Royal Audience (1)
"Si-han! Are you alright!?"
Pamela rushed toward me in concern, so I closed the quest window first and turned my head.
"I'm fine. Don't worry."
"B-but you crashed into the tree…"
"Thanks to the Protection Talisman, I didn't get hurt at all. Thank you, Yeon-hwa."
"Ohohohoho! That's my role, after all! But I never expected the Sacred Beast to flee like that."
"Turning tail and running… The Sacred Beast isn't cool at all!"
"Is that really important?"
"Extremely important!"
Wondering if any traces remained, I approached the spot where Absolute Spear had vanished.
However, there were no notable footprints—only the severed lower half of Praton, still bleeding.
'Looking at it like this, it's kind of grotesque.'
Still, it was the body of the Water Sacred Beast.
It would certainly serve as good evidence… and if handled well, it might fetch a high price.
'It's different from the materials dropped in the game, though.'
Beyond field bosses like ogres, the Sacred Beasts of each element become weekly bosses that can be hunted a set number of times per week once their story is cleared. Of course, defeating them also yields materials to raise the skill levels of gacha characters.
For the Water Sacred Beast Praton, the drops were things like antlers, fur hides, or Water Essence.
'But this place might be different.'
Here, skills grow through repeated use and familiarity—everyone except me. Monster materials are often used for weapons and equipment, so the hide on Praton's lower half might be usable for gear as well.
Better to store it for now.
After putting Praton's lower half into my inventory, Atsbal called out to me.
"Lee Si-han!"
"What?"
"Why don't you dry yourself off?"
"Huh? Oh."
For a moment I wondered what he meant, but then I noticed the water droplets falling right in front of my eyes.
Praton's water sphere had pushed me back, and when it burst, water had drenched me. Yeon-hwa's Protection Talisman repelled attacks with offensive power, but nothing else. The moment the sphere lost its offensive properties, it could no longer be interfered with, so the water that had formed it splashed all over me.
Thanks to that, my hair and most of my body were soaked.
Water dripped steadily from various parts of me.
"I suppose I should."
Even if I changed clothes, I moved to the lakeside for safety's sake.
"While I'm changing, please keep watch for a moment."
"Y-yes!"
"Ohohohoho! With my Protection Talisman, something like that is nothing!"
"Just hurry up and change!"
I removed my upper-body equipment.
Water hadn't just soaked the outside—it had seeped inside as well. Beads of moisture clung to my skin.
Wearing the equipment like this would have felt incredibly unpleasant.
I stored the gear in my inventory and pulled out a towel to dry myself.
"Uh, uhh…"
"Si-han?"
"That scar…"
"Y-you! How did you get that scar!?"
"Hm?"
I didn't understand why the Portis members and Gyeong-hu were staring at me in shock until Atsbal spoke.
Come to think of it, this was the first time I'd shown them my scars.
Even at the gym, Atsbal would always say "I'm a man of speed!" and finish changing before I could take my clothes off, so he'd never seen them until now.
"Ah, I guess the scars surprised you. Don't mind them."
"How in the world did you get those scars!?"
Atsbal ignored my words and pressed on. The others didn't speak, but their eyes were full of curiosity.
I'd brushed it off with Shasha, but it seemed that wouldn't work this time.
I quickly racked my brain for a plausible explanation and opened my mouth.
"Atsbal."
"W-what?"
"To obtain strength, one must pay a price."
"What? Then those are… wounds from training? Just how grueling was the training you put yourself through, Lee Si-han!?"
Perfect. Atsbal was reacting exactly as I'd hoped.
"There were more than one or two times I thought it was too much. But thanks to it, I gained the strength I have now. To me, they're traces of my efforts—a history of my struggles."
"A history… of effort!"
The phrase seemed to resonate deeply with Atsbal.
"Hm? Wait. But there are no scars on your torso. And none on your back either! How is that possible!?"
"I couldn't afford to leave wounds on my limbs when I need them to swing a spear and move. And Atsbal, I didn't think you'd ask such a foolish question about why there are no scars on my back."
"What!? What do you mean by that!?"
I delivered the line I'd prepared, knowing Atsbal would love it.
"This isn't about protecting someone else. These scars came from training to improve my own skills. In that situation… a scar on the back is nothing but disgrace."
"A scar on the back is disgrace…!"
Atsbal trembled with excitement.
"I see… So that's how it is. I understand!"
With a dramatic flourish, Atsbal struck what he clearly thought was a cool pose.
"You really are a 'man,' Lee Si-han!"
"That's obvious."
