Chapter 69 — City of the Exiled
Chapter 69 — City of the Exiled
Translation: GodTL
I stared silently at the Statue of Bellium.
Normally, when faced with such a colossal statue, one would marvel at its beauty or feel a sense of awe—but this time, I felt something slightly different.
Familiarity. And comfort.
The closer I got to the statue, the more wildly my heart began to pound.
Yet, paradoxically, from the moment I stood before it, I was overcome by an inexplicable sense of ease.
Just what was the identity of this statue that could evoke such contradictory emotions in me?
And what kind of secret was hidden within me?
"Mr. Min-jun?"
"......"
"Um, Mr. Min-jun?"
"Ah, yes."
Lost too deep in thought, I hadn't even heard Estelle calling me.
"You seem preoccupied."
"Yeah. It's... complicated to explain."
What exactly could I say?
The emotions I was feeling were far too tangled to neatly summarize in a single sentence.
"Ms. Estelle. Could you tell me about the one this statue was modeled after?"
"Of course."
Right then and there, Estelle began her explanation.
Eighty thousand years ago—or perhaps even further back—
A Dragon named Bellium had settled here with his children and made this land his home.
Because most records about him had been lost, the exact reason why he had chosen to establish a village here remained unclear.
But there was one fact that had been uncovered.
And that was—Bellium had settled here for the sake of his children.
Thus, some historians had attempted to uncover the secrets surrounding his offspring, but unlike Bellium himself, of whom at least some records remained, not a single trace of his children had been preserved.
As if someone had deliberately erased all records of them.
In any case, Bellium had stayed here with his children and built a small village for those with nowhere else to go—the exiled.
Dreaming of a warm community where those in similar circumstances could embrace one another and heal each other's wounds.
Unless they had committed grave crimes, Bellium unconditionally accepted those who had been cast out from their groups.
And so, rumors of the village for exiles, founded by a Dragon, gradually began to spread far and wide.
As more and more people arrived upon hearing those rumors, the village steadily grew in size.
Tens of thousands of years after Bellium's death,
There had been several major crises where the village nearly vanished.
But thanks to the legacy he left behind, the villagers overcame those crises and had continued to preserve their home for ages.
"What exactly was Bellium's legacy?"
"Not just gold and treasures, but also numerous artifacts capable of protecting the residents from outside invasions.
It's said that the sheer scale of what he left for this village was beyond what an ordinary person could even fathom."
"Some of the artifacts left by Lord Bellium are still in use even now, tens of thousands of years later."
"Really?"
Given that he had personally founded the village, Bellium had been deeply attached to it.
But how could something made tens of thousands of years ago still function without breaking down?
"Of course, they no longer exhibit the same power as when they were first created. The artisans here regularly maintain the artifacts he left behind, but there are limits to their technical capabilities."
Estelle added that, because of this, monster invasions and the resulting damage had gradually become more frequent over time.
"I see. Thank you for telling me."
It was an incredibly fascinating story, but I still hadn't found any clues about my connection to that statue.
Perhaps if I heard more details, I might uncover something useful.
As I quietly organized my thoughts, Estelle met my eyes and spoke.
"Then, would you be willing to share your story as well, Mr. Min-jun? I'm curious—what kind of world did you live in? How did you end up coming here?"
"Of course."
Perhaps Estelle might find a clue to return to Earth in my story.
Just as I was about to begin my tale—
Dong— dong— dong—
Suddenly, a heavy bell toll reverberated throughout the entire city.
"Oh no."
As I wondered what that could possibly mean—
The residents began shouting in alarm, moving with swift coordination.
Children and the elderly hurriedly took shelter inside their homes, while the rest started arming themselves one by one.
"What's happening?"
"It's... a monster attack. The number of bell tolls indicates the severity of the threat—usually, it only rings once or twice."
Estelle's expression darkened.
"But three tolls mean the situation is far worse than usual."
Judging by the grim faces of the residents rushing toward the city walls, this was clearly no ordinary occurrence.
"I'll help too."
"You will?"
Estelle looked at me in surprise.
"Yes. I may not be a Hunter anymore, but I'm still a warrior. If there's any way I can assist, I should."
Call it the instincts of a former Hunter—if monsters appeared, I had to act first and think later.
I had no idea what kind of terrifying creatures we'd face, but at the very least, I needed to draw my sword.
And it wasn't like I'd die, right?
I still had all those powerful artifacts Sia had given me safely stored in my Subspace—I wasn't defenseless.
"Thank you. Then, please follow me."
I sprinted after Estelle, and with the help of a mage who joined us midway, we quickly ascended the city gates.
Just how many monsters are attacking for them to be this alarmed? I wondered.
But the moment I saw the scene beyond the walls, I understood why Estelle had reacted that way.
"What in the..."
I thought I'd grown accustomed to seeing monsters after clearing so many Gates, but this was the first time I'd witnessed such an overwhelming horde.
