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Chapter 46
My Dark Past Is Too Strong
Astaroth (1)
In front of the Ascend Management building.
I’m waiting for Oh Hyun-ah to arrive.
That person is someone who absolutely needs to be included in my guild.
What kind of perks did she get? Not just any perks! It’d be such a waste if they weren’t used properly!
Though, admittedly, there’s the problem that she doesn’t know the first thing about games.
I even asked Insoo to be her teacher just to skip this troublesome step.
The real problem arises when Oh Hyun-ah shows aptitude as an adventurer.
“When that time comes, I’ll have to use the perk ticket and start acting like a middle schooler with delusions of grandeur.”
Yes, I’m talking about the infamous villainess, Astaroth.
Of course, she’s been spoiled since childhood and lived immersed in sticky, villainous romance fantasy novels—that’s her karma.
After all, the character Astaroth was modeled after “Thirteen-year-old Oh Hyun-ah”, so that says it all.
“I even made her swear she wouldn’t blame me no matter what happened.”
There’s no backing out now.
You’re going to feel the same kind of self-loathing I do.
“Uh, oppa!”
Oh Hyun-ah waves at me from afar.
Lately, she’s been overly affectionate, and honestly, it’s kind of creepy.
Who waves at their sibling just because they ran into them outside?
But I understand. She’s probably feeling guilty for using up my perks, so I’ll indulge her greeting—for the sake of the sister who will later wrestle with self-loathing.
“Wow. Our little sister came early?”
“Ah, geez… of course I did! I came early!”
Oh Hyun-ah seems at a loss for how to respond to her older brother’s warmth.
Judging by how she even swallowed the curse words she almost let slip, maybe she’s growing up.
“Anyway, why the sudden act of niceness?”
“I’m more famous than you think. A lot of people are watching. And don’t forget that the family of a celebrity is also in the public eye.”
“Ah!”
I gave a vague excuse for my kindness, and of course, Oh Hyun-ah took it at face value.
“That’s something I never thought about. Thanks for letting me know!”
Even though she’s my sister, she’s innocent.
How can she believe her older brother’s words without question every day? Ha ha ha.
“But are you really confident?”
“What?”
“About adventuring. There’s really a lot to learn.”
“Even if I’m bad at other things, I’m really good at studying. Just wait. At least I won’t be a burden.”
Good, full of confidence.
Well, as she said herself, she’s smart.
So I hope she gets a good evaluation from Teacher Insoo.
And I hope—absolutely—that she acts as Astaroth in front of me.
The contract went smoothly.
There were no unfavorable terms for Hyun-ah, and for a newcomer, she was treated quite well.
“Please let us know if you see anything that needs adjusting.”
“Yes!”
“Then take this contract and review it carefully at home.”
“Ah, thank you.”
After the staff left the meeting room, Oh Hyun-ah examined the contract she received.
“Oh. So adventurers split profits like this? I didn’t know.”
“Yeah, everyone does it this way.”
“What do you think, oppa? Can I sign it as is?”
“No problem. I think it’s a fair deal for a newcomer.”
“Really? Then I need to show my true abilities.”
Well, her real ability is probably the ticket she holds in her hand.
I wonder if she’s ready to accept it.
“I still haven’t fully gotten used to Lucifer’s way of speaking.”
So I keep my words short and simple.
If I spoke at length, I might falter if reality hits too hard.
Please, get your mental focus together.
Knock, knock.
The person who entered next was Go Insoo.
“Hello, I’m Go Insoo.”
Insoo greeted me first, then bowed slightly to my sister sitting beside me.
“I’m Oh Hyun-ah. I look forward to learning from you!”
“Oh Hyun-ah… using formal speech? To someone younger?”
“He’s your teacher. What student would dare speak informally to their master?”
“Ah, I don’t mind.”
“No, I think these boundaries must be strictly observed!”
After brief introductions, Go Insoo presented a single sheet of paper and a pen to Hyun-ah.
“I heard you’ve never played games.”
“Uh… not entirely, but I can’t say I really have either.”
“So we’ll do a test. It’ll check general knowledge of game systems and terms. I’ll adjust the curriculum based on the results.”
