Chapter 90
Chapter 90
13. The Donghae Gate Incident - 1
This was shortly before I performed the Battle-Demon Ascension ritual with Sergios and Elijah.
I was in a private meeting room, discussing the Donghae situation with Kim Minsik and Lee Hyejin.
The me printed on the photocard was decked out in pure white attire, with white cotton gloves and even matching white shoes—a pale, washed-out sight. Seeing how I pulled off that all-white outfit, I could once again confirm the value of my face.
Stating the facts plainly, I'm good-looking. But that's not the point.
There I was, the male idol Noah Won, smiling innocently under flashy stage lights. The photo was kept in a transparent plastic case, and the case's surface was decorated to the brim with pretty stickers and the like.
And in one corner, a line of cheering words.
[StarXis Baby White Deer Noah Won, don't get hurt and stay active for a long, long time^^b]
Looking at that sentence, I muttered with the feeling of vomiting blood.
"⋯⋯I think I'm gonna throw up."
"Puhahahahaha—!!"
I'm dying here.
Hyejin shoved Minsik aside as he cackled away, examining the photocard from every angle. She looked back and forth between the pretty boy in the card and me, then spoke.
"Why? It suits you perfectly. It's been a while since I've seen you all dressed up, Noah, and you really are handsome. Plus, even though you're covered in white, you don't look like you're wearing hospital clothes."
"The outfit suits me. The outfit."
But the title is the problem. The title.
This damn 'Baby White Deer' gouges at my heart every time I hear it.
In the first place, I'm fairly—yeah. Even if it's ambiguous in absolute terms, relatively speaking I look manly. Among the delicate-looking guys, I'd say I have the strongest features. Anyway, my face suits neither 'Baby' nor 'White Deer.'
So how did I end up suffering this humiliation? If something went wrong during my grubby idol days, 50 percent of the blame went to the agency CEO, and 40 percent to the delinquent members. This time it was the former.
The agency CEO made the call: "Among male idols, there needs to be at least one with the cute-face position, and since we can't recruit someone new at this point, you're the closest fit, so you do it."
That contributed enormously to shaping my early image.
Whenever I went somewhere to show my face, I had to wear something like a fluffy rabbit hat forced on me, and he nagged me to attach three emojis and hearts to every post I put up on social media.
The result of that horrific black magic was 'Baby White Deer.'
Minsik kept doing dry face-washes, slapping my back as I tried to calm myself down, and said,
"Right, you begged them to let you erase that nickname, pleaded for a manly role in a drama. You. Said even a minor role that dies in episode one would be fine, as long as it let you show some masculinity."
"⋯⋯I did."
Naturally, I got rejected. I wasn't some cosmic superstar, and getting the role I wanted with just a bit of fame was impossible.
So during that period, I worked out like my life depended on it.
I wanted to see if they could still call me that once I got all bulked up with muscle, so I squeezed out whatever time I had to hit the gym and posted shirtless photos on social media every single day.
Fortunately, that strategy worked. The nickname gradually faded into the waves of history, and soon disappeared.
Coincidentally, the Gate Incident broke out around then. Whether I should call it luck or not, because I'd built up my physique in advance, I survived the chaos of the early days.
⋯⋯In a way, the nickname my fans gave me had saved my life.
That doesn't mean I have any intention of embracing the nickname, though.
Anyway.
The fact that this photocard was included in the blank letter from the east. No matter how you look at it, there's no way to interpret it as anything other than some kind of message.
They couldn't write on the letter due to some special circumstances—and the photocard was most likely a fallback option they arrived at after trying multiple methods. And this time, it happened to work.
So what is that message?
"A support request⋯⋯ there's nothing else it could be. If I stretch the interpretation a bit, it means they need me."
"I think so too, Noah Won. Count Yeon Arang isn't the type to joke around, and I'd been suspicious ever since they launched that hot-air balloon. They just couldn't do anything about it because they didn't have the leeway to spare."
"Count Yeon Arang's hunter ranger brigade was a fairly strong force, as I recall. If it's something they can't handle at that level, calling for you, Noah, isn't exactly strange."
With the interpretation done, it was time to answer the question. Minsik asked casually.
"You going?"
"I have to. I'll visit the city-state of Donghae alone, handle the matter, and come back. Take care of Seoul."
"You really care, huh⋯⋯ about your fan."
"⋯⋯⋯⋯"
Kim Minsik carefully lifted the photocard and spoke. Seeing his attitude, he'd clearly figured out what this merch was.
"This⋯⋯ this is the merch you sold back when you were unpopular, the one with shit sales. It went for 2,000 won as clearance junk on the secondhand market."
"It was 3,000 won. Get it right."
"Same damn thing, you bastard. Anyway, I never thought I'd see this again. It flopped so hard that barely anyone even had one⋯⋯"
Right.
