After D?eath (2)
After D?eath (2)
The Special-Grade Dungeon that appeared in the Changhae family's territory was actually a Tower.
The world stirred at that single thread of news.
And no wonder—it was none other than a Tower.
Anyone who understood the miracles a Tower could perform would have their eyes fly wide at such news.
Most who heard it believed the Changhae family had been blessed with heavenly fortune.
This was no ownerless gray zone, but a territory ruled by a legitimate master. Ownership fell squarely to the Changhae family in all but name.
"That is what has been publicly announced."
Eriel paused, the paper document in her hands. She stole a glance at Hong Yeon-hwa, seated across from her, then continued her explanation.
"After discussion with Association officials, the matter has been tabled for now."
"...Can they really hide it? The incident's too big. It'll leak."
"As you say, they won't be able to conceal it for long. But it should buy enough time to devise countermeasures."
A Tower had appeared in the Changhae family's territory.
The sentence that followed had not yet been made public.
And it had disgorged monsters on the scale of an army corps.
According to Lee Ha-yul's statement, this was not an Unconquered Tower—it had a master.
That Tower Master had manipulated Baek A-rin to try to kill Lee Ha-yul, and had deliberately provoked an incursion.
Every single detail was the sort to cause massive upheaval, so they could not simply announce any of it.
"Right. Got it."
Hong Yeon-hwa replied curtly.
A bland answer, considering the effort poured into neatly summarizing that long and complicated account.
In normal circumstances, Eriel might have tossed out a light joke—but anyone with a shred of sense wouldn't dare.
Beneath that flat tone, Eriel sensed the edges of emotions bubbling and roiling.
If Hong Yeon-hwa exploded right now, the world might just end.
Half-serious, Eriel bowed her head.
"That concludes my report."
"Thanks. Contact me right away if anything else comes in. Ah, it's good to see you. Been a while."
Hong Yeon-hwa rose to her feet, waved a hand vaguely, then let out a belated exclamation of gratitude.
Without waiting for an answer, she trudged out of the room.
.
.
.
She was seething inside.
Hong Yeon-hwa clamped her mouth shut against the fury threatening to surge up and crossed the corridor.
A day had passed since the Tower fell silent.
Along with the Tower's silence, the isolated space had lifted.
Only a single day had elapsed. The frontlines were in an uproar, and the rear cities were no different.
- Hah...
Even as she gave perfunctory responses to the servants' greetings, the impulse flickering like wildfire refused to die down.
Smash everything to pieces. Hunt down some monsters and tear them apart. That would settle her insides a bit.
But she didn't want to vent her anger that way.
Resolving her impulses through destruction and slaughter wouldn't be good for her temperament in the long run.
Of course, if it came down to it, she'd solve it however she had to—but for now, at least, she could endure.
Hong Yeon-hwa let out a deep sigh and turned the doorknob.
- Creeeak
A gloomy atmosphere seeped out through the opening door.
It was the sort of mood that barred entry on its own, but Hong Yeon-hwa, cloaked in a similar aura herself, stepped inside without a care.
"You're here."
Atra, who had been leaning against the wall near the door, turned her head.
Her complexion was pale blue, and her golden hair had gone brittle and dry in just a day.
Her eyes were visibly bloodshot. The Hong Yeon-hwa reflected in those pupils looked little different.
Hong Yeon-hwa gave a small nod and walked further in. Atra pushed off the wall and followed.
Beyond the inner door, the bedroom held the rest of their group.
Ellia, Liana, Lee Ha-sol, Daera.
Every single one of them looked terrible. Their hearts had been utterly wrecked in the span of a single day.
Ellia greeted Hong Yeon-hwa with a glance, then let out a heavy sigh and patted the shoulder of Lee Seo-yul, who sat beside her.
"Seo-yul, you'll wreck your insides like this. You have to eat something, even just a little."
"...Okay..."
Lee Seo-yul was in terrible shape as well.
Her face was dazed, as if she'd lost her spirit, and her five-colored wings were stained dull and hung limply, drained of strength.
The sight was nothing short of heartbreaking.
She could be prickly at times, but Hong Yeon-hwa tried to treat her like family—seeing a child she thought of that way in such a state was simply painful.
The only small relief was that Ellia and Liana were looking after her, and the spirits were staying close by her side.
Hong Yeon-hwa settled herself onto the chair beside the bed.
