701
[Chapter 179]
[12 Years of Time (2)]
From that day on, the clan members treated little Eunha like a mascot.
As Eunha strangely couldn't cancel the doppelganger magic, little Eunha had to blend into their daily lives.
"Everyone's saying they want to keep little Eunha, but you should work when it's time to work even if you play when it's time to play. For that reason, I'll take good care of little Eunha during work hours."
""""..."
She said it was to avoid disrupting the clan atmosphere.
That's what Han Seohyun said.
The clan members couldn't object.
While they had jumped up and down squealing at little Eunha, Han Seohyun who appeared last calmly sorted out the situation.
However─.
"─Why are you sitting on the sofa?"
"Huh? Where else should I sit if not the sofa..."
"You should sit on my lap. Watch how I work. You're a Clan Lord too, after all."
"..."
They say even Han Seohyun was no different after all the clan members left.
Little Eunha occasionally had to sit on her lap.
Later when the original Eunha heard from Shakira, Han Seohyun's work processing speed apparently increased quite remarkably.
The original Eunha groaned.
Anyway, they say little Eunha played a role in lowering the clan members' work fatigue and mentally refreshing them.
"Little Eunha! Then Ariel unni will go work!"
"You're not going to work, you're just going to slack off."
"Hey! Big Noh Eunha! What are you saying for little Eunha to hear? Don't you know it's not fun if you do this?"
"Hurry up and go do your work."
Thus, the spectacle of clan members suddenly visiting Han Seohyun's office to greet little Eunha every time they came and left work unfolded.
They say no one actually visited the original Noh Eunha's office.
"What kind of magic is this..."
"Bibi bibi papa papa pupu pu!"
"Yeah, if you want to play with me too, just go to Seohyun. Sigh..."
Pandora Clan headquarters 10th floor.
Eunha sighed in his office.
He waved to Buldak who said he was going to play with little Eunha.
Buldak seemed to have flown to Han Seohyun's office through the open window.
"Since I don't know how to cancel the magic, I can only wait quietly. Really, this is the first time I've encountered such difficult magic."
Three days passed since creating the doppelganger.
In that time, Eunha discovered a few facts about the magic.
First, the doppelganger clearly recognizes himself as the original and shares the original's memories.
However, the doppelganger's way of thinking and personality seemed to vary depending on how Eunha handled the magic.
'I think I'm probably a doppelganger that appeared as a result of you using magic without thinking. Honestly... at this age, I didn't have many thoughts and each day was just comfortable, right?'
Eunha and little Eunha organized their opinions and reached that conclusion.
Second, the mana the doppelganger has seemed to be determined by the mana consumed in using the magic.
And the doppelganger couldn't recover mana even by drinking potions or receiving healing magic.
'I don't have a heart. Maybe that's why I can't recover mana? Well, that means even if the original doesn't know how to cancel the magic, I'll naturally disappear when mana runs out as time passes.'
Little Eunha was living by consuming the mana received from Eunha.
It seemed he could last 3-4 days if he lived without using magic, even if Eunha didn't know how to cancel the magic.
Additionally, little Eunha doesn't need to eat.
Of course, little Eunha said─.
'─That doesn't mean I can't eat. Since there's no limit to eating anyway, I'll eat until I burst before I disappear.'
He boldly said he would eat food until his stomach burst before disappearing.
He said that while receiving applause from the female clan members.
After that, the clan members often fed little Eunha.
Third─.
"─The fact that the doppelganger listens to me means it's okay to create however many... Theoretically, as long as mana supports it to some extent, I can create as many as I want."
Although the magic is very abstruse, doppelgangers can be created indefinitely by consuming mana.
However, it seemed he couldn't use magic again after creating a doppelganger.
It seemed he had to cancel the magic to return the doppelganger, then activate the magic again.
Of course, Eunha who couldn't cancel the magic could only conclude it was theoretically possible while putting his heads together with little Eunha.
Lastly─.
