A Quiet Vow

The borderland where the territory of humanity met the uninhabitable wild. Amidst the chaotic din of monsters' shrieks and the explosive blasts of magic deployed to hold them back, a soft thud resonated.

It was the sound of a headless monster's carcass collapsing to the ground. That sound, which had echoed rhythmically every time the boy swung his sword amidst the horde, finally ceased only when not a single monster with a head left on its shoulders remained standing.

"Whew, that's some godlike skill right there. Well done, rookie!"

"Man, this is embarrassing. I think the rookie killed twice as many as I did."

"Bwahaha! No kidding. If we want this rookie to treat us like seniors, we'd better step up our game."

The boy blushed, embarrassed by the praise of the surrounding squad members. The soldiers burst into laughter at his innocent demeanor, which contrasted sharply with his monstrous combat prowess. However, Martina, the captain of the 4th Division watching from atop the defensive wall, could not bring herself to laugh so easily.

"Captain, don't you think the frequency of these monster attacks has been going up lately?"

As Canna, the vice-captain standing beside her, pointed out, Martina had been feeling it too. She quietly estimated the number of monsters they had just slain. Roughly two to three hundred. It wasn't a small number, but under normal circumstances, one would assume a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠stray pack had simply banded together and charged. However, this was already the tenth time she had personally witnessed a horde of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠this scale rushing their defenses recently.

The reason behind this phenomenon was simple. Martina cast her gaze past the defensive wall toward the far north and muttered,

"I don't know what the hell those damn Wrath monsters are throwing a fit about lately..."

The North Forest—once known as the Eternal Forest, the ancient homeland of the elves. Now, rendering the word 'forest' meaningless, it was a dense expanse of blackened, charred trees, serving as the territory for the Wrath monsters, creatures whose entire bodies were made of fire.

For a long time, despite their name, the Wrath monsters had been considered remarkably docile compared to other beasts. Unless provoked, they rarely showed themselves outside the forest or fought other monsters over territory. Lately, however, plumes of smoke were frequently seen rising from various parts of the forest, suggesting they were running wild.

Because of their rampage, the Low-grade Monsters inhabiting the North Forest were being pushed out toward the city, leading to these frequent skirmishes. Yet, there was no way to know why the Wrath monsters were suddenly exhibiting such abnormal behavior. Even after scouring the duty logs written by the Heroes who had guarded the north over the years, she had found no precedent.

"Damn it, it's not like we can just go in there ourselves to check what's going on..."

As Martina muttered in frustration, Yoon Siwoo, who was just climbing up the defensive wall, spoke up.

"If you're curious, should I go take a look and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠see what's happening? Even if I go deep into the forest, I won't have to worry about Magi poisoning."

She had heard about it too. She knew he possessed a sword with a unique ability that rendered him virtually immune to the effects of Magi. Of course, the thick shroud of Magi blanketing the lands beyond was the primary reason humans couldn't roam freely out there, but... Martina shook her head and muttered,

"Forget it. Do you think Magi is the only reason I don't go out there? If I coat my body in mana, even I can survive out there for a few days. There's a specific reason we avoid entering that forest. By the way, do you know the difference between a Low-grade Monster and a Mid-grade Monster?"

"Yes. I understand that those without any special abilities are classified as Low-grade Monsters, while those possessing unique magical abilities are classified as Mid-grade Monsters."

"Exactly. Monsters that mimic the abilities once held by the Witches are called Mid-grade Monsters. That's why we give them specific names starting from the Mid-grade level. If attacks don't work well on them, they're Sloth monsters; if they control fire, they're Wrath monsters. Then, do you happen to know the difference between a Mid-grade Monster and a High-grade Monster?"

At Martina's question, Yoon Siwoo hesitated before answering.

"...I was taught that if they're just incredibly strong, they're classified as High-grade Monsters. Is that not it?"

Martina chuckled at Yoon Siwoo's response.

"No, you're right. We decided to call the ones who can use abilities and are ridiculously strong High-grade Monsters. When you were at the Academy, you probably thought, 'What kind of half-assed classification system is that?' But it's actually incredibly accurate. When you see a High-grade Monster, you instantly get this gut feeling: Ah, this bastard is a High-grade."

