Chapter 92
Chapter 92
13. The Donghae Gate Incident -3
The plant horde was slaughtered with absurd speed. To the Donghae hunters who had been fighting tooth and nail, everything they had faced until now felt like a joke. And at the center of it all stood a woman called Elijah.
Flick.
With just a light movement of her fingers, a monster over ten meters long split in half. Judging by the gleaming thread-lines that flashed with every motion, she seemed to be hurling invisible slashes through the air.
Countess Yeon Arang turned her head, intending to ask Lee Hyejin—someone she was already acquainted with—about who this woman was.
"Whoa, shit⋯⋯"
"⋯⋯⋯⋯?"
Lee Hyejin was also staring at the scene of mass slaughter in admiration. It wasn't just Yeon Arang—Hyejin was equally curious about this visitor from another world. What kind of person was she?
"Hmm."
"Hmmmm⋯⋯"
Yeon Arang and Lee Hyejin watched the monsters being carved apart and fell deep into thought.
Donghae had nothing valuable enough to warrant a hunter of that caliber coming to its rescue. Seoul was the same. In the first place, the Republic of Korea as a whole didn't possess the wealth to hire an S-rank hunter.
Lee Hyejin could stretch her thoughts a little further. Seoul was already starved for resources. And if you asked whether Donghae was important enough for Noah to spend a fortune hiring an S-rank hunter—no, it wasn't.
Which meant.
Yeon Arang and Lee Hyejin reached the same conclusion. This person called Elijah had most likely come to help based on nothing more than her personal connection with Noah Won.
Once their thoughts reached that point, a new question bloomed. Who was she? No—what kind of relationship was it?
'Someone even Hyejin, Noah Won's right hand, doesn't know⋯⋯'
'Someone Noah can trust with work, even though I—his right hand—don't know her⋯⋯'
If that was the case⋯⋯!!
The two of them lifted their heads and thought simultaneously.
'⋯⋯Could she be his girlfriend?'
'No way, Noah has a girlfriend?!'
"Hehehe!"
Elijah moved her fingers as if conducting an orchestra, and the two gazes fixed on her deepened in intensity. Both of their minds remained tangled until the battle was nearly over.
Noah Won, who had been slowly wrapping up the fight while protecting their allies, watched the scene and raised the corner of his mouth.
'Analyzing Elijah, are they⋯⋯ Hyejin's one thing, but that's Countess Yeon Arang for you. She hasn't lost her edge.'
No matter how much of an ally Noah Won vouched for, analysis was necessary until she could verify with her own eyes. And with future cooperation in mind, assessing someone's capabilities was always the right call.
Having two such thorough people as allies was truly reassuring. Noah Won felt deeply satisfied.
After the battle ended, an impromptu conference was held among the leaders. The participants were my party plus Countess Yeon Arang—four people in total.
From what I'd heard before, Hyejin and Countess Yeon Arang were old acquaintances, and so were the Countess and I. The only real newcomer was Elijah⋯⋯ so I'd expected the conversation to flow in a fairly relaxed state.
"⋯⋯⋯⋯"
"⋯⋯⋯⋯"
The atmosphere was more awkward than I'd expected. What was this?
Were they tense because Elijah's combat strength looked stronger than expected? Well, even I wouldn't be able to drop my guard if Countess Yeon Arang suddenly showed up with Max Owen in tow. I'd be wondering how she pulled it off, too.
But Hyejin had no reason to be wary. I'd verbally explained my capabilities to Seoul's people⋯⋯ but it seemed she couldn't really feel it since I'd never shown her directly.
Well. It had been quite a while since I'd used my power in Seoul, hadn't it. Sooner or later, while I was at it with cleaning up the forest, it would be good to properly show what I could do.
If things went well, I'd be absorbing Countess Yeon Arang's faction too, so expanding the anti-plant front was essential if I wanted to create land for them to live on.
Let's set future matters aside for now. First, I'd like the three of them to get along. At the very least, they should be able to converse naturally⋯⋯
Perhaps she'd read my intent, because Hyejin raised a hand and posed a question at just the right moment.
"⋯⋯Um, I think you should start with introductions. Noah."
At that, Elijah stepped forward herself, puffed out her chest, and spoke.
"Aha, we were in the middle of battle just now, so it's understandable you didn't catch it. To introduce myself again, I'm Elijah!"
"No, I—I heard that earlier. That's not what I—"
"Are you concerned about this arm? I'm an android!"
"That's not it!"
Stomp!
Hyejin took a big step forward and, in a tone that was somehow deeply awkward, pressed Elijah.
"⋯⋯A-are you, by any chance, Noah's girlfriend⋯⋯?!"
"⋯⋯⋯⋯?"
Ah.
I could see what she was misunderstanding. I let out a hollow laugh and tried to smooth things over. Elijah and I weren't in that kind of relationship. It should be obvious at a glance—I had no idea why she'd gotten that impression.
Swish—
Elijah stretched out an arm and stopped me before I could speak. I rolled my eyes to read her expression, and beneath Elijah's smiling eyes, mischief and curiosity were sparkling in abundance. Was she planning to get friendly with them on her own?
