave up his position as lord, Lisbond would fall back into the hands of Queen Hong Se-ryu. That must not happen.

"I have never looked down on pirates. From the beginning, all humans are equal under me. Be they nobles or slaves, I evaluate people based on their abilities, not their status."

"Is that so...."

Although her words pricked her conscience in a strange way, they were somewhat true recently, so Hong Bi-Yeon could say them shamelessly.

"Thank you. I will definitely grow this city into the best port and be of help to you."

"Yes. I'll visit often, so just do your best. I'll provide all the support I can."

"Thank you!" Black Matale pledged his loyalty to Hong Bi-Yeon, and after he left, Hong Bi-Yeon secretly turned around and clenched her fist.

Things seemed to be going well. And she had a feeling that more good things were on the way.

And as if her feeling was correct, exactly a week later.

Baek Yu-Seol woke up.

Baek Yu-Seol had a dream.

I like fast-paced and dramatic developments!

The voice of Twelfth New Moon Bronze echoed like a booming sound.

Good luck!

Soon, Baek Yu-Seol's body started to fall.

Suddenly, he felt a strong pull of gravity which could naturally instill fear in a human, but he didn't have even the energy left to feel afraid.

The world flipped and spun wildly, and when he regained his senses, he was already flying over the Levian Coast.

Then, the Pirate King Black Belize appeared in his vision.

He had a truly massive and imposing figure. He had seen it as graphics in a game before, but the pressure he felt in reality was on a different level.

However.

Baek Yu-Seol wasn't even afraid of that. Only one thought filled his mind.

'Stab it into the heart!'

The small icicle given to him by Twelfth New Moon Bronze had grown longer than his height and emitted a bright blue light.

Aegirix's Ark.

If he stabbed this into the heart of the pirate king where the Ice Spirit lay dormant, he could seal the source of his power.

"That is...!"

It seemed flustered upon discovering Baek Yu-Seol, but it was too late. He used flash consecutively to the maximum range without controlling it. Though the range was only 45 meters, it was enough.

It was enough to pierce the heart of the pirate king, Black Belize.

It was simple.

Baek Yu-Seol aimed the spear at his heart and stabbed it in.

...!!

At that moment.

Black Belize's blue skull suddenly turned into mint chocolate chicken.

Baek Yu-Seol sat at the table, holding a fork to eat chicken, but it didn't suit his taste.

He handed it to Edna sitting next to him.

'If you get hit by the magic bullet shot by mint chocolate chicken, you can never eat the boneless chicken again!'

Unfortunately, Edna was someone who didn't want to eat boneless chicken since she liked Hawaiian pizza, so it didn't matter.

But since he hated Hawaiian pizza.

He had no choice but to run away from the mint chocolate chicken chasing him with a mop.

Since he lived for the joy of eating the drumstick of boneless chicken, he desperately ran away but got caught because he didn't have taxi fare.

Then, a Gundam appeared from the sky and knocked out the mint chocolate chicken with a hyper flame jet kick.

'Once again, we've protected world peace!'

Baek Yu-Seol felt terrible looking at the mint chocolate chicken's corpse, but thinking he couldn't be the only one to see this, he donated it to a museum.

People gathered to see the mint chocolate chicken and were horrified.

'Jesus!'

'How can such food exist in the world!'

'I can't believe my eyes!'

While watching the suffering people with a heavy heart, Angel quietly called him to the backyard of the school, twisting her mint-colored hair shyly.

'I actually... think I like mint chocolate chicken...'

—------

At that moment, Baek Yu-Seol's eyes snapped open,

"Ahhh! No!"

"W-what... Commoner..."

Right next to Baek Yu-Seol, Hong Bi-Yeon was staring at him with a bewildered look.

"Oh, oh? Phew...."

It was.

A dream.

It must have been a dream.

Sometimes extremely intense experiences were repeated in his dreams.

Although the problem was that the story took a weird turn...

"I had a nightmare..."

When Baek Yu-Seol said this with a serious expression, Hong Bi-Yeon listened with a serious face.

"What kind of dream?"

"It was a dream where if you get hit by the magic bullet fired by mint chocolate chicken, you get cursed and can't eat the drumsticks of boneless chicken..."

".... Okay."

"So I showed it to Edna, and she said she didn't mind because she likes Hawaiian pizza..."

"… And then?"

"So I had no choice but to display it in a museum, and Angel said she actually likes it and would eat it herself...."

"..."

Even as Baek Yu-Seol spoke, it sounded ridiculous. When he glanced at her, sure enough, her expression had turned sour compared to before.

"Yeah. So?"

"Oh, um... That's the end?"

After saying that, he cautiously observed her reaction. Now that he looked around, this was a hospital room.

Judging by the high-end medical equipment and the pristine white wallpaper, it seemed he was being well taken care of.

"The end?"