This photocard was merch from my early debut days, when I had neither popularity nor fame, and the ghastly phrase 'Baby White Deer' written on it was practically proof of a long-time fan.
In other words, this merch was something only my so-called true fans would have owned.
⋯⋯Maybe there was a fan from my idol days in the city-state of Donghae.
Of course, that thought alone wasn't what decided my trip to Donghae. In an era facing ruin, manpower is precious. Count Yeon Arang definitely had quality personnel with her, so if possible, it would be good to join hands or merge.
And Yeon Arang herself was a reasonably capable hunter. Her rank was A-grade, same as mine, and while her combat power felt somewhat lacking, her overall organizational management ability was excellent.
She might not match Andersen, that administrative monster who single-handedly took control of the underworld⋯⋯ but she was at least superior to Kim Minsik.
"If I can reel her in this time, she'd be perfect to place in Kim Minsik's position."
"Oh, so I can retire now?!"
"No. At that point, you'd be the overseer of overseers. You're my right hand, you bastard—where do you think you're running off to?"
"If you've used me this much, cut me some slack!"
And there was one more minor motive for heading to Donghae.
The Count Yeon Arang I'd analyzed was a woman far removed from this kind of idol hobby. She was a thorough career woman, a strict efficiency-first type. So it was obvious what must have happened in Donghae.
'There's still no reply from Seoul, so this time I'll load something else onto the balloon. Something light, within the limits of the balloon's fuel, that can clearly convey our intent⋯⋯ You there, bring me that photocard you have.'
'N-not this! Anything but this!'
'Nothing is off the table.'
There must have been a heartless requisition.
If this photocard had an owner, they were someone who followed that shoddy group around out of love—and among them, someone who poured affection especially into me. A person I'm grateful for. I can't leave someone like that stripped of their merch.
I should return it. With a signature attached, if they want.
"⋯⋯Hmm, what if they just picked it up off the street? Or what if it belonged to Count Yeon Arang herself?"
"He's saying he hopes he still has a fan left in the Republic of Korea. And that Count Yeon person—even I can tell it's not hers. Anyway, Noah Won, Donghae is pretty far. You sure you'll be okay?"
I grinned at Kim Minsik's concern.
"Hey, Minsik. I can handle wind. What's there to worry about?"
"Why bring up wind all of a sudden?"
"Hang glider."
"Ah!"
I did the math, and it would take about an hour and a half to reach Donghae.
Of course, there's no way to get a hang glider in apocalyptic Seoul. Even if I tried to make one, we're short on blueprints and engineers alike—but this side has the System.
I could just buy a finished hang glider from the System Shop. The price wasn't much, either. Of course, I'm in debt, so I can't use the Shop—but as I'd done so far, I could just open up a trade through barter.
I stood up, threw on the coat I'd taken off, and said,
"I happen to have business with a System-affiliated hunter, so I'll pick it up while I'm out."
"Are you meeting that Sohye person who came here to train last time?"
"No. A guy named Sergios, someone you don't need to know about⋯⋯ and Elijah."
"That's a woman's name⋯⋯?"
Strictly speaking, wouldn't it be a machine's name?
Hearing that, Hyejin raised her eyebrows and pondered, then soon snapped a salute at me and proposed,
"Captain Noah Won, I request to accompany you on the reconnaissance mission to the city-state of Donghae."
"Hey, Lee Hyejin! If you bail too, you expect me and Team Leader Park to run Seoul with just the two of us?!"
I held back the horrified Minsik and asked,
"Your reason?"
"If you're considering long-term personnel transport as well, I judged that my flame abilities would be helpful in many ways on this deployment. For clearing paths through the plants, for expanding our living zone—there's no one better suited than me, right?"
She had a point. Fire is useful in most situations.
With no concrete information on what had happened in Donghae, it would be good to bring as broad a range of abilities as possible. Even more so if we weren't going to be away for that long.
"Fine. Let's go together."
"Yes!"
And for our Kim Minsik, who might get lonely after Hyejin and I left—to make sure he wouldn't be bored alone.
Thud—!
I set down a stack of documents.
"These are technical papers brought from another planet. It's a construction method that inscribes magic-infused characters onto buildings to reinforce their durability⋯⋯ I'll leave the materials here, so try a pilot application with whoever's free."
"Hey—!!"
I'd piled on a generous load of work, too.
After that, I first met with Sergios and completed the Battle-Demon Ascension ritual. Then I had Elijah purchase the hang glider on my behalf and returned to Earth. The preparations didn't take long.
No food, no cargo—just light gear with only my armaments. With goggles to block the wind and extra layers against the cold, I set my foot on the rooftop railing.
