TVDV 07

Chapter : 7

No way. Could it really be…?

He knew it was impossible, yet he wanted to believe.

The hunter name that came from the Grand Duchess’s lips.
The Grand Duchess who had supposedly changed recently, all of a sudden.

If—just if—even the tiniest miracle existed.

Kailrop gripped his trembling hand and took a deep breath.

It felt like his breath might stop at any moment. He wanted to run to her and ask right away.

Was it true?
That she wasn’t the Grand Duchess Arisha—but Hunter Ari?

How did she know him?

Clinging to the last shred of his reason, he opened the system window. It was a window he hadn’t opened even once since returning to this world.

[System ─ Entering Conversation Mode.]
[Fixing connection target.]
[Connection target: Joari (Fixed)]
[Outputting logs.]

[Connection failed 20xx.12.02 13:24:22]
[User does not exist.]

……

[Duplicate content omitted.]
[Approximately 24,212 identical entries omitted]

……

[Connection failed 20xx.06.31 23:51:49]
[User does not exist.]

[Connection failed 20xx.06.31 23:53:18]
[User does not exist.]

[Connection failed 20xx.06.31 23:57:21]

……

[Recalibrating mana network server.]
[Earth/Korea → Continent/Pangaea Empire]
[Requested channel: /channel > conversation /Kailrop > Ari]

[Attempting connection.]
[Accessing the other party’s system.]
[Processing access……]

……

[Connection successful]

With Rael suddenly collapsing, both the Grand Duke and Egail left their seats, and the reception room fell silent.

Only then did Arisha notice the gaze fixed firmly on her.

Hunter Roan—no, Kailrop.

Kailrop, whose hunter name was Roan.

He was a hunter she had been fairly close with before she possessed this body.

A man who had suddenly appeared five years ago—affiliation unknown, origin unknown, nationality unknown. Everything about him was a mystery.

There was only one thing that was certain.

His skill.

Because his identity was unclear, every nation initially avoided him. But he proved his worth on his own.

He single-handedly resolved the third dungeon explosion incident in New Jersey, USA, and ended the Great Freezing of the South Pacific in just two weeks. After coming to Korea, he coordinated with her and stopped the Incheon anti-terror incident.

After that incident, he abruptly signed an official contract with the Korean branch and became an exclusive Korean hunter. That was how they became acquainted.

Despite his mature and well-mannered demeanor, his strangely careless attitude and the occasional playful side made her nag at him without realizing it.

That Roan…

…A returnee.

She had vaguely suspected that this world wasn’t merely one inside a book. The mana that composed it was far too refined and vivid.

But the fact that it was connected to Earth was truly unsettling.

Arisha recalled the book she had read again. An old book—but one filled with ominous descriptions and explanations.

She became certain that coming here wasn’t a coincidence.

At that moment—

[Channel > Conversation: You have received a message from Kailrop.]

“Kailrop: …Is it you?”

Arisha looked at Kailrop.

He approached and grabbed her wrist. His hand was trembling faintly.

“I thought you were dead.”

Deep pain flickered through Kailrop’s blue eyes.

“…I really thought you were dead.”

The grip on her wrist tightened.

As if she might disappear from his hands the moment he let go.

“Six months. I truly believed you were dead.”

She had always known he was an unbelievably indifferent guy. He didn’t reject people who approached him, but he never let anyone into his heart deeply.

But how could he be this cruel?

The hand holding hers didn’t move even an inch.

“At the very least, you should’ve contacted us to say you were alive.”

Kailrop knew he was saying something unreasonable.

But if he didn’t let something out, he felt like he wouldn’t survive.

After finally pouring it all out, what returned was overwhelming relief—that she wasn’t dead, that she was alive.

His head throbbed as emotions surged in.

“I don’t know either. What happened. When I came to my senses, things were like this.”

Arisha spoke with a slight frown.

“And I didn’t even know whether you were someone from this world. How was I supposed to contact you?”

“…Hah. Right. You’re right.”

Only then did Kailrop come to his senses. Hearing Arisha’s unchanged tone brought reality back to him.

He finally calmed down.

He let out a deep sigh inwardly.

You’re alive. Thank goodness… truly, thank goodness.