Lee Ji-yeon sat perched on the edge of the bed. In her arms, the child-sized Lee Ha-yul lay fast asleep, wrapped snugly in the green winged garment.
Under normal circumstances, Hong Yeon-hwa's eyes would have blazed, but this was hardly the time.
As she sat down, Lee Ji-yeon, her face haggard, met her gaze.
"How is A-rin?"
"Still confined to her room. Man Gyeong-ju rushed over and is guarding the entrance."
Baek A-rin, who had been discovered together with the child-sized Lee Ha-yul, had been confined to a room for the time being.
There'd been no choice.
She seemed mentally unstable. And she had nearly killed an ally when an unknown Tower Master seized control of her body.
Even so, for now she was docile, and her status as the Changhae heir meant the worst she faced was being confined to her room.
"Has her condition improved?"
"Yeah, somewhat, but... I didn't hear much more."
Before receiving Eriel's report, Hong Yeon-hwa had stopped to see Baek A-rin first.
Fortunately, her condition had improved a little—she was talking quite a bit more.
But she still wasn't in a state to be called truly all right.
'Did I kick her too hard...?'
She had to admit it—her perspective had narrowed, and she'd acted too emotionally.
At the time, her emotions had been violently intense, and with the thought that Baek A-rin might lose control again and stab Lee Ha-yul at any moment, she'd just kicked her away without hesitation.
In a way, the one in the most pain was probably Baek A-rin...
"Well... for now..."
Swallowing a sigh at the stares gathered on her, Hong Yeon-hwa chewed over her regrets and slowly recounted what she'd heard from Baek A-rin.
"Separation of soul and body..."
Confusion clouded Lee Ji-yeon's face.
The expressions of everyone else in the room matched hers.
"I truly can't sense his soul."
Lee Ji-yeon, who had trained in necromancy, had tried all day—and still failed to detect a soul in Lee Ha-yul.
This body was an empty vessel that held no soul.
A vessel that has lost its essence gradually loses meaning and crumbles.
That state is what people commonly call death.
"He's not dead."
"Yeah, I know."
But Lee Ha-yul had not died.
The hand resting on his stomach rose and fell faintly. A frail breath slipped from his slightly parted lips.
Lee Ha-yul was unmistakably breathing.
From the outside, he looked for all the world as if he were simply fast asleep.
"The vessel is being maintained."
Though his soul had vanished, there were no signs of collapse. The vessel was already badly damaged, but it had not worsened any further.
It was perfectly intact, as if it truly were waiting for the soul to return.
"...So, his soul really just stepped out for a bit, and if we wait, it'll come back on its own?"
At Hong Yeon-hwa's murmur, Lee Ji-yeon closed her mouth.
According to the halting explanation Baek A-rin had managed to give, Lee Ha-yul had prepared everything in advance to break her curse.
The spell formulas engraved into the winged garment and ring he'd gifted her.
The Calamity Flame and Azure Sea that he himself had bloomed.
The Potion of Being Hated and an artifact with memory-stone functionality.
Based on the vast amount of data he'd collected on Baek A-rin, he'd predicted her body's movements with near-foresight precision.
And he'd precisely distinguished and struck the soul of the intruder that had wormed its way inside her.
Finally, he'd burned away the curse that had been the root of the encroachment and driven the intruder out, half-dead. That was the full account.
Just hearing it, it was a plan poured over with staggering care and effort.
...And though the result of that plan was this wretched state, the separation of spirit-flesh had also been intentional.
He'd left word that there was naturally a way back, so they should take good care of his body and wait.
"Ha, what the hell, seriously..."
A hollow laugh escaped Lee Ji-yeon as she muttered to herself.
The words were harsh, but no one in the room showed the slightest discomfort.
If anything, a few of them unconsciously nodded along.
"......"
"......"
The conversation cut off abruptly. No one even asked whether such a thing was truly possible.
Because Lee Ha-yul had said he'd come back.
They didn't want to treat those words as a lie. They had to believe he'd return. If they didn't believe, they couldn't be sure what they themselves might do.
[Voice renewal period exceeded]
"...Huh?"
That was the moment.
The Confession Necklace, which had been keeping silent, emitted a voice.
Everyone except Lee Ji-yeon, who held Lee Ha-yul in her arms, shot up from their seats like lightning.
"Ha-yul! You, you—!"
The moment her words caught in her throat, Hong Yeon-hwa's eyes flew wide—and the voice continued.
