Reader’S Regeneration Life [EN]: Chapter 246

The Protagonist Suffers, the Antagonist Prospers

“Then, I’ll leave it to you, Lilith.”

“Don’t worry.

I’ll be back quickly.

Originally, I could just send my spirit body, but if I did, the other guys would whine about it being rude and lacking respect.”

“If you happen to run into the Celestial Race….”

“Don’t worry.

I have no intention of being sealed away again in some unknown place or dying because of you.

I plan to avoid them as much as possible and run away, so don’t worry.

You don’t trust me, do you?”

“If I don’t trust you, Lilith, who else would I trust?”

“Easy for you to say.

You’re surrounded by women!”

At Lilith’s grumbling, Zion jokingly said, ‘I can’t help it, I’m just too charming!’ and was immediately smacked on the back.

Of course, it wasn’t a full-force smash, just a light tap to tell him not to worry, but from Zion’s perspective, it still hurt.

With Lilith gone, a silence fell over the once bustling villa.

“…”

Zan watched Zion walk towards his room, reflecting on the changes that had occurred over the past few days.

First, Lilith, the demon woman who was always with Zion, had disappeared.

According to Zion, she was his strongest ally and, according to other women, his number one, but she was now absent.

‘Even a demon.’

Unlike most people on the continent, she didn’t harbor much animosity towards the demon race.

However, the image of demons as villains was somewhat ingrained, so the fact that a demon was close to Zion, the kingdom’s hero, was quite surprising to Zan at first.

Of course, now she recognizes her as her most formidable rival.

‘Besides that, there’s the beast… no, no.

A beastkin, she said.

Her name was Lia, wasn’t it?’

The cat woman who deliberately made her presence known and then faded away, always circling around Zion.

Lia, too, had completely disappeared after meeting Zion, starting a few days ago.

At first, she thought she was just hiding, but Zan realized just yesterday that she had left.

‘At least Lishikida, the escort knight, is staying right next to him.

Most importantly….’

A man with the unusual name of Kim Yu-hyun.

A terrifying monster who could subdue even her, a powerhouse from the north, as easily as twisting a child’s wrist.

The man, who didn’t seem human at all, had vanished at some point.

According to Zion, he had gone somewhere on his orders, and judging by the rather sinister smile on Zion’s face when he said that, it didn’t seem like a good purpose.

‘The day that man suddenly disappeared, Trisha also disappeared.

What the hell is going on?

There’s no way they fell in love and ran away together.’

Still, Lilith, Lishikida, Lia, and Lucia were okay.

They seemed to have a pretty friendly atmosphere for women who were in love with the same man.

But Trisha was different from them no matter how you looked at it. She was maintaining a truce, but she exuded an aura that she was ready to compete at any time if she got permission from Zion.

To think that Trisha would run away with another man was as likely as the world ending tomorrow.

‘What the hell are they up to?

Zion Clauzen?

Seeing the strong people who were with you heading somewhere, it’s clear that something big is going on, but I have no idea.’

She thought about asking, wondering if he would answer.

But she, too, was a woman who would be leaving the kingdom tomorrow to return to the north.

Even if she asked about the situation now, Zan didn’t expect Zion to tell her the details, as she would soon be an outsider.

Deciding that she should prepare early for her departure tomorrow morning, Zan moved to her room with a rather sluggish gait, not her usual powerful stride.

“…”

Unbeknownst to her, Zion was watching her from behind.

‘That wasn’t the original purpose.’

Stepping into her room, Zan stared blankly inside for a moment.

It was a space she couldn’t get used to, no matter how many days she spent there.

Her barracks were larger than any tribal chief’s, but even though this building was called a villa, each room was several times larger than her barracks.

‘Before arriving at the royal palace, I wanted to proudly reveal my relationship with Zion in front of the kingdom’s nobles and watch their surprised faces, saying that this man is mine.’

The situation wasn’t good, and the competitors next to Zion were all formidable.

They weren’t weaker than her yet, but they were just starting to show their potential, while she thought she had reached her peak.

Now that she only had to maintain or decline, she was genuinely worried about whether the engagement would be valid, as she had seen it happen many times in the north.

Fortunately, Zion was still clearly affirming the engagement and had said that he was fond of Zan, so it was a relief that she wasn’t returning empty-handed.

Swish—.

Just as she was about to take off her boots while sitting on a chair after taking off her fur coat, which she always wore.

Zan noticed someone quietly approaching her room.

Before she could ask who it was or check, Zan already had her favorite weapon, the curved sword of the northern warriors, in her hand.

“…”

But soon, Zan identified the other person’s presence in more detail and let out a small sigh.

“Why are you deliberately suppressing your presence?

You almost made me recognize you as an enemy, Zion.”

“I learned stealth from Lia once, but I guess it’s too much for my level?”

The one who opened the door and entered, muttering like that, was Zion Clauzen, the owner of this villa.

The man she was engaged to and a true ‘monster’ with a strange charm that captivated women’s hearts.

Zan looked at Zion and shook her head slightly.

“It’s not your level that’s the problem, it’s just that the cat woman Lia’s stealth skills are lacking.”

