At that moment, Yu-Han was wearing a demonic smile that said, 'I'll make you regret crawling in here on your own feet.'
Anyway, that was how Yi Rang and Alice became roommates, and they soon became close enough to speak casually. They were lying on their respective beds in the sleeping quarters, chatting.
"Anyhow! I ditched that damn high school and just jumped into sanctioner training 'cause I heard it pays bank. They even give ya a government grant!"
"...Into a profession filled with blood and slaughter?"
"They told me I only had to catch monsters an' bad guys! But after all that hellish trainin'... got the license, so I can't just not work... and that's how I ended up here."
"I see..."
Alice realized that there was someone else who had held naive thoughts just like her. More importantly, did a sanctioner license require a training course? Alice felt a lingering sense of unease about that.
"Besides, Alice! I've spilled my past, so shouldn't ya share yours too?"
"My past? I was told not to talk about it carelessly..."
"Well, some friends live such ordinary lives they got nothin' to talk about! Gyahaha!"
Slightly pricked by Yi Rang's words, Alice revealed her identity on the spot.
"I am Seong Yu-Hwa, the daughter of the President!"
"Eh...?"
"But I woke up trapped in this robot body!"
"...A-a robot? You ain't human?"
It seemed Yi Rang hadn't even realized Alice was a robot. Even if she looked human, her eyes glowed red and beam swords popped out of her wrists. Yi Rang pulled on Alice's cheek as if she couldn't believe it.
"How can a robot be this soft and squishy...? ...Wait, but Seong Yu-Hwa is perfectly fine and alive."
"Exactly! That's what I'm questioning too!"
Even Yi Rang found it hard to believe that Alice was the real Seong Yu-Hwa.
"Then... why don't ya contact the Cheongwa Tower?"
"I tried. They just treated me like a mental patient."
"Or try goin' there in person?"
"I tried that too! But a terrorist blew up the EV right on time, so I couldn't go!"
At that, Yi Rang tilted her head and spoke.
"The EV's been fixed for a while now."
"Wait, what...?"
Come to think of it, she had been so busy with the recent 'blood festival' that she hadn't paid any attention to that at all.
***
The next morning, Alice dragged Yu-Han toward the EV once again. The artificial morning lights of Old Seoul, hidden beneath New Seoul, were shining brightly. The government claimed it was 99% identical to real sunlight.
"Yaaawn... You're interrupting my precious sleep..."
"You said you'd help me! I played along with your euthanasia center and all that, so now you help me properly!"
"Don't get it twisted. I said I'd help with my spare energy, not that I'd put aside my other business for you."
"Oh, aren't you just so impressive."
As Alice was huffing in frustration, someone suddenly stopped them from behind.
"Excuse me, hold on a second!?"
The two turned around to see a pretty woman who had a trendy, urban blonde look.
"...What?"
"Excuse me, handsome... would you mind giving me your name and contact info? You're totally my type!"
Alice's face instinctively crumpled. She sincerely tried to warn the woman.
"I don't know who you are, but dating someone based on their face alone is a very bad choice. Seriously."
"Is this... a robot? Instead of comforting your loneliness with something like this, why don't you come play with me?"
The woman completely ignored Alice and stepped closer to Yu-Han. Yu-Han was smiling as if he were satisfied. Watching this, Alice's eyebrow began to twitch.
"You... what about my business?"
"Just watch quietly."
"Yeah~! A robot shouldn't interfere in human business!"
Just as anger toward this mysterious woman and Yu-Han was about to boil over, Yu-Han suddenly grabbed the woman's wrist.
"Kyaack...! You're too rough..."
"Drop the act. What is this?"
Before she knew it, Yu-Han was holding a small knife he had swiped from her pocket. A transparent liquid was smeared on the blade... according to Alice's AI analysis, it was a deadly toxin!
"Ugh... since when...!"
"Low-lifes like you love using the 'Honey Trap.' Did you think I wouldn't be on guard against something so basic?"
"H-help me—!"
"If you're prepared to kill others, you're prepared to die the same way, right?"
