I never thought it would come. Just as I was about to signal our departure, convinced the unicorn had already left the canyon, I sensed its presence as if by magic. The image of the baby unicorn nuzzling against my leg flashed through my mind, and a flutter of excitement stirred at the thought of seeing it again.
Crunch, crunch. Crunch, crunch. Crunch, crunch. Crunch, crunch.
“Huh…? Those footsteps… there are too many.”
Suddenly, within the range of my senses, I detected numerous presences. This wasn’t the sound of just one unicorn. There had to be at least ten, maybe even more than twenty.
As I stood still, looking to the right, Ahn Hyun quietly gripped his spear. Following his lead, the others began to reach for their weapons. I quickly raised my hand to signal them to stop. Unicorns are extremely wary of humans, and there was no need to provoke them.
A misty aura began to envelop the surroundings. I moved slowly in the direction they were coming from. The clan members, sensing something unusual, helped the users move behind me.
Soon, the owners of the footsteps began to appear. As I focused my vision, their forms became clearer. They had bodies similar to horses, but their coats were a shimmering silver-white, with a single silver horn protruding from their foreheads and eyes as dark as night.
As expected, it wasn’t just one unicorn. Led by the baby unicorn, a herd of about twenty unicorns approached. Beside the baby was an adult unicorn, twice the size of the others, exuding an aura that clearly marked it as the leader.
We stood still for a moment as the unicorns closed the distance until they were visible to the naked eye.
As the herd came into view, a commotion erupted among the clan members and users.
“Hyung! Look at that…”
“Oh my god.”
“Wow… so many unicorns…”
“Shh.”
I quickly turned and pressed a finger to my lips, and the noise died down instantly. It was best to greet these sensitive creatures quietly.
“Do not startle the unicorns.”
I especially cautioned Ahn Hyun, who had been about to draw his weapon, and turned my gaze back to the approaching unicorns.
The adult unicorn’s cry was distinctly different from the baby’s. As they spotted us, they gradually slowed their pace, stopping about ten meters away.
A suffocating silence descended. Only the leader unicorn occasionally made a small sound, while neither I nor the clan members spoke a word.
After about ten seconds of staring at each other, I glanced at the unicorn’s body we had left by the riverbank. The leader unicorn also cast a glance in that direction. It was then that the baby unicorn suddenly darted forward, toddling over to the fallen unicorn and circling it, as if trying to identify it.
Once it seemed satisfied, the baby unicorn stopped and turned to the leader, letting out a low cry.
“Kyuu…”
The leader responded, and tears welled up in the baby unicorn’s eyes. It nodded slightly and sat down, weeping sorrowfully, rubbing its head against the body. It seemed to have a deep connection with the deceased unicorn.
Seeing this, the leader unicorn closed its eyes, and soft sighs escaped from the unicorns standing quietly behind it.
“Kyuuuu… Kyuuuu…”
The baby unicorn, still crying, looked at me with tear-filled eyes, as if asking why I hadn’t saved it. I watched for a while, and when it showed no sign of stopping, I decided to step forward. The leader unicorn also began to walk toward me, its gaze wary but not hostile.
We stopped with the baby unicorn between us. Knowing their strong sense of kinship and how they cherished their young, I dared not move further.
Our eyes met in the air, and after a moment, the leader gave a slight nod—a silent sign of permission. With that, I knelt and extended my arms toward the baby unicorn, still nestled against the body.
“I’m sorry.”
“Kyuu…”
The baby unicorn lifted its tear-streaked face and, as if waiting for this moment, reached out its forelegs and nestled into my embrace. I gently patted its back, whispering softly in its ear.
“I’m sorry we couldn’t save it sooner. By the time we found it…”
“Kyuu… Kyuu…”
As I comforted it, the leader unicorn moved closer, never taking its eyes off the baby. Unicorns are highly intelligent creatures. If the baby had told them about us, they likely understood the situation, but I explained anyway, just in case.
“Just so you know, we didn’t do this.”
The leader nodded slightly, as if it already knew. I had been prepared for anything, but its response allowed me to relax a little.
“The culprit was a monster living within the canyon’s barrier. A sorcerer, not quite human. We came to deal with it, and in the process, we found this body. That’s all. We thought about taking it with us, but then I remembered the baby unicorn, so we brought it here.”
The leader nodded again, understanding. I felt a bit frustrated, knowing they seemed to understand me, but I couldn’t understand them. I could only guess from their reactions.
The baby unicorn’s cries gradually subsided. Though it still sniffled, the heart-wrenching sobs were fading. The leader watched the baby in my arms, then gently nudged its head toward me.
“Does it want to be lifted up?”
I interpreted it as such and gently placed the baby on its back. As I stepped back, the baby unicorn bit my hand, pulling it toward itself, as if asking me not to leave.
But it was only for a moment. The leader’s long tail brushed over the baby’s head, soothing it. The baby looked up at me with weary eyes, its once-fluttering tail now limp, and released my hand.
With a loud cry, the leader unicorn signaled, and the other unicorns finally began to move.
I stepped back a few paces from the fallen unicorn and watched their actions. The unicorns formed a circle around the body, each taking turns to nuzzle it. It was their ritual, a farewell to a fallen comrade.
Afterward, they comforted the baby unicorn, rubbing their faces against it or licking its back.
I quietly retreated to where my companions were, careful not to disturb the unicorns’ ritual, and waited for them to finish.
The unicorns’ ritual didn’t take long. Each unicorn spent about thirty seconds, so it was over in less than ten minutes.
The atmosphere among us was one of quiet awe. When we first saw the dead unicorn, everyone had been wide-eyed with shock. But after witnessing the herd and their ritual, they were absorbed in the spectacle.
Encountering a baby unicorn by chance was a rare event, but what happened this time was something that might only occur once in a lifetime on the whole plain.
I was worried the kids might cause a commotion like they did when they first saw the unicorns, but thankfully, they seemed to understand the gravity of the situation. They mostly kept quiet, only whispering to each other occasionally.
The ceremony seemed to conclude as the baby unicorn and a slightly larger one, almost the same size, performed their final actions. At a low sound from the leader, a few sturdy unicorns approached and lifted the body of the deceased unicorn onto their backs.
With the ceremony complete, the leader unicorn led its followers toward us.
Snort. Snort. Snort. Snort.
“I have no idea what they’re saying.”
It was clear they were trying to communicate, but I couldn’t make heads or tails of it. At least I managed to settle the debt. Asking for a reward now might ruin the rapport we had built. So, I decided to be content with this and bid farewell.
“We’ve returned the deceased unicorn. We should be on our way now. As you can see, some of our members were injured by that monster. We need to get them to the city for treatment.”
As I spoke clearly, the leader unicorn and the others turned their gaze behind me. Their eyes narrowed slightly, likely at the sight of a user who had lost limbs.
“Good. This establishes a mutual understanding.”
In essence, it meant that both we and they had lost comrades to the same monster, sharing the same pain. Of course, the truth was that the users were strangers to me, and it was just a thought I had.
Anyway, it was time to head back. I turned to announce our departure and looked at my clan members. Ansol and Lee Yujeong hesitated. When I nodded to ask what was wrong, Ansol, still fixated on the baby unicorn, spoke up shyly.
“Um, brother….”
“What is it?”
“Can we pet Uni just once before we go? It looks so sad… I feel too heartbroken to leave it like this… I want to comfort it….”
Uni(?) lay limp on the leader’s back, not even lifting its head despite our farewell. I understood its sorrow more than feeling disappointed. After a moment of sympathy for the baby unicorn, I sighed deeply.
Ansol’s request was a bit much at this point. It might have been possible earlier when we explained the situation, but now the baby unicorn was surrounded by many others. Even if we could get through to pet it, leaving now seemed the cleanest option.
“Let’s just… okay?”
