The ancient artifacts we found on the second and third floors were truly remarkable. But the other treasures we acquired were nothing to scoff at either. Although we decided to hold off on dealing with the unicorn’s horn and carcass, the Order of Harmony and the Fairy Queen’s Tears were incredibly valuable. So much so that the elegant trinkets Kim Hanbyul had meticulously gathered from the first floor seemed insignificant in comparison.
I was itching to examine each item and uncover their secrets. However, both I and my clan members needed to return to Monica as soon as possible. The strain from using my powers earlier still lingered, and my body was crying out for rest. Prioritizing our return to the city was the right decision.
After a brief exchange with Kim Hanbyul at the first-floor staircase, we moved to the center of the hall. As Ansol had mentioned, the number of conscious users had increased to four. We returned their original equipment to them and, with their help, equipped the unconscious users with their gear.
The users were grateful for my decision to return their equipment without any conditions. The first man to regain consciousness was especially moved when I asked him to choose the belongings of a woman named Mihee as keepsakes. He bowed repeatedly, almost in tears. Despite taking a significant amount of equipment, they expressed no dissatisfaction.
Two of the awakened users were so weak that they needed support to walk. The unconscious ones were carried by clan members who had the strength to spare. After organizing ourselves, we removed the gem from the statue of the mage we had seen upon entering, and finally, we were able to leave the castle.
The expedition wasn’t over yet. We still had to make it back to Monica safely, the final step in tying up this adventure. And then…
The gentle sound of flowing water reached my ears.
“Wow, look, brother! Over there!”
“Hmm?”
“The river that was still before is flowing again!”
“Ah, you’re right.”
Just as Ansol said, the river that had been stagnant when we first arrived was now flowing smoothly, making a gentle, clear sound. As I watched the water absentmindedly, a quiet voice called to me from behind. Turning around, I saw Kim Hanbyul supporting a female user.
“Hey… Oppa, I have a question.”
“Yeah? What is it, Hanbyul?”
“I’ve been counting since we came down the stairs. It’s been about 30 to 40 minutes, hasn’t it?”
“Sounds about right.”
“But I can’t see the entrance you made earlier… and the barrier…”
Kim Hanbyul glanced at Baek Hangyeol before fixing her gaze back on me. I could tell what she was worried about. Adjusting my grip on the unicorn’s carcass, I reassured her.
“Oh, we won’t need the barrier in the Illusion Canyon anymore. Seeing the river flow again means the barrier has likely been lifted.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. The river’s flowing again, so it’s safe to assume the barrier’s gone. That’s why the entrance isn’t visible.”
“Oh… I see. So, are we just going to head up from here?”
I looked down at the unicorn in my arms. This was something to consider. If we walked from here, we could reach the top of the canyon in about 50 minutes. Honestly, I thought the unicorn would come to us during the 40 minutes we walked, but it hadn’t shown up.
Should I take the unicorn’s body with us, or return it to the baby unicorn? Initially, I planned to do the latter. But even if the chances were high, it was still just a guess. I couldn’t wait indefinitely for a unicorn that might not come.
Hearing my conversation with Kim Hanbyul, the murmurs around the river quickly died down. I could feel the injured users’ impatience to return to the city, but I paid it no mind. They had their equipment back, and if they had any complaints, they could find their own way back.
“Hmm…”
I pondered as we walked, but eventually, I made a decision. This could be an opportunity to form a bond with the unicorn. I tapped the unicorn’s belly a few times and spoke in a firm but calm voice.
“We won’t head up immediately.”
”…”
“Before entering the city, the Mercenary Clan members have seen the baby unicorn. We’ll move to that location and wait for about 30 minutes. If no unicorns come for the body by then, we’ll head straight to the city.”
Experienced users would understand. The journey to Monica would take at least ten days, possibly more with the injured in tow. Leaving 30 minutes later wouldn’t make much difference in the grand scheme of things.
I paused and looked back, inviting any objections. Some faces were shadowed with doubt, but it was fleeting. Both the clan members and the users nodded slightly, indicating their agreement.
