The Guest

The next day, Lee Han-gyul planned to scout the surrounding area in search of food.

He never expected a guest to show up first.

"Huh? Someone's coming?"

"What…? Who?"

"Over there — the woman who ditched you at the very end!"

Han-gyul looked out the window.

Someone was struggling through the blizzard, fighting their way toward the cabin. Through the folds of a thick green robe, a familiar face came into view.

"Hye-yoon?"

He wondered how Lee Hye-yoon had managed to find this place at all. Then her Archery skill came to mind.

Right. She has Clairvoyance.

A skill that let her examine anything within a thousand li. It was the same ability that had once pinpointed the Demon King's location.

Knock, knock.

Hye-yoon had already reached the door and was knocking. Han-gyul swallowed hard.

"Han-gyul. It's me — Lee Hye-yoon."

"Ignore her! Just let her freeze to death!! What nerve does she have showing up here?"

"Han-gyul, are you in there?"

Her voice trembled with cold. Han-gyul suddenly remembered what had happened in front of the Demon King's castle, and a bitter smile crossed his face.

She had always taken his side — until he hit max level and still proved nothing. Then she had turned away like the rest of them.

Would opening the door now just make him look like a pushover?

"Han-gyul, I need to talk to you."

He sighed and reached for the latch.

"Wait, wait! You're letting her in?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"You're serious? She abandoned you! You don't have to do this, do you?"

"……"

As Han-gyul hesitated, Goat let out a sigh of surrender.

"…Fine. Open it."

"You sure?"

"That's what you want, isn't it? But only for a little while! The Home Base is your space."

"Got it."

Han-gyul opened the door.

Hye-yoon stood there looking utterly haggard.

"…Hye-yoon?"

Snow clung to her eyelashes, and her lips had turned a deep, bloodless blue. This was the woman who had always carried herself with perfect composure, rain or shine.

"Are you all right? Come inside!"

At his urging, she stepped carefully into the cabin. From the outside it looked like a shabby little hut — she had expected the freezing wind to whistle straight through the walls.

It's warm…

Not a single draft stirred inside. The air was thick with gentle heat. And then there was the silence. The moment Han-gyul shut the door, the howling wind cut off completely, as if it had never existed.

For a second, Hye-yoon felt as though she had crossed into another world entirely.

"Please, sit here."

"Thank you…"

Han-gyul pulled out a wooden chair and dragged a brazier of glowing coals in front of her. Then he poured tea from a pot he had already set to steep.

"It's brewed from Ruiria herbs."

"Thank you."

Hye-yoon pushed back her hood and took a sip. The flavor was similar to green tea. As the warmth slid down her throat, the ice in her limbs began to loosen, bit by bit.

"Feeling any better?"

"Yes…… But how did you get Ruiria herbs? They don't grow in the south."

"Ah — I had some left over from an old quest. Figured I might as well use them."

Hye-yoon looked around the cabin. Something about the place felt strangely familiar. On one wall hung a familiar inscription.

"That's from back then…"

"That's right. You carved it for me. If I'd built this cabin alone, it would have been a nightmare. You helped me so much."

"So that cabin… ended up here?"

"Yeah…… Looks that way."

Hye-yoon couldn't begin to understand how, but she decided to let it go. This was another world — stranger things happened every day. A house teleporting itself was well within the realm of possibility.

Besides, that wasn't what mattered right now.

"Han-gyul, this cold isn't ordinary cold."

"Sorry? Ah — right."

"I'm not speaking in metaphors! This cold came from the Demon Realm."

"From the Demon Realm?"

For a moment, Hye-yoon hesitated. Should she tell him the truth about what had happened at the Demon King's castle? Telling the truth would mean breaking the pact she had made with the others.

After a long internal struggle, she chose not to reveal it.

"Yes…… After we defeated the Demon King, a gate suddenly opened and the cold poured out."

"Did the Demon King plan it in advance? Knowing he was going to die?"

"Probably. Anyway — the whole world is in chaos because of this cold."

"So it really wasn't ordinary cold. Goat, your instincts were right after all."

"Pardon?"

"Ah — nothing. So how is everyone holding up?"

Hye-yoon might have thought she was the only one keeping secrets, but Han-gyul was doing the same. He made no mention of Goat's existence. Instinct told him that revealing it would do no good.

"Everyone went back to their own places. But the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠cold is so severe…… I don't know what's going to happen to them."

"I see."

"Han-gyul, come with me to the Paronan Kingdom."

"…What?"

Hye-yoon set down her cup.

"There aren't many places that can withstand this cold. I don't know how you've managed to keep this house so warm, but…… you can't live forever in the middle of a snowfield, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠can you? If we go to the Paronan Kingdom, we'll be able to hold out."

Part of her reason for making the offer was a desire for forgiveness — for failing to stop him back then. If that day had never happened, Han-gyul would never have come south alone, and she would never have had to fight through a brutal blizzard to find his cabin.

Han-gyul could sense the goodwill behind her words.

And yet…

"I'm fine."

"Han-gyul!"

"I've survived a snowy mountain before."

"This is nothing like a snowy mountain! This is abnormal cold — and it might keep getting worse! If we go to the Paronan Kingdom, at least—"

"I know it would be better."

At that, Hye-yoon fell silent. Han-gyul ran a finger along the rim of his cup.

"The Paronan Kingdom is the largest, wealthiest place in this world."

"I know that. So why?"

"I don't want to be a burden anymore."

In that moment, Han-gyul found himself hoping she would say something — anything. No. You're not a burden, Han-gyul. Even if it wasn't sincere, he might have let his heart tip and agreed to go with her to the Paronan Kingdom.

But Hye-yoon only looked at him with cool, level eyes.

