Chapter 60: Eyes That Shouldn’t Be Watching

We three were acquitted.

The trial ended in just an hour, probably because it was only a formality.

With such clear evidence, it was only natural.

As I exited the courtroom, I yanked my tie loose.

“Ha, that was suffocating.”

“Yeah. I still can’t get used to suits.”

“Good job, you two.”

Taechun nodded at my words and took off his suit jacket.

Dohee, who was closing the door, said so with a bright smile.

If someone saw her, they’d probably think she hadn’t been sitting right next to us.

Dohee wasn’t used to wearing suits either, so she undid a couple of buttons and caught her breath.

“At least we’ve put out the urgent fire for now.”

“Urgent fire?”

“What about the not-so-urgent fires?”

I asked as I took out my smartphone.

Even if the trial was just a formality, I couldn’t be fiddling with my phone while in court.

There were too many eyes watching.

[The World Tree Sapling welcomes the caretaker.]

On the screen, the little sapling was gently waving its branches.

Its greeting was so cute, I couldn’t help but smile.

I tapped the screen.

Far more mana than when it was just a sprout transferred into the sapling.

By my senses, it seemed about ten times more than before.

“You mean Aigaion.”

“Ah….”

Taechun and I both nodded at the same time.

Just because we were acquitted in court didn’t mean everything was resolved.

After all, we had killed the ace of a major guild.

Aigaion would probably shudder at the mere mention of our names.

Baeguncheon, where all three of us are key members, was probably casting unfriendly glances our way as well.

Though I’d already left the guild, it’s not like those bastards would bother to remember that.

Especially since I’d openly provoked Choi Donghoon.

“Here you go.”

Dohee handed me a hair tie.

No, to be precise, it was a tracking device disguised as a hair tie.

It could also serve as a medium for Dohee’s magic.

Given the circumstances, I didn’t refuse and just quietly accepted it.

I used the hair tie to tie up my hair at the back.

I could feel a little ponytail bouncing on the back of my head.

“Oh my, you’re accepting it so readily? I thought you’d refuse.”

She looked at me wide-eyed, surprised.

Then she giggled, and I remembered the bright Dohee from before.

Just two years ago, she used to smile so much like that….

Wiping the smile from her face, she patted her cheeks.

Then she looked at Taechun and spoke.

“Oppa, we should probably get going now.”

“Huh? Ah, is it already that late?”

I checked the time—it was 3:15.

The trial had ended quicker than expected, so we had some free time.

But the two of them weren’t leisurely enough to enjoy that break.

They’d have to be on alert for new trouble with Aigaion.

Sorry for dumping more work on you guys.

“What about you, Oppa? What will you do?”

Me?

I’m not an officer of Baeguncheon anymore, so I should enjoy my freedom.

Leaving all the hard work to my sister and my friend.

“Well, since I’m dressed up and all—”

“You’re going to see Yoo Jaei, aren’t you.”

At Taechun’s remark, Dohee glared at me with wide eyes.

Seriously, look at those eyes.

Is that how a little sister looks at her older brothers?

That’s more like a mother scolding her misbehaving son.

Not that I even remember that, since I was so young.

Waving my hand dismissively, I denied Taechun’s words.

Actually, I planned to visit the orphanage where I grew up.

“No, I’m going to see the nun.”

“Ah, I see.”

“Good idea. Sister’s been really worried about you, Oppa.”

The sudden change in their expressions was hilarious.

Taechun, having lost interest, pouted his lips, and Dohee beamed a bright smile.

I shook my head at their totally opposite reactions.

In front of the courthouse, a swarm of reporters was waiting.

It wasn’t too hard to shake off their clumsy cordon.

I just left everything to Dohee and Taechun and made my escape.

Some of the more persistent reporters tried to follow me, but when I completely ignored them, they gave up and turned back to the other two.

Once I got out of the courthouse, I headed straight for the outskirts of Bundang.