Even as he was trying to grasp the situation, Hong Bi-Yeon kept asking about the dream, as if she was waiting for something.

"That's it... Why?"

"... Nothing."

With that, Hong Bi-Yeon frowned deeply. She seemed annoyed from listening to nonsense.

"Phew..."

Regardless of her anger, Baek Yu-Seol felt mentally exhausted and laid back down on the bed.

"Hey. How long have I been asleep?"

"A week."

"Damn. That's a bit too long."

"... Why?"

When he was shocked, Hong Bi-Yeon was also startled.

"I lost a whole week of summer vacation..."

Hong Bi-Yeon gave him a look that said, 'What's wrong with this guy?' but he was genuinely serious.

Baek Yu-Seol had been running nonstop in his life. What was wrong with trying to get a little vacation for himself?

'Ugh. The bet with the Twelfth New Moon Bronze must have taken a toll...'

Even though he didn't need to eat or sleep in the completely frozen environment, enduring it for three months was tough, so maybe being unconscious for just a week was good enough.

"So... Where are we now?"

"Lisbond Hospital."

She said that and stood up from her seat. Her oddly smug smile was pleasing to see.

"Huh? Where are you going?"

"I will go and finish the discharge procedures since you woke up."

"Oh... really."

"What are you doing? Get dressed."

"Am I being discharged too?"

"Of course."

Was that so obvious?

He wasn't sure, but he couldn't go against the princess's wishes, could he?

Baek Yu-Seol got up, rummaged through the wardrobe, and found nothing but his school uniform. Thinking he should wear something, he put on the coat and waited.

… Baek Yu-Seol waited for a long time. He must have sat on the bed, zoning out for almost two hours.

"What the heck? When is she coming?"

Click!

As soon as he spoke, Hong Bi-Yeon opened the door and barged in. She was dressed properly unlike Baek Yu-Seol.

"Everyone's gathered. Let's go."

"Oh... Okay."

Baek Yu-Seol followed her. Hong Bi-Yeon somewhat fancy attire made him suspicious.

Soon, he found out.

Click! Click!

Murmur.

"It's the princess!"

"The third princess has come out!"

"Princess! Please look this way!"

(... What the heck?)

Suddenly, an overwhelming crowd was waiting for them.

No, to be precise, they were waiting for Hong Bi-Yeon. They screamed at her, which sounded more like cheers, while reporters frantically clicked their shutters and thrust microphones forward.

This was on a scale far larger than all the media attention Baek Yu-Seol had ever received combined from his numerous incidents.

'What the... What's this all about?'

Hong Bi-Yeon elegantly swept her silver hair back and walked toward them.

The Adolveit knights opened a path for Hong Bi-Yeon, and she naturally walked through it.

Could there be a more perfect model walk than hers?

Baek Yu-Seol followed behind her like a bridesmaid on a wedding day.

Hong Bi-Yeon suddenly turned around and looked at him.

"Baek Yu-Seol."

"... Yes."

Why did she do that?

The moment Hong Bi-Yeon called his name, all the surrounding noise faded away. It felt as if there were only the two of them left in the world.

"Forget all about Hong Bi-Yeon you've known until now."

"What?"

Baek Yu-Seol questioned her sudden statement, but she didn't answer properly and took a step closer to him.

"And imprint the current me into your memory."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Have you... ever seen me this happy even once?"

Why did Aether World Online suddenly come to mind at that moment?

The character 'Hong Bi-Yeon' in the game never experienced happiness for even a moment. She was ultimately being cruelly trampled by the protagonists and met her demise.

But the real Hong Bi-Yeon was different.

Not only did she easily surpass one of the biggest death flags...

"Princess Hong Bi-Yeon!"

"Long live the princess!"

"Please look this way!"

"We love you!"

She had become the most beloved and praised princess.

That was, without a doubt, a completely new Hong Bi-Yeon. The one he had never seen before.

Baek Yu-Seol didn't know the exact meaning behind her question. But he understood it in his own way and responded.

"No, I've never seen it."

"... Yeah, I thought so. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have been able to become like this."

She took another step closer to Baek Yu-Seol. The distance between them was now so close that he could feel her breath, which made him quite uncomfortable, but for some reason, he couldn't step back.

"So forget all the Hong Bi-Yeon you've known until now. And..."

She hesitated for a moment, but finally brought out the words she had kept inside.

"No matter what happens to you, remember only the current me."

"... What?"

"Can you do that?"

Baek Yu-Seol didn't understand the meaning or the context, but it felt like something terrible would happen if he said he couldn't, so he hurriedly nodded his head.

Only then did she relax her expression, gave a slanted smile, and turned around to lead the way.

'Is it just my imagination, or do Hong Bi-Yeon's steps seem lighter today?'

But seeing her in a good mood made his steps lighter as well.

Baek Yu-Seol didn't really know why.