Chapter 432: A Heavy Heart.
Chapter 432: A Heavy Heart.
CRASH!
“This is ridiculous!”
A woman slammed her hand on the desk and shot to her feet. She looked to be just around twenty, with a very lively air about her. While her jawline was sharp, her resolute eyes and straight nose gave her a spirited and energetic look.
At the moment, however, her face was contorted in a deep frown. Whatever had displeased her so, her eyes were trembling, as if she were about to burst into tears at any moment.
“Please, calm down.”
Another woman was there to soothe her. With a mature and intelligent look, she was none other than Jung Hayeon. Jung Hayeon raised her blue-tinted eyes and gently guided the tearful woman back into her seat.
“User Kim Sujeong. I know you must be feeling very anxious right now. But…”
Jung Hayeon offered a white handkerchief, but the woman called Kim Sujeong shook her head fiercely. Wiping her eyes with the back of a hand marked by a faint scar, she asked in a voice strained with restraint.
“I heard that one of the mercenaries you dispatched with us has returned. What happened?”
Jung Hayeon withdrew her outstretched hand with a short sigh.
“…It’s just as you heard. Of User Kim Sujeong’s caravan and the two mercenaries we sent, only one has returned.”
“Does that mean… everyone else except that one person is…”
“It’s too early to jump to that conclusion. Nothing has been confirmed yet.”
“Then please confirm it! No, at the very least, let me meet the mercenary who returned. Why on earth won’t you let me?”
Sujeong shouted, but Jung Hayeon didn’t even blink, replying calmly.
“I’ve already told you. I never expected things to turn out this way. Of course, we plan to dispatch an investigation team for confirmation and rescue, but it’s impossible to do so right now. And the mercenary who returned… as I said before, he is in very poor condition and is focusing on his treatment.”
“Ha…”
Jung Hayeon explained everything, one point at a time, in a clear, articulate voice. But Sujeong, looking utterly unconvinced, closed her eyes in disbelief.
Then again, Sujeong’s situation was far too desperate for her to simply accept Jung Hayeon’s words with an, “Oh, really? Well, I guess it can’t be helped.”
Sujeong bit her lip anxiously, her breathing growing ragged. Suddenly, as if a thought struck her, her eyes flew open. She spoke in a solemn voice.
“Fine. If that’s the situation, then we’re not going to get anywhere. There’s no need for a long discussion. Let me meet the Mercenary Lord-nim.”
“…Pardon?”
“I’ve heard much about the Mercenary Lord-nim’s reputation as a mercenary. If the rumors I’ve heard are true, he must be different. So I will meet him myself and explain the situation. What, is that not allowed either?”
“I would like to, but that is also impossible at the moment. The Clan Lord is not here right now.”
As if she hadn’t expected that, a shadow of dark despair crossed Sujeong’s wide eyes.
Jung Hayeon had nothing more to say. She had done her best to explain, but there was nothing she could grant. The situation was frustrating for her as well, but given how things were unfolding, she couldn’t act rashly.
A moment later, Sujeong opened her mouth, her eyes filled with sorrow.
“I see. So that’s how it is. The Sorceress of the Blue Moon is so calm, even when her fellow clan members’ lives might be hanging by a thread. I truly envy that composure.”
Jung Hayeon knew it wasn’t a compliment. She was about to open her mouth in retort when Sujeong’s crestfallen expression caught her eye. Jung Hayeon bit her lip. Having once lost her own younger sister, Jung Hayeon could, to some extent, understand how Sujeong must be feeling.
Sujeong continued.
“But I can’t be like that. The companions in my caravan… we may have been strangers in the modern world, but in the Hall Plain, they are like family to me.”
“I understand.”
“If you understand, then…!”
“User Kim Sujeong. It’s the same for us.”
Realizing that any further conversation would just be going in circles, Jung Hayeon cut Sujeong off sharply. She looked her straight in the eye and continued in a voice that was now noticeably lower.