"─I can share senses with the doppelganger... When the doppelganger returns, does that mean the memories since the doppelganger was created will enter me too?"
Eunha leaned back in his chair.
He folded his arms and tried to connect senses with the doppelganger.
The method of connecting was quite simple.
It's connecting a pass with the doppelganger like connecting a pass with Buldak.
Soon Eunha closed his eyes and decided to check what the doppelganger was seeing and hearing now.
'Do you just want to live at unni's house? We'll end up getting married anyway, so what does it matter?'
Soon Seohyun's voice was heard from above.
It seemed he was sitting on her lap.
Feet floating at the edge of his vision.
And it seemed he couldn't move his body as he was tightly embraced by her.
Then little Eunha raised his head, and the view facing the floor went up.
Ryu Yeonhwa came into view.
'Seohyun's legs must be uncomfortable too... You can come sit on my lap.'
Ryu Yeonhwa patting her knees.
Even from afar, Ryu Yeonhwa's breathing could be heard as rough.
Lastly, one more person entered the edge of little Eunha's vision.
It was Hoshimiya Kaede.
She seemed to have come to Han Seohyun's office for some reason.
'─Should I put him in my pocket and take him?'
Hearing Kaede's muttering.
Eunha immediately cut off the pass.
"Let's pretend I didn't see that. I can't keep up when only unexpected scenes keep entering my eyes..."
Is the doppelganger using brainwashing magic to captivate the clan members?
Or were there no sane people among the clan members from the start?
Eunha let out a long sigh.
He decided to just do work.
☆
Little Eunha's impact wasn't limited to just the clan.
When Eunha or Euna returned home, they took little Eunha along too.
Their mother's impression when she first saw little Eunha like that was─.
'─Wow, I miss it. Eunha was really cute at this time... He looks just like him. It's like he jumped out of a photo.'
'Mom, stop touching me.'
'Oh my, he calls me mom. Really... Seeing you, I understand. I've gotten old now too. When you were this age, I was still called a young lady...'
'Mom is still pretty though?'
'...Is this really Eunha? Our son isn't the type to say things like this...'
That day, their mother didn't let go of little Eunha for a moment, just like Euna.
For some reason their father came home from work that day too, and showed the same reaction.
'Our Eunha, want to sleep with mom after a long time?'
'I miss it. We used to sleep together with Euna and Eunha before... But now the kids have grown up like this.'
Their parents were immersed in memories and.
In the end, little Eunha slept with their parents that day.
From that day on, their mother was sending messages to Eunha at quitting time telling him not to stay at the clan headquarters and bring little Eunha.
Today was the same.
"She says I can go do work, but leave you at home..."
"Mom and dad miss the old days. But when I saw photos of when I was young, I realized mom and dad have aged a lot too."
"So we should treat them well. Take good care of mom and dad even after I disappear."
Since leaving the clan, little Eunha was monopolized by Noh Euna.
She didn't let go of her hand holding little Eunha.
While doing that, she was even holding the original Eunha's hand with her other hand.
"It feels strange to have two little brothers in both hands. Holding big Eunha and little Eunha's hands together."
Noh Euna hummed happily.
Eunha and little Eunha burst into laughter at her words.
Soon they arrived home.
Eunha opened the door.
"Mom, we're home."
"I'm home."
"Welcome!"
She must have been waiting for them.
Noh Eunae greeted them cheerfully standing in front of the entrance.
Eunae, who became a middle school student this year, was now approaching 160 cm in height.
When she approached little Eunha, the height difference could be clearly felt.
Then Noh Eunae said─.
"─I won rock paper scissors against mom so I get to sleep with little brother tonight! Eunha, aren't you happy?"
"Little brother...?"
Noh Eunae placing her hand on little Noh Eunha's shoulder and smiling brightly.
Little Noh Eunha tilted his head.
Then he frowned.
"I'm oppa..."
"You should say unni."
""..."
With a spank.
Noh Eunae urges.
Little Eunha was at a loss for words.
The original was the same.
"You're sleeping with unni later! Oppa and unni, come in quickly for dinner!"
