How dare a human from the kingdom roam this place so recklessly? They’ve got some nerve.
Kill me if you must. I have no attachment to life anymore.
Hm? Haha! Are you pretending to be brave, or have you truly given up? What an interesting young one.
Don’t call me young one! I am…!
Yes, you are?
…Never mind. I’m destined to die soon anyway. What does it matter? If you could just end it quickly and painlessly, I’d be grateful.
—From the Secret Library of the Northern City Atlanta, New Continent
Excerpt from the Victoria Dynasty Chronicles — 18th Emperor (147~147)
“The First Meeting of the Deposed Crown Prince and the Barbarian Warrior King.”
I scanned the ground slowly but found nothing particularly unusual. Well, if I looked closely, I could see some faint cracks here and there. We were definitely standing on a prairie, but the earth looked cracked and dry, almost like a rough wasteland. Still, the fissures were very slight, and aside from that, it was just an ordinary grassland.
“Doesn’t seem like much.”
“Strange…”
“Do you sense something?”
“Hmm… I can’t quite put my finger on it… but it feels like someone deliberately covered the ground. Or maybe the earth has sunk? I’m not sure, but I saw similar traces earlier.”
Im Hanna’s suspicious gaze didn’t waver. I racked my brain but couldn’t recall anything definitive. We hadn’t frequented this prairie often, but as far as I knew, there was no information about underground monsters here…
Should we investigate properly, or just ignore it and keep marching? Countless thoughts raced through my mind. At that moment, my eyes landed on Ansol, standing idly in the center of the formation. Ah, a good idea struck me. I immediately approached Ansol, grabbed his waist with both hands, and lifted him up.
“Huh?”
Ansol flinched, then stared at me with a blank expression. He blinked as if to ask why. Cute. I almost wanted to pinch those chubby cheeks. He’d probably burst into tears if I did… Silently dismissing the silly thought, I gently set Ansol down beside Im Hanna and pointed to the ground we’d just examined.
“Look, Ansol. See that ground?”
“Huh…?”
“I need your luck. Tell me what you feel when you look at it.”
“Eh~?”
Ansol looked like he was thinking, ‘What am I supposed to do?’ but obediently stared at the earth. After a long, steady gaze, his expression suddenly turned serious. Im Hanna’s face mirrored the change. Could he really sense something?
A moment later—
“?”
Ansol tilted his head, and a golden question mark flickered above his crown. His serious eyes still fixed on the ground, but his body reacted honestly.
“A… question mark?”
Hanso-young’s incredulous voice reached me, and I sighed inwardly. Kid, if you don’t know, just say you don’t.
“Better to move on for now.”
“B-brother, wait a moment!”
“It’s fine. We don’t have time.”
“No, really! I think I can figure something out!”
What? Figure something out? What kind of ridiculous honesty is that? I tried to force departure, but Ansol, wanting to be a mole or something, had already dropped to the ground, burying his face in the dirt. Then he puckered his lips and signaled ‘shh.’ That’s not going to help him sense anything. Suddenly, I heard Seonyul stifling a laugh, and my face flushed. I crossed my arms and shook my head. Then—
“Pia!”
Ansol, who had been observing the ground, suddenly let out a sharp scream and collapsed. Im Hanna quickly pulled him away, and I instinctively drew my sword, pointing it at the earth. Everyone except Ansol immediately drew their weapons and cautiously stepped back. We waited for a while, but no signs of danger appeared. The prairie remained peaceful.
“Ansol?”
“Y-yeah?”
“Ansol?”
“A scream! From… from underground, suddenly a scream…!”
I called his name twice, but Ansol only made an unintelligible sound. I kept my sword ready and scanned the surroundings with my eyes.
“Did anyone else hear a scream-like sound?”
Everyone shook their heads. Of course, I didn’t hear anything either. So was Ansol lying?
“Detect shows no abnormalities.”
“No magical energy detected either.”
Seonyul and Shin Jaeryong spoke in turn. Ansol looked flustered, turning his head back and forth, his eyes glistening. His eyes were wide like a startled rabbit’s, and his chest was still heaving—so it didn’t seem like he was lying…
“Mercenary Lord, it’s best we leave this prairie for now.”