“Aura Spearman Ahn Hyun. Aegis Baek Hangyul. Regardless of what kind of Users they are, those two are like my own younger brothers. The Clan Lord is also extremely fond of them. It’s not like I want to just stand by and do nothing, either.”
“Then why do you keep telling me to wait? If they’re like your own brothers, why is the Clan Lord away at such a critical time?”
“…The Clan Lord is extremely busy right now. He left again immediately after returning a short while ago. His destination is the Valley of Death… Does that help you understand?”
“The Valley of Death… Ah.”
Sujeong paused in thought, then let out a faint gasp.
After the Northern Continent announced its new policy regarding Vagabonds, countless extermination squads had been formed among various clans and Users. Among them, the most famous was undoubtedly the Mercenary Clan’s. Their extermination squad, said to make even the Vagabond leaders tremble in fear, had achieved the most success through its overwhelming power and ruthless cruelty.
And the Valley of Death was a notoriously dangerous area, recently known for frequent Vagabond sightings. If the Mercenary Lord had gone there, the reason could only be one thing: to exterminate Vagabonds.
Realizing this, Sujeong’s spirits sank. She was momentarily at a loss for words. From a broader perspective, the Mercenary Lord’s work was a matter of great importance, while hers was a minor one. She knew she couldn’t force the issue, so she lowered her head in disappointment. It was then that Jung Hayeon spoke.
“But that doesn’t mean we’re going to sit on our hands.”
Jung Hayeon’s words roused Sujeong. She slowly lifted her face and stared blankly at Jung Hayeon.
“I promise you. We will mobilize all of Mercenary’s current resources and explore every possible option. So please, give us a little more time to investigate and prepare.”
“…Huu.”
Perhaps she sensed the sincerity in Jung Hayeon’s words. After staring at her for a long moment, Sujeong slowly rose to her feet. She let out a deep sigh and turned, stumbling slightly.
Just before leaving through the door, Sujeong spoke in a low voice.
“I know this situation isn’t the Mercenary Clan’s fault. But I hope you’ll remember… that the contract includes a clause guaranteeing the safe return of my companions.”
“I will keep that in mind.”
“…I’m sorry. But right now, the Mercenary Clan is the only one I can turn to.”
Click. Thud, thud…
With those final words, Sujeong closed the door and left.
When the sound of her footsteps echoing down the hall had faded, Jung Hayeon spoke quietly.
“…How did things get to this point?”
Her voice was tinged with self-mockery.
Letting her shoulders slump, Jung Hayeon buried her face in her hands. She had made a bold promise, but she still couldn’t see a way forward.
If she could, Jung Hayeon would have dispatched a rescue team to the commission site immediately. But doing so would make an already terrible situation completely irreversible. The only way forward was for Baek Hangyul to speak, but he had been sleeping as if dead ever since he returned.
Just as she felt her head was about to explode from the stabbing guilt and the complexity of the situation, her eyes caught sight of the communication crystal ball, which was emitting a cold light through the gaps between her fingers. The moment someone’s face overlapped with the crystal, a flicker of conflict appeared in Jung Hayeon’s eyes.
“Soohyun… What on earth am I supposed to do?”
But no answer came. Not that she expected one; it was merely a thought spoken aloud.
A long, silent moment passed.
Finally, Jung Hayeon lowered her hands from her face. She stared at the communication crystal with resolute eyes, then slowly extended her arm.
*
The surrounding scenery flew past in a blur. The entire world, sweeping by my eyes, seemed distorted. The forest landscape was severely warped, as if mismatched puzzle pieces had been forced together.
I knew why it looked this way. The cause was barriers. The forest was blanketed with all sorts of them—path-obstructing, illusionary, delusional, and interference barriers. And I was currently breaking through them one by one, heading toward my destination.
To the Valley of Death, the most likely location of the Vagabonds’ main base.
They’ve really plastered this place with barriers… Is this his handiwork?
