The Player Who Stands Above All

Chapter 224

"Ayaya…"

"Ugh…"

Simultaneously with Irin opening the door, Lee Hyunyoung and Lee Sieun, who had been pressing their ears against the door, tumbled into the room.

"Sigh, I told you to listen from a distance if you're going to eavesdrop."

"How focused must she have been to not be able to avoid that, even with her assassin training."

"Give up. It seems your younger sisters have gone somewhere they can't return from in many ways."

Lee Hyunseok and Lee Jieun looked at the two with complicated expressions, while Eun Yeonwoo took a step back and watched the situation with indifferent eyes.

The Ten Kings looked at them with surprised expressions as they suddenly appeared.

Although their guard had been lowered because they were discussing an important topic in their worst physical condition, they hadn't noticed them gathered right in front of the door at all.

In other words, despite the difference in skill between them and the Ten Kings, they had used some method to erase their presence.

While the Ten Kings were looking at them with surprised eyes, Irin also looked at them with a look of renewed surprise.

Because she had chosen them for the sole reason that they could become her own forces, regardless of their skills, but seeing them in person, they seemed much more useful than she had thought.

'Is there a reason why oppa didn't abandon them and took them with him?'

With that thought, Irin looked at the two who had rolled into the room with her characteristic eyes and said.

"You heard, right?"

At Irin's words, they felt a pang of guilt and quietly looked away.

"I'm not trying to blame you for what you heard. I was planning on telling you anyway."

"…Hmph, but why are you suddenly speaking informally! Do you know who we are?"

"I do."

At the tone that seemed to treat them like little kids, Lee Hyunyoung pouted and said protestingly, and Lee Sieun, next to her, agreed with Lee Hyunyoung's words and nodded her head vigorously.

Unlike when they usually argued, they looked quite close.

And for good reason, to the two of them, Irin was a hateful stray cat who had suddenly appeared and snatched away their idol.

It was only natural for an unspoken cooperative relationship to be born in front of a common enemy.

"Hoo."

Eun Yeonwoo ate the snacks he had brought in advance and looked at the two with an intrigued expression.

"Sigh…"

"Hah…"

Lee Jieun and Lee Hyunseok looked at the two with eyes that said they didn't know how they had changed like that.

Despite the reactions of the three, the two did not bend their will and glared at Irin.

Despite the two's blatant hostility, Irin said without any wavering.

"I know. I heard it from oppa."

"From ahjussi?"

"From Smile?"

At Irin's words, a small sense of anticipation appeared in the two's eyes.

"Yes."

At that, Irin nodded her head slightly and then pointed at the two in turn with her finger.

"Puppy."

Seuk-

"And kitty."

As Irin pointed at Lee Sieun and Lee Hyunyoung in turn and said that, the anticipation that had been sparkling in the two's pupils instantly turned to anger.

"Are you trying to pick a fight right now!"

"I think so."

At Irin's words, the two chattered noisily as if protesting and glared at Irin as if they were about to pull out their respective weapons at any moment.

Shureureuk-

But before the two could do anything, Irin activated her magic with a glance.

The shadows that shot out from under the two instantly bound them, making them unable to move.

In the blink of an eye, the two were bound without being able to put up any resistance.

At Irin's sudden action, Lee Hyunseok and Lee Jieun, who had been watching them from behind, tried to step forward quickly, but they too were caught by the shadows that shot out from all sides and had to stop moving.

The two's eyes widened in surprise as they were instantly subdued by the magic that was cast without an incantation.

But thinking about it, it was only natural.

Although she hadn't taken a big role in this fight, Irin was a skilled person with enough skill to easily crush all players except the Ten Kings.

"Calm down. I have no hostile intent."

While Lee Hyunseok and Lee Jieun were on guard, Irin said that and pointed at the two who were bound with her finger.

Did she want to emphasize that she had no intention of threatening them?

The shadows that bound the two were neatly tied at the end with a ribbon.

"Pfft, it certainly doesn't seem like she has any intention of threatening them."

"Keuheup, I know, right."

The sight of the two struggling, unable to untie the ribbon, was so funny that even the two who had been about to argue with Irin couldn't help but let out a small laugh.

At the two's laughter, Lee Hyunyoung and Lee Sieun glared fiercely at Irin with teary eyes, but Irin ignored them.

"I just tied you up because you were disturbing the conversation."

Irin said that and gestured for the two to quickly take them away.

At that, the two quietly lifted the two.

Since they were still just middle school students, it was easy to lift them.

The two struggled or glared at Irin, showing their hostility, but it ended well with Lee Hyunseok and Lee Jieun calming them down.

Irin, who had been watching that for a moment, raised her head and looked at Eun Yeonwoo.

"You're their guardian, right?"

"Somehow, I've become one at this age."

At Eun Yeonwoo's words, Irin nodded her head slightly and said.

"Then you'll be in charge of them from now on. And just like you did for oppa, grant my requests too."

Twet-!

"No!"

"Why should we!"

Lee Sieun and Lee Hyunyoung said, tearing Irin's shadow with their own strength.

At that, Irin thought it would be better to increase the intensity a little more next time and said in a low voice.

"It's only until oppa comes."

The two turned their heads as if it wasn't even worth listening to.

At that, Irin decided to pull out her trump card.

"If you don't listen to me… I'll kick you out of the house."

At Irin's words, not only the two, but also Lee Hyunseok and Lee Jieun, who were holding them, had surprised expressions.

Of course, considering their abilities, it wasn't that difficult to find a place to stay right away.

But that place was not just a house.

It was their first real sanctuary, where they had escaped from the problems that had been holding them back.

Therefore, leaving that place and going somewhere else was something they couldn't imagine.

"Wha, what right do you have to do that!"