Sister Choi Claudia.

I was going to see that lady.

I arrived at ‘Ark Orphanage’ on the edge of Bundang around five o’clock.

“Pass! Give me the pass!”

“Block! Don’t let it through! If you miss it, I’ll be mad!”

“Yaaaay!”

I parked the car and got out.

I could hear the children’s laughter as they played.

Approaching the orphanage, I saw kids of all ages.

They ranged from as young as seven to as old as twelve.

They were divided into several groups.

Kids playing soccer.

Kids playing house.

Kids standing off to the side, watching the others.

“I used to be like that too….”

Seeing the kids standing off to the side reminded me of myself and Dohee in the past.

Those must be the ones who haven’t been here long.

When my sister and I first came to the orphanage, we were like that for a few days too.

We’d just watch from a distance.

It was Taechun who first reached out to us.

When I walked from the parking lot toward the orphanage,

[The World Tree Sapling senses a strange gaze.]

“What the…?”

The kids all stopped and stared at me.

The ones playing soccer, playing house, and even those who’d been far away.

None of them bothered to hide their stares.

Why did I feel such wariness from the children?

That wasn’t the curiosity of kids seeing a strange adult for the first time.

It was more like the way you grip your weapon when you see a stranger in a Gate.

They were gauging whether I was friend or foe.

And these were just kids—at most ten years old.

“You guys, what are—”

“Oh my, Do-woon!”

A familiar voice called my name warmly.

I turned away from the kids and looked toward where the voice came from.

Three nuns were standing at the entrance of the orphanage.

The one in the center had a face I knew well.

Sister Choi Claudia.

She hiked up her long habit and ran toward me, calling my name.

Her face was filled with both joy and worry.

“Are you feeling all righ—”

“Wow, Nun, you got even older since last time.”

“You little brat!”

Smack!

A dull thud sounded on my head.

Of course, I wasn’t the one who felt any pain—the nun was.

[World Tree’s Bark (ON)]

Because Bark was activated.

The nun grumbled, clutching her right hand that she’d just smacked me with.

Then she shouted at me.

“What’s the big idea! That hurt!”

“Hey, who’s the one attacking whom here? Weren’t you the one trying to hit me?”

“Would it kill you to just take a hit from time to time?”

“Have you ever been smacked by a nun before? Do you know how hard your hand is?”

“You want to keep calling me ‘Nun’?”

“Oh, my mistake. Should I call you Grandma now?”

“Why, you little—!”

Then the nun reached out and pinched my arm.

She’d figured out that hitting me wouldn’t hurt, so she tried something else.

But pinching didn’t work either.

All she grabbed was skin hardened like tree bark.

With a sigh, she let go, looking a bit disappointed.

“If it was Taechun, he’d have just taken it.”

“Too bad it’s not Taechun standing here—it’s me.”

“Idiot. Why would I care whether it’s you or not?”

“Why so serious all of a sudden?”

“Um….”

The other nuns had come closer, looking like they wanted me to introduce them.

The nun clapped her hands and introduced the two of them.

“Look at me, forgetting my manners. This is Sister Lee Bibiana, she just joined us, and this is Sister Jeong Cecilia. She—”

“Hello!”

Sister Jeong Cecilia smiled brightly and greeted me.

It was almost as if she wanted to interrupt the introduction.

The nun just gave a faint smile.

What was that about?

“And you know this one, right?”

“Of course. Who doesn’t know Baek Dowoon these days?”

“Huh? You know me?”

“Of course! We all watch TV. And Watcher Cast, too.”

“I’m so glad you’re okay!”

The nuns smiled brightly as they spoke.

Hmm, I really must be famous now, if even people I’ve never met act like they know me.

The nun, watching me, grinned slyly.

She was definitely thinking something weird.

“Come in, already. It’s been ages since you’ve been here—you should catch up with everyone.”

She led the way into the orphanage.