Yu-Han didn't hesitate to try and drive the poisoned knife into the woman's shoulder. But at that moment, a section of a snake's body appeared out of nowhere and blocked the blade.
"Partial Summoning Magic, I see."
"I see... your head really is worth tens of millions of won!"
The woman's demeanor shifted instantly as a man appeared beside her, teleporting them both a significant distance away in a flash.
"Fine. I didn't want to use such loud methods, but I guess it's time for a show of force!"
"I told you we shouldn't have used the Honey Trap..."
"Quiet!"
The couple was bickering even while facing their enemy. Yu-Han explained to Alice with a look of boredom.
"That woman is Na Ye-Jin, a specialist in summoning magic. The man with her is Go Geon-Woo, a teleportation magic user."
"You... how do you know our names!"
"I always keep tabs on anyone with real skill."
"You crazy stalker freak...!!"
Na Ye-Jin activated a smart hologram screen before her eyes. It began to glow and summoned something into the air. It was a bird, its entire body wreathed in flames.
[I am the Divine Beast, Phoenix... I have responded to the call.]
"Good, Phoenix! Erase those two from the world!"
[...Did your guardian not tell you to avoid unnecessary conflict?]
"Ugh...! Don't talk back to me, you're just a summon!"
To others, it looked like Na Ye-Jin was talking to herself, since the summon couldn't speak aloud. Alice whispered to Yu-Han.
"That woman... she seems mentally unstable..."
"I think the summon is nagging her through telepathy. Birds don't have human-like vocal cords, after all."
Finally reaching a dramatic agreement with the Phoenix, Na Ye-Jin shouted confidently.
"Go, Phoenix! Destroy those punks who called me a lunatic!"
'...So she heard that.'
Alice felt that Na Ye-Jin had remarkably sharp hearing.
"A summon... usually, you can neutralize it by taking out the summoner, but..."
"But what?"
"It's obvious when she's paired with a teleporter."
As soon as Yu-Han finished speaking, Go Geon-Woo teleported the two of them into hiding. Catching the summoner seemed nearly impossible now. Soon, the Phoenix let out a screech and began spewing torrents of flame.
"I'm sorry, but this robot doesn't have fireproofing—Ow!"
As the Phoenix's flames grazed her, Alice felt a searing, burning pain and hurriedly dodged. It was the first time she had felt pain in this robot body.
"Wait, I shouldn't even have pain sensors in this body...!?"
"It seems to be a flame that acts directly on the soul and mind. I'll have to go kill the summoner myself."
Yu-Han vanished into thin air, using stealth magic with a simple wave of his hand.
"Wait! You! You're leaving me to face this crazy bird alone!?"
No answer came to Alice. Only the fierce flames of the Phoenix responded.
Alice barely managed to avoid the flames by climbing up a building wall, but she knew she was just struggling in vain. No matter how gracefully she moved, there seemed to be no way to fully escape a biological flamethrower that could fly and chase her.
[Child, can you hear my voice?]
At that moment, a clear voice resonated inside Alice's mind. It was a kind, benevolent voice, like that of a holy mother...
"Damn it. Are you God? Then please do something about this crazy bird in front of me. Quickly!!"
[...I am the bird you are referring to...]
"Ah... I'm sorry."
The bird was merely looking at Alice, having ceased its attack. Alice cautiously climbed back down to the ground.
"Aren't you the enemy?"
[A summon is a being bound by a contract... I must obey because that child ordered me to attack you, but how quickly I finish the task is a matter of my own discretion.]
"Why?"
[Because I do not wish for those children to be deeply stained by the path of slaughter. This world has already been drenched in blood and madness...]
"You're right... this world is too strange!"
Alice felt the Phoenix give a gentle smile at her answer.
[As I thought... you possess a righteous and resilient soul. Then, would you like to form a contract with me and purify this world?]
"I don't know if I should do that so carelessly... You already have a contractor."
[As one who harbors love for all humanity, it is common for me to be contracted with several people at once! And please, read the terms carefully. I shall follow you as your absolute servant.]
