Chapter 93: Moving Forward
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 93: Moving Forward
‘I will grow stronger.’
Until now, my sole reason for growing stronger was for revenge. That’s still the case. The goal of my new life is, above all, to meet Choi Seulgi and get revenge on the Sword Saint. But after meeting these people and leading the clan, my perception of them has been slowly changing.
They are precious to me as well.
In this situation, the first thing I must do is become stronger. And then, get revenge on that woman. The Spider Clan, most of whom were beheaded by the Queen of the North. That means the Queen of the North is growing stronger than any of them. I’m not certain, but if she can do it, then I definitely can too.
I quietly looked at the weapon I had taken from that woman.
[ Voice of Curse ]
[ A weapon too ambiguous to be called a longsword or a dagger. It was originally a weapon crafted from the scales of a siren living deep in the sea, made at the request of the human she loved. The clear, refreshing sound it made whenever blades clashed was as beautiful as the siren's voice. However, after time passed and the human used this sword to kill the siren, it no longer produced a clear and refreshing sound, but an unpleasant one. It has an additional effect that lowers the stats of enemies directly exposed to the sound. ]
[ Agility +3, Magic +2 ]
It’s good. Not just good. It could be considered top-tier.
I’d been thinking my body was getting heavier, and it seemed the debuff was holding me back, not just the bleeding from my unique ability. I slowly began to think about that woman.
‘Revenge.’
Short hair, crazed eyes. What I must do is, of course, get revenge. She will die a painful death at my hands before her head falls to the Queen of the North.
I bit my lip hard. Even now, I've become incomparably stronger than before. And yet, I was still weak on this continent. This time, I was lucky to survive with the help of the Green Goblins.
But there's only about a year left until our independence. If things continue like this, I won't be able to protect the clan. If I had been as strong as Black Spear, not just the Green Goblin, I could have at least kept them from approaching us so recklessly. I believe I could have not only returned alive but also ensured my clan members escaped safely.
In this one year, I must become at least as strong as Black Spear. Only then can I protect both myself and all my clan members.
And so, a little time passed.
Fortunately, we succeeded in returning Baek Ahyeon safely to the city. The Spider completely vanished after clashing with the Green Goblins once, which allowed the survivors to escape one by one. The rescue team dispatched from the small city of Legius had also been completely wiped out by the Spider, so it was truly a miracle that anyone returned alive. In Baek Ahyeon's case, we had her re-enter the tunnel we dug and emerge from the south, making it look like she was safely rescued.
Of course, seeing me covered in wounds, Baek Ahyeon was extremely reluctant to go back, but it was a necessary choice.
Naturally, it would be more advantageous to combine the information humans possess with what we've gathered on our own. I never delved deep into the Spider Clan in my past life, so I needed the information Baek Ahyeon could bring.
Sure enough, a few days later, I received some useful information.
[ My Savior... ]
[ Speak. ]
[ Yes... I've only been able to listen to the rumors circulating outside, but I have a general idea. I heard the woman's name is Park Hyeri. I also heard she was originally active in the East, but I am still investigating why she is in the West. Considering her behavioral patterns, the most likely conclusion is a simple whim... ]
[ I see... ]
She was definitely a Spider I had no memory of. Of course, for a third-rate swordsman like me, the information I could access was quite limited, so sensitive details about groups like the Spider Clan were naturally hard to come by. The only ones I knew of were one or two who were truly famous.
[ Anything else? ]
[ Y-Yes! I don't know if this information will be helpful, but she is 22 years old. It's been six years since she came here, and exactly three years after joining a clan, she killed all its members and fled the city. Her whereabouts after that were unknown, but it seems she joined the Spider Clan a year ago. ]
[ Her unique ability is also under investigation, but it's presumed to be a power that uses sound. Her class is being identified as some type of swordsman, and I heard that once more information is gathered, they will set out to hunt her. ]
[ Hmm... You've done well. ]
[ N-Not at all! My Savior. P-Please... take care of your precious body... ]
The fact that I was injured must have been quite a shock to Baek Ahyeon, as she would occasionally send messages like this. Being worried over didn't feel bad.
After finishing the communication, I started walking.
Of course, my body wasn't yet in a condition to train, so I focused on recovery, as did the others.
Anyway, time passed. On the 20th day of Mev's confinement and the 10th day of Gark and Hark's, I decided to visit them. As I slowly got up, I could feel my body was definitely recovering, perhaps thanks to Hakajin.
I waved off the goblins who tried to follow me and walked on, and soon the wooden prison holding them came into view. Of course, it was a prison that Gark and Hark could have easily broken out of, but naturally, they wouldn't make such a foolish choice. I heard they weren't even accepting the food I secretly tried to pass them, which showed how strong their resolve was.
