Episode 33
Episode 33
The rattling cargo compartment of the carriage.
With barely any proper roads, it shook violently whenever it went over rocks, causing the cargo to shift.
In such a compartment, there was one thing that absolutely refused to move: Mia.
She was clinging tightly to Aron's arm as if hanging off it.
No matter how much it shook, she wouldn't let go of his arm.
Finally, after this close contact since morning, Aron was the first to speak.
"Mia, when are you going to let go?"
"Are you unhappy that I'm next to you? Seoryeong Unni said I need to get used to your scent. So just be quiet and cooperate. I need to adapt, don't I?"
She hugged his arm even tighter and rested her head on his shoulder.
After getting a definitive answer from Seoryeong, Mia no longer held back from sticking close to Aron.
On the contrary, even at the slightest discomfort, she would approach Aron, hug him, and smell his scent.
"That's... true, but... isn't it a bit excessive?"
"I still can't use aura, you know? You have to take responsibility at least until then."
Even Eri and Seoryeong, sitting on the opposite side, were impressed.
It was so different from her usual demeanor of keeping her distance as if she had no interest and only dutifully smelling his scent. She was now voluntarily approaching him using Seoryeong as an excuse.
She didn't even show caution when the two of them approached. It was as if she only saw Aron.
"I don't think this will end with just an Engraving..."
At Seoryeong's muttering, Eri looked at her.
"Is there something else besides an Engraving for beastkin? At most, I only know about Estrus."
"It's her first Engraving and her first Estrus, so it's going to be really intense."
"Is it worse if it's the first time?"
Seoryeong nodded lightly.
"Just the first Engraving alone makes them want to stay by your side all day and not let go. But since it's usually their parents, it just ends with them clinging to you all day."
"But her counterpart is a man, right?"
"Exactly. So if Estrus overlaps with that, she'll probably try to do it until she gets pregnant, right?"
"Should I strengthen the magic further..."
Eri pondered seriously.
Should she strengthen the magic on her stomach so that only she can undo it? While she was contemplating this, the carriage stopped.
"What is it? Are we taking a short break?"
"We've only been traveling for a day. There's no way we'd take a break already. Could it be bandits or monsters?"
"For something like that..."
Seoryeong closed her eyes for a moment.
She focused on the subtle flow of air and the sensations she felt instinctively. Then, she could hear everything from the faint sound of the wind to the voices of people talking.
Mixing in just a hint of aura, she could perceive all the objects around her.
"I don't feel anything? There are only animals around besides us."
"Has your sense dulled from resting for too long?"
Eri scolded her and raised her fingertips.
A green light shimmered from her fingers. She had summoned spirits using Spirit Magic, an elf's specialty.
Small fairies gathered with the light.
Since she could converse with spirits, she asked them, who were practically part of nature.
'Are there any enemies nearby?'
At her gentle voice, the spirits shook their heads vigorously.
Being lower-level spirits who couldn't speak, they answered with actions.
"The spirits say there aren't any either. Then why did we stop?"
"This is frustrating... I'll just go take a look myself."
Just as Seoryeong stood up.
"Shall we go together?"
Aron, who was holding Mia with one arm, asked.
Mia, who was in his embrace, also showed on her face her willingness to help if needed.
Seoryeong shook her head vigorously.
"It's fine. It's probably just a bear or something. I'll go check by myself and come back."
Eventually, Seoryeong got off the carriage alone.
Hopping down from the cargo compartment, she saw a long line of carriages.
The coachmen and workers from the carriages in front and behind were also buzzing, seemingly unaware of the current situation.
"Is there something at the end? I can't see properly because of the trees... I guess I'll have to go check myself."
As she muttered, a worker from a carriage behind her trudged over.
Judging her clothing and demeanor to be that of a superior, the worker slightly bowed.
"Do you happen to know what's going on? We stopped suddenly and aren't moving, which is causing difficulties."
She glanced at the worker who had approached.
Ordinary clothes made of cloth and a weak energy typical of a commoner.
Trembling pupils and fidgeting behavior that seemed worried.
'But... why couldn't I sense him?'
There was no way she couldn't sense a commoner.
She wasn't judging by mana like a mage; she detected everything by presence.
She belatedly realized the situation itself was strange.
There were far more carriages than when they first departed.
'The Merchant Leader said there would be about 10 carriages at most...'
Just the carriages lined up in front and behind, whose ends she couldn't see, far exceeded 10.
There were many other strange things too.
Not a single breeze was blowing from the surroundings.
The gazes of all the workers around were directed here.
Above all, it felt disconnected from the inside of the carriage.
"Hey! Fox-eared girl!"
