24 Hearts – Chapter 29

# Serenia Castle, Kaseun’s Grand Mansion.

“Urgh…”

Letting out a small groan, he opened his eyes only to close them again due to the blinding light. Slowly opening them again, his blurry vision came into focus. An unfamiliar ceiling came into view first. It wasn’t the one he was used to seeing. It was an elegant ceiling adorned with beautiful patterns and molding. Even the blanket covering him was made of a material far softer than what he used at home.

Where am I?

Staring at it, he realized it was a place he had been to before.

Kaseun’s mansion, huh?

Sighing softly as he wondered why he was here, he recalled his last memory—meeting Gabriel at the temple. Her completely unexpected reaction and incomprehensible words as she tried to kill him came to mind, followed by someone appearing to save him. It was a shame he hadn’t seen their face, but how many people could save him from a Holy King like her? He vaguely suspected it might be Sian.

“…Should I consider it a relief that I didn’t die?”

If he had truly died at that moment, he would’ve had to start over from the beginning. The thought alone was horrifying. The dizzying realization that all his relationships, training, hard-earned stats, and skill proficiencies might have been reset hit him hard. Since the number of save chances would reset to 1 upon obtaining a fragment anyway, it seemed wise to save at this moment.

Sian hadn’t explicitly said the save chances would accumulate… so getting a fragment probably wouldn’t increase it from 1 to 2.

[Your revival point has been saved based on the current location and time.]

Soon after, a message appeared, game-like, confirming the save was complete. He pulled up the system message log. The holographic window recorded brief details of significant past events. If something noteworthy had happened while he was unconscious, it would’ve been logged here.

[21:20 – You have met “Holy King Gabriel,” a figure even high priests rarely encounter, and witnessed Kain Sabnak being chosen as 〈Gabriel’s Sword〉. This is an incredible stroke of luck and an honor. Observing this wondrous event increases your Magic by 2.]

[21:25 – Holy King Gabriel has bestowed upon you the trait 〈The Chosen One – Rank: A〉.]

It felt like a lot had been omitted. He was certain Gabriel had attacked him, so why had he suddenly been granted a trait? Yet, there was no mention of that in the log—just the notable events.

“Ha, seriously. Useless.”

Staring blankly at the hologram while chewing his lip, Yuda checked the details of the 〈The Chosen One〉 trait.

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[The Chosen One] – Rank: A / Workmanship: Master

 

For some reason, today feels like a lucky day…

 

You’ve been chosen as one among many. It feels like luck might come from unexpected places.

 

Luck stat increases by 5, and Luck potential rises by 1 stage.

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There was nothing different from what he remembered. It was exactly the trait he knew. But he couldn’t understand why it had been given to him. It was a trait meant for Kain, who was chosen as Gabriel’s Sword. Feeling confused, Yuda threw off the blanket, sat on the edge of the bed, and stretched his body.

The cracking of his bones echoed with a snap, and though his body felt a bit refreshed, he quickly zoned out like an idiot. Glancing out the window absentmindedly, he realized the morning sun had risen, illuminating everything, and flinched.

“Ha, now that I think about it, I was supposed to buy bread.”

Yuda suddenly remembered Tia’s request to run an errand for her. He had said he’d return from the temple quickly, but now a whole day had passed. He had left under the night sky, but now, as the sun rose, he was only just coming back.

Thanks to that, he could buy freshly baked morning bread, but he worried that Tia might have roamed around looking for him since he hadn’t returned home last night without a word.

Deciding he should hurry back, he got up from the bed. Just then, he heard the thump of someone running down the hallway. It was an inexplicably irritating sound. Who would run around so noisily and uncouthly in a noble’s mansion? No need to wonder—it had to be the hyperactive Kain. No sooner had he guessed it than the door burst open.

Bang!

“Yuda!”

“Damn it…!”

The loud crash of the door hitting the wall made Yuda grimace with annoyance, nearly swearing before holding it back. Taking a slow deep breath, he looked at Kain, who had barged in.

“You’re awake! Are you okay? They said you collapsed there too!”