Still, she didn’t want him to belittle himself, as he was the man she was engaged to.

Zion smiled at Zan’s rather cute answer and stepped into the room.

Even though it was still afternoon, the outside was getting dark as if it was about to rain.

Because of this, the room was also filled with a dark atmosphere, even though it was afternoon.

Nevertheless, Zan didn’t turn on all the lights and seemed content with just one candle in front of her.

“Isn’t it dark?”

“It’s okay.

In the north, starting a fire means consuming firewood, so I was raised to avoid starting fires as much as possible.”

“But this is the kingdom.

So you can be a little more comfortable.”

“I am the one who represents the northern tribes, the one they call ‘Temujin’ [a title of respect or leadership].

I don’t want to let go of my mental tension for the sake of physical comfort.”

After saying that, Zan stared at Zion.

It was rare for Zion to seek her out first, so she was sending a silent question as to why he had come to her room the day before she left.

“I have something to ask.”

“I’m listening.”

Zan was returning the words she and Zion had once said to each other.

She sat on the chair, stretched her legs out, took off her boots, and waited for Zion’s answer.

“Can’t you stay in the kingdom a little longer?”

Zan’s body literally ‘stopped’ for a moment.

She blinked her eyes for a moment with an expression as if she had misheard something, then glanced at Zion, blinked a few more times, and turned her head again.

And then she took off her boots, as if reacting, ‘I must have misheard something.’

“Stay by my side a little longer, Zan.”

“I didn’t mishear you.”

No, was this woman really mistaken for having misheard him?

Zion smiled, slightly dumbfounded.

Meanwhile, Zan crossed her legs slightly and draped the fur coat she was wearing precariously over her arm.

Grasping the end of the sword hilt next to her, she turned her head slightly and looked at Zion.

“What do you mean by that?”

“What meaning do you need for the words ‘stay by my side’?”

“…”

“I’m just saying stay a little longer.

If you go up north now, I don’t know when you’ll come again, and I might not be in the royal palace because I’m busy.

Since you came all the way here, I don’t think it would hurt to stay a little longer.”

“…”

The woman’s face showed a lot of hesitation at Zion’s words.

Since they were sitting face to face like this again, wouldn’t it be better to say it in advance?

It’s too much of a hassle to worry about it alone, and I don’t want to take it back to my hometown in the north.

Like all warriors, I want to resolve my worries and concerns at that time.

Yes, let’s talk.

Let’s tell Zion.

Perhaps that would be a little easier for me and that man.

“Zion Clauzen.

About the engagement between you and me.”

“What about it?”

“Since there’s no atmosphere or situation where the alliance between our tribe and the kingdom will be broken even without that promise, there’s no need to keep it, right?

In addition, it seems like there will be many situations where you will be in trouble.”

“?”

No, why is this woman suddenly like this again?

When did the woman named ‘Khan’ [a leader or ruler] in the novel decide her actions while worrying about other people’s circumstances?

Zion was briefly flustered and couldn’t open his mouth right away, so Zan, assuming he felt the same, continued in a tone that she understood everything.

“I know why the current queen was angry when she heard about the engagement between me and you.

The weight of the name Zion Clauzen is too heavy.

If you get involved with me in the midst of that, only you will lose.”

“…”

“Ah, of course, I’m not saying that I’m going to break the alliance.

I’m just saying that the alliance between the tribe and the kingdom will be maintained even without this engagement, so there’s no need to fulfill a forced promise.”

“Zan Temujin.”

“In addition, I’m only saying that I’m going to break the engagement, but my heart that wants to have you… Ah, I’m sorry.

What did you say?”

“Are you scared?”

“What?”

“Are you scared, backing down, and running away?

Zan Temujin.”

The atmosphere in the room felt like it had frozen over.

Zion was worried that if he made a mistake, a part of his body would be cut off with the sword in that woman’s hand!

But he just closed his eyes and decided to push it further.

“Or why are you trying to break the engagement?

You don’t like me, but you can’t bring yourself to say you don’t like me, so you’re putting on some appropriate excuse and trying to run away from me, or something like that?”

“Watch your mouth.

How dare you say such things when you don’t know anything…”

“Why are you worrying about the kingdom?

You just have to control the northern tribes well, and I’m the one who has to manage things in the kingdom, not you.

But why are you worrying about that and saying that we should break the engagement?”

“Are you asking because you don’t know!

That’s…”

“Stop saying you’re doing it for me.

I need you right now.

I’ll need you in the future too.

So, in order to use you, in order to keep you by my side, I will definitely make you my woman.”

It was a no-nonsense, straight-ahead answer from Zion.

Even Zan didn’t expect to hear such words, and she was looking at Zion with a very embarrassed face.

‘The warriors of the north, and the women too, are all the same.

Rather than beating around the bush, they like to go straight ahead and crash into them.’

That’s why Kim Yu-hyun’s letter was plastered with words of love for Eos.

This woman sitting in front of him, Zan Temujin, is no different.

She’s a woman who has tried to get what she wants by force.

It’s a little strange that such a woman is suddenly backing down, but if he has something to say to her, it’s much more effective to just crash into her as is, rather than beating around the bush.

