Reunion with the Snow Fox
Song Jae-ha had already grasped the situation inside the Black Market early on, thanks to the help of his detection-type hunter.
Though it was too vast and complex to survey everything completely, he could at least get a sense of the overall atmosphere.
'It's quiet.'
The occasional noises that had accompanied several large tremors had suddenly cut off.
From this, Song Jae-ha easily realized that the battle had reached its conclusion.
'Who won? Is Zhang Wei safe?'
Song Jae-ha frowned with his sharp eyes, pondering for a moment before shaking his head.
Staying to observe any longer might cause him to miss his chance.
The fisherman-in-waiting Song Jae-ha finally began his move.
Entering a building that didn't look like a Black Market at all from the outside, Song Jae-ha immediately spread out his senses sharply.
Though he lacked a dedicated detection skill and couldn't match specialized detection hunters, he could at least pick up on basic presences.
'...It's eerily quiet.'
He had confirmed that Kazuki had left several subordinates behind before heading underground, yet now that he was inside, there wasn't a single sign of life.
Whether Kazuki had won or Zhang Wei had won, this unnatural silence made no sense.
"...Everyone, stay on high alert. The atmosphere is off."
For a brief moment, he considered pulling back, but Song Jae-ha quickly dismissed the thought.
'If not now, there won't be another opportunity.'
No matter who had won, both sides must be severely depleted—this was his only window.
The strangely ominous silence was unsettling, but Song Jae-ha pushed the worry aside.
Searching the interior while ignoring the foreboding feeling, Song Jae-ha soon came face-to-face with someone completely unexpected.
Or perhaps, on some level, he had imagined this possibility.
Ever since their first encounter, when he had glimpsed a fraction of her power.
"Ho. We meet again?"
A beautiful voice, smooth as rolling jade beads, tickled his ears.
Drawn by the enchanting timbre that could steal one's soul, he turned his gaze to see a woman standing demurely before the passage leading underground.
A stunning beauty so radiant it could blind the eyes just to behold.
Even simply standing there, she was a picture in herself.
Song Jae-ha involuntarily squeezed his eyes shut at the sight of the woman, to whom terms like "moonlit waters and flower-like grace" or "a beauty to topple kingdoms" suited perfectly.
Gazing at her directly might cause him to fall under her spell without realizing it.
At Song Jae-ha's reaction, the woman—Snow—let out a soft chuckle.
"You have good instincts. Staring any longer, and you might have been entranced."
—It's fine now.
The gentle, pleasing voice gradually lost its emotion.
At the same time, the seductive aura that had been rippling around her vanished as if it had been a lie.
Some kind of skill, perhaps?
Song Jae-ha cautiously opened his eyes.
There she stood, demure as before, looking at him.
Her beauty was still breathtaking, but the dizzying, soul-stealing allure from moments ago was gone.
Gulping dryly, Song Jae-ha carefully spoke.
"It's a pleasure to see you again. I hope you've been well."
Snow nodded indifferently at Song Jae-ha's impeccably polite demeanor.
Her gaze flicked briefly to his waist.
"You've brought a different sword."
"I was worried it might get scratched, so I left it behind."
"The more precious something is, the closer you should keep it and cherish it."
"I prefer to hide away my treasures securely."
"Hm. Is that so? What a pity."
"......"
What was so pity-worthy?
He vaguely guessed her meaning but clamped his mouth shut, unwilling to acknowledge it.
A brief silence fell between them.
Snow seemed utterly unbothered by the awkward quiet, maintaining her impassive demeanor as before.
In contrast, Song Jae-ha, growing increasingly uncomfortable, spoke up cautiously once more.
"Why have you come here?"
"Must this lady explain even that to you?"
"...To be upfront, I'm here under orders from the Association. For your sake as well, to avoid any future issues, I'd appreciate it if you could tell me the truth."
"Heh. 'Benefactor.' Do you truly think of me that way?"
"...Yes. You returned something precious to me, so you are undoubtedly my 'benefactor.'"
"He'd laugh happily to hear that. What an amusing tale."
A faint smile ghosted over Snow's previously emotionless face.
Just that one smile made the surroundings feel brighter.
Ignoring the dazed exclamations from his guild members behind him, Song Jae-ha asked again.
"So, why is my benefactor here?"
"Heh. You already suspect, so why ask? You're a clever one—you must know."
"......"
Song Jae-ha shut his mouth at Snow's teasing tone.
Another short silence passed between them.
"...To repeat myself, I'm acting under the Association's orders. I'd ask for your cooperation if possible."
"Hm. How amusing. As if that puny Association is anything special."
"...At the very least, within this Korea, there's nothing it can't do."
"True enough. Just look at today—they dawdled instead of cleaning things up promptly. Quite surprising. Well, thanks to that, this lady and he got what we wanted, so no matter."
"...Once more, for your own good, cooperating with the Association would be wise. If you have no intention of leaving this country."
"This lady follows my husband's opinions entirely, so ask him about that... But from what I've seen, cooperating with that Association seems unlikely."
"...Aren't you afraid of the Association?"
Snow flinched slightly at Song Jae-ha's quiet question.
She looked at him as if surprised, then burst into genuine laughter.
It was a laugh of pure delight, unlike her previous impassive expressions or faint smiles.
"Amusing, so amusing. To think you'd say such a thing to this lady."
"...I'm not joking. Turning your back on the Association in this Korea means turning your back on all the organizations tied to it. Not just the Association, but even the so-called Five Great Guilds—they'll all target you. Are you truly not afraid?"
Snow continued laughing even at Song Jae-ha's calm addition.
What could be so entertaining?
As she laughed heartily, shoulders shaking, Song Jae-ha was about to speak again when—
Suddenly, her laughter stopped dead.
"Ha. Amusing, so amusing. The outside world is full of such stimuli for this lady. He worries it might harm me... But how could I ignore the joy that came to my utterly boring life?"
Song Jae-ha silently closed his mouth as Snow murmured softly, almost to herself.
An aura emanated from her that made it hard to interject.
"You asked if this lady is afraid?"
"...Yes. Of the Association and the other guilds."
"I'll answer your question."
Snow took a slow step toward Song Jae-ha.
Just that single step changed the air around them.
A chilling pressure poured out, suffocating him.
Song Jae-ha steadied his weakening legs and looked at her with trembling eyes.
Snow, now radiating a completely different aura, spoke lowly.
"Do I seem like someone who would be afraid?"
"......"
"Rather, I want to ask you. Aren't you afraid of this lady?"
Song Jae-ha's lips quivered wordlessly.
He had sensed it faintly before, but now it was certain.
'SS-rank...!'
America's Garcia and Leysha Barrett. China's Wang Feng. Only those three SS-ranks remained in the world.
And now, another SS-rank stood before him—one not among those three.
Overwhelmed by her razor-sharp presence, Song Jae-ha couldn't respond for a long while.
Snow gazed at him impassively for a moment before shaking her head slightly and withdrawing her aura.
As the air eased instantly, Song Jae-ha exhaled the breath he'd been holding.
"Hah...! Heuk—!"
Snow watched him gasp for air, then waved her hand dismissively, as if her interest had waned.
"If you're done, be on your way."
"...Even if you won't cooperate, would you at least consider meeting the Association's upper echelons?"
"Hm?"
Snow, who had looked away in boredom, turned back at the unexpected question.
Song Jae-ha, having regained his composure, met her eyes with a firmer gaze.
"As I said, this lady follows my husband's opinions alone. Tell that to him."
"...Where is your husband?"
Snow smiled faintly instead of answering.
Understanding her refusal to say more, Song Jae-ha pleaded once again instead of pressing.
"...Please convey it favorably to your husband later. I'll do the same with the upper echelons as best I can..."
"Hm. From what this lady hears, your position isn't great... 'Hunting dog,' was it? Can a mere dog presume to order its master around?"
"......"
Song Jae-ha clamped his mouth shut at Snow's smiling gaze.
