Chapter 246: Alpha’s Memory (2)
The rooftop, used as a helipad, was spacious. But finding Yuhyun wasn’t difficult.
As soon as I stepped onto the roof, Iryn popped out from behind my neck. The little dragon raised a front paw in greeting, as if saying “Hello,” before hopping down and scurrying ahead to lead the way.
Yuhyun stood at the far end of the rooftop. The morning sunlight softly brushed against his black hair.
A face similar to Yuhyun’s, yet slightly different. A little more mature. He was twenty-six now.
The fact that Alpha’s appearance was mixed in was a relief. If it had been just my usual little brother, this might have been much harder.
“Why are you out here? You didn’t say anything.”
I walked up beside him. Beyond the railing, the city stretched below. Between the buildings in the distance, traces of last night’s battle still lingered. The people down there must be bewildered—the entire Defense Bureau had been overturned overnight. Some would be relieved, while others would be uneasy.
“Hyung.”
“Yeah?”
“I think… I’ve gotten too soft lately.”
Iryn climbed onto Yuhyun’s shoulder, settling at the nape of his neck. Yuhyun spoke calmly.
“I’ve been thinking about moving back to the guild house. You have Peace, Park Yerim, and Hunter Noah with you, so I wouldn’t need to worry. It’s right next to your place anyway.”
“What are you saying all of a sudden? You haven’t gotten soft. And so what if you did? Being too rigid all the time is exhausting. It’s better to have some softness.”
It was true that Yuhyun had loosened up a little recently. But compared to before—especially before the regression—this was much better.
“…Unless you just don’t want to live with me anymore?”
“No. That’s not it. I like being with you. So much that sometimes, I wonder if it’s all just a dream.”
“Then why are you trying to leave?”
No answer.
So there was something.
Was it because I had almost died saving him?
No, that couldn’t be it. He had already been honest about his feelings regarding that. He had told me, clearly, that if something like that happened again, I should wait for backup and rescue him safely with others.
He never told me to give up on him.
He had been terrified and shaken, but he hadn’t rejected my hand.
So that wasn’t the reason he was suddenly trying to distance himself.
Which meant…
‘…Is it because of Alpha’s memories?’
Even if he had suddenly been thrown into someone else’s body, even if the environment had changed, it was still strange that he had lost control completely.
Even Moon Hyunah had adapted seamlessly to acting as Lambda.
And according to her, Achates was the only place where SS-rank guards had shown abnormal signs.
Even though cities had little interaction with each other, a major incident like Alpha’s rampage would have definitely spread through rumors. But Yerim and Noah seemed to have adjusted fine.
Peace… well, that was another story.
In the end, only Yuhyun had an issue.
‘And last night, he was asking about this world, too.’
But what kind of memory could be troubling him this much?
“Yuhyun, are you—”
Without a sound, Yuhyun lightly stepped onto the railing.
“Is this because of Alpha? Where are you going?!”
Like he was running away, Yuhyun started walking along the railing. I chased after him, but soon hit an obstacle.
If I were still F-rank, this would have been a problem.
But now? I was C-rank and had boots to help.
So I climbed onto the railing as well.
The thin railing quickly ended, transitioning into a taller metal barrier—probably added for security. The ledge was barely a centimeter wide, even thinner than a tightrope, but Yuhyun stood on it as if it were solid ground.
Not a problem for me, either.
“That’s dangerous, hyung!”
Yuhyun shouted as soon as I stepped onto the metal ledge.
Dangerous, my ass.
Sure, the ground looked far away, but there was no way I was falling.
“We agreed not to hide things from each other. Talk.”
“…You don’t tell me everything, either.”
“I told you everything except what I couldn’t. Even about this world—about how this is my real body, how I have four lives left. I could’ve hidden that to keep you from worrying, but I was honest with you.”
I took a step closer.
Yuhyun’s gaze locked onto my feet, like he was preparing to lunge forward if I showed any signs of falling.
I see. If I fall, he’s going to try to catch me immediately.
“Of course, there are things people have to keep to themselves. And I’m not going to pry into every little thing in your personal life. But if you secretly started liking someone, or if you’re already dating, I’d really appreciate it if you told me.”
“I’m not. I don’t.”
You should.
“But this… this is about me, right? I’m involved in whatever’s making you act like this.”
Yuhyun clamped his mouth shut.
Yup, I was right.
“Then don’t I deserve to know, too? You wouldn’t like it if I just kept everything to myself, would you? What if I had hidden the fact that this is my real body, just so you wouldn’t worry? You wouldn’t like that, would you?”
“…I wouldn’t. But, hyung.”
Yuhyun hesitated, struggling to speak.
What was it?
I had no clue what he was trying so hard to say.
“I… I’m here. So…”
His gaze remained fixed on my feet, refusing to look up.
I held back from stepping any closer.
If I did, it felt like he’d bolt before I could catch him.
“That’s all I seem to do—cause harm. No, I really do. It’d be better if I—”
“Hey! Han Yuhyun!”
Yuhyun flinched and lifted his head. There are things you can say and things you absolutely shouldn’t.
