After the visit ended, the vice-guildmaster approached and asked,

"Are you all right?"

"In what sense do you mean?"

"...It seemed like you were far more taken with Hunter Sergio than expected. You ate the food he gave you without inspection, and accepted that extravagantly flashy gift, too."

"Because it didn’t seem like my usual self?"

"To be honest, yes."

The vice-guildmaster, Hunter Kang Eun-Seong, had served his superior for quite a long time. Though his face bore a gentle expression, he was highly vigilant by nature. The Symbols of Eternity never trusted anyone but each other.

All the elders who had survived the Great Catastrophe were like that. Kang Eun-Seong understood. But then came Hunter Sergio. Saying it wasn’t disconcerting would be a lie.

"You seem to consider him quite an exception."

"I didn’t plan to go that far, either."

Seo Seo-Hee smiled and shrugged.

"He’s just... too interesting. I let my guard down."

"That's absurd..."

"I'm telling the truth. His way of thinking is truly unique."

And, somehow—

"He really seems to love people."

There was a strong sense of goodwill toward the world in him. No matter what form or direction the world took, that affection didn’t seem likely to change.

"It’s not about sociability. He just genuinely likes people. And because of that, he tries to give so much."

"I held back because the mood felt like a joke, but that might really have been a bribe. You're human too, Guildmaster. Receiving gifts like that can shake your fairness."

"He didn’t seem like someone scheming to that extent... well, don’t look at it that way. No matter how nice the gift is, I’m not someone whose sense of fairness would falter."

It also had much to do with who the other party was.

"Hunter Sergio has nothing to gain from me."

"You can’t be sure of that. You are a Symbol of Eternity, after all."

"True. I'm one of the Symbols of Eternity, the head of Korea’s number one guild, and even ranked number one globally. I’ve got money, friends, power..."

"Must I keep listening to this?"

"But none of that matters to Hunter Sergio."

Doesn’t it?

"As the beloved son of the Collector, there’s no way he’d ever lack money. He likes people, yes, but he prefers deep, narrow relationships, so he wouldn't need a wide network. Power? Does he look like someone who’s into that?"

The only time Hunter Sergio showed his face to the world was when he was introduced. After that, he did nothing but try to hide himself as much as possible.

"Besides, he’s a priest."

"There are rumors he’s a Saint, but that hasn’t been officially recognized. And even saints, with their large vessels, might try to infringe on your authority for the sake of some grand cause."

"Wouldn’t that be something to thank him for instead?"

"How do we know it’s really a righteous cause? No... yes, of course. From Justitia’s perspective, it’s worth debating. But frankly, your attitude of making such an exception for him worries me."

What exactly did you see in him?

"...It can't just be about ability or character. He must be one of the connections you’ve forgotten. But what if he’s exploiting the memories you've lost?"

"Haewoon worried about that too."

"There’ve been plenty of cases like that. You’ve especially been vulnerable to such bonds—you’ve nearly gotten burned more than once. The only reason you avoided danger was thanks to your friends' help."

"I ought to do at least that much. After all, it’s thanks to those forgotten people that Earth is still standing. Compared to that, being deceived is a cheap price to pay."

"Every time you say things like that, my heart drops. If anything happens to you, what will become of Justitia? And Earth?"

"I won’t die."

Seo Seo-Hee spoke leisurely but firmly.

"I won’t die, I won’t age, and I’ll stay this way until the end of the world."

"...I’m sorry."

"It’s not something you need to apologize for, Kang Eun-Seong."

It was simply that their fate was the most cost-efficient price they could offer. A fate they had to bear as humans. Time, memories—sacrificed to obtain this fragile peace.

"But hey, how old do you think Hunter Sergio is?"

"...I heard he's 29. Since the year changed, he’d be 30 now. Even if he lied, he’d be in his late twenties to early thirties."

"Did he seem like an ordinary person to you?"

"...Sounds like you know something I don’t..."

"He probably died once. And now he’s been resurrected as an apostle chosen by the Black Cloak. Because of that, he might not even be fully human anymore."

"......"

"So I’m curious—when exactly did we meet?"

The vice-guildmaster opened and closed his mouth without speaking, while Seo Seo-Hee softly brushed her silk sleeve and muttered.

"I feel like we met quite a while ago."

It could’ve been a certainty.

"He remembered a time when I didn’t eat well. Maybe it was just a guess, but I could tell by his eyes. They were the eyes of someone who genuinely pitied me."

"...To think someone would pity the Guildmaster..."

