About an hour earlier.
Kim Su-hyun had just returned to the castle and was deep in a meeting with some clan members.
Meanwhile, among those clan members who weren’t at the meeting and were busy cleaning, a few had quietly been nursing some frustrations. Their complaints weren’t exactly about “Why do we have to clean?” but more along the lines of “This is boring,” or “I’m so restless.” After all, they had crossed the Steel Mountains chasing lofty dreams, only to end up stuck scrubbing floors day and night. It was no wonder they were itching for something more exciting.
Maybe that’s why.
The moment Go Yeon-ju and Jeong Ha-yeon, who were supervising the cleaning, stepped away, the clan members from each group began to sneakily gather—without anyone saying a word. An-hyun and An-sol were there, naturally. And of course, Lee Yoo-jung couldn’t be left out. Even Sasha, who belonged to Cha So-rim’s group, quietly slipped away to join them.
Thus, the so-called “Foolish Quartet” assembled. After plenty of self-justification—“The meeting’s going to take forever,” “Let’s check out the other floors to estimate how long the cleaning will take,” “Who knows? There might be treasure hidden in the castle”—they set off humming cheerfully on their little expedition.
But who could have guessed that their ridiculous self-justifications would actually come true?
The incident happened in a room at the very end of the castle corridor. The four were making a ruckus as they claimed one previously unexplored room after another.
An-sol suddenly seemed to sense something. Looking around cautiously, she abruptly took the lead and started walking somewhere. The other three followed her into the room at the corridor’s end, where they came face to face with a massive bird statue standing alone in the center.
The four gasped in awe. Though weathered by time, the bird statue was still remarkably well-preserved, exquisitely carved, and radiated a majestic presence.
An-hyun, who was just about to take a break, eagerly approached and plopped down on the statue’s claw. But at that moment, he suddenly felt the ground give way beneath him and jumped up in shock.
What happened next was almost instantaneous. As An-hyun stood, the statue let out a loud creak and stretched its wings wide, as if waking from a long slumber. It even moved with a cracking sound, as if alive.
Startled, everyone scrambled back, but the statue paid no mind. It turned its head and pecked fiercely at the solid wall with its beak.
Crash! The wall collapsed with a thunderous roar, sending up a cloud of dust. After a moment’s surprise, An-hyun’s curiosity got the better of him, and he peered through the opening. There, he found a staircase leading down into the depths below.
Excitement surged through them all. They hadn’t expected to find anything—just hoping to break the monotony of cleaning—but now a secret passage had appeared. How could they resist going down?
The four descended the stairs endlessly, eventually entering a dark corridor. After a long walk, they reached the end, where a stone door bathed in radiant light stood.
Engraved in ancient script on the door was a small inscription. Sasha offered a cryptic translation: “The dream of proof has not yet been broken.”
Swallowing their nervousness, the four braced themselves. Led by An-hyun, they pushed open the heavy stone door. The moment they stepped inside, a brilliant light burst forth, revealing a breathtaking sight.
After hearing An-hyun’s story, we stopped our conversation and followed him to the room with the statue. We descended the stairs he’d discovered, entering a cold, damp underground chamber. An-hyun, eager to show us, quickened his pace, and soon the dark stone door came into view.
When we entered the room that had flooded with light, someone gasped.
“Wow!”
The space was like a vast, ash-gray cavern filled with a strange fragrance. The high ceiling arched gracefully in soft curves. But the smell and shape weren’t what mattered most.
The dusty floor split into three paths following the corridor we’d come through. About 80 meters ahead, at the end of each path, stood massive iron doors—each three times the size of the stone door we’d just passed through—and all were wide open. It seemed the others had already arrived and opened them. The source of the dazzling light was inside.
An-hyun strode forward, then turned to face us with a grin.
“Pretty amazing, huh?”
No one answered. Or rather, no one could. We all stood there, stunned and speechless. I was surprised for a slightly different reason—I’d had a hunch since we first found the bird statue.
“How on earth did they discover this?”
