Transmigrated into the Gacha Game I Abandoned for 10 Years

While pondering what to do about the situation, he felt a sense of emptiness as he watched Merilda suddenly charge in without thinking.

Crash!!!

…She didn’t even use the open terrace door but instead broke through the window. Seeing this, Ryu involuntarily closed her eyes, feeling dizzy.

“……”

Naturally, Giral, who was watching from the side, felt the same way.

Of course, both Giral and Ryu had been listening to Kim Hyunwoo from a distance.

They heard him talking about gathering all the former heroes of Lartania and asking about Merilda’s whereabouts, though they didn’t know why.

To be precise, before he could even ask where Merilda was, she had already broken through the window and entered, leaving no time for proper conversation. In this situation, the two could only shut their eyes tightly.

Of course, they weren’t the only ones feeling bewildered.

Kim Hyunwoo, who had been talking, also looked at Merilda in shock as she crashed through the window.

“……”

Adria, who knew Merilda was on the other side of the hill, also couldn’t have imagined she would break through the window just as her name was mentioned, especially before the conversation had even ended.

And above all.

“…Master! I-I’m here…now.”

Unable to hold back, she broke through the window, but as soon as she realized what she had done, her face turned pale with embarrassment, leaving Merilda equally flustered.

Ironically, the culprit behind all this, Merilda, felt her mind go blank as she saw Kim Hyunwoo’s dumbfounded expression.

“Uh, ah, I mean, it’s just-”

She began to ramble incoherently, then realized she had just broken through the window.

“Uh, uh, I’m sorry, Master…I was in such a hurry that I made a mistake, yes.”

She then lifted the cross-shaped window frame that had remained intact despite the glass shattering, carefully placing it back where she had broken it.

…Of course, trying to fix the cross-shaped window frame was pointless, and even if she managed to reattach it, the shattered glass made it ineffective. However, in her panic, she diligently tried to fit the frame back in place.

Thud-! Crack-!

As soon as she let go of the frame after setting it in place, it fell right through the window. Kim Hyunwoo and Adria could only watch in disbelief.

And then.

“S-sorry…Master, please don’t abandon me…”

“Uh, uh…?”

…Merilda suddenly began crying in a panic, so Kim Hyunwoo had to force his mind to start working again.

In the end, Kim Hyunwoo quickly sent Adria away and spent a long time calming down Merilda, who was crying uncontrollably by the broken window.

“…Are you feeling better now?”

“Thank you, Master…I’m okay now.”

Kim Hyunwoo, noticing that Merilda’s face had turned red as she realized what she had done, sat down awkwardly in front of her.

“……”

Silence.

Kim Hyunwoo felt a strange sense that meetings with the former heroes of Lartania always seemed to end up like this. He looked at Merilda, whose face was now bright red, and thought absentmindedly.

‘She’s pretty.’

Merilda was indeed beautiful.

Ten years ago, Kim Hyunwoo might have lost in the gacha, but he had chosen this hero because of her looks, which perfectly matched his tastes.

As he recalled this, Kim Hyunwoo also remembered just how powerful the restrictions placed on him had been.

“Um, Master.”

Merilda spoke.

“Yes, go ahead.”

Kim Hyunwoo spoke comfortably.

Merilda hesitated for a moment, glancing around nervously, then spoke.

“I’m sorry…”

“For what?”

“For breaking the window…”

Kim Hyunwoo noticed how her ears drooped as she glanced at the window, clearly disheartened, and he wondered if she had always had this personality.

[The 'Beast King' is angry because you did not give her a gift!]

[The 'Beast King' scoffs because you did not give her a gift]

[The 'Beast King' is angry because you did not give her a gift!]

[The 'Beast King' scoffs because you did not give her a gift]

[The 'Beast King' is angry because you did not give her a gift!]

[The 'Beast King' scoffs because you did not give her a gift]

....

...

..

‘Hmm…’

Although he had never actually spoken with her, he recalled the notifications that constantly tormented him in the game, reminding him that her personality was anything but weak. So he spoke.