Finally, I entered the place with the prison-that-wasn't-a-prison and saw them. Gark and Hark were sitting motionless. Mev, in another cell, naturally looked gloomy. First, I spoke to the brothers.
“Is it bearable?”
“It is! But this is a punishment from Blood Dagger!”
“We must suffer even more. We are only grateful to Blood Dagger for his mercy.”
Even though I had given them the extreme punishment of taking their names, they smiled faintly when I arrived. They had lost weight, so not eating must have been agonizing. As an aside, Gark had refused to have his arm reattached.
The search party later found Gark's arm and recommended reattaching it with healing magic, but Gark refused, saying it was the price for his sin. When I told him to atone for his sin, I meant it symbolically, but it seemed Gark truly intended to live as a one-armed warrior.
Thankfully, Hark, who had regained his senses, had no physical abnormalities or other side effects. But he wore a slightly bitter smile as he looked at his brother who had lost an arm.
They may bicker with each other, but it seems brothers are brothers after all. I'd even heard that the Goblin Three Sisters occasionally visited. I didn't know if they were going to throw stones at their brothers or to console them, but I thought the situation could be quite amusing.
I turned my gaze from them to Mev. Honestly, she was a pitiful sight. Her hair was disheveled and her eyes were swollen. Her drooping wings showed just how disheartened she was.
“Mev.”
“Ch-Chieftain, I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Chieftain.”
The moment I spoke, Mev began to sob. I spoke to her once more.
“I'm not trying to blame you, Mev.”
“B-But...”
“Your actions were undeniably wrong. We were lucky this time and the outcome was good, but we can't guarantee we'll be lucky again if something like this happens in the future. That's why I revoked your position as a sub-leader.”
“I know... I'm s-sorry, Chieftain. It's not because of the sub-leader position...”
I knew exactly what Mev was worried about.
“I haven't lost my trust in you. On the contrary...”
“I'm grateful.”
At my words, tears burst from Mev's eyes once again. It seemed she had been suffering a great deal, one way or another. She probably thought she was being abandoned.
“Sob... sob...”
Between the Forest Worm's burrow and now, I felt like I'd been seeing Mev cry a lot recently, and it hurt my heart. I slowly reached my hand into the cell and stroked Mev's head. Feeling my touch, she continued to sob for a long time.
More time passed.
Mev, Gark, and Hark were only able to eat after enduring for 50 days, and the moment they were released from confinement, they began swinging their swords with frightening intensity. This atmosphere wasn't limited to just them. In fact, this mood had been maintained for quite some time.
Even the lowest-ranking goblins were focusing on training and mock battles with terrifying intensity.
They, too, had realized it. They realized that our clan was by no means the strongest here. Everyone remembered the pain of that day.
Some were growing by overcoming the pain of leaving their chieftain behind, some the pain of a comrade's death, and some the pain of their own powerlessness.
In Gark's case, I was a bit pessimistic about whether he could generate the same power as before with only one arm, but he brilliantly regained his old pace with remarkable speed and was even continuing to grow stronger.
Hark was also getting stronger, and the gap between him and the new Hark was gradually shrinking. Mev was the same. If her goal before had been evolution, now she was clearly chasing something intangible.
Ragia and Hakajin were also continuing to grow. Hakajin, who had no talent as a shaman, was focusing on recovery magic rather than trying to delve into all kinds of spells, and Ragia was also blindly focused on training.
Interestingly, the one who showed the most remarkable growth was Jung Hayeon.
After the incident, she devoted herself to training day and night. Outside of the time she spent with me, she was constantly moving her body or her magic, and she barely even slept. I couldn't know for sure, but it seemed that being unable to help me in the burrow and my return in a half-dead state had been an enormous shock to her.
‘You can't get hurt. I'll protect you.’
It was the voice I heard inside the tent. She must have muttered it thinking I was asleep, but I heard her voice clearly. Remembering that voice, I, too, devoted myself relentlessly to training.
I researched how to better utilize my unique ability, my demon body, and my Gladiator class, moving as ceaselessly as Jung Hayeon. There were no visible results, but the undeniable fact was that we were advancing.
We keep moving forward.
The clan had certainly suffered a great wound.
But wounds heal. New flesh grows, and tougher skin fills its place. The memory remains, but that memory is the driving force that makes us stronger.
New children are also continuously being born. The clan was growing larger, overcoming its painful wound and becoming stronger.
Continuously, ceaselessly, we are advancing.
And so, we were moving forward.