Noh Eunae said again.
She imitated humming like Euna had done earlier.
With that, their younger sister quickly disappeared into the kitchen.
Eunha and little Eunha left at the entrance muttered simultaneously.
""Is everyone going on about unni...""
Their ears will get calluses from hearing "unni" so much.
The two complained.
☆
The day to meet with the Han River faction clans approached.
Just as Eunha made a gesture of reconciliation and gave them some work, they also made gestures of reconciliation.
Even though Eunha didn't specifically say anything, they crawled on their own or tried hard to raise the mood.
"Oh my, Pandora Clan Lord. Was there any inconvenience coming here? We've prepared very lavishly today, so you can look forward to it. Ah, and I'm really sorry for the disgraceful behavior I committed towards the Pandora Clan Lord last time."
"Ah, yes..."
The DM Clan Lord in particular bowed his head and asked for a handshake as soon as he saw Eunha.
The change in attitude was so sudden.
Eunha shook hands while feeling uncomfortable.
Well, from their perspective, there's nothing good about maintaining bad relations with me.
It wasn't incomprehensible.
While the Namsan faction clans are regaining power, how could the Han River faction clans just sit still?
Eunha recalled their circumstances.
The scene that unfolded at that point was quite like covering one's eyes and saying "I can't see you".
"Ah,
"...Thank you."
"I was also truly moved by
"Ah, don't say that. It wasn't just me who struggled then, why are you praising me like this?"
""""..."
The Han River faction clans' prearranged game of flattering the other side.
People knew it all, but pretended not to know the obvious acting for the sake of improving relations between the two forces.
It must be tiring for both the people acting and the people being subjected to it...
Eunha smiled slightly.
The Han River faction clan lords and sub-lords were old snakes thick with tricks for dealing with people in this field.
Compared to them, Pandora Clan's sub-lord Mok Minho and the male executives participating to match numbers were still baby snakes who didn't even know what the field looked like.
Although they knew they were hearing flattery, as time passed they started tilting their heads one by one at the Han River faction clans' words.
The friendly atmosphere made it so, and as alcohol entered, formalities disappeared.
"The Pandora Clan Lord is amazing. Are you the type that doesn't get drunk? You're not getting drunk at all."
"I get drunk too if I drink a lot."
"Haha, I see. But Pandora Clan Lord, I heard you haven't decided which clan to allocate the dungeon that appeared in southern Yongsan-gu?"
"Yes, that's why I made this occasion. Since I entrusted some of the dungeons that appeared on the upper part of Namsan to those clans, now I'm going to entrust the dungeons that appeared below to this side."
"Haha! As expected of the Pandora Clan Lord! Your scale is really big!? Great!! I'll pay for this round! Ah, why aren't you quickly preparing the 4th round!?"
"No. I'll pay for this. It wouldn't make sense for you all to pay when I invited you."
"As expected of the Pandora Clan Lord! That's right! Then I'll pay generously for the 4th round!"
1st round. 2nd round and 3rd round.
Drinking without using mana.
As time passed, the clan members started getting drunk more and more.
Eunha didn't forget to check the clan members' conditions while dealing with the clan lords.
Not long after, the 3rd round ended too, and people came out of the store.
"Who's drunk now."
"Me, I feel nauseous. I think I'm going to vomit. I don't think I can go to the 4th round."
"Then I'll take you to the clan headquarters. The clan headquarters is closest from here so let's sleep there and go."
"Urp... Let's do that."
Eunha gathered the clan members.
Eunha decided to send Kang Sihyung who was drunk with Bong Gurae.
The people left now were Jin Parang, Choi Eunhyuk, Mok Minho, Yoo Namhun, Han Changjin, and Lee Cheonsu.
Cheonsu really gets along well with those people.
Is he specialized for dinner gatherings?
Soon Eunha glanced at Lee Cheonsu.
Cheonsu was cackling with his arms around the Han River faction clan sub-lords' shoulders.
He seemed to get along quite well.
Although Lee Cheonsu looked unsteady as he was quite drunk too, Eunha decided to take him to the 4th round.
"Euna said to only do up to the 3rd round, aren't we going to get scolded doing this?"
"I want to end it here too, but they keep saying they want to treat us so we have to go along, what can we do."
Han Changjin seemed worried.
Eunha understood his feelings too.
Since they achieved their goal, it would be fine to break up the dinner gathering now.
But even if it was prearranged acting, the applause had to match until the end.
He couldn't ignore their sincerity.
So Eunha followed behind them towards the 4th round location.
We're going quite deep into the alley.
The road going in from the busy street.
After passing through the alley, several bars appeared on a narrow path.
But they passed by the bars and went even further in.
"..."
Somewhere in an Itaewon alley.
Several shops with red lights hung up could be seen here and there.
Eunha immediately realized the road they were walking was a red-light district.
So this is what they meant by entertainment.
The clan members seemed to not clearly realize where they were going due to being drunk.
It was understandable since only the lights were red.
"Pandora Clan Lord! Over here! Here! Quickly come this way!"
"Eunha, hurry up and come!"
At that moment, the clan lords walking ahead waved their hands.
Lee Cheonsu called him.
Eunha shifted his gaze to the bar they were entering.
It was a bar adjacent to a place separated from the red-light district.
It was a quite luxurious establishment, out of place with the street atmosphere.
"In case the Pandora Clan Lord misunderstands, let me say this isn't that kind of place. Well, it could be a tiny bit that kind of place, but that depends on how the individual acts."
Since it looked normal on the outside.
For now, Eunha accepted the guidance.
By that time, some clan members also seemed to have grasped the situation.
They sat down with the feeling of sitting on a bed of thorns.
"The atmosphere isn't lively with just us drinking, let's call some people!"
"The people here are really fun. I guarantee it."
A room with floor seating.
The seats were arranged with quite some distance between people.
The DM Clan Lord proposed a toast while passing out drinks to people.
Then he clapped his hands and called those who were surely waiting outside the door.
""""Hello!!""""
""""..."
With a sliding sound, the door opened and.
Women wearing revealing clothes entered with bright greetings.
Only then did the Pandora Clan members seem to grasp the situation.
But it was too late.
The women made the atmosphere boisterous and sat between them before they could say anything.
It was a natural progression like flowing water.
Meanwhile, the DM Clan Lord spoke loudly.
"Haha! I was curious who the twins would go to, but it seems the twins couldn't ignore a hero! How did they end up sitting on both sides of the Pandora Clan Lord!"
""""..."
"Pandora Clan Lord, did you perhaps fall for them? Your gaze is fixed on the twins!"
The Han River faction clan lords burst into laughter following him.
Eunha didn't react to them.
"Hello. I'm the older sister, Ring."
"Hello. I'm the younger sister, Rin."
"..."
However, Eunha's gaze was directed at the twins gently holding his arms.
Twins with similar faces.
The only difference to distinguish them was whether they had one or two bun-shaped hairstyles on their heads.
They looked up at Eunha intently with their heads leaning on his arms.
Then they smiled softly with their eyes as if flirting.
No doubt.
It's them.
The bun-haired girls wearing Chinese-style qipao dresses unlike the other women.
Though the memory was vague, Eunha could recognize who the twins smiling at him were.
They looked much younger, but it was definitely them.
I never expected to meet them in a place like this...
The twin sisters who were briefly members of the Fog Flower Party and died to monsters after the Uijeongbu recapture battle.
Eunha was certain.
So as he was about to be lost in old memories while staring at them─.
"─Why are you staring at us like that? Why? Are my lips that tempting? If it's the Pandora Clan Lord, you can just steal them..."
"Unni, how can you make a move alone? Good things should be shared, if unni says she'll eat the top, should I eat here, the bottom?"
""""..."
"Don't touch as you please."
Yes, it was definitely them.
They were the twin sisters that even Eunha couldn't handle before the regression.