“What kind of bullshit is that?!”
“But Alpha’s—”
Alpha what?!
Yuhyun’s voice suddenly cut off, and Blue Willow Leaves appeared. Damn it, he was actually trying to run!
Grinding my teeth, I tilted my body sideways—toward the edge of the building.
Falling from this height wasn’t survivable at F-rank, and even at C-rank, I wouldn’t make it out in one piece.
“Hyung!”
As expected, Yuhyun rushed toward me, reaching out his hand.
My body tilted until I was almost parallel to the ground. I should have fallen instantly, but instead, my boots planted firmly against the vertical metal surface, as if it were solid ground.
I pulled out a wire rope—an A-rank item, durable and equipped with automatic binding functions.
At the same time, I wrapped the wire around my wrist and Yuhyun’s body.
“If you pull too hard, my wrist will get sliced off.”
“What, Hyung—?!”
An A-rank item was nowhere near enough to restrain an SS-rank.
That’s why I intentionally linked it to my own wrist.
If he tried to break free, the wire would tighten and dig into my flesh—maybe even sever my hand completely.
Yuhyun froze, unable to even consider breaking free, as the wire wrapped tightly around his torso.
I climbed back up onto the metal ledge, pulling my bound brother back toward the rooftop.
Not wanting to hurt me, he didn’t resist at all.
His body collapsed onto the roof, and I immediately pinned him down, straddling him to keep him from pulling anything reckless again.
Iryn crawled out, circling us as if looking for a way to cut the wire.
“Stay put, Iryn.”
The little dragon hesitated, blinking, before retreating back to Yuhyun’s neck.
Good boy.
“…You’re so unfair. Using yourself as a hostage.”
Yuhyun muttered bitterly.
“Sorry about that.”
Even if I wasn’t strong enough to physically restrain him, this was a shitty way to do it.
But I couldn’t just stand by and let him stab himself.
“Why would you say you only bring harm to me?”
“…”
“Han Yuhyun.”
I waited.
As if I had all the time in the world.
Finally, after a long silence, Yuhyun spoke.
“…Alpha had a guardian.”
A nurturer, he said.
For a moment, I thought he might mean someone like me.
But this world didn’t seem to have the Fifth Origin.
Titles related to raising innate S-ranks only existed in that world.
Which meant Alpha wasn’t born an S-rank.
“And… they were murdered.”
“Yuhyun, I understand why you’re worried, but it’s not uncommon for people with Nurturer Titles to be killed. That’s why you distanced yourself from me before. It was hard for a while, but I’m fine now—”
“By a Filial Duty Addict.”
“…What?”
Yuhyun’s expression twisted with pain.
He clenched his teeth, struggling with the memory, before forcing himself to continue.
“This place—Achates—is connected to the Filial Duty Addicts. I don’t know the exact details—maybe because my memories were blocked or I only received fragments. But someone here made a contract with them.”
“You don’t know who?”
He shook his head.
It was most likely someone from the Defense Bureau.
They could have been killed in yesterday’s chaos, escaped, or gotten arrested.
Should I start interrogating the prisoners?
“The one who killed Alpha’s guardian… That bastard said the exact same thing you just told me—that people with Nurturer Titles are often murdered. By the Unfilial.”
“…No way.”
I was at a loss for words.
By the Unfilial?
Wait.
“…They could have been lying.”
“Alpha wasn’t directly told. He just overheard it while standing next to the contractor. And the contract itself forbade providing false information.
It was part of a discussion about Alpha and the other SS-rank guards in different cities.
It wasn’t a lie…”
If they had trusted Alpha enough to bring him along when meeting a Filial Duty Addict, then they probably thought he was already on their side.
Maybe they had used mental manipulation or something similar.
Maybe the murder was part of that process.
If that was the case, then the contractor was likely one of Alpha’s administrators.
“The Unfilial remove obstacles that interfere with S-rank awakeners, especially innate S-ranks, hunting monsters efficiently.
If a nurturer’s presence makes an S-rank hesitate, then it’s considered inefficient.
Most S-ranks recover quickly after losing their nurturer, and if they manipulate the records to make it seem like they were killed by monsters, those S-ranks become even more fanatically devoted to protecting the world.
So…”
My heart pounded.
A wave of nausea churned in my stomach, but I forced myself to process the information calmly.
So they kill nurturers to make the world more efficient.
The Unfilial do.
…They didn’t even lie to me.
I was told many nurturers are murdered—that was true.
They just never mentioned who was responsible.
Sick bastards.
“I think I might be… an innate S-rank, Hyung.”
Yuhyun looked at me with uneasy eyes.
“I’ve always felt… different from the other S-rank Hunters.
Sesung Guild Leader and Hunter Liette felt similar to me.
And… nurturers for innate S-ranks are extremely rare.
But… the Unfilial almost always eliminate them—without exception.
It’s even a system designation. There’s no way to hide it…”
“…Yuhyun.”
“The moment you awakened, Hyung… you could’ve been killed because of me…”
“How is that your fault?! It was those Unfilial bastards!”