While I was bantering with Atsbal, I noticed Yeon-hwa quietly approaching Pamela.
"Lee Si-han and Atsbal get along surprisingly well sometimes, don't they?"
"I-I think so too."
Thanks to the exchange, the heavy atmosphere that had formed when they saw my scars completely dissipated.
Thanks, Atsbal.
After changing clothes, we left the lake surrounding Razenta Lake with the others.
Since I was wearing casual clothes instead of equipment that boosted agility, I didn't feel the usual sensation of wind pushing my body forward as I moved through the forest.
Of course, that didn't mean I struggled against the monsters we encountered.
Even if I got hit, Yeon-hwa's Protection Talisman kept me safe, so there was no need to be overly cautious.
After exiting the forest and waiting near the road for a carriage, I turned to Gyeong-hu.
"Gyeong-hu."
"Yes?"
"Could you show me the photos you took?"
"Ah! That's right! We need to confirm the evidence that we encountered the Water Sacred Beast! Gyeong-hu, bring them out!"
"Understood!"
Gyeong-hu retrieved a camera and photos from her spatial ring.
"My camera!"
Atsbal immediately reclaimed his camera, and we examined the photos.
"They came out well."
There were five photos in total.
One showed Praton entangled in Pamela's vines.
Two captured Praton watching us fight the monster horde.
One showed Praton just before being struck by Absolute Spear.
The last depicted the grotesque Praton in the middle of regenerating.
"This should be sufficient evidence."
"Your photography skills are excellent, Gyeong-hu!"
"Thank you, Lady Yeon-hwa!"
"This is also thanks to the camera's performance! It's a limited edition, after all!"
"I-it's a good camera."
"Hmph! So you do know, Pamela! This was developed by Camedio, the company that first created cameras, with a focus on minimizing shake. Only two hundred units were released on the market. I waited in front of the store two days before launch, and the moment the doors opened the next day—!"
While listening to Atsbal's passionate explanation about his limited-edition camera and our shared memories, a carriage bound for Valendia arrived, and we boarded it once more.
Night fell again, and after setting up camp, everyone finished showering, changed into pajamas, and gathered around the campfire instead of going straight to sleep. Pamela cautiously spoke to me.
"Si-han… I-I have a favor to ask…"
"What is it?"
"C-could you show me your scars? O-of course, if it makes you uncomfortable, you don't have to!"
"No, it's fine."
I lifted my shirt and showed Pamela the scars.
"Ah…"
She carefully examined them.
"Um… May I touch them?"
"Go ahead."
Pamela gently reached out and traced my scars.
It tickled a little.
"D-do they hurt?"
"Not at all."
"That's a relief. They're so big… I was worried you might have phantom pain or something."
"I see. Don't worry. They don't hurt at all."
"Do you… ever want to get rid of them?"
"No, I don't really think about that. In fact, I prefer keeping them."
"W-why?"
"Hmm. I'm not sure if you'll understand, but…"
I smiled sincerely and answered her.
"Don't you think they're cool?"
"C-cool? Ah, um…"
As expected, it was a feeling Pamela couldn't quite grasp.
From the side, Atsbal, who had been listening, spoke up.
"As expected, you understand, Lee Si-han! I thought they were cool too!"
"Thanks."
"How about wrapping some bandages around your stomach? It would give off more of a veteran warrior vibe!"
"I prefer showing the scars as they are."
"I respect that!"
Atsbal was the kind of man who respected others' opinions on style instead of forcing his own views.
This was probably the most amicable conversation I'd had with him recently.
Yeon-hwa's voice came from behind as she watched us.
"Lee Si-han really is a man~ Men do like that sort of thing, don't they? The men working at the Shu family seem to have a similar tendency."
"Men never grow out of being children, no matter their age. Ah, of course, the family head is an exception."
Gyeong-hu shook her head with a sigh.
"Ah, I-I didn't mean the scars weren't cool or anything! I-it's just…"
Pamela fidgeted with her fingers and spoke softly.
"I just thought Si-han would be cool even without the scars…"
Hearing Pamela compliment my custom character directly made me feel quite pleased.
"Ohohohoho! Of course the leader of Portis, Lee Si-han, must be cool!"
"Hmph! I'll admit the scars suit you! But the coolest one here is me!"
"Lady Yeon-hwa… You seem to be enjoying your time in this group more than I expected. This Gyeong-hu is relieved."
After chatting amicably with the group members for a while, I went to sleep.
The next day, we arrived in Valendia.
"W-what!? The Water Sacred Beast!?"
After hearing the report, we witnessed Deisy's eyes widen in shock—a rare sight worth photographing.