Chapter 277: Please, Get Some Rest
Chapter 277: Please, Get Some Rest
“Kkyu?!”
Whinny….
“Kkyu kkyu?!”
Whinny…. Whinny….
The baby unicorn, startled, whipped its head around. But the adult unicorn’s actions didn’t change. No matter how the baby reacted, it just kept nudging its rump forward. Unable to resist the force, the little one was pushed forward, step by step. As I watched this unfold, I spoke to the lead unicorn, who was observing silently.
“Wait a minute. What are you all doing right now?”
Of course, there was no answer. And even if there had been, I wouldn’t have understood it. The lead unicorn simply stared at me with its deep, hollow eyes. After a moment, the leader walked a few steps toward me and suddenly bowed its head low.
“…”
I was dumbfounded. A unicorn—a creature known for its intense wariness and pride—was bowing its head to a man. And this wasn’t just any unicorn; it was their leader.
“Kkyuu, kkyuu!”
While I was still processing my shock, the baby unicorn had been pushed all the way to me. It seemed just as confused, constantly turning its head this way and that, but none of the other unicorns made a move to intervene. They only watched with sorrowful eyes as the little one was nudged forward.
Could this be…?
I quickly composed myself. Unless I was completely clueless, there was no way I could have missed the lead unicorn’s intention at this point. I gestured for it to raise its still-bowed head and asked in a calm voice.
“Are you asking me to take care of the baby unicorn?”
Whinny…. Whinny….
The lead unicorn nodded. The moment I saw its reaction, I swallowed hard. I had been thinking how nice it would be to have a unicorn, and now one had practically fallen into my lap.
But my joy was short-lived. I quickly schooled my expression and glanced down at the baby unicorn, which had been pushed right up to my ankles.
Seemingly at a complete loss, it was looking up at me again with those same teary eyes. The adult unicorn that had brought it here, as if its job was done, was already trudging back to its spot.
A quiet silence fell. The lead unicorn, the baby unicorn—no, everyone here was looking at me. Just as I was trying to figure out what to say, a faint voice came from behind me.
“Perhaps… they’re asking you to look after it for a little while?”
The speaker was the first User we had rescued from the underground prison. She was also the woman whose voice I had barely heard on our way here, likely due to the shock she’d suffered in the prison. But for whatever reason, she continued in a low but clear voice.
“An older friend of mine tamed a unicorn once. She told me that unicorns who lose their parents fall into a profound sense of loss. If they can’t overcome that sorrow, it can get serious enough for them to take their own lives…”
“Hold on. But this unicorn isn’t alone. Just look, there are more than twenty of them traveling together.”
“As you saw on the way here, a unicorn’s grief isn’t easily healed, even with companions. But when it was with you, Mercenary Lord, it sometimes smiled, didn’t it?”
“That’s…”
“I don’t know why the baby unicorn follows you so much, Mercenary Lord. But one thing is certain right now: of all the beings here, you are the one with the greatest potential to lift the baby unicorn’s sorrow. The other unicorns must have sensed that on our journey here, and that’s why they’re asking this of you, don’t you think?”
After her somewhat lengthy but articulate explanation, the woman gave a slight bow and fell silent, having apparently said all she knew.
I let out a long sigh. Meeting the lead unicorn’s gaze, I spoke calmly.
“As the woman behind me said, are you asking me to stay with the baby unicorn? Do you mean that, more than any of you… I am the most suitable person to fill the void it feels?”
Nod, nod.
“Hmm… So if I take it in for a while, I’ll have to return it later?”
This time, the lead unicorn didn’t nod. Instead, it looked down at the baby unicorn sitting on the ground and let out a low cry. I couldn’t be sure, but for some reason, it felt like it was saying, “That will be for the child to decide when the time comes.” (Of course, that was just my own interpretation.)
The baby unicorn’s tail and even its ears were drooping. But the moment I scooped it up in my arms, its ears perked up and its tail began to wag. I was truly curious what it was about me that elicited such a reaction, but for now, I lifted the baby unicorn to eye level. Looking into its bright, clear eyes, I spoke in a quiet voice.
“Little one, what do you want to do?”
“Kkyu?”
“Do you want to stay with me for a while, or will you go with your companions? Whatever you choose, I’ll respect your decision. And your choice is the most important thing here.”
“Kkyu…”
The baby unicorn immediately looked troubled. It looked at me, then at the lead unicorn. Then it looked at my companions behind me, then back at the other unicorns.
After turning its head back and forth, it began to struggle with its four legs, its eyes still filled with conflict. I immediately set it down on the ground. It trotted over to the lead unicorn and began to cry softly.
“Kkyu, kkyu kkyu, kkyu kkyu kkyu.”
Whinny…. Whinny…. Whinny…. Whinny….
“Kkyu kkyu kkyu kkyu, kkyu kkyu kkyu kkyu kkyu.”
Whinny…. Whinny…. Whinny…. Whinny….
The two seemed to converse for a while, and then the baby unicorn began to rub its head against the lead unicorn’s leg. The lead unicorn closed its eyes gently and slowly nuzzled the little one’s head. The kiss started at its head, moved down its neck and back, and continued all the way to its rump. This process of nuzzling each other lasted for over a minute.
Finally, after the kisses were done, the lead unicorn gave me a look of unprecedented intensity before turning away with a flick of its body. The baby unicorn beside it matched its pace and began walking toward the gathered unicorns.
“Ah…”
“Oh, no…”
Tsk.
Disappointed sighs escaped from the others. In the end, the baby unicorn hadn’t chosen me. In a way, this was the normal choice, but I couldn’t help the lingering feeling of disappointment in a corner of my heart. I had spoken a bit indirectly, hoping we could build a connection, but maybe I should have been more direct.
I clicked my tongue inwardly and watched the baby unicorn’s waddling back before slowly turning around myself. It was a real shame, but I decided I should be content with having formed a decent relationship with the unicorns.
It was then.
Woooo…. Woooo…. Woooo…. Woooo….
The deep, resonant cries of the unicorns suddenly filled the air. I whipped my head around to see the baby unicorn stopped halfway, with the other unicorns howling at it.
Then, just as it had when we parted before, the baby unicorn lifted its front right leg. It wasn’t directed at us, but at the unicorns on the other side.
The moment the powerful cries subsided, it turned around and started running toward us. The instant I saw that, the resolve I’d just made to give up was completely overturned.
“Huh? Is it coming? Is it really coming?”
“U-Uni!”
The baby unicorn finally stopped in front of me, beamed, and cried, “Kkyu!” It was the first time I’d seen its bright smile in a long time. Ahn Sol and Lee Yoojung, also smiling brightly, ran forward. Overjoyed, they scooped the baby unicorn into their arms.
It was unbelievable. The baby unicorn had gone over to say its farewells. Which meant it had chosen me. Watching it wiggle its four legs in Ahn Sol’s arms, I let out a short, incredulous laugh.
I looked ahead and saw the unicorns slowly turning away. Even as they turned and walked, their eyes remained fixed on the baby unicorn. Just as the lead unicorn, the last to turn, was about to look away, our eyes met one last time in the air. The lead unicorn’s eyes looked incredibly lonely as it trudged away.
I watched for a while, and then the lead unicorn’s head gave a heavy nod. Then it turned its gaze away completely.
“…”
As I watched the unicorns grow smaller in the distance, I felt someone tap me on the back. Behind me, Ahn Sol was beaming, holding the baby unicorn in her arms.
“Orabeoni! Orabeoni! I think Uni wants you to hold it!”
“Kkyu kkyu!”
The baby unicorn smiled brightly and held out its legs toward me. I took them in my hands and offered a faint smile of my own.
Patting the baby unicorn’s back, I fell into thought. I didn’t know what the future held, but now that it had come to me like this, I had no intention of letting it go. Because it might have been free to come in…
But it’s not free to leave.
