The S-Classes That I Raised - Chapter 866

Epilogue (8)

“You’ve worked hard today, Myeongwoo.”

Myeongwoo nodded with an exhausted expression. They couldn’t directly harm him, but they were still Transcenders. Just having a conversation with them was tiring. It was even more so if the Transcender didn’t bother to hide their momentum. If he hadn’t been protected as the creator of the system, they would have been so different that he wouldn’t have been able to meet their eyes properly.

“Come sit down, Dad!”

Haneul quickly dragged Myeongwoo to the sofa. Then she ran busily to the kitchen, saying she would bring him something to drink. Even though she had lost her past memories, maybe something remained deep inside her. Haneul tended to take care of Myeongwoo and me a little too much and tried to be helpful.

I wished it would get better over time, but Myeongwoo wasn’t the type of guy to easily let go of someone he had put in a frame. Once he realized that for sure, he would act recklessly.

‘I miss Kyul.’

I had been more worried about Kyul than Seol-i and Byul-i, who were younger. I thought Seol-i would be fine if Byul-i was there, and Byul-i seemed like she would be fine and bright no matter what happened or where she was. On the other hand, I kept thinking that Kyul needed me to be with her.

‘If only Seong-hyeon was here, things would have been better.’

Kyul used to express her emotions very honestly in front of Seong-hyeon. Now, she must be holding back, thinking that her aunt and uncle were worried about her because she was the eldest. It was okay to cry if she wanted to cry, throw a tantrum if she wanted to throw a tantrum, get angry or annoyed or sad, or do whatever she wanted.

‘I can’t really expect Yu-hyun to do it…’

Yu-hyun seemed to take very good care of the children’s physical health, but he was bound to be lacking in the emotional department. It was really fortunate that Ye-rim was there. Hyun-ah and So-young would definitely try to help too. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to sleep properly for three months because I was so anxious.

“Actually, I think it’s too early for you to go back, Eugene.”

Myeongwoo, who was drinking the juice Haneul had brought him while holding the empty bowl in his arms, said as we went into the living room after finishing our meal.

“Many people have forgotten about your death, but it’s still not enough. As I said before, the more Cognitions in our world strongly believe that Han Yoojin is dead, the harder it will be for you to return.”

“The more they forget, the less resistance there will be to Han Yoojin being alive.”

Everyone in our world recognized that Han Yoojin was dead. However, people didn’t always live their lives thinking about how Han Yoojin was dead. The deaths of strangers, who were neither family nor friends, would soon be buried and forgotten over time. Even if they were close, people usually gradually got over their grief and the moments they thought about the death of their loved ones became shorter.

So, over time, the power of the worldwide perception that Han Yoojin was dead would naturally weaken.

“You saw it, Eugene. Just yesterday, they showed your funeral on the Awakener training facility news.”

“Ah… Right.”

Our world’s system connection had been severed, but Myung-woo had connected to the system through himself. In other words, it was a private line exclusive to Myung-woo that the transcendents couldn’t use. Thanks to that, we had been able to watch TV and connect to the internet for the past month.

“…I’ll blow up that damn statue as soon as I get back.”

My face flushed just thinking about it. Even if Ms. Shishio had actively pushed for it, why didn’t anyone stop her? Even if I had really died, I would have jumped out of my grave if I had gone crazy. Not only was my existence absurd, but my image kept popping up on all sorts of broadcasts as reference footage! They should have just used a picture of my memorial tablet instead of showing a video of my statue! I couldn’t even watch TV properly.

“Other countries still show it occasionally, but Korea is especially frequent. Dodam and Haeyeon are often mentioned with you.”

“Ugh… I guess that’s inevitable.”

Suddenly, the funeral video came to mind. I almost cried even though I knew better than anyone that I was alive. Still, Yoohyun had a lonely expression on her face, perhaps because of her title, but Yerim and Kyul were genuinely grieving. Peace, who had grown a little bigger and was sitting quietly, must have really thought I was dead. I felt sorry for Shishio because she was so sad, even though I wondered why she was like that.

“It’s best when it becomes routine and fades away, even after they build a school. At least a year from now.”

“Even three months is too long!”

“Three years to be safe.”

“Three years away from the kids! My sister will come looking for me if she can’t wait!”

In three years, Kyul and Seol-i would be in elementary school, and even star would be in elementary school. The kids’ birthdays would pass three times, and I wouldn’t be able to celebrate any of them… I couldn’t do that.

