Chapter 301: A Vagabond’s Tears
Chapter 301: A Vagabond’s Tears
Noble Mithril Shirt
(Description: There are many types of mithril. Among them, Noble Mithril is classified as the highest grade. It is an exceptionally rare metal; for every 10kg of regular mithril mined, one can expect to find 10g or less of Noble Mithril. This shirt was crafted by gathering only Noble Mithril, from which threads were drawn and woven. While its effects are not vastly different from regular mithril, its efficiency is incomparably greater.)
Blue Dragon Knight’s Cloak
(Description: In the ancient Hall Plain, dragons existed, and humans revered and worshipped these beings for their supernatural abilities. A Dragon Knight was a human who had formed a pact with a dragon. Occasionally, exceptional individuals capable of deep communion with dragons would appear, and a dragon would choose to form a pact of its own will. This cloak was a gift from a Blue Dragon to its contracted human. Made from the dragon's own hide, the leather is incredibly tough and resistant to magic.)
I was now wearing all three pieces of equipment I had received from the Haemil Clan. I had transformed Victoria’s Glory into an earring and wore it on my right ear, while the Noble Mithril Shirt was worn underneath the Glory of Heaven. Ko Yeonju herself had draped the Blue Dragon Knight’s Cloak over my shoulders.
They certainly felt good to wear. The shirt was as light as a feather, so much so that I could barely feel it on my skin. And the cloak… what was it like? It felt as if I were draped in water. Despite its length and thickness, it didn't feel cumbersome at all.
They were great items, no doubt. But from the moment I received them, I couldn't shake the feeling that I shouldn't have. I hadn't stolen them, but I still felt a strange sense of guilt. I could let Victoria’s Glory slide, but the shirt and cloak had been intended for other owners. Honestly, since I’d raised my Stamina to 90 points, it was hard to say I’d risked much during the healing process, and it wasn't as if my own equipment was lacking.
In any case, they were in my hands now, and I doubted they would take them back even if I tried to return them. I resolved to give the Haemil Clan my full support on the upcoming expedition and decided to gratefully accept the gifts.
“You must have a lot on your mind, Soohyun.”
“Pardon…?”
I was walking toward the Warp Gate, having just finished my thoughts on the equipment. Ko Yeonju quickened her pace to walk beside me and spoke in a slightly playful voice.
“I thought something was a little strange when you asked me to look into the Haemil Clan's information back then. The names were so similar, I wondered if it could be a coincidence.”
“Haha. Right. Even I was half in doubt until I met them in person.”
“You seemed quite composed for someone in doubt. Your brother-in-law, on the other hand, looked terribly confused~.”
“I was holding back on purpose. It's not like I… didn't want to stay a little longer, you know?”
I deliberately put on a regretful expression and lowered my voice. Ko Yeonju flinched. “You could have stayed a bit longer…” she muttered, then subtly slowed her pace. I smiled inwardly in triumph.
Glancing back, I saw the three of them following me in silence. My eyes lingered on Kim Hanbyul, who was walking quietly at the very back. Her face was full of worry, as if she were lost in deep thought. Was she wondering if she, too, had an acquaintance somewhere in the Hall Plain? The thought suddenly occurred to me.
The sun was already setting, casting a deep twilight glow over the land. After walking for about ten more minutes, we finally reached the Warp Gate. It had been lunchtime when we arrived, but now the afternoon was long gone. This was the time when most Users returned to the city to rest, so the entrance to the Warp Gate was less crowded than I expected.
It’ll be a bit of a problem if travel is still restricted…
We couldn't just wait around indefinitely for it to open. If that was the case, our only option was to return to Monica for now.
After entering, we approached a woman who seemed to be in charge of the Warp Gate. She looked like she’d had a rough day, slumped exhaustedly in her chair. She staggered to her feet as she saw us. The dark circles under her eyes and the frown etched on her face suggested she was under a great deal of stress.
“Here to use the Warp Gate?”
