Chapter 270: Everyone’s Time

The thick fog clouding my vision slowly began to lift. However, my ears still felt submerged underwater—muffled and deaf. It seemed I hadn’t fully regained consciousness.

“Lord Geom-Ma…!”

I covered my eyes with one hand and then slowly slid it down across my face. Only after the burn of that motion ran over my skin did I turn my gaze.

Shail and Karon were watching me, their eyes filled with worry.

I turned toward the window behind me. A pale full moon hung in the sky. It wasn’t late anymore—it was night.

Considering I’d touched the relic late in the afternoon, quite a bit of time had passed since then.

‘It doesn’t feel like even five minutes have gone by…’

I waved a hand to signal that I was okay. Only then did Karon, who had been pacing nonstop, let out a deep sigh. Shail, on the other hand, was fussing in obviously exaggerated concern.

“That lifeless look doesn’t bode well. I must stay by your side tonight to care for you.”

“I told you I’m fine. I’m not a child.”

I brushed her off somewhat coldly. If I didn’t, that woman would probably follow me all the way to my room.

“You are a child, Lord Geom-Ma.”

“…You just said a while ago that my mind was like that of a man in his forties.”

“Ah, I don’t know how I could’ve said something so outrageous…”

Shail smacked her own forehead. I stared at her for a moment before asking.

“So, what happened after I touched the relic?”

“The moment your finger touched it, a light burst out.”

Karon answered.

“Right after, you lost consciousness and collapsed in the chair.”

“In other words, I fainted.”

“Yes. At first, we were going to call the medical staff, but… then you spoke with your eyes closed. ‘He’s not in danger, so maintain your positions,’ you said. Your voice was yours, yet not quite… I don’t know how to explain it, but just hearing it made one feel reverent.”

“Hmm.”

Obviously, that wasn’t me speaking. It must have been the God of the Sword speaking through me. Understanding the situation brought a wave of relief. I glanced at the wall clock.

[A.M. 03:00]

The drowsiness vanished instantly. I quickly turned to them.

“Don’t tell me you’ve been here this whole time.”

“Yes.”

Shail and Karon nodded in unison.

“So that means you’ve been stuck here for seven or eight hours.”

“We’re here to assist you, sir. We were just doing our duty—no need to worry.”

I tried to cover my eyes again but ended up just rubbing my brow. In moments like this, the right thing to do is offer a simple thank-you.

“You both did well. Go get some rest.”

“Yes. You rest well too, Lord Geom-Ma.”

Karon and Shail exited, closing the door behind them. But I had barely been alone for a moment before the door opened again.

A second later, Shail peeked her head in, half-hiding behind the door, and said.

“If you need company tonight, don’t hesitate to let m—…”

Seeing my hand reach for the bookshelf, she fled in an instant.

“…Didn’t remember Shail being such a joker.”

I let out a small laugh. Who am I to talk about personality changes?

“After all, no one’s changed more than I have in just a single year.”

Even now, when something displeased me, my reaction was still violent.

‘Have I always been this way…?’

My memories were a bit hazy.

I clumsily opened and closed the hand I had reached for the sashimi with, but in the end, just let it drop.

“I should move that shelf… I’m picking up bad habits.”

***

Ryozo was lying face-down on the bed, her chin resting on the pillow. The tops of her feet tapped the sheet alternately.

[Ryozo: Are you busy with work?]

[Kang Geom-Ma: More or less. How about you—how’s your mom’s place? Are you doing okay there?]

“Hmm.”

She tilted her head slightly, still resting on the pillow. The soft fabric brushed gently against her left cheek.

“What should I reply with…?”

During winter break, Ryozo would be staying at her mother’s house.

It felt odd to use the word “stay” between a mother and daughter, but then again, Cynthia wasn’t part of the Saki family.

Originally, Ryozo had planned to spend the holidays hospitalized at the academy’s affiliated clinic. However, the institution had notified all students to return home, to keep them away from potential danger.

Hostile forces had attempted to infiltrate several times—and had succeeded twice.

Joaquin Academy was no longer safe. The fact that the administration admitted this was unprecedented.

That was only possible because the group of Elders—formerly the backbone of the system—was gone. They had prioritized honor over practicality.

Now, the academy acted with logic and speed. It recognized its shortcomings and sought to improve. It embraced change and progress.

The students, too, were influenced by this mindset. Even the arrogant noble heirs didn’t complain.

At this point, both the headmistress and Kang Geom-Ma were figures everyone trusted implicitly.

That’s why Ryozo agreed to leave the hospital and head to Busan. She turned down her sister Saki Hina’s offer to get her a private room in Japan. After all, her mother could give her all the extra care she needed.

In truth, it didn’t matter where she spent the holidays. Whether the place was big or small.

What really mattered was being in the same country as Kang Geom-Ma.

Though, well, her mother’s house wasn’t exactly small…

‘…Okay, maybe just a little.’

The apartment was over 130 square meters, but Ryozo had grown up in palace-like mansions.

Middle-class living felt like a humbling experience for her.

“Ugh, what should I say?”

She groaned while massaging her forehead. It was just a casual conversation, but every word felt important.

Not that they’d stopped talking recently—she just started overthinking every message.