“To be honest, I want to hold you back even if I have to use force. But.”

Myung-woo let out a long sigh.

“It’s dangerous for you to be here now.”

“The other transcendents have learned that the fifth root has completely stopped feeding.”

Haneul added to Myung-woo’s words.

“They suspect us as the cause.”

“Several transcendents have died, and there was also my unique case and the similar root. That’s why the transcendents who have come to visit recently have all tried to sound us out about it.”

Myung-woo looked at me and Yubin with concern.

“Although it is known that the young chaos, who was helped by the early system creators, dealt with the crescent who was trying to create a similar root, and that the similar root came under his protection, if even a little bit of the truth leaks out, not only you, but Yubin as well will be targeted.”

“Everyone. The unfilial, the filial addicts, and even the neutral transcendents.”

My dry saliva was automatically swallowed. I thought of the transcendents who were trying to attack me aiming for the Saint of the Holy Land. Even Yubin was a root itself. She was a weak baby now, but she would have the full power of a root someday. It wouldn’t be less than that time, but more.

“At least many transcendents might try to protect Yubin. A root shouldn’t disappear, and a creator who doesn’t predate is a welcome existence. But you’re different, Eugene. There are four more roots that predate.”

“…That’s right.”

Only one out of the five roots was born with the power of a caretaker and stopped predating. In other words, the other four were the same.

“It’s obvious. They will try to force you by saying that if only you, Eugene, come out, you can save all the worlds. They will also try to make you feel guilty by saying that you have the ability to save the world but are just watching.”

A sigh came out. Of course they would. That’s why we even hid the truth about Yubin from the tree that was helping us. We told the old man who was watching the roots and the Saint of the Holy Land who was assisting him about the identity of the root.

“If I go to the other roots and just say that I’m the caretaker of the root and tell them to be born again, I don’t think it will work. Yubin is a special case. Even if I did, they wouldn’t listen.”

Do you think it would be easy just because I have the title? However, there was no way the transcendents would just give up and say, ‘Oh, okay.’

“Furthermore, what should I do if I just make them be born? They’re not just one or two. There are four of them, and five including Bin. It’s hard to raise even that many ordinary children alone, but they’re children of roots. I’m the only one with the title, and I have to raise them, but what if I can’t take good care of them and they go astray? Even if an S-rank goes astray, it will be chaos, let alone a god.”

“You will become a terrible evil god!”

Haneul tilted his head and looked scared. Well, then the world will be ruined.

“I don’t even know if the power of my title can make all five of them grow at the same time. It’s more likely that the title is not a god, but for one person. I want to save the world if I can, but I can’t do it right now. There are already three children waiting for me, and there are four of them. If I add four more here, there will be eight….”

Moreover, the children of the roots were newborns. I only have two arms, and I can only carry four of them on my back and front. It was overwhelming just imagining it. Even though I like children… three kindergarteners and five babies…. No, this is really not it.

“…For the future, Yubin should at least graduate from elementary school and then have one by one….”

…Then how many decades will I have to live. Even if I give ten years per child, it will be 50 years. Do I have to spend 50 years on childcare to save all the worlds. I will have to carry a newborn baby after I’m over 60….

“After all, I’m not going to raise them all myself. I can help them with my title, but I have to find another way. How can I handle all of them alone?”

“Tobeginwith,it’snotlikeInurtureeverythingmyself.Icanhelptoasomeextentwithmytitle,butIn’dhavetofindanotherway.HowcanIhandleeverythingbymyself?”

“Usually,yes.Butjustbecarefulincasethere’sanunexpectedincident.Especiallyyouryoungerbrother.Heeitherwon’tbeabletorecognizeyou,butstill,itisbettetoavoidencountertinghimifpossible.”

“In the first place, you are not someone that you should care about.”

“…I find it hard not to care at all. The people in that neighborhood are people, but if you look at it one way, they are like Yubin’s younger siblings.”

So I hope that everyone is born safely, but it was still difficult for me to help them directly. It would be nice if the elder and Seong Hyeon-je could find another way. Please free me from childcare. I want to retire before I turn sixty.

“Anyway, that’s why I’m trying to send you back early. For now, our world is the safest place.”

Myeongwoo looked worried.

“But I think I can hide for about half a year more……”

“I’m okay. I’ll be careful.”

“Just because you’re in a hurry doesn’t mean you can go straight home. You are still perceived as a dead person in our world. People can’t accept you as you are.”

Even if he entered our world safely, it would not end there. Hanyujin, who was alive in that world, still did not exist.

