Taming the Territory (3)

"Th-that's amazing..."

By the time we'd driven back several hundred of them, I could hear Yun Mina's genuine awe. At the same time, something unsettling settled over my skin.

"...The ones that have entered the bridge don't seem to be coming this way."

"Yes. It really does seem like something in Gangbuk is spreading a kind of alluring aura that draws monsters and zombies in. I wonder what kind of monster it could be. And why would it do something like that? Just imagining it is terrifying."

Kim Seyeon's added explanation sent a chill down my spine. The monsters and zombies were crossing the bridge toward Gangbuk with an almost unnatural fixation, as if entranced. Even when Sora loosed arrows at ones near the bridge, they didn't so much as flinch.

Whatever was leading them from Gangbuk was powerful enough to override our aggro entirely. I couldn't even begin to guess what it was.

What the hell is it? Some subspecies of succubus? But then it doesn't even try to seduce humans.

Suspicious doesn't even cover it. Or am I overthinking this? Maybe it's just some garden-variety monster freak or zombie freak with a weird fetish.

...Jesus, look at the quality of my imagination. I need to stop going down that road. If I ever said any of this out loud, the image I've built up would collapse overnight.

"Kieeeek!"

"R-run! Kueek! Don't wanna die! Kueek, kueeeek!"

The ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠smarter monsters among them stopped marching with the rest and chose to flee instead. Hundreds had already been slaughtered right in the middle of the main road — it'd be stranger if they didn't run.

What surprised me was that the farther a monster was from the bridge, the more likely it was to face reality and bolt. The ones close to the bridge kept walking across as if hypnotized, whether we pulled aggro or not.

The fleeing ones created a problem of their own, though. They scattered toward Gangnam and the far side of Yeouido. For a moment I worried I might have just unleashed a swarm of monsters back into Gangnam — and then the notifications started rolling in.

.

.

.

.

Oh, right — the experience from the monsters we'd killed was finally settling. Some of the ones we'd hunted earlier had seemed a bit special, and now I knew why. Orc Warriors. Looking back, the armor, the shields, the unusual weapons — yeah, they'd looked tougher. Coming into Seoul meant stronger orcs were starting to show up. Not that any of them had been a match for me.

I'd spent roughly an hour on nothing but hunting. Behind me, Han Sora was leaning against a nearby wall, catching her breath like she was starting to tire.

Guess I'm the only one who isn't worn out. In exchange, my clothes were soaked through with blood from the slaughter. I couldn't go back to Seeun and Minji looking like this.

Oh — my Rogue class had gone from level 10 to 11. Nice. Skill points, then...

I'd still have use for it going forward, so I put the points into Lockpicking. Stealth was already S+ rank — maxed out.

Alright... just how much experience came in to level up the Rogue class?

Holy shit... two hundred zombies, a hundred and fifty Goblin Warriors, a hundred orcs, and fifty Orc Warriors? I thought we'd killed fewer than that, and still — 12,600 experience and 1,800 gold?

The party grew to five people and only two of us were doing the real hunting, and we still got this much? Even accounting for the rest scattering in a panic, this is an incredible haul.

"Th-these gloves... they're seriously insane, oppa. For real..."

Han Sora had come up beside me at some point, whispering it like she still couldn't believe it.

She'd drawn her bow wearing those gloves plenty of times before, but the reaction was pure wonder. Facing a massive swarm and firing nonstop must have finally let her feel their full power. Back when she'd trained in XX-gu, she'd needed multiple spare bows on hand — most of them monster-made, and they broke early.

The bow in her hands now was one we'd picked up from an archery shop on the way through Seoul. In other words: a high-quality bow paired with legendary-grade gloves, pushing an Archer-Sniper's potential to its absolute limit.

By my rough count alone, Sora had separated dozens of orc and goblin heads from their bodies today.

Anyone who ever called her 'Abungi' needs to get on their knees and apologize. Everyone except Sora herself.

"You were far more incredible than my shallow imagination gave you credit for, Jeong Hoon Orabeoni."

Huh? Orabeoni?

Yun Mina had suddenly started using a completely unfamiliar form of address. When I turned to look at her face, most of the playfulness had drained away, replaced by bright, sparkling eyes and an expression full of keen interest.

"Ugh...!"

Han Sora suddenly linked her arm through mine and pressed herself against me. Ah — wait! I'm covered in blood!

"You'll get blood on you, Sora."

"Th-that I'm used to, it's fine... but that vixen is really...!"

"My goodness... a vixen? Senior Sora, that's so mean. Just because you got lucky and claimed our Jeong Hoon Orabeoni's love first doesn't mean you can say whatever you want."

What's her deal now? ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠What kind of game is this?

Yun Mina's attitude had clearly shifted from earlier. In just about an hour, she was appealing to me far more openly.

"W-what did you just say?! O-oppa! From now on you have to stay at least fifty meters away from her at all times! N-no exceptions!"

"Wow, Senior Sora, you're so petty. My chest is shrinking just listening to you. We've both got plenty of chest to shrink, don't we? Even so — telling me to stay fifty meters away is basically telling me to go off and die alone."

