Chapter 184: A Welcome Reunion
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 184: A Welcome Reunion
It wasn't a voice of reprimand, asking what she was doing here. It was a voice of genuine curiosity, and Ragia found herself speaking before she knew it.
“I was… tidying the tent.”
“Thank you for your hard work.”
His eyes seemed to hold genuine gratitude. As Ragia swallowed once, Blood Dagger spoke again.
“Speaking of which, I have something to discuss with you. This is good timing. Have a seat.”
“Yes. I understand.”
Ragia nodded. She hoped he might mention the map, but she thought it unlikely. If he had intended to speak of it, he would have done so long ago.
“I’ll need you to manage the clan for a few months.”
“Yes.”
“It will take a month at the earliest, three at the most, so I need you to run the clan well until then. Finish the combat training information room that’s currently under construction after you’ve met with Hakajin, and it would be good to work with Lee Wanyong to create books with the humans.”
“I understand.”
“Additionally, take the current trainees to the eastern forest, begin their magical beast hunting training, and clear a path to the ore vein. It’s fine to receive help from the Goff Clan and the Black Spear Clan. If anything urgent comes up, contact me directly. I’ll be returning to the clan every few days, so you can report to me then.”
“Will you be leaving completely?”
“Not completely. I’ll visit often, so there’s no need to worry.”
Ragia nodded. Blood Dagger often left the clan, but in the past, she had always understood why. He would tell her the reason. But since he hadn't said a single word about the Spider, she could feel that he intended to bear this burden alone.
‘Am I not trusted?’
That couldn’t be it. Raising the clan was also important. Ragia shook her head, trying to dispel the useless thoughts that kept surfacing.
“You don’t look well.”
“Ah… yes.”
“Is there a problem?”
There was no problem. It seemed her composure had broken due to her feelings of inadequacy. She wanted to ask about the Spider, but the words wouldn't come out. Instead, Ragia found herself asking a more fundamental question.
“If… if it’s not too much trouble, may I ask a question?”
“Go ahead.”
“Why… did you choose me as the Prime Executive?”
Ragia began to look at Blood Dagger. He seemed a little surprised, as if he hadn't expected the question, and touched one of his horns.
“It seems you’re finding it difficult.”
“It’s not that… I am simply curious.”
“First, you are far more capable than you think. I’m not talking about combat strength. In the same sense, Hakajin is also capable, but you are different. You know what will benefit the clan and what will harm it. You can view the clan with a colder, more objective perspective than anyone else. It was the same with Najin, Kurajin, and Gaon. I believed you would always make rational judgments, and I simply thought you were the most suitable for the position.”
“..............................”
“And more than anything…”
Ragia swallowed. Soon, Blood Dagger’s voice struck her ears.
“...it’s because I thought you were the most like me.”
Her body trembled. Her tail curled, and a jolt of electricity seemed to shoot up her spine. It was a kind of pleasure. She could never have predicted such an answer.
“You are the most like me. That is the only reason I entrusted this position to you.”
Her heart felt like it would burst. It was a clear overestimation. But Ragia smiled, truly delighted.
“Th… thank… you.”
Her voice trembled uncontrollably. When she finally finished speaking and looked up, Blood Dagger was nodding.
“Don’t be anxious. You are doing much better than you think.”
“I will live up to your expectations.”
She felt as if a great weight had been lifted. After leaving Blood Dagger’s tent, Ragia immediately made her way to Gark’s tent.
She didn’t know how long it would take. She knew her own shortcomings better than anyone. But she had to move. To meet his expectations, to be of use to the clan, to be of use to him, Ragia raised her dagger.
*
Watching Ragia leave the tent, I nodded to myself. It wasn't a lie just to make her feel better. She is certainly more capable and has more potential than she thinks.
I had vaguely sensed that she hadn’t been looking well recently, and it seemed she was under a great deal of stress in her own way. Seeing her leave the tent with a slightly more relaxed expression after our conversation, I started to feel a little relieved.
There was also some truth to what I said about her being the most like me. She is colder than I am. When given an order, she carries it out and moves rationally. She prioritizes the clan's benefit above all else and always pursues practical gain.
Ragia is more suitable than anyone to either fill my role or assist me from the side. I was confident she would do well this time, too.
After clearing my head of those stray thoughts, I sent a communication to Jang Ye Ri. I wanted to consult with her about what I’d learned from today’s reconnaissance. She was also on a tedious journey for a meeting, so I thought she would welcome my call.
