I Became a Foreign Worker Loved by Transcendents

Im Tae-yang.

He was one of the few people in this world, overflowing with garbage, who showed me kindness.

He was always quiet, so it was hard to know his true thoughts, but I knew he wasn’t a bad person…

“It happened about a month ago.”

His death was a great shock to me, and the vivid testimony I was hearing now brought the reality of it into sharp focus.

“When we went to gather materials needed for the refuge, the ground suddenly collapsed, and a giant mouth-like thing rose up from below the cliff.”

“A mouth?”

“A massive, dark… and filled with countless corpse-like figures writhing inside, a mysterious monster.”

A giant mouth swarming with corpses?

“Quite a few people were caught up in it.”

No, this wasn’t just a simple undead.

It wasn’t like the Four Knights, who possessed intelligence—it was a massive monster capable of devastating an entire area on its own.

The danger level might even surpass that of a lich, who merely controlled corpses.

“The survivors couldn’t grasp what it was and just tried to flee as fast as they could. But those who were too frozen with fear to move properly were swallowed by the creature…”

Her hand slowly reached out toward an urn in the columbarium.

As she grasped the urn, a sorrowful expression appeared on her face.

“If only I hadn’t frozen in place…”

She wasn’t just mourning the death of a friend—there was a clear sense of guilt in her words.

“If he hadn’t reached out to save me, he wouldn’t have ended up like this.”

As I realized she was talking about the remains in the urn, the scene from that time began to form in my mind.

The collapsing ground, people falling one by one, the massive mouth opening wide as if to swallow the entire area, and the chaos of the writhing corpses inside…

The girl, unable to comprehend the situation, froze in place and would have met the same fate as those who had fallen before her.

But one man couldn’t bear to just watch and instinctively threw himself forward, grabbing her hand and tossing her to safety, only to find himself caught in the danger zone instead.

“This is all that’s left.”

That outcome was now in Ga-ram’s hand, revealed before me.

There was no need to cremate the body to ashes; just one hand bone, with the flesh removed, was preserved in the urn.

“By the time I realized he had thrown himself in my place, the monster that emerged from underground had already devoured his entire body, leaving only his hand that was holding mine.”

Yes, the reason she was alive at this moment was because he had sacrificed himself.

I knew that feeling all too well.

If someone hadn’t sacrificed themselves for me in the sanctuary, I wouldn’t be standing here facing Ga-ram.

“It’s not your fault.”

But wasn’t she too young to accept that?

In the normal world, she’d be just entering high school.

Her biggest concerns should be about her future or friendships, not survival.

“That’s what everyone says.”

Yet reality forced this girl to grow up far too quickly.

The environment of the refuge we were in, and the ring on her finger prove she was the master of this refuge.

“But you can’t deny that it would’ve been better for everyone if he had survived instead of me, right?”

“Well, that’s…!”

“He was a fully-fledged hero, and I’m just young and inexperienced… Even a fool could tell who would be better for the people in the refuge.”

Even though she was smiling, I couldn’t miss the self-loathing behind it.

I could feel it just by listening to her.

No matter how much she tried to adapt to reality, no matter how prepared she was to live in this cruel world, she was still too young to bear all this.

“I’m struggling just to take over this position in the lord’s place, but it doesn’t seem like he has any intention of coming back here…”

As she expressed her determination, she pulled out a few letters from her bosom.

The name ‘Cheska Plandor’ written on the letters indicated that Flang and Ga-ram had been exchanging letters even while on the expedition.

And the consistent phrase that concluded each of those letters:

[And Ga-ram, if I don’t return, I’m entrusting the entire Plandor family to you.]

The phrase, which emphasized her absence without exception, made it seem like she was indirectly saying she had no intention of returning to the family.

“…Come to think of it, he was never attached to his family. While others were dreaming of success and heading to the front lines, he was investing his entire fortune into building this refuge.”

Would it make sense for a family head dreaming of success to pour their entire fortune into something unrelated to their rise?

Even without knowing her true identity, it wasn’t hard to understand that she had no intention of returning as the family head after this expedition.

“By the way, I heard he was indebted to you, Oppa. Do you know where he is now?”

“…I don’t know. We lost contact after he left the expedition.”

I understood why Flang had joined the expedition and what she had been fighting for.

If I considered her mission to support someone, the answer I should give here was clear.

“He’s so unfair, isn’t he? Entrusting everything to me and then disappearing without a word.”

Ga-ram let out a small chuckle at my lie, as she gently touched the ring on her finger.

“…But someone has to fill the void he left behind.”

With that gesture, the ring slid off her finger.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Taking off that ring meant setting aside everything under the family’s name, at least for a while.

“Oppa.”

Ga-ram held out the ring, the symbol of that authority, to me.

“Can I ask you a difficult favor?”

Her face looked even more troubled and guilt-ridden than when she was recalling the sacrifices of others.

That expression came from the guilt of wanting to pass on the responsibilities she was supposed to bear to someone else.

“…Say what you need.”

Is the only thing I can do for this girl to carry her burden for her?

No, I can’t keep doing that forever.

I’m already struggling to take care of myself. If I take on more burdens here, everything could collapse.

“Just for a while… while you’re here, could you hold onto this ring?”

But just for a while…

Even if I eventually leave, until that time comes, I could lighten her burden, give her some peace of mind, and maybe help her grow a little.

“And if you don’t have a reason to leave, please don’t go.”

With that thought, I took the ring Ga-ram handed to me.

To continue the promise we made that night in front of the campfire.

“If I can’t see you again… I don’t know what will happen to me.”

And to support this girl, who was like family to me, so she wouldn’t crumble under her guilt.

The Ark of Meter Refuge.

A mobile fortress that could accommodate thousands of people, continuously expanding even at this moment.

The facilities and technologies filling its interior elevated its value, and the one responsible for managing it all was none other than me.

Although it was only temporary, the responsibility and importance far exceeded anything I’d managed in the expedition.

“I guess I should get some advice.”

Fortunately, I was in a better position than Ga-ram.

Even though I wasn’t great at managing things, one of my companions was a specialist in handling all the expedition’s affairs.

Moreover, despite choosing not to return as the lord, this person was well-versed in matters related to the family.

“Flang, is your body alright…?”

As I approached Tashian’s room to find her, I was shocked by the scene unfolding before me.

There was no way I could step any closer.

What was happening in front of me was something I never expected to see.

“Oh my~ It suits you so well, my dear~!”

The first thing that caught my eye was Tashian, beaming with pride and admiration.

And the focus of her attention was a familiar-looking girl standing demurely in front of her.

“How do you feel, my dear? Do you like the dress Mommy made for you?”

“Ehehe~ I love it!”

No, the only thing familiar was the face.

The frilly dress she wore was so different from the image I had of her that it felt almost alien.

“You made such a beautiful dress for me; I don’t even know how to express my gratitude!”

Francheska, the protector of humanity.

And to most people, the Emperor’s illegitimate child and the aloof, calculating young head of a noble family.

“Oh my~ Every word you say is just so adorable, my dear!”

Seeing such a person in a dress, acting so coyly, was an enormous shock to me.

It wasn’t just when she was Cheska.

Even as Flang, she always maintained an air of haughtiness, perfectly fulfilling her role as a maid.

“Come, my dear, don’t stand there. Come over here where the light is better…”

“Is this where I should stand?”

“Yes, yes~ Now you can see much better~ Ah! Just wait a moment; I have something just perfect for you…”

In that bewildering situation, Tashian took out a ribbon and placed it on her head.

With careful hands, Tashian tied her golden hair into twin tails, and an even more heartfelt sigh of admiration escaped her lips.

“Oh my~ This makes you so pretty, my dear~ You’re almost unrecognizable from when I first saw you!”

“Really? Wow~!”

What on earth is this?

Why is Tashian, who should be repairing her, styling Flang’s outfit, and why is Flang smiling and accepting it so happily?

And Flang, weren’t you terrified of Tashian before you came here?

“You’re all dressed up so beautifully; it wouldn’t be right to just stand still. Come, my dear, strike a pose for Mommy.”

“Pose? Like this?”

“Yes, yes~ Strike that pose, and express how you truly feel right now. What do you think of Mommy, Flang?”

Tashian clasped her hands together and gazed at Flang with expectant eyes.

At Tashian’s words, Flang paused to think for a moment, and then a bright smile, one I’d never seen before, spread across her face.

“I love you~!”

A voice so sincere and full of love, without a hint of falsehood, spoken with such confidence.

“I love Mommy the most in the world, ehehe~♡”

…Ah, um.

Yeah, well, let’s not overthink it. It’s probably just one of those things.

I mean, I’d be too embarrassed to say something like that to Tashian, but it’s not exactly wrong, is it?

It might even be better for her to maintain a cheerful mood like this rather than being constantly depressed about what happened at the sanctuary.

“Ahem!!”

But aside from that, I did come here for a reason.

I cleared my throat loudly, and only then did Tashian notice my presence, immediately expressing her delight.

“Oh my, my son is here! I heard you went outside earlier; are you hurt anywhere?”

“You don’t need to worry about me. I’m more concerned about Flang… Is she alright?”

“The facilities here are excellent, so her treatment was stable. There are several functions that need adjusting, but it won’t interfere with her ability to move or live normally.”

That’s a relief, I thought as I quietly turned my gaze to Flang.

And there she was, a girl who stiffened and blushed the moment she realized I was there.

“Ah, um, this… this is…”

Was it that she didn’t want to show herself like this?

Her face flushed with embarrassment as she looked at me, but I had already made up my mind not to dwell on the situation.

“Don’t worry, Flang. I understand everything.”

“I get what you’re thinking, but please calm down and listen to me first.”

“We should respect everyone’s tastes.”

“It’s not like that at all!!!”

The room grew chaotic with her outburst of shock.

“Our little one is so full of energy~ I’m glad to see you’re recovering well~”

Tashian smiled brightly, taking even that reaction in a positive light.