Editor: Narane
A word from the translator:
Hi readers, I’m Dijon, the translator, and I have a disclaimer to give. My Korean is not good, but my English is perfectly fluent. In other words, I am incredibly sorry for any translation mistakes. Also, there's a manhwa out of this. In light novel terms, chapters 0-28 are volume 1, 29-70 are volume 2, and 71-ongoing are volume 3. So if you're okay with spoilers, here's the link:
This light novel is a ridiculously long series, so don’t expect any closure in the near future.
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01. Starting Story
Everybody must have felt their heart beating out of their chest. Like when showing your parents the worst report card ever, or when the evil boss you fought against whom you thought was a complete stranger said "I am your father," or when the girl you liked turned out to be a boy.
Now in a situation where my heart’s beating hard, I too understand. Since I’m giving the confession of a lifetime. My life will change based on how this confession goes.
The target of my confession, the slightly arrogant and dignified Miss Seo Narae, stands before me. Our class president and my childhood friend, she’s the girl I like. Her shoulder length, half-curly hair is waving, and because of her sharply rising eyes that made her look a little fierce, it was easy to tell her personality. Which was to say...
“The hell is it? If you want to say something, spit it out already!”
“Ah, sorry.”
She gets angry easily. Of course, I understand Narae’s feelings. Class was over and she was going with friends to play when I, of all people, grabbed her and brought her to a secluded place behind the gym. Folding her arms and looking nervously at me, I know for sure that her mood was bad.
But Narae. Don’t pose like that. It makes your already-huge breasts stick out even more. If you compare her to our other classmates, the other girls looked almost pitiful compared to her explosively large... ……What am I thinking about right now?! Get yourself together, Kang Sunghoon. Aren’t you the one who was just childhood friends with Narae, but are now upheaving your relationship with her?
With a confession of love?
“Hey, Narae.”
“What?”
Na-- Narae’s always gotten angry easily, so don’t be intimidated by her cold response, me.
“……Um, the thing is--”
One step. I just need to take one more step! Keep it up! Being unable to confess here means you’re not a man! I have no time to spare. Look! Narae’s so angry now that her face turned red!
“I-.”
It was then.
[♪♩♬]
A familiar cell phone ring tone cut off my words.
“Just, just one sec.”
I was cursing the caller to become impotent for generations for that damn timing when I found it was actually my dad, so I stopped.
What the hell is it? Does he want me to hurry back and make food for him?
“What--……”
[You need to hurry back home.]
“I was going to go in just a bit even if you hadn’t told me to.”
[There’s an urgent matter. Come home now.]
He doesn’t know his own child’s circumstances. Because I got upset I also unthinkingly replied,
“What the hell is it?! The side dishes are in the refrigerator, I made rice, you don’t need to do the dishes, I also did the laundry, ironed the clothes we’ll wear, threw away the compost when I left, and the newspaper’s on top of the dining table!”
……I was shocked to remember that I was still in front of Narae. She was still there, looking at me with pitying eyes. Since she knows full well of my domestic circumstances. Because mom doesn’t come home often because of her work and dad’s a patient with uncommon laziness, our family situation is that I have to do housework in their place.
For now, I should hang up on this damn father. But dad continued, blowing away what I’d assumed he was going to say.
[Ah, it’s nothing special. Just that my dad died?]
Dad’s dad. In other words, my grandfather?!
“.....Eh?”
[So hurry back home. I’m hanging up.]
“Dad? Oy, Dad!!”
The only return was the segmented beeps of the phone.
“What’s going on at your home?”
“No, that’s…..”
Obviously something’s wrong. Is it okay to tell Narae about it? After worrying a little, Narae quickly turned her head and spoke bluntly.
“Fine. It has nothing to do with me anyway.”
She may be saying that, but she’s definitely inwardly worried. Others may misunderstand her often, but Narae’s fierce appearance is different from her truly caring personality. I fell in love with her because of that side of her. And as vacation starts today, I wanted to make my confession of love, but…… Now doesn’t seem like the right situation.
“Narae. I’m sorry, but I have to go now. I wasted your time after you made time for me, so I’m really sorry.”
“What, all of a sudden?! And after you went and called for me!”
Ah, she’s really mad. If I leave without saying anything, I’ll probably pay for it later. It couldn’t be helped so I explained my situation.
“My dad just told me my grandfather passed away….. So I have to go now.”
