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Of course, they couldn’t simply celebrate the news. There were still many matters to worry about. Besides predicting the odds of their victory against the Abyss, they had to consider another factor.

“The Sernitas,” Zelit said. “What happened to them? Is there any news?” The Sernitas wasn’t an existence that they could simply ignore. It would be too naive of them to hope for the Sernitas to remain inactive while humanity and the Cassiubia League attacked the Abyss. They didn’t know what the Sernitas would do exactly, but it was clear that they would take some kind of action.

“We decided to confront the Sernitas at the Cassiubia Mountain Range in case they made their move,” Chi-Hyun said.

Having guessed what Chi-Hyun meant by those words, Zelit replied, “That means…we will have to subjugate the Abyss with only the forces from Shalyh.”

The entire meeting place became quiet upon Zelit’s announcement. This changed things again. If all the forces in the Cassiubia Mountain Range and Shalyh concentrated on fighting the Abyss, the chance for victory wouldn’t be low. After all, no matter how strong the Abyss King was, the Cassiubia League and humanity had not just one or two, but three figures who could oppose him one on one. Yet if the Last Dragon, who represented the Cassiubia League, dropped out of the war to defend the mountain range…the situation became a bit more ambiguous. It made one wonder, ‘Will we be able to exterminate the Abyss with forces from Shalyh alone?’

Defending against enemies invading their lands was vastly different from initiating an invasion into an enemy territory. At the same time, although it would be difficult, it didn’t seem impossible since Chi-Woo would be joined by Chi-Hyun in this war. Chi-Hyun was the legend who had kept the majority of the Sernitas’ forces busy in the previous war, and he possessed enough strength to rival a whole nation. If the two forces—Chi-Hyun and Chi-Woo—joined hands, the situation seemed doable somehow.

Many of those attending the meeting were occupied with a myriad of thoughts, and no one dared to speak rashly. They were careful to voice their opinions given the current situation.

“Why don’t we seek cooperation with the Abyss? If we could deal with the Sernitas first…” Zelit said cautiously. He did have a point. That would allow the Cassiubia League and humanity to focus their whole attention on one place while gaining a strong ally—as long as they could guarantee that the partnership between the three forces was steadfast, that was.

“We considered that scenario…but it’s too risky. The Last Dragon and I share the same opinion on that matter,” Chi-Hyun said, and everyone nodded in agreement. It was the same for Chi-Woo. He recalled what Ismile had told him before and realized why his brother and the Last Dragon would take such a stance.

[Why do you only consider the positives when talking about alliances?]

[If we make an alliance with a faction, I bet that faction would secretly send out a messenger to pass on their plot to backstab us. That’s the kind of world this place is.]

These were enemies who had fought one another to the deaths until now. Even if they joined hands out of necessity, who knew when they would let go of the hands in their grasp and betray their allies? What if they believed the Abyss and attacked the Sernitas, but were attacked on both sides in the end? That would be the end of humanity and the Cassiubia League. It was horrible to even think about the possibility. Thus, the conclusion was simple.

Rather than risking unknown danger for some unreliable collaboration, they should bear the worst-case scenario from the beginning and take care of the two remaining enemy factions by making them one. In the first place, it remained a fact that the Sernitas and the Abyss were both enemies they needed to eliminate from Liber.

Everyone came to accept Chi-Hyun’s stance. While the forces at the Cassiubia Mountain range surveilled the Sernitas, the forces in Shalyh would subjugate the Abyss.

This was the reveal of another great ordeal, but nobody grumbled or complained. Things were different from before. They now had confidence, and the situation was much better compared to the time they defended against the three-faction alliance in the great war.

“I will announce the day we’ll depart when it’s decided. Everyone, prepare yourselves thoroughly from today on,” Chi-Hyun declared, and the meeting came to an end. When the attendees left, each of their faces was filled with an indescribable sense of passion and fervor. In a pitch-black darkness, they were finally beginning to see a path leading to the salvation of Liber.

***

After the meeting was over, Chi-Woo returned to Seven Stars. It was because Murumuru had followed him with another companion, saying that they wanted to talk to him for a bit. Chi-Woo thought they were seeking to secure their supply of AI Armor for the upcoming war beforehand, but he was off the mark.

“I heard a rumor that the Seven Stars is taking care of one of our kind,” Murumuru said unexpectedly. “I will begin by thanking you for saving her. It seems like she’s doing well, but there’s no need for an organization of your size to go to such lengths.”

‘What are they going on about now?’ Chi-Woo wondered.

“I’m saying there’s no need for you to feel responsible over someone who is one of us. You can leave her with us. We will take care of her well.”

Chi-Woo thought he heard wrong. He couldn’t tell if Murumuru was trying to steal Flora away from them, or was really speaking out of the kindness of their heart for a fellow half-demon. If it was the former, this was a good reason to fight, but…after a short consideration, Chi-Woo came to the conclusion that Murumuru’s intention was closer to the latter. Half-demons were outcasts shunned by both humanity and the Demon Empire. Thus, the group showed strong wariness and antagonism to outside groups, but on the other hand, tended to be very tight-knit. This was evident by how Murumuru came to personally thank him for saving some nameless half-demon girl as a representative of their kind.

