书包网TXT电子书下载

Chapter 524: Partial Confinement (2)

Truthfully, the past two weeks hadn’t been that painful.

It wasn’t like my hair had been cut off without my notice, or I only got fried dumplings for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The quality of the meals was fantastic without question, and life inside the room was likewise excellent.

I was treated beyond what I thought possible and lived a luxurious and decadent lifestyle. I couldn’t even deny that the treatment made me feel good.

I didn’t even have to raise my finger.

I didn’t have to do anything or even move my body, for that matter. If I was hungry, I could order food, and if I needed something, I could call someone. I didn’t try, but they probably would’ve fed me if I asked to be spoon-fed.

It was a bit suffocating, but there were some pleasurable aspects. I mean, who could dislike spending time resting in bed?

I honestly didn’t dislike that I could simply lie down and read a book…

Of course, there was the suffocating feeling that I couldn’t satisfy. It all felt uncomfortable that I was confined to an area, regardless of how big the place was.

And the fact that I didn’t choose to stay in the room made all the difference.

For the first week, I thought it was good for me to follow what they said and didn’t do anything, but after that, I began to feel a bit uncomfortable.

Yeah, I did play chess with Cho Hyejin! And ate food! And went to the sauna! Yeah! And swam! And played a lot, but it wasn’t easy staying in one place for two weeks.

The problem was that the partial confinement seemed never-ending. To be honest, I didn’t really care if I played for some weeks, but I was anxious about what was happening outside without my knowledge.

‘Shiitt…’

I didn’t know if having been confined and tortured by a demon had become a trauma, but I couldn’t stand it. I didn’t know what was happening outside since I was stuck in my room, but I felt anxious from the change that I noticed from the surface.

The most obvious, visible change was definitely the Lee Kiyoung bodyguards.

Yes, that was right. They were called Lee Kiyoung bodyguards. They even made a group like that.

‘They are only bodyguards by name, sh*t.’

Even right at that moment, they were busy guarding the door. They wore the Blue Guild’s insignia and called themselves Lee Kiyoung’s bodyguard.

Of course, I didn’t pick them out, nor had I ever appointed them as my bodyguards.

They were simply Kim Hyunsung’s creations.

They were made up of two men, two women, all top adventurers, and leaders with 15 members underneath them.

I didn’t know where Kim Hyunsung found them. To sum it up, Lee Kiyoung’s bodyguards were made up of 4 leaders and 60 subordinates.

And if one considered the number of people employing them, it was the largest group in the Blue Guild.

I was frustrated that they gave high salaries to top adventures to uselessly guard me when they could have made great profit by sending them to dungeons.

Kim Hyunsung might have felt proud for what he had done, but it felt more like a waste of labor to me.

At that point, I wondered if I had done too much. Who knew that I would get a confinement protection card on top of a group of bodyguards?

Just in case, I tried to open the door but only heard the sound of locks. It was at the moment, the door opened from the opposite side.

‘Why isn’t she asleep?’

I saw my bodyguard’s number two, who was Kim Ye-ri’s peer and a swordsman with twin blades. Of course, she wasn’t up to Kim Hyunsung’s level, but she had a high base and was the balanced type… her name was…

‘Park Li-ahn.’

There was a long scar on one side of her face, but she was a classic beauty. She gave off a cold expression, but her stats were comparable to Kim Ye-ri.

Unfitting for her young age, she had an aura strong enough to intimidate others.

And she had a strong presence that made people take a step back. Even her voice made people feel small, and she had a demeanor of a king.

I didn’t know how strong she was exactly, but I think she would have been definitely significant in the first timeline. I guessed that’s why Kim Hyunsung brought her in.

“What’s wrong, Vice Guild Master?”

“Um…Li-ahn-ssi.”

“You can speak to me freely, Vice Guild Master. As I always tell you, we are your hands and feet. We are ready to follow any of your orders.”

‘Then just let me get out of here, please.’

“Is there anything you need?”

“No, that’s not it… I just feel a bit suffocated. I want to go out a bit…”

“…”

“…”

“I just want to go around here a bit. If you come with me, I’m sure I won’t get into any big troubles.”

“…”

“…”

“Right now, the Guild Master is absent. When I contact the Guild Master, I will make sure to schedule a walk right away. Please just wait a moment.”

I couldn’t believe I had to be scheduled for a walk. I already heard that many times, but I couldn’t help laughing in amazement.

“Okay, but other than scheduling for a walk… What about Lindel…”

“Lindel is not even letting ordinary people enter. Right now, Miss Hayan and a group of magicians are trying to restore the site. According to the Guild Master, with your current condition, it will be hard for you to withstand the mana outside.”

“I think I’m healthy enough…”

“Both Miss Elena and Sun Hee-Young also recommended for you not to go outside. If you wait a bit more, you will be able to move around as you used to freely. But right now, please don’t think about anything else but your recovery.”

