NOVEL NEXT chapter 28
28 – Where there are memories – 1
Since the use of energy cores has spread, many things in the world have become automated or convenient.
But this place was different.
“Is this Bukchon?”
“Yes. The Hanok Village. Fortunately, it was spared from the damage in 1999 and 2012.”
It was a place with many pretty hanoks. There are alleyways and many small shops.
“Look over there.”
“Academy cadets…”
“Wow…”
As it is a place that leaves memories of the past unlike now, which is being modernized due to the energy core, it was also a place where many people visited.
Maybe that’s why there were quite a few tourists around, and when they saw the academy cadet uniforms we were wearing, they looked at us enviously.
“Excuse me. Excuse me. I’m going to take the academy entrance exam after graduating from high school this time. Is the exam very difficult?”
At that time, a male student who gathered up courage approached me.
I was able to enter Hero Academy when I graduated from high school, that is, when I became an adult.
For students who have awakened, most of them take an entrance exam to the Hero Academy, and if they fail the exam, they either go to a regular university or enter the association.
“You must have awakened, right?”
“Yes!”
“Then the test itself won’t be difficult. The important thing is not to give up.”
Is it because of Elizabeth’s kind words? The male student was quite pleased, nodded her head and backed off.
“You can’t help but get attention?!”
“That’s right. I’m an academy cadet.”
“No! It’s because of my beauty! Ohohohohoho! I’m the eldest daughter of the Taylor family who has beauty and strength at the same time!!”
“Yes.”
“Eh?!”
“Why?”
You’re not wrong, are you?
It’s true that Elizabeth is pretty.
Seemingly embarrassed, she hesitated for a moment before walking in front of her.
“Go, let’s go! There are so many places I want to show you!”
“Hey! Slow down!”
I followed Elizabeth in her stride.
There is not a single cloud in the blue sky, and the sunlight is warm. It was perfect weather for an outing.
“It was this kind of weather when I was with her mother.”
As we walked up the narrow streets of Bukchon Hanok Village, Elizabeth brought up her topic.
“It remains there.”
Is it because it reminds me of memories? Her voice was slightly locked.
The place she pointed to was a small shop. A general store that is hard to find these days.
Elizabeth stared at the place as if she missed it, and gently grabbed the hem of her dress.
“Let’s go.”
“Whoop whoop! Yes!”
From various foods to old toys, befitting the word general store.
There was even a popular kid’s toy these days.
“Are you there?”
I opened the door and went inside to find a woman in her fifties. Seeing her, Elizabeth tilted her head.
“Uh. Grandma isn’t there?”
“Ah. Mother?”
“Uh… Maybe…”
Her hand holding the hem of my clothes is getting stronger. Leaving her shop to her daughter-in-law, there is no grandmother.
It was a common story.
I can no longer see the store due to old age…
“I went on an overseas trip with my friends.”
“Oh.”
It’s not like that, but you must have just been very correct.
“Aren’t you sick?”
“Oh wow. How healthy is my mother. She runs ten kilos every day?”
You are really healthy!
“Ah… I see. Thank God!”
“Looking at your cadet uniform, you look like an academy cadet… Do you know your mother?”
“Yes… I used to come here often.”
“Oops. I see.”
“She was there last time I came alone…”
She seemed to be full of regret, and after a moment of silence, she clenched her fists.
“But! It’s nice that the store is there and that the grandmother is in good health! Can I look at the goods?!”
“Of course. Everything is available and nothing is not available at our store. If you need anything, please call me.”
With a smile, the owner sat down at the counter, and Elizabeth exhaled lightly.
“Why don’t you stop grabbing clothes?”
“Ah ah ah! I’m sorry! I’m a bit surprised…”
“With something like this. What else can I buy?”
“Yes! Caramel and…”
Carrying her old little basket, she picked out her snacks one by one. The caramel I ate in the car the other day, candy that turns your mouth blue when you eat it.
Even small chocolates with toys in them.
I didn’t think it was something the eldest daughter of the prestigious British Taylor family could afford.
“John! Is there anything you want too?! You came with me, so I’ll buy it for you!”
“I’ll just have an ice cream.”
I took out an ice cream from the freezer inside. Elizabeth, who saw that, took out the same ice cream as me.
“Shall we eat out?”
She pointed to a small bench outside the shop, and Elizabeth finished her checkout and moved there.
“Huh~. Heh heh heh! Heh! Whoa whoop!”
I’m excited. Elizabeth, sitting on her bench holding an ice cream and singing her hum, slightly turned her head away.
“Oh! That, don’t look too much…”
Elizabeth’s ears turned red as she watched, delighted to see her having fun. She turned her head slightly, but her ears, exposed through her golden hair, were still stained red.
