To Seonyudo Settlement (2)
Passing through the eastern gate of the Mokdong Settlement, we set out along National Assembly Road.
According to Uncle Hancheol, there had once been two routes to the Seonyudo Settlement. One of them was a bridge you could cross on foot, but the desolation from the tower had left it so badly deteriorated that the people on the Seonyudo side had sealed it off. That left only a single path remaining—Yanghwa Bridge.
So we followed his advice that taking the main road via National Assembly Road would be best, and that was exactly where we were walking now.
The scenery around us looked bleak. Parts of the road had rusted or collapsed under the desolation, and the cars abandoned in what must have been a frantic flight were all in such condition that they would have to be scrapped. A few had clearly been scavenged already—stripped for parts by people who had come searching for resources—but overall the whole stretch carried a distinctly apocalyptic air.
"Hey, why don't we just ride Yeonseo's summoned beast instead of doing this? Is there some reason we have to walk?"
We were about halfway across the stretch of National Assembly Road that spanned the river when the sun climbed overhead. We had been walking in silence the entire time, and the monotony was starting to wear on me. Mid-April weather meant a warm spring breeze, and the constant walking had left my body flushed and sweating.
The two walking ahead of me stopped abruptly and turned to look back at me.
"What? Already tired? Our little fox only knows how to charm people and turns out to be completely soft?"
Lately Yeonseo seemed to have discovered the joy of teasing me; that sly grin of hers had been appearing more and more often.
"Hey! Where did that come from? It's just boring walking in complete silence, that's all. You said getting there faster was better, so why not pull out the summoned beast and go?"
"Mm, you've got a point, but there's something I want to check first."
Unlike Yeonseo, who was busy needling me, Hyeonseok wore a serious expression as he began explaining, folding his fingers one by one.
"I actually heard a few things from the uncles before we left. First, we're following the exact route the Management Department took. Second, I'd love to ride Yeonseo's summoned beast too, but like I said earlier—if we fly past too quickly we might miss things we ought to see. That's why we're taking it slow."
"Is that so? Then you should've just said so... now I look like the bad guy...!"
I scratched my head as I spoke. Hyeonseok stepped closer and gently ruffled my hair.
"Sorry. I figured going slowly would be fine either way, and I didn't want to burden you with the details."
The feel of his hand stroking my hair never failed to be pleasant. If anything, it lifted my mood.
But why does this always make me feel like I'm being treated like a little kid...?
"Th-that's enough! I get it! So, have you found anything yet?"
I pushed his hand aside with both of mine, then smoothed down the hair where his touch still lingered.
"Unfortunately, nothing so far. But the spot where the Management Department people were found is coming up soon. We'll rest there a bit and search properly."
After that I walked beside Hyeonseok, trading idle conversation while the two of us slowly scanned our surroundings for any clue.
But wasn't that just now the perfect moment for her to tease me? Why is Yeonseo being so quiet?
The thought made me glance back. Yeonseo was trailing behind us with a thoroughly satisfied expression, Polaroid camera in hand, watching Hyeonseok and me walk ahead.
"You... don't tell me...?!"
"Looks like today's going to give me plenty of good shots. Heeheehee..."
"Ah, is that right? Ugh..."
Leaving Yeonseo to her own little world, I simply moved back up beside Hyeonseok.
Yeah... she's getting weirder by the day too.
"This is the place."
Hyeonseok, who had been walking ahead, stopped and looked around, confirming that this was definitely where the Management Department people had been found. He suggested we each search the area for a while, then headed off into the distance.
"Hmm, Yeonseo, where are you going?"
"Me? Well, is there any real need to split up? Let's just stick together. Two pairs of eyes are better than one—we might catch things the other misses."
"Ha! And this has nothing to do with wanting another chance to tease me?"
"Oh my~ You caught me~"
She stuck out her tongue and played innocent, so I simply dragged her along as we began searching the surroundings.
Judging by the remaining road signs, this was an interchange connected to the highway. The road had considerable elevation changes, so I briefly considered the possibility of an unexpected ambush—but then I remembered that the Management Department people had been attacked by "someone they knew," and ruled out a surprise assault.
"Ugh, looking around doesn't tell me much. Too much time has passed—even bloodstains are hard to make out... What about you, Yeonseo?"
I turned to look at her. Yeonseo was down on one knee, running her hand over the ground as she examined it.
"Want to take a look at this?"
"What is it?"
I moved to her side and followed the direction she pointed, frowning.
"These look like burn marks. Why would they be here?"
"Charlotte, you use fire. Can you tell how strong the heat was, or what form it took?"
"Hard to say. Looking at how long and deep the scorches are, it was probably something rod-shaped... maybe a spear. The asphalt around it isn't melted, so it doesn't look that powerful at first glance, but the gouged parts themselves show signs of melting from pretty high heat."
"In other words, whoever did this is skilled enough at mana control to focus that kind of firepower only where they want it."
"Yeah. Either it's an ability they use often, or they have a lot of experience manipulating mana."