[This voice is a recorded message left by Lee Ha-yul]
[Would you like to play the voice message?]
[Playback conditions: Lee Seo-yul, Hong Yeon-hwa, Baek A-rin, Ellia, Atra, Liana, Lee Ji-yeon, Daera, Lee Ha-sol...]
The mechanical voice continued, just like in the old days. Those who had been standing with their mouths hanging open checked each other's faces.
"...Play."
Hong Yeon-hwa stepped forward as the representative to speak.
- Vvvvmmm!
The Confession Necklace emitted a vibration, and soon a voice began playing back.
It wasn't a mechanical voice, but one so shrunken it seemed to be cautiously testing the mood.
[I'm sorry for not telling you in advance.]
"Oh, you knew, huh. You fucking knew?"
Hong Yeon-hwa let a curse slip out without realizing it. Words that could never reach a past recording.
[I'm truly sorry...]
But as if anticipating this reaction, the voice shrank even further.
[I couldn't tell you the plan because I thought you'd never allow it if I explained beforehand. I'm sorry...]
"There's no way I'd allow something like that..."
[Still, to rescue Baek A-rin safely, that method was the only way. I had no choice.]
Getting a spear driven through your chest, turning ice-cold, and nearly dying was the only way?
Hong Yeon-hwa and the others swallowed the words that were rising from their throats.
There was so much more they wanted to say.
How did he know Baek A-rin was cursed? How did he find the solution? Was he insane to carry out such a method?
...And why that son of a bitch called the Tower Master of Bitter Cold had targeted Lee Ha-yul.
[I'm really sorry. I'll return soon, explain everything in more detail, and accept my punishment...]
[I'll return soon. I'm confident about this. My race is a bit special, so I needed to separate my body and soul once.]
"Am I the only one not understanding this right now?"
"Everyone's in the same boat, so don't worry."
[Also, don't worry about my body. Even if my soul leaves, it'll be fine on its own. But just in case, please take care of it.]
"Fucking headache..."
[As for Baek A-rin... I wonder if she's blaming herself harshly. I'll explain the circumstances before we separate, but she might not believe it, so could you explain my situation again for me...?]
The voice went on at length, quite pitifully.
It was inevitable, I'm sorry.
I'll be back soon, so please don't worry, I'm sorry.
I'll accept punishment when I return, I'm terribly sorry.
If Baek A-rin is struggling, please tell her not to worry.
[And the way I'll return... I'll probably appear from a Fairy Tree. It should be the Fairy Tree at the Siyoram Mansion.]
"At the mansion?"
Only at the very end of the message did the voice relay a concrete plan for returning.
Only then did a little light return to the eyes of Hong Yeon-hwa and the others.
* * *
The territory of the Taesan Family.
Within one protected area covered by a lush Sea of Trees, numerous fairies had gathered and were enjoying a peaceful life.
It couldn't be anything but peaceful.
The land granted by the Taesan Family was so healthy and rich with vitality energy.
On top of that, with fairies living there together, cultivating nature, it was inevitably a great place for fairies to live.
Since it was a Taesan territory, there was no such thing as an invasion from external enemies.
The fairies could handle any monsters that spawned internally.
A peaceful life without a single crisis.
The fairies also had a sense of honor, so they occasionally helped with tasks requested by the Taesan Family.
But fundamentally, the fairies' Sea of Trees had long been steeped in stillness and tranquility.
- Hurry up and bring more! Don't wander off!
- Yes, yes! I got iiiiit!
- Radna! We'll rest after finishing this, so let's wrap it up quickly!
- Yeeeees...
Today, a bustling atmosphere hung over the Sea of Trees. No, the Sea of Trees, which had been turned upside down for the past few days, was beyond busy.
'Finally, finally...!'
Kariade, a fairy, trembled with deep emotion.
The tree situated directly in front of Kariade.
Even amidst the dense Sea of Trees, it was a Fairy Tree that proudly displayed a majestic grandeur.
It wasn't a complete Fairy Tree.
Since it wasn't a Fairy Tree nurtured and raised by the King, it could not become a cradle to birth new fairies.
- Thump... Thump... Thump...
But a few days ago.
Without any warning at all, a fruit had formed on the Fairy Tree.
A fruit that was distinctly larger and brighter than any ordinary fruit Kariade remembered.