"It was more affection than pity. You feel awful too, right, when I rush out and get myself hurt? That kind of face? That kind of gaze? But even though he mentioned friendship, I don’t think he actually sees me as a friend."

"Oh, no way."

Kang Eun-Seong was flustered.

"You acknowledged him as a friend?"

"Mm... Honestly, I wanted to. He made such good food."

"...Should I make a reservation at a restaurant?"

"It’s not something you can replicate. It had the taste of a grandmother’s cooking, you know?"

"Grandmother? That far? Isn’t that too much?"

"He even knew all the things I liked..."

"You can’t be sure from just that. There are a lot of good chefs out there."

"Did you know I liked braised short ribs?"

"......"

Kang Eun-Seong shook his head.

"...No."

"Really? I love braised short ribs."

"You don’t usually show preferences, Guildmaster."

"But he knew that."

"That much could be known even by a strained or corrupted bond. Even someone with ill intent could know that. Aren’t you worried?"

"I would be, but I just can’t bring myself to worry."

Seo Seo-Hee spoke calmly.

"There were quite a lot of ginkgo nuts in the braised ribs. The sauce wasn’t really reduced, so it was more like broth than sauce. You know what I mean? Rich like ox bone soup, clean... yeah, it was like real bone soup. Or a really deep beef rib soup?"

"......"

"It wasn’t too sweet, nor was it salty. And there were maybe six chestnuts soaked in the broth. Still sweet, but also sharp with the flavor of the ribs. They just melted in your mouth."

"......"

"Just two big dates for fragrance, and the white stems of green onions were left whole. Not just for broth—they were slightly grilled and simmered just enough to soak up the flavor. I really like green onion stems, you know."

He laughed.

"Do you understand what I’m saying?"

That wasn’t the kind of thing you could make just by being told.

"Every bit of it was tailored to my taste. Not the kind of flavor you’d share with someone else. It was light, suited for an old person’s taste, with tender, fall-off-the-bone ribs."

"Hmm..."

"You know me, right? I eat anything you give me. I’m not obsessed with gourmet food. But Hunter Sergio knew all of that. If he wasn’t that close to me, how would he know such tiny things?"

"...What if it’s a skill?"

"I’m not dumb enough to miss that kind of thing. If that were possible, he’d be more powerful than a Symbol of Eternity—and in that case, I might as well let myself be tricked. What kind of disaster would he bring to Earth, otherwise?"

"I was grasping at straws."

Kang Eun-Seong sighed quietly.

"I’m sorry. If he went that far, it really couldn’t have been a hostile connection. He didn’t seem like he came with bad intentions, and he didn’t look like someone who’d bribe the Guildmaster, or someone desperate enough to cling to you."

"Exactly."

Seo Seo-Hee lowered her gaze and smiled faintly.

"It was just a gift from a friend who couldn’t contain their happiness and concern."

Still, there were questions left unanswered.

"So... how old do you really think Hunter Sergio is? His homepage still says 29. Probably Bisa Beul’s prank. Maybe it means he’s already dead."

"...Then technically, age wouldn’t matter. What you’re really curious about is when the connection was made, when you forgot, and what you gained in exchange... right?"

"Yeah. I have no idea what debt I owe."

Seo Seo-Hee began to seriously ponder.

"From the way Hunter Sergio talks, it sounds like he never agreed to be forgotten. So that promise probably happened after he died... but when?"

"You started eating well again when Earth’s system stabilized. And the Collector is fairly old... if he has a son..."

"Let’s assume he had a child when he was younger. Isn’t the Guildmaster of the Collector around eighty now? He wasn’t known before the catastrophe, but maybe he had a wife. Right?"

It was a world where almost all records from before that day had vanished. No matter how famous the Collector was, unless he said so himself, no one could know if he’d been married.

The catastrophe ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) happened thirty-two years ago. Bisa Beul’s exact age was unknown, but assuming he was in his eighties now, he would’ve been in his late forties to early fifties back then.

"What’s the typical age range for children of parents in their forties to fifties?"

"...If we go by pre-catastrophe standards, I wouldn’t know..."

"My mistake. Hold on. Let me think. Based on people around me back then..."

"......"

"...Maybe twenties?"

Early or late twenties would depend on the assumption, but somewhere around that range. In any case, twenties.

"...Ah..."

With that, Sergio’s situation came into clearer focus.

"He might actually be older than me...?"

"My god."

"That’s kind of shocking."

Even Seo Seo-Hee was surprised. He had always seemed so mature and composed—not someone you’d expect to be younger than her.

It was because he had become the adult of this world.