“But I…”

“I’m sorry, Vice Guild Master. I can accept any other orders, though…”

“…”

“The guild master was very firm about this. If it was your order, he even said to attack him, but he also said that your health should be our first priority.”

‘But I’m already healthy.’

“I’m not sure if this will comfort you, but I received news that the Guild Master is coming back soon. I will be able to schedule your walk soon, so please wait a bit more…”

‘Scheduling a walk. Fuck…’

Saying that I wanted some fresh air also didn’t work. I felt foolish that I thought I could argue my way out of my predicament.

“I can understand how tough this must be for you, but I hope you understand that it is the Guild Master’s most sincere wish to protect you.”

‘You’re protecting me a little too much.’

I could understand his thought process, but I couldn’t completely understand the situation.

Kim Hyunsung simply felt worried that I would get hurt again, and he probably wanted to protect me from the information outside. However, I couldn’t understand why he was going so far. In my opinion, I thought the ‘please…kill…me’ was too effective.

On the other hand, Hyunsung looked much more relieved lately.

I didn’t know if he would fully recover mentally, but it seemed as if his heart was much lighter now. It was a complete contrast from when he was burdened with the thought of killing me.

Of course, his recovery came with a side-effect.

And…

‘This was the side-effect…’

I didn’t know if he realized it, but his trust in me deepened after that event.

To Hyunsung, I was someone who could share his burdens like a brother or close friend. And that was the reason why he was so earnest about my protection.

If a person like Lee Kiyoung disappeared or got hurt, then he would have to shoulder all the responsibility again. I bet he was scared about that.

‘But even then… This is too much, fuck.’

Just as I was thinking in earnest, Kim Hyunsung made his entrance. Seeing that Hayan was next to him, I could predict that my walk was scheduled with her.

Hyunsung was the one who opened the door, but the one who threw her body towards me was Hayan.

‘This girl is so happy these days.’

“Oppa.”

“You came?”

“Yeah, because y-you said you wanted to go on a w-walk…”

“Well, staying here the whole time is too uncomfortable.”

“Even if it is uncomfortable, we c-can’t help it. It’s still dangerous outside. You shouldn’t go outside, especially for your health…”

‘Hayan seems so pleased…’

“Hayan-ssi is right, Kiyoung-ssi.”

‘You also seem pleased.’

“Yes…”

“I also want to let you move around, but right now is not a good time. You suffered a lot, so you should take a break. Is there anything you need? Recently, I saw that a new Chanelia Hermes series came out in the market. I’m not sure if you will be happy, but we already purchased it with the guild funds.”

‘I don’t even like bags that much.’

Of course, it was nice to have them.

“I was a little bothered that there was some empty space in the decoration area, so I’m glad we can cover that now.”

‘Dude, stop looking so pleased with yourself.’

There was no worry or trouble in his smile. It seemed as if he was really pleased that I was safely locked in that room.

“I spoke for too long, didn’t I? You must have waited for a long time… Hayan-ssi, could you cast your magic?”

“Yes.”

Hayan began casting her magic.

I put the location identifier magic necklace by habit, and Hyunsung nodded with joy. It was a rule that I had to put on the magic necklace when I went outside for a walk.

When Hayan finished casting her magic, the whole scenery changed in an instant.

I entered an enormous forest, a location prepared for me by the guild. I could not spot a single human in a 50km radius.

According to Kim Hyunsung’s fictional story, the only place that the demon’s mana couldn’t enter was the deepest area of the elves’ forest.

And that was the reason why I could only go to that area for a walk, but since I knew that black mana was not floating around and waiting to hurt me, I just shook my head.

‘Did they really have to go this far…?’

Kiyoung’s private army was responsible for guarding that forest. They were not showing their appearance, but I was sure that they kept reporting to Hyunsung while I was taking a walk.

Whenever I went outside for even a little bit, Hyunsung was in constant fighting mode.

Even though he tried not to show it, his hands were always on his waist, next to his sword. On one side, Hayan walked closely next to me as if we were on a date, and Kim Hyunsung stood to watch my other side.

The cool wind was refreshing, but I felt suffocated.

I finally decided to open my mouth.

“Hyunsung-ssi.”

“Yes?”

I swallowed, then spoke with confidence.

“As you probably had heard from Park Li-ahn, I think I’m ready to start working.”

“…”

“I rested for as long as two weeks. I’m curious about Lindel, and I’m especially curious about what is going on outside. I know you are worried about mana, but I’m sure a lot of places need me right now, especially if the situation is dire.”

“No, you can’t.”

“What?”

“How… how can you think that in this situation? Do you not remember how much you suffered from them?”

“I mean…”

“Kiyoung-ssi, you need to act more selfishly. I hope you start thinking more about yourself rather than other people. Please leave the hard and difficult work to me and rest easy. I will do everything.”

“But even then… I…”

“It’s not possible.”

“This bastard, is he for real…’

“I cannot let you go out right now.”