*
“Congratulations on your safe return, Users!”
“Welcome to Monica!”
As we entered through the East Gate, the resounding salutes of the guards welcomed us. Two days—or more accurately, a day and a half had passed. That was how long it had taken to reach Monica after parting with the unicorns.
The moment we were fully through the gate, dozens of eyes from around the area fixed on us. Their gazes were on the Users who were still unconscious and being carried on our backs.
Whether it was a familiar sight or simply none of their business, most of the gazes soon fell away, accompanied by the sound of tongues clicking here and there.
We walked a little further before stopping on the main road from the gate. I turned to Shin Jaeryong, who was wearing a bitter smile, and spoke.
“This concludes the expedition and rescue mission. For now, you should head straight to the temple.”
“Ah, no, that’s not necessary. We’re grateful enough for all the help you’ve given us. The rest of us have recovered some of our strength, so we’ll take them to the temple.”
“Hmm, but it will still be difficult for you.”
“Haha, we didn’t do much on the way here. In fact, you Mercenary members went through far more trouble. If the opportunity arises, I will be sure to repay this kindness one day.”
The rescue mission was over. By providing basic treatment and bringing them safely to the city, we had done our part. I had only made the offer out of courtesy, and Shin Jaeryong knew that well. He shook his head with his usual good-natured expression and approached Ahn Hyun, intending to take the User he was carrying. At that, the other conscious Users also moved to take their comrades.
I gave a nod to my companions, who were looking at me with troubled faces, and observed Shin Jaeryong for a moment. Throughout our journey here, I had often seen Users who weren’t even from his clan follow his words without complaint. He seemed to be a User with a deeper reputation than I’d thought.
“Then we’ll be on our way to the temple first. Thank you for everything.”
“Of course. I’ll submit the expedition report as soon as possible, so you don’t have to worry too much.”
“Ah… haha. Thank you.”
The standard procedure was to formally submit an expedition report to the temple, after which the representative clan would form an investigation team. The bodies of the Users were still in Magia. Even in the Hall Plain, people would want to recover the remains of their loved ones.
I walked over to the quietly smiling Shin Jaeryong and handed him a pouch I had prepared in advance. He blinked, a bewildered look on his face.
“It’s not much. About 200 Gold.”
“Ah. Y-You don’t have to…”
“It’s fine. If you feel bad about accepting it, consider it payment for the information the woman behind you provided.”
As if she heard me, the woman who had given me the information about the unicorns bowed her head in acknowledgment. Shin Jaeryong looked troubled but didn’t refuse. He must have realized it himself. Once the Rapids’ Edge Clan was dismantled, the future for him and his clan members would be uncertain.
He probably has to worry about treatment costs right now, too.
After a brief farewell with my clan members, the group of Users led by Shin Jaeryong started walking toward the plaza. Their retreating figures looked shabby. They must have been full of dreams when they set out on the expedition, but the reality they faced upon their narrow return would be bleak. I watched them for a moment before turning my gaze to my own clan members.
Ahn Hyun, Ahn Sol, Lee Yoojung, Ko Yeonju. The four of them met my eyes and, in unison, broke into wide grins. It was a smile that conveyed the refreshing feeling of having successfully completed another difficult expedition. Kim Hanbyul was clutching her robe, looking flustered. The baby unicorn was probably squirming, feeling stuffy. Baek Hangyul, as if finally realizing he had survived his first expedition, was biting his lip with a tearful face.
The sun was slowly setting. It was the time when Users returned from their expeditions. The city walls, gradually cloaked in twilight, were filled with the noise of returning Users. Those laughing and chatting excitedly must have been the ones who had returned with some achievement. And now, it was time for us to join their ranks.
“It looks like the sun will set soon, so let’s head back to where the rest of our clan members are. And… good work, everyone.”
Not many words were needed. The six of us, myself included, quickly began walking the path toward the Love House.