Chapter 662: Chapter 662

A large limousine, complete with a chauffeur, had pulled up in front of the mansion. While I appreciated their preparations...

“Um, Mr. Vantes, where will you be going? May I ask where the Sesung Guildmaster is?”

“He went on to Switzerland.”

Could it be he’d gone early to tend sheep—having given up on fleeing the Crescent Moon? I hoped not, yet I worried all the same. Of all places, why Switzerland?

“He took his cellphone. He’ll answer if you call.”

“No, it’s enough knowing where he is. I’ll have to return for the items anyway...”

“I plan to stay in Europe for a while myself. If you need anything, please contact me.”

Mr. Vantes withdrew a business card from his inventory and handed it to me. It was simple, bearing only his name and contact information, yet unmistakably high-end.

I pocketed the card and glanced back at Ms. Gray, standing a little behind. We could never say we were on good terms... but who knew what the future held? To most ordinary people, Miss Marisa would seem something of a hero.

Right or wrong, by letting Seong Hyunjae go, I had in effect obstructed saving the world. Some might chide me for sacrificing someone, but far more would applaud. If I’d wanted to be guided more by others, I could have asked to save the world instead of returning. Bitter though it was—and guilty though I felt—I was still myself.

“Honestly, I hope we never meet again. To be frank, I doubt you much care for me, either.”

After interfering, why should they? Ms. Gray wore a serene, almost picturesque smile as she replied,

“Miss Marisa holds you in great favor, Han Yujin-nim.”

“She cherishes those around her deeply and is known for her selflessness. She thinks highly of that in you.”

Her praise felt oddly sour. Though I wanted to learn more of the Crescent Moon, none here—Gray included—knew anything of the wedding arrangements. Perhaps I must seek out Marisa Moore again... she had seemed kind, but now her true nature unsettled me.

I climbed into the spacious car and asked to be taken to the nearest Hunter Association branch.

“Though the European Hunter Union offered cooperation, few Hunters will actually step forward,” Director Song said, pulling a notebook from his inventory.

“Given {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} the opposition’s strength, only S-Rank Hunters could help, so we must finish this ourselves.”

“Don’t worry about that.”

Of course I could handle it. Director Song glanced at my smile with concern. I had no intention of causing trouble—he always worried whenever I spoke.

“That’s right—lure them to the coast, and I’ll sweep them all away!”

“This time I’ll behead them for good. They’ll never harm you again.”

“No, no. Why endure hardship in a strange land? There’s more than one adversary.”

“Simple—announce that I, Han Yujin, am Chatterbox’s heir. It’ll become public soon anyway. Then grant one interview.”

“I’ll say, ‘I’m heading to America to distribute S-Rank items to the participants, but some S-Rank scoundrels are tying my hands!’”

“Even resorting to aircraft sabotage, we couldn’t distribute the rewards—SS-Rank items included!”

“That’ll make the S-Ranks pave the way for us, won’t it?” Google seaʀᴄh 𝔫𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔩⁂𝔣𝔦𝔯𝔢⁂𝔫𝔢𝔱

Handling the pests as they cling. We’ll need to catch those who gained Chatterbox’s power, like Chohwaun, but the rest will gladly push us forward. I wondered how many would dart out.

On the steep mountainside, her red-heeled steps skipped down lightly, her long golden hair flickering in the sun like a golden ibex. Marisa bounded from rock to rock, freely descending and ascending, then paused to look back at the man behind her.

Overnight snow had glazed the rocks with a dangerous sheen, yet Seong Hyunjae stepped calmly as if on level ground, surveying the scenery. Though he’d shed his bloodstained white suit, his dark formalwear still seemed out of place in these wild peaks. Marisa, too, wore a dress more suited to a leisurely spring park than the heart of the Alps—like models posed before a studio backdrop come to life.

“Are you truly going to wander aimlessly ?”

Since leaving the wedding venue, Seong Hyunjae gave orders as though he owned the mansion. He had instructed the staff to assist him and Marisa before her departure, and though puzzled, they obeyed.

Before dawn’s call, Mr. Vantes arrived at the mansion. Seong Hyunjae told him he would enjoy a stroll in Switzerland, then departed. Marisa, torn between joining me and returning to her mother, grabbed only her clutch and cellphone and followed him. Though she didn’t yet know why she’d decided to follow him, her heart had chosen.

“A sheep farm. Though I suspect it’s no ordinary ranch.”

Seong Hyunjae remarked, gazing at the sparse grass and branches peeking through the snow.

“Unfortunately, that’s all the clue we have.”

He sought the place where, before his Reversion, he was believed to have stayed. I’d brushed off the notion when first told—why he’d chosen to reside quietly in Switzerland for five years was anyone’s guess. Yet one could imagine he might have found something he liked. Still, I had never imagined it would literally be a sheep farm.

But knowing the wedding’s location and Marisa’s claim that she was slain by him before Reversion had drawn him here. Seong Hyunjae expanded his senses; his mana rippled out like a fine current in every direction. The winter mountains lay silent: mountain birds huddled on branches, squirrels hibernating, icy springs flowing beneath thin ice.

“All we can do is search slowly.”

“But how, if it’s before Reversion?” Marisa asked, tilting her head. He had only said he was looking for where he had stayed before Reversion—yet all traces must surely have vanished by now.

“They say pre-Reversion data doesn’t entirely disappear. Especially if linked to external beings, some traces may remain—like a dungeon that shouldn’t yet exist appearing later.”

Riette and Noah had conquered that dungeon. Had it been merely his past residence, no change would be expected. Yet Marisa said that by being slain by him, she became connected to the Crescent Moon. In other words, the Crescent Moon or outside interference had manifested somewhere in these Swiss Alps.

