Chapter 163: For the Queen of the North
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 163: For the Queen of the North
“No matter how I think about it, I can’t quite grasp the Boss’s intentions this time.”
“It’s the same for me. But it’s his will, so we have no choice but to follow…”
In Wintergarden, the great city that could be called the heart of the North, Oh Inhwan, an executive of the leading Cold Wind Guild, spoke with a hint of displeasure.
“No matter how strong she is or how much she’s accomplished, isn’t she just a slip of a girl who’s been here for barely more than three years? Hah… To think we’re going to bow our heads and serve under her. It’s absurd.”
Shin Taeksoo, another executive of the Cold Wind Guild, continued Oh Inhwan’s thought.
“You can’t deny her accomplishments are significant. She’s the woman who began the unification of the scattered North, after all. It’s hard to call her a mere girl anymore. And that’s not all. The number of dungeons she’s conquered and monsters she’s slain, as if she knew the future… she’s solved every problem that has plagued the North. So I can’t say I don’t understand the Boss’s feelings.”
“Tsk… That may be so, but… still, there are ridiculous rumors spreading among the lower ranks that the Boss has fallen for that bitch. You know who I’m talking about. That thief working under Cold Spear Han So-hye. Choi Seulgi…”
“Oh Inhwan. Watch your mouth.”
“I’m not insulting the Boss. But isn’t it a little strange? Making a decision like this after a meeting with a clan executive, not even the clan master… it just doesn’t make any sense. Of course, I can’t imagine our Boss falling for a woman, but there was something off about that one…”
“The meeting between her and the Boss has nothing to do with this. Though it might have helped him make his decision… You’re not saying that without knowing the Boss has been watching Cold Spear for a long time, are you?”
“Well, yes, but…”
“Don’t make me repeat myself, Oh Inhwan. The Boss said that if we don’t like his decision, we are free to leave at any time. That includes us executives. Whatever the reason, if the Boss has decided, we follow. That is the respect we owe the man who took us in and raised us when we were nothing.”
“I know… I know, but…”
Oh Inhwan bit his lip hard. Did he not want to follow? Of course he did. Kang Changhoon, the North Knight, had built the North from the ground up. It was no exaggeration to say he was the central figure who had protected and developed the North while fighting monsters. He was the one who had taken Oh Inhwan in when he was at rock bottom and made it possible for him to live as a man. There was likely no one who had settled in the North without receiving the North Knight’s help.
The shock when such a man announced he would serve under a newly emerged clan was beyond words. Worse, there were even movements in several smaller cities to proclaim Cold Spear Han So-hye as their queen, and they were, in fact, on the verge of a coronation of sorts.
Oh Inhwan slowly began to think about Cold Spear Han So-hye.
He had only ever seen her from a distance, but he already knew she was strong. In terms of sheer force, however, the North Knight was by no means inferior. No, it was obvious to anyone that the Boss was stronger than Han So-hye. He had once gathered the executives and spoken about the size of one’s “vessel,” but honestly, it hadn’t resonated with him.
Of course, the ten small cities that protected the North also supported Cold Spear, but that too was something Oh Inhwan found difficult to understand.
Her martial prowess and leadership were unbelievable for someone in only her third year. Perhaps she was qualified. But then Oh Inhwan remembered Choi Seulgi, the one who served under Han So-hye.
During the meeting, she had worn a friendly smile, but to Oh Inhwan, who had scraped by in the back alleys of Earth, Choi Seulgi’s smile seemed unnatural. He might have been mistaken, but what he saw in her eyes was unmistakable madness. In his experience, people with eyes like hers always ended up causing some kind of trouble.
The type to do anything, by any means, to achieve their goals.
Naturally, his suspicion extended to Han So-hye, who employed such a person as her right hand. But Oh Inhwan could only bite his lip.
It was the Boss’s decision. He had said that if they didn’t want to follow, they could leave the guild with a severance package, but Oh Inhwan believed that no one in the Cold Wind Guild would actually leave the North Knight’s side.
Oh Inhwan let out a sigh without realizing it. Shin Taeksoo spoke to him.
“Let’s get going. The Boss is calling.”
The die was cast. Oh Inhwan nodded.
“Understood.”
Upon entering the Cold Wind Guild’s meeting hall, he saw the Boss sitting in the center as expected. The other executives were seated behind him. Some, like Shin Taeksoo, looked relieved, but the vast majority wore expressions of discontent, just like him. Yet, they were all here.
All the executives had gathered. Looking at them, the North Knight bowed his head.
“You all came. I am truly grateful that you’ve accepted my selfish decision.”
“Not at all, Boss. To be honest, I’m not thrilled about it, but didn’t we all swear to follow you until death? Whatever you decide, I will respect your will.”
“We will follow you down any path.”
The North Knight looked at each of his executives, one by one, with sincere eyes.
“Our guild has done many things together. We settled the land, built a city, and fought and protected it with our lives… After a long time, we’ve reached a position acknowledged by all, but I myself am feeling my limits.”