Then she added something that left the other two nuns flustered.

“Why don’t you two come back to your senses now?”

“W-we are totally fine!”

“Yeah, there’s nothing weird going on!”

The two nuns hurried into the orphanage after her.

I started to follow them, but paused for a moment.

Turning my head slightly, I looked back at the children.

They were laughing and playing amongst themselves again.

Kicking the ball, playing house, standing off to the side as before.

“…….”

What was it I saw earlier, then?

Pondering that, I walked forward.

Just before I stepped inside, I caught sight of it again from the corner of my eye.

A few kids were staring at me again.

Their eyes cold and wary, just like before.

“Well, it’s gotten a lot more interesting since I last came, huh?”

Muttering to myself, I stepped inside.

In the hallway, the nun was waiting for me alone.

It seemed the other nuns had gone off to their duties.

“What’s gotten more interesting? Some game?”

She glanced at the smartphone in my right hand.

She probably thought I was talking about a mobile game.

I shook my head.

“No, not a game.”

“I just thought it must be a game since you won’t put your phone down. So what, then?”

Walking down the hallway together, I pointed outside.

The kids were playing.

As if nothing had happened, they weren’t paying me any attention at all.

At least, on the surface.

“The kids. Just now, they—”

“Were wary of you?”

“Huh, you noticed?”

“Must’ve hurt your feelings. I tell them not to be like that, but they just won’t listen. I’m so sorry…”

“Nah, I actually found it interesting. It was a new experience.”

“…….”

The nun suddenly stopped walking.

She looked like she wanted to say something to me.

Her hesitant demeanor clearly showed she needed help with something.

But she quickly shook her head.

“You’ll stay for dinner, right?”

That was unexpected.

“…….”

“It’s really okay, you know.”

There was worry in the nun’s weary smile.

So that’s what it was.

She didn’t want to burden me, who’d just been discharged from the hospital, with her concerns.

If that’s what she wants, I’ll respect it.

At least for today, right now.

“If you insist.”

“Good! Let’s go eat, then. You must not have been eating well—look how skinny you’ve gotten.”

She grabbed my wrist and dragged me to the dining hall.

Skinny, she says.

Where, exactly, am I skinny?

Ark Orphanage is one of the larger orphanages.

Thanks to regular funding from Baeguncheon, money is never an issue.

Of course, that means there are more kids here than at other orphanages.

Because of that, there wasn’t even a single spare room for me to spend the night.

I had to choose: sleep in the dining hall, or in the attic where they kept all the odds and ends.

Of course, I picked the attic.

“You could’ve stayed in my room, you know.”

“What? Are you telling me to give up the attic?”

“…Right, you really are Baek Dowoon.”

The nun shook her head in disbelief.

As if she could take the attic from me—never going to happen.

“Wow….”

The kids who’d been secretly watching me sighed in awe.

Some of them looked up at me with admiration.

At the sound, the nun scolded, “When did you all come out here!” and ran after them.

The kids shouted, “Run! The witch is coming!” and scattered.

Well, she does have a bit of a witchy side.

“But still, isn’t it a bit much to call a nun a witch?”

I closed the attic door and lay down.

By stacking up some junk, I made enough space to stretch my legs.

I picked up my smartphone and clicked on the mailbox at the top of the screen.

I needed to claim the event dungeon admission ticket.

Honestly, I’d asked for the attic mainly to be free from other people’s eyes.

The admission ticket printed out from my smartphone.

On the square ticket, it said that tearing it in half would use it.

I grabbed it with both hands, ready to enter right away.

[Emergency Notice!]

Just then, a blue hologram window popped up at incredible speed.

[A non-human entity has discovered the ‘Young World Tree’ from a great distance.]

[They feel joy and hope, and have begun a long journey toward the Young World Tree.]

[The World Tree Sapling prays that they will reach it safely.]

Huh…?

Non-human entity?