00813 What’s Gone Will Return
Several days had passed since we seized the capital of the Balkan Kingdom.
Waking up each morning to the groans of prisoners and spending nights watching the looting of Balkan citizens was nothing short of exhilarating. Having fulfilled the long-cherished wish of my ancestors, every day felt like a dream.
Yet, the revenge was far from complete. No matter how thoroughly we searched the capital, the cunning Balkan nobles remained elusive. It seemed they had abandoned the city before our arrival.
But tracking them wasn’t a problem. Fortunately, last night we received a report of a hidden entrance near the foothills—likely their hideout.
Direction: East.
Distance: About a week’s journey from the capital.
Now, it was time to clean up the remaining scum once and for all.
—From the Atlanta Secret Library, “The Fall of the Balkan Kingdom: A War Diary”
The warm morning sunlight gently pressed against my eyes.
Though I wanted to sleep a little longer, habit pulled me awake. As I shifted slightly, I felt a soft touch—Jung Ha-yeon was nestled against my chest, sound asleep.
Her serene face, eyes closed with a faint, almost imperceptible smile, was breathtaking. Her pure white bare skin shimmered in the fresh sunlight. Drawn by the glow, I pressed a light kiss to her navel and slowly rose.
The bed bore the unmistakable traces of last night. Lifting the blanket quietly, a faint scent of musk mixed with night-blooming flowers tickled my nose. The once-pristine sheets were stained yellowish from Ha-yeon’s incontinence after our repeated climaxes. Between her slightly parted thighs, I glimpsed the white crusted remains on her intimate area.
It wasn’t exactly a clean sight, but even this disheveled state was endearing. My body responded immediately, but I managed to suppress it. After all, she had already fulfilled my needs through the night—I wouldn’t trouble her at dawn.
I smiled contentedly, stroking the ring of essence on my right ring finger.
Last night, that ring proved its worth. Though it cost a staggering 100,000 GP, not a single coin felt wasted. Especially satisfying was how its power scaled with the user’s stamina. With this ring, there was nothing to fear.
Anyway, today my mind was unusually clear, and my body felt strong. I stepped out onto the terrace to savor the fresh morning air. Somehow, I had a feeling something good was about to happen.
Then, a thought suddenly struck me.
“Ah, there was a record.”
After a moment’s hesitation, I grabbed the stack of documents my brother had left behind. The weather was too nice to stay cooped up in the office. Sometimes, working in the garden wouldn’t be so bad.
Alright. First, I’d wake Ha-yeon, then we’d wash up together and head downstairs for breakfast.
“The Abyss of Annihilation…”
I muttered absentmindedly after reading the record. It probably didn’t have an official name yet, but in the first cycle, that ruin was called just that.
The Abyss of Annihilation.
Simply put, it was a bottomless pit—once you entered, you’d never come out. A labyrinthine chasm, essentially an underground maze.
Of course, that was from the perspective of adventurers. Historically, it was a bit different.
The legends surrounding the Abyss were grim. About a thousand years ago, two kingdoms went to war, and one was utterly defeated. Its capital was captured—effectively destroyed.
The fate of the defeated royal family was predictable: beheading or slavery. Even if spared, they would have lived a life of humiliation.
The Abyss of Annihilation was built as an underground refuge for such cases—a secret shelter for escape. Inside, the paths were maddeningly complex, riddled with traps. One wrong turn meant certain death. Only a select few royals knew the safe routes.
The victorious kingdom’s commander apparently found the entrance. Naturally, he sent a tracking party into the Abyss, but they were all wiped out—or rather, lost without a trace.
Thousands of soldiers, including top experts, vanished in the Abyss. Truly a terrifying ruin.
In fact, the Abyss nearly earned the same notorious reputation as the “Sleeping Dragon Mountains” or the “Tomb of the Savage King.” The key word is “nearly,” because eventually, adventurers conquered it—albeit through a rather absurd method.
Anyway, since we knew the strategy, it shouldn’t be a big problem. Still, I couldn’t quite guess my brother’s true intentions.
I understood what he wanted: for me to conquer this ruin. According to a report by a member of the Hamill Clan, the Abyss had been quietly revealed. Though still in its early days and not as infamous as the Sleeping Dragon Mountains, a few adventurers were aware of it.
