Chapter 399: 3. The Second Request - Rescue: The Frozen Forest (2/5)
Chapter 399: 3. The Second Request - Rescue: The Frozen Forest (2/5)
“Kyuu…. Kyuuu….”
…Was the shock of being spanked on the butt too much? The baby unicorn desperately tried not to leave my arms, putting me in a difficult position. Forgetting the crying for a moment, it would flail all four of its legs whenever I tried to put it down.
After a little while, I finally decided to take the baby unicorn inside with me. It was still young, so it wasn't much of a burden, and keeping Han Soyoung waiting any longer would be rude.
“You absolutely cannot act up. Got it?”
“Kyuu.”
Just in case, I made it promise one more time before quickly heading up the stairs.
When I pushed the door open and entered, Han Soyoung was sitting on the sofa, sipping from a teacup, with a man I’d never seen before waiting for me. He must be the guest Ahn Sol mentioned.
My eyes were briefly captivated by her sensual lips touching the teacup, but I quickly came to my senses and spoke.
“My apologies for the wait, Istantel Low Clan Lord.”
Han Soyoung glanced at me and gave a slight nod. Her throat moved slightly as she swallowed the tea she’d been holding in her mouth.
“Not at all. I’m the one who came unannounced… oh.”
She seemed about to continue her greeting but suddenly stopped mid-sentence.
Hm?
Wondering what was wrong, I looked closer and saw that her gaze was fixed on my chest.
At that very moment…
“Kyuu?”
The baby unicorn, which had been burying its head in my chest, suddenly peeked out. It was a naturally curious creature, and it seemed the new people had piqued its interest.
I gently stroked the head of the tilting creature and spoke softly.
“Go on, say hello.”
“Kyuu?”
“She’s a nice person.”
“Kyuu, kyuu.”
The baby unicorn chirped and bowed its head. At the same time, her graceful hand, which had been setting down the teacup, froze mid-air.
As I watched the scene with a pleased heart, her eyes trembled, so violently it was visible. I tilted my head and sat down on the remaining sofa, and only then did Han Soyoung’s gaze turn to me.
Finally, her lips parted slowly.
“Is that… a unicorn?”
“Yes. Though it’s still just an infant… Ah. Is this your first time seeing one?”
“I’ve heard a lot about them, but this is the first time I’ve seen one in person.”
On the table were some simple refreshments along with herbal tea. Perhaps hungry after its crying fit, the baby unicorn began to squirm and sniff the air. I gave it a light pinch to tell it to stay still before glancing at the man beside her.
I had a strange feeling about him. His behavior was quite peculiar. Ever since I’d walked in, he had been showing constant signs of anxiety. No… the emotion that just flashed in his eyes… was it fear?
After watching him for a brief moment, I spoke up.
“What brings you here today?”
“Yes. It’s about… Ah. Before that, if you don’t mind, may I ask you something?”
I nodded to give my permission, and her expression was tinged with a faint tension. For her, who always maintained a poker face befitting her True Name, the ‘Iron-Blooded Queen,’ her reaction just now and her current one were quite surprising.
“On my way in, I saw the Haemil Clan’s flag hanging at the entrance…”
Aha.
In that instant, I understood Han Soyoung’s reaction.
The reason for the flag was simple.
Sometime after I confessed my secret to my brother, the Mercenary and Haemil clans had formed an alliance. It was an ‘offensive and defensive alliance’—meaning we would attack and defend together—the highest level of alliance short of a full merger.
To signify this, we had hung a small emblem of the Haemil Clan at the entrance. It seemed that had caused a misunderstanding. Since we hadn't even decided on an emblem for the Mercenary Clan yet, anyone with an interest would surely find it strange.
“We recently formed an offensive and defensive alliance with the Haemil Clan. And we haven’t hung our own flag because we have yet to decide on an emblem to represent the Mercenary Clan. That’s all there is to it.”
“If that’s all…”
“It’s not a merger, nor are we subordinate to them. Therefore, the Mercenary Clan will not be leaving Monica.”
I spoke with conviction, and I felt like Han Soyoung’s expression brightened a little.
“I see. That’s a relief. And I’m sorry for asking something so unnecessary.”
“Not at all. It was partly our mistake. In any case, I’m glad the misunderstanding is cleared up.”
