The look on his face alone told me that he was completely serious about Park Deok-Gu’s love life. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

‘Look at that face, damn it.’

I had my suspicions, but could it really be that Deok-Gu’s marriage was going to be the final turning point? At this rate, it wouldn’t even be surprising if Hwang Jung-Yeon had gone off the deep end in the first life.

Considering how things were back then, it wasn't exactly that strange.

The world prioritized war technology and magic over things like welfare for civilians or adventurers. In that kind of environment, there was a very real chance that someone like Hwang Jung-Yeon, who had researched anything and everything, ended up going down the path of figuring out the most efficient ways to kill people, showing that classic mad scientist side of hers.

On top of that, he seemed to be seriously overestimating the pig.

Just at a glance, he saw through Deok-Gu’s growth, thanks to the gear he was wearing and all that. It looked like he had concluded that Second Life Park Deok-Gu was on a completely different level compared to the first.

‘He’s probably got that Mind’s Eye thing, too. He can see everything.’

At this point, comparing him to before was meaningless. Sure enough, like some kind of matchmaking agency evaluator, he went through Park Deok-Gu’s stats, and his face filled with surprise. He had to have expected him to grow, but he had clearly never imagined that his little pig would turn out like this.

‘Yeah... I didn’t expect this either.’

Just how much had been poured into him to keep him from being left behind? We had fed him anything remotely good for his body, and we created all kinds of opportunities for him. As a tank, the amount of money we had thrown into his gear and items was astronomical.

I wasn't exaggerating here; there wasn't even a single cheap piece on him. One could buy a small guild with that kind of money, and if one tried to calculate the value of all the elixirs he had taken so far, it'd be worth several guilds.

For a talentless tank whose only skill used to be getting beaten up, it was an absurd level of investment. Thankfully, he had the will to push past his limits one more time. Otherwise, the investment would have gone to waste. Seeing First Life Ki-Young’s stunned face, I felt a little proud.

Still looking shocked, he stopped cooking and grabbed Deok-Gu’s arm, squeezing it.

“Hmm...”

“W-what? What are you doing all of a sudden?” Park Deok-Gu asked.

Even though he did not know a damn thing about muscles, he was clearly trying to gauge Park Deok-Gu's Endurance and Strength compared to the version of himself in the first life.

“Hmm...”

“No, seriously, what’s with you all of a sudden?” Park Deok-Gu questioned.

He started checking his equipment, too, which was just ridiculous.

“Are you still scared to go hunting?” First Life Ki-Young asked.

“I don’t know how far back you’re talking, but I, Park Deok-Gu, have never been afraid of picking up a shield from the very beginning,” Park Deok-Gu answered.

“I see. That’s our pig. Oh, but at your level, you’d probably rank somewhere near the top, right?” First Life Ki-Young asked.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Park Deok-Gu said.

“I’m asking where you’d rank among all the tanks on the continent,” First Life Ki-Young clarified.

“I-I wouldn’t really know... Does that even matter?” Park Deok-Gu asked.

“It’s not that important, but...” First Life Ki-Young trailed off.

‘Unbelievable. That shallow mindset hasn’t gone anywhere. Why does he have to rank everything? Damn it.’

'Since he’s a pig I raised myself, I can say this with certainty—he’s easily in the top ten. If you judge purely by defense and endurance, he’s number one on the entire continent, no question.'

Of course, if one factored in overall stats, experience, and actual combat skill, his ranking would drop a bit, but even then, he was probably around fourth, and honestly, it wouldn't take long for him to surpass the ones above him.

‘His gear will only get better, and the pig actually learns when you teach him.’

For the record, the money spent on educating this pig wasn't small either.

“So, how many pigs follow you?” First Life Ki-Young asked.

“Ah! my brothers!” Park Deok-Gu shouted.

“Right, your brothers!” First Life Ki-Young shouted.

“Too many to count! They all want to meet you at least once, but you always refuse to come out! You should come with us sometime and work up a sweat, you know? Share a drink, hit the sauna, that kind of thing!” Park Deok-Gu suggested.

‘Why the hell would I go to some pig gathering like that?’

First Life Ki-Young probably wouldn’t go either. Neither of us had any interest in squeezing into a crowd of sweaty pigs lifting barbells and suffocating in their smell while pretending that it was a hobby.

“I’ll definitely come to the next one. So how many are there?” First Life Ki-Young asked.

‘Damn it, that means I have to go.’

“I mean... like I said, too many to count! The gym I go to in Lindel has the most people around, you know!” Park Deok-Gu answered.

“Oh really? I see! Hahaha! I see! Wow! That’s amazing! Our pig!” First Life Ki-Young laughed.

“Hm... well... I am kind of impressive!” Park Deok-Gu commented.

“So does Lindel have the most? Or maybe you don’t know. At least number one in Lindel, right?” First Life Ki-Young asked.

“That’s right! I don’t know the exact numbers, and it’s not totally certain, but many of my brothers come looking for me because they want to work out together. People come from the Federation, too; from Celia and Dawan as well...” Park Deok-Gu answered.

“There are those from other regions, too?!” First Life Ki-Young asked.

“Well, Lindel’s a pretty nice place, so that’s probably why people come...” Park Deok-Gu said.

“Wait, why would they go all the way to Lindel for some crappy gym? They’re going there to see you, you idiot!” First Life Ki-Young exclaimed.

“Ah... hm... you think so?” Park Deok-Gu asked.

“Of course! That’s amazing! Well done, my pig!” First Life Ki-Young answered.

“I don’t know why you’re praising me so much today... and I’m not even sure this is something worth praising, but anyway, the gym’s always packed, so it makes working out more fun. You promised you’d come too, right, hyung-nim?” Park Deok-Gu asked.

“Of course I’ll go!” First Life Ki-Young replied.

‘Like hell I'll go.’

“You really promise?!” Park Deok-Gu asked.

“Yeah, I promise! It’s a promise!” First Life Ki-Young answered.

‘He looks ridiculously happy. Is this what it looks like to have the whole world? He looks like one of those proud moms hearing in real time that their kid just ranked first in the entire school.'

“But you’re keeping up with your gear maintenance, right?” First Life Ki-Young asked.

“Of course! Who else would take care of my equipment if not me!” Park Deok-Gu answered proudly.

'Seems like he’s got a lot on his mind.'

“You’re managing your secondary gear as well, right?” First Life Ki-Young asked.

“Uh...”

“You’ve got to take care of it every single day, you idiot! You never know when you’ll need it! What are you going to do if the gear you’re using right now gets wrecked?” First Life Ki-Young said, nagging at him.

“I said I got it!” Park Deok-Gu shouted.

Even while nagging at him, he couldn't hide how pleased he looked. He was patting Park Deok-Gu on the back so hard that he probably had no idea that his hand was hurting, and I saw a clear smile tugging at his lips.

The only problem was that in his head, he was evaluating Park Deok-Gu way too highly. He had a face that screamed—"my kid is at the top of the whole school. He's capable and is making good money as well, so why would he ever need to marry Hwang Jung-Yeon?"

It was so blunt and shameless that he looked a bit annoying.

I never thought I’d see him making that kind of vicious, overbearing mother-in-law face. If one were to leave him alone with Hwang Jung-Yeon, I felt like he’d shove a blank check toward her and tell her to break up with Park Deok-Gu on the spot.

“...”

“...”

“Is there... anyone else?” First Life Ki-Young asked.

“Anyone else...?” Park Deok-Gu repeated.

“Like someone you keep in touch with often... I don’t mean anything by it, it’s just that the dating culture on the continent is pretty open. There must be plenty of good people around you. People probably try to set you up, and you might’ve met someone by chance too,” First Life Ki-Young clarified.

“Hyung-nim, what are you even talking about?! I, Park Deok-Gu, am loyal to one person!” Park Deok-Gu shouted.

“I’m not doubting your loyalty, I’m just asking if something like that ever happened, you pig!” First Life Ki-Young shouted.

“Ahem... well, actually, something like that did happen,” Park Deok-Gu said.

“What?!”

‘What?!’

“Of course, it wasn’t anything like what you’re thinking. One of my juniors kept going on and on about introducing me to someone, making such a fuss. But who do you think I am?! I made it clear to him that there’s no way I’d ever do that!

"But then! That ungrateful bastard set me up! I’m Park Deok-Gu, Gangwon Province's Love Doctor! I know what’s what! It was supposed to be a gathering just between the guys, but there was a woman sitting there!” Park Deok-Gu explained.

I never heard of that until now, so I couldn't help but listen more closely.

“Really?! That happened? So? Who was she?!” First Life Ki-Young asked.

“I’m not entirely sure, but I heard she graduated top of her class from some magic tower,” Park Deok-Gu answered.

“Top of her class... Oh! Is she from the continent?” First Life Ki-Young asked.

“No, she’s from Earth... She said she worked briefly as a court mage in the Magic Kingdom before coming back...” Park Deok-Gu answered.

“A court mage in the Magic Kingdom?! That’s impressive! Her credentials are solid! If she’s a court mage, she must have a noble title too, right? Yeah, she’s got to be nobility! Even if it’s a remote region, nobility is still nobility!” First Life Ki-Young exclaimed.

‘This guy seriously thinks being a noble automatically makes someone the best. This isn’t the old days. The Democratic Country doesn’t even work like that. Damn, does he think we’re still in Count Kim Hyun-Sung’s era or something?’

“After she came back to the Democratic Country, where was it again... she took a professorship at the Gray Magic Tower...” Park Deok-Gu added.

“Ah, the Gray Magic Tower... not bad, but... not that great either. Still, her overall career looks solid. In the end, what matters is that she’s hardworking. A career is something you build over time, and where you end up matters more than where you start, right?” First Life Ki-Young asked.

“I wouldn’t know about that stuff! I didn’t think much of it. Is the Gray Magic Tower not a good place?” Park Deok-Gu asked.

“It’s not bad... It’s a national institution, after all. Still, it’s a bit underwhelming... but I wouldn’t say anything negative. The fact that she’s moved around so much actually makes her pretty active for a mage.

"Most mages don’t like going out much. Once they get absorbed in research, that’s it. I understand that to an extent, but why do you think so many mages struggle to make ends meet? Do you know how many of them care about nothing but research?” First Life Ki-Young explained.

“Uh... is that so?” Park Deok-Gu asked.

“Yeah, so in that sense, someone who actually thinks about their career has real advantages,” First Life Ki-Young said.

“...”

“And... Deok-Gu. Nobility is the best,” First Life Ki-Young added.

“Uh... the best?” Park Deok-Gu asked.

“Yeah. Nobles are the best. Here, it’s all about being a noble,” First Life Ki-Young said.

‘Seriously, don’t start putting weird ideas into his head. These days, you can literally buy titles with money.’

“Anyway... do you remember her name?” First Life Ki-Young asked.

“Ah! Her name... I don’t really remember...” Park Deok-Gu answered.

“Try to think a little harder,” First Life Ki-Young said.

If she was a court mage in the Magic Kingdom and even held a professorship at the Gray Tower, then she'd be fairly well known even in the first life, or at least, that was what he believed. He was probably right. I was curious as well.

It wasn't like I knew every talented person out there, but even from my perspective, that mage had an impressive career, especially the part about being a court mage in the Magic Kingdom.

Even though the Union of Kingdoms had taken a hit after Jung Ha-Yan appeared and the Democratic Country threw its full support behind many things, it was still the Magic Kingdom. It regularly produced highly capable mages, and aside from the Republic and the Democratic Country, it had been maintaining a strong position in both lives.

Even now, plenty of people studied there, saying that the roots of magic were in the Magic Kingdom.

“...”

“Ugh... I can’t remember her name... Ahh...” Park Deok-Gu groaned.

“Come on!” First Life Ki-Young shouted.

“Ah! I remember!” Park Deok-Gu said.

“Yeah? Who is it?” First Life Ki-Young asked.

“Miro... I think she said to call her Miro?” Park Deok-Gu answered.

“Mi... ro?”

‘Mi... ro?’

“Mi... Miro? Miro? Domiro?” First Life Ki-Young asked.

“I don’t know if her last name is Do... She just said Miro...” Park Deok-Gu answered.

“...”

“...”

‘That bastard’s one of the brigade. Didn’t she get kicked out of the Magic Kingdom for illegal experiments? Wait... she's still alive in the second life?’

It looked like First Life Ki-Young was thinking the exact same thing as me.

I saw him shoot up to his feet. “Shit! Crazy! I'll kill!”

“W-what’s wrong with you all of a sudden?!” Park Deok-Gu shouted.

“You mean that Miro with the red twin-tails who’s always wearing a mask?!” First Life Ki-Young asked.

“Huh?! Hyung-nim, you know her, too?” Park Deok-Gu asked.

“Don’t even talk to that woman! Damn it! You pig, do you hear me?! No matter what happens, don’t even speak to her! Don’t go anywhere near her! Damn it! Don’t even go near the Gray Magic Tower!” First Life Ki-Young shouted.

“I-I won’t! I said I won’t! I wasn’t planning to do so in the first place...!” Park Deok-Gu said.

“Y-yeah... yeah! Just marry Hwang Jung-Yeon! As soon as possible!” First Life Ki-Young urged.

“I-I already said I’m doing it this year...” Park Deok-Gu mumbled.

He looked like he had just seen some kind of plague. Then again, even my face stiffened, so I could already imagine how much worse he felt. After all, he had shared a table with her back then.

Back in the first life, she ran experiments on members of the Red Mercenaries and fled, then later joined the brigade to carry out illegal experiments as if they were nothing.

While staying with her, First Life Ki-Young had to have seen far crueler things than I could even imagine.

There was something going on between her and some average guy in the brigade whose name I could not quite remember, but since she never got the chance to join the brigade here, it seemed her attention ended up on Park Deok-Gu instead.

‘Damn, it really feels like she set a trap just to drag that pig into one of her experiments.’

“Domiro? Domiro, you said? Damn it, come out!” First Life Ki-Young yelled.

“Hyung-nim... calm down... I said I got it! I understand! Let’s just eat first, okay? Please!” Park Deok-Gu begged.

“Ah! A-ah... right. You’re hungry, right?” First Life Ki-Young asked.

I was glad that Hwang Jung-Yeon seemed to have unexpectedly earned the approval of that mother-in-law figure, but now, my attention was on Park Deok-Gu.

‘There’s no way that guy hasn't noticed it yet... he's pretty sharp, after all.’

I suddenly thought that he had probably already realized that the Ki-Young in front of him wasn't the same Ki-Young he was familiar with.