Tears of a Vagabond
“Noble Mithril Shirt”
(Description: There are various types of mithril, and among them, Noble Mithril is classified as the highest grade. When extracting 10 kg of regular mithril, less than 10 g of Noble Mithril is typically found, making it an exceptionally rare metal. This shirt is crafted solely from Noble Mithril, spun into threads and woven into a garment. While its effects are similar to regular mithril, its efficiency is incomparably superior.)
“Blue Dragon Knight’s Coat”
(Description: In ancient Hall Plain, dragons existed, and humans revered and worshipped these supernatural beings. A Dragon Knight refers to a human who has formed a pact with a dragon. Occasionally, exceptional individuals capable of deep communion with dragons emerged, and when they did, dragons chose to form pacts with them. This coat is a gift from a Blue Dragon to a human with whom it formed a pact. Made from dragon hide, it is incredibly tough and resistant to magic.)
I was now wearing all three pieces of equipment I received from the Hamil Clan. Victoria’s Glory had been transformed into an earring and hung on my right ear, the Noble Mithril Shirt was worn under the Glory of the Sky, and the Blue Dragon Knight’s Coat was draped over my shoulders by Go Yeonju herself.
The fit was undeniably excellent. The shirt was so light it felt like wearing feathers, and the coat, though not thin or short, didn’t hinder my movements at all. It was as if I was enveloped in water.
As good as it was, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I shouldn’t have accepted them. It wasn’t as if I had taken them by force, but there was an inexplicable sense of guilt. While Victoria’s Glory was one thing, the shirt and coat were originally meant for someone else. Honestly, with my stamina stats boosted to 90 points, it wasn’t as if I had taken any real risks during the healing process, and my existing equipment wasn’t lacking either.
Nevertheless, they were now in my possession, and returning them seemed unlikely. Resolving to support the Hamil Clan in future expeditions, I decided to accept them with gratitude.
“Su-hyeon, you must have mixed feelings.”
“Huh…?”
I was lost in thought about the equipment as we walked toward the warp gate. Go Yeonju quickened her pace to walk beside me, her voice tinged with playful curiosity.
“I thought it was a bit odd when you asked me to look into the Hamil Clan. The names were similar, so I had my suspicions.”
“Ha ha. Yes, I was skeptical until I met them in person.”
“You seemed quite composed for someone in your position. Your brother-in-law looked very confused~.”
“I was holding back. It’s not like I didn’t want to stay longer.”
Feigning disappointment and lowering my voice, Go Yeonju flinched slightly. She murmured, “You could have stayed a bit longer…” and then slowed her pace. I smiled inwardly.
Glancing back, I saw three people quietly following me. Among them, Kim Hanbyul, trailing at the back, caught my eye. He seemed deep in thought, his face clouded with worry. Perhaps he was wondering if someone he knew was somewhere in Hall Plain.
The sun was setting, casting a deep twilight glow. After walking for about ten more minutes, we finally reached the warp gate. It had been midday when we arrived, but now afternoon had slipped away. Most users would be returning to the city to rest, so the entrance to the warp gate was less crowded than expected.
‘If there’s still a travel restriction, that could be a problem…’
We couldn’t just wait indefinitely for it to open, so returning to Monica seemed the only option.
As we entered, we approached a woman who seemed to be in charge of the warp gate. She was slumped in her chair, looking exhausted, but stood up unsteadily when she saw us. Her eyes were sunken, and her brow furrowed, showing signs of stress.
“Are you here to use the warp gate?”
“Yes. Is the travel restriction lifted now?”
At the mention of travel restrictions, a knowing look crossed her face. She checked the magic circle briefly and sighed deeply.
“Where are you headed? Fortunately, it seems we can open a path.”
“What do you mean by ‘open a path’?”
“Since you mentioned travel restrictions, I assume you’re heading to the central, western, or northern regions. You can’t go directly to the central area right now. You’ll need to warp to a city with an active gate to Barbara first, then use the warp gate from there. For example… there’s one open in the west and one in the north.”
“What a hassle… They do as they please.”
“Tell me about it. At least some are open now. This morning until noon was a nightmare. Damn bastards… Anyway, the west is open to Beth, and the north to Mule.”
Coincidentally, the woman mentioned Mule. That meant we didn’t need to take a detour. Feeling lucky, I was about to ask her to open the gate to Mule when I felt a tug on my sleeve. Turning, I saw An Sol looking at me intently.
“An Sol?”
“Uh-huh…”
“What’s wrong?”
“Uh-uh…”
An Sol shook her head without explanation, her face filled with anxiety. Her words from the meeting earlier came to mind.
‘Brother, could you tell me again which city you’re going to?’
I excused myself from the woman and bent down slightly to meet An Sol’s gaze. With everyone’s eyes on us, she bit her lip, looking dejected.
It wasn’t the first time this had happened. Rather than pressing her, it was better to gently coax out her thoughts.
“Do you not want to go to Mule?”
“Yes… I don’t know why, but… I just feel uneasy…”
Speaking softly, An Sol nodded, her voice barely audible.
I straightened up and looked at Go Yeonju. Kim Hanbyul, unaware of the situation, seemed puzzled, but Go Yeonju, having experienced this before, appeared deep in thought.
“Go Yeonju, has anything strange happened in Mule recently?”
“No… I’m not sure. Honestly, I haven’t been paying much attention to Mule lately. The most recent thing I know is… oh.”
”?”