At that moment, Hanso-young pulled back her hood and quietly surveyed the area. I nodded in agreement. Something about this place felt off. Above all, I couldn’t rely solely on my memory. I’d learned painfully how foolish that was.
“Let’s be especially cautious during the march and depart immediately.”
Keeping all possibilities in mind, I resumed the march.
We marched tensely from the prairie’s edge until evening. Not a single person spoke carelessly; everyone stayed alert and moved silently. But no further signs of trouble appeared, and eventually, we chose a suitable spot to camp. Honestly, with the open surroundings, there wasn’t much choice.
As we lit the campfire and prepared sleeping bags, dinner was served. As usual, Lee Yujeong was in charge of meals throughout the expedition.
“Huh? This isn’t bad at all.”
Jeogal Haesol’s eyes widened as he put his spoon to his mouth. Hearing that, Heo Junyoung, who hadn’t even glanced at the food before, looked skeptical but carefully took a spoonful of stew. He then looked at Lee Yujeong with surprised eyes.
“I can’t believe it. It’s still not great, but it’s edible if I just grit my teeth. Did Im Hanna help you?”
“Ah, haha.”
Lee Yujeong gave a weak smile.
To be honest, on the first day of the march, Lee Yujeong’s cooking was unbearable. It was just really, really bad. Im Hanna had even offered to take over meal duties, but I strictly forbade it. We had a promise to keep. (Thanks to that, I endured resentful glares all day.)
Still, it seemed she’d improved somewhat. Tonight’s meal was passable. At least, it didn’t cause Ansol to wail and vomit like on the first day.
Seonyul, who was savoring the stew with a mischievous expression, swallowed and smiled.
“You’ve definitely improved a lot. Quick learner, huh?”
“T-thank you… But was it really that bad at first?”
“Yes. It was the kind of food you’d only serve to someone you dislike.”
“…”
Seonyul’s words were harsh, and Lee Yujeong hung her head in defeat.
Just then, Seonyul, who had been eating noisily, suddenly caught my eye, opened her mouth wide, and stuck out her tongue, smeared with thick stew. Then she made a ‘V’ sign with both hands and rolled her eyes dramatically.
“Ahegao double peace!”
…Crazy girl. What if someone understands that?
Feeling awkward, I looked away and noticed Hanso-young finishing her meal. Watching her quietly, I felt a sense of calm wash over me. Every movement she made as she set down her bowl was graceful and dignified.
“Did the meal suit your taste?”
I asked casually.
“…Yes. Definitely better than the first day.”
Hanso-young glanced at me, licked her lips lightly, and said nothing more. She didn’t say it was delicious, just that it was better. But Lee Yujeong, happy that no food was wasted, committed the crime of asking, “Would you like some more stew? There’s plenty left.”
“Oh, right.”
Hanso-young calmly gestured to the bowl and changed the subject smoothly.
“Do you remember what happened this morning?”
“This morning?”
“Regarding User Ansol.”
“Oh, yes.”
Hearing her name, Ansol, who had been fussing over food beside Im Hanna, perked up. Everyone’s attention was on Hanso-young. She had barely spoken during the entire march, so we were curious what she’d say.
“I can’t just let it go. That incident keeps bothering me.”
“Keeps bothering? You mean…?”
“No, I didn’t notice anything strange myself. But when I was in the city, I heard something similar to what happened today.”
“Could you explain in more detail?”
As if she had planned to, Hanso-young nodded lightly.
“About a month ago… the Sanha clan asked me to find a missing comrade. The disappearance happened here, on this prairie. They said they went to sleep and woke up to find one of their comrades gone.”
“Went to sleep and woke up to find them missing?”
I asked, puzzled. Hanso-young shrugged her petite shoulders.
“Yes. No one noticed—not even the night watch. She just vanished on her own, without a trace. However…”
“However?”
“They said that before falling asleep that night, she occasionally heard strange screams.”
“Strange screams?”
“Screams from underground. Just like what we heard earlier.”
“…Have you found the missing user?”
“No. We haven’t.”
“…”
Han So-young spoke with a coldness that bordered on cruel.
The moment her words ended, a sudden silence fell over the campsite. The atmosphere chilled rapidly. Han So-young’s voice was so cold and calm that it sent an inexplicable shiver down everyone’s spines. I racked my brain but couldn’t recall ever hearing this story before. It was new to me. Glancing sideways, I saw An Sol trembling, clutching Im Hanna tightly.