[Ryozo: Busan’s not bad. It’s warmer than Gangwon. If you have time, maybe you could come vis—]

“No, that’s way too direct!”

She smacked her forehead and hammered the delete button several times.

She was in the middle of writing and deleting when she felt a presence behind her.

“……!”

The door was wide open. Cynthia stood leaning against the frame, an ambiguous smile on her face.

Thump!

Ryozo rolled off the bed.

“M-Mom!”

She sprang to her feet. Her forehead burned, though she couldn’t tell if it was from the bump or from falling to the floor.

“C-c-could you please respect my privacy for once!”

Cynthia snorted.

“Missy, this is my house, you know? If anything, you’re the one invading my privacy.”

“…….”

Ryozo pouted and glared. She had no comeback—Cynthia was right.

“And I’ve called you for dinner several times. Did you even hear me? Or not even that?”

“I didn’t hear you…”

Right then, her smartphone screen lit up.

[I heard her.]

It was Vixbig, joining the conversation.

[She didn’t just call you—she also knocked twice. But of course, you were so distracted you didn’t even notice.]

“……”

Ryozo’s eyes sparked as she glared at the phone.

The screen, which had been glowing, suddenly shut off like a blown fuse.

“Did you see that?”

Cynthia shrugged. Then, suddenly, her expression shifted.

“Daughter.”

She walked over and knelt in front of Ryozo.

She held her by the shoulders, her serious gaze making Ryozo’s chest tighten.

“How old will you be in five days?”

Today was December 27. Ryozo had only four days left as a seventeen-year-old girl.

“Eighteen.”

“Those feelings and doubts you’re experiencing—I had them too at your age.”

Cynthia let go of her shoulders and, with a warm smile, brushed Ryozo’s messy bangs aside.

“It’s part of life. That pure sensitivity—it’s something you can’t feel anymore once you’re an adult.”

Ryozo’s eyes glistened. The warmth of her family tugged at her heart.

“To be honest, eighteen’s already a bit late for late-blooming adolescence… but you still have time, Ryozo. You’ve got two years ahead of you. Use them to lay a strong foundation.”

Up to that point, all was well. But then Cynthia added.

“And once you’re an adult—take him down in one shot!”

Ryozo’s face froze.

“What…?”

“I can’t let my daughter lose to another woman.”

Cynthia flipped her hair back. Her mature, elegant face lit up with confidence.

She blew a strand away from her forehead, and a competitive flame danced in her eyes.

“Get a notebook and start taking notes.”

And so began the legendary doctor’s impromptu sex-ed lesson.

The more intense the class got, the more Ryozo’s blue eyes spun. Her face was so red, the swelling on her forehead looked ready to explode.

Even so, as dizzy as she was, she kept her ears wide open.

After all, the classes teens pay the most attention to always come with a very good reason.

***

Time flew by.

The days were so busy I barely had a moment to breathe. I was so absorbed in work, I nearly lost all sense of time.

It wasn’t until much later that I realized I had gone from seventeen to eighteen. That’s how committed I was.

And I’m not exaggerating—even ten bodies wouldn’t have been enough. I had to handle both the Seven Stars’ duties and track down conspiring factions.

‘Don’t I have some kind of Double Blessing or something among all these?’

I stretched, loosening up my stiff limbs. After staring blankly for a moment at the mountain of documents, eyes sunken, I stood from my chair.

“I’m going for a walk. Just a walk.”

The air in the office was so heavy, I felt weighed down inside. I desperately needed some fresh air.

I threw on a light coat and stepped outside. Walking through the empty academy had a strange touch of melancholy.

“I’ve spent exactly one year here.”

I remembered the first time I arrived, stepping into the snow. Back then, all I had were worries.

A future shrouded in uncertainty, a bank account draining by the day, an academy life that seemed incomprehensible at first.

But now?

One way or another, I had overcome all kinds of hardships—and even come to understand why I was pulled into this world.

I raised my hand for no particular reason. My palms were full of blisters and calluses.

“…This body, originally belonging to Lycan.”

The reason I had buried myself in work these past few days was because I still couldn’t fully accept that truth.

I had always believed this body—this Kang Geom-Ma—belonged to a minor, inconsequential character.

But in reality, it was the body of the First Corps Commander. No matter how many times I turned it over in my mind, it was absurd.

And yet, when I looked back calmly, everything added up.

After all, the invasion led by Sixth Commander Basmon half a century ago had been justified by the “resurrection of Lycan.”

‘At the time, I thought it was just another generic cliché from a cheap mobile game.’

Then it hit me—what if Miracle Blessing M was actually a game with a meticulously planned story?

“Maybe it was disguised as a game from the beginning.”

I recalled the God of the Sword’s final words.

“When we meet again, you’ll be far stronger than us.”

Who was he referring to with “us”? I didn’t know yet.

But I think I understood what that god was trying to tell me.

What I still had left to accomplish was far greater than anything I had done so far. Maybe he was just expressing that in a roundabout way.

I looked up at the sky. The midday sun pricked at my eyes.

“So this is what it feels like to be blessed by a god.”

I murmured, placing the edge of my hand over my brow to shield my eyes.

Maybe it was because it was New Year’s Day, but today’s sun shone with extraordinary clarity.