Lee Hyejin had hidden her gunpowder-scented school uniform under a patchwork long padded coat, gripping the hang glider's handles with both hands. She looked full of anticipation as she spoke.
"It's been a while since the two of us ran an operation together⋯⋯ hehe."
"It won't be just the two of us, though?"
"?"
Because Elijah would be joining us on-site.
I'd accepted her offer of assistance. But given the nature of Stage travel, there was no need to call Elijah to Seoul in advance. That would only add travel time. And there was no space left on the hang glider, either.
"No, I mean⋯⋯"
"Hold on tight, Hyejin. Careful not to bite your tongue on takeoff. 『Azure Wind Wanderer』!"
"Y-you never said anything about that, Noah⋯⋯ ack!"
"When we had the meeting, I didn't know Elijah would help. And I told you to watch your tongue."
Whoosh——
The hang glider rose gently on the wind summoned by Azure Wind Wanderer. Then Hyejin and I began flying across the sky at breakneck speed, riding the wind path.
The destination was the city-state ruled by Count Yeon Arang⋯⋯ Donghae.
The ruler of the city-state of Donghae, Yeon Arang. Her title from the Hunter Monarchy era was Count.
Despite her busy schedule, she was personally launching a hot-air balloon to send one last support request. Seeing the person in charge of the entire city handle such a trivial task, her subordinate hunters were on edge, sweating.
"This kind of work is something we could handle⋯⋯"
"No. The fact that there's been no reply so far is strange no matter how I look at it. I'll handle it myself this time."
Yeon Arang glared at the hunters who had been in charge of the dispatch work so far. After launching the balloon about three times, she'd changed the personnel each time it failed, just in case—so the hunters gathered now numbered four.
However harsh the world may be, this many rejections piling up made no sense. Even if Noah Won lacked the capacity and had hardened his heart to refuse the support request⋯⋯ if that were the case, he would have at least signaled his intent.
This was a data-based inference rather than simply 'wanting to believe so.' If he were that kind of man, he wouldn't have overthrown the Hunter Monarchy in the first place.
That was why she'd stepped in personally this time. She thought it more likely that her subordinates had been repeatedly negligent in their work than that there was no response.
"Hmm⋯⋯"
And this attitude was a problem for the scheming spy elf.
After being rejected about three times, shouldn't the normal reaction be fury—'So Seoul has no intention of coming'? Suspicion turning toward herself was within the expected range, but the fact that Yeon Arang's faith didn't waver was unexpected.
But it was fine. As long as the letters were within the range of the elf's 『Skill』, they lost all meaning. The writing on the paper would melt away without leaving a trace. So this rescue request would also become meaningless⋯⋯
That was what she thought. Until Yeon Arang pulled something from her bosom.
It was an object made of some plastic material. It was hard to see clearly from a distance, but it was small enough to fit in the palm of a hand. Yeon Arang grimaced as she moved the object, as if tearing out her own heart.
"Hah⋯⋯"
And with a deep breath, she enclosed it.
What is that object?
The spy elf narrowed her eyes. Was it something of precious value? Or some kind of record? Either way, it was certainly a valuable enough item for the cornered Yeon Arang to include in her final plea for rescue.
Could she seize it mid-transit? No⋯⋯ with suspicious gazes directed her way, the elf couldn't step forward herself, and manipulating plants would waste too much power.
The elf was, after all, an animal, a traitor, a turncoat. The 『King of Plants』 had merely granted her a room to settle in on one side; he had not granted her the authority to command his children. Especially not the plants of Earth.
She had no choice but to let it go. But this letter would be useless again, so if no reply came from Seoul⋯⋯ this time, surely the trust would crack. If they received such a precious item and still remained silent.
If a reply did come, that was also fine. After not saying a single word all this time, Seoul would only signal willingness to help after Yeon Arang offered up a treasure? That could serve as kindling.
There was nothing better for stoking hatred toward Seoul among her subordinate hunters. Either way, it was enough to stir up conflict. Good.
While the spy elf quietly schemed—
Whoosh—
Count Yeon Arang sent off the small hot-air balloon, clasped her hands together, and prayed quietly in her heart.
Whether it was Buddha or the traditional gods, she prayed to every deity that had any kind of following. To her subordinates, it looked like she was desperately praying for the success of the support request—and about 50 percent of that was true.
'Please, Noah Won⋯⋯ I treasure this photocard⋯⋯!!'
The other 50 percent was none other than the sense of loss from having to send off this precious merch.
You don't have to reply, just keep it safe and don't throw it away. Even if you do reply, take good care of it. Please, just don't let it fall on the way. Even if you lose it, at least let me be able to find it⋯⋯!
And so the seven-year fan sent her treasured possession flying into the sky.
For the well-being of the city-state of Donghae she ruled—with a heart harder than steel!