“Yes. Have the travel restrictions been lifted?”
At the mention of restrictions, a look of recognition flashed across the woman's face. She glanced at the magic circle for a moment and let out a deep sigh.
“Where are you headed? Thankfully, it looks like you can get through, but you'll have to take a detour.”
“What do you mean, a detour?”
“You mentioned restrictions, so I'm guessing you're trying to go to the Central, Western, or Northern continents. You can't go directly to Central right now. You'll have to warp to a city with an active gate to Barbara first, then use their Warp Gate. For example… there's one open in the West and one in the North right now.”
“What is this… They do whatever they want.”
“Tell me about it. It's a relief that at least some gates are open now. It was a total mess from morning till noon. Damn bastards… Anyway, Bess is open in the West, and Mule is open in the North.”
As luck would have it, the woman mentioned Mule. That meant we wouldn't have to go out of our way. Thinking we were fortunate, I was about to ask her to open the gate to Mule when I felt a sudden tug on my collar. I turned my head and saw Ahn Sol staring intently at me.
“Ahn Sol?”
“Umm…”
“What's wrong all of a sudden?”
“Umm-hmm…”
Ahn Sol shook her head without giving a reason. An air of deep anxiety surrounded her. I suddenly remembered what she had said during the meeting earlier today.
‘Orabeoni. Could you tell me again which city you said you were going to?’
I asked the woman to wait a moment, then bent down slightly to meet Ahn Sol's gaze. With everyone's eyes on her, she bit her lip, looking dejected.
This wasn't the first or second time this had happened. It was far better to gently coax her than to press her for an answer.
“You don't want to go to Mule?”
“Yeees… I don't really know why… I just feel really anxious…”
As I spoke in the softest voice I could manage, Ahn Sol nodded and replied in a tiny voice.
I straightened up and looked at Ko Yeonju. I could feel Kim Hanbyul's curious gaze, as she didn't know the situation, but Ko Yeonju, having experienced this before, wore a thoughtful expression.
“Ko Yeonju. Has anything strange been happening in Mule lately?”
“No… I'm not sure. To be honest, I haven't been paying much attention to Mule these days. The most recent thing I looked into was… Ah.”
“?”
“Come to think of it, there is one thing. It happened a while ago, but Mule's representative clan changed. To be precise, it was more of a merger. The new representative, the Paradise on Earth Clan, absorbed the original Beech Tree Clan. Sol's anxiety… maybe it's because of what happened back then?”
That incident must have meant our clash with the Beech Tree Clan. Afterward, I killed Cha Seunghyun, the ‘Martial God,’ and Ban Dahee, the ‘Madwoman,’ to crush Yoo Hyuna before she could grow into the ‘Holy Queen.’ No matter how good-natured Yoo Hyuna was, she was still human and might hold a grudge.
Then going would be best.
Ko Yeonju's point was certainly valid. And if she was right, going to Mule was an appealing option. I hadn't been able to kill Yoo Hyuna back then because the situation never presented itself, but it was true that leaving her be left a bad taste in my mouth. Rather than letting it fester, it seemed better to walk right into the tiger's den, recruit the old man, and take care of Yoo Hyuna while I was at it. Of course, that was all under the condition that she picked a fight with me first.
But what if that isn’t it…? Something else could happen. For example…
I had made a habit of assuming the worst-case scenario, and I found myself frowning unconsciously. As I considered the various possibilities, I sensed someone approaching from my side.
“Soohyun. You've started worrying again. It may be presumptuous, but there's something I've wanted to tell you for a while. It might be overstepping my bounds, but if you'll allow me, I'd really like to say it.”
“Oh? Of course.”
“Soohyun, you are a Clan Lord. You already have plans, don't you? Of course, you can change them midway, but I believe that is a right reserved solely for the Clan Lord. A clan member's opinion should be taken into consideration, but I don't think it's right to let it dictate your every move.”
“…”
“Remember what happened in front of Barbara's Warp Gate? Sol was crying and making a scene then, too, but you all returned safely in the end, didn't you?”