The contract terms flowed directly into Alice's mind. Absolute obedience as a summon, always telling the truth when questioned, and various other restrictions. No matter how she looked at it, Alice had nothing to lose.
"Alright... then, I'll trust you."
[And your name?]
"Alice... no, Seong Yu—"
[The contract is sealed!]
A brilliant light enveloped the two, and the magical contract was finalized.
[I look forward to working with you, Alice.]
"But what are you going to do now? The order that woman gave you is still in effect..."
[Do not worry. That child's heart will change soon.]
***
Meanwhile, Go Geon-Woo and Na Ye-Jin were busy fleeing, teleporting repeatedly.
"Damn it... how is that persistent bastard still following us!"
"Can't you summon one more creature!?"
"Do you have any idea how much mana the Phoenix drains?! I can't do it...!"
Yu-Han continued to appear and pursue them. The destination of a teleport should only be known to the user, yet this phenomenon was beyond comprehension. Finally, when they reached a certain alleyway, Yu-Han was nowhere to be seen.
"Did we lose him...?"
The two tried to calm their racing hearts. However, Yu-Han was already clinging to the alley wall, invisible.
'Thinking I'm not here just because you can't see me... how foolish.'
Actually, he had intentionally dropped his stealth earlier just to lure them into a false sense of security. Yu-Han leapt from the wall, swinging his carbon-coated blade to decapitate them both in one go.
"Stop it, Yu-Han. You two, as well."
At that moment, a large man appeared and blocked Yu-Han's strike with a spear. Na Ye-Jin and Go Geon-Woo were stunned to see Yu-Han and the man together.
"Jeon Seok-Hyeon C. It's been a while."
"...Let's all lower our weapons first. I apologize for the fight these children started."
Go Geon-Woo and Na Ye-Jin were dumbfounded by their conversation.
"Father, you two know each other...?"
Jeon Seok-Hyeon, who sent his weapon back with reverse-summoning, gave Go Geon-Woo and Na Ye-Jin a light smack.
"Yu-Han is as good as my own brother. To you two, he's practically an uncle. So apologize. And send the Phoenix Nim back."
"W-we're sorry..."
The two reluctantly apologized to Yu-Han, but he still looked displeased.
"These two 'cute' nephews just tried to kill me. You aren't planning to end this with just a simple apology, are you?"
"Yu-Han, please, for my sake, can't you let it slide this once...? I'll make sure to pay you back for this debt..."
"Haa... if you put it that way."
Only then did Yu-Han sheath his blade. Seeing his murderous aura, Go Geon-Woo and Na Ye-Jin vowed never to touch this crazy uncle again.
***
"I see, I was wondering why such a bounty was placed on you, so it was Kim Je-Hyeon's doing..."
"We had no idea, we are truly sorry! Auntie Alice!!"
"...Don't do it again. But wait, why am I an auntie?"
Hearing that, Go Geon-Woo explained with a grin.
"Well, since Yu-Han C turned out to be our uncle, that makes his companion Alice C practically our auntie..."
At that moment, a flash of murderous intent flickered simultaneously in the eyes of both Yu-Han and Alice. Feeling their lives in danger, Na Ye-Jin and Go Geon-Woo teleported away.
"Mmm... I'm truly sorry about that. I'll give those two a proper scolding at home. And as a gesture of apology, I'll clear the path for you."
Jeon Seok-Hyeon suddenly summoned a spear and threw it sideways without even looking. Something that looked like an assassin was pinned to the wall, a spear through its crown.
"I'm also working as a freelance sanctioner, so contact me if you need anything."
Jeon Seok-Hyeon transmitted his electronic business card to the two and left to take care of the other assassins.
"Yu-Han... you had a brother?"
"No way. I don't have a family."
"But that man treated you like..."
"The more someone's life is at rock bottom, the more they indulge in this useless 'family play.' I'll never fall for such foolish illusions again. Those people are just there to be used when convenient."
"Haa... Fine."
Alice let out a heavy sigh—though technically, it was just intake and exhaust.