“Ah! Okay!”
Hyun-ah confidently picked up the pen and read through the questions.
But she only read them—didn’t write anything.
I thought maybe she didn’t understand the questions at all.
“Okay, I get the gist.”
After reading the test, she started writing answers without hesitation.
She finished very quickly and handed the sheet to Insoo.
“…Did she memorize all the answers on the spot?”
Such a cartoonish ability in my sister…
Well, I already knew she was smart.
Insoo, equally dumbfounded, began grading immediately.
There were 20 questions in total.
How many could she get right?
Insoo’s red pen began circling the answers one by one.
“…Did she just guess? It’s probably a lucky guess, right?”
Oh Hyun-ah, you’re really that capable?
My sister is so smart, so why…
No, no. Maybe she just scribbled random answers!
“Oh! You know a lot!”
“Really?”
Hyun-ah got 18 out of 20 questions correct.
Only the two hardest questions were wrong.
“…They say smart people are better at games too.”
Right after the test, Hyun-ah began her class.
The class lasted about two hours.
It seemed long for a first session, but Hyun-ah had requested this herself.
Judging by this, she seems quite serious about adventuring.
Meanwhile, I used the opportunity to tour the newly expanded secret training room through Manage.
When I summoned “Theo” previously, I realized the need for a space where summoned creatures could be handled safely and without scrutiny.
So, Hyun-ah will use her perk in this room.
Even Astaroth’s summon isn’t something that others would benefit from seeing.
I didn’t expect Hyun-ah to use this space before me.
“I’m looking forward to it.”
When Hyun-ah finished class:
“Teacher, thank you for your hard work!”
“Yes, you worked hard too, Hyun-ah.”
Judging by her expression, the class went well.
“Insoo, thanks. I’ll treat you soon.”
“I won’t refuse. I’ll wait!”
After seeing Insoo off, I asked Hyun-ah a question.
“Hey. Since becoming an adventurer, have you thought about which summon you want?”
“Uh, no?”
“Don’t lie. You’re a total fangirl.”
Hyun-ah, having grown up on romance and fantasy novels, has always been a “fangirl royalty.”
Even getting into these novels at her age was just because the male leads were handsome.
Later, she got into “Miracle Boys” fandom and continues to this day.
“I’m not a fangirl! I quit everything!”
“Then you sold all the cards you collected, right?”
“Are you crazy? How could I sell my heart?”
She’s so transparent.
Judging by her fangirl tendencies, she probably immediately looked for “visually appealing summons” once she awakened.
“So, have you found anyone?”
“…I thought all summons were monsters. But apparently not all are?”
Ha! I’ve lived with this family for over 20 years; I know your habits.
“The one in Yurie? The water attribute tester? She’s pretty.”
“Ah, Yurie in White Sand? White hair, sword-wielding beauty. Definitely your type.”
“Oh… you really know everything about the game, huh?”
“But do you know she’s a yokai?”
“Doesn’t matter. She’s good-looking, that’s all.”
Yurie is a legendary warrior summon and quite popular, though her abilities are a bit underwhelming for a legendary.
“Anyway, you still care about appearances.”
“Who doesn’t like pretty things? Why are you asking?”
“Just checking. Follow me, there’s somewhere to go.”
“Where?”
“To find your summon.”
At that moment, Oh Hyun-ah’s eyes sparkled.
“Really? I get a summon?”
“Whether I give it to you or you earn it… that’s up for debate.”
“But earlier, was that question about whether there’s a summon ready for me?”
Well, he is good-looking. Very.
Though that wasn’t my intention.
“No way a handsome guy appeals to me.”
Still, the sidekicks of the Seven Deadly Sins are surprisingly popular among the few female players.
All of them happen to be male characters.
Of course, beauty is subjective, but maybe among the seven, one suits Hyun-ah’s taste.
Anyway, this is a good thing. It gives Hyun-ah an extra motivation to act as Astaroth.
“I’ll let you see for yourself. Go check it out.”
“Okay! I can’t wait to see what it looks like.”
…Prioritizing visuals over performance is so Hyun-ah.