What Ko Yeonju was saying was that I tended to rely on Ahn Sol's judgment whenever something important came up. Her words had a sharp edge to them. I had thought of myself as being cautious, but it seemed others saw it differently.
I calmly closed my eyes and sank into thought. Countless ideas swirled in my mind. Generally speaking, Ko Yeonju was right, but I couldn't just ignore Ahn Sol's words. Finding a middle ground between two opinions I believed to be correct was, in a way, a very difficult task.
I don’t know what will happen. But one thing is certain: something will happen. Whether I can handle it is ultimately for me to judge. In that case…
I was finally able to make up my mind when I heard the woman beside me yawn. Turning away from the Warp Gate, I saw my clan members waiting for my answer without a hint of boredom. I opened my mouth and spoke quietly to them.
“We're going to Mule.”
“…”
At my declaration not to change the plan, Ko Yeonju's and Kim Hanbyul's faces brightened. Ahn Sol, however, lowered her gaze to the floor, looking crestfallen.
“Ahn Sol.”
“Yeees…”
“I'll take care of our business in Mule as quickly as possible.”
“Oh, no… I'm sorry for worrying you with my pointless words…”
Ahn Sol waved her hands and shook her head. Despite her words, her expression was still filled with anxiety. I took a step toward her, gently stroked her hair, and whispered in her ear.
“I don't think they were pointless words. Remember what I told you before? I'll always keep what you say in mind. So, don't worry too much, no matter what happens. I'll always be right beside you. Okay?”
As if that finally made her feel a little better, a faint blush bloomed on Ahn Sol's cheeks. After confirming her slight nod, I turned to the female User who had been waiting for us. But… do people blush when they start to feel better?
“You said the gate to Mule is open?”
“One moment. Hmm… Yes. Thankfully, it's open.”
“Then we'll go to Mule. Please activate the Warp Gate.”
“You got it~. That's four people, so it'll be 8 Gold~.”
Seemingly delighted to finally be sending us off, the woman held out the payment box with a cheerful tone. I dropped exactly eight gold coins into it and immediately stepped into the activated portal. As always, a refreshing sensation enveloped my body.
*
I blinked, and a city that was both familiar and strange came into view. We had arrived in Mule.
The scenery was still shabby, so much so that I couldn't even pretend it was nice. Of course, it had improved since my last visit. But having spent so much time in Monica, its shortcomings were all the more glaring.
Soon, I felt the presence of my clan members arriving one by one behind me. At the same time, I tensed up completely. I extended Sensing as far as possible and naturally rested a hand on my waist, ready to draw my sword at any moment.
Maintaining that posture, I stepped out of the Warp Gate entrance and scanned the entire downtown area. Just then, a group of Users was walking from the right side of the main street.
“Ugh, that hurts like hell…”
“Hehe. Who told you to rush in like that? Anyway, let's hurry to the temple. The wound isn't that deep, and we used a potion, so it should heal completely.”
The streets of Mule were quiet. Among the people passing through the main street, some were spattered with blood or had partially damaged equipment. But considering the time of day, it was highly likely they had just returned from a hunt. Indeed, listening to their conversations, they were mostly filled with trivial chatter about how great their hunt was today and how they wished every day could be like this.
“Hoho. It doesn't seem like anything is out of the ordinary, does it?”
“…”
Ko Yeonju had approached me from behind at some point and spoke in a languid tone. As she said, I couldn't find anything unusual. It was the scene of an ordinary city in the Hall Plain. I lowered the hand from my waist and muttered softly.
“Still, you never know. Don't let your guard down. In any case, we're heading to our destination immediately.”
“Ah. Can't we stop by The Demure Lady for a moment?”
“Let's save that for later. We need to assess the situation first.”
“Hmph~.”
Ko Yeonju made a little whining sound, expressing her disappointment.
And with that, I began walking straight toward the market district where Grandpa’s Jewelry Shop was located.