The Heroine Stole My Regression

56 – Preparation (3)

The club room, plunged into darkness.

Upon the desk sat the Go board and the club president’s room key, left behind as he departed.

Moonlight, faint and ethereal, seeped in through the window. Within the gloom, only the desk and Go board revealed their subtle silhouettes.

The wall clock quietly marked the passage of time. The hour was already deep into night.

Yoon Chae-ha rested her chin in her hand, gazing at the Go board with eyes half-closed.

Her crimson pupils trembled, ever so slightly.

She had spent hours painstakingly reviewing the game.

At first, she’d thought victory would come easily.

No—in the first place, the option of defeat simply hadn’t existed.

For a mage, focus was an essential element.

From a young age, she had played Go extensively.

And, gifted in magic as she was, she had naturally displayed exceptional skill at Go as well.

And yet, she had lost.

All ten games.

“Hmph…”

Leaning back in her chair, she slowly inhaled.

Just what, precisely, had gone wrong?

Initially, anger had surged within her, reaching a fever pitch. For her, defeat was not a familiar emotion.

However, the more she played, the more she understood. The more she pursued his moves, the faster he eluded her, and the more he grew.

The angle of his growth curve was steep, like someone learning Baduk for the first time.

And on the tenth game…

At some point, she could no longer see any of his moves.

He had become someone beyond her ability to measure.

“… Is this even possible?”

The words slipped out like a whisper.

Suddenly, she understood.

Talent.

Always the one facing down such beings, Yoon Chae-ha…

For the first time, she was confronted by overwhelming talent.

*

The weekend arrived.

I headed toward Vanguisher headquarters.

Today was the day to settle things.

First, I needed to get permission from the Old Man to participate in the upcoming operation.

Having secured Paladin’s cooperation, it seemed better to formally join the Vanguishers rather than sneaking in.

And, there was the Catastrophe sleeping on my back.

I had to negotiate with the absurdly strong dragon dwelling within it.

Passing through the familiar hallway, I opened the door to the Old Man’s study.

As I stepped between the bookshelves, the subtle aroma of coffee filled the room.

The Old Man was pouring coffee by the window.

I crossed the threshold and spoke without hesitation.

“Let me in on it.”

The Old Man stopped pouring the coffee.

He slowly turned his head and looked at me with eyes that seemed to regard me as a madman.

“… Let you in on what?”

“You know, the mission in two weeks.”

Before I knew it, there were less than two weeks remaining.

His brow furrowed.

The Old Man let out a small sigh and, without a word, tossed two sugar cubes into his coffee, one after the other.

He stared fixedly at the sugar dissolving in his coffee, then lifted the cup and took a sip.

Silence hung in the air as he seemed to savor the bitter taste.

“How did you even…”

“I happened to see it.”

The assignment from the Association. Elimination of the Mine nest in Hamgyeong Province.

Ostensibly, it wasn’t a particularly dangerous mission. The Association had simply requested a larger team in preparation for unforeseen circumstances.

At least, that was the surface of it.

Deep down, I wanted to believe it too.

The old man placed his cup down slowly, lost in a heavy silence.

And then, he looked at me, his expression suggesting he was unsure where to even begin.

I quietly observed his silence. I knew what he was agonizing over.

His daughter, killed by the Mines, and his most prized team member.

The old man idly rotated the coffee cup with his fingertips. I slipped into the space of his thoughts, speaking calmly.

“I know what you’re worried about.”

The old man’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“But I need some real field experience. And, as a ‘Vanquisher in training’…”

At that moment, the old man’s fingers froze.

He quickly regained control of his expression, but I didn’t miss the brief flicker of reaction.

I’d been holding back for this day.

I’d never once mentioned wanting to join the Vanquishers.

The old man sighed heavily.

And, finally, he spoke.

“…That’s not it, you fool.”

“Huh?”

“Sion got there first.”

“Who?”

Sion?

“That mission you mentioned, Sion discovered it first. And offered to participate.”

Unconsciously, I furrowed my brow.

“You let him?”

To my question, the elder seemed to ask, with an absurd look, ‘And weren’t you just begging for permission, too?’

Then, with a soft chuckle, he finally spoke.

“Could I even refuse? You plagued me for days on end; there was no way I could hold out.”

I could practically picture Zion tormenting the elder, and the corners of my mouth lifted.

Knowing Zion’s personality, once she set her mind to something, she’d never give up.

“So, I have no justification to stop you, no justification at all.”

The elder silently sipped his coffee.

He took a mouthful, then slowly set the cup back down.

A moment of silence.

And then, he said matter-of-factly,

“Do as you see fit.”

“But, this is only support, understand? No stepping onto the front lines.”

“Thank you!”

It was permission.

Support on standby was enough.

*

Gaon’s training facility is plenty exceptional as well.

State-of-the-art equipment and a carefully selected training program, top-notch instructors permanently stationed; as a facility for nurturing heroes, it lacked nothing.

But, Vanguisher’s training facility was the best in the world.

From the training equipment to the combat simulation systems, there wasn’t a single thing he hadn’t personally overseen.

Of course, sometimes he’d just lazily make do with training at Gaon, but today, he’d come here after a long absence.

-Thwack!

A whistling sound echoed from within the training ground.

It seemed he had a visitor already.

Zion was there.

Holding a bow, she quietly stared at the target.

The moment she forcefully drew back the bowstring –

Black flames bloomed.

Flames that seemed to devour the air flickered. This wasn’t ordinary mana.

‘Oh?’

Her flame, seen through the all-perceiving eye, was faint, yet imbued with the spirit of defiance against evil.

I hadn’t realized Zion’s accomplishments had reached this level.

-Wooom.

“Huh?”

Then, Catastrophe, strapped to my back, vibrated.

As if resonating with that very energy.

However.

“Hah…”

She soon lowered her bow, exhaling a long breath.

She organized her bow, arranged her equipment.

The training seemed to be over.

“What’s gotten into the lazybones?”

I watched her quietly, then spoke with playful inflection.

Zion was outstanding and overflowing with talent, but she didn’t enjoy honing her martial skills. Therefore, the sight I’d just witnessed could be considered quite rare.

Zion seemed startled, turning her head.

Zion, after finishing her training, emanated an atmosphere markedly different from usual.

Her breathing was ragged, her chest rising and falling lightly, and her sweat-soaked clothes clung to her skin, sticking slightly with each movement.

Sweat trickled down her nape, following the line of her collarbone until it disappeared.

The tips of her hair were also damp, shimmering subtly each time she raised her arm to wipe her forehead.

“Just…after a long time…”

Zion equivocated vaguely, setting down her bow.

Zion, post-training, was much rosier than usual.

Whether from the extensive movement, her face and neck were flushed with heat.

I gazed at her, then quietly spoke.

“Perfect timing, actually. Got some time?”

“Yeah, why?”

“Could you stay beside me for a bit?”

Zion blinked, her face still flushed.

I unstrapped the spear from my back, slowly extending my hand.

-Wooom

Catastrophe trembled subtly, emitting a low vibration.

It had been reacting ever since seeing Zion’s black flames earlier.

“She’s a slightly… volatile one, so if she collapses again or anything…”

“Ah… understood.”

Her words trailing off, Zion gave a light nod.

She seemed to understand, and returned to her seat.

‘Hah…’

I took a deep breath internally.

My heart was pounding something fierce.

I wanted to postpone it if possible, but there was nowhere left to delay.

To draw out Catastrophe’s power even halfway, no, even a quarter, I needed Aldebaran’s cooperation.

Now, it was time to settle things.

Slowly, I placed my hand on the spear.

-Wooom…!

The spear’s vibration intensified.

A cold, rough sensation rose from my fingertips.

At that moment.

– Krrrrr…

A short, drawn breath.

I felt the gaze of a beast, staring back at me.

Something within the spear had awakened.

*

As Haein Jeong left the room, Elder, Ha Tae-seong, quietly set down his coffee cup.

The black liquid inside rippled. His reflection on the coffee’s surface momentarily twisted before fading away.

He reached out to the desk. An old, worn picture frame.

A faint layer of dust clung to the glass.

Ha Tae-seong withdrew a handkerchief from his pocket, carefully wiping the frame.

Slowly. And slowly.

In the photograph stood a woman with long hair tied back.

A warm smile played on her lips, and a young man beside her playfully embraced her.

The woman resembled Zion.

And the man beside her—a squadmate with a face of iron resolve.

Once, they were the closest to his heart.

“…”

He said nothing.

As he gazed at the photograph, memories surfaced on their own accord.

The day they, those dearest to him, were slain by the Maimed.

Yet, in the photo, she still wore that warm smile.

As time passed, Zion grew ever more like her.

And Jeong Haein, strangely, emanated an aura akin to ‘that guy’ back then.

This fact, while gladdening him, also seeded unease within.

Ha Taeseong wordlessly stared down at the photo, then breathed a small sigh.

“…Brats.”

He raised the coffee cup in his hand again.

He swallowed a mouthful of the bitter brew.

As if chewing and swallowing the lingering emotions, a heavy bitterness grazed his tongue.

He recalled those he had failed to protect in the past.

Then, his strength had been lacking, the paths available, nonexistent.

But.

If such a chance were given to me again.

Ha Taeseong closed his eyes quietly.

When he opened them once more, his gaze was deeper, more firmly settled.

This time, he would not let them go.