Chapter 58
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 058
Chapter Title: Comrade
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Early morning.
Before departing, he exchanged farewells with Bow. Nothing special about the conversation.
"Well, I'll be off then."
"Starting out a bit early, aren't you?"
Bow spoke in his usual impassive tone. Even though Woojin was heading off on a long journey, the ascetic monk didn't seem worried at all. There was no need to be.
This expedition was massive in scale. Even if something went wrong along the way, they could handle it without much issue. And if they faced a truly hopeless situation, Woojin could find his own way out.
"Take care."
After shaking hands with Bow, Woojin stepped out of the building. It wasn't long before his footsteps brought him to a stop in front of a luxurious mansion.
'Is Cindy awake?'
It was early, so she was probably still asleep. Maybe it was better to leave without waking her.
He pondered for a moment...
But he figured she'd be upset if he left without saying goodbye. He knocked lightly on the door, and soon a maid opened it.
Creek, creak—
A strange noise leaked from inside. It was the sound of a rocking chair. Cindy sat there, entrusting her body to it, rocking back and forth endlessly.
The noise grated on his ears for some reason, so Woojin approached and stopped the chair.
"...You came early."
Cindy said, still seated. He took a quick look at her complexion. Sunken eyes, dark circles underneath, disheveled golden hair.
She looked in rough shape.
"Couldn't sleep last night?"
"Yeah... a little."
Cindy murmured with a feeble smile. When Woojin gave her a concerned look, she hurriedly added more, as if to brush it off.
"Don't worry about it! I just pulled an all-nighter stressing over caravan business."
"Didn't you say there weren't any decent deals lately?"
"Exactly why I have to worry more."
"I see."
Their exchange of empty words quickly gave way to silence.
Woojin's gaze drifted to the rocking chair.
"...Get up for a sec."
"What are you going to do?"
Cindy obediently stood from her seat.
Woojin rummaged through his bag and pulled out an oil vial. He dampened the corner of a handkerchief with the oil and applied it to the rocking chair's pivot joint.
Then he gave the chair a test rock.
Swish, swish—
The grating sound had definitely lessened.
"Much better now."
"I actually liked that sound..."
"It's bad for your mental health."
With that reply, he gestured toward the chair.
"Sit."
Cindy sat back down readily. Woojin stood behind her and pushed the chair. Pushed by his hand, she rocked slowly and leisurely.
"...Seeing you reminds me of my brothers, Sir Jin."
Cindy murmured with her eyes closed. It was an odd statement to Woojin.
"Really? You don't seem to have much in common."
"The way you treat me is similar. Just like right now. Whenever I sat in a swing like this, my brothers would show up out of nowhere and push me."
The atmosphere, the tone, the attitude.
Talking with Woojin felt like her deceased brothers had come back to life.
"It was comforting in a way... but thinking like that is probably a bother for you."
"Why?"
"It's just my selfish wish. Hoping you'd fill the void they left behind."
Woojin fell into thought for a moment. Cindy's earlier words stuck with him.
'Did my actions resemble Derek and Cedric's?'
He wasn't so sure.
He had always treated Cindy without much thought. He had never intentionally mimicked her dead family. That would be too creepy.
Maybe memories of those two brothers had unconsciously influenced his behavior. But he quickly dismissed the idea from his mind. The possibility seemed too slim.
'Memories from others can't have that much sway over me. If they affected my daily life, I'd have noticed long ago.'
The memories of the dead stayed dormant beneath his consciousness unless he deliberately pulled them up.
Thus, nothing had changed from before or now. Despite everything that had happened, Kim Woojin's habits, thoughts, and identity remained unchanged.
And yet, Cindy felt that way...
"...I guess I was the same."
Woojin muttered to himself suddenly. Cindy was curious about the meaning behind it.
"What do you mean?"
"Just what I said. I'm not all that different from you."
Woojin hesitated briefly before adding an explanation.
"...I used to have a little sister too."
People he could no longer meet.
Cindy had lost her entire family. Woojin was the same. Sharing the same pain, they could find solace just by looking at each other.
"That's probably why I treated you like a little sister. You're in a similar situation to mine."
"...I wasn't the only one feeling that way."
Cindy's blank expression soon lit up with vitality. Like a curious girl, she asked.
"What was your little sister like, Sir Jin?"
"She was a bit taller than you. And... hmm, not sure where to start. From what I remember..."
As the two were deep in conversation,
"...Excuse me."
The maid approached cautiously.
"Sorry to interrupt the mood, but shouldn't you be heading out soon? The wolves are scratching at the door outside."
"Oh, right."
He had come out early on purpose, but time had flown by while they talked. Cindy pouted, clearly regretting the moment.
Woojin smiled and picked up his gear bag.
"We'll finish the story later."
"No helping it..."
They stepped outside the mansion. Cindy followed to see him off.
"I'll come by after the trip."
"Yes, see you next time."