"That's right, you're not even a real family legally, so there's no way that's possible."

That was right.

Although Lee Shin had said he would accept Irin as his younger sister, Irin was basically not a person of this world.

To the country, Irin was a transparent person with no information, so she was not even legally registered.

At the two's protest, Irin pointed at the ten who were staring blankly at the situation and said.

"Those ten are my backers, do you think I can't do something as simple as that?"

"Tha, that's…"

"Ugh…"

At Irin's words, the two couldn't say anything and shut their mouths.

And Lee Hyunseok, Lee Jieun, and Eun Yeonwoo, who had been quietly listening to Irin's words, as well as the ten behind them, suddenly felt a very familiar feeling.

The shamelessness of using the cards that had rolled in and the slyness of ignoring the numerous gazes that resulted from it.

Although the form was a little different, it was the method Lee Shin had used every time he had been stubborn and swayed them.

Was that why?

Even though Irin was expressionless, for some reason, a wide smile seemed to appear on her face.

While everyone was looking at Irin with surprised eyes, Eun Yeonwoo tilted his head here and there, pondered something, and then said.

"I won't do it."

"Yes?"

"What?"

The ones who reacted to Eun Yeonwoo's words were not Irin, but Lee Hyunseok and Lee Jieun.

At that, Eun Yeonwoo nonchalantly stated his reason.

"I have enough money saved up, and I don't want to take a big risk and go on an adventure."

Until now, the reason Eun Yeonwoo had moved with them was because he had grown fond of them, but also because he had been unconsciously thinking that he had to protect them.

But now that a reliable guardian named Irin had appeared, Eun Yeonwoo decided to take the escape he had always been thinking about.

Now that Lee Shin was absent was the best opportunity.

'I'll just remain as a close older brother to them, and as for Lee Shin-hyung… I'll have a drink with him later.'

While Eun Yeonwoo was drawing his future in his head, Irin nodded her head and said.

"You're the opposite of the other kids."

"What does that mean?"

At Eun Yeonwoo's words, Irin answered as if it were simple.

"If you don't listen to me, you won't be kicked out of the house, you won't be able to leave that house."

"What, it's not so bad to be able to stay in that luxury house for free…"

"And when oppa comes, I'll tell him everything."

"…Yes?"

At the childish threat that was hard to believe came from the mouth of an adult, let alone a beauty like Irin, such words automatically came out of Eun Yeonwoo's mouth.

At Irin's nonchalant appearance, Eun Yeonwoo momentarily thought he had misheard.

"I'll tell him you didn't listen to me and just played and ate at home."

But Irin drove a wedge, as if to break Eun Yeonwoo's thoughts.

"No, I just said I would leave the house, but you held me back…"

"Do you think oppa will believe your words? Or my words?"

A threat that was too childish for an adult to make.

"No, in the first place, you know that oppa is not a person who cares about such things."

"Hah…"

But as childish as it was, the effect was perfect.

And so, Eun Yeonwoo's rebellion, who had been dreaming of freedom, was easily suppressed by Irin's few words.

"She's definitely that hyung's family."

"Thank you for the compliment."

At Irin's words, Eun Yeonwoo sighed, cursing Lee Shin inwardly.

◎ ◎ ◎

Achoo-!

-Hmm? You there, has the damage from the battle not fully recovered yet?

As a sneeze burst out of Lee Shin's mouth, Irehgue, who was lying on his head, tilted his head and asked.

At that, Lee Shin rubbed his nose with his finger and said.

"If you're worried, how about you stop hitting my head with your tail?"

-That's impossible.

At Lee Shin's words, Irehgue swung his tail again as if it were out of the question.

-Think about the karma you've accumulated so far.

Irehgue's voice, as he said that, was so firm that there was no room for compromise.

At that, Lee Shin grumbled and walked.

"I'm constantly circulating my heart method while walking, so my body is recovering smoothly."

-Then what was that sneeze?

"Pollen, or maybe someone was cursing me."

At Lee Shin's words, Irehgue tilted his head slightly.

-That's strange. If the latter hypothesis is true, it doesn't make sense that your mouth has a day of rest.

"You say things that can hurt a person's feelings so nonchalantly."

Lee Shin said that with a nonchalant face and looked at Irehgue.

"By the way, have you finished the interpretation?"

-Yes, I've just finished the basic things.

Irehgue said that and transmitted the interpreted information through the mental line connected to Lee Shin.

What Irehgue transmitted to Lee Shin was the memory related to words among the memories of Irin that he had received through the jewel.

"Ah, one, two, three."

Lee Shin, who had received the memory, spoke a few words into the air as if testing it.

What came out of Lee Shin's mouth was not the language of Earth, but the common language of Carnia.

Lee Shin tested a few words and was satisfied that he had entrusted the interpretation of the information to Irehgue.

'Well, thanks to that, this guy got to hit my head legally… but since he would have hit it anyway even if I had left him alone, it's probably right to make him work like this.'

With that thought, as Lee Shin was walking, Irehgue asked.

-By the way, is this the right direction?

"I don't know. Shall we check again?"

Lee Shin said that and used [Red Cloud Boots] to get out of the forest and go up into the sky.

As he went up, stepping on the clouds through the Lightning Ray Immortal Art, he saw a village in the direction they were going.

"Yes, we're going in the right direction."

Lee Shin, who had confirmed that they were going in the right direction, went down again.

It was possible to go by running in the sky, but since it was another world, he decided to just walk and enjoy the scenery.

He also needed to recover his body a little.

Achoo-!

-I don't know who it is, but it seems they're cursing you badly.

"I know, right. The problem is that there are too many suspects to specify."

And so, Lee Shin sniffled and moved his feet.

(End of Chapter)