Kain approached with a genuinely innocent expression, asking if he was alright. Seeing that face, Yuda closed his eyes and swallowed his irritation. But at the same time, his heart pounded, and a murderous intent surged. Kain had obtained the upper-tier paladin class, 〈Gabriel’s Sword〉, just as he himself had become the upper-tier dark swordsman, 〈Black Claw〉. Becoming aware of this plunged Yuda into an internal conflict.

…

With his eyes closed, he recalled Kain’s profile in his mind. Having become Gabriel’s Sword, Kain would leave this place on his fifteenth birthday—the day his coming-of-age ceremony concluded—to gather fragments. Alongside capable companions, he’d acquire multiple fragments and ultimately become the successor.

Honestly, he hadn’t given Kain much thought until now, but things were different now. It had become a real problem. Kain was… a dangerous guy.

Should I kill him?

He could easily kill him now. His current growth potential was slightly higher, and Kain’s understanding of the 〈Gabriel’s Sword〉 class was still shallow. If they fought, victory was assured. After all, 〈Gabriel’s Sword〉 was a class meant for the Holy King’s apostle. Over time, Kain would grow stronger. Of course, if it were just Kain alone, crushing him wouldn’t be too hard barring any variables—〈Black Claw〉 was a natural counter to classes like 〈Gabriel’s Sword〉. If this could proceed like a game, defeating Kain wouldn’t be difficult.

But I can’t kill him here.

This was no ordinary place—it was Kaseun’s mansion. If he killed Kain here, Kaseun would kill him too. With his current stats, escaping from Kaseun, a Spirit Sword Bearer, was impossible. Yuda suppressed his killing intent. To repay the kindness he’d received so far, he decided not to kill Kain within Serenia Castle.

There would be plenty of opportunities later anyway.

In the original game, Yuda underwent his coming-of-age ceremony before Kain and left Serenia Castle first.

Speaking briefly about the game rather than this world, Yuda left Serenia Castle before Kain, gaining experience and stumbling upon a fragment by chance. Captivated by its power, he set out to collect more, clashing with Kain in the process. At first, they’d merely talk and part ways, but afterward, they’d fight every time a fragment was at stake.

However, at this point, Yuda’s level was typically 5 to 10 levels higher than the player’s (Kain’s). The player, with their companions, would defeat Yuda and claim the fragment, but the process was far from easy.

The level gap was one thing, but since Yuda’s skills countered Kain’s, the damage was terrifying. As a result, if players misjudged their party composition or slipped up in their control even briefly, they’d often die outright.

If players drained Yuda’s health and let their guard down thinking it was over, he’d become temporarily invincible and wipe out their team with devastating damage—a standard occurrence. Because of this, saving before fighting Yuda became second nature for players.

Yet, even this infuriating and rage-inducing Yuda became relatively manageable in the late game if players patiently gathered fragments. The power of the fragments could close the gap despite his high level. Of course, failing to steal his fragments—or having them stolen—meant struggling even with companions.

But the crucial point was that this wasn’t a game—it was a world, a reality.

Things wouldn’t unfold like they did in the game. Yuda vaguely sensed it. The story he’d crafted for this game wouldn’t follow its original course.

Because I’m Yuda, not Kain.

At first, it might proceed similarly to his memories, but the further it went, the more everything would hinge on his choices. More variables would arise, and what he remembered could turn out wrong. Conversely, if he, leaving Serenia Castle first, took on the challenges Kain was meant to face, he could significantly reduce those variables.

The threatening Kain might end up as nothing more than a side character with the special class 〈Gabriel’s Sword〉. But that was something to experience and ponder later—it wasn’t worth worrying about now.

Deciding whether to kill Kain or not was also a matter for later, not now. There was no point wasting time on something impossible in this moment.

…!

The moment those long thoughts concluded, Yuda flinched at what he’d been contemplating.

What had he been thinking?

He could become dangerous later, so he should kill him here and now?

Had he really felt no aversion to the idea of killing someone?

His values were changing at an alarming rate—he could feel it firsthand.

“Yuda!”

Hearing his name called out loudly, he opened his eyes.

And there was Kain, right in front of him at an uncomfortably close distance.

“Yuda? Are you still hurt? Should I call Grandpa?”

“No, I’m fine. I’m okay, so just step back a bit.”

What’s this guy doing standing so close? If it were a girl, maybe, but contact between guys felt off-putting. Yuda sighed as he watched Kain obediently step back.