The barriers grew thicker the closer I got to the Valley of Death, but I wasn’t worried. Because we had the ultimate barrier destroyer. I smiled faintly and stared ahead.
Hrrr… Hrrr…
Flash, Fzzt! Fzzzzzzzzzt!
Every time a mystical cry rang out and a flash of blue light erupted, large cracks, like those on a broken eggshell, appeared in the distorted world. Once a crack formed, it didn’t stop. It spread in all directions until the barrier shattered completely. The layers upon layers of barriers were being broken in a single go.
The one responsible for this satisfying destruction was the unicorn. At the very front of the extermination squad, the unicorn, now the size of a colt, was running valiantly. The horn protruding from its head emitted a soft glow, tearing through any barrier it touched without hesitation.
Thinking it was a good thing I brought it along, I closed the distance to Yumi. (That was the name Ahn Sol had given the unicorn. She’d combined ‘Yu’ from ‘unicorn’ with ‘mi,’ the character for beauty.) We would be arriving at the Valley of Death soon, so we needed to prepare for a swift assault.
Another blue discharge of energy erupted, and beyond the now-shattered barrier, I began to hear the sound of flowing water. Realizing we were about to arrive, I drew Formless Sword and shouted.
“Seon Yuun!”
Whoosh!
At that moment, a figure shot up from the side. It was Seon Yuun. With three nimble steps, he scaled a large tree and landed gracefully on a thick branch.
“Rapid Fire, Sightline Alignment. Hnnngh!”
The ability to shoot arrows in succession and the ability to designate a target. Hearing the grunt of effort as he drew the bowstring taut, I gathered as much magic as I could. The moment the rain of arrows poured into the valley, I planned to follow up with a wave of my own. It was then that he called out.
“Clan Lord! Something’s strange!”
“Everyone, halt.”
Hearing Seon Yuun’s report, I immediately ordered a stop.
Thud!
The nine members of the extermination squad, including myself, who had been following Yumi, stopped running in unison. I looked up at the tree Seon Yuun had climbed and saw the archer, still aiming his bow, tilting his head in confusion.
“What’s wrong?”
“I’ve confirmed the tents in and around the valley. But I don’t see any Vagabonds.”
“Any signs of life?”
“One, two, three, four, five… There are five gathered in one spot, but nothing else.”
Seon Yuun answered without hesitation, having apparently already scanned the valley with Sensing. I nodded in understanding and immediately activated Third Eye. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust his words, but this was a real battle. Moreover, since the Vagabonds were masters of guerrilla warfare, there was no telling what kind of tricks they might have pulled.
…Strange.
But the information from Third Eye was no different from Seon Yuun’s report. A flurry of thoughts crossed my mind, but for now, I signaled for Seon Yuun to come down.
Hrrr…?
“You come back too.”
I said to Yumi, who had turned her head to peek back at me, then quickly gave my orders.
“We’ve confirmed what appears to be the Vagabonds’ main base in the valley. We’ve also detected the presence of five individuals in a large tent at the center. We will now begin a slow advance into the valley.”
No one answered. There was only the sound of the extermination squad members, who had been running in a spread-out formation, quietly treading the earth. After confirming they had formed a defensive line, I began to walk forward slowly.
As we entered, the sound of flowing water became distinct. A little further in, I felt my eyes narrow. Inside, there was a circular fence enclosing a fairly wide clearing, and impaled on the sharp tips of the fence were countless corpses.
The body that stood out the most was that of a man. His lower half was nowhere to be seen; only his torso, from the waist up, was deeply impaled on the fence. I examined the corpse, its organs dangling gruesomely.
That’s… the emblem of the Moonlit Night Clan.
Judging by the Moonlit Night Clan’s emblem on his right breast, he seemed to be a User who had been part of another clan’s extermination squad. It looked like he had been captured while attacking the Vagabonds. His eyes and face were twisted in agony, a testament to his resentful death.
I advanced a little further, then spoke quietly.
“Sasha. The presences are gathered in the central tent.”