Chapter 208 – Moonlight
A new year had arrived.
Despite the world becoming increasingly tumultuous with the emergence of various villains, the new year came without fail.
[Now, let’s check the global news for updates from around the world. Today, the United States officially acknowledged the identity of S-Class time-traveler X Machina and expressed their regret at his reported death. Citizens, upon hearing his achievements so far, are mourning his loss…]
And as expected, news of X-Machina’s death surfaced right at the beginning of the new year.
Seeing this, I finally confirmed it. Yes, it seems that time has indeed looped back as in the original story.
Furthermore, with his death being revealed along with his identity, there was a possibility that my stock value would rise. Last time at the Cateadel, I didn’t reveal his true identity, and people might have been skeptical or unsure, but with this news, they would undoubtedly realize the truth.
Oh! Egostic, that guy does have something special after all.
Anyway, those who have taken an interest in me might start investigating or looking into me, and that way, they’ll probably learn a bit about me. For now, it’s unlikely that foreign villains invading for plunder would come to Korea.
Anyway, my goal is to spread rumors about me abroad, preventing the invasion and thus saving Stardus from unnecessary trouble. It’s easier to deal with the villain scum in Korea in advance, so the best course of action is to prevent foreign villains from coming at all.
Anyway, that’s how Cateadel will gradually increase its influence. I can release a few more pieces of information to keep this strategy going.
…Yeah, for now, let’s put these complicated thoughts aside.
First, let’s eat.
“Bon appétit.”
“Yes, enjoy your meal.”
So, we welcomed the new year by eating rice cake soup around the dining table. Soobin was watching us with a smile. Since I also helped make the food, I had already eaten a bowl with Soobin, who said she went to get some herself.
“Is it good?”
“Yes, it’s delicious, Da-in.”
Eun-wol smiled and replied. Yes, it’s good to see her enjoying the meal. Lately, Eun-wol has been catching my attention. I feel a slight sense of guilt whenever I see her, but I can’t quite figure out why.
…It feels like something I should remember, but I can’t quite recall. Strange.
“It reminds me of the past. The villagers used to treat me to this…”
Meanwhile, on the side, Shin Ryeong suddenly murmured something lost in memories. I have no idea when she’s talking about.
Anyway, the atmosphere at today’s meal was warm and pleasant. As the snow fell outside, the sight of the whole family gathered together in the warm house, eating rice cake soup, warmed a corner of my heart.
“…It looks nice, doesn’t it?”
“Yes, it’s great that everyone enjoys the meal.”
Soobin smiled and replied to my words. We all looked happily at everyone enjoying their food.
“Wow, Da-in, look outside! It’s snowing so much!”
At that moment, Seo-eun grabbed my sleeve and said excitedly. I turned my head to look outside as she pointed. Indeed, the snow was falling heavily compared to before. This winter, there’s a lot of snow. Not good for terrorist activities.
While I was thinking about that, Seo-eun blinked and said, “On days like this, we should have a snowball fight!”
“Huh?”
Before I could respond to the sudden snowball fight idea, Choi Sehee and Seo Ja-young, who were sitting next to me, chimed in.
“Oh, a snowball fight? That’s a good idea. I used to do it when I was young, but I haven’t done it as an adult.”
“Sure. I’ll have to tell Sehee who the older sister is after a long time.”
“Haha, you think it’s you? I bet it’s the other way around.”
“Hehe, are you mad?”
“No? I’m just thinking about how to turn you into a snowman.”
And just like that, Choi Sehee and Seo Ja-young suddenly got fired up. Actually, when Seo-eun suggested a snowball fight, I was about to tease her, saying she’s almost a high school senior and acting like a child, but now it seems like I can’t tell who’s the adult here.
Well, that’s how it went. We finished eating and naturally decided what to do next.
***
Villains. Those who create chaos in society through acts of terrorism become a source of fear for ordinary people. With overwhelming abilities, they threaten civilians with terrifying power. But what do they do in their spare time? The answer: snowball fights.
“Hah!”
“Ha, try to dodge this! You can’t escape!”
“Sehee, Ja-young, be careful next to you!”
…Well, of course, there might be a difference in scale.
As I flew around wearing a scarf, I watched them shooting snowballs at each other like cannonballs. Of course, Seo-eun was there too, riding some strange robot and shooting snowballs like a snow cannon.
…I’m not sure why it turned into fireworks and lightning flashing while they started with a snowball fight, but anyway, everyone was having fun. Seeing this, I’m glad we built our house in the mountains.
“Hmm…”
So, what was I doing? I was rolling snow with Eun-wol, making a snowman together. Let’s avoid those rough places and quietly make a snowman…
Eun-wol was shaping the snow with her gloved hands, and I rolled the snow alongside her. Doing this made me feel more at ease. When was the last time I made a snowman? I vividly remember the time when I made the biggest snowman with my friend in the parking lot when we were young.
“Da-in, this should be enough.”
“Really? Shall we put on the head now?”