Seeing their reactions, I softened my voice as I continued.
“In about 20 to 30 minutes, we should reach the spot. Let’s head there.”
With that, I turned back to the path ahead, recalling the spot where I had met the baby unicorn and dropped the stone, and resumed our march.
As expected, after about 20 minutes, we arrived at the place where we had encountered the unicorn. The rock where the baby unicorn had been trapped was gone, thrown into the water, but the other rocks remained.
I instructed a 30-minute rest here. Although the awakened users had regained their senses, their bodies weren’t fully recovered. Ansol was busy, but she diligently cast spells and healed without complaint.
I placed the unicorn’s body in a visible spot and sat on a nearby rock to rest. We had at least ten days of marching ahead. In the past, this would have been a trivial task, but now it felt like a burden, a reminder of my limits. As the clan leader, I chose not to show it.
“Mercenary Lord.”
“Hmm?”
Just as I was savoring the sweet taste of a cigarette during our break, a deep male voice reached my ears. Turning my head, I saw the first male user who had awakened in the castle. He wore a gentle smile, though his face was tinged with sadness.
As I watched him, he bowed and extended his hand to me.
“I didn’t get a chance to properly thank you earlier. I’m Shin Jaeryong, a fourth-year user. Thank you again for saving us.”
“Don’t mention it. Just doing my job. I’m Kim Suhyun, a zero-year user.”
‘User Information.’
< User Information >
Name: Shin Jaeryong (4th Year)
Class: Normal Priest Expert
Nation: Barbara
Clan: Yeoulgan (Rank: C Plus)
True Name · Nationality: Indomitable Effort, Unyielding Will · South Korea
Sex: Male (42)
Height · Weight: 176.2cm · 73.8kg
Disposition: Good · Passion
[Strength 78] [Endurance 82] [Agility 74] [Stamina 90] [Magic 84] [Luck 68]
< Attribute Comparison >
(Attribute points remaining: 12)
[Strength 96(+2)] [Endurance 92] [Agility 98] [Stamina 72] [Magic 96] [Luck 90(+2)]
(No attribute points remaining)
[Strength 78] [Endurance 82] [Agility 74] [Stamina 90] [Magic 84] [Luck 68]
I shook Shin Jaeryong’s hand and reviewed his user information. His age surprised me, and his class surprised me even more. Or rather, I found it intriguing.
His stats were decent, but choosing to be a priest was puzzling. His magic was respectable, and class choice is personal, but… If he had chosen a combat class, he might have made quite a name for himself by now.
‘Not even a combat priest…’
“You’re really a zero-year user. It’s astonishing that a zero-year user formed a clan and has the famous Shadow Queen as a member. Truly remarkable.”
“Oh, you knew?”
“Yes. The cute little lady who treated us told me. It was a bit disjointed, but it was quite comforting. Haha.”
“Haha… I see.”
I wanted to grab Ansol and shake her, demanding to know what she had said, but I managed to restrain myself. Shin Jaeryong politely asked if he could sit and chat for a while, and I nodded, granting him permission.
The conversation with Shin Jae-ryong went surprisingly well. I tend to have a favorable view of people who know their place. If he had started talking about returning the remaining equipment or insisted on heading back immediately, I would have been quite displeased. But he didn’t bring up any of that.
Instead, he expressed gratitude for the rescue and gave a brief rundown of events from the start of the Yeoulgan Clan’s expedition to his capture. During our talk, I also learned about a woman named Mi-hee, who had entered Hall Plain with Shin Jae-ryong and had built a life with him. Despite losing someone precious, his ability to swallow his grief and maintain a clear perspective was admirable.
“So, you’re saying three of the seven were from the Yeoulgan Clan, and the other four were from the first rescue team… It seems like a significant blow to your clan.”
“It’s more than significant; it’s practically a disbandment. We’re a small clan with fewer than twenty members. We’ve been scraping by with nothing but pride in our hard work… and now, with one wrong decision, it feels like everything we’ve built over four years has crumbled. While I take some solace in having survived, unlike some of my comrades…”
Shin Jae-ryong took a drag from the cigarette I had given him and smiled bitterly. No one knows what the future holds, but his user information was still valuable. If he had the will to start over, he wouldn’t starve wherever he went.