“Why?”
Objectively, it wasn’t a bad opportunity. We knew how to tackle it. As a royal hideout, the rewards would be substantial. And it was incredibly close. Honestly, it was like going on a casual outing.
I didn’t think my brother was scheming against me. Probably, he genuinely wanted to help. But why keep it so secretive? Perhaps there was a classified reason.
In the end, I’d have to go and see for myself.
“With Je-gal Hae-sol, it should be doable within a week…”
Might as well pick up some of Vivian’s magical potions while I’m at it.
Alright. I’ve made up my mind. Strike while the iron’s hot.
“Pee-ang.”
“Huh?”
While organizing my thoughts, a faint pain suddenly bit at my ankle. Glancing down, I saw a tiny winged creature clinging tightly to my ankle. Damn it—the baby Pegasus again.
“Let go, you little pest.”
“Pee-pik…”
…This guy?
I suddenly worried. Sometimes I wondered if this creature even realized it was a Pegasus. Otherwise, why would it sneak up and bite me so often?
I shook my foot a couple of times, but it held fast, fiercely resisting. When I reached out my hand in challenge, it bit that too without hesitation.
“……”
Raising my hand slowly, it dangled there, glaring at me. Ungrateful little beast. If I’d known, I might have fried it back when it was still an egg.
“Clan Lord!”
Amid our scuffle, a familiar voice called out. Turning my eyes while lying down, I saw Jo Seung-woo approaching briskly. The sight didn’t worry me—it actually made me feel at ease.
“There you are!”
“What’s the matter?”
“It’s urgent!”
“Oh? Urgent, you say?”
I sat up straight, narrowing my eyes to show I wouldn’t tolerate anything less than serious trouble. Jo Seung-woo hesitated, then corrected himself reluctantly.
“Well, it’s urgent from my perspective, but maybe not from the Clan Lord’s.”
“…I see. What is it?”
He smiled bitterly and got straight to the point.
“The New Koran Alliance has contacted us!”
East Atlanta City.
“What are you doing sending them away? Without even consulting me!”
“Sister! Are you really refusing? Huh?”
“It’s only 5%! Just 5%!”
“Ah, come on~!”
At the Istantel Row Clan House, an unexpected shouting match was underway.
Park Da-yeon clenched her fists desperately, shouting, while Han So-young sat at the desk, silently showing her stance: “You bark, I work.” Occasionally, her vacant gaze suggested she was lost in thought.
“Please, just listen. You know how bad our finances are lately. With the recent expedition incentives, our monthly expenses have skyrocketed…”
Da-yeon pleaded, but So-young remained unmoved.
“Sister!”
Finally losing patience, Da-yeon slammed her hands on the desk, glaring fiercely. So-young’s eyes flashed, but instead of backing down, she gritted her teeth.
“Explain yourself! I’ll keep yelling until I understand!”
“What?”
“What? What? Did you just say ‘what’? Do you even realize how much money you’re turning down? Do you know what 5% of the Night District’s earnings means?”
“…Da-yeon.”
Da-yeon took a deep breath, crossed her arms, and set her jaw firmly. She looked ready for a fight. So-young sighed, closing her eyes.
“We can’t accept that money.”
“Why not?”
“Remember the conflict we had with the Night District in East City?”
“Of course.”
“How was it resolved?”
“I know. My brother-in-law took care of it.”
So-young’s eyebrows twitched. Da-yeon puffed her cheeks, then corrected herself in a trembling voice.
“Alright. The Mercenary Lord did.”
“…Right. The Mercenary Lord kindly let our Sanha Clan have a seat at the table. In other words, the Mercenary Clan took a bit of a loss on this.”
“And…?”
“There’s no ‘and’ about it. Even with just that incident, we basically owe the Mercenary Clan. And now you want to take a 5% cut on top of that?”
“So what? We didn’t ask for it. They offered it. Shouldn’t we just be grateful and accept it?”
“How can you just snap it up like that? Doesn’t a person have any shame?”
“Shame? What kind of shame are you talking about? And besides, a wife can spend some of the money her husband earns…”
“Park Dayeon!”
A sharp shout and the slam of a desk rang out simultaneously. It was a rare show of emotion from Han Soyoung. Park Dayeon flinched, then pouted her lower lip.