Although, from the time I was born until now, I haven’t seen him once.
“Ah.”
Narae understood my situation and nodded her head and spoke in a depressed voice.
“Okay. You can go.”
“Sorry.”
“But are you going to the countryside now?”
I’m not really sure, but,
“I guess?”
“Then contact me when you come back to Seoul.”
“…..Eh?”
Why do that? After I asked, Narae’s face turned bright red and she shouted.
“St--stupid! Do you think I’ll just let you off free after wasting my time?!”
Ah, so that’s it. Is she trying to cheer me up?
“Ah, then I’ll apologize to you properly then.”
“And send me a message when you arrive in the countryside.”
“…..What?”
“If I said to do it, just do it! Why’re you talking so much!”
But all I said was “what.”
“What, you unsatisfied?!”
Eek. Narae must have shouted because she read my expression. After knowing each other for so long, she can understand what I’m thinking even without me speaking. I spoke while keeping both my hands in the air.
“Not at all.”
“Then message me!”
“Yep, understood.”
I said bye to Narae and headed home.
“You’re his eldest son, Dad.”
Wrinkles formed around his eyes as he spoke.
“Since when did you start constantly talking back to me?”
“You didn’t know? I just started today, Dad.”
It seems like adults often don’t acknowledge that their children have grown up. Rather than try and persuade me properly,
“If you don’t want to go, then get out of the house.”
“Who does that?!”
“I do.”
He likes to threaten others.
Thinking about it, I should’ve left the house right then. I should’ve also thought about why Dad ran away from home to go to Seoul. But without even a thought, I lost to Dad’s threat and could only think about leaving Seoul as I got on the bus line headed for the countryside.
Then our eyes met.
A fearful chill strong enough to make me forget the heat for a moment swept through my back. That was just one of her footsteps, and it only got worse as she stepped closer to me. More than anything, her gaze was directed at me.
Is there someone behind me? I turned around and saw a bus with no driver in it. Ah, does she want to get on the bus early? I stealthily stepped away from the woman’s path. Then she altered her course to head towards me. All while looking straight at me.
One sec. What is this. Is this strange woman interested in me? The one wearing a short sleeved t-shirt, long pants, and sneakers. The one carrying a backpack with several changes of clothes packed inside. Ah, is that it. Is it my face. Quite humbly, I have to say I am handsome. Although this is limited to my reflection in the bathroom mirror. And this isn’t the bathroom.
At some point while I was thinking these dim-witted thoughts, she approached and faced me. Before I knew it? I hesitated, moved a foot back so I would be ready to run away if necessary, and spoke.
Outside of the terminal I could see an expensive and fancy car waiting for me.
“Please get in, young master.”
I nodded my head and entered as she opened the back door with the ease of long practice and guided me in. I moved my butt over so she could get inside, but she closed the door. She went to the opposite side of the car and entered the car. Somehow, I felt like an idiot.
The car took off and she began to speak.
“Before we leave, there are several things I must inform you of. Is that okay?”
“Yes……”
I twitched.
“Ah, yes.”
“First, Father’s funeral was a lie.”
She told me something totally unexpected.
“What?”
“My scumbag brother made the lie to get the foolish young master to come to the countryside.”
Let’s stop paying attention to the words she attaches to people. Be brave, me.
“Wait, what are you saying?”
“Father directly gave the command.”
…..Dad, I’m beginning to understand why you left his home back then.
“Then why are you wearing mourning clothes?”
“These are my normal clothes, not mourning clothes.”
This woman’s fashion sense is as distorted as her personality.
“Then, is grandfather at home?”
“No. When he heard the young master was coming, he went on an overseas vacation.”
Dangerous. I’m beginning to understand a little as to why Dad cut off all ties with his family. I want to go back home. But I’m already in the car, and there’s no way I can go there and say “it was nice to meet you. Then I’ll be going now~.” There has to be a reason for why they would lie about someone’s death just to get me here.
“Why did you call me here?”
Saehee gave me an incomprehensible reply.
“In order to keep the promise you made long ago with my master.”
“What promise? And who’s this master?”
“I cannot tell you right now.”
I asked her multiple times but she consistently remained silent. There’s nothing I can do.
“…Wait.”
I got my cellphone from my bag and called Dad.
[The phone is out of power. Please leave a voice message.]