Elijah clapped her hands lightly to shift the mood, then spoke brightly.
"Ahh, hmm—I don't know much about that kind of relationship, you see. I've rarely had the experience of making friends, so I'm not sure exactly what you're curious about. If it's not too much trouble, could I first hear about your relationships with Noah? I'll infer from that information and give you an answer!"
"⋯⋯⋯⋯"
Whoosh. Sparks flew from Hyejin's eyes. She revealed her blazing loyalty in full and spat out her answer as if making a speech. A hint of competitiveness was visible too. I wasn't sure what she wanted to compete over, though.
"I am, well! The commander of the Seoul city-state Hunter Special Operations Unit! And Noah's right hand, who's been working on the same team with him for over five years now!"
"Wow!"
But when Elijah's innocent reaction came back, her momentum deflated. It seemed that wasn't the response she'd wanted. Judging that she needed reinforcements, Hyejin flapped her hands and dragged in the innocent bystander Yeon Arang.
"⋯⋯Now! Countess Yeon Arang, you too!"
"⋯⋯Me?"
Flap flap.
"I am⋯⋯"
Countess Yeon Arang kept silent for about three syllables, as if swallowing what she'd been about to say. After a long, long deliberation, she produced an answer with a cool expression.
"⋯⋯A former coworker."
"I see!"
No. You could rate me a little higher than "former coworker." Yeon Arang.
If we'd risked our lives fighting together, I deserved to be called a comrade-in-arms at least, but she was as cold and dry as ever. She drew the line so clearly it was almost chilling.
Yeon Arang pushed up her glasses and asked, as if interrogating.
"⋯⋯So, what is your relationship with Noah Won, Miss Elijah?"
Elijah's answer was quick. Since it contained nothing but flat facts, it could only be quick.
"You could call us friends! Right, Noah?"
"That's right. Now that introductions are about wrapped up, shall we move? Countess Yeon Ar—Director. There's a lot to discuss, but none of it is meant to be talked about in the forest."
And so the self-introduction session ended cleanly.
Yeon Arang twitched one eyebrow, then took control of the hunters under her command and prepared for the return.
"Ah, right. I'll guide you. All units—maintain formation and return to Donghae. Even if you're attacked by plants, Noah Won will save you, but if you receive help due to negligence in your own perimeter watch, you'll be given penalty points. Move out."
"M-move out!!"
Her control was as firm as ever.
I was⋯⋯
'The No. 1 fan of idol Noah Won⋯⋯!! The fan who honestly couldn't sing along, the fan who bought ten copies just to go to a fan signing! So what happened to your photocard—you didn't throw it away, did you? You brought it with you, right? I know you don't like the early days, but honestly, you should think about the fan's perspective too—'
⋯⋯A former coworker.
Burying the silent scream of the heart that lay in the gap between those two things, Countess Yeon Arang skillfully commanded the hunters under her and advanced through the forest. Then, before anyone could ask, Noah Won stepped out one pace ahead and took on the role of scout.
"Let's angle a bit to the left. There's a plant cluster."
"—Three steps to the left. Right flank scout Hunter Ibalam, don't advance any further—return and rejoin the main force."
A familiarity long forgotten by time suddenly surfaced. Right—this was what it felt like to enter an operation with Noah Won.
He observed the forest with that peculiar "eye" of his, as if seeing straight through it, and rooted out hidden monsters. The result was the sensation of having a human radar attached to the unit.
"One 『Erect Violet』 dead ahead. I'll handle it."
Shhk—!
And on top of that, the human radar even came with an automatic interception function.
But in the time she hadn't seen him, Noah Won seemed to have advanced another step. He'd always been able to read plant movements and sever their roots before they could even try anything.
"D-did you see that just now? He vanished in an instant!"
"I couldn't see it. He seems to be an acquaintance of the Countess—what kind of person is he⋯⋯?"
"You don't know him because he's new blood. That, what was it. Back in the day, the honorary duke⋯⋯"
When he'd dealt with the 『Erect Violet』 just now, he'd closed in before the plant could even react and driven his blade into its vitals. It was fast enough that the hunters under her command had gasped and started murmuring.
Honestly, even to Yeon Arang's A-rank eyes, all she'd seen was a faint afterimage.
The guy who used to fight three-on-one against hunters of his own rank had gotten even stronger. And that guy had come to Donghae.
Countess Yeon Arang forcibly pressed down the corners of her mouth that were trying to rise. One hunter arriving wouldn't magically solve all of Donghae's problems⋯⋯ but still, for some reason, she found herself holding onto hope. At the very least, maybe he'd deal with the anomalous gate situation.
Noah Won shook the fluid off his shortsword and fell in beside Yeon Arang to ask.
"So⋯⋯ was that a Support Request?"
"What do you mean? Of course⋯⋯ it was a Support Request. I wrote everything down."
"When we received it, it was blank. An empty letter with no trace of anything written or printed on it. So we couldn't discern the intent and couldn't act."
"What?"
Blank?