"Sh-shut up! Get lost! Die! Go away!"

"Wow, she told me to die. Is this personality for real? Oh, it is for real, isn't it?"

What is this childish bickering. And now Yun Mina is straight-up thrusting her chest out and closing in on me. Sora looks ready to explode trying to stop her.

Come on! Did she really think I was the kind of guy who'd just go, 'Oh thank you so much,' and gobble it right up the moment she came on like that? Yun Mina?

Nailed. It!

I can't show it right now...! Right now I genuinely, frustratingly can't show it...!

But having them go at it like this so I can feel just how popular I am? Thank you so goddamn much. Holy shiiiiit!

I let out a silent internal cheer for the two women's power struggle unfolding right in front of me, then carefully reached into the Feather Bag.

Spare clothes, of course. Back in XX-gu, whenever a long hunt wrecked my outfit, I'd always kept a change of clothes ready just like this.

"Would the three of you head back first? I shall change clothes and follow. I cannot very well let Minji see me covered in blood."

"Yes, we'll do that. Thank you, Jeong Hoon-ssi."

Kim Seyeon seemed to understand the consideration. She offered her thanks with a warm smile.

For a moment, our eyes met. Without a word, we simply held each other's gaze.

I hadn't had the chance to say it earlier, but Kim Seyeon really was my finest partner.

The way she so precisely grasped the grand design I held (which I'd only just thought of) and put my mind at ease — how could I not find her utterly lovable? I poured that feeling into my eyes and simply looked at her for a while.

"...Hey, Senior Sora. There's a ridiculously strong rival standing right over there in plain sight. Are you only going to keep me in check? You know that's not fair, right? Hmm?"

"Sh-shut up! S-Seyeon unnie is... an exception! Seeun is fine too! Just not you, ever!"

"Wow, so mean! Just because you knew him first, you get to hog all the good stuff among yourselves! That's so unfair. You know that's completely unfair, right, Senior?"

If those two hadn't been chattering away over there, the atmosphere would have been rather nice.

After a quick change of clothes, I headed toward the building where the others were waiting.

"—, —!"

"—?, —!!"

Huh?

I could hear an argument. Sora and Mina had been bickering earlier — was this a continuation of that?

But the voice reaching me just before I turned the corner belonged to an unfamiliar woman.

"What are you...! Didn't you see that monster procession on the main road? It's dangerous here — hurry up and follow me! There's a survivor shelter set up in the subway station!"

"As I've already said, we don't need it. We appreciate the goodwill, but we must decline."

"You haven't changed at all, Miseon. Still just unilaterally forcing things on people."

"Mina unnie! This isn't the time for that...!"

Just from the voices, I had a bad feeling things were a mess. I quickly rounded the corner and reached the building where my party was waiting.

Contrary to my expectations, a single outsider was talking with my group — or rather, practically begging them.

Her looks weren't bad, but her clothes were in no condition to be called decent. She was so ragged she almost inspired pity.

And in that state she's talking about helping people or not. Honestly.

"What is going on here?"

"Ah, J-Jeong Hoon oppa. So..."

Han Sora hurried over to my side and filled me in on what had happened while I was changing.

Simply put, this woman had suddenly approached Seeun and Minji and started talking to them. Once the other three joined in, this Han Miseon had urgently pressed them to hide in the hideout where she was staying. She'd just appeared out of nowhere. I had a pretty good idea where from.

...That subway station entrance we passed on the way here.

Yeouido had two major subway stations. The one right in front of the National Assembly Building was closest to here, so she must have come from there.

Probably Exit 2 or 3. Exit 1 opened right onto the main road — if you didn't want to run into the zombie or monster procession, you wouldn't go anywhere near it.

"A-are you... the party leader of these people?"

The woman called Han Miseon came up to me now. Despite her gaunt, ragged appearance, there was life in her eyes.

"That I am."

"Th-these people! They've just been standing around here waiting for you! Please, follow me into the subway station right away. I-it's really dangerous outside!"

"You mean the monster procession?"

"Yes, exactly! Just a little while ago they were screaming and causing a huge ruckus! I was out scouting and happened to spot your party members and the little girl... but they insisted they had to wait for you and wouldn't budge! Please, let's go down together. If you stay here, you'll all die!"

Ah, so you wouldn't be able to see it from near this building. I had Seeun and Minji wait somewhere a bit off the main road.

She was quite the considerate woman. Of course, this was goodwill I had no intention of accepting.

"There is no problem. Should that procession continue, we intend to clear it ourselves. Kindly inform the people at your hideout that they may rest easy."

"Excuse me? What kind of nonsense...! Listen! If you want to bluff, go ahead, but right now we're standing at the crossroads of life and death, you know? If you're going to spout delusions, do it under your blanke—"

I put the old saying into practice: seeing is believing.

"Wh-wh-what is... th-this?"

Han Miseon half-recoiled as she took in the carnage that had appeared on the main road. (Kim Seyeon made sure Minji couldn't see it.)

