Baekseol (3)
Rynel knocked on the door.
"Rion reports that he's finished cleaning up the slums. Shall we go confirm?"
I nodded.
"Prepare to leave."
Last night, I'd given Cervantes his final orders.
Find the four characters to keep Neras in check.
There was almost nothing left for me to do in Cheongam Fortress.
As Rynel and I headed toward the slums, I sank into thought.
Today's my last day in Cheongam Fortress.
Staying holed up here might've been fine at first, but it'd turn into poison eventually.
Sure, there were plenty of hidden opportunities around, but none of them were what I needed right now.
Cervantes would track them down eventually, no matter how long it took. I could return then.
I knew better than anyone in this world how to make the ones I'd raised grow stronger.
But before that, I felt the need to bolster my own power down to my bones.
No more playing king here. It's time to move.
For real strength.
First destination: Frostheim, territory of the Bai Ling Regiment.
The opportunity I sought was slumbering there.
If I claimed it, I'd secure a solid level of martial power.
Lost in thought on the way to the slums, I halted at the growing commotion around us.
I'd figured Rynel could handle it alone at first and stayed back, but my curiosity piqued as the standoff dragged on.
No one in Cheongam Fortress wouldn't recognize Rynel, though?
The disturbance hadn't died down even with a Jin Gang executive stepping in. Drawn by curiosity, I approached the source.
And there, facing off against Rynel, was someone who had no business being here.
...What the hell? Why is she here?
A brown-haired woman in plain traveler's garb was confronting Rynel.
Disguised, but I recognized her instantly.
That graceful gait, the subtle habitual gestures, and above all, the chilling aura she couldn't fully hide no matter how hard she tried.
Baekseol...
The woman proudly ranking in the top 3 of female character popularity polls in the game.
Unlike most Haven regiment leaders who appeared as final-boss-level villains, she was a wildcard—sometimes aiding the protagonist depending on story branches.
Leader of the Bai Ling Regiment, last descendant of the millennium nine-tailed fox.
Her usual silver hair and blue eyes were swapped for brown, but after thousands of hours in the game, her disguise was useless against me.
The community wars over her... how endless they were.
Disguised Baekseol faction vs. nine-tails form Baekseol faction.
The history of those flame wars flashed by like a montage. Thanks to it, I'd memorized every detail about her.
But Rynel clearly had no idea who she was.
Well, can't be helped. By lore, Baekseol rarely shows her face outside Tian Yi Hui.
Among Haven's leaders, she was the most shrouded in mystery.
She seldom hit the front lines personally, so only a handful knew her true appearance.
Even within Bai Ling, you could count on one hand those who'd seen her up close.
In the game, her identity was revealed late, and when she first appeared disguised, even players didn't realize she was the regiment leader.
Before Rynel could commit a rudeness, I stepped between them.
"What brings you here, Baekseol, leader of the Bai Ling Regiment?"
The air froze in an instant.
The gathered territory folk stared blankly at me before murmuring erupted.
"Bai Ling's leader... the legendary one?"
"But I heard she never leaves her territory..."
"So why here?"
They snapped to attention, turning to me with a start, then bowed in unison.
"We greet the Jin Gang Regiment leader!"
Whether Bai Ling leader or not, in this place, I was the law.
Baekseol's brown eyes sparkled with intrigue.
"I am not the leader of Bai Ling Regiment."
"..."
Ah, seriously.
If you're gonna bluff, don't bring Marcus along.
Standing beside Baekseol was Marcus, the chief physician I'd seen in Greenwood Territory.
His distinctive scholarly look couldn't be hidden by any disguise.
This is... embarrassing to even call a disguise.
I sighed and looked at Marcus.
"Marcus, long time no see. What brings you here? With Baekseol, no less."
Marcus glanced back and forth between Baekseol and me in panic.
His face screamed, We're screwed.
Baekseol clicked her tongue softly.
"Tch, caught after all. Marcus, your disguise is too sloppy."
"M-Me? Leader, you insisted we leave in a hurry..."
"No. I wasn't caught—you were, Marcus."
"...Yes, my fault."
Baekseol let out a light sigh.
