Rescue Mission: The Frozen Forest (5/5)
“Kyuu… Kyuuung…”
Was the shock of being hit too much for it? The baby unicorn clung to me desperately, refusing to let go, and I found myself in a bit of a predicament. It wasn’t just the crying; every time I tried to set it down, it flailed its legs wildly.
After a while, I made a decision.
I decided to bring the baby unicorn inside with me. It was still young, so it wasn’t much of a burden, and keeping Han So-young waiting any longer would be impolite.
“Promise me you won’t cause any trouble, okay?”
“Kyu.”
After making sure it understood, I quickly climbed the stairs.
When I pushed open the door, Han So-young was sitting on the sofa, sipping tea, alongside a man I hadn’t seen before. He must be the guest Ansol mentioned.
I was momentarily distracted by the man’s lips, which were sensuously wrapped around the teacup, but I quickly regained my composure and spoke.
“Sorry to keep you waiting, Istantel Low Lord.”
Han So-young glanced at me and nodded slightly, her throat moving as she swallowed her tea.
“No worries. I’m the one who dropped by unannounced… Oh.”
She started to greet me but suddenly stopped.
‘Hmm?’
Curious, I followed her gaze and realized she was staring at my chest.
At that moment…
“Kyu?”
The baby unicorn, which had been burying its head in my chest, suddenly poked its head out. Its curiosity was piqued by the new faces.
I gently patted its head and spoke softly.
“Go on, say hello.”
“Kyu?”
“They’re good people.”
“Kyu-kyu.”
The baby unicorn chirped and bowed its head. Han So-young, who had been lowering her teacup, paused mid-motion.
Watching this scene with a warm heart, I noticed her eyes trembling slightly. I tilted my head and sat on the sofa opposite her, finally drawing her gaze back to me.
Her lips parted slowly.
“Is that… a unicorn?”
“Yes, though it’s still just a baby. Is this your first time seeing one?”
“I’ve heard about them, but this is my first time seeing one.”
On the table, there was herbal tea and some light snacks. The baby unicorn, perhaps hungry after crying, sniffed the air eagerly. I gently pinched it to keep it still and glanced at the man beside her.
His behavior was peculiar. Since I entered, he seemed anxious, and the emotion that flickered in his eyes was… fear?
I studied him briefly before speaking.
“What brings you here today?”
“Well, actually… May I ask you something first, if it’s not too much trouble?”
I nodded, granting permission, and noticed a faint tension in her expression. Known as the ‘Iron-Blooded Queen’ for her constant poker face, her reaction was unexpected.
“On my way here, I noticed the Hamil Clan’s flag at the entrance…”
‘Ah.’
I immediately understood Han So-young’s reaction.
The reason for the flag was simple.
After confessing my secret to my brother, the Mercenary Clan and the Hamil Clan formed an alliance. It was a ‘defensive alliance,’ the highest level of alliance short of a merger.
To signify this, we hung a small emblem of the Hamil Clan at the entrance, which must have caused some confusion. Since we hadn’t yet decided on a symbol for the Mercenary Clan, it was understandable that someone might find it odd.
“We recently formed a defensive alliance with the Hamil Clan. We haven’t decided on a symbol for the Mercenary Clan yet, so we haven’t put up a flag. That’s all.”
“If that’s all…”
“It’s not a merger or subjugation. The Mercenary Clan won’t be leaving Monica.”
I spoke with certainty, and Han So-young’s face seemed to brighten slightly.
“I see. That’s a relief. I’m sorry for asking unnecessarily.”
“No problem. It was partly our oversight. I’m glad we cleared up the misunderstanding.”
It seemed Han So-young didn’t want to lose us. And since I had no intention of leaving Monica anytime soon, I was grateful for her concern.
With that settled, I turned my attention to the man who had been silent.
“And who might this be?”
Han So-young nodded knowingly and turned to the man.
“Oh, I haven’t introduced you yet. Mr. Song Seung-kyu?”
”…”
“User Song Seung-kyu?”
”…Ah! Yes, yes.”
His reaction was odd. When I used my third eye to check his user information, I felt a surge of tension. I instinctively reached for my waist, only to remember I had left my sword behind, which made me groan inwardly.
’…No, it’s best to wait and see.’
The man, introduced as Song Seung-kyu, studied me carefully before speaking in a hesitant voice.
“Hello, I’m… Song Seung-kyu. I used to lead a small caravan until recently.”
‘Until recently’ implied that was no longer the case. Sensing the scent of a request, I focused on his words while keeping an eye on his every move.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Kim Su-hyun, Lord of the Mercenary Clan.”
“The Mercenary Lord… Are you, by any chance…”
”?”
“The one who distinguished himself in the last war…?”
‘The one,’ a phrase loaded with meaning.
I nodded in confirmation, and he looked relieved as he turned to Han So-young.
Han So-young spoke up.
“Mercenary Lord, the reason for my sudden visit today is to ask a favor.”
“A favor?”
“Yes. Or perhaps I should call it a request. Have you heard of the Frozen Forest?”
I nodded lightly, well aware of it.
Han So-young glanced at Song Seung-kyu, who closed his eyes as if recalling something.
His lips parted slowly.
“About two months ago, I think. My caravan and I participated in the war against the allied forces, and we were ordered to scout the outskirts of the Frozen Forest just days before the disbandment order came.”
“Yes.”
“So…”
…After the official disbandment order, we returned to the city. After a few days of preparation, we set out on an expedition. We were anxious to reach our destination before anyone else discovered it, so we wanted to get there as soon as possible.
Two weeks later, we arrived at the ice tower in the center of the ‘Frozen Forest’ that we had scouted earlier. It wasn’t entirely made of ice; it was an ancient, crumbling tower covered in ice, giving it that appearance.