Then Yun Mina suddenly sidled up to my left, wearing a distinctly triumphant smile, and started talking to Han Miseon entirely of her own accord.

"Sigh, Miseon. You're more decent than your oppa, at least, but your head doesn't work very well, does it? Did you think our Jeong Hoon Orabeoni here was some random nobody off the street — like your oppa Han Daegeon, with a nothing class and a nothing level, picking reckless fights he can't win? He's not that kind of person. He just came back from slaughtering hundreds of monsters. You can see it with your own eyes, can't you? Hmm?"

I'd overheard something odd earlier too... so they knew each other.

"Mina unnie! Our oppa isn't... really like that...!"

"He absolutely is. Why are you defending your oppa in a situation like this? It's not like you'll even see him again. Be honest — you stayed behind because you knew the stuff he was doing was complete bullshit, didn't you? Right? Hehehe."

Whoa... Yun Mina's tone and body language gave me full-body chills. She was radiating pure intent to toy with the woman in front of her.

They clearly had some bad history between them.

Well, of course they did. She'd just said this was the little sister of that Han Daegeon guy. I'd thought she looked decent even while gaunt and ragged. If things were strained with the brother, no way they'd be fine with the sister.

"No, I... I just stayed as a rear guard, in case oppa's group failed, and then..."

"Enough. Go hide yourself away in that wonderful hideout of yours. This Yeouido... our Jeong Hoon Orabeoni is going to make it so clean it'll practically be a holy land."

Yun Mina's words grew even more provocative. No — she outright tried to slip her arm through my left arm, linking elbows like a lover.

Of course, with Han Sora grinding her teeth on my right, there was no way I'd allow that.

I yanked my arm free. Yun Mina stumbled a little.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"Ah, Orabeoni! That's so mean!"

"That was improper conduct, Miss Mina."

"Ah, I told you to just call me Mina."

"Han Miseon, was it? For now, remain at your hideout. Perfectly reclaiming this Yeouido and making it my 'territory' will take some time. If you'll excuse us."

"Wow, he's completely ignoring me. You know that's really mean, right, Orabeoni?"

You're the one who shouldn't be killing the mood!

I delivered my punishment in the form of ignoring Yun Mina, then led the party away from Han Miseon. I caught her muttering behind us — "Th-that guy, just what is he..." — but it was hard to focus on.

"Isn't the left arm fine? It's not like I'm going to eat Orabeoni's arm like in that one-piece manga or anything. Right, Senior Sora?"

"D-don't talk nonsense! No approaching! No-approaching punch! No-approaching punch!"

"W-woah! She's actually trying to hit me! Orabeoniii~ please save poor fragile Mina~"

"...You're putting on nothing but terrible scenes for a child's education."

"Ugh..."

"Mommy. What are the unnies doing?"

They were making a racket and turning the place into chaos — as if I had any reason to care about some woman's fading mutters in the distance.

We left Han Miseon behind... and at last set foot on the grounds of the National Assembly Building.

Naturally, the front gates were broken open. The lawns inside had gone dry and brittle, and the fact that the building itself still stood intact felt almost miraculous.

We passed the fountain and arrived right in front of the main building. Wow — I was pretty sure this was the first time in my life I'd ever gotten this close. The others seemed to feel the same, offering their impressions one by one.

"I-it was this big? I thought it was just a weirdly shaped one-story building..."

"Wow... so this is where they collected taxes and loafed around, huh?"

"Loafed around?! You should say they lined their own pockets rotten, Seeun."

"Seyeon unnie is the cruelest of all. 'Loafing around' sounds way better, doesn't it?"

No, that doesn't sound better at all.

Alright, alright... soaking in the atmosphere can wait. First things first.

"I shall begin."

"Hm? Ah. You mean selecting it as your territory?"

I nodded at Kim Seyeon's question, then called up the system window once more.

I pressed 'Yes.' And then the scenery around us suddenly changed.

"!?"

It was shocking.

Every building in my field of vision was suddenly covered in black and blue lines. The ground and the sky too — everything.

I blinked hard, but the view didn't change.

A moment later, another notification window appeared before my eyes.

Did I get a castle like this in Dragon Gate RPG?

No. Of course not. I'd gotten one through a quest — after clearing out every monster that had invaded a castle, the lord and his family had all been slaughtered, so the castle and the lordship were given as compensation.

Well... technically speaking, the lords (read: members of the National Assembly) had been wiped out, so it wasn't entirely wrong.

Ah, speaking of National Assembly members... that building to the left of the National Assembly Building should become the Thief Guild. A building tax thieves used however they pleased — it suits the name perfectly.

But... how do I select a building?

"Ah...!"

"What's wrong, oppa?"

"Jeong Hoon-ssi?"

Han Sora and Kim Seyeon called out, but I had no time to answer.

The moment I absently raised my hand toward the Assembly Building, the entire structure suddenly turned green.

Aha — just like a game, it paints the selection to show you what's chosen. Did Seo Hyejin pick her building this way too? Now I'm curious.

Who comes all this way and picks 'No'? I raised my hand to 'Yes.'

What? Who? A steward?

"Greetings, Your Excellency Jeