Chapter 276: A Special Event on the Return Journey
Chapter 276: A Special Event on the Return Journey
〈Record〉
“How to tame a unicorn? It’s not simple. They tend to grieve deeply when one of their own dies, and this tendency is even more pronounced if it’s a parent or a child. So much so that if left alone, they might take their own lives. That’s the moment you aim for. Young ones, in particular, need something to fill the void of their loss. Of course, this is all under the prerequisite that you are a virgin woman and the unicorn is alone.”
—Excerpt from ‘How to Tame a Unicorn,’ Barbara Central Library, Northern Continent.
*
A pale dawn was breaking in the eastern sky. The sun, which had been observing the plains like a shy bride, began to peek its head out from a distance. The fields, once covered in a dark green, slowly began to take on a pure white light as they soaked in the morning sun.
The gradually arriving morning on the plains was serene yet beautiful. The fields, which had been filled with the dark of night since dawn, were now sparkling with a vivid light in an instant.
By the time the white light had illuminated every corner of the remote plains, the sun’s rays fell upon a single User, sitting on the grass and dozing off. Their face and figure were hidden by a robe that enveloped their entire body. However, judging by the slightly disheveled hair that peeked out from under the hood and swayed in the breeze, one might guess they were likely a woman.
As if feeling the sunlight on her face, the head that had been bobbing uncontrollably came to a sudden stop. It slowly lifted to look at the sky, and then, slender fingers gripped the hood and pulled it back.
The face that was finally revealed was indeed that of a woman. She was a beauty, with a sharp nose, thin, long lips pressed firmly together, and eyebrows that were slightly arched as if she were glaring at someone.
One would think waking up in such a scenic place would feel refreshing, yet the woman’s sleepy eyes were filled with irritation. She sniffled, drawing back the mucus running down her philtrum with a loud “Sniff,” then hunched her shoulders and parted her delicate lips.
“Ah, it’s cold.”
“Give me a fucking break. You bitch, you sleep your ass off all night and the first thing you say is ‘it’s cold’?”
Startled by the reflexive reply, the woman’s eyes widened as she turned her head to the side. There, another woman, also wrapped in a robe, was sitting in the same position, staring at the one who had just woken up with a pathetic look.
The woman studied her with drowsy eyes, let out a deep sigh, and turned her head away again.
“You look like you just woke up too, unni.”
“Hey, Seol Minhee. Why don’t you pick the sleep out of your eyes before you talk? And for the record, I woke up earlier than you.”
“I went to sleep later than you. So we’re even.”
“Ugh. Whatever… Let’s just drop it. Now that I think about it, it’s not like either of us has anything to be proud of.”
As if agreeing with the woman she called unni, Seol Minhee let out a big yawn and nodded.
With that, the two women fell silent for a while, staring straight ahead. Although the morning sun had risen, the chill that had seeped deep into the plains still lingered, as if the sunlight wasn't yet strong enough to drive it away. Seol Minhee’s face was expressionless as she watched the front, but a sense of fatigue dripped from her entire body.
“Hoo. Hoo.”
As if to warm her frozen body, Seol Minhee rubbed her hands together and blew warm air into them. Then, placing a cigarette between her fingers, she muttered in a weak voice.
“Sora unni. I’m cold.”
“It’s because you just woke up. And don’t light that. I don’t want to smell it first thing in the morning.”
Ignoring Sora’s objection, Seol Minhee lit the cigarette. “Unlike someone I know who has to eat before they can smoke, I have a habit of lighting up right after I wake up. If you don’t like it, turn your head,” she replied, then took a deep drag.
“Huuup, fwooo. Cough! Cough!”
“I told you not to. Serves you right, you bitch.”
She had inhaled too deeply, and the smoke caught in her throat, making her cough several times with a pained expression. Sora sneered, a look of schadenfreude on her face. Seol Minhee wiped away the tears welling in her eyes and spat out the saliva that had collected in her mouth. Then, she gently took another drag and exhaled a cloud of murky smoke.
“Hooo. Sora unni.”
“If you say you’re cold one more time, I’m going to rip your lips off. I mean it.”
“How much longer do we have to stay like this?”
“……”
This question seemed difficult to answer, as the woman called Sora clamped her mouth shut. But the gaze fixed on her grew more intense, carrying a clear will to get an answer this time.
Sora smacked her lips for a moment before extending her right hand to the side. Seol Minhee looked at her as if to say, What’s gotten into you?, then obediently placed the cigarette in her outstretched hand. Soon, Sora, just like her, took a gentle drag.
“Sigh. I don’t know. We just have to wait until we hear from them.”
“We got a message yesterday, didn’t we? Through the crystal ball.”
“Yesterday…? Ah, that? You actually believe that nonsense?”
“The kid on the standby team said he saw it for sure. They even found tracks.”
“Oh, my sweet, innocent Minhee. They said those were just tracks of a large group of four-legged animals passing by. What, dozens of white horses carrying people on their backs? Are they unicorns?”
Sora shook her head with a look of disbelief and brought the cigarette to her lips again.
“Tell them to cut the crap. They probably dozed off just like you and saw something that wasn't there.”
“……”
Seol Minhee tilted her head, her still-plump cheeks puffing out slightly.
“So we’re just going to keep waiting like this? We’re the herding team. Our job in the Dense Forest was basically done anyway. Waiting and ambushing is the standby team’s job, so why are we doing this?”
“We don’t have a choice when the orders came from them. Besides, they said the Shadow Queen is among the Users we’re targeting this time. The Shadow Queen. The Shadow Queen. Don’t you get it? We need every hand we can get right now, so what’s your problem?”
This time, it was Seol Minhee who fell silent. But as she recalled the Shadow Queen’s reputation, her throat bobbed as she swallowed. Her expression showed she understood, but her cheeks remained puffed, her dissatisfaction not quite gone.
Noticing this, Sora softened her sharp tone slightly and continued.
“I’m annoyed too. That’s why I told them we should just ambush them before they go in, but they wouldn’t listen.”
“Then you should tell them again, unni.”
“What do you want me to do? Suggest we follow them into the Plateau of Delusion? Are you crazy?”
“If you don’t want to, then let’s just call it quits here. Seunggyu-oppa tends to listen to you, doesn’t he?”
“Damn it, I hate having to use pillow talk. Anyway, when the next communication comes in, you keep your mouth shut. Don’t go flying off the handle like you did yesterday.”
Sora cut the conversation short with a look that said she wouldn’t hear another word, then flicked the cigarette she was holding. The still-glowing tip scattered embers into the air before hiding itself in the grass.
“……”
“……”
Then, as if on cue, both women sighed at the same time.
*
The scenery of the Hall Plain always lifted my spirits. The sight of nature stretching as it greeted the morning, something unseen in the modern world, held a certain mystique.
I poked my head out of my sleeping bag and looked around. The vast Plains of Wailing came into view. My face grew damp as it brushed against the grass. A faint mist hung over the entire plain, and dewdrops clung to the blades of grass, glistening with a brilliant light.
“Kkyu…”
As I shifted slightly, something sleeping in my arms stirred and let out a faint cry, as if waking up. I looked down to see the baby unicorn, its back rising and falling with even breaths. It was the culprit that had crawled into my sleeping bag while I was sleeping after my watch last night.
When I gently stroked its back, it began to wag its short tail from side to side, as if pleased. But as soon as I removed my hand, it went limp. I repeated the motion—stroking made it wag, stopping made it droop.
“Kkyu.”
When I stopped petting it, the creature shakily lifted its head and managed to look up at me. The sight brought a faint smile to my lips. I stroked the baby unicorn’s back again as I mulled over the journey to the Plains of Wailing.
To be honest, I would have been satisfied if the unicorns had just helped us get out of the Plateau of Delusion. At most, I had expected them to lead us down the Mountain of Delirium. But my expectations were completely off.
The unicorns had shown us the kindness of escorting us not only down the mountain but also through the Dense Forest and all the way to the Plains of Wailing. Thanks to them, it went without saying that we had drastically shortened our return journey.
Riding a unicorn was a truly mystical experience, one I had never had before. Their wind-like speed was one thing, but their ability to gallop over even the roughest terrain as if it were a flat plain was nothing short of astounding.
A few of the others were not used to riding horses and showed some anxiety at first, but after a day, those worries vanished as if washed away. Moreover, after coming down the mountain, the terrain was mostly flat, making it feel almost like riding in a car.
The unicorns boasted the best riding experience, so much so that I desperately wanted one for myself. They had a knack for automatically balancing themselves and making the ride comfortable.
Should I just kidnap one?
I knew it was a ridiculous thought, but the unicorns were just that captivating, both as divine beasts and as animals. I let out a small laugh and gazed at the quietly sleeping baby unicorn.
Although it was much better than the first day when all it did was cry, the little one had not yet overcome its sorrow. The others and the surrounding unicorns seemed to be paying it a lot of attention, but it would still shed tears at a moment’s notice.
However, when it was with me, and only with me, it would sometimes show a smile. Honestly, this was a situation I couldn’t understand myself. Unicorns were creatures that were picky enough to only follow virgin women, so it was truly strange that this one followed me, a man who wasn’t even a virgin(?).
Could it be related to Eternal Flame…?
Considering the generally favorable reactions from the leader and the other unicorns, it wasn’t an entirely baseless guess. In any case, I couldn’t know for sure right now. Deciding to look into it later, I picked up the soundly sleeping baby unicorn. Then, I slipped out of my sleeping bag, got to my feet, and crossed the campsite.
“Kkyuu, kkyuu.”
Coming out of the warm sleeping bag into the cold air, the baby unicorn squirmed and burrowed deeper into my arms. Cradling it gently, I took in the sight of the Users and unicorns coexisting.
The sun had fully risen, and the light pouring down from the sky enveloped the entire plain. Neatly arranged sleeping bags and unicorns sleeping in herds. And Ahn Sol and Lee Yoojung, sleeping with their heads cozily together.
I let out a deep sigh and closed the distance to them. The two of them were sleeping soundly, even snoring.
*
“This is far enough. Thank you for bringing us here.”
Whinny…
As I spoke with heartfelt gratitude, the lead unicorn slowly shook its head. It was as if it was saying it was nothing, that they were the ones who were grateful.
In the end, the unicorns had brought us to the very edge of the Plains of Wailing. From here, we were at most two days away from Monica.
The others looked like they wanted to spend a little more time with the unicorns, but that was becoming difficult. We had already run into a few Users since entering the plains. In a way, the situation was already dangerous for the unicorns. Even with twenty of them, including the leader, there was no telling if they might be hunted by some crazed individuals.
“Hee-ing…”
“Goodbye…”
Although we had already said our farewells, a continuous stream of regret flowed from behind me. Ahn Hyun, in particular, had clung to a unicorn’s neck and rubbed his face against it, only to get slapped in the cheek by its tail. The pretty(?) unicorn behind the leader was still radiating displeasure.
I gave a wry smile at the sight, then spoke gently to the baby unicorn, which had been staring at me this whole time.
“It’s time to say goodbye now. You should shake off your sadness and be strong.”
“Kkyu…”
Sniffle, sniffle. Realizing that this was truly the end, the baby unicorn’s eyes began to well up with tears. Seeing that, I felt my own resolve weakening, so I decided to make the parting as quick as possible. I waved my hand and offered my final farewell to the lead unicorn.
“I think it’s best we part ways now. Be careful on your way back, just in case. Well then.”
I turned around quickly. I could see the clan members, all wearing expressions of disappointment. I knew what their looks meant, but there was nothing I could do about it.
I glanced at the Users being carried by the clan members, then opened my mouth and spoke in a low voice.
“Let’s return to the city. Fortunately, the three of them are still breathing. Now, we might actually be able to save their lives.”
At that, the Users seemed to snap back to their senses and managed to nod.
It was right as I was about to signal our departure. The moment I took a step forward, I felt a firm tug on my clothes.
When I turned back, it wasn’t the baby unicorn, but the lead unicorn that was biting my coat. It was the first time the leader had ever bitten me. I stood there in surprise, just watching, until it finally let go of my collar and let out a faint whinny.
Whinny…
“What is it?”
Whinny… Whinny… Whinny… Whinny…
“I can’t… I don’t know what you’re saying.”
The lead unicorn’s face was filled with bitterness. When I shrugged, it turned its head back, then gave a heavy nod. It was then.
Whinny…
The baby unicorn was standing still, its face tear-streaked. At a signal from the lead unicorn, an adult unicorn stepped forward and gently nudged the motionless baby unicorn. Right in my direction.