"...No matter how much the Collector loves life, he wouldn’t have had a child during the catastrophe. And he said himself, once things stabilized, he’d never build a family again."

"What if that was a lie?"

"But Hunter Sergio said he’s twenty-nine. Most likely, that means he died at twenty-nine. The catastrophe happened thirty-two years ago. It was Bisa Beul himself who declared he wouldn't start a family because he couldn’t protect one."

"Then Hunter Sergio might really be a pre-catastrophe child... Bisa Beul’s child?"

"And if he had a child at a typical age before the catastrophe, then yeah, Hunter Sergio would be older than me. I was nineteen when it happened..."

Her mind was hazy, but the pieces were falling into place.

"So that’s why he didn’t see me as a friend."

"...Because he’s your older brother?"

"I did feel like I was the one being taken care of."

"You were the one being taken care of...?"

"He was so naturally attentive."

And her breath grew heavier.

"...Ah, what do I do."

Seo Seo-Hee hadn’t been a good person back then.

Back then, they weren’t in their right minds. The world was even more insane. They only had a few friends they could trust, and their powers, though a blessing, had made things harder. They resented the world.

And during those times, an older person had taken care of them.

"What do I do, forgetting someone like that?"

"...Guildmaster."

"I don’t even remember what he did for me."

The guilt she’d been suppressing surged.

"...I don’t even remember what I gained in exchange for his death..."

Why had he died in the first place?

"......"

"......"

Finally, she couldn’t breathe.

"...Pathetic, isn’t it? Just a moment ago, I was so happy, thinking I’d found an old friend. But now look at me. I even made you feel bad, Kang Eun-Seong."

"...I understand, Guildmaster. And sometimes, you need days like this too. I only stopped you because I was worried it might be a threat. But if it’s a good bond, there’s no reason for me to stand in the way."

After a brief hesitation, Kang Eun-Seong asked,

"Should I ask if he can visit again sometime soon?"

"No. He must be busy. I can’t just ask for something like that for my own sake."

"Judging by his expression when he brought the gift, I think Hunter Sergio was looking forward to today’s visit too. Even when he left, it looked like he was happy you enjoyed the meal."

"Let’s not be selfish."

"...I was out of line. I’m sorry."

They couldn’t call a busy man just to comfort their superior. That would be excessive selfishness. Kang Eun-Seong knew that too, even as he suggested it—and was turned down. Of course Seo Seo-Hee wouldn’t allow it.

"What if we at least respond positively if he sends a request for collaboration or a visit? There’ll be no strange rumors reaching the Collector or elsewhere."

"If it’s just that, then I’m grateful."

Seo Seo-Hee wiped her face and laughed hollowly.

"Wow... am I hitting menopause?"

"With a face that youthful, you say menopause..."

"My emotions are swinging wildly all of a sudden."

"Like I said before—sometimes, you need days like this."

His superior looked pitiful.

"...You’re human too, Guildmaster."

Some people were too strong to even show they were human. That was the price they paid to uphold the world. The price paid by the few Symbols of Eternity.

Kang Eun-Seong quietly thought,

‘At this rate, I really hope they become a good connection.’

He hoped Hunter Sergio would visit his superior often. Seo Seo-Hee didn’t make many exceptions, and this one came with a weight of unresolved guilt.

‘We hardly ever cross paths with the Collector...’

He regretted keeping his distance because of Bisa Beul. If their guilds had been closer, they would’ve had many reasons to collaborate—and these two would’ve met often.

But now, that couldn't be changed.

"......"

Still, he hoped there would be more days when Seo Seo-Hee could smile with peace of mind.

Was that too selfish, living under her gentle shade?

***

"...?"

This time, Gio, who had been making tofu, lifted his head.

"I hear someone digging up my student somewhere."

"Oh, you could hear that? Sharp ears, huh?"

"The tofu’s almost ready."

"Handmade tofu, it’s been so long. I’m excited."

"The aged kimchi’s perfectly fermented, too. Grill some pork belly on the cauldron lid, and we’ll be in heaven. Just wait."

"I was already looking forward to it. This is a sight to behold, isn’t it?"

Gio, Yoo Seong-Woon, and Joo-Hyun were preparing a tofu party inside the portrait.

"......"

"Mr. Gio, what are you thinking about?"

"Feeding people..."

"Oh, the usual then."

"Right."

As he thought of his student, likely digging somewhere right now, Gio quietly reached a conclusion.

‘...I guess once isn’t enough to fill you up?’

It was all because their hunger hadn't been satisfied.

‘Become a pig—zap.’

Gio was ready.