Chapter 50 - Lie

"Phew."

Just like that, we arrived at the Underground Base via Instant Teleportation in a single shot.

Ah, shit... transporting two people over this distance, I feel like I'm going to collapse.

While I grabbed my ringing head and stumbled, Lee Ha-yul and her Younger Brother looked around, examining their surroundings.

What they were seeing were the pure white walls, glowing with LED lights.

Since I see this every day, I don't feel much about it, but it must be different for them.

Of course, the Younger Brother... was his name Lee Cha-yoon? Cha-yoon was looking around with sparkling eyes, while Ha-yul was hugging her brother and scanning the area with an attitude full of wariness.

Clutching my dizzy head, I spoke to them.

"Ah... I'm dying here. Kids. Stop looking around and follow me. Ugh..."

As I stumbled forward, the kids followed, scurrying behind me.

They still appeared to be following carefully with a wary attitude, but hey, at least they were following, right?

As I walked down the white hallway, groaning like a sick person, Seo-eun and Subin popped out from the other side.

"Oppa! Uh..."

Seo-eun, who was coming towards me, stopped slightly upon seeing the children behind me.

She seemed a bit tense at the sudden appearance of strangers—siblings, no less—behind me.

"Uh, right. These kids were in a bit of trouble, so I brought them here for now. But anyway, forget all that, we need to get them washed up. Take them to the shower room... and bring out some spare clothes."

Seo-eun seemed slightly flustered by my sudden words.

But fortunately, Subin, who was behind her, stepped up.

"I'll guide you. Kids, want to follow me?"

Subin stepped forward with a good-natured smile. Right, among us, Subin looks the kindest. Is she actually the face of our group...?

When Subin softly asked them to follow, the siblings followed hesitantly. Well, the moment they came here, it was self-evident that they had to obey us.

Still, Ha-yul's face looked more comfortable following Subin than being with me. Well, from her perspective, I must look like a crazy guy dyed in all black who killed people with a gun... and Subin is a woman, too.

But the Younger Brother didn't seem to feel that way. The kid kept glancing back at me as he walked away. No, why does he like me so much? Do Elementary School Students these days originally like me this much?

Anyway, having cleared the kids away, I sluggishly walked toward the Fatigue Recovery Machine.

Telekinesis was easy enough, but that last Teleportation was a bit of a stretch. Taking three people might have been a bit 'overboard'.

"Oppa... that hat, you ended up wearing it?"

As I walked unsteadily, Seo-eun followed closely behind me, talking as we walked together.

"Ah... right, this."

I fiddled with the black Magician's Hat sitting on my head.

"How is it? Doesn't it have a vibe? I plan to keep wearing this from now on."

"Uh... Haa. Just whatever, if Oppa likes it, it's fine."

What is the meaning of that sigh?

Anyway, I barely managed to walk to the Fatigue Recovery Device.

Laying down my exhausted body and activating it, I felt a little better.

As I lay there recovering, Seo-eun flopped onto the chair next to me and asked.

"So those siblings... what are you going to do with them?"

"Ugh... them?"

Originally, I should have continuously stacked up Build-up and recruited them properly. Things got twisted, so it became a bit difficult. However...

"Her Younger Brother likes me a lot. So I think it will work out somehow?"

"Really? That's fascinating. Is he part of that Mango Squad or whatever?"

"I guess so. Hey, I didn't know the favorability farming I did until now would pay off like this."

"Haha... Oppa must be the Elementary School President."

"Could be. But right, did you finish installing that teleportation device?"

"I finished it all yesterday. But are we really moving?"

"Yes. Having been trapped in this basement for three months, I've realized something: this place is a no-go. People need to live receiving sunlight."

"Hing... I like it here, though."

"Since we installed the teleportation device here too, it's practically as close as a basement anyway. Don't worry."

As we giggled and waited like that, some time passed, and the door to the room opened.

Subin entered first, followed by the siblings approaching hesitantly.

It looked like everyone had showered and changed into clean clothes.

Oh, they look like different people after washing up.

Earlier, in that dust pit of a mess, they looked very shabby, but after washing and changing into neat clothes, they were transformed. Especially Ha-yul; as expected of someone drawn prettily in the Original Work, she was beautiful. Does this world give appearance buffs to Villains too?

Anyway, the two of them entered.

I signaled Seo-eun and Subin with my eyes to leave. Reading my gaze, the two quietly left the room.

In that wide room, only the siblings and I remained.

"Kids... for now, drag those chairs over and sit."

As I spoke while still lying on the Fatigue Recovery Machine, the two sat on the chairs hesitantly.

Hmm, where should I start?

As I was choosing my words, Ha-yul opened her mouth first.

"Why did you help us?"

She spoke suddenly. Looking into her eyes as she said that, I saw deep-rooted distrust. As mentioned in the Original Work, she looked like she trusted no one but her Younger Brother.

Looking at her for a moment, I opened my mouth and spoke.

"I also, in the past, had a sibling like you."

She frowned at the sudden, random story.

Whether she did or not, I continued speaking.

I had a sibling in the past, but due to my negligence, they were killed by Assailants.

This time, I was tracking down who stole my wallet when I saw you guys.

