NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 22
Why is my brother here…?
No, wait. Given the circumstances, it makes sense.
I glanced over at the Demon King, who was currently receiving a vigorous brotherly touch courtesy of his brother.
| Pr. Godslayer (Guild Master) |: Demon King, what level is this gate?
| Pr. Demon King |: My Lord, his hand is very heavy!!
| Pr. Godslayer (Guild Master) |: Cut the crap; be serious.
If this gate warranted the simultaneous presence of the guild masters of Hwarang and Return, it was definitely a Level 3 or higher.
Distracted by the mage idiot, I’d completely forgotten both to save Seoha and to close the gate. How could I have overlooked something this important?!
As I mentally berated my own stupidity, my brother suddenly grabbed my face, tilting it this way and that.
“Haun-ah, are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?”
His voice was so full of concern that I could only stammer a reply.
“Uh, y-yeah, I’m fine. I’m not hurt.”
That was apparently the wrong answer. My brother’s face twisted with rage as he shouted,
“Not hurt?! What do you mean, not hurt?! Healer!! We need a healer!! Damn it!! Guild Master Woo Mahan, do you have any healing skills?!”
“No. If I did, I’d have patched up this brat ages ago.”
“Hyungnim, please stop yelling in my ear!!”
Both the Demon King and I were fine.
“Seoha?! Seoha, are you okay?!”
Seoha was, of course, fine as well.
| 9th Circle Archmage |: Damn birds won’t leave me alone!!!
| Northern Grand Duke |: ??
| Northern Grand Duke |: Uh, what are you even doing?
The only one not fine was the mage idiot.
Boom—!!
A crimson flash erupted in the sky, drawing everyone’s attention upward.
“…What in the world?”
“Guil–!!”
I leapt like a butterfly, quickly clamping my hand over the Demon King’s mouth before he could finish his sentence.
“…?”
Woo Mahan, who probably didn’t recognize me at the moment, gave me a bewildered look, as if to ask, Who are you, and why are you gagging someone else’s brother?
Haha, sorry about that.
| Pr. Godslayer (Guild Master) |: Remember the roles we agreed on when we entered the gate?
| Pr. Demon King |: I remember.
| Pr. Godslayer (Guild Master) |: Stick to the plan, okay?
| Pr. Demon King |: Understood.
The Demon King nodded, and I cautiously removed my hand.
“What on earth are you doing right now?” Woo Mahan demanded.
I sheepishly stepped back.
“Guild Master Woo Mahan, do you really think she did that on purpose?”
“‘She’? Oh, so she’s your little sister?”
Tension flared immediately between my brother and Woo Mahan, their sharp gazes locking in a silent battle.
“Woo Mahun, what’s going on between you and that girl?”
“…”
“Mahun?”
Woo Mahun kept his head down, remaining silent.
“What’s wrong? Hey. Why are you spacing out all of a sudden?”
Woo Mahan lightly tapped the Demon King’s shoulder, but the Demon King remained unresponsive.
That’s when I realized I’d made yet another colossal mistake.
We had agreed that if we encountered hunters inside the gate, we would stick to our roles:
The Demon King was supposed to be Citizen 1, a shocked and speechless civilian. I was Citizen 2, leading the distraught Citizen 1 to seek help from hunters.
Instead, Woo Mahan, pale as a ghost, grabbed the Demon King’s shoulders and shook him.
“Mahun! Hey!! Why are you suddenly acting like this?! You’re scaring me! Stop it!!”
“…”
Why is the Demon King such a good actor?
My brother stood protectively in front of me and Seoha, swallowing hard as the grim reality of the situation seemed to finally hit him—this was, after all, the inside of a gate.
| Pr. Godslayer (Guild Master) |: Demon King, I’m sorry. Just act like the mage idiot is irrelevant and explain what’s going on.
The moment I sent the message, the Demon King took a deep breath and declared, “How suffocating.”
“Hey! You scared me!!”
For that, the Demon King got his ear grabbed again.
Boom—!!
A loud explosion echoed as something started falling from the sky.
My brother shielded Seoha and me, his expression twisting with disgust. What rained down were monster corpses.
“Wow, I thought I was gonna die!!”
“…?”
Through the settling dust, a man wearing a tattered suit strolled into view, brushing off imaginary dirt.
“Finally finished! But…”
The mage idiot looked around at all of us, confusion etched on his face.
“…What is this situation?”
In a guild like Return, teammates were only as good as the moment you didn’t need to ditch them.
Pointing at the mage, I quickly said, “That hunter saved us.”
“Me?”
The mage idiot’s face practically screamed, Are you out of your mind, human?
My brother, glancing between me and the mage, clasped his hands together, his voice brimming with gratitude.
“How can I ever repay this debt…?!”
“Uh… what?”
Meanwhile, Woo Mahan, who was well aware of the Demon King’s true identity, was casting a suspicious glare at the mage.
| Pr. Godslayer (Guild Master) |: Demon King, play along.
| Pr. Demon King |: I lack an instrument.
| Pr. Godslayer (Guild Master) |: Not that kind of playing along!!
| Pr. Demon King |: Then how am I to harmonize?
| Pr. Godslayer (Guild Master) |: Make the mage look like a hunter!!
The Demon King pursed his lips before dramatically pointing at the mage.
“This one wields magic with great mastery, a true hunter.”
“…!!”
No, Demon King, we needed to downplay the magic part!!
Magic.
The term described a power derived from mana or magical energy, and though it was commonly used in this world, it was often a metaphorical expression.
“Magic, you say? You must be a naturalist hunter,” my brother said, studying the mage.
The mage, visibly flustered, turned to me for help. I quickly averted my gaze and sent a message.
| Pr. Godslayer (Guild Master) |: Just go with it lol 🙂
| Pr. 9th Circle Archmage |: Are you kidding me, Guild Master? I’m a mage, not a hunter!! ;_;
The Demon King had thoroughly ruined the plan.
With a forced smile that looked like it belonged in a tragic comedy, the mage replied, “Well, uh… sure, something like that.”
Hunters who could manipulate elements like water, fire, air, and earth from seemingly nothing were often referred to as “mages.” It wasn’t technically accurate—they were closer to spirit masters—but the term stuck because it was more relatable to the public.
Spirit Master, come reveal your brilliance to the world. I’m waiting. If you don’t step up soon, I’m dragging you into a quest myself, you little fool.
My brother nodded, accepting the mage’s words.
“So, you’re a naturalist hunter. I noticed this area has already been cleared of monsters—was that your doing?”
“Yeah, well, they kept blocking my way home,” the mage said, shrugging nonchalantly. My brother looked at him with admiration, but Woo Mahan, the Hwarang Guild Master, wasn’t as easily impressed.
“…9th Circle Archmage?”
“…!!”
I knew it! This is why I hate sharp-eyed people!
The mage’s eyes went wide with panic, but Woo Mahan sighed deeply and continued,
“So that’s why Mahun kept saying he was training to become stronger… I thought it was nonsense, but now it makes sense.”
“W-wait, training? Who? The Demon King?”
Mage, please shut your mouth.
The mage’s slip-up only made Woo Mahan nod with newfound realization.
“So, the 9th Circle Archmage personally guided Mahun’s awakening… incredible.”
“Me?”
“Brother, I have never received guidance from this mage,” the Demon King said flatly.
Chaos. Absolute chaos. A perfect trifecta of confusion, destruction, and utter disorder.
With a stone-cold expression, I looked between the mage, the Demon King, and Woo Mahan. My brother, who had been silently observing the trainwreck, couldn’t hold back anymore.
“What on earth are you saying to this benefactor, Guild Master Woo Mahan?”
His voice, tinged with irritation, finally made Woo Mahan realize he’d overstepped. He quickly covered his mouth, looking mildly apologetic.
The mage, who had been swept up in Woo Mahan’s enthusiastic exchanges, cast a helpless glance at my brother. Meanwhile, the Demon King remained as carefree as ever.
“Do Haun, who is that person who resembles you in no way at all?”
Slap!
The sound of me smacking the Demon King’s back rang out.
“Brother! That hurts!”
“It’s supposed to hurt.”
Still looking annoyingly relaxed, Woo Mahan addressed my brother.
“Guild Master Do Hajun, this gentleman is an acquaintance of mine.”
“Am I…?” the mage asked, his voice dripping with disbelief.
Woo Mahan, as if completely ignoring the mage’s question, smiled pleasantly and explained,
“He’s also acquainted with my younger brother. It seems they got caught in this gate together. Not only did he save my brother, but he also saved your sister.”
The mage, now staring blankly at Woo Mahan, muttered to himself,
“So I… did that?”
Woo Mahan ignored him entirely.
“Brother, I met this mage for the first time today. The one who knows him is Do Haun over there.”
The Demon King helpfully corrected his relative’s narrative, pointing straight at me.
I stared soullessly at the Demon King’s accusing finger.
At that moment, someone stepped in front of me.
“Guild Master Woo Mahan, are you joking with me?”
It was my brother.
Positioning himself protectively in front of me, he glared sharply at Woo Mahan.
“She doesn’t seem to know either you or your brother.”
Woo Mahan looked like he had a lot to say but bit his tongue. Meanwhile, the mage, awkwardly caught between the two, glanced between my brother and Woo Mahan, clearly at a loss. Then a message arrived.
| Pr. 9th Circle Archmage |: Guild Master, what do I do here?
| Pr. Godslayer (Guild Master) |: Just say you know the Demon King.
| Pr. 9th Circle Archmage |: lmao Guild Master, are you serious? T_T
| Pr. 9th Circle Archmage |: But seriously, how does that guy even know who I am?