“Boss, you are not lacking in any way.”
“There is no one in this world who is not lacking. That includes the woman I have decided to follow. But she is different from me. I have lived as the self-proclaimed king of this great city, engraving in my heart the words, ‘Are kings and generals born of a special seed?’ But it is not true that there is no such seed. I realized that when I saw Cold Spear Han So-hye. Her vessel is of a different caliber. I could have rejected her, refused to accept her, and I could have climbed to the top as some of you wished… but that doesn’t suit me… It is a burdensome position.”
“Boss…”
“I am sorry for being a king without ambition… And thank you for coming.”
Oh Inhwan found himself nodding. He could feel the sincerity of his boss, who was bowing his head and genuinely apologizing. This was the kind of man the North Knight was. He was the type who always yielded what was his, protected others, and humbled himself.
“Not at all, Boss. We fully understand your will, and we will all follow you wherever you go.”
“You were the one who saved me when I was crawling in the depths of hell. Whatever choice you make, I will support, cheer for, and follow you.”
“You don’t need to bow your head.”
Listening to the words of his followers, the North Knight slowly straightened up. The Cold Wind Guild was officially disbanded. It would be absorbed into the Winter Clan led by Cold Spear Han So-hye—no, the Winter Guild, as it would now be called.
“Then let’s go.”
And so, the man who was once a king, the North Knight, began to walk. His executives naturally followed behind him. As they all stepped out of the castle gates together for the first time in a long while, Oh Inhwan was suddenly reminded of the old days when they used to go on hunts together.
Outside the castle, a huge crowd was visible. Oh Inhwan kept looking around. To his astonishment, the guild masters of the smaller cities were all in attendance as well. The North Knight’s official announcement must have been what compelled them to come here.
From the Mistletoe Guild to the Glacier Giant Guild, even the master of the Frost Dragon Guild, who rarely showed his face at official events, was present.
‘The North Knight has submitted to Cold Spear.’
The meaning behind this was anything but light. No one could call Cold Spear Han So-hye a rookie anymore. But surely, that wasn’t all. If that woman didn’t have something that drew people to her, this kind of unification would have been impossible in the first place.
Oh Inhwan had to admit that the scale of this was far greater than he had imagined. The sound of his own gulping seemed unnaturally loud.
Everyone was naturally waiting for Cold Spear to approach.
It was then.
“Bwoooooooooo…”
The loud, resonant sound of a horn. Han So-hye had entered the great city of Wintergarden. He had expected cheers to erupt, but the atmosphere was more solemn than he thought. Positioned near the great city’s castle, Oh Inhwan couldn’t see Han So-hye yet, but he felt the air grow heavy just from her arrival in the city.
The closer Cold Spear came, the more the inexplicable pressure seemed to intensify. Oh Inhwan focused a bit of magic into his eyes and began to observe the other guild masters waiting for her.
The famously arrogant cryomancer, the proud master of the Frost Dragon Guild—all of them were kneeling, waiting for Han So-hye.
‘…’
He almost wondered if they had been brainwashed en masse. He’d heard rumors she was a genius, but she was still a rookie who had only recently set foot on this continent. But such useless thoughts vanished the moment he saw Han So-hye walking toward them.
The air was terrifying. He began to feel something around her. It definitely wasn’t magic.
‘Ha…’
The words his boss had spoken before they left came to mind.
‘A special seed for kings and generals.’
It was real.
Her eyes looked down upon everyone with a noble air. Her slow walk was like watching a king from a history book. He wasn’t feeling this just because everyone was looking up to her. In fact, her appearance could be described as shabby. Other than the blue spear on her back, she didn’t look particularly impressive.
But she had an aura. Something that made one’s heart pound. And Oh Inhwan wasn’t the only one feeling it. The more he looked at Cold Spear Han So-hye, the faster his heart beat. It was a different feeling from when he looked at his boss, the man called the North Knight.
‘I want to follow her.’
To his own surprise, Oh Inhwan was having this thought. Her footsteps, which seemed to move one slow step at a time, were heavy. His body began to tremble without him realizing it. The warriors following her also walked a few paces behind, as if following their queen.
Finally.
When the Queen of the North, no longer just Cold Spear, arrived before the great city’s castle and looked upon them all, Oh Inhwan fell to his knees without thinking.
The Queen of the North said nothing. She simply looked silently at the subjects who followed her, then drew her spear and struck the ground. A roar erupted. The first to shout was the North Knight.
“For the Queen of the North!”
“My sword! For the Queen of the North!”
“My spear! For the Queen of the North!”
“My shield! For the Queen of the North!”
Goosebumps covered his entire body. He was witnessing it. He was witnessing the birth of the monarch who would now rule the North.
In the middle of history.
Looking at everyone, Oh Inhwan, too, raised his sword and shouted until his throat was raw.
“For the Queen of the North!”