“It’s no big deal. We can just replace the window.”

“R-really…?”

Though her mood seemed to improve a bit, Kim Hyunwoo noticed her ears hadn’t perked up yet and wondered where to start.

‘Originally, I planned to bring up the recruitment topic as soon as I met Merilda.’

But at that moment, Merilda looked utterly defeated.

In other words, it didn’t seem like the right time to discuss recruitment, so Kim Hyunwoo hesitated.

“Um, Master…”

“Yes, what is it?”

“I heard you were looking for me…”

“Oh, now that you mention it…”

Kim Hyunwoo thought for a moment, then asked curiously.

“How did you know?”

“Ah, well…you see…”

Merilda glanced around nervously.

“Speak freely. I’m not going to do anything.”

Kim Hyunwoo, feeling sorry for her as her ears drooped, spoke, and she glanced around with her red eyes before speaking.

“I heard it…from outside.”

“…From outside…?”

“Over there, on the hill…”

Kim Hyunwoo followed Merilda’s gaze and saw the cliff that overlooked the territory from the hill.

“You heard it from there?”

“Yes.”

“You have good ears.”

Kim Hyunwoo commented, impressed.

“So you just happened to overhear it while passing by?”

“No, that’s not it.”

“Then?”

“…I was up there.”

“You were there? When?”

Merilda hesitated, her red eyes darting around, before stammering out a response.

“I-it’s been…over half a year now…”

“…Huh?”

“No, actually…if you calculate it exactly, it’s been about nine months…”

Kim Hyunwoo calmly calculated the months in his head and then stared blankly.

After all, nine months was exactly how long it had been since he first fell into the world of Arteil.

“…So from the very beginning?”

“Yes…”

“Why?”

Kim Hyunwoo asked, unable to understand.

After all, there was no reason for Merilda to sit up there for nine months watching Lartania.

Even if her feelings were the same as before, sitting there for nine months would have been incredibly difficult.

Seeing Kim Hyunwoo’s puzzled expression, Merilda cautiously continued.

“…I wanted to come back…but I couldn’t…”

“……”

“So…”

As she spoke, Merilda suddenly grabbed Kim Hyunwoo’s hand.

“M-Master…! Please take me back…just once more…! Okay? I’ve grown up now, I won’t ask for gifts anymore…!”

She began to speak.

“Even on my birthday, I don’t need a gift…! Just being by your side is enough for me…!”

She continued.

“I won’t say anything if you give gifts to other heroes…! I won’t even show it…! So, okay…? Just once…”

She kept pleading.

“Can’t you take me back, just this once?”

Tears had welled up in Merilda’s eyes, which had seemed calm moments before.

Her ears were folded back, and her tail drooped, reflecting her feelings.

Seeing her like this, Kim Hyunwoo felt his guilt multiply several times over and involuntarily closed his eyes, feeling dizzy.

It was the same with Charyll; Kim Hyunwoo had never wanted them to suffer like this.

At the same time, Kim Hyunwoo realized that he had been thinking of this world from an overly omniscient perspective.

And he realized that this sense was slowly fading as he re-recruited the former heroes one by one.

Therefore.

[★★★★★☆ Would you like to offer recruitment to the hero 'Beast King'? Y/N]

“…Don’t worry, even if I can’t always give you gifts, I’ll make sure to get you something on your birthday.”

“…!”

With those words, Kim Hyunwoo accepted her into the Lartania territory.

As he smiled at Merilda, whose expression had brightened and was now wagging her tail like a happy puppy, Kim Hyunwoo asked,

“Oh, by the way, Merilda. Do you know where the Crimson Dragon is?”

“I know!”

“Really? Where?”

“Adria?”

“Adria? …The leader of the Tienus Merchant Group? The one who was here earlier?”

“Yes! That dragon is sharing a body with that woman!”

“…???”

Soon, Kim Hyunwoo couldn’t help but make a puzzled expression.

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