The sky was blotted out by swarms of wyverns—large and small—
relentlessly slamming against the city's transparent barrier, trying to shatter it.
And below them?
An uncountable mass of monsters seethed like a living tide.
Not only were there staggering numbers, but the variety was staggering too—from slimes, the weakest of monsters, to A-rank Minotaurs.
Every conceivable kind of creature had gathered to besiege these walls.
This wasn't just an invasion—it was a calamity.
I didn't know how strong the armed residents here were, but judging by the tension in the air, even they were struggling with the scale of this assault.
"Estelle, just how bad is this...?"
"I've lived in this village for nearly fifty years. But I've never seen this many monsters appear at once."
As if to prove her point, Estelle's hands trembled visibly as she gripped her bow—clearly unnerved by the unprecedented threat.
The others were no different.
Though their races, ages, and genders varied, every face was etched with grim determination as they stared at the sky.
"Hey, Estelle. Who's the new guy next to ya?"
Amidst the tension, a dwarf adjusting a ballista pointed at me.
"He's the adventurer we found collapsed outside the gates yesterday. He offered to help when he heard about the attack."
"Oh? Good lad. Shame we ain't got time for proper introductions, eh, stranger?"
"Likewise."
Perhaps impressed that an outsider would join the fight, the dwarf gave a hearty laugh before returning to his ballista with a reassuring, "You'll be fine."
Well, time to prepare.
I pulled out every artifact from my Subspace that could be of use—
starting with the Dragon Bone Sword, then layering on protective enchantments one by one.
"There are Wyverns here."
It seemed I'd have to prepare for aerial combat.
But as a swordsman, I was inherently at a disadvantage in midair battles.
To compensate, I had the Flight Artifact that Sia had packed for me.
I took it out and equipped it, startling Estelle and the other soldiers who had been relaxing nearby while fletching arrows.
"Adventurer, what in the world are all these artifacts...?"
A young soldier who had been watching me closely stepped forward and asked.
That opened the floodgates, and soon, everyone around me began eyeing my gear with curiosity.
"They're things my girlfriend packed for me."
"...Good heavens."
"Is your girlfriend, by any chance, a princess of the empire? How did she even get so many—"
This wasn't the time to let their guard down, but the sheer volume of artifacts must have shocked them, as the soldiers huddled together and bombarded me with questions.
"I'll explain later," I said.
Once I had equipped everything, I tested the Flight Artifact by taking a short flight.
"Whoa."
A baby-faced soldier beside me gasped softly at the sight.
I'd used it once before, briefly, but this was my first time deploying it in actual combat.
Well, not like I'd had many chances to use it before.
Meanwhile, the Wyverns were slamming into the Barrier with even greater force, trying to shatter it.
"I don't think we can hold out much longer!"
"Captain! We're all set!"
"We've gotten word—all civilians in the danger zone have been evacuated!"
The soldiers roared, signaling their readiness, and the burly man who seemed to be their captain bellowed into a Crystal Orb:
"Barrier, first stage—release!"
GRRRRR—
No sooner had he spoken than the translucent wall flickered with light and began shrinking rapidly.
"Why are we lowering it when the enemy's right there?"
"Partial damage is manageable, but if it shatters completely, repairs take too long. Strategically, we don't have a choice."
Estelle answered when I voiced my confusion.
The plan was to buy time for the elderly and children to evacuate, then partially retract the Barrier and engage the monsters once all preparations were complete.
But right now, that wasn't the point.
The point was—I was about to fight all those monsters.
Honestly, if I said I wasn't scared at all, I'd be lying.
But backing out now would be pathetic.
The moment the Barrier lifted, the battle began with a thunderous war cry.
I kicked off the ground, flapping the artificial wings on my back with all my might.
Just before the battle began, Estelle fidgeted with her bow, her palms slick with sweat.
"Will Min-jun be alright...?"
He had been living peacefully in another world before being unwillingly dragged into this one. He had only just regained consciousness, and above all—she still didn't know how strong he truly was.
She had wanted to treat him with the utmost hospitality, to sit and chat, to hear stories of his world.
But then this had happened.
She had thought it would be better for him to evacuate with the children and elderly, given his condition.
Yet Min-jun hadn't hesitated for even a second—he had chosen to stand with strangers and defend this village.
Was he trembling?
Or was he looking at those Wyverns right now, wishing he could run?
For them, this was their home. They had no choice but to fight, even if it meant risking their lives.
But Min-jun was an outsider. He had no ties to this place.
"So why... why did he make that decision without hesitation?"
Was it because he was confident in his strength?
Or was it simply who he was—someone who would step forward even knowing the danger?
She would have her answer soon enough.
The moment the Barrier lifted, Min-jun soared toward the Wyverns without pause.
And from his sword, scattered traces of gray Aura shimmered in the air.