On one side, Sasha was bowing deeply, as if worshipping something. In front, An-sol stood tall, chin raised high—probably showing off her pride.
“This is… truly incredible!”
“Ahem!”
“Are you really the lucky charm? The one who’s truly blessed in this world?”
“Yes! That’s right! I’m the lucky charm!”
Watching An-sol nod arrogantly, it seemed everyone was coming back to their senses. Jeong Ha-yeon, entranced by the light, glided forward, while Shin Jae-ryong kept exclaiming, “Whoa, whoa!” as he moved. I smiled quietly and turned my gaze to the doors ahead.
The left door spilled shimmering golden light. And sure enough, inside was a mountain of gold—neatly refined into rectangular bars stacked in layers, glowing with a reddish hue. The golden sea filled half the height and the entire floor area—a truly spectacular sight.
The central door was quiet. No light spilled out like the left, but it held the largest crowd.
Inside, weapons, shields, armor, and boots hung neatly on the walls, with small trinkets scattered here and there. Though time had dulled their shine, the items were still intact, proof that they held some divine power.
Given the clan’s desire to grow stronger, it was no surprise that eyes were drawn to the equipment before the gold. Several had already entered and were carefully examining the gear.
“If we use ‘Gooze Appraisal,’ we could be sure, but I think this sword has a cut magic enchantment. And it seems permanent. The energy flowing through the blade is extraordinary.”
“This armor seems to have a lightening enchantment. It’s a one-piece set, but I could lift it with just one finger.”
“Wait a second. Didn’t that armor just fold a bit? Isn’t it steel?”
“Hey! An-hyun! Come look at these gloves!”
At that call, An-hyun rushed over. He examined the gloves Lee Yoo-jung handed him from every angle, then suddenly threw his head back and laughed heartily.
“Wow! Found it! These are the gloves of reduction! We finally found the other piece! Now the set effect can activate! Hahaha!”
An-hyun waved the gloves excitedly, practically bouncing with joy. Maybe it was contagious, because the clan members scattered in all directions, eagerly inspecting the gear. I smiled calmly and turned my attention to the last door.
The right door also glowed brilliantly, but its light was a dazzling rainbow of colors, not just gold. Inside were piles of rough, jagged stones—raw ore, as yet unrefined. I remembered many of these had special properties. Wasn’t this where we first found Noble Mithril ore on the first run?
“Why are you just standing there? You’re the only one with such a calm face.”
Just then, as we admired the three iron doors, a refined voice drifted over.
“Standing there like that makes it seem like you already knew this would be here. I knew it all along, didn’t I?”
With a soft thud, a mysterious woman appeared a short distance away. Smiling enigmatically, she stepped forward—it was none other than Jegal Hae-sol.
…It felt like ages since I’d last seen her. Where had she suddenly come from?
Jegal Hae-sol hurried over beside me and winked.
“You’re babbling nonsense the moment you see me?”
“Yes. Total nonsense. Anyway, welcome back.”
“Thanks. You’re quick with the congratulations.”
“Don’t be sarcastic. It couldn’t be helped. Thanks to you, I was practically imprisoned all this time.”
I replied lightly, and Jegal Hae-sol shrugged. I chuckled. After Helena’s death, the polymorph magic had worn off, so she probably had to stay hidden. It wasn’t anyone’s fault—it was more a testament to how quickly Go Yeon-ju had assessed and handled the situation.
“You’ve been through a lot.”
“That’s a soulless response… Anyway, what are you going to do now?”
“…?”
“That. That thing.”
Jegal Haesol nodded toward the front with his chin. It seemed like he was asking how to handle that situation… It was a bold move for someone with zero experience to step in, but when it came to Jegal Haesol, you couldn’t just dismiss it so easily.
Thinking back to the first run, the small-scale caravan that was Beechwood only grew into a major clan dominating an entire region largely thanks to Jegal Haesol’s savvy—probably over eighty percent of the credit belonged to him. Known for his unique magical creations, Jegal Haesol also had a solid reputation for his administrative skills.