“Thank you for your offer, but I have no intention of expelling Flora from Seven Stars,” Chi-Woo calmly refused. “It’s not out of a sense of responsibility or loyalty that we’re keeping her here. We brought her to Seven Stars because we saw her potential.” If Chi-Woo’s speculation was right, Murumuru should leave without any complaints, and as expected, Murumuru didn’t say anything else. Murumuru simply gave Chi-Woo a strange look.

It was true that Murumuru had been keeping an eye on Flora. But that wasn’t because Murumuru recognized Flora’s true worth or potential. The fame and reputation of Seven Stars were already tirelessly spoken about, and the group was one of the top forces among not just Shalyh, but the entire humanity and the Cassiubia League. One could tell just by the fact that Chi-Hyun had moved the designated meeting place from the official residence to Apertum. Though this could be a menial detail, one couldn’t ignore the symbolic meaning that this tiny action carried. It meant that the single-minded, dominant legend respected the Seven Stars and catered to them.

Anyways, because of how much influence Seven Stars held, information about existing and newly joined members and so on often became big news. And not so long ago, Murumuru heard a strange rumor that Seven Stars had accepted a half-demon girl as one of their members. It was definitely good news for them if true.

[Seven Stars accepted a half-demon…?]

[Aren’t each of their members no joke?]

[Hm. It seems that they are keeping it quiet because there’s something going on, but…]

[Should we investigate this matter?]

The news of one of the half-demons joining Seven Stars alone changed the way Shalyh residents saw them. In fact, the number of organizations who sought out half-demons to use them as mercenaries or other recruitment purposes had been increasing since then. This demand would only rise further once Chi-Hyun mentioned the upcoming war.

‘I heard those two were brothers. Then, Chi-Woo could’ve learned about the war beforehand, and naturally…’ Murumuru thought perhaps Chi-Woo had planned this whole event to promote a smooth cooperation between the half-demons and other groups. Murumuru had come to the conclusion because they didn’t know Flora’s true potential and couldn’t think of any other reason Seven Stars would accept a half-demon.

“Well, if you say so. All right. You said her name was Flora, right? Please take care of her,” Murumuru said and got up. There was some big misunderstanding, but it was fine. Though Murumuru didn’t like to feel indebted to someone else, they seemed ready to drop the issue this time. It was because Murumuru thought they had an idea why Chi-Woo was doing such a favor for them.

“I’m not saying it’s bad, but it seems a bit too much. It’s almost like an overkill. All we did was accept that silver-haired girl’s request and aided her a bit.”

“…Sorry? Who?”

“What? Did you not know about it?”

***

This was what had happened before Seven Stars went on their Balim expedition. Hawa was spending many days feeling conflicted about her position in Seven Stars. As days passed by, she felt her presence in the group become smaller. It was natural since she was a Liber native rather than a Celestial Realm hero, but she knew better than anyone else that such thoughts were nothing more than excuses and self-justifications. This was evident by how Eshnunna was getting treated when she had been dealt the same cards as her. Though they were both on the main team, the level of performance the two displayed was different.

Eshnunna was treated like 1.5 elite force, while Hawa was at most a secondary force. She was just a guide. Nothing less, nothing more. She couldn’t say that Eshnunna was simply lucky for having Evelyn as her master either since Hawa had received training under a hero called the legend at one point. How did things reach such a state? Thinking back, her plight seemed to originate from a particular point in time.

[Hawa.]

[Are you…laughing?]

She remembered the moment Chi-Woo glared at her with chilling eyes. Even though quite some time had passed then, her body still shuddered whenever she recalled his gaze. She supposed that she now knew what the enemies felt when they faced Chi-Woo. At that time, Hawa tried to desperately fix the situation by surveilling the Demon Empire’s zone all day long and diving into battle to protect them without hesitation. Thanks to that, she was able to escape grave punishment, but not completely, as shown by Chi-Woo’s behavior. From then on, Chi-Woo had never once called on Hawa or even spared her a glance. It was as if she weren’t even there.

Chi-Woo was frighteningly cold once he turned his back on someone, and with her quick wits, Hawa instantly felt that Chi-Woo wouldn’t have even the slightest care in the world even if she declared that she would leave Seven Stars. Thus, there seemed to be only two choices left to make. She could quietly leave the organization, or she could cling to her position with all she had. Of course, she didn’t even give the first option any consideration.

As someone who had personally experienced how advantageous it was to be a member of Seven Stars, not just in Shalyh, but in this world, she couldn’t give that up easily. Yet she didn’t want to stay in the group when her presence didn’t matter. Thus, the only remaining method was to somehow get into Chi-Woo’s favor again. From then on, Hawa changed.