“You belong to our world, but you will enter as someone other than Hanyujin. Your appearance, name, and abilities will all remain the same, but no one will recognize you as Hanyujin while you are alive.”

“Yeah, you’ve explained it to me several times.”

“…In about three years, I’ll be able to send you straight home. Once people’s perceptions fade completely and the system continues to modify the information, you’ll be able to go straight home without any trouble.”

“That’s right, honey. It might be okay if I hide well. Or I can endure as much as possible and go when I think I’ll get caught.”

I smiled at the two of them and nodded slightly.

“Thank you for your concern. But I’m really okay. All I have to do is make people in our world recognize my existence anew. I’ll be able to go home this year.”

How can you wait three years? I have to go home before Yoohyun’s birthday. Myeongwoo clicked his tongue as if he couldn’t help it.

“I’m worried because you’ll definitely have an accident for that recognition.”

“Bin is here, so I have to protect myself, really.”

He looked at me with disbelief. But what kind of big accident can I have when I have a newborn baby? This time, I’m really going to live quietly.

“Okay. I’ll finish the work within this month, so pack your bags.”

“Thank you, Myeongwoo.”

“Honey~ I’m sad~.”

“I’ll come visit you often.”

As I patted Haneul on the head and thought about finally going back, the corners of my mouth went up on their own. Even though I couldn’t go straight home, my heart was pounding.

And on the day of his return, just before June.

“Hanyujin of our world is dead.”

Myeongwoo warned me sternly. How many times have I heard this?

“In other words, your life is in danger if you are recognized as Hanyujin before you establish yourself anew. Because your world will try to make you dead.”

“Anyway, the people in our neighborhood don’t recognize me as me.”

“Normally, that’s true. But just in case, be careful. Especially your siblings. Your siblings won’t recognize you either, but try your best to avoid them.”

“If I happen to run into them, I’ll just greet them as a fan─.”

“No, you can’t.”

“…I’ll just watch them from afar.”

I thought I could at least say a word or two if I hung around near Haeyeon.

“You can’t get a job at the Dodam breeding center either.”

“No, but that’s the perfect job for me!”

“No. You can’t get a job at an Awakener education facility either.”

“But!”

“You don’t have a license anyway.”

“As a kitchen assistant, or even as a driver!”

“You don’t have a driver’s license either.”

…I’ll get one as soon as I get there. I should get one right away since I’ll be treated as an F-Rank now. I thought I could take care of the kids if I got a job at the breeding center. But now that things have turned out like this.

“You can’t go to the Dodam Cafe either.”

Myeongwoo cut me off like a knife before I could even say anything.

“…That’s too much. No, at least let me work part-time at the cafe.”

“You should go into broadcasting instead.”

“What kind of broadcasting?”

“You need to expose yourself to as many people as possible. Broadcasting is the best way to do that. A lot of people do personal broadcasting these days.”

Myeongwoo said that in order for me to be accepted as the living Han Yujin, I needed to interact with as many intelligent beings in our world as possible as the living me. Even if I was perceived as someone else, I was still Han Yujin. If people recognized ‘me’ as a living being and that recognition surpassed Han Yujin’s death, then ‘I’ would be seen as Han Yujin again.

In other words, if I became a world-famous celebrity, I could go home as Han Yujin that very day.

“It’s fine to gradually increase the number of people who know you safely, but after a couple of years, only a few people will remember your death, and then being a local celebrity will be enough.”

“…That’s shorter than three years.”

I guess I should try doing something like a real personal broadcast. I don’t want to expose Yubin on a parenting broadcast… Should I show off Ppajagi? Or maybe some Hunter-related content?

“But is there any way to go back? I almost cried when I was stuck in the dream world and couldn’t get in.”

“You weren’t almost crying. You were crying.”

“No, that time! Honestly, it was enough to make me cry!”

I thought I would never be able to go back. It still sends chills down my spine to think about it. I had nowhere to go, and I didn’t have much time left… Everything went black.

“Honey! I’m going to go to the dream world soon! Did I forget anything?”

“Yes. I have everything.”

Even if I can’t go home right away, I can see the kids from afar now. Not through TV, but in person. If I’m lucky, I might even be able to say a word or two.

I checked the baby carrier again and went through the door that sky opened for me. A warm wind blew, and a voice that I hadn’t heard in a long time greeted me. It was a voice that I was happy to hear.

– Yujin, I missed you!

Yeah, yeah. Have you been well?