He planned it, this guy. He planned it. Without a doubt he turned off his phone on purpose. Yeah, I’ll gladly turn my phone off too. I pressed the power button on my cellphone for a long time and then shoved it into my backpack.
“Then what do I have to do?”
“You just have to live in the residence for a few days.”
“Whaaaa-t.”
“I prepared everything you need beforehand so you do not have to worry about anything.”
“I am worrying about what you just said!”
“You can think of it as returning home.”
“My home is Seoul!”
“There is nothing more to tell you. Please excuse me until we arrive home.”
You’ve already changed from calling it a residence to a home? You’ve decided on that? I kept talking but she remained silent.
After 30 minutes of driving on the steep mountain road to deep in the mountains, I got out of the car and was greeted by cool air and a wall bigger than I could imagine. And also a massive gate. It was an old-fashioned, traditional house and it was incredibly big. Is my dad’s side of the family rich?
Considering that the household has a dog the size of a bus greeting its visitors!
I sat down on the wooden main floor as Saehee, sitting dutifully in front of me, gave me an explanation.
It is said that in the beginning, the phantoms were born in chaos. The phantoms lived freely with their mysterious strength and some viewed humans as friends, some as food, and some as enemies. And to put an end to this time for the sake of humanity came Hwanung [7]
“….Why the Dangun myth all of a sudden?”
“This isn’t a myth, but a true story. And it is polite to wait until others are done speaking.”
Saehee scolded me and continued her explanation.
In order to open up this world for humans, Hwanung stood fast in his resolve to stop phantoms from harming humans. And by that resolve the two strongest phantoms, the Tiger and the Bear, sought to become his wife. And the tiger wasn’t chosen because she ran away.
“Our master is that tiger. And our ignored master was sealed away by Hwanung and the Bear.”
“That’s too severe.”
Getting sealed because she wasn’t chosen. How could they do that so arbitrarily……
“I think so too. She got sealed away just for trying to tear apart the mountains.”
She’s talking about a tiger, right.
Anyway, at the same time the phantoms were forced to live hidden from human eyes. Sometimes a crazy phantom that lost all reason would appear, but by borrowing Hwanung’s power the humans made it so those phantoms were eradicated and could no longer be found on this earth. And Hwanung, the orchestrator of these events, lastly sealed the tiger away but by a moment of compassion, was said to make a kind of promise with it. It is at this point that I raised my hand.
“And what is that promise?”
Saehee didn’t answer.
The tiger believed in that promise and quietly slept until now. After that a family was chosen to protect the seal, and continued that duty for generations.
“And that is why the young master was brought here.”
I may be confused, but I still couldn’t believe this.
“And Dad?”
“He cut off all ties with his family and fled from his responsibilities. If my scumbag older brother had kept his promise, the young master would not have had to come here.”
Dad, I did misunderstand you. You’re really just human tra--…, no, you’re still my dad, so I shouldn’t curse at you. Anyway, I’ve already experienced a situation beyond common sense so there’s nothing I can do but believe her.
“And what do you mean by protect? I don’t know such strange things.”
“That’s okay. The ability to protect it is in your blood.”
“If a person is supposed to protect the seal isn’t that bad for you guys?”
“No it is not.”
“Why?”
“It’s just a title, anyway.”
“….What do you mean by that?”
“We call it the protector of the seal just for convenience’s sake. For generations you were just observing the seal. They, like the young master, are powerless humans.”
It was just for a bit, but I felt embarrassed for thinking that I might have special powers.
Baduk went up to the house floor with shining eyes. I nodded my head, unable to betray those expectant eyes.
“Yeah.”
“Please pet my head~!”
Before I knew it, Baduk was stretched out on all fours and spoke with her chin on my thigh. When the hell did she do that? But until just now she was standing behind Saehee?
“Please do it~.”
I don’t know if Baduk could see how embarrassed I was, but she implored me with the tail on her butt shaking from side to side. I was barely able to reply while keeping my composure in this situation.
“I know now that your name is Baduk and that phantoms exist…… how does that lead to me petting you on the head?”
Even while saying that, I was petting that girl’s head.
Huh? Since when was I doing that?
“Hawooo---.”
To say that I enjoyed seeing her close her eyes, her blush, and being sprawled out totally carefree… there’s no way I could even think that. Pull yourself together. Yet even while thinking that I slightly touched that girl’s ears. She flinched. I pulled on them with my fingers. They’re warm. They’re not like toys. They’re real ears.