“I’m sorry to trouble you all, but we’re doubling the number of guards. And An Sol?”
“…?”
“Tonight, you stay right by my side. No exceptions. Understand?”
“Y-Yes!”
An Sol nodded, a faint look of relief washing over her face.
With that, the restless dinner ended, and night fully settled over the grasslands.
After a tense night of vigilant watch, dawn finally broke.
An Sol wriggled out of her sleeping bag and breathed a sigh of relief as she looked up at the brilliant sun shining in the clear sky. She had spent the night trembling, afraid someone might snatch her away, but now, basking safely in the warm morning light, she felt an overwhelming sense of comfort. If only the food weren’t still so terrible, it would have been a perfect morning.
Soon, with Kim Soo-hyun’s signal, the expedition began its march. As we carefully advanced, keeping watch as before, Im Hanna suddenly raised her hand to signal. She had spotted a young girl ahead.
‘A young girl?’
Something about it felt off. This wasn’t near any city—seeing a lone girl out here on the grasslands was definitely strange.
But An Sol didn’t panic. Kim Soo-hyun and Im Hanna stepped aside briefly and soon returned with a girl in tow. Her face and clothes were a bit dirty, but her eyes were kind, and she had a cute, innocent look typical of a local.
“What happened here?”
“She was apparently brought along as a porter by a caravan but was probably abandoned. She said she was retracing her steps, trying to find her way back.”
Hearing this, An Sol felt a mix of understanding and pity. It was a plausible situation, and the girl didn’t seem like any kind of threat. In fact, just knowing Kim Soo-hyun had personally brought her eased any doubts An Sol had. After some discussion, the decision was made to take her along. The girl claimed she was good at cooking, so An Sol didn’t hesitate to agree.
And so, the march resumed.
As we fell into formation, An Sol felt something strange. Except for those with authority, most locals kept their distance from the users. But this girl showed no such hesitation. She smiled warmly and chatted easily with each person she approached. When she spoke quietly with Kim Soo-hyun, An Sol felt a pang of jealousy, but when she saw her teasing Heo Jun-young, she couldn’t help but laugh.
One by one, the girl made her way to the rear of the group. Perhaps tired of Kim Han-byul’s dazzling display of jewels, she turned her gaze to An Sol. When An Sol smiled as kindly as she could, the girl beamed and ran over, arms outstretched as if asking to be picked up. An Sol quickly scooped her up, feeling an odd sense of peace meeting that bright smile.
“Unnie! Unnie!”
“Hm? What is it?”
“Who are you?”
“Me? Hmm…”
Since the march was starting to feel dull, An Sol teased her playfully.
The girl stared intently.
“Who are you?”
“Wanna guess?”
“Who are you?”
“Who could it be~?”
“Who are you?”
“Uh…”
An Sol trailed off unexpectedly.
“Who are you?”
“…”
A sudden, chilling sensation ran down An Sol’s spine. Swallowing hard, she lowered her gaze.
How much time passed, she couldn’t say.
“Unnie…”
The girl’s voice dropped, heavy and quiet.
“Do you want to die?”
An Sol barely held back a scream. The girl who had been smiling moments ago now stared at her with a completely blank, serious expression. Her drooping eyes seemed to glare without reason.
Instinctively, An Sol wanted to push the girl away. But as if entranced, her body refused to obey. She couldn’t even tell if she was still walking. It felt as if only she and the girl existed in the world—a strange, isolated sensation.
Did the girl like An Sol’s expression?
She grinned—a twisted, unsettling smile. Her small mouth stretched wide like a monster’s maw, and her eyes turned bloodshot, veins bursting red. Then her torn lips moved in a grotesque, fluid way. An Sol felt every hair on her head stand on end.
“Or… do you want to live?”
At that question, An Sol nodded fiercely, more desperately than ever.
“I see. So you want to live.”
Heh heh, heh heh.
A dark, eerie sound escaped the girl’s lips—hardly a child’s laugh.
“Hey, hey, Unnie. Then…”
She leaned in close, whispering as if about to reveal a terrible secret.
And then—
“Open your eyes.”
That was the moment.
---------------------------= Author’s Note =---------------------------
:)