Pre-Reversion data merged with the present. Though most has been absorbed into current data, transcendent traces, unable to merge, likely remained.

I had guessed the Crescent Moon fell into slumber after draining her power in killing Song Taewon, but perhaps she stayed awake longer. Bearing the power of the Lunar Eclipse, Seong Hyunjae would have been too unsettled to look away. He likely placed watchers among his subordinates. In any case, it was worth investigating.

Though no one but himself could sense pre-Reversion traces, he would have to traverse on foot.

Marisa spread her arms and leapt up a rock, grumbling,

“I’m searching likely spots—at most, a week.”

“It’s nearly lunchtime.”

“Then let’s descend to the village.”

As if recalling a map, Seong Hyunjae turned without hesitation. Marisa watched his back for a moment, then bounded after him.

“If you’d had this attitude from the start, the wedding might have been more enjoyable.”

“It’s an honor to hear that.”

“But I’m not interested anymore!”

Marisa spoke bluntly, yet watched Seong Hyunjae’s reaction. His golden eyes softened.

“Don’t worry. I never cared for children then, and now I must protect myself even more.”

“Did you not see Han Yujin’s expression that day? Had I married you by choice, he would have driven me from the partnership and seen to my complete ruin—then extracted compensation from the Sesung Guild for damage to his social image.”

Seong Hyunjae shrugged dramatically. Marisa tilted her head in surprise as they walked side by side.

“Really? He seemed a good person. And you wouldn’t let that happen.”

“If that occurred, I would have no allies left. Even Director Song Taewon would look upon me coldly. Just imagining it wounds me.”

His long sigh sounded strangely lonelier, and Marisa gently offered comfort,

“The Sesung guild members are on your side. They came looking for you, after all.”

“They trust me, but that doesn’t mean they worry for me. Only Han Yujin perhaps. And Director Song, out of duty.”

Marisa glanced at him and nodded.

“It does feel odd to worry over you, though. You’re so strong.”

“I need not turn away those who care. Therefore, only those younger than Han Yujin are spared my guardianship. Age is arbitrary—he claimed thirty, now thirty-one.”

“Not a strict cutoff?”

“He tends to view anyone younger as someone to protect. Even if they’re a hundred years old, he’ll embrace them as a child.”

“...He seems ordinary, but in quiet moments, rather peculiar.”

Marisa recalled Han Yujin at the wedding. An F-Rank, nothing about him seemed particularly special—yet among S-Ranks, his unique presence stood out. Unlike flamboyant S-Ranks, he blended seamlessly with normal people. And yet...

“If you find him worthy, he must indeed be special.”

“I cannot call him ordinary; too much has built up within him.”

Fewer eyes watched now, and the terrain leveled, faint traces of a path appearing.

“My tastes don’t define specialness. I often get misunderstood, but I enjoy those living their own lives. Only the monotony wearies me; my fondness for life remains unchanged.”

Even the best things can become tiresome through repetition. Yet my enduring preference for life’s essence remains.

“Thus ordinary people often intrigue me more. S-Ranks are generally straightforward and dull—there’s little chance to clash and evolve.”

“So you favored me because I’m S-Rank?”

“For you, Miss Marisa...”

Now on a well-defined path, Seong Hyunjae looked back at her. Under his steady gaze, Marisa flinched and looked away.

“You weren’t here before, unlike now.”

“If you’d orchestrated the kidnapping, it would have been more entertaining.”

There’s no need to consider puppet transcendent beings; only their puppeteer matters. Marisa hesitated before speaking,

“I followed you because I didn’t know what else to do—whether to go to Han Yujin or return to my mother. Neither felt like my own choice.”

“It was your choice, among many crossroads, not a path predetermined by another. That first step is commendable.”

His praise sounded remarkably kind. Marisa’s cheeks flushed slightly.

“But I doubt you’ll like me now, as a princess.”

“Beyond human interest, I hold no other feelings for you. Later, if you’d kindly tell Han Yujin, I’d appreciate it—he often misunderstands.”

“So now I’m clear in your eyes?”

Marisa smiled brightly. Though her own path remained uncertain, shedding a layer felt refreshing. A situation without clear plans can even be enjoyable—without obligations, who cares how one acts?

The path widened, and a fence appeared. A small flock of sheep grazed nearby, and a large dog lay in the sun. A local who spotted them a distance away pretended not to have seen—they’d suspect ghosts or mid-ranked Awakened traveling unaccompanied in the snow.

“It’s best to avoid lone or small-group Hunters in remote areas.”

“Especially in rugged mountains—they often link to illicit activities. It’s unlike a boisterous dungeon raid.”

To prevent potential silencing, Seong Hyunjae kindly explained:

“Hunter conflicts were severe in Europe. With many nations involved, the European Hunter Union formed to restore order. Before that, clashes over Awakened and dungeons were frequent.”

And competition with African dungeons sparked fights daily. In cities, the Union’s oversight improved their image, but in sparsely populated countryside, Hunters still arouse great wariness.

As houses grew more frequent and they entered a well-traveled road, Marisa’s phone buzzed. Frowning, she checked the message.

“...It’s from Mother. She says she’s coming this way soon. She must have tracked my phone.”

“Shall we get directions to a restaurant?”

“There’s no need to avoid her.”

As though greeting a guest, Seong Hyunjae said casually. Marisa relaxed her frown and replied, “Very well.” Before long, a car halted in front of them, and someone alighted.

“Hello, Miss Marisa. And—should I say, ‘pleased to meet you,’ Guildmaster?”

“Oh—Prince of Isabella’s side?”

Samir adopted an exaggeratedly dejected expression then opened the car’s rear door.

“I somehow ended up tasked with escorting Miss Marisa, so I look forward to your favor.”