“Awuuu~. Our ears are our weakness, young master~.”
Seeing Baduk twisting her body, blushing as she used my thigh as a pillow and rolling around, if time stopped as I found and stabilized my inner peace… no way I could say that. I shook my head from side to side. Seeing Baduk sprawl out nearly made me lose my mind.
“Then I shall continue my story from before.”
Saehee started her story as though nothing happened. If everything that happened just now was a plan to calm me down, this woman must be a snake phantom.
“We all live here as a part of our master’s household”
Since before I came here, there was something I kept wondering so I asked her one more time to make sure.
“That master you’re talking about is the tiger that was sealed away, right?”
“That is correct.”
“And I came because I had to protect the seal.”
“That is correct.”
“But there’s also a promise I have to keep?”
“You’re unexpectedly intelligent.”
What do you mean, unexpectedly? Anyone could easily comprehend your story without that crazy self-introduction in the middle.
“Then what the hell do you mean by a promise? Can’t you tell me now?”
I blurted out the question again after first asking in the car, but Saehee replied with something totally unrelated.
“Do you like hiking?”
Why are you talking about hiking all of a sudden? I’ll answer her anyway.
“I don’t hate it, why?”
“In order to answer the question you just asked, we need to move from here.”
“….Where to?”
“Into the mountain.”
….Great. Because things turned out like this, I want to know why I came here and why I met phantoms. I’m not the kind of person to cluelessly do as he’s told. I brushed off my seat and got up.
“Let’s go.”
A tiger the size of a mountain was sleeping.
“I was raised normally.”
The gigantic tiger bared its supernaturally large teeth as it laughed.
“That’s right. But still, you are here to keep a promise between us from long ago.”
This tiger! What are you saying to a person who doesn’t even know what that promise is?
“Shouldn’t you explain it first? I said this before, but I don’t know what that promise is.”
The tiger’s avoiding my eyes. Ah, it forgot what I said. It’s obvious.
“Then I shall tell you.”
After going ahem as if readying its voice, the tiger growled lowly as it spoke.
“The one who placed this seal on me left me with one prophecy. When this seal would yield to my strength and I would be freed, a man to be my husband would be sent to me.”
“……What?”
“And if I fall in love, even if the seal is broken they swore to never bother me again.”
“……What?”
At this, I looked pointedly at Saehee, the one who dragged me back here, for an additional explanation.
“That is what Master thinks it is.”
But Saehee skillfully avoided answering with those words. I wanted to ask for more, but the tiger opened its mouth and I decided to listen for now.
“Now the seal upon me is weakening, and after a few years I will be freed without effort. And this generation of protectors includes a boy who I have laid my eyes upon. I suppose this could be called fate.”
“Excuse me? What are you saying?”
“My husband who has been blessed by the heavens. I am saying that this man is you.”
I can’t hear it, I can’t hear it.
“Ahhh, I have waited so long for this day. Finally I can receive love.”
“Um, I can’t understand what you’re saying right now…….?”
“Do not worry. Although I have lived for a long time, I have never allowed another man to lay his hands upon me.”
Do you really think that that’s what I’m worrying about?
“So let’s have a wedding.”
“Like I said, who will?
“Who else but you?”
“…..Eh?”
“You are the wonderful man to be my husband. You are quite handsome and raised to have a nice personality. In other words, you were raised lovingly by the heavens.
Your appraisal of me is too generous.
“So, when would you like the ceremony to be?”
Someone’s really jumping the gun here.
“Um, I never said I’d marry you though?”
The second I said that, the air within the cave changed. I guess this could be called a mourner’s house? It suddenly felt as if my shoulders became heavy.
“Are you saying you hate me?!”
“That, oh, I’m sorry, but our differing species create an insurmountable wall?”
“So you’re saying you cannot accept me because of my animal form?
Even if that tiger is surprisingly speaking the same language as me?
“That’s right! It may be possible to overcome differences ethnicity, culture, age, and gender, but a difference in species is too much! Because I’m a human…”
As I kept talking, I realized the truth. Even now there was a little girl lying at the feet of the tiger. Her name is Baduk. Whose real identity was… a massive dog!
“Is that it? Then if I become a human, everything will be fine!”
“No, that’s not it!”
I was too late. The once massive tiger’s body became covered in white smoke, and there was a girl’s appearance appeared…… Ara? Something’s weird?
“So it’s okay as long as it’s like this?”
