163 – Their Hearing (Intermission)

“Edeline.”

“… … .”

“Edellie… … .”

“… …Why are you like that?”

Inside Edelin’s cozy office.

There are two people.

It’s Edeline and Charlotte.

Edeline was sitting on a chair, looking over some papers, while Charlotte was kneeling a little way away.

“I… … have social status… … and I’m old enough… … and also… … ”

“So?”

Edelin responded coldly without even looking at his face.

“So what are you trying to say, Charlotte?”

Charlotte pursed her lips and grumbled inwardly at the sight of Edeline’s indifferent expression.

Even though you know everything.

too bad.

But I can’t express my dissatisfaction outwardly.

Because Edelin’s nerves seemed quite sharp.

That’s why Charlotte only glanced at her.

‘But I can’t just stay still like this.’

Charlotte, who had quickly gathered her resolve, began to express her intentions by moving her lips little by little.

“… … I’m already close to forty years old. Isn’t this kind of punishment a bit much?”

“… … .”

“… … What would other people think if they saw it?”

“Why don’t you stop talking nonsense and just raise your arms straight?”

“too bad.”

Charlotte pretended to cry with a dazed face.

At this age, I’m sitting on my knees with both arms raised…

Seriously, I couldn’t help but feel guilty in many ways. It’s too much, Edelin. What did I do wrong? Of course, I admit that I did something wrong to some extent, but there was no need to go this far. I’m older than you.

“I… … did something wrong… … so can you please let me off easy… … ? I’m not a kid… … what is this… … .”

“shallot.”

Edeline turned her head and looked down at Charlotte.

For a moment, Charlotte shrugged her shoulders and looked down.

Edelin, who had been silent for a moment, soon let out a sigh.

“Ha. I said it was okay to just say hello. Who told you to go that far?”

“……sorry.”

Charlotte handed over the apple, her half-closed eyes moving slightly.

“Me too… … I tried to do it gently, but the resistance was stronger than I thought, so I stopped without realizing it… … .”

“Are you calling that an excuse now?”

At those words, Charlotte whistled and tried to distract herself.

“Ahem. But Edelin. Anyway, there was a need to measure the power of those women at least once, right…?”

“But this time it was too much. Didn’t you see the news, Charlotte? What if the power leaked out of the building?”

Edeline slowly ran her hand through her hair and glared at him with a narrowed eye.

“And you, Charlotte.”

“Uh, uh… … .”

“Are you planning to use the Holy Spear? Without my permission?”

“… … .”

Charlotte was so speechless that she instantly shut her lips tightly, as if she had nothing to say about even trying to use the holy relic.

I was half excited after bleeding for the first time in a long time.

If Edelin hadn’t made that phone call, one of those women would have been seriously injured or even killed.

“Charlotte, I know you hate Seojun… … Haa… … .”

Edelin sighs again as if she has a headache and puts her hand on her forehead.

“So… … how was it?”

“Oh, yeah?”

It was Edeline who asked a question while glancing at Charlotte’s face.

“How was it like to fight once?”

“Not bad… … He has a fighting sense… … His abilities are good… … He definitely seems more useful than our kids?”

Charlotte thought about the top-tier power holders of the Sungcheon Church.

The Seongcheon Church possessed a considerable number of top-level ability holders.

Among them, the number of S-rank ability users was in the dozens, so in fact, there were more than the number of S-rank hunters in Korea.

But if you ask me one by one whether I am stronger than those women, I can only say, “Well?”

Because most of the S-rank ability users in the Seongcheon Church are not ordinary S-rank ability users.

Edelin, who can receive the abilities of others and pass them on to others.

Edelin actively used her abilities to forcibly transfer powers from other power users and then shared them with her loyal followers.

Thanks to that, we were able to secure a large number of top-tier talents.

In this world, there are those who suffer because of their powerful abilities, those who believe in their powerful abilities and act alone, and those who commit crimes because they are obsessed with their powerful abilities.

There were quite a few top-tier talents who were not exposed to the public.

Moreover, Edelin is a regressor.

Edelin’s head was filled with information about countless people with abilities. She persuaded those she could persuade, and took away the abilities of those she could not persuade, half by force.

As the real power behind the powerful group called Seongcheon Church, there were almost no people who could escape Edelin’s clutches.

This was possible because Edelin had regressed further back in time than Han Seojun.

Of course, even so, there was not enough time in many ways, such as taking control of the Seongcheon Church, selecting useful people with abilities, and creating a group of people to help them.

“Honestly, our kids… … S-rank abilities… … aren’t even being used properly… … .”

“There’s nothing I can do. I suddenly received the ability. Should I say that it’s fortunate that it doesn’t go out of control?”

As I was given such powerful abilities, it was very difficult for me to control them on my own.

“We are using methods to minimize side effects as much as possible, but it would still be difficult to compare them to S-rank abilities users who have trained for a long time.”

“Honestly… … I feel a little sorry to say this… … but it’s a waste of ability for our children… … They’re like pearls around a pig’s neck.”

How many years would it take to properly utilize S-rank abilities?

There will be individual differences, but it will probably take 5 to 10 years or more.

“There are just so many of them… … They’re just… … High-ranker level… … I’m using them as bodyguards, but I’m a little worried… … Ah, I guess I’m going to use them as meat shields later… … ?”

“Meat shield? If you say something like that, Charlotte, I can’t use it.”

Well, that’s what she said, but Edelin didn’t have high expectations of them either.

That would be the case, since it was only about filling the numbers.

The only core powers that Edelin believes in are a few people, including Charlotte.