“But if I had kept my distance from you… maybe you would’ve been safe…”
The Unfilial’s goal was to protect the world by stopping dungeons.
So if Yuhyun had focused solely on growing his guild and power, without being connected to me, they might not have targeted me.
My chest tightened at the thought.
No way.
Did Yuhyun… already know?
“Y-Yuhyun.”
My voice shook slightly.
“Did you… really try to stay away from me? Even years later?”
“…No. I was still young when I awakened, and you… you were so anxious, Hyung.
I planned to contact you again once the guild was stable, once you and everyone else had gotten used to dungeons.
Even if we couldn’t go back to how things were before… I still wanted to.”
Yuhyun murmured an apology.
There was nothing for him to be sorry for.
But I couldn’t bring myself to comfort him properly.
My mind was spinning.
Everything felt dizzy.
I lowered my head, hiding my expression.
“…Hyung?”
“No, I just… need to think for a moment.”
I wanted him to not know.
He shouldn’t have known.
Please.
If Yuhyun had truly believed that his very existence was a threat to me…
Damn it.
A smiling face flashed through my mind.
My stomach twisted.
Why had I smiled?
Why?
Why did I look relieved, even as I was dying?
“Yuhyun, it wasn’t your fault. You didn’t do anything wrong.”
I wasn’t just saying it to comfort him.
I meant it.
“I just… I simply loved you.
And you accepted me.
Neither of us did anything wrong.
It was just bad luck.
An unavoidable disaster.
There was no one to blame—
No, actually, there was.
The Unfilial bastards were to blame.”
Sure, they claimed to be protecting the world.
But who cares?
“And now, we’re fine, aren’t we? You saw it too.
The Unfilial were completely terrified of me.
They couldn’t touch me.
They were even trying to protect me.”
They—
They were only scared of me because of him.
Because of Yuhyun.
A burning lump of emotion rose up inside me, but I swallowed it down.
It was hard to suppress, but not impossible.
I forced myself to smile.
“Don’t worry, Yuhyun.
Everything’s going to be fine.
You said you were happy living with me, right?
Then we’ll stay together.
As long as you want.”
Yuhyun gave a small nod.
“…Sorry, Hyung. For not telling you sooner.”
“It’s fine. Just make sure you always tell me from now on.
And most importantly, remember—this isn’t your fault.”
I loosened the wire and got up, then reached out my hand to him.
“More than anything, I was the one who approached you first.
A newborn baby doesn’t know anything.
I loved you first, and you just responded to it.
So you did nothing wrong.”
Yuhyun took my hand and pulled himself up.
“But I still feel really sorry toward you, Hyung.”
“This was my choice.
If you keep feeling guilty, then you’re saying I made the wrong choice.
So instead of apologizing, hmm… be grateful instead.”
‘Grateful’ was way better than ‘sorry.’
Yuhyun’s expression noticeably brightened, and he smiled.
Much better.
“Thanks, Hyung. But if you ever get married, I’ll make sure to give you space.
I shouldn’t visit too often, right?”
“…What? Where is this coming from? I’m not even dating anyone!”
“Well, you always—”
“Hey, that’s because I’m basically your guardian!
And what do you mean, give me space?
If someone doesn’t like you, then I don’t like them either.”
“But most people wouldn’t like it.
It’s better to plan ahead.”
…Who the hell told him that nonsense?
“I wouldn’t like someone like that either!
So don’t worry about it!
And you don’t need to move out.”
Besides, marriage…
I had already given up on that.
Even without Yuhyun, there were monsters everywhere, and most importantly, it was too dangerous.
There was no one who would be willing to accept all of that—and even if there was, I wouldn’t be able to go through with it.
Right now, the kids were my priority anyway…
With this kind of mindset, how could I even think about dating?
I’d just end up hurting someone.
“Then… I can really stay with you forever?”
“Of course.
Unless you change your mind, I never will.
If you ever want to live independently, I’ll be sad, but I’ll let you.”
“As long as you’re okay with it, I never want to move out.
I like things the way they are.”
“Alright, alright.”
Honestly, most people his age still lived with their families unless they had to move for school.
Even if he was a guild leader and an S-rank Hunter, he was still just a kid.
“Did you get any other useful memories from Alpha?”
“I didn’t receive everything, and since Alpha was always following orders, there wasn’t much.
Hunter Moon Hyunah probably knows more than I do.”
Still, the fact that Achates was connected to the Filial Duty Addicts was valuable information.
After meeting with Sigma, I’d have to track down the contractor.
[Morning Exercise is on the Rooftop!]
As we were about to head down, the quest window flashed.
Ah, for real.
“What are you doing all of a sudden, Hyung?”
“For the spectators—some light stretching.
Morning exercise is good for your health.”
…It wasn’t just for the reward.
But the points were pretty nice, too.
–TL Notes–
Tired of seeing Ads? Then please support me on Patreon! Any tier of subscription will make it so you won’t get any ads!
If you want to support me or give me feedback, you can do it at patreon.com/InsanityTheGame
Join my Discord! https://discord.gg/BWaP3AHHpt