Absorbing the vitality energy sent by the Fairy Tree, it had grown steadily over the past few days.
Then, starting a moment ago, it began to pulse as if signaling a birth.
'Finally, the King is...'
Five-colored wings released a clear light as if rejoicing.
Fairies are one of the races for whom the existence of a King is essential for the prosperity of the species.
Only with a King can Fairy Trees grow thick, and new children be born healthy.
But after the previous King entered a dream.
Even after a long time passed, a King was not born.
Among races where the King's existence is essential, the absence of a King's birth is a catastrophic issue that demands discussion of species extinction.
Kariade had always been tormented by this problem.
She is the highest-ranking fairy among those gathered in this area, an adult fairy who remembers the Fairy Kingdom.
Because of this, she had been spending every day in agony and worry, but...
'If the King is born... there's nothing to worry about.'
As the King's fruit formed, all anguish turned to joy.
Kariade moved around without even sleeping for days.
The growth of the fruit from which the King would be born was incredibly fast. It was on the verge of birth in just a few days.
Two days was an absurdly short time, but they had managed to complete the bare minimum preparations.
Around the Fairy Tree.
Various fruits and flowers brought by the diligently moving fairies were laid out.
Each and every one was a type of flower and fruit containing abundant vitality energy.
'The King will need vitality energy upon birth. Normally, the Fairy Tree acting as the cradle should fulfill this, but that Fairy Tree wasn't raised by the King, so there might be unforeseen issues.'
Therefore, they had prepared ingredients drawn from vitality energy in preparation for any unforeseen event.
- Crack...!
"......!"
It happened in that moment.
A small fissure formed on the regularly pulsing fruit.
Kariade's eyes widened, and soon she pulled herself together, kneeling on the ground and bowing her waist.
- Crack, creeeak...!
Although her eyes were fixed on the ground, she could clearly hear the sound of the fruit gradually splitting.
There was no need to even confirm with her ears.
Her body trembled finely at the pure mana wave disturbance striking her skin.
- Crack, whoooosh...!
The wait didn't need to be long.
As the fruit split, the world flashed with five colors. Kariade squeezed her eyes shut against the hues coloring the ground.
Beyond her closed vision, memories of the past flooded back.
Kariade was a fairy who had experienced and remembered the Fairy Kingdom firsthand.
Although it was a distant past now, she still vividly remembered the scenery of that time.
The paradise that could only exist because a King existed, a paradise she had been unable to dream of until now.
She didn't consider her current situation unfortunate, but she had often felt sadness at the peace established by the goodwill of other races.
But now, even that sadness was over.
'Since the King has been born, the Kingdom will be rebuilt...'
Kariade's body trembled at the presence she felt a few steps ahead.
The pure and gentle presence of the King.
If it were up to her heart, she would raise her head immediately and behold the dignity, but Kariade repeated her patience and waited for the King's command.
Even a newly born King is born with basic knowledge.
She waited for the King's command, opening her ears wide.
"Heup."
'Heup?'
At the sudden sound, Kariade blinked.
Heup? What kind of command is that? No, it wasn't Will Thought in the first place. It was just a sound made with the mouth.
"Nyam."
'Nyam?'
Then, munch munch... gulp... munch munch...
The identity of the sound slowly dawned on her. After deep deliberation, Kariade slowly lifted her head.
"Mumm?"
"Huk..."
Kariade swallowed her breath.
Her eyes met a dreamy gray gaze that seemed like it would suck her right in.
She was momentarily distracted by that. Her gaze traveled back.
Three pairs of wings fully spread, belonging to the owner of those eyes.
Sunlight streamed down, breaking through the lush branches and leaves of the Fairy Tree, struck the five-colored wings, and scattered beautifully.
With a single flutter, the wings folded gently, and the view that had been drawn in by them widened.
Only then could Kariade take in the King's overall form.
Hair as white as freshly fallen snowflakes.
Equally white and pure skin, and fluttering garments made of pure white mana.
It was a dignity so infinitely beautiful and lovable that words could not describe it.
"...My King?"
"Mumm?"
Kariade blinked and opened her mouth. The young fairy facing her... the King tilted his head too.
"Your mouth... what are you holding in your mouth...?"
A green stem was sticking out from his pursed lips.
Looking closely at its thickness and length... it looked like a flower stalk.
The fairy blinked and munched.
The flower stalk slowly disappeared into his mouth.
* * *