"Good! That's enough here—let's check over that way next."
Yeonseo took my hand and led me to the next spot: a patch of grass that had frozen solid.
"Looks like an ice-related ability this time. What's your read, Yeonseo?"
"Hmm. Unlike the last one, this seems like they launched something massive. Look here. This part looks like it was crushed under something huge—there's a pretty wide spread of red bloodstains."
"So they just smashed them flat with something enormous this time?"
"Yeah. But that's pretty inefficient. Was there really any need to crush them like this? Even if they knew each other, finishing them off quickly would have been easier. Less mana consumption, too. Using a simple method for the fire and then something this overkill for the ice... it just doesn't line up."
"True. If they can shape fire into a spear, they should be able to do the same with ice."
We continued circling the area together, examining the faint remaining traces and exchanging theories, until Hyeonseok's voice called to us from farther off. We hurried over.
"Charlotte, Yeonseo. Come take a look at this."
Following the direction he indicated, I saw a wall spattered with what looked like a considerable amount of fresh blood, along with gouges that appeared to have been raked by claws.
"These are... monster traces? Why would they be here...? Even if a tower appeared at the National Assembly Building some time ago, would monsters really come this far out?"
I voiced the thought that rose as I stared at the marks. Hyeonseok shook his head.
"No, I don't think so. I wondered the same thing, but if that were the case, Seonyudo would be in serious danger too—they would have sent a much more urgent request for help."
"Then what on earth... Wait. What's this...?"
Something glinted from within the blood-smeared wall. I stepped closer and found a metallic object lodged inside. When I pulled it free, it turned out to be something quite shocking.
"This is... a feather? And a metal one at that... Wait! Don't tell me—!"
I held up the metallic feather for them to see and began explaining the idea that had just sparked in my mind.
"They said this is where the Management Department people vanished, right? And Han Jin-o disappeared around the same time. Looking at this feather stuck in the wall... maybe Han Jin-o—whether because of the person who attacked the Management Department people or for some other reason—took that pill and transformed. And gained the ability to cover his feathers in metal in the process."
Hyeonseok rested a hand against his mouth, thinking it over, then seemed to accept the idea and summarized what I had said.
"So to put it together: the Management Department people ran into someone they knew, got taken out by that person, and at the same time Han Jin-o either took the pill himself or was forced to take it—and used that power to leave these traces. Yeah... that actually makes a lot of sense."
"But that doesn't guarantee it's true, does it? The person already using both fire and ice could have deliberately left marks like this."
"I get what you're saying, Yeonseo. It's my own theory, but since the opponent is already someone who uses multiple abilities, they could have planted the traces on purpose."
We kept trading ideas and widened our search for more clues, but the sky was already burning with sunset and half the day had slipped away again. Further searching seemed pointless, and with darkness falling we called off the investigation and started walking once more.
We had spent so much time searching that it was not long before the sky turned black and the moon rose. Rather than push on any farther, we decided to find a place to rest right where we were.
There happened to be a school nearby, so we set about pitching a tent on the athletic field. From the outside the finished tent looked perfectly ordinary, but—
"Wow... is this really the same plain tent we saw from outside just now? At this rate it's basically on par with Uncle Dusik's camper van."
"No kidding. With something like this, we could have just lived in the tent and been fine."
Yeonseo and I stood inside, staring around at the interior, mouths hanging open in pure admiration.
True to its name as a tent rewarded by the tower, the inside was thoroughly modern. The kitchen included an induction cooktop and was laid out in an island style, complete with a table that could seat four. The living area was unusual—there was a space in the center for a campfire, so it would stay warm even in winter. Of course there was also a smoke-absorbing system, so lighting a fire would not leave us choking. Soft, plush rugs covered the floor, thick enough that you could lie down right on them, and there were separate blankets nearby, making for a setup more than comfortable enough for a good night's sleep. On top of that, there was even an air conditioner that ran on mana stones...
I might just spend the entire summer living in this tent.
There was a bathroom as well, so we would not have to worry about going unwashed—and the bathtub was large enough that Yeonseo and I could both fit in it with room to spare.
"Haha, good thing I brought it along. I packed it just in case. Honestly, even I didn't expect it to be this impressive."
Hyeonseok was already pulling out ingredients and starting on dinner.
I wondered what he planned to cook tonight.
And why, you ask, were the two of us women not helping with the prep?
Well, I had cooked at home before, but most of it had been meal kits or instant food, so working from raw ingredients was still beyond me. As for Yeonseo... after watching her for the past week, I would rather just do it myself than put her in charge of a kitchen. I will leave it at that.
"Our little fox~ You're thinking something pretty rude right now, aren't you?"
Yeonseo grabbed both of my cheeks and stretched them, looking thoroughly annoyed.
"Tha... thop it... you... cook... terribry... I...!"
"Y-you little—!!"
Watching the two of us, Hyeonseok laughed and suggested that since the bathroom was quite spacious, we might as well go take a bath while he finished preparing the meal. Yeonseo and I looked at each other, then headed straight for the bathroom.