“Now that I think about it, there is something. It’s an old event, but the leading clan in Mule changed. Or rather, it was more of a merger. The newly appointed leading clan, Paradise on Earth, absorbed the original Beech Clan. Maybe Sol is anxious because of that incident?”
The incident she referred to was likely the conflict with the Beech Clan. After that, to prevent Yoo Hyun-ah from rising as the ‘Holy Queen,’ I had killed ‘Martial God’ Cha Seung-hyun and ‘Crazy Woman’ Ban Da-hee. Even if Yoo Hyun-ah was inherently kind, she might still hold a grudge.
‘Then it might be best to go.’
Go Yeonju’s reasoning made sense, and her suggestion to go to Mule was tempting. Back then, circumstances didn’t allow me to eliminate the threat, but leaving it unresolved was unsettling. It seemed better to walk into the lion’s den, recruit the old man, and deal with Yoo Hyun-ah, provided they made the first move.
‘But what if that’s not the case…? Something else could happen, like…’
Habitually considering worst-case scenarios, I furrowed my brow without realizing it. As I pondered various possibilities, I sensed someone approaching.
“Su-hyeon, you’re deep in thought again. If I may, there’s something I’ve wanted to say for a while. It might be presumptuous, but if you’ll allow me, I’d like to share it.”
“Of course.”
“Su-hyeon, you’re the clan lord. You have plans, right? While plans can change, I believe that’s entirely the clan lord’s prerogative. Clan members’ opinions are for reference, not to dictate your decisions.”
”…”
“Remember the incident at Barbara’s warp gate? Sol was in a panic, but you returned safely, didn’t you?”
Go Yeonju implied that I often relied on An Sol’s decisions during critical moments. Her words carried a sharp truth. I thought I was being cautious, but it seemed others saw it differently.
I closed my eyes and reflected. Countless thoughts swirled in my mind. Generally, Go Yeonju was right, but I couldn’t disregard An Sol’s feelings. Finding a middle ground between two valid perspectives was, in a way, a challenging task.
‘You never know what might happen. But what’s certain is that something will. Whether I can handle it or not is ultimately up to me. So…’
I was finally able to wrap up my thoughts when I heard a woman yawning beside me. As I turned away from the warp gate, I saw my clan members waiting for my response, showing no signs of boredom. I quietly spoke to them.
“We’ll head to Mule.”
”…”
Upon hearing that we wouldn’t be changing our plans, Go Yeon-ju and Kim Han-byeol’s faces brightened considerably. However, An Sol looked down at the ground, appearing somewhat dejected.
“An Sol.”
“Yes…”
“We’ll take care of business in Mule as quickly as possible.”
“Oh, no… I’m sorry for causing unnecessary worry…”
An Sol waved her hands dismissively, shaking her head. Despite her words, her expression still showed signs of anxiety. I took a step closer to her, gently patted her head, and whispered softly in her ear.
“Don’t think of it as unnecessary. Remember what I told you before? I always take your words into account. So, even if something happens, don’t worry too much. I’ll always be by your side. Got it?”
Finally, a hint of relief washed over her, and a blush crept onto An Sol’s cheeks. After confirming her slight nod, I turned to the female user who had been waiting for us. But… does a good mood usually bring a blush to one’s face?
“You said Mule is open, right?”
“Just a moment. Hmm… Yes, fortunately, it is.”
“Then let’s head to Mule. Please activate the warp gate.”
“Understood~. That’ll be 8 gold for four people~.”
The woman, seemingly pleased to finally send us off, handed over the fare box with a cheerful tone. After dropping exactly eight gold coins into it, I stepped into the activated portal. As always, a refreshing sensation enveloped my body.
I blinked, and the familiar yet unfamiliar city came into view. We had arrived in Mule.
Mule still had a shabby appearance, not something you could call pleasant even as a compliment. It had improved a lot, of course. But having spent so much time in Monica, the shortcomings stood out even more.
Soon, I sensed the presence of my clan members following me in. At the same time, I heightened my alertness, spreading my magical senses as wide as possible and resting my hand naturally on my sword, ready to draw it at any moment.
Maintaining that stance, I exited the warp gate and surveyed the bustling area around me. Just then, several users were approaching from the right.
“Ouch, I’m in so much pain…”
“Hehe. Who told you to jump in recklessly? Anyway, let’s head to the temple quickly. It’s not too deep, and with some potions, you’ll be fine.”
The streets of Mule were quiet. Among the people passing through the main street, some had bloodstains or partially damaged equipment. Considering the time, they likely just returned from a hunt. Listening to their conversations, it was mostly trivial chatter about how today’s hunt was a big success and how they wished every day could be like this.
“Haha. Doesn’t seem like anything unusual, does it?”
”…”
Go Yeon-ju had approached me from behind without me noticing, speaking in a languid tone. As she said, there was nothing out of the ordinary. It was the typical scenery of a city in Hall Plain. I lowered my hand from my waist and murmured softly.
“Still, just in case. Stay alert. Anyway, let’s move to our target location immediately.”
“Oh. Can’t we stop by the Gentle Lady for a moment?”
“Let’s save that for later. Let’s assess the situation first.”
“Aww~.”
Go Yeon-ju pouted, her voice nasal with disappointment.
And with that, I began walking straight toward the shopping district where the old man’s jewelry store was located.
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
Hello, this is Ro Yujin.
Ah, dear readers. I’m sorry, but I’ll be taking a break from the afterword and replies today. My head feels a bit heavy, and I’m quite tired. I kindly ask for your understanding. (__) (I’ll combine the replies with the next installment!)