Martina gently patted Yoon Siwoo's head as if praising a good student. Then, staring intently at the distant North Forest, she murmured in a low voice,

"Our job is basically to defend this place, but you know we don't just defend, right? As the city's population grows, we need more resources and food, which means we have to reclaim the lands out there. So, fifteen years ago, an order came down from the higher-ups. Since the Wrath monsters were relatively docile, they figured we could reclaim the land up to the edge of the forest. So, we all went to clear out the outskirts of the forest together. Do you know what happened that day?"

Yoon Siwoo's expression stiffened at the question. After all, the defensive wall marking the boundary of reclaimed land was still a long distance away from the forest. Seeing that he had guessed the outcome, Martina smiled bitterly and muttered,

"It's classified, so this is probably your first time hearing about it. We failed. Miserably. Docile, my ass—they were only docile because we hadn't poked the hornets' nest. Wrath monsters are still monsters at the end of the day. Creatures that were clearly High-grade Monsters popped out, and our division's former captain, vice-captain, and seven squad members died in the line of duty. Canna over here was crying, snotting, and even pissed her ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠pants."

"...Captain, do you seriously want to die? Why are you bringing that up in front of the rookie!"

"Hey, it's the truth. Anyway, even though I've gotten way stronger than the previous captain, those things aren't worth provoking. Especially that giant firebird that killed our comrades—even I would have a tough time dealing with that one. Bottom line, just consider that place strictly off-limits. Got it?"

Nodding slowly at Martina's words, Yoon Siwoo felt a sudden tug of familiarity. He fell into deep thought, trying to grasp what was bothering him. Fifteen years ago... fifteen years ago... As he murmured the words to himself, he caught his breath. After a brief hesitation, he asked Martina,

"...Excuse me, but when exactly did that happen?"

"Around this time of year. June 23rd. Why do you ask?"

Hearing the date June 23rd, Yoon Siwoo froze for a moment, then whispered softly,

"...I see."

"What's with you all of a sudden? Is something wrong?"

Martina tilted her head, puzzled by his sudden muttering. Yoon Siwoo parted his lips to speak, but ultimately shook his head.

"It's nothing. I was just wondering if I could look up the records from back then."

"They won't be very detailed... but if you check the logs in the archive, there should be some records left."

"I see. Thank you for letting me know."

"No need to thank me. You were called out here on a support request, right? You worked hard, so go get some rest. We're heading out on leave together tomorrow anyway."

Just as she said, tomorrow was the day he would accompany her to the Academy, where she was scheduled to give a special lecture. Yoon Siwoo smiled softly and nodded.

The soft rustling of turning pages echoed through the quiet archive. The pages, which had been flipping rapidly, came to a sudden halt.

It was the record of June 23rd, fifteen years ago.

At the very bottom of the document, beneath the failed operation's summary, was the list of the squad members who had perished in action that day. And among them were two deeply missed, dearly beloved names.

Yoon Siwoo stared at the page, whispering softly,

"...So that's how you died. I only just found out."

June 23rd was the anniversary of his parents' deaths. Until now, he had only known that they had died in the line of duty while fighting monsters. He had never known where, or against what kind of beast, they had lost their lives. But now, he knew.

Yoon Siwoo looked out the window, gazing toward the north. Far in the distance, the monster that had killed his parents was out there. As that thought took hold, a two-syllable word naturally surfaced in his mind: revenge. Along with it, the faces of his parents flashed before him, prompting a bitter smile as he murmured,

"...If you were still alive, you probably would have told me not to even think about it."

But now that he knew, was it not only natural to harbor such thoughts, even if just a little? Of course, he had no intention of letting himself be consumed by it. They wouldn't have wanted that, and he already carried far too many burdens on his shoulders.

"...Don't worry. I won't do anything reckless."

Whispering quietly, he gently traced his parents' names with a lingering touch before closing the record book. Through the window, far in the distance, he could see the forest with plumes of smoke rising from its depths. Unconsciously clenching his fist, Yoon Siwoo muttered in a low voice,

"...But if the opportunity ever comes. I definitely will."