"Hoo... well, since we're busted anyway."
A soft glow emanated from her body. When it faded, Baekseol stood in her true form.
Silver hair cascaded like a waterfall, her ethereal white dress fluttering in the breeze.
And dominating all attention: the nine elegant tails unfurling gracefully behind her.
The real thing is even more overwhelming.
Why else would she rank top 3 in female character popularity?
Her backstory and lore mattered, but this overwhelming visual was key.
Beautiful in-game, but in person, her presence was no joke.
The territory folk had gone pale.
The woman they'd treated as spectacle was Bai Ling's leader. Some collapsed, legs giving out from shock.
The mercenaries who'd blocked her were a sight to behold.
"Eek!"
"W-We didn't mean..."
The B-rank mercenary who'd grabbed her arm so boldly moments ago crumpled to the ground.
"W-We were ignorant... forgive our grave sin!"
"Spare our lives... please, just our lives!"
If Bai Ling's leader killed them, Jin Gang's leader wouldn't object.
That was this world's order—the logic of strength.
Then Rynel approached Baekseol first and bowed.
"Jin Gang defense captain Rynel. I apologize for our rudeness to Lady Baekseol, leader of Bai Ling."
"Oh, no need to worry. It didn't bother me. I was hiding my identity, after all."
At Baekseol's words, the mercenaries' faces lit up.
Then us too...
Forgiveness...
But Baekseol's gaze turned to the ones who'd toyed with her.
"Of course, that doesn't mean I've forgiven you."
A chilling smile curved her lips.
The mercenaries began to tremble faintly.
"Wha...?"
"My body... won't move..."
White frost bloomed across their skin.
Ice crept from their toes, racing up their bodies in seconds.
"Gaaahk!"
"Krrgh!"
They couldn't even scream properly—their mouths froze first.
The mercenaries turned into ice statues, faces locked in terror.
And—
Baekseol flicked her finger lightly.
Bang—!
The ice statues shattered simultaneously.
Thousands of ice shards glittered like diamonds in the sunlight as they scattered.
"...!"
The territory folk could barely breathe.
People alive moments ago reduced to dust in a blink—it was pure shock.
Baekseol brushed the frost from her hand as if nothing happened.
"I can forgive not recognizing my disguise. But..."
Her blue eyes gleamed coldly.
"Daring to touch my body? That's unforgivable."
I watched quietly, thinking.
This scene was in the game too.
Baekseol always debuted disguised.
If the player chose to touch her, this special event triggered.
The ice execution event.
Most players only realized she wasn't a mere traveler after seeing it.
"I couldn't attend Tian Yi Hui due to business, so this is our first meeting, Lord Astra."
Baekseol tilted her head slightly as she spoke.
"But how did you spot me at a glance? We're strangers, aren't we?"
"An obvious question."
I answered flatly.
"Only one possibility for someone the Bai Ling chief physician personally escorts. And that power's ripple... who else but the regiment leader?"
"Marcus was the giveaway, after all."
Baekseol pressed a hand to her forehead, nodding as if piecing it together.
Her poise was like a painting—elegant in every way.
Silver hair shimmering in the sun, faintly furrowed brow, troubled expression.
But to the territory folk watching, the gap between her beauty and brutality would be spine-chilling.
"So, what's the occasion? Coming to Cheongam Fortress unannounced."
"Well, curiosity about the girl with the demon eyes... and I wanted to meet you myself, Lord Astra, who knows awakening conditions even I don't."
She smiled meaningfully.
I'm heading to Bai Ling anyway. This works out perfectly.
Traveling with her would make things smoother in countless ways.
Especially if the leader herself guided me inside—fewer pointless frictions.
"Then rest at my castle for now. The girl with the demon eyes is there; you can meet her."
I paused, then added,
"I have something to handle."
"Understood."
Baekseol nodded gracefully.
"Rynel."
I called to him standing behind.
"Escort Baekseol to the castle and let her meet Ria."
"Yes, sir. What about the slums...?"
"I'll go alone."
Leaving Rynel's worried expression behind, I headed into the slums.
I looked forward to Rion's growth, yet worry gnawed at me too.