“Y-you’re going to hold me to use me?”

“Yes.

She’s a very strong, very beautiful woman, and even the subordinates under her believe in and follow her, so what man wouldn’t covet her?

The noise coming from the kingdom?

It’s just noise, so did you think I would care about that noise when I have a woman like you?”

“B-but the nobles of the kingdom…”

“Don’t they move for profit?

That’s right.

It’s an unavoidable part.

Even a great noble will eventually fall if losses accumulate.

It’s right to move in a way that benefits them.

In that sense, Zan, you’re someone I need to hold on to even more.

I feel like I’m going to die if I see you going to another man.”

“O-oh, oh…”

“We made a marriage alliance, didn’t we?

Did you think I accepted that with the thought of sacrificing myself?

Not at all.

I have more greed for you than you have for me.”

Zan was making a sound like air leaking out, saying ‘Oh, oh, oh,’ as Zion, who had seemed to be backing down all this time, was pushing so hard.

“So I can’t break that engagement.

No, I won’t break it.

You’re my woman.

You’ve been my woman since the moment we made the marriage alliance.

If you break this and go to another man, it’s war with your tribe right away.

Keep that in mind.”

“…”

A man with less power than even the rookie warriors of the tribe, Zion Clauzen.

But as she looked at him like this, Zan wondered why she kept shrinking.

She couldn’t answer anything and just fiddled with the hilt of the sword she had been holding, desperately wondering what to say.

‘He, he needs me that much?

He had more affection for me than I had for him?

Just try going to another man?’

It was a threatening content and voice that contained the threat of war right away.

But for some reason, Zan felt not bad, but rather absurdly and foolishly relieved by Zion’s threat.

‘I, I have to say something.

I have to change this atmosphere…’

Zan pondered and pondered and finally opened her mouth.

But what came out was a completely absurd word, just nonsense that she blurted out.

“K-Kim Yu-hyun.

Wh-where did that man disappear to?

I, I asked him to deliver a letter to my sister, and he suddenly disappeared right after that.”

“Why are you looking for Kim Yu-hyun out of the blue?”

“O-out of the blue?

This is important.

So…”

“He’s doing something I asked him to do right now.

So stop worrying about that guy.”

As Zion, who had gotten up from his seat, slowly approached, Zan Temujin stared at him with an unprecedented ‘very nervous face’.

“Are you going to break the engagement or not?

Answer me, Zan Temujin.”

The most important thing was about to happen, and the northern warriors had to be there.

Zion was pushing the strong older sister even harder with the determination that he had to hold on to Zan this time.

―

“I think it’s about here.”

The man who was muttering like that after entering a deep forest was none other than the protagonist of the novel, Kim Yu-hyun.

After checking a map that someone had made for him, he nodded once and placed the woman he had been holding in his arms on the ground.

“M-monster.”

Trisha muttered like that with a face as white as a sheet from how much she had been carsick.

The distance that would take at least four days to cover on horseback, this man had covered in just three days by just running.

Moreover, the fact that he was maintaining that speed while minimizing the sound and even his presence was truly like a ‘monster’ from Trisha’s perspective.

“Try not to chatter.

There’s a target point nearby.

Even the slightest noise or presence could alert them to our existence, so it’s better to breathe quietly.”

There was no emotion or even a change in pitch in Kim Yu-hyun’s voice as he said that.

Trisha screamed inwardly, shouting that she hated being assigned to work with such a scary man, but she was encouraging herself to somehow overcome it and receive a reward, as it was a request and order from Zion, not anyone else.

“You remember what Zion said, right?”

Trisha nodded at Kim Yu-hyun’s question.

At that, Kim Yu-hyun, the future strongest in the world, the walking tactical nuke, the one-man Buster Call [a reference to a devastating attack from the manga/anime series *One Piece*], stared ahead.

It was hidden by the dense bushes and couldn’t be seen with the eyes, but beyond that was the target that Zion had mentioned.

‘This is war, Kim Yu-hyun.

And there are no ‘innocent people’ in war.

Who knows when those guys will become enemies who create blades that harm my people.

Everyone is an enemy, everyone is an enemy to be killed.’

I’m not a saint or a hero.

I’m just a human.

An selfish human who cherishes each and every one of my people.

I’d rather have thousands or tens of thousands of those guys die than have one of my people get hurt.

It was Zion who was saying so calmly what Kim Yu-hyun himself couldn’t even think of.

Click—.

Kim Yu-hyun steeled himself as he put on the white wings he had prepared in advance.

In the past, I couldn’t bring myself to do that and ended up losing many people.

Compared to that, the man named Zion, although he may be a demon to his enemies, is a greater being than any hero to his people.

‘In that sense, I think of you as an ally I can trust more than the fairies.’

So I won’t apologize to them separately.

I just hope they don’t scream, so that I can at least erase a little bit of guilt.

“Let’s go.”

Immediately after, a tactical nuke and a firestorm were dropped simultaneously.

―――――――Author’s Note―――――――

I will be updating during Chuseok [Korean Thanksgiving] unless something special happens!

I hope you all have a happy Chuseok and be careful of the coronavirus!

Have a good rest during the holidays!