Even her obvious provocation failed to draw a reaction from him.
Bored by his response, Snow spoke in a disinterested tone.
"More patient than I expected. I heard you might charge in at any moment last time."
"...I don't know who told you that, but I'm good at enduring. I'm past the age of lashing out without knowing when to step forward or hold back."
"Hm. So, if this lady were weaker than you, you'd have attacked right away?"
"...I'd never be so rude to my 'benefactor.'"
"Heh. Truly an amusing child. He'd like you."
"...Thank you."
Hiding his frustration, Song Jae-ha bowed and changed the subject.
"I have a few questions."
"You've entertained this lady, so I'll repay the favor. I'll answer sincerely within what I can."
"...What happened to Zhang Wei?"
"Heh. What do you think happened?"
"......"
Song Jae-ha paused, choosing his words carefully before speaking haltingly, his voice trembling at the implications.
"...Did you kill him?"
"He wanted to spare him if possible, but things don't always go as planned."
"No! Zhang Wei is Wang Feng's sworn brother! That Wang Feng—the one called the 21st century Xiang Yu or Lu Bu! Aren't you afraid of h—?!"
Song Jae-ha cut himself off mid-sentence.
He had said something similar just moments ago.
Above all, seeing Snow smiling sweetly as she listened, he couldn't continue.
'She intended to kill him from the start.'
Though she claimed she tried to spare him, her expression made it clear there was never any intention to let him live.
This woman before him—and her absent husband—had targeted Wang Feng from the beginning.
"This lady has a hobby."
Snow spoke abruptly to the stunned, speechless Song Jae-ha.
"One I've had since before meeting him, before bearing my most precious child."
"......"
"It's not particularly noble. Where this lady lived differed from the outside world—there wasn't much to enjoy."
"......"
"Just endless white snowfields and brutal, savage enemies. In such a world, what hobby could there be? So, this lady chose battle with the strong."
A soft smile now graced her face as she spoke gently.
"At least in battle, I could feel emotions even in that utterly boring place."
Song Jae-ha rolled his eyes, at a loss for words.
Snow chuckled softly at him.
"Well, it's less now than before. I have my precious children, the most important things in the world, and my beloved husband. I don't rampage blindly like in the old days."
"...I see."
Snow laughed lightly again at his halting, cautious reply.
"Still, sometimes I crave returning to those days and cutting loose."
"......"
"I'm looking forward to meeting that Wang Feng."
Song Jae-ha let out an unwitting sigh.
He felt he should say something, but words failed him.
His thoughts tangled chaotically in his mind.
"By the way, he shares this lady's hobby. Not noble, but as husband and wife with the same interest, it's most satisfying."
"That's..."
"Well, he seems to enjoy battle itself more than just fighting the strong... but essentially the same."
Snow glanced aside briefly.
"He seems just as eager as this lady. I wonder what level that one is at."
At her casual words, Song Jae-ha realized.
The woman before him—and her husband—were not sane.
No normal human logic could follow their thinking.
It was incomprehensible.
By human standards, she was utterly mad.
Unable to voice his thoughts, Song Jae-ha stared at Snow for a moment.
She ignored him right in front of her, lost in her own contemplation.
"...I'll keep this incident secret for the time being."
Only then did Snow turn her attention back to him at his quiet words.
"Ho? Can you do that? Weren't you acting under Association orders?"
"...No long explanations. With my authority, I can keep it under wraps for about three days."
"Heh. As expected, a perceptive child. I'll gratefully accept your kindness."
"...I'll take my leave."
—Farewell.
Song Jae-ha bowed and hurried away with his guild members, not looking back.
Gazing at his retreating figure, Snow murmured softly.
"Good instincts and a sharp mind. He must have had other ideas... Hm, perhaps this lady should take a subordinate like him too."
A small smile curved Snow's lips.
"More importantly, three days... Short if short, long if long."
Her gaze drifted toward the underground below, where Nix lay.
"He needs to wake up soon."
Snow's quiet voice echoed lonely through the silent room.