First of all, she paid extreme attention to her words and actions. To avoid doing anything that she could later be reprimanded for, she thought twice or thrice before carrying her thoughts into action. She also routinely participated in the charity activities that Evelyn went to, visited the half-demons and apologized to them, and so on. Furthermore, she completed works that she wouldn’t have even imagined herself doing in the past. But she knew it would be too naive of her to expect Chi-Woo to recognize her again for doing things that should’ve been natural to her from the beginning. She needed something else to move his heart again.

Thus, while circling around Chi-Woo, Hawa gained an opportunity. She saw it when the boy who visited Seven Stars after seeing the announcement at the Apertum returned home. After receiving money from Seven Stars for his information, he returned with a pouch full of money in his clutch, plain as day for all to see. Originally a native foremost, Hawa knew life on Liber better than anyone else. Like how not all Celestial heroes were heroic, it was the same for the natives. Not every strong person was evil, and not every weak person was good.

Hawa secretly tailed the boy and got an intuitive feeling when she saw him walk into the alleyway while several poor natives took furtive glances at his pouch. If it wasn’t for the Balim expedition, she might have watched over the situation for 24 hours. But Hawa needed to leave for the expedition soon, and after contemplating a bit, she sought out the half-demons. She explained the situation and asked them to look over the boy, and Murumuru easily accepted the request. Though they didn’t have the best relationship with one another, Hawa had sincerely apologized to them before and given them commissions. Furthermore, they couldn’t refuse a request from a member of Seven Stars.

When Hawa returned from her expedition, she heard from Murumuru about what had happened. Several people targeted the boy, and Murumuru’s team chased them away severely. It wasn’t significant in the grand scheme of things, but without Hawa, things would’ve been different. And Hawa could’ve led Chi-Woo to find out about it, but she didn’t. She quietly waited for her chance, and her wait was finally rewarded today. After listening to Murumuru’s retelling of what had happened, Chi-Woo called Hawa for the first time since that incident.

Hawa straightened her back, looking slightly tense. It was because Chi-Woo was staring at her coldly. Chi-Woo only spoke after a long stretch of silence.

“Why didn’t you say anything?”

“I only did what was expected…”

“Don’t play ignorant and answer me properly.”

“I thought it wasn’t right for me to do that,” Hawa said the answer she had prepared beforehand as soon as she heard Chi-Woo’s reply. “I didn’t want to give you the impression that I did something just to show off,” she admitted honestly. Chi-Woo stared intently at her as Hawa gulped nervously.

Then, he said, “Good job.”

Hawa’s eyes widened slightly.

“You took care of something I overlooked,” Chi-Woo admitted his mistake. Well, it was hardly a mistake in others’ eyes; it was surprising that Chi-Woo had complimented Hawa, but that was how Chi-Woo’s personality was; he said ‘good job’ on a job well done and ‘bad job’ on a job poorly done. And Hawa did well this time. Chi-Woo had thought that the deal with the boy was finished after he gave him the promised sum and stopped caring about it, but if he had learned about the boy’s misfortune later on, he would’ve felt discomforted by the news. Thanks to Hawa’s quick thinking, she prevented an incident from happening. In that sense, Hawa clearly did a good job. He couldn’t deny this fact.

“I made a promise when I decided that Seven Stars would turn over a new leaf.” It was to give rewards to those who properly deserved it and punish those who did wrong. “Even if it’s something small, you did something well and deserve a reward.”

“…” The conversation was going in the direction Hawa wished, but for some reason, she was feeling tense. Hawa licked her lips.

“What do you want?” Chi-Woo asked.

Originally, she planned to ask for forgiveness when Chi-Woo asked this question. But she thought, ‘Is that really what I want?’ Chi-Woo told her to not put up an act and speak honestly.

“Give me power, sir.”

Chi-Woo raised one eyebrow.

“I hope that you’ll also give me power like the others,” Hawa revealed her true desire now that the situation arose. Chi-Woo looked at her intently and tapped on his desk.

“Do you want to be one of the Seven Stars?”

“It would be a lie if I said I didn’t want to.”

“I have no intention of offering you one of the star positions, nor do I think you are suitable for it.”

“I know it’s a long shot.” It would be nice to become a star, but she didn’t dare covet it. Still, she wanted power. Chi-Woo glanced at the chain around his wrist and looked back at Hawa.

[You should be especially wary of Hawa.]

[You all must know what I’m talking about after seeing her user information.]

[Though her skills are quite useful, you don’t know where she will spring off to.]

[If you want to help her grow stronger despite that, you should properly set her in the right direction.]

Chi-Woo recalled what Grumpy Chi-Woo had said during their time in Future Yoo-Joo’s space.

“Why should I?” Chi-Woo asked. “If you’ve acted like this before, I might not have even hesitated to grant your request. I would’ve given you the power even without you asking for it.”

However, Hawa didn’t do that. Although she was young, she had learned the way of the world too early.

“So, how can I trust you?”

“Is there really a need…for you to trust me?”

Chi-Woo frowned. Maybe he heard her wrong, but he didn’t care.

While touching her neck, Hawa calmly said, “You already have my lifeline in your hands. You can just yank the leash whenever I stray from the right path…for forever.”

Chi-Woo hadn’t expected this response at all and looked greatly taken aback. “…Huh?”