He hid his true feelings and smiled.

“Possession? Something like that? Or reincarnation?”

“Seems like possession.”

“I’ve never heard of a case like that.”

“Same here. But you seem like a returnee. What happened to your appearance?”

“When I was in Korea, I slightly altered my looks with mana. Hair color like this wasn’t common there—people got annoying. But how did you recognize me?”

“…Well, just.”

Arisha pulled out some tea from her inventory and drank it.

She had secretly stashed it away when Anna wasn’t looking.

“Kailrop: So what’s the plan?”

“Plan?”

“Kailrop: Ari always has a plan.”

A plan. It had been a long time since she’d heard that word.

“Well… eat well, rest well…?”

Kailrop looked genuinely surprised.

“Kailrop: That doesn’t sound like you. …But I like it.”

“Then why do you keep replying through messages?”

“…Because I can’t believe it. That you’re alive.”

And that the person in front of him was really Ari.

For the first time since returning to this world, Kailrop felt the tightness in his chest ease.

He could feel fresh air filling his lungs.

Light poured down from the ceiling of the reception room and settled over Arisha.

Now that he knew, he could see it clearly.

A completely different face, a completely different appearance—but her unique atmosphere remained unchanged.

Still cool… and still cute.

Kailrop was amazed that two contradictory words could fit so perfectly.

“I heard you’re under self-reflection.”

“More like a vacation-style self-reflection. I’m doing this and that.”

Arisha put the empty teacup back into her inventory and showed him her precious first creation.

It was… well, her first creation, anyway.

“What is this. Trash?”

“……”

“Why are you carrying trash in your inventory? That’s not like you.”

Looks like it was time to cut ties.

Arisha clutched her precious first creation tightly.

Just before returning to the Imperial Palace, Kailrop sent Arisha a short message.

“Kailrop: Accept my messages. Don’t ignore them.”

That evening, a fairly long message arrived from Kailrop.

“Kailrop: After you disappeared, thanks to the special rewards, Korea’s situation stabilized. Everything rapidly returned to normal.”
“Kailrop: Your funeral… was held as a state funeral three days after the dungeon was cleared. There were so many mourners that the prepared chrysanthemums weren’t nearly enough.”
“Kailrop: By the time I returned to this world, most medium-to-large dungeons in South Korea were already gone, so by now the entire country should be much safer than before.”

“Arisha: What about the other hunters?”

“Kailrop: Most of them went on long-term leave. Some went overseas. Yakmokseon said he didn’t want to live as a hunter until the country summoned him again, so he temporarily retired.”
“Kailrop: Kang Suwon… disappeared.”
“Kailrop: He didn’t show up at your funeral either.”
“Kailrop: At least, that was the case when I returned.”

Kang Suwon…

Her mouth tasted bitter.

Arisha couldn’t bring herself to reply anymore. After a long while, another message came from Kailrop.

“Kailrop: …Are you okay?”
“Arisha: Yeah, I’m fine.”
“Kailrop: …By the way.”
“Arisha: Huh?”
“Kailrop: Do you know what ‘himsumjjin’ is?”
“Arisha: …Himsumjjin?”

What is that?

“Kailrop: Wow. You’re still a total ‘munjjin,’ I see.”
“Arisha: ……”
“Kailrop: Ah—did I just do a ‘byeoldajul’?”
“Arisha: What’s ‘munjjin’ and ‘byeoldajul’ now?”
“Kailrop: I think I just caused a ‘gapbunsa.’”
“Kailrop: Should I explain again—very seriously?”

“……”

Arisha took her hand off the message window.

At this point, she was certain—this guy was messing with her again.

Yes. That was exactly the kind of guy he was. Acting serious when you thought he was joking, joking when you thought he was serious.

I was a little worried earlier because he seemed off when we first met.

Worried, my foot. The moment she showed an opening, he went straight for teasing her.

“Arisha: Let me know when you’re done joking.”
“Arisha: I’m logging off.”

“Kailrop: S-sor;ry.”
“Kailrop: Sorry.”
“Kailrop: W-wait a sec—”

Something urgent came through, but Arisha closed the message window.

She tightly gripped the knitted item she had made.

“Trash, really…”

It’s not that bad.