At best, there are three people.

But what you should never take lightly is that they are all monsters that are out of the ordinary.

Charlotte alone is one of the strongest hunters in the world and can easily outmaneuver the average top hunter.

If Lee Ji-hyun hadn’t intervened in the middle, Choi Seo-yoon, Kang Hwa-ryeon, and Ryu Ye-rin would have been in real danger.

“Edeline.”

“Why are you like that?”

“Lee Ji-hyun… … was definitely different.”

“okay.”

Edeline nodded slowly and Charlotte opened her mouth.

“… … I haven’t seen his full power, but I can give you a rough estimate based on my experience fighting him. I think he might be in the top 15.”

It was truly an incredible evaluation to be ranked in the top 15 in the world.

“… … There was a lot of talk about it being a bubble or something, but when I actually fought it, it was definitely different.”

“That’s right. I had a hard time because of Lee Ji-hyun in the past too.”

“In the old days? You mean before the regression?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Edelin closed her eyes quietly, thinking about old times.

Then, Lee Ji-hyun’s face appeared in my head.

For Edelin, Lee Ji-hyun was almost like a natural enemy, and she was almost always hanging around Han Seo-jun. She didn’t like the way she looked.

I wish I could have assassinated him, but I couldn’t.

But, last time was different.

Because I was lucky and was able to deal with Lee Ji-hyun quite early.

Without using her own hands, she was able to kill Lee Ji-hyun without much difficulty using the Sephiroth Clan, Jeong Se-yeon, and the monster.

If it had been the usual Lee Ji-hyun, she would have been able to survive that situation somehow, but was it because she had fought with Han Seo-jun a few days ago?

Whether his heart wavered or he was just unlucky, he ended up dying with a hole in his stomach.

Seojun had a hard time because Lee Jihyun was eliminated from the beginning… … .

… … Thanks to that, I was able to form a somewhat intimate relationship with Seojun, and it was relatively easy to kill other women.

Because it’s enough for Seojun and I to stand at the top.

But Seojun again.

Again, again, that choice.

“By the way, Charlotte. Keep your arms straight. Keep your arms up and don’t lower them. Keep an eye on them.”

“… … This is really too much.”

“Are you being upset at that age?”

“……joy.”

Charlotte had been slowly lowering her arms, but when Edeline warned her like a ghost, she quickly returned to her original position and let out a loud noise.

“Edelin. Just know this. I am older than Edelin. Even if Edelin is a regressor, this kind of behavior will never be tolerated in Korea, the land of Eastern courtesy… …”

“So you’re going to put your arms down?”

Charlotte turned her gaze as she saw the stinging sensation.

“… … No, that’s not it.”

It was Charlotte who quickly lowered her tail.

This is just ridiculous.

“But Edelin… …Why did you send an invitation to Han Seojun? Isn’t it too dangerous?”

“It could definitely be dangerous.”

It was dangerous in many ways to meet Han Seo-jun directly.

What if you regain your memories when you face Edelin?

Seriously, it was a Charlotte I didn’t even want to imagine.

“I forgot to mention this… … That guy Han Seo-jun… … It seemed like he used my ability… … .”

“It might be a bit difficult if you can use your abilities as well.”

“But… … It didn’t seem like he used it on his own will… … It seemed like it was activated somehow… … .”

Charlotte thought that perhaps he had unconsciously used the powers he had previously absorbed.

“Is that so?”

“Yeah. But… … there’s a need to be careful… … I guess.”

“By the way, will Seojun come? After all the fuss you’ve made?”

“I’m sorry, I said I would. But considering that guy’s personality, I don’t think he’ll come. No, I don’t think he’ll come.”

Charlotte tilted her head as she compared Han Seo-jun before he lost his memories to the current Han Seo-jun.

“But Edelin, really… why did you ask to meet Han Seo-jun… …? You invited other women too, not just Han Seo-jun… … .”

“Are you curious as to why that is?”

“huh…….”

Edelin answered with a grin.

“Before we attack the top of the tower, we need to meet and talk at least once. There are also things that need to be finalized.”

“okay?”

“yes.”

Charlotte thought as she looked at Edeline’s face as she nodded slightly.

Edelin acts strangely irrationally when it comes to Han Seo-jun.

I don’t know why I keep taking risks.

So, I’m worried about Edelin.

I was afraid that Edeline’s actions would later lead to an irreversible mistake.

‘… … Should I kill him after all?’

Because of Edelin, Han Seo-jun can’t be touched, but Han Seo-jun’s women are different.

Although there was an order from Edelin not to do anything useless, what Edelin cared about was Han Seojun, not those women.

If you touch Han Seo-jun, you won’t be able to turn back your relationship with Adeline, but wouldn’t you be able to do something with those women?

Charlotte was conflicted in her heart, wondering whether she should stay still with Edelin’s new unit or kill at least those women who could be a danger in the future.

‘If we kill those women, it’s not impossible that Han Seo-jun will be shocked and regain his memories, but still… … .’

It was at a time when I was lost in thought.

“shallot.”

“huh?

“Don’t do it.”

“What aren’t you doing?”

“I’ll say it one more time. Don’t do it.”

“… … .”

Edeline said with a smiling face.

But the eyes were not smiling.

“… … Are you really using mind control or something?”

“Well? What do you think?”

Haha, Charlotte thought as she spoke with a smile.

For now, it would be better to stay still like Edelin said.

Because I trust Edeline.

“… … It seems like only yesterday that I was half-locked in the classroom, but I’m already here.”

Edeline was smiling.