“Honestly, I just can’t believe it. Why are you sparing my life?”
“Do you want to die?”
“I never said I wanted to die.”
“Heh. Then it’s best you keep your mouth shut. Judging by appearances, you don’t know who we are…”
“I do know. You look like some barbarian tribe wandering the outskirts of the kingdom. You must be the king leading them.”
“…And you know this because?”
“I told you—I don’t want to die, but I don’t mind if you kill me.”
“No, that’s not it. It’s just that you don’t seem like the kingdom’s men I know.”
“Oh, you mean my attitude? There’s nothing strange about it. If you think everyone in the kingdom looks down on you, you’re mistaken.”
“So you’re not like that? You expect me to believe that?”
“What reason would I have to lie? Am I begging for my life? Besides, there must be some history of the Victoria Kingdom not rejecting your kind.”
“…Well, not none. The late king was the first in history to accept us. But didn’t a coup happen recently, using that as an excuse? I heard the barbarians and the kingdom can’t live under the same roof, so they killed the late king…”
“Ah, yes. You know the kingdom’s affairs quite well. But there’s one thing we need to clear up.”
“What is it?”
“The late king who was killed over that ridiculous excuse… was my own father.”
“…What?”
—From the Secret Library of the Northern City Atlanta, New Continent
‘Victoria Dynasty Chronicles — 18th Emperor (147–147)’
‘The Deposed Crown Prince, Barely Surviving After the Incident.’
Whoosh!
Suddenly, dirt mounds erupted from all around.
“Ahhh!”
“Eeeeek!”
Two women’s screams overlapped. What was happening? Ansol was rolling helplessly on the ground, while Sarah’s body was suddenly flung into the air. Just as I spotted something sharp piercing through Sarah’s abdomen, I reflexively drew my sword and shouted at the top of my lungs.
“It’s an ambush! Prepare for battle!”
“────. ────. Multiplex Light!”
Almost simultaneously, Han So-young’s voice rang in my ears. Seven or eight clusters of light rose into the air, blazing brightly and illuminating the surroundings. As the camp came into view, the first thing I saw was a massive earth-colored monster pushing Sarah—impaled on a spear-like object—into its gaping maw.
Then, suddenly, a glowing arrow sliced through the darkness. It struck the monster’s snout by a hair’s breadth, causing it to stagger and take a hesitant step back.
“She’s still not letting go of Sarah!”
Just as Im Hanna shouted in alarm, someone sprang up from the scattered sleeping bags. Nam Da-eun, wielding a slender rapier, darted forward like a hawk.
I didn’t stand idle either. After securing Ansol, who was sprawled on the ground, I shifted my gaze. Contrary to the swift finish I expected, Nam Da-eun was struggling more than anticipated. Silver flashes flickered repeatedly as she attacked, but the monster only retreated in confusion, its massive form still unyielding.
“────. ────.”
Then, from somewhere, a spell chant echoed. It was Ha Seung-woo’s voice. Turning toward him, I saw him pointing his staff at the monster, swiftly weaving hand signs with his remaining left hand. A few droplets of water formed at the staff’s tip, stretching out into an arrow shape.
“Water Arrow!”
As he finished the incantation, the watery arrow shot forth, drenching the monster’s huge body. But it didn’t seem to cause much damage.
“You have to finish it before the water dries!”
Ha Seung-woo’s urgent voice sounded like a signal. Nam Da-eun hesitated briefly, then radiated a brilliant light from head to toe. Before the monster could raise its snout, she leapt high into the air and brought her sword down with all her might. Her special skill, ‘Straight Slash.’ The silver flash tracing her blade carved a fierce arc, cleaving the monster’s crown clean in two. The difference was clear.
With a flurry of follow-up strikes, the monster was shredded into pieces without a sound. Nam Da-eun swiftly pulled Sarah free and retreated immediately. A wise choice—there was more than one dirt mound erupting.
“She’s been pierced through the abdomen. We need to treat her quickly…”
Nam Da-eun, carrying Sarah, stopped when she saw me. Ansol wasn’t in good shape either. Though not pierced like Sarah, blood was streaming from his side. But I wasn’t worried. Our comrades, having assessed the situation during the initial clash, were gathering steadily.
After hurriedly handing the two wounded over to Shin Jae-ryong, I finally stepped away from the Keeper and scanned the area.
“……”
There was more than one. One in front, two to the left. Towering two meters tall, the massive monsters glared at us. They looked vaguely humanoid, but their earth-toned skin, elongated snouts, and rows of sharp, glinting teeth gave them a fearsome appearance. Something about them seemed familiar, but I couldn’t quite place it. I called out urgently.
“Ha Seung-woo!”
“If soaked in water, their defense drops significantly! But they absorb water faster than you’d imagine, so we have to finish them off before that happens!”
I’d only said his name, but Ha Seung-woo immediately shared the crucial info. A buried memory flickered in my mind, but it wasn’t important now. Hearing him, Jung Ha-yeon quickly began chanting a spell. Water magic was her specialty.
“────. ────. Pillar of Water!”
True to form, she finished the incantation at lightning speed and unleashed the spell.
Splash!
Dozens of water pillars poured down fiercely. Cold water streamed from the monsters’ crowns, drenching not only them but us as well. It felt a bit excessive, but it was good—because the monsters were still advancing, drooling as they came. Gradually, the water pillars subsided.
