The Second Task (2)
The Second Task (2)
If you saw a large pointed hat and an old broomstick, most young people these days would probably think of the second best-selling fantasy novel in the world. The talking hat that assigns dormitories and the sport played on flying broomsticks are just that iconic.
But before that novel came into the world, pointed hats and broomsticks were originally symbols of wicked witches.
For those unfamiliar with witches, think of them as evil women from myths and legends, typically skilled in curses. The term is used universally regardless of race, and depending on the legend, some even referred to evil female fairies as witches.
'Fairies, huh.'
Fairies in myths are often depicted with striking beauty. Considering that Zeus, infamous for his philandering, still couldn't resist taking them into his arms despite foreseeing his wife's wrath, it's easy to imagine. It's proof that even the king of gods lost his reason to their overwhelming beauty.
"Hey, are you listening?"
The very person who had sent me spiraling into these thoughts puffed out her cheeks and tapped my shoulder with her old wand. It was a light poke, devoid of any real force, just to check if I was paying attention. I nodded briefly.
"Yeah."
"Doesn't seem like it."
I narrowed my eyes and met her gaze as she stared right through me. A ridiculously large pointed hat, disproportionate to her petite face, sat atop her head. With her fairy-like beauty, she grinned at my stare and spoke.
"What, staring at my pretty face?"
"No, not that."
I answered dryly and averted my eyes. Why does this girl keep bothering me?
"You're too close. Can you back off a little?"
"Huh? Why should I?"
Her innocent expression left me at a loss for words.
"It's just a bit uncomfortable."
"Eh? I make you uncomfortable?"
She stopped dead in her tracks at my words. When I turned back, she was gaping at me, looking utterly shocked.
"No one's ever said that to me before..."
Did I mishear? Her muttering was too soft to catch. It sounded like she said something strange, but...
As if shaking off her shock, she quickly brightened and stepped even closer.
"Hey, hey. What's your name?"
"Si-woo."
"I'm Ha-rin Joo. Nice to meet you."
"Sure."
I kept my answers as short as possible and followed the guide. We were walking through a dense forest with no clear path, and getting lost was a real risk. Ignoring Ha-rin, who kept chattering beside me, I carefully stepped over scattered branches.
"We're here."
The guide, who had been navigating the forest with a paper map, blinked his heavily bagged eyes and turned to us. I looked around. Just an ordinary forest filled with trees.
What was the point of bringing us here? Just as I was about to question it, the middle-aged mage barked a short command.
"Hurry up and open the barrier."
"Right, right. Let's do that."
The guide, sounding exhausted, clasped his hands together in a seal and muttered.
"...Open."
As his weary voice echoed, small ripples formed in the air before him.
Squeeak—
The air tore open, creating a small hole. Barely large enough for a person at first, it quickly expanded into a proper passage.
And on the other side—someone in a suit similar to the guide's stepped through.
"Senior, you're here?"
"...You take over now."
The first guide plopped down against a tree as if his job was done. Watching him slump over and start snoring lightly, I couldn't help but be impressed. How could anyone sleep in a place like this?
"...Greetings. I'll be guiding you from now on."
The slight tremble in his voice made me turn. The new guide was looking at us with nervous eyes. He was afraid of mages.
"...."
The mages ahead stared holes into the new guide. They clicked their tongues, clearly unwilling to even exchange words with a mere magician, and urged him to lead on. Under their intimidating glares, the guide gulped and nodded.
"F-follow me."
And so, we stepped through the barrier's rift.
"Pathetic barrier. I could blow it apart with a single gesture."
Ha-rin, still glued to my side, muttered loudly enough for me to hear. I turned to look at her, having ignored her until now. Her face was smug, as if saying, How about that? Impressive, right?
Should I respond? After a brief hesitation, I decided to give her the answer she wanted.
"Pretty impressive."
"Hmph! This is nothing."
She flicked her hair dismissively, but I caught sight of her reddened ears peeking through her silky locks. Seems she was more pleased by the praise than she let on.
"You could do this much too, right?"
Adjusting her crooked hat, she pouted and spoke with only one corner of her mouth raised.