I was about to shake my head and suggest we leave when—
Snort.
The now-familiar sound of hooves approached us. Startled, I turned to see unicorns stepping forward, each approaching one of our group. The leader unicorn came to a stop in front of me, staring intently.
Just as I was about to feel bewildered, the unicorns’ actions were shocking. The leader unicorn folded its legs and sat quietly in front of me, then lifted its long tail and slapped its back.
”…Huh?”
Snort. Slap!
“Are you telling me to get on?”
Nod, nod.
Looking around in disbelief, I saw unicorns sitting in front of each of my companions, showing their backs.
“Bro, what’s going on?”
“Beats me. Why don’t you ask the unicorn in front of you? I’m just as clueless….”
“Uh, are you really asking me to ride you? Really?”
The unicorn in front of Ahn Hyun had long eyelashes and gave him a sidelong glance before nodding just like the leader. Ahn Hyun, moved, wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. The unicorn looked at him with a somewhat pitying expression.
Though a bit flustered, I could see the rescued users’ faces mixed with excitement and relief. Riding would certainly be better than walking. We might not reach the city, but riding unicorns would drastically shorten our return time.
After a moment’s hesitation, I decided to accept their offer. It could turn out to be a great opportunity.
Smiling slightly, I addressed the hesitant clan members.
“It seems the unicorns are offering us a favor. Given that we have injured members, this is quite fortunate. Those who are still unconscious should ride together, and please treat the unicorns with care.”
After speaking, I demonstrated by sitting on the leader unicorn’s back. As it lifted its folded legs, I felt my feet slowly leave the ground.
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
Hello, this is Ro Yujin.
Why doesn’t it feel like vacation at all? ;ㅅ; Waking up early, cleaning, hospital visits, gym, returning home, lunch with friends, afternoon classes, e-book editing, and writing. Starting exercise again has left me a bit tired. After working out and showering, I feel refreshed and energized, but also sleepy…. ㅜ.ㅠ
To expedite the return to the city, I decided to ride the unicorns instead of pursuing the side plot. It seemed better to include something in between rather than just saying, “And so we began our return to Monica. We arrived in the city ten days later.” The return to the city should be completed in the next chapter.
It’s time to let Suhyeon rest a bit and set the stage for a new part. :)
『 Reader Comments 』
Flute: Wow, it’s the first time I’ve seen you get first place. Congratulations! Haha. I’ll definitely have Ansol shake his collar one day. :)
Mariruri: I think your sister might be a ‘tsundere.’ Maybe she’ll treat you to a nice meal next time. :)
ototyrxr: Continuous updates, you say. Haha. I’m so sorry, but I love you. I’ll try harder. ㅜ.ㅠ
hohokoya1: I was planning to go to the library today, but I couldn’t because of an appointment. ㅜ.ㅠ
Yurikenne: Thank you for the example. Haha. Park Hyunwoo, you say. Hmm! Park Hyunwoo. Haha, Yurikenne, the weather was really nice today with the sun shining brightly. Haha.
Blami: Haha. The relationship with the unicorns will be resolved in the next chapter. Thank you for always commenting!
Opi2love19: I couldn’t keep my composure reading the comments. Everyone is so adorable…. I couldn’t stop smiling. :) ☞☜ (__ )* Thank you for the coupon. I’ll work even harder! (__)
Grill Freedom: I brought the fairy queen’s egg! It’s safely tucked away in my bag. :)
Mechastar: I have a question, Mechastar~. Sometimes I see ‘Hong’ in the comments. I’m curious about its meaning!
dbss: Thank you for the coupon. (__) Haha. If Suhyeon rides a unicorn, especially the leader unicorn, I doubt any regular users could break through Suhyeon’s magic defense. ㄷㄷ. There’s a setting like that for unicorns….
Thank you for always reading. Your recommendations and comments are a great source of strength.
I hope you always read my work with a relaxed mind.
Recommendations, comments, critiques, and questions are always welcome.