Seeing Assailants attacking you, I remembered my sibling who died in that way, and I intervened.

Having said that much, I caught my breath.

For reference, it's all a lie. I didn't have a sibling.

But to remove her wariness, I have to bluff this much. Yep...

"Lee Ha-yul, Lee Cha-yoon... I looked into you while you were washing. Ha-yul, you killed the Orphanage Director and ran away, right?"

She was startled when I said that.

Right, she probably didn't know I would know that.

"Well, I'm not trying to rebuke you. Looking into that Orphanage Director, she was quite a crazy woman. I don't know why she gave you shit, though."

Here, I need to drop the bait: 'I don't know you have a top-tier healing ability~'.

If she knew I helped her because of that, with her personality, she wouldn't stay still.

Having said that, I set the mood again, looked at them, and spoke.

"I can help you."

"With my ability, regarding your escape—I can fabricate it so that you didn't kill her, but just ran away seizing the opportunity when someone else killed the Director. I have that much ability."

"And I can provide you with a house and money. Do you go to school? I'll send you to school, too."

"You guys just live, run around, and play."

"I will support you."

My sudden 'Giving Tree' declaration.

Her Younger Brother was already going, "Mangostick Hooray!" but...

He isn't the important one. Ha-yul's intent is what matters.

As expected, she looked at me with suspicious eyes at my sudden words.

"...Why go that far for us? We met for the first time today. It doesn't make sense."

Still not erasing the signs of suspicion, she shot back at me.

However, her body, while speaking so confidently, was trembling slightly. Right, knowing I could kill her with a wave of my hand, it wouldn't be easy to speak like that in front of me.

To her, I smiled bitterly and said:

"I told you earlier. Seeing you guys reminded me of my sibling."

"Just think of it as picking up a winning first-place lottery ticket while walking down the street."

She still couldn't completely withdraw her suspicion at my words, but since I issued an order for them to go sleep, she disappeared for now.

Subin came, took the two, and spread out bedding in an empty room.

Subin takes care of kids better than I thought? She cooks well, cleans well, and now takes care of kids well... No matter how I look at it, she is a pro housewife.

Anyway, I barely managed to put them to sleep.

The next day came.

***

"This is the house you will live in."

The next day, the mouths of the siblings who had followed me since morning dropped open.

Morning came, we ate an awkward meal together, and then I told them to follow me. We rode the elevator up from the basement and arrived at an ordinary home.

Then, riding the suspiciously high-tech teleportation device placed there, we moved to this place.

It was a three-story mansion, as big as a palace, situated in a deep mountain valley where no one could reach.

"Ah, no. This is a bit..."

At the overwhelming majesty, Ha-yul's eyes, which had been looking at me suspiciously just before, went wide with shock.

"Of course, it doesn't mean only you two will live here. We will live here too. I'm on the 3rd floor... I'll give you two rooms on the 2nd floor, so you can live there."

To them, still standing with their mouths open, I grinned and said one word.

"Didn't I say? I have tons of money."

This is what you call a flex.

Anyway, we went inside. I introduced the rooms to them. Two rooms equipped with everything—fridge, two beds, etc. Since I prepared in advance, they were fully stocked.

I forced the burdened kids in, and like creatures of adaptation, they seemed to settle in quickly. I told them everything was handled so they could go to school starting next week, causing their eyes to pop out again.

Staying together like that, we became incredibly close. Ha-yul definitely seemed less tense around me than before. As for the Younger Brother, just answering his questions made us bond rapidly. The kid really likes me. To think he was really part of the Mango Squad...

Anyway, at this point, can't I consider Ha-yul recruited somehow? She hasn't revealed her ability to me yet, but still. If I were on the verge of death, wouldn't she save me with her healing ability?

Phew. Roughly speaking, when the Assailants suddenly invaded, I thought I was screwed, but it seems I managed to get through it somehow. That's a relief.

Aigo, my strength is draining away.

But I feel like I forgot something...

What was it?

***

[Title] Isn't Egostic really dead??

No, really, it doesn't make sense.

It's been almost 4 months now, where did he go!!!

Come back come back come back come back

=[Comments]=

[4 months since Egostic hasn't shown up. I am spending the coldest 4 months in the world.]

[120 days no show? Really makes no sense LOL]

[Egostic f*ck did he really retire?]

└ [Gasp]

└ [F*ck no]

└ [No, but isn't it good if a Villain retires...? Villain doesn't do terror so why are you sad]

└ [?]

└ [?]

└ [Star spy detected]

└ [You are Star Dust Squad right]

└ [Say Stardus is a Son of a Bitch]

*

"Haru, why do you keep tapping the cup? You look somewhat anxious these days..."

"Ah, sorry Unnie."

Inside a cafe.

Stardus, Shin Haru, stopped the hand that had been hitting the glass cup without her realizing it.

It had already been almost four months since that bastard Egostic went completely off the grid.

Stardus, who was burning with the will to reveal his secrets, schemes, and plans, was slowly getting anxious.

No. This guy has to be active for me to reveal something or whatever.

'By now... it's time for him to appear...'

Today, too, she was just waiting meaninglessly.

...