With that, we finished rolling the head, and Eun-wol and I made a small snowman. It reached about my waist. It looked a bit plain, so I picked up some twigs and inserted them on both sides like hands. It looked quite presentable.
Snowman, complete!
Feeling satisfied, we celebrated with a high-five. Then Eun-wol smiled brightly. She seemed quite pleased with the snowman we made.
“Ha, let’s take a break now.”
“Yes, Da-in.”
That way, I brought a log from among the trees and used telekinesis to clear the snow off it. With Eun-wol chanting a spell, a long, fluffy log bench appeared on top of the snow in no time.
With her nose slightly red, Eun-wol sat down on the log bench, emitting white breath into the cold air.
“Eun-wol, wait a moment?”
“Yes? Okay.”
Seeing that, I used telekinesis to teleport inside the house instantly.
A few minutes later, I returned to the log bench with two cups of hot cocoa in my hands.
“Here, Eun-wol. Drink this.”
“Oh, Da-in. Thank you.”
She smiled widely as she received the cup. Against the backdrop of the snowfall in the forest, her long black hair, reddish eyes, and the warmth of her clothes, along with the red scarf, made her look like a typical girl her age. She was not the fierce villain known as ‘Moonlight Shaman’ from the original.
“Ja-young…! Is this how you’re going to come out so recklessly?”
“Yeah, what can you do? Fire, shield~”
“Seriously… I have similar thoughts!”
Meanwhile, while we were peacefully taking a break after the snowball fight, a battle was raging on the other side.
Seo Ja-young was surrounded by flames, melting the snow before it could even reach her, while Seo-eun, who seemed to be seeking revenge, was somewhere constructing what looked like a snow cannon. Meanwhile, Sehee, now flying around, was throwing lightning-fast snow and lightning at the speeding Ja-young.
“…Should we just drink cocoa here?”
“…Yes, Da-in.”
Not wanting to get involved in their rough play, we decided to sit quietly on the log bench and enjoy the view. We placed the snowman we made together right next to us and sipped our warm cocoa.
“….”
Eun-wol, beside me, held the warm cup in her hands like a makeshift heater and quietly smiled while watching the others play. I took a sip of my cocoa.
…Baek Eun-wol.
She’s Moonlight Shaman who has the ability to use the moon magic. To be precise, she was the only person on Earth who could perfectly control all aspects of moon magic.
And the reason I recruited her into the Egostream wasn’t solely because of her abilities.
Please just kill me.
…In the original story, she was manipulated by the leader of Wolgwang and forced to carry out terrorist acts against her will. Tormented by guilt every night, she eventually reached a point where she begged Stardus to kill her while suppressing her powers as much as possible.
In the end, having lost her life at Stardus’s hands, she passed away with a final smile as if finally being freed from her suffering.
…When this episode was serialized, the online community of readers was flooded with tears. Especially during a time when there were hardly any normal characters in the original Stardus, the tragic fate of a character who was so kind ending up in the hands of the protagonist was truly tear-jerking. Many people felt sorry for her, especially considering how cute she looked.
Of course, I was one of those people.
That’s why I had the intention of saving Eun-wool from the beginning.
At that moment when I was thinking about that…
“Da-in…”
“Yeah?”
“Thank you.”
“What for?”
Out of the blue, Eun-wol spoke from beside me, and I raised an eyebrow in response.
In the snowy forest, she continued to smile slightly, not paying attention to the members playing around.
“Just… I was thinking, if it weren’t for you, would I have been able to see this scenery for the rest of my life? Seo-eun, Soobin, Ha-yul, everyone… All of you welcomed me warmly when I first came here…”
“Of course, we’re family now.”
“Family…”
After briefly contemplating my words, Eun-wol’s voice became slightly quieter, as if she was gazing into the distant forest.
“Da-in, back in the Wolgwanggyo, you see…”
For the first time since coming to this place, in front of the mansion in the snowfall, Eun-wol brought up her past.
“When I woke up, I had no memories.”
Only based on what the leader said, she was trapped under a seal, wearing a shaman outfit.
Meeting the Wolgwanggyo was her first memory. She had no memories of her childhood or any recollections. She became a bioweapon for Wolgwanggyo.
As a shaman of Wolgwanggyo, she became the symbol of the cult, under the oppression and control of the leader, learning magic. And no one approached her, she had no friends or family, only learning ways to harm others.
“So, I can do anything for you, Da-in. Even if the whole world betrays you, I’ll always be by your side.”
“…Yeah. Thank you, Eun-wol.”
“Hehe.”
At Eun-wol’s sudden confession, I had no choice but to express my gratitude and comfort her.
…It seems like Eun-wol becomes sentimental when it snows.
“Oh! Da-in, Eun-wol, what are you two doing? I want to make a snowman too!”
Just as we were discovered by Seo-eun, who came running over, we smiled at her.
…Family, huh? Family.
Such a warm feeling.
And so, that day passed with us making snowmen all day long and playing snowball fights together with Eun-wol.
And…
Before we knew it, the day of the first Cathedral meeting of the new year was approaching.
…Already?