"Isn't surviving more important than that?"

There was no denial in those words. No insistence that he wasn't a burden. Han-gyul dropped his gaze. It felt as though a hole had been punched clean through his chest all over again.

Unaware of any of this, Hye-yoon opened her mouth to press the point further.

"Is this about pride? You don't have to worry about that. I'm going to the Paronan Kingdom with the elves, and—"

"Master. Time's up."

Goat's voice suddenly filled the cabin. Hye-yoon jumped at the unfamiliar sound; Han-gyul flinched at Goat revealing themselves without warning.

The tone was completely different from usual. Only then did Han-gyul realize Goat was putting on a robot act — a rather clumsy one, at that.

"Ah…… That's, uh, an AI assistant that manages the house. Magic. Haha."

"There's magic like that? I didn't know you had a talent for it, Han-gyul."

So that's why the house is so warm.

Hye-yoon nodded and rose from her ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠chair.

"The homeowner can't be the one to leave. I understand what that means, so I'll be going now."

"Hye-yoon!"

"I have Clairvoyance — I'll be fine. I'll find a safe route."

She pulled her robe tight around herself again, then paused with her hand on the door.

"Han-gyul."

"Yes?"

She almost said I'm sorry about back then — but the words wouldn't come.

"……The tea was lovely. I'll see you again."

Buried in those words was a quiet plea: Please survive. Han-gyul heard it clearly.

"Take care."

He ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠bowed his head. Hye-yoon offered a small smile, then opened the door and stepped out into the raging blizzard.

After Hye-yoon left, I immediately glared at the status window.

"Goat! Why did you just jump in like that? You'd been staying quiet the whole time!"

"That woman was being so annoying. What does she know about you, bossing you around like that?"

"So the life-support energy thing — that was a lie?"

"It wasn't a lie! Anyway… the Home Base is a place for you alone. Not for traitors!"

I wanted to argue that Hye-yoon wasn't a traitor — but the words wouldn't leave my mouth.

I can't really say she isn't, can I.

In the end, I was alone in this snowfield.

"Hah…… Fine. Next time, don't just jump in out of nowhere. Got it? At least give me a heads-up first."

"Gotcha!"

Having turned down even Hye-yoon's offer, I now had no choice but to survive here for real. First priority: food.

I pulled on a mask and goggles, layered myself in thick furs, and prepared to head out.

"Oh, going exploring?"

"Yeah. I should at least check the area before nightfall. We're low on food — I can't afford to waste a whole day."

"Good thinking! Then grab some Heating Stones too!"

A few Heating Stones remained in the storage chest — leftovers from the Surviving the Snowy Mountain quest.

"Just two, maybe?"

"Yeah, that should be plenty!"

I pocketed the Heating Stones, opened the door, and stepped outside. Instantly, a cold, razor-edged wind slammed into me like a whirlpool.

"WAAAAAH!!! What is this WIND!!!"

"Mmm—! Now THAT'S a proper blizzard!!"

"I can barely see anything through this snow!"

"Don't worry! I'll guide you!"

I planted a stick carved from wood and began advancing one careful step at a time. The homemade crampons on my boots crunched through the ice.

"Goat! What do you see?! The snow's too thick!"

"Hmm…… That way! Let's go that way!"

"Which way is 'that way'?!"

"Up ahead — see that round hill? Something's on the other side of it! I can feel a concentrated power!"

Concentrated power…?

I came out here looking for food. Still, I followed Goat's directions and climbed the hill. On the far side, a forest came into view.

"It's the Ice Forest!"

Perhaps because the cold had struck so suddenly, the trees still wore their full green foliage — sealed inside thick shells of ice. It looked as though time itself had stopped.

Incredible. Was this really cold from the Demon Realm?

As I drew closer to the forest, the snowfall thinned, as if I had crossed into some kind of boundary zone.

"Whew… finally. The snow's lighter from here on."

"Wait! There's something up ahead!"

Whether it was Goat's warning or something else, an ominous energy seemed to radiate from within the frozen woods. Testing the ground the way one might tap a stone bridge, I carefully extended my stick forward.

And then—

Crack.

"What the—?!"

"Ack?! I-it froze!!"

The moment the stick crossed some invisible line, it froze solid in an instant. Impossible. That fast?!

So this really wasn't ordinary cold.

"Try a Heating Stone."

I wasn't sure it would work — but this was advice from a Survival Master. In this domain, Goat far outclassed me.

I pulled out a Heating Stone and spoke the activation word.

The Heating Stone flared a deep red, and a wave of warmth bloomed outward. A protective barrier formed around me almost immediately.

An artifact forged from processed magic stone. I'd grumbled about the price when I bought it — but the effect was rock solid.

"Oh, it works!"

"Heh. Told you."

From inside the Heating Stone's barrier, I extended the rest of the stick. It no longer froze. Hands, feet, then my whole body — I passed through the boundary with ease. The forest interior was open to me now.

"More importantly — what's even in here? Is there a reason we have to go this far?"

"I don't know either!"

"What?"

"I just…… have a feeling! Like we need to go."

What kind of answer was that?

Manager Choi's favorite phrase flickered through my mind unbidden. But before long, a strange object came into view deeper in the forest. I ducked behind a tree and peered out carefully.

"What is that…?"

A blue sphere floated in midair, pulsing like a heart. Mana of some kind……?

Was it safe to approach?

"Goat…? Goat! What are you doing? What now?"

"……Let's get closer."

"To that thing?"

"Yeah."

Goat's tone had gone completely serious. Swept up in that gravity, I approached with careful steps.

What on earth was about to happen?

"This power…… I think I can use it."

"What…?"

"Can you reach your hand toward it?"

Goat spoke with absolute conviction. I stretched out my hand.