Without a chance to get my thoughts together, I could only look at where the tiger disappeared and at the talking little girl who was looking up at me, and I was able to return to reality. That’s right. She was looking up at me while she was speaking. The tiger that was bigger than a mountain before it disappeared was nowhere to be found, and in its place was a cute little girl who looked to be in the third grade!
A mysterious looking girl with tiger ears pricking up, a tail elegantly shaking, and silvery white hair tinged with black stripes acted as a replacement. Excluding her hair that was hiding her flat chest and other embarrassing areas, in other words, she was standing proudly even while in the same state as she was when she was born. That’s right. She’s naked.
Why are you talking so coolly! You’re naked! Completely nude! You took off all your clothes?! When Baduk changed shape she had on a hanbok, so why are you totally naked?
“Achoo-. Human bodies really are delicate. Just from this slight cold- achoo! Uuuu, it’s cold.”
Ah, if it’s mother, then I can understand. Since she’s always been that kind of person. I have heard that I took after my mom a lot. All that aside.
“But today is the first time I’ve ever seen you. Suddenly saying we should get married doesn’t make any sense, right?”
A question mark appeared above the tiger’s head. No, I’m not joking and it’s not a figure of speech, it’s real. A number of strands of hair stood up on her head and formed a question mark. To be able to move her hair so freely, even if she’s taken the form of a child, she’s still a phantom?
“Why are you like that? Your parents gave their blessing and I have been unable to see the face of my partner for so long, isn’t it obvious?
What planet are you from?
“Ah, is that it? Do not worry. When we were performing the ceremony, your mother already gave her blessing for our marriage agreement. By your species’ standards, I have already been accepted by your family. So it’s obvious that our marriage would happen.”
Mother, just what the hell were you thinking? You thought about marrying your son off to this phantom. That’s too much.
“That may have been obvious in the Joseon Dynasty [10], but times have changed. I have no intention of marrying someone I don’t like.”
Because there’s someone else I like. Although I didn’t confess to her yet. But marrying a phantom I’ve seen for the first time. That’s nonsense.
“…You don’t like me?”
Struck by my words, the tiger looked up at me. Her eyes became downcast and her mouth lowered, making me look like the bad guy. Uuu, I wavered at the sight of a tiger who looked like she was about to cry and answered her as I turned my head away.
“How am I supposed to like you if I just met you today?”
“…Is, is that so.”
The tiger looked as though she was hurt by my words, her face frozen, and then she lowered her head, depressed. Her tiger ears on her head also drooped naturally. Although my words were backed by common sense, I couldn’t help but feel guilty. But I can’t back down. Because I could feel in her gaze that she sincerely wanted to get married with me. Married to a phantom at the age of 17, one that’s a tiger as big as a mountain! How does that make any sense?
…But right now in front of me was a crestfallen little kid. Even knowing I was speaking in a straightforward manner, I tried to comfort her.
“Well, someday you’ll find a partner who likes you too, so don’t be too depressed.”
“There’s no way that’ll happen.”
But what came back was a cold denial.
“After being rejected by you, I’ll stop seeking love.”
Are you planning on labeling me the worst man in history?
“No, there’s no need to do that……”
I shut my mouth.
I had goose bumps. Ominous energy emanated as if it would kill every living being. And in the center of that energy: the tiger. A girl.
“If my fated partner isn’t you, nobody else will be able to accept me. If that’s the case, I will wait like this until the seal is lifted.”
Remembering the private story I heard earlier, my mouth moved on its own.
“If the seal is lifted… what will you do?”
“I will burn this land asunder.”
That horrified me. My hair stood on end, my terror was like fireworks, unable to handle the tiger that was exuding such energy, and I felt such chills that I was could not speak.
“I will have the Sun fall, and I will swallow the Moon. I will show to humanity that the end of the world has arrived. With others of my household, we will find and kill every single member of the human race.”
In each word she said, she made clear her powers. No matter how you look at it, she was being serious.
“If this is Master’s decision, all of humanity’s lives will change before the sun has set.”
“Yes, I understand.”
Saehee bowed her head respectfully as the tiger turned around.
“Let us leave.”
Saehee took me by the arm, leading me.
Is it okay to leave it like this? Is it okay to return home and then run away from this country? And after the seal dissolves, will the tiger devastate this country? This... doesn’t make any sense.
The tiger’s ears pricked up. If you compare her from before to now, it was