### Chapter 202 – Party Time – The Ninth Companion (4)
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[User: Han Kain (Wisdom)
Date: Day 95
Current Location: Floor 1, Room 105 – Room of Rest
Sage’s Advice: X]
—
The past tales from the underwater hotel were surprisingly intriguing. Everyone focused on the words coming from Kim Sanghyun, etching the secret history into their minds.
“…”
“The factions excluding Miro split into three. Since everyone knew the truth, only two from the Administration Bureau felt no betrayal, while three began to turn hostile after realizing the truth. The last two felt a strong need for effective leadership in this dangerous place. So, that makes seven of us.”
“And you?”
“I was one of those last two. Is there anyone here with experience in warfare? Of course, let’s exclude those from the Administration Bureau who have probably faced hell and back.”
With Grandpa and Ahri out of the equation, there was no one who might’ve seen the battlefield. Naturally, everyone fell quiet.
“Strong leadership is crucial in extreme environments like a war zone. Fear and excitement can paralyze rational thinking, so someone needs to keep a cool head to lead the rest. The military’s strict hierarchy isn’t just a coincidence.”
I’ve never been in the military or a war, but I understood the gist of what he was saying.
“That’s why I think Miro’s attempt to control everyone was necessary evil. However…”
“However?”
He looked cautiously at Ahri before mumbling, “I thought the approach was misguided. Instead of suspicious supernatural powers, I was hoping for suitable discussions and the professionalism we’d built as agents within the Bureau to lead us.”
Am I understanding him because I come from a ‘normal’ background? Honestly, I got where this guy was coming from.
Kim Sanghyun carefully opened his mouth again.
“But Miro’s view seemed different. She preferred somewhat ‘coercive methods.’”
I could hear someone gulp. Did Miro suppress her former companions? Just thinking about the numbers, there were only three from the Administration Bureau, including Miro herself, in a group of three to five, so it wouldn’t seem easy for three to keep five subdued. But considering her heritage and powers, it could be entirely possible.
Grandpa asked carefully, “This question might be a bit hard to answer, but I hope you can share.”
“Ask away.”
“How did you end up dead on Floor 1? I heard from Ahri that you died due to internal conflict…”
A complex emotion flickered across Kim Sanghyun’s face—seemingly a mix of anger and regret as a sigh escaped him.
“It’s a simple story. I thought I was mediating between two opposing sides, but when conflict escalates, those caught in the middle become targets for both.”
“… A tragic situation indeed.”
“I still don’t know who killed me. One day, there was a heated debate or collision, and when I came to, I was already in hell.”
Ahri, at a loss for words, simply muttered, “I’m sorry.”
A heavy silence fell over the room. Having pondered for a while, he sealed his lips and brought up another topic.
“If I may add my two cents, I’d like to say something separate from the questions.”
“Go ahead. As Eunsol said earlier, we brought you back to be our companion, so naturally, you should speak your mind.”
“If you have more questions about my time with Miro, I can answer those extensively. Yet, all of this is just past history.”
“Just a thing of the past?”
“Of course. Does it make sense to dissect what happened in the first party now? I hope to be a part of your team ‘now.’ Just so you know, I absolutely won’t carry any past grievances into this new party.”
Grandpa summarized clearly, “So you mean you won’t vent your dissatisfaction toward Miro with Ahri?”
“Correct.”
It seemed Ahri was feeling burdened by discussing significant matters, so I chimed in.
“Mr. Kim Sanghyun, this might be a bit awkward to bring up.”
“Feel free to say it. I’m still full of gratitude toward Han Kain.”
“We might consider resurrecting Miro. I think she’s an incredibly competent individual.”
Given the mention of Miro and the fact that she’s got a daughter already, perhaps that’s why his expression didn’t waver much.
“What if…”
“What if?”
“Even if the one who killed me was Miro, I won’t unleash my anger in this hotel. I genuinely desire to leave this place. For that, I can forget all my grudges and do whatever it takes.”
“Not seeking revenge in this hotel?”
“With a beautiful lady watching behind, I don’t want to lie. If I get the chance to pay her back after leaving, I’ll definitely want to. But, once again, I don’t even know who killed me.”
It seems the matter of what would happen after leaving wasn’t for me to meddle in. I just hoped the person who killed Kim Sanghyun was someone else.