“You can see it.”
“Stop watching!”
If you can’t do it, you want to do it more. When I turned my head to look at her, Elizabeth patted my shoulder with her fist.
It hurts.
As expected, if you tell me not to do it, I shouldn’t do it.
“By the way, do you have any memories of sitting and eating here?”
“Whoa… Yes!”
The cone-shaped ice cream is cut and put into Elizabeth’s mouth. When he eats something like this, he eats very well.
“When I was living in Seoul, I used to come here often after training with my mother. It’s gone now, but there was a training ground down there.”
It’s a line that didn’t appear in the game.
I didn’t know about this story because this event was just about playing with Elizabeth and returning.
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“Huh? By the way, if you live in Korea, don’t you have a personal training center?”
The Taylor family is a family that influences all over the world. That’s why there must be a training ground for the Taylor family in Seoul, right?
“Ahahahaha! That’s right?! But my mother said training only at the Taylors training grounds wouldn’t do me any good! Hmm. You’ve trained with the Taylors, haven’t you?”
I tried…
I think I will do it today too.
“You won’t grow if you repeat the same training. People grow only when they experience many places!”
“Huh? Then today’s training is something other than strength training?!”
“Of course, the basics have to be strong, so today’s training is strength training!”
Elizabeth smiled happily and took another bite of her ice cream.
“In that sense, John! You have to do more!!”
How much more are you going to do here…
“Now, shall we go somewhere else?”
“Let’s do it.”
I must have eaten all the ice cream. Can’t we just stay here all the time? Elizabeth lightly rose from her seat and I followed her.
“Is there a place you want to go somewhere else? Let’s go there while we’re here.”
“Oh, really?! Then I won’t decline. You better be prepared?!”
Determination is a bit difficult.
I bet a thousand miles on me.
With this level of stamina, you’ll be able to follow Elizabeth well!
I underestimated it.
I really underestimated the stamina of the retriever, no, Elizabeth.
As soon as she came out of the grocery store, she continued walking around Bukchon, going into small shops and shopping for children.
She rides on swings and seesaws in a small playground.
After she ate, she continued walking around Bukchon.
Of course, I am also an Awakener, and since I have been training and running for a long time, there is no problem with my stamina, but this is a bit…
“mmm! It was fun!”
Yes. It would have been nice…
“Was it fun? You too?”
“Yes. Although it was difficult.”
“That’s good!”
Laughing broadly as if she really thought that, Elizabeth lifted her head slightly at her. She has visited all of Bukchon Hanok Village, and it seems that there is no place to go now…
“Would you like to go over there one last time?!”
Leading her by the hem of my robe, Elizabeth pointed above her. A park with a nice view at the end of Bukchon Hanok Village.
I came this far, but I wanted to go there, so I went upstairs, and I bought a drink from a nearby vending machine and gave it to Elizabeth.
“I’ll drink well!”
“Yeah. I ate well and played well. Buy something like this…”
-Quaaang!!!
What is it?
Me and Elizabeth were taken aback. That’s because a scream was heard from the entrance of Bukchon Hanok Village.
A black light is rising from the ground.
It was a strange phenomenon that appeared when the dungeon was created.
In games, events like this used to happen when going out, but I didn’t expect it to happen here.
“…A dungeon?!”
Since 1999, dungeons and monsters have appeared all over the world.
Yes.
Even if it was a place where dungeons and monsters had never appeared before.
Still, there was a good chance it would appear.
“Come on… No, John, avoid you!!”
“What are you talking about? Let’s go together.”
You want to boil the soup with the buffer?
I patted Elizabeth on the back with her eyes wide open and ran.
At the entrance of Bukchon Hanok Village, where I arrived with Elizabeth, who caught up with me right away.
There was a small crack I had seen before in the artificial dungeon.
Dungeon.
There, a wolf with blue fur.
An E-class monster, Cheongrang, was coming out emitting magical energy.
“Haaa!!”
Elizabeth’s sword cuts through Cheongnang. Of course, the buff was applied before she left.
-Suddenly!!
Is it because of the buff or the power of Elizabeth?
Cheongrang collapsed without much resistance to her continuous sword attacks.
“Keep going!! There!! Don’t just look at it, avoid it!!”
If Elizabeth takes on her battles, her arms will only support her in what she has to do behind the scenes.
Is it because of my cry? People who had been watching us blankly start to run away.
On the streets of Bukchon Hanok Village, where traces of people have disappeared in an instant, Elizabeth and I looked at the entrance of the dungeon.
-Kreurreure…
Soon after that, three Cheongrang and two Nokakgu start appearing.
“Are you ready?”
“…Of course!!”
With Elizabeth’s answer.
-Kuaaa!!
The battle has begun.