[Jang Ye Ri]
[What is it, my mate? Do you miss me already?]
[I called because I wanted to hear your voice, and also to confirm a few things.]
[I'm happy to hear you say that, even if it's just words.]
She probably guessed that my true purpose was the latter. But judging by her cheerful tone, she really was happy to hear it.
[It is a wife's natural duty to help her husband. I assume this is about Park Hyeri.]
[It is.]
[I don't particularly enjoy discussing another woman with you, but I'll tell you what I know. There should have been plenty written in the documents... It seems you've been to the southern part of the East.]
I didn't really think of Park Hyeri as a 'woman' in that sense, but she was correct about the latter part.
[Correct. I went today. I saw a few humans hunting, but...]
[Hmm… In places like your Brother’s Land or our great city, there are clearly defined places to settle, but in the swampy southern part of the East, you wouldn't have found any buildings or tents due to the terrain. It's all just clans or guilds coming out to hunt the monsters from the swamps… As the documents stated, that place isn't Park Hyeri's hideout. It's just a map created by compiling data on all the places she has appeared so far.]
[Hmm…]
[The only reason we in the great city could make contact with her was because of the remnants of Hadum. We only ever bought and sold information indirectly, without meeting face-to-face, but now there's no way to contact the Spider Clan.]
Her tone was slightly apologetic, so I sent another message. The information she had given me was already more than I could have asked for. It far surpassed anything I had on my own.
[Jang Ye Ri, I am more than grateful to you. Even the smallest trace or piece of information is crucial right now… Today wasn't a total loss. The traces of battle from human fights and other recent signs have been helpful enough…]
Indeed, looking over the southern part of the East had allowed me to get a better grasp of Park Hyeri. I wasn't as good at reading tracks as Mev, but it seemed Park Hyeri hadn't changed much from the past. Of course, I'm not talking about her level of strength. If anything, the traces I saw made me feel she had grown even stronger than before.
What I saw were…
‘Scars.’
All I saw today in the swamp were various scars carved into rocks and trees, but it gave me a chance to think more about her unique ability—specifically, its range or power. I spoke to Jang Ye Ri again.
[Do humans in the East often go hunting in the swamps?]
[In the case of our city, we have our own hunting grounds, so people don't go down to the southern part of the East. But for the smaller cities nearby, the situation is a bit different. It's a place that summoners who have lost out in the competition are forced to go. Jang Gi Young never cared much about the survival of summoners, which is probably why he left the Spider alone… but seeing as she hasn't shown herself since I became queen…]
[Are you predicting she'll make one last score and then move to another region?]
[That possibility exists. The Spider definitely has informants inside the city. Perhaps one of the yet-unidentified ones has already infiltrated another city. Now that she's realized the system here has changed, this might be the last chance. Our city is also in the process of planning to clean up the Murderers hiding throughout the East.]
Her reasoning was sound, but it wasn't welcome news. The only reason Park Hyeri and others like her used the East as their stage was because the East was corrupt. A city like Somorah actually had connections to the Hound Clan, so it was likely the same for the Spider. I was sure she had informants that even Jang Ye Ri didn't know about.
No matter how strong they are, if an extermination squad moves on the scale of a great city rather than a small one, they'll have no choice but to lay low.
Just as Jang Ye Ri said. If I want to catch Park Hyeri, there will be no better chance than this.
[Hmm…]
[I believe you also have a decent grasp of Park Hyeri. Thinking back to your time in the West, I feel the chances of you finding that woman will be much higher.]
[You’re right.]
Jang Ye Ri was absolutely right. Thinking back to when I was in the West, hunting humans, I'm sure I can find her. I wasn't one to enjoy murder or hunting, but there was a clear similarity in that we both attacked humans.
The reasons were different, but the objective was the same. The target was always human. I was certain that if humans worth hunting were found, Park Hyeri would make her move.
I thought it would be more effective to tail a large clan or a small guild rather than just wandering around the area. I clenched my fist and spoke.
[How is your journey?]
[Aside from being a little delayed because of the unnecessarily large entourage, it's fine. I expect I'll arrive at the meeting place around the time you find the Spider. If you're too busy, I can write down the meeting's contents and send them to you, so don't worry.]
[Thank you. I'll see you after this is over.]
[You, don't get hurt.]
I let out a small laugh and ended the communication. It was obvious, but I had no intention of getting hurt or dying.