After such a long chat, we all felt drained and needed some time to sort out the influx of information. We’ve already resurrected a companion, and there would surely be plenty of opportunities to talk moving forward. Afterward, we briefly explained the legacies and blessings we had acquired and began to rest.
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[User: Han Kain (Wisdom)
Date: Day 95
Current Location: Floor 2, Snow Globe Land
Sage’s Advice: X]
—
After finishing the conversation with Kim Sanghyun, I returned to the Snow Globe Land on the second floor, determined to resume my grimoire training.
— Thud!
“Hey! Why can’t you dodge better?”
“… How do you expect me to evade the snow coming from behind?”
“Ahjussi said your hearing was better than a rabbit’s!”
“Even with that sense, I won’t dodge a snowball coming from you, sis. Got any words for me?”
“Oh, not much. I was just wondering what you thought about our earlier chat. I also asked some others. I had a tough time finding you on the second floor.”
“Was there something odd about it? Ability-wise, he seems to be quite versatile. Considering the blessing, that versatility seemed to be well beyond that of an ordinary person.”
“I already confirmed a few things about that. He sure shoots well. His skills as a doctor seemed supernatural!”
“Supernatural?”
“Since I’m in the process of diagnosing, let’s go together. By the way, what do you think of the other aspects?”
“Other aspects? He seemed to have had a troubled relationship with Miro back in the day. But he was like, ‘I’ll never bring that strife into the current party.’”
“Pretty much, yes.”
“I don’t think he was lying at all. Elena also said it was all the truth.”
“I see his words as truthful as well. He’s capable and seems exceptionally intelligent; he appears to draw the line between public and private nicely. What I’m getting at is a different angle altogether.”
“Another angle?”
My sister glanced around before leaning in closer to me, as if sensing the need for discretion.
“What’s your takeaway from his demeanor?”
I recalled the words he had said to me before. No matter how hard he tried to suppress it, there was one emotion he couldn’t hide.
“I want to leave this place. That alone is genuinely my heartfelt wish. To achieve that, I can forget all grudges and do anything.”
“… Desperation.”
“I felt the same. That guy is genuinely filled with longing. He doesn’t say even one word that might annoy us, almost to the point of appearing excessively submissive. Look at his tone. Is it easy to refer to the daughter of the person who might’ve killed him as ‘Miss’?”
“He mentioned he’s not familiar with the Korean language.”
“That’s likely only in terms of pronunciation. Anyway, I believe everything he said is true. Regarding skills or intellect, his career could definitely affirm his astounding capabilities. His claim of not bringing past strife into this party is probably spot on.”
“But you seem to have some reservations.”
“His very desperation is unsettling. He doesn’t seem like the type who would act out of past grudges. In fact, it seems as if he can easily forget ‘conflicts from the past.’ The only word occupying his mind right now is one.”
“Escape.”
“That guy is different from us. He’s already failed once, dragged into hell as a consequence, and suffered countless torments. He knows better than anyone what failure in this hotel means.”
After hearing all this, I understood what my sister was trying to convey.
“Are you thinking of hiding anything regarding our escape tools?”
“Is there any point in hiding it? He’s not new to the hotel; this is his second visit. He’s likely aware of the existence of escape tools, and that protective suit is too obvious to overlook. Besides, we might soon acquire a second tool through the Mysterious Craftsman.”
“What should we do then?”
“I discussed this with Grandpa. To escape via the elevator, we need the protective suit and a password, right? You remember the code, yeah? Keep it to yourself.”
87439124. I’ve never forgotten it.
“The password is off the table for sharing. The protective suit is already managed by Ahri, so that shouldn’t be a problem. We’ll think about the ‘wing boots’ from the Mysterious Craftsman afterward.”
“…”
“Got any other thoughts?”
“Nothing pops to mind at the moment. But I believe this strategy is ultimately a temporary measure. We can’t just keep playing psychological games with that guy in the hotel forever.”
“I agree.”
With that, my sister and I fell silent, heading back to the hotel to catch a glimpse of Kim Sanghyun’s ‘diagnosis.’
No matter who resurrects, there will be their own burdens, but somehow Kim Sanghyun’s resurrection made the cohesion of our party feel a bit looser. What should we do? I think I need to ponder this a bit more.
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