“So, what’s up?”

“No, I came because I heard you collapsed at the temple yesterday too. I haven’t told anyone else yet since they might not believe me, but I’ll tell you first. Yesterday, I…”

Kain’s eyes sparkled as he looked up at the ceiling, recalling yesterday’s events.

“I saw an angel! Really, she was so beautiful! I’ve never seen anyone that gorgeous before. Did you see her too? You were there, right?”

“No, I didn’t. I just suddenly got sleepy and passed out.”

Kain looked disappointed. The angel he’d seen must be Holy King Gabriel. Yuda tossed a question to the sulking Kain.

“Anyway, an angel appeared? Did you talk to her?”

“She said she came down from the heavens because she had a request for me!”

Kain went on to recount their conversation. It was unnecessary chatter Yuda didn’t need to heed. The key points were that Kain had become Gabriel’s Sword and that they’d become adversaries in the future.

Someday, they would fight over fragments. And he would likely have to take Kain’s life. For that reason, he felt it unwise to grow any more attached. But if detaching emotions were as easy as thinking it, his heart wouldn’t feel this uneasy.

“She said I was brave! Hard to believe, right?”

“No, I believe it. But I should get going. I told Zentia I’d be back home soon, but a whole day’s passed. She’s probably worried.”

“Ugh, that tiger lady?”

Yuda let out a small chuckle at Kain’s words.

“That’s rude, Kain. She’s beautiful. Just like you said about the angel.”

At least to Yuda, she was as beautiful as an angel. If Tia were here, she might’ve gotten mad at Kain for calling her an “ajumma.” No, knowing her, she might’ve kicked him. As he stepped out of the room, he was startled to see someone leaning against the wall nearby.

“Hi, our pretty and lovely Yuda. And… fucking Kain?”

*　　　　　　　　　　*　　　　　　　　　　*

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Tip17. Eating food increases the player’s health and fatigue recovery rate. The more expensive, greasy, and delicious it is, the greater the effect! So, we can eat without worry. If it’s tasty, it’s 0 calories!

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「Status Window」

 

[Name: Yuda Arshe]

 

[Title: None]

 

[Level: 12]

 

[Class: Black Claw _ Shadow Magic Swordsman(Hidden_A)]

 

[Revival Count: 1]

 

[Strength: 35(D) / Potential A]

 

[Stamina: 35(D) / Potential S]

 

[Agility: 30(D) / Potential SS]

 

[Mana: 41(C) / Potential B]

 

[Mana Resistance: 51(C) / Potential S]

 

[Knowledge: 17(F) / Potential B] ◀ Special

 

[Luck: 84(A) / Potential S] ◀ Special

 

[Remaining Points: 11]

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***Author’s Note**

There’s a lot to write in today’s postscript.

While writing, I realized there wasn’t much need to explain why Kain was set up as strong in the previous chapter. Since the protagonist is now Yuda, not Kain, it won’t follow the game’s progression anyway. Even if it did, Yuda could take everything Kain was meant to experience.

For example, taking the companions meant for Kain, or dealing with betrayers in advance—then, as mentioned in the main story, Kain might just end up a side character. (Probably, anyway.)

Of course, even so, I’m genuinely grateful for the sharp feedback.

Since I sometimes forget things while writing, it could lead to setting inconsistencies!

This is why I can’t bring myself to close the comment section.

Haha, I might hear some harsh words, but since you point out mistakes I didn’t notice, it keeps me from veering down the wrong path.

Reading the comments, I originally planned to include a bit of sex. But surprisingly many of you want the story to progress with less of that (…) something I didn’t expect at all. Even without much ***, there’s a lot of support, which has me a bit conflicted. I didn’t intend to overdo it from the start, but it seems I’ll need to scale back what I had planned. I’ll use it sparingly.

I’d love to post multiple chapters daily to match the coupons you’ve given, but since I only have a limited amount pre-written, doing so every day feels a bit overwhelming. If I focused solely on ***, I could write and post on the spot, but to repay the love(?) you’ve shown, I’m writing while carefully considering the story and future progression—to make it more engaging. So, please don’t hate me too much if I can’t post multiple chapters often.