It was a support request letter she'd written, pressing down hard with a fountain pen. The last letter she'd sent had even contained sentences that were somewhat pathetic in their desperation—and now he was saying it had become blank at some point?
"Was it swapped?"
"I changed the courier three times, and the last letter I loaded myself and sent up in a hot-air balloon. It shouldn't have been shot down mid-flight, either. Did it happen with the last one too?"
"Yes. It was blank. I came because the photocard enclosed with it seemed strange."
"Where's that photocard⋯⋯ no, so the letter was blanked out but the photocard was fine? Hmm."
Physically impossible. And nine times out of ten, this kind of thing involved a hunter. Among awakened hunter abilities, there were occasionally peculiar cases like Noah Won's.
Yeon Arang and Noah Won reached a quick judgment. Some bastard had interfered along the way.
"What was written in it?"
"A blue anomalous gate. It formed flush against the ground, not in the air, and it hasn't released a single monster so far⋯⋯ but it's steadily growing in size. It's a situation I've never encountered before."
"⋯⋯⋯⋯"
"For solving this⋯⋯ or at least responding to it, you're the only person I could think of, aside from Oh Sanghun who ran off to New York and Park Sihu down south. Sorry for expecting too much. But you were the only one I could reach out to."
The explanation was calm.
But Yeon Arang's fist was clenched so tightly the skin had turned white. She was at the edge of a cliff, grasping at even a straw.
The reason she didn't show it, though, was surely that she wanted to make clear that even if Noah Won failed, the responsibility lay entirely with Yeon Arang herself. She had always been someone who knew how to carry burdens.
—One day, the Bound King decided to cross a river, but his vassals were lazy and the preparations were not finished. So the King bound his vassals tightly with rope, hoisted them all onto his shoulders, and crossed alone⋯⋯
Noah Won briefly recalled the legend of the 『Master Binder (主縛)』 he had heard on Andersen's planet. But he soon shook it from his head.
"Is there anything else? Donghae's problems don't seem to be just that. You look like you've lost some weight. Countess Yeon Arang."
"⋯⋯You can see for yourself—mutant plant variants have appeared. The seaweed in the ocean has started turning into monsters too, so it's been hard. That's why food supply is dwindling. But isn't it the same everywhere else? Seoul⋯⋯ must have it worse than here, if anything."
"⋯⋯Hmm."
Starvation is hell.
In Yeon Arang's mind, Noah Won and Lee Hyejin were simply not showing it⋯⋯ but their heads must be just as tangled with all sorts of worries. Citizens would be demanding rations, and hunters would be nursing grievances.
From that, all manner of tragedies would be born. Mothers abandoning their own children out of hunger, people rampaging in desperation and meeting death at the hands of hunters, hunters demanding better treatment rather than giving rations to such useless people.
Yeon Arang's eyelids trembled faintly. Fatigue and stress had piled up to overflowing. The fact that all this hell was merely a prelude weighed on her chest.
The life ahead would surely be even more grueling.
Elijah tilted her head slowly and asked Yeon Arang. Her expression was full of curiosity again, but some curiosities are solemn and heavy.
"Then why didn't you give up, Yeon Arang? There are easier choices in the world. I don't think this planet lacks such concepts."
"Because living even a little longer is better for everyone than being swept away and killed by a gate⋯⋯ That's why I called you. The point of life-prolonging treatment is to give someone a chance, isn't it? Some people would say they'd rather die than suffer, but just having the ability to choose—or not—has meaning in itself."
Choice.
She had no intention of denying that some people, unable to endure the pain, would rather die early.
But even if 99% wished for death, if even one person thought "I want to live longer," then a choice made to grant that—even for just one more second.
In her days as a working professional, Countess Yeon Arang had worked as an HR manager at a major corporation, and her efforts had been solely for that purpose. Because even in the Republic of Korea facing the apocalypse, she didn't want to hand out termination notices.
"⋯⋯⋯⋯"
"⋯⋯⋯⋯"
Lee Hyejin and Noah Won quietly exchanged glances.
Yeon Arang was sending them a look of kinship that said, "You too, right?"—but they had eaten their fill before departing, and in Seoul even ordinary citizens could occasionally chew on a hamburger. So they felt sorry for not being able to sympathize.
Because Seoul had escaped that hell long ago.
"We've arrived. Our city-state of Donghae⋯⋯ sincerely welcomes Noah Won, leader of the city-state of Seoul, and his party."
Creeeak—
As she pushed open the rusted iron gate, the scenery of Donghae that revealed itself fully displayed the atmosphere of the apocalypse era. No matter how you looked at it, it was a dying city, and Noah Won made a decision.
"First, let's release the food. Elijah⋯⋯ is it okay on credit?"
"Yes! Noah may be a debtor, but he's not a credit delinquent!"
"⋯⋯⋯⋯?"
What was that supposed to mean? Yeon Arang blinked.
What did he mean, release food here? How?
Ruuuumble—!!
"Meat, it's meat! Not fish—real meat!"
"There's also stuff that looks like weird blocks—looks like you can eat those too!"
"Eggs... how long has it been since we've seen eggs... no, more importantly, this amount—what the hell!"
Food poured from thin air.