She called out to Eri in a loud, ringing voice.
But there was no answer in return.
Even though she shouted loudly enough to echo, not a single bird flew away, and the expressions of the workers around didn't change at all.
"Ha, shit..."
Seoryeong finally realized she had fallen into a trap.
"So... what are you?"
She asked, looking at the worker still standing in front of her.
Only then did the worker's expression change.
The worried expression melted into a black, viscous liquid and dripped down. The trembling eyes transformed into a shape that seemed to be smiling like a crescent moon.
The worker eventually turned into black liquid.
"Aah... Greetings? The First Hero and his companions. We have come to receive you. The first one is the last remaining Gumiho. That is you."
The voice made it difficult to distinguish gender.
Seoryeong frowned at the unpleasant voice, which sounded wet and as if speaking from a cave.
There was no emotion or energy that a living being should naturally have.
It merely looked like something wearing the shell of a human.
"No matter how I look at it, it seems you didn't come to receive us... but to drag us away?"
She sneered and looked at the thing in front of her.
Seeing everything around her melting into blackness, Seoryeong ignited blue flames in both hands.
*
I was in Aron's embrace when I woke up due to the strange energy in the surroundings.
I got out of his hold and urgently checked outside the cargo compartment.
"...This is strange. Aron. Come here quickly and hug me."
He seemed a bit taken aback by my sudden action, but Aron obediently approached and hugged me.
Safely nestled in his embrace, I looked outside for a moment.
"Doesn't something feel off? There are more people than when we first departed, and above all, it feels subtly unpleasant."
Only then did Aron look around and frown.
"A Barrier? No... it feels a bit different."
I pulled on Aron's arm, who was muttering to himself.
"Eri's gone too, for starters. Let's just take a look around the carriage first. Absolutely do not let go of me while we move."
Seoryeong Unni went out, and a little later, Eri went out too.
Currently, only Aron and I remain.
"Understood."
Aron got off the carriage while holding me in his arms.
In that state, we slowly looked around the carriage.
After walking from the back to the front, I saw a Pattern engraved in black on the coachman's seat.
A black wing and an inverted flower.
It was the mark of the Cult of the End.
"Seems they've come and gone. Or was this a trick to capture us from the start?"
"What is this?"
"It's a mark left by the Cult of the End. Meaning 'we were here' or something like that. And they probably used some strange magic here too."
"They leave this out in the open like this?"
"They believe they are the truth. So first..."
It's true that the Cult of the End is strong, but not now.
They become stronger as the Rift grows larger and they get closer to the Outer God.
Right now, they can only play a few tricks at most.
"Break this."
I pointed my finger at the Pattern on the coachman's seat.
Aron kicked it without any suspicion.
*Crash!*
The carriage turned to dust and disappeared without a trace from just a kick.
I nodded in satisfaction and looked around.
"There should be a rat hiding around here who engraved this Pattern..."
I slowly scanned the surroundings.
Numerous workers were completely ignoring the tremendous commotion and only doing their own tasks.
Among them, one person.
A man who was awkwardly trying to help with work but was just waving his arms in the air.
"There he is. Catch that guy."
Understanding the location and target just from my gaze, Aron instantly arrived in front of that guy.
He grabbed him by the collar and lifted him lightly.
The flustered Cult of the End believer flailed his limbs and glared at me.
"I don't know where you came from, but to know this much about our Cult of the End... You're a traitor! The God will not forgive you!"
I watched his angry appearance blankly, then asked calmly.
"How much has the Rift opened? Judging by the fact you're using tricks, has it just started opening?"
"Y-You even know that...! A traitor only has a painful death. Die!"
Instead of an answer, a light began to flash from his body, overwhelmed by a power he couldn't control.
Aron sensed something strange and immediately threw the guy far away.
*Boom!*
As he expected, the body exploded and the strange air around them began to disappear.
Only then did Aron look at me in his embrace.
"So what was that just now?"
"A method the Cult of the End loves to use. They lure the opponent into an illusion they created to fight. If the Pattern isn't destroyed, you remain trapped."
"And you're saying I and the others couldn't detect that?"
"It's not exactly magic."
Strictly speaking, it's closer to the power of an Outer God.
In the game, no one could detect it at first; they only started noticing after getting somewhat used to it.
"Then how did you detect it?"
Come to think of it, how did I detect it?
Even after thinking for a moment, no proper reason came to mind, so I patted Aron's shoulder.
"I detected it because I know everything. More importantly, let's save the Merchant Leader's people first. Eri and Seoryeong Unni will obviously win and come out anyway."
Aron, convinced, nodded his head and immediately moved.