It seemed that, one way or another, Han Soyoung didn’t want to lose us. And since I had no intention of leaving Monica for the time being either, I was even grateful that she had brought it up.
Deciding it was time to get to the main point, I turned to the man who’d been sitting there like a spare part.
“And who might this gentleman be?”
She nodded as if she’d been expecting the question, then turned her head and said, “Ah, that’s right, I haven’t introduced you yet. Song Seunggyu-ssi?”
“……”
“User Song Seunggyu?”
“…Ah! Yes, yes.”
Another strange reaction. The moment I used Third Eye to check his Player Status, I felt my eyes tense. I instinctively reached for my waist, only to groan inwardly when I remembered I’d left my sword behind.
…No. It’s better to wait and see for now.
The man called Song Seunggyu studied me carefully for a moment before speaking in a stuttering voice.
“Ah, hello. I’m… Song Seunggyu. I’m a User who used to lead a small caravan until recently.”
“Until recently” meant not anymore. I could smell a request in the air, so I decided to focus on his words for now. Of course, I didn’t forget to keep an eye on his every move.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Kim Soohyun, Mercenary Clan Lord.”
“The Mercenary Lord… does that mean you’re…”
“?”
“Are you… the one who was so active in the last war?”
The one. That phrase held a great deal of meaning.
In any case, I nodded to confirm, and he looked back at Han Soyoung with a visibly relieved expression.
Han Soyoung spoke immediately.
“Mercenary Lord, the reason I came to see you so suddenly today is to ask for a favor.”
“A favor?”
“Yes. Ah, perhaps I should call it a request. Have you ever heard of the Frozen Forest?”
I had. And I knew it very well, of course, so I gave a slight nod.
Han Soyoung then looked back at Song Seunggyu, who closed his eyes tightly as if trying to recall something.
Finally, his lips slowly parted.
“So… it must have been about two months ago. My caravan comrades and I had participated in the war against the allied forces, and we later took part in the siege operation that followed. A few days before the order to disband was given, we were ordered to scout the outskirts of the Frozen Forest.”
“Yes.”
“And so…”
*
…After the official order to disband was given, we returned to the city immediately. After a few days of maintenance, we set out on our expedition. We had been on pins and needles, worried someone else might discover it before the siege was lifted, so we wanted to get there as fast as possible.
Yes. Two weeks later, we arrived at the ice tower in the center of the ‘Frozen Forest’ that we had scouted beforehand. Of course, it wasn’t a tower made entirely of ice; it was an ancient, crumbling tower that was covered in ice, making it look that way.
…It didn’t look to be in very good condition. Up close, the walls inside the ice were crumbling, and there were patches of rust here and there. It was a truly ominous place. But it was enormous. Not only was it incredibly wide, but it was also incredibly tall. Was it about the height of a 15-story apartment building?
Anyway, it wasn’t a very inviting sight, but… you know what ruins mean to Users. We were giddy with excitement about what we might find exploring this place, so we entered right away.
There was nothing special on the first floor. In fact, the higher we went, the less we found anything out of the ordinary. There wasn’t a single monster, let alone any treasure.
My comrades and I were very disappointed. But there were still floors left, so I encouraged them. Let’s just go up a little more. Since there are still places left, let’s go all the way to the end, I said.
…Back then, I never dreamed that would be the cause of such a disaster.
I don’t remember exactly which floor it was. But one thing I noticed when we opened the door and went up was that it was distinctly different from the floors we had passed through so far.
What was it… a maze? Yes, it was a maze. A maze made of ice, with frost covering every surface and incredibly complex paths.
We entered the maze, trying to find the stairs leading up somehow, and after much hardship, we barely managed to find a door. And that’s when I realized it.
One of our comrades was missing.
At first, I thought he might have gotten lost, so we retraced our steps, but there was no trace of him. No, forget a trace, we ended up getting lost in the maze ourselves.
The truly maddening part was, when we realized we were lost, two more people had disappeared.
Yes. The caravan, which had started with 11 people including the first mercenary, was now down to eight. After wandering for about another hour, we were down to five. It was only then that I realized something was terribly wrong.
At a comrade’s suggestion to retreat, I immediately decided to fall back, but even that wasn’t easy. By then, those things… we had already been swallowed by the maze. No matter how hard we looked, we couldn’t find the exit, and as time passed, we fell into a deep state of panic.