“Nam Da-eun, Heo Jun-young, take one each!”
Waiting for the magic to end, I charged forward, ordering a counterattack.
Soon, fierce shouts echoed all around.
The once savage prairie had calmed by morning, as if nothing had happened.
“I didn’t expect them to be this tough,” Nam Da-eun grumbled, kicking a fallen monster.
“Tough?”
“This one. I lightly clashed with it to rescue Sarah, and even though my attack landed, it didn’t budge.”
“They did have high defense. But thanks to Ha Seung-woo, we handled it easily.”
“That’s true.”
Nam Da-eun nodded immediately, then bent down to examine the sprawled creature from every angle.
“They’re made of earth, so soaking them with water lowered their defense, right?”
“Probably.”
“Good tactic… but how did he know that? I’ve never seen monsters like these.”
At that moment, Ha Seung-woo suddenly appeared and cut in. Nam Da-eun turned calmly to face him.
“You’ve encountered them before?”
“Yes. Once in an uncharted region. Honestly, I was a bit surprised this time. Back then, I only met one, but their ambush tactics are quite different.”
“Different? How so?”
“You saw the terrain that erupted earlier, right? These creatures normally live underground, very deep down. They’re almost impossible to detect with ordinary magic. And above all, they’re cunning. They wait for their prey to fall into a deep sleep, then secretly break through the surface to snatch it away underground. But this dawn…”
Ha Seung-woo’s story went on at length, probably recalling his days as a wanderer.
Listening to their conversation, I drifted into thought. To be honest, I hadn’t immediately recognized the monsters. I’d never encountered them firsthand before, only heard rumors here and there, so they weren’t deeply etched in my mind. I hadn’t even heard they appeared on this prairie.
“Now that I think about it, it’s strange. Why would a creature from an uncharted region be here?”
Muttering to himself, Ha Seung-woo’s words trailed off as I slowly surveyed the surroundings.
The dawn ambush had ended relatively lightly after our counterattack. Two were injured—Sarah’s wounds were severe—but thanks to potions and healing spells, they barely survived. The real problem was Ansol.
The unknown monsters’ first targets were Ansol and Sarah. According to Shin Jae-ryong, Sarah’s durability was unusually high for a mage, which allowed proper treatment. In other words, if Ansol had suffered wounds comparable to Sarah’s, he might have crossed the River Styx.
Looking back, it was a pretty nerve-wracking situation. Maybe that’s why I didn’t leave Ansol’s side during the early stages of the fight.
But even after everything was over, Ansol kept babbling nonsense—asking if we hadn’t just left this morning, wondering where the little girl had gone, and so on. At first, I suspected some kind of partial memory loss from shock, but after checking, that didn’t seem to be the case.
I glanced away subtly and caught sight of Im Hanna, shaking the water out of her soaked robe, and Ansol sitting weakly with a sleeping bag wrapped around him. His vacant eyes darted around occasionally, as if searching for the little girl the residents had mentioned earlier. Of course, I’d never met this girl Ansol kept talking about, and I couldn’t make heads or tails of it. My guess? He must have had a pretty vivid dream.
Anyway, he looked pretty disoriented, so it was best to give him some time to sort his thoughts out. I decided I’d gently ask him about it later if the chance came, then started walking slowly.
Change of plans. Originally, I intended to keep a steady marching pace until we reached our destination, but if incidents like this keep happening, it’s going to be a problem. Since we need to get there as soon as possible, I’d have to push for a forced march—or maybe even something more.
No, there’s no need to overthink it. I already have the means.
“Jegal Haesol?”
Jegal Haesol, lying sprawled on the grass and humming while staring up at the sky, glanced over at me and gave a nod. Such a cocky attitude. He even had some grass in his mouth, clearly enjoying himself alone. But when Jeong Ha-yeon, who was walking beside me, gave him a blank look, he slowly got up, clearly reluctant.
“Ugh. What is it now?”
“I need your help.”
“…Huh?”
“I’m asking you to help.”
That seemed to catch him off guard. When I said that, he let out a strange, drawn-out “Hmmm?” Then, eyes sparkling as if surprised, Jegal Haesol crossed his arms and gave a sly chuckle.
“Well, well. It’s not every day the clan lord asks me for help.”
“That’s because it’s something only you can do.”
“Heh. There’s nothing quite like the feeling of being recognized. Especially coming from you. Alright then, go ahead. As long as it’s not about letting you touch my thigh, I’m pretty willing to help.”
“Don’t worry. I’m not interested in your thigh.”
I shook my head quietly.
“For now, will you be our transport shuttle?”
And I laid it out honestly.
“Ah~. Transport shuttle… what was that again?”
Jegal Haesol’s eyes twitched upward slightly.
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
What does that even mean?
I’m disappointed. How could you use such words?
0ㅁ0….
Ah, dear readers. Come on, it’s just a bit of playful banter. What’s the big deal?
Sure, I admit it’s a rather lewd and perverted phrase. But hey, isn’t it true that if a guy’s a pervert, so what? Among guys like us, we share these kinds of jokes with a laugh. If anyone out there is well-versed in this kind of language, I’d gladly accept some lessons. It might even come in handy… (somewhere?)
Ah, never mind. ( —)