…It didn’t look good up close. The ice-covered walls were crumbling, and rust was visible in places, making it a rather ominous place. But it was enormous. Both in width and height, it was massive. It was about the height of a 15-story apartment building.
Despite its uninviting appearance, we were excited about the potential treasures and ventured inside.
The first floor was unremarkable. In fact, the higher we went, the less there was to see. No treasures, not even a single monster.
My companions and I were disappointed. But with more floors to explore, I encouraged them to keep going. There was still more to see, so we should go all the way.
…I never imagined that decision would lead to disaster.
I don’t remember exactly which floor it was. But when we opened the door and ascended, it was clear that this floor was different from the others.
It was like a maze. Yes, a maze. Ice was everywhere, and the path was a complex labyrinth of ice.
We entered the maze, trying to find the stairs to the next floor, and after much struggle, we finally found a door. That’s when we realized…
One of our companions was missing.
At first, we thought they had gotten lost, so we retraced our steps, but there was no trace of them. No trace at all, and we found ourselves lost in the maze.
The truly maddening part was that when we realized we were lost, two more companions had disappeared.
Yes, the caravan that started with 11 members, including mercenaries, had dwindled to 8, and after another hour of wandering, we were down to 5. It was then that I realized something had gone terribly wrong.
At the suggestion of a colleague to retreat, we quickly decided to fall back, but even that proved impossible. We were already ensnared by the maze. No matter how hard we searched, there was no exit in sight, and as time passed, we descended into a severe state of panic.
Eventually, we found ourselves back at the door, the one leading upstairs that we had discovered earlier. The moment we saw it, we froze.
Why? Because there was writing on the door that hadn’t been there before. One of our remaining companions, an expert in ancient languages, deciphered it for us.
Looking for a way out?
Then open this door.
I hesitated for a moment but ultimately decided to open it. Some of my companions tried to dissuade me, but I figured it was better to face whatever was behind the door than to keep wandering aimlessly. So, after a brief moment of preparation, I opened the door.
The room was dark. And once again, the scene had changed. It was just a dark, expansive room. That was the impression it gave.
How long did we walk?
We stopped again in front of a solid wall. On the dark wall, there was another long message.
You really opened the door?
Thank you.
The moment I read those words, I knew something was wrong. And when one of my companions screamed and ran back towards the door, my mind became even more chaotic. In that fleeting moment, as I was trying to decide what to do, the colleague who had translated the writing spoke in a trembling voice.
Then never look back.
At first, I didn’t understand, but as an archer, I could sense it.
Something was rapidly approaching from the door we had entered. And the warning not to look back was from the writing on the wall.
That’s when it happened.
We heard a scream, presumably from the companion who had fled first, and the door, which had been firmly shut, swung wide open.
”…So what happened next?”
At my question, Song Seung-gyu shook his head and buried his face in his hands. A hoarse voice seeped through his fingers.
“I don’t know. The moment I saw the door open, everything went white. I just remember running around the room like a madman, trying to escape whatever it was, and somehow, I ended up outside the tower.”
“And then?”
“And then… I don’t know. I vaguely remember running frantically… but I have no idea how I escaped. When I finally came to my senses, I was outside the tower.”
“I see.”
I watched him, still hiding his face, and calmly crossed my legs.
Eventually, he lowered his hands, revealing eyes that shone with intensity as he continued.
“Please. I don’t hold out much hope that they’re alive, but… they were my companions for years. I just want to know if they’re alive or dead.”
“So… you’re requesting a rescue mission.”
I was about to say a confirmation mission but changed it to rescue instead.
For a moment, I found the situation rather ironic.
The ‘Frozen Forest’ was a site I remembered, but it wasn’t on our exploration schedule. It was a place that was supposed to be uncovered later by Istantel Row. We had planned to leave it alone and let it be discovered naturally.
Han So-young, sensing my gaze, spoke quietly.
“Originally, this is something we should handle ourselves… but Istantel Row is currently focused on city maintenance. We’re short on resources, so we want to ask for the mercenaries’ help.”
Her words were well-spoken, but I couldn’t fully trust them. While it was true they were busy, she had numerous subordinate clans. She could have easily assigned the task to one of them, yet she came to me…
‘She must have known about it long before seeing the flag. She wants to confirm the facts and, if not, intends to take action.’
Realizing this, I couldn’t help but smile wryly. Despite showing goodwill, it seemed we hadn’t yet established complete trust. Perhaps that’s just how things are.
Crunch, crunch.
Hearing a sudden noise, I looked down to see a baby unicorn happily munching on the snacks laid out on the table. I let out a short sigh and nodded once.
“Alright. The mercenary clan will take on this request.”
Song Seung-gyu bowed his head so low that his face was hidden and shouted loudly.
“Thank you!”
His voice was loud enough that the baby unicorn, who had been eagerly devouring the snacks, looked up at him in surprise.
“Kyuu, kyuu!”
Then, with crumbs all over its mouth, it darted towards me, trembling like a leaf in the wind.
’…….’
Looking at the table, I saw its sharp white teeth gleaming ominously, and I smiled back.
“It’s just a request.”
There’s so much to gain from it.
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
“Mercenary Road. By the way, have you seen the Sword Queen?”
“What? No, I haven’t.”
“Hmm. I see.”
(Han So-young’s hawk-like gaze.)
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Hmm.”
”?”
“Alright. If you see her, could you let me know?”
“Understood. (Weren’t they together?)”
PS. The story is planned to conclude in 4 to 5 parts, so many details will be skipped in the upcoming sections. In the next part, we’ll jump straight to the Frozen Forest after a brief introduction.