In the midst of that, we ended up back in front of a door, and it was the same one we had found earlier that led to the upper floor. The moment we saw the door, we all froze.
Why? Because there was writing on the door that hadn’t been there before. One of my remaining comrades was an expert in ancient language interpretation, and he translated it for us.
Looking for the way out, are you?
Then open this door.
I hesitated for a moment but ultimately decided to open it. A few of my remaining comrades tried to stop me, but I figured it was better to face whatever was ahead than to keep wandering aimlessly. So, after making some brief preparations, we opened the door.
…The room was dark. And more than anything, the scenery had changed once again. Just a dark, wide room? That was the feeling it gave.
How long did we walk?
We came to a stop in front of a dead-end wall. And on the dark wall, another long message was written.
You really opened the door?
Thanks.
The moment I heard that, I felt that something had gone wrong. And at that moment, one of my comrades screamed and ran back toward the door, making my mind even more chaotic. In that fleeting moment, I was debating what to do.
That’s when the comrade who had translated for us spoke in a trembling voice.
Then, from now on, never look back.
At first, I didn’t know what he meant, but in that instant, as an archer, I could feel it.
Something was rapidly approaching from beyond the door we had entered through. And I realized my comrade’s words, “never look back,” were what he had just read from the wall.
It was then.
A scream, presumably from the comrade who had fled out the door first, echoed, and at the same time, the door we had firmly shut swung wide open.
*
“…So what happened?”
At my question, Song Seunggyu shook his head from side to side and buried his face in his hands. A hoarse voice seeped out from between his fingers.
“I don’t know. The moment I saw the door open, my vision went white. I just remember running around the room like a madman, fleeing from something I couldn’t even identify, and somehow managing to get out the door.”
“And then?”
“And then… I don’t know. I have some vague memories of running frantically… but I don’t know how I escaped. When I finally came to my senses, I was outside the tower.”
“I see.”
Watching him, his face still hidden, I calmly crossed my legs.
Finally, he lowered his hands, revealing his face, and continued, his eyes gleaming intensely.
“Please. I don’t think there’s much chance they’re alive… but they are comrades I’ve been with for years. At the very least, I want to confirm if they’re alive or dead.”
“You mean… you want to make a rescue request.”
I was about to say a confirmation request, but I changed my mind and corrected it to rescue.
For a moment, I thought how ironic this all was.
The ‘Frozen Forest’ was certainly a ruin I remembered, but it wasn’t on my list of places to explore. That was because Istantel Low Clan was supposed to be the one to uncover it later. So, rather than meddling, I had planned to just let them discover it on their own.
As if sensing my gaze, Han Soyoung spoke quietly.
“Ordinarily, this is something we should handle ourselves, but… Istantel Low Clan is currently pouring all its efforts into reorganizing the city. We’re short on manpower at the moment, which is why we wish to seek the Mercenary Clan’s help.”
It was a good excuse, but I couldn’t fully trust her words. While it was true they were busy, she had numerous subordinate clans under her command. It was a task she could have easily assigned to one of them. The fact that she had come to me despite that meant…
So she didn’t just find out after seeing the flag; she must have gotten this information much earlier. She came to confirm the facts, and if it wasn’t a merger, she intended to show some consideration.
When my thoughts reached that point, a bitter smile formed on my lips. I thought I had been showing her goodwill, but it seemed we hadn’t built a relationship of complete trust yet. Well, perhaps this was normal.
Crunch, crunch. Munch, munch.
Hearing a sound, I looked down and saw the baby unicorn happily eating the refreshments on the table. I let out a short sigh and gave a nod.
“Very well. The Mercenary Clan will take this request.”
Song Seunggyu bowed his head so low I couldn’t see his face and shouted in a loud voice.
“Thank you!”
The sound must have been quite loud, because the baby unicorn, which had been excitedly devouring the snacks, shot its head up and stared at him.
“Kyuu, kyuu!”
Then, with crumbs all over its mouth, it darted over to me. It was trembling like a leaf, as if something had startled it.
“……”
Seeing the chilling reflection of my bared white teeth on the table’s surface, I smiled back at him.
“Not at all. It’s a request, after all.”
Besides, there’s so much to gain from that place.