“I’m sorry. But you’re saying you absolutely won’t accept it, right?”
“Yes. Get out.”
“Yes, I’ll go. But just so you know—since I’m in charge of Istantel Row’s finances, I’ll act as I see fit within my authority.”
“What?”
“I’ll do whatever it takes to raise money—begging other clans, selling my body at the brothel, whatever! So don’t interfere!”
“Park…”
Before Han Soyoung could say another word, Park Dayeon slammed the door behind her. Han Soyoung stared at the closed door with narrowed eyes, then let out a long sigh and buried her head in her hands. Her eyes, slowly losing their strength, betrayed a deep turmoil.
The truth was, there was only one reason for Han Soyoung’s conflicted feelings.
‘Then… what about me?’
Not long ago, Han Soyoung had finally lost her temper in front of Kim Suhyun. She wished there had been some excuse—anything to explain it wasn’t her fault, or that it was just the way things were in the Hole Plain. But instead of excuses, she’d been overwhelmed by the words about not wanting to hurt that woman and child, and had choked up without realizing it.
Looking back now, Han Soyoung sensed something strange about that moment. She wasn’t sure what exactly, but it felt like she wasn’t herself.
“Ah.”
The memory made her close her eyes tightly, her feet restlessly stirring the air.
Why did I do that? Why on earth did I do that?
It was then—
“Ah?”
While kicking the floor beneath the desk instead of the blanket, she suddenly felt something strange at her ankle. Looking down quickly, her eyes narrowed slightly. About the size of a kitten, a small yellow creature with wings was biting her ankle.
“Who… are you?”
She had no idea when it had come in. Its sharp little eyes glared fiercely, but there was no sense of malice. Judging it wasn’t dangerous, Han Soyoung reached out her hand—and the creature bit it.
“…”
The pain was mild, bearable. As Han Soyoung stared at it and lifted her hand, the tiny creature let out a small, almost amused smile, as if to say, “What are you going to do about it?”
After a long moment of silent staring, Han Soyoung suddenly spoke.
“Alright. What do you think?”
“…Pee?”
The little creature scrunched its eyes. Of course, it couldn’t understand or speak human language. Han Soyoung knew that too. She just needed someone to vent to—and a mute animal was perfect.
“Was it wrong for me to get angry back then?”
“Pee?”
“What did the Mercenary Lord think of me?”
“Pee?”
“The Mercenary Lord was really harsh, wasn’t he? He didn’t even try to stop me when I left. And he never came back to see me. Probably off cozying up with that woman, right? Isn’t that so?”
“Pee?”
“Honestly, he says he admires me. What’s so great about me?”
“Pee?”
“Hyerim says men want to conquer the women they admire at least once. I think that makes sense. What do you think?”
“Pee?”
“The truth is, I deliberately refused the 5%. I thought maybe then he’d come see me at least once. Why? I don’t know. I just wanted to see him. But I’m too proud to reach out first.”
“Uh, unnie.”
It was then.
“And…?”
Han Soyoung, lost in her monologue, suddenly shivered. Instead of the usual “pee?” came a familiar voice saying, “Unnie.” There was no way the creature in front of her spoke, so—
After a moment, Han Soyoung’s head creaked as she turned toward the door.
It was now open about a hand’s width.
And through the gap stood—
“Uuugh…”
Park Dayeon, clutching her mouth with both hands, shaking violently, and—
“……”
Kim Suhyun stared blankly at Han Soyoung.
---------------------------= Author’s Note =---------------------------
First of all, thank you all sincerely.
Before the hiatus, I was like:
Ro Yujin: “Hey, I’m going to get hate for this, right? People will hate me! What do I do?”
But after posting the hiatus notice, readers said things like:
Reader A: “Are you feeling any better?”
Reader B: “If you’re sick, you should rest. We’ll wait for you.”
Reader C: “Hmph! A man shouldn’t be so weak! Here, read my comment and get better quickly!”
Reader D: “Understood. Don’t worry too much, and take your time to rest.”
Ro Yujin: “…Angels? Are you all angels?”
Thank you again for your generous understanding. Thanks to you, I was able to take three days to rest and get myself together. I feel better than ever. The biggest gain was restoring my daily rhythm.
I’ll resume serialization just as I am. VIVA! :)