“No plan yet? Well, I’ve got a reaaally good idea.”
I stared at Jegal Haesol as he casually stroked his thigh, clearly trying to tempt me. I found myself wanting to test the waters, just a little.
“Hmm. First, we spread the word. That we’ve uncovered something like this in our castle.”
“Hmm. If you want to brag or draw attention, jealousy might be fiercer than you expect. And the suspicions that have been hanging over the mercenary’s actions haven’t just vanished. You should be prepared for some backlash.”
“That might be true. But what if we create a situation where our efforts actually yield results? How do you think that jealousy would change then?”
“…Oh?”
For a brief moment, a flicker of something unusual crossed Jegal Haesol’s eyes, which had been smiling so brightly.
“And then?”
“Today, no cleaning. We move some gold around. Take out the equipment, polish it up, make it shine. And we should tidy up the plaza too. Oh, and of course, separate the gear we’ll actually be using.”
Jegal Haesol’s smile deepened. I’d only given him a rough outline, skipping the big picture and focusing on key points. I wondered if he’d caught on to my plan.
“So, what do you think?”
“You’ve caught three rabbits already. But if it were me, I think I could catch one more.”
This time, I smiled.
“What’s your idea?”
“Want to hear it?”
“Of course.”
“Then don’t sleep tonight. Light a candle in your room, and have a good bottle of wine ready.”
Again with this. I chuckled dryly and shook my head.
“Seriously? So I just lie back on the bed in lingerie and wait?”
“Oh no, I’m the one who should wear the lingerie. Why would the clan lord wear it? Just wash up and wait.”
“……”
“Oh, you can wash everywhere else, but don’t wash down there. For some reason, I like it when there’s a little scent lingering.”
I took it as a joke, but Jegal Haesol didn’t even flinch. I sighed deeply, as if to say, “Reflect on that.”
This guy… he looks like the embodiment of mystery, but he’s completely unfiltered when he speaks.
Eventually, with a playful tap to his own mouth, he said, “Ah, nonsense again. But what can I do? It’s fun~.” Then he yawned prettily and looked away. The clan members were still deep in their exploration.
“By the way, I’m curious. Why are such castles just lying dormant? And what does it mean that the ‘Dream of Proof’ written outside hasn’t been broken yet?”
Well, I didn’t know either. All I knew was that there was a kingdom called Victoria that aimed to unify the continent with Atlanta as its capital. Come to think of it, when I once glimpsed the glory of old Victoria through the Third Eye, I read that the kingdom’s last queen was called the ‘Empress of Proof.’ Maybe it’s connected.
But why call it ‘Proof’? And since it’s an empress, it must be a woman.
“Demons are born and instinctively survive in this hellish world… but some are dragged in from outside and become members. In those cases, they often retain their past personalities, giving them a stronger sense of self. Some can even speak. Like me.”
“That’s a very good question. Father King, you are now witnessing that very proof.”
“I suppose you don’t believe me, so I’ll show you the evidence again.”
“You! You wicked thing! To speak like a lewd sow! How did a soul once so pure fall so far?”
Huh?
Why did Behemoth suddenly come to mind?
---------------------------= Author’s Note =---------------------------
The theme of territory development can’t be the main focus of Memorize. That was the plan from the start. So the top priority in this part is to keep the scent of territory development as subtle as possible and move through it quickly. But from here on, it’s time to start tying up the foreshadowing I’ve laid out. Ha ha ha.
By the way, this is the second night in a row I’ve posted at midnight. I uploaded it right at 00:00 sharp. Yesterday, the server had a brief hiccup, so it was a bit dim, but today it’s solid. So I’d like to receive the praise I missed yesterday—please leave your compliments in the comments. Here are some examples:
“Wow? Two nights in a row at midnight? I praise you. As a reward, I promise never to call you Royumi again.”
“Kkyalkkyakkyakkingppongppyakkingrakkyaheeheehaehaehyowohohhouhoka-rururuppyure-rerereppushashyapaparulakkarukaru!”
Please pick one of these two comments to leave. Hehe(?).