He started walking. His receding figure grew distant, the wolves circling around him protectively as they went.
Cindy watched quietly for a moment... then impulsively called out.
"...Oppa Jin."
Woojin turned back.
Meeting his eyes, Cindy beamed and stomped her feet in place, as if she couldn't contain her joy.
"Oppa! Don't get hurt, and come back safe!"
Cindy shouted energetically. Woojin waved back cheerfully before continuing on, leaving her enthusiastic send-off behind.
And so, the journey resumed.
The expedition marched toward the distant north. Shadows lengthened on the ground, and the familiar musty smell pricked at their noses.
Woojin had been assigned to escort the choir.
The support force from the Church of Harmony consisted of six priests, eight nuns, four friars, and eight Holy Knights. The priests, nuns, and friars made up the choir itself. The Holy Knights had been dispatched to protect them.
'The escort mission itself should be easy.'
The choir held high tactical value.
They were positioned safely where they could always be protected, and there were plenty of knights dispatched alongside Woojin. This mission seemed like it would wrap up without much trouble.
The choir rode divided on the backs of two Tarasques. Woojin, the wolves, and the Holy Knights walked in a formation encircling them.
'There might be an assassin like last time, so I need to keep a close eye on everyone around.'
Last time, they hadn't noticed the assassin, and the two sons of the Golden Beetle had died.
He had no intention of repeating the same mistake. After scanning the people around him, Woojin committed their features to memory.
Then...
'...What?'
He suddenly felt a sense of incongruity.
'One, two, three...'
Woojin counted the Holy Knights. To provide close protection for the choir, one knight was mounted on each Tarasque's back.
Eight minus those made six. So there should have been six on the ground... but
'Seven.'
No matter how many times he counted, there was one extra. It was strange. The Holy Knights wouldn't overlook something so basic.
'...Let's take a look.'
Divine Eye.
He tried it out for practice. His skill level was still low, so he couldn't see clearly, but the information it conveyed was meaningful enough.
One Holy Knight stood out. He exuded an unusually intense aura. Woojin opened his eyes fully and observed the man closely.
'Strong.'
One Holy Knight possessed overwhelming skill. His ability to conceal his presence was exceptional too, so it had taken Woojin a moment to gauge him.
'...Something feels off.'
Woojin tilted his head. A familiar yet unfamiliar sensation. To confirm the man's identity, he approached the Holy Knight in question.
"Hey."
"Sir Jin, what is it?"
The Holy Knight replied politely. His face was hidden behind the helmet's visor.
"Mind showing your face?"
"..."
Woojin gestured as if lifting the visor. The Holy Knight visibly stiffened. There was definitely something suspicious.
Going with his instincts, Woojin pressed.
"Quickly. Let's keep this amicable."
"...Sigh."
A small sigh came from inside the helmet. The Holy Knight grasped it with both hands and removed it. Long, wavy curly hair cascaded down.
And the face that emerged...
'...Roland?'
Woojin blinked in surprise. What was this guy doing here?
He voiced his thought directly.
"Why is the commander here? You should be leading the expedition from Pioneer City."
"Come on, Jin. Can you call an army holed up in the city an expedition force? I received orders to conquer the Demonic Realm, and that's why I'm here."
Roland made his excuse calmly. The surrounding Holy Knights shook their heads. It seemed his subordinates had opposed it, but he'd forced through anyway.
Regardless...
"Did you get permission from Bow?"
"It should be fine. I still have some indulgences left."
Meaning he'd snuck away. He'd somehow evaded Bow's watchful eye.
It was reckless, but he'd appointed a successor and handed over command, so his absence wouldn't cause issues. Even if things went south, the indulgence would cover him.
Or so Roland seemed to think...
"...You think shoving an indulgence at a blind old man will fly? With Bow's temper, he'll half-kill you."
"Hahaha! No way."
Roland laughed heartily as if it were a funny joke... then suddenly grew serious. Chewing it over, it did seem plausible.
"...If things go badly, I trust you'll convince Elder Bow for me."
"No dice."
"That's depressing. I thought of everyone, you'd understand me!"
Roland sounded genuinely hurt. To Woojin, it was just baffling.
"Understand what?"
"Don't play dumb... A warm home, good food, loved ones. You turned your back on all that and chose to come to the Demonic Realm. Why?"
What should he say?
As he pondered a response, the excited Roland answered his own question.
"Blood and glory, battle! And Beast Hunting! That's why you left everything behind, right?"
"...Something like that."
"In that sense, you're my comrade. You're just as mad about the battlefield as I am. Comrades in arms should help each other out. Don't you think?"
Roland spoke with such earnestness that Woojin found it hard to deny to his face. He lacked the confidence to logically dissuade the madman.
Besides, it wasn't entirely wrong... After some hesitation, Woojin nodded.
"...I'll help you out later."
"Haha! Knew I had you pegged right."
At the very least, things wouldn't be boring.