"Unlike those bugs up ahead."
Her small, pretty voice carried easily through the quiet forest. I discreetly checked the reactions of the mages leading the way. They must have heard her.
"...."
But they continued walking silently behind the guide, showing no sign of turning around to scold her. Ha-rin smirked at their backs.
"Thought they might have at least a shred of pride left. Guess not."
Keep it down. They'll hear you.
I tapped her shoulder, hoping she'd take the hint.
"What, you're touching me now?"
Glare! She shot me a sharp look.
"Well, since it's you, I'll let it slide."
Pfft. She smirked, drawing a sly curve with her lips.
"...Thanks."
Her one-woman show had me shaking my head. Maybe I should just keep ignoring her. Dealing with someone this eccentric is exhausting.
Not wanting to draw attention, I tried to walk further away. Of course, she just followed, sticking close. Whether she knew I was uncomfortable or not, she kept chattering away.
I tuned her out and kept walking.
"Hey. What's your magic?"
These trees are huge. Did a place like this even exist in our country?
"I'm 21. How old are you?"
The rustling leaves were distracting. It wasn't even autumn, yet the towering trees stood bare, stripped of their foliage. The eerie sight made me frown as I scanned the area.
"I know a great restaurant. Wanna go after this?"
I approached one of the trees and touched it. A rough, cracked texture met my fingers. The tree was dead.
"Huh? Are you even listening?"
I wondered if I should alert the other mages and turned to look ahead.
But I soon realized my concern was unnecessary. The mages were already scanning the surroundings with sharp eyes. No trace of carelessness.
They were all veterans, more experienced than me. They must have noticed these anomalies before I did. Nodding slightly, I joined them in staying alert.
Then, I felt a tug on my sleeve. I turned to see Ha-rin, cheeks puffed, glaring at me.
"What now?"
"Pay attention to me! I'm talking to you. The glory of your family, remember?"
Is this really the time? I hesitated, studying her. She looked on the verge of tears, as if being ignored was something she wasn't used to.
Part of me wanted to snap at her, but the veterans' earlier attitude toward her gave me pause. Her arrogance and disregard for others were striking—like some chaebol heiress straight out of a drama.
Well. It's not like I'll be working here long. Building connections might help.
I patted her shoulder gently.
"Sorry."
"Hmph! I'll let it go this time."
"...."
Are all mages like this? I humored her endless questions as we followed the guide. The further we walked, the more the scenery changed.
From a distance, it was hard to tell if the trees were dead or alive due to the small cracks.
But as we progressed, the trees became visibly withered, drained of color as if squeezed dry by some unseen force.
No matter where I looked, the trees were undeniably dead.
As I surveyed the dying forest—
"G-Ghouls!"
The guide at the front shouted in alarm. My gaze snapped forward. A pack of about thirty ghouls was approaching.
How did so many get this close without anyone noticing?
"It's this forest's nature. This is a kind of domain. If the caster wills it, hiding the ghouls' presence is child's play."
Ha-rin answered my unspoken question. I turned to her in surprise. She giggled, teasing me.
"It's written all over your face. I've got sharp eyes."
"What?"
"Don't be embarrassed. Domain-related knowledge isn't widely known. It's not exactly common."
The mages ahead launched spells at the ghouls. They're veterans—they'll handle it quickly, I thought. But the fight dragged on, the mages even seeming to struggle.
"Are the ghouls enhanced?"
A reasonable suspicion. The ghouls I'd faced before weren't this tough.
"No, those bugs are just weak. A domain of this level doesn't buff specific entities."
Ha-rin crossed her arms, looking down on the mages with disdain.
To test her claim, I pulled out a talisman and threw it at the ghouls. The talisman landed amidst the pack, wreathed in blue flames before exploding violently.
BOOM—!
"She was right."
Through the raining limbs of ghouls, I felt the stunned gazes of the mages.
Ha-rin hadn't lied.
The ghouls only seemed tough because those mages' attacks were too weak to pierce their hides.
Another reasonable suspicion crossed my mind.
Are those guys really veterans?