“Still, being under the Istantel Low Clan’s umbrella, they won’t just stand by. Things might not be as dire as they seem. Their welfare for users is on par with Barbara’s.”
“Thank you for saying that. But I think it’ll be tough for a while. I’m not naturally strong, so it’ll take time to bury today’s events. Haha… ha…”
Leaving Shin Jae-ryong’s sigh behind, I looked up at the sky. Our conversation had stretched over thirty minutes, and the unicorn hadn’t appeared. Though a bit disappointed, I decided it was time to move on.
“Returning to the city should be our priority. It’s probably best to head out now.”
“But weren’t you waiting for the unicorn…?”
As I dusted myself off and stood, Shin Jae-ryong’s voice followed. I shook my head and stretched slightly.
“The thirty minutes I mentioned earlier have passed.”
“Oh. If it’s because of us, it’s fine. We can wait longer. Of course, we want to return to the city, but resting here to recover isn’t bad either. If it’s because of us, I know the first rescue team members well enough to explain.”
Shin Jae-ryong stood up with me, his voice filled with apology. He had a point, but the faces from earlier clearly wanted to return to the city. Besides, if the unicorn, known for its strong sense of kinship, hadn’t shown up after an hour, it likely left the canyon. Waiting longer would probably be a waste of time.
As we rose, the clan members and users turned their attention to us. Seeing them, I decided it was time to end our break.
“In five minutes…”
Just then, as I was about to say, “We’ll depart,” I sensed a presence just outside the perimeter I had set up. I turned to look, and others followed my gaze. At that moment…
“Neigh…”
The sound of hooves softly treading the ground reached my ears, accompanied by a faint but familiar cry.
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
Hello, this is Ro Yujin.
Haha, I’m feeling much better than yesterday. I still have some stomach issues and occasional chills, but my headache has improved. Yesterday, even a little deep thinking made my head throb, but today it’s just slightly heavier than usual. Still, to be safe, I’ll visit the hospital tomorrow and hit the gym more diligently. I’ll take better care of my health from now on. :)
『 Reader Comments (Episode 272) 』
HammerofWar: Congratulations on being first. (Turns out “congratulations” was the wrong expression. Yikes.) Haha. Oh, was episode 272 more brutal? I just showed records and footage… ㅜ.ㅠ
TearsRiver: Well, we’ll see. :) Look forward to the equipment settlement. Here’s a hint: there’s a class condition attached to Ordo’s usage.
[DeepBLue]: Neither Sunbaek nor Tyrving will end up with Suhyeon. They’ll likely go to two female characters. :)
YuriKen: Hahaha. Sorry, I burst out laughing. ㅋㅋㅋㅋ. I seem to have caused you some confusion. My apologies. (__) ㅋㅋㅋㅋ. Ps. What’s a queer story?
GradeRown: No need to worry. A successor inheriting that flair will soon emerge. By the way, this successor is practically born from the readers. Hahaha.
『 Reader Comments (Episode 273) 』
TearsRiver: Wow. Two comments in one episode. I didn’t expect you to be first in the next episode. Congratulations on being first. :) Yes, Mar is short for Margarita.
RainAndRoom: Haha. “Gaegida” is a mispronunciation of “Gaegeda.” I was surprised when I first learned that.
Hwanggeol: A recommendation for a work, huh. Haha. I’ll think about it. :) I’ve recently found a work I really like…
dkeogu2001: Yes, it’s a reader comment! Having secured a major relic from Monica, it’s time to settle in and start something new. :)
Mable Fantasm: Your nickname is cool. Marvel Phantasm, huh. I’m a bit envious… (?) The related plot will be mentioned in the next episode, but it’s been changed. I’m considering changing the subtitle of the side income part. ㅋㅋㅋㅋ.
Thank you for always reading. Your recommendations and comments are a great encouragement.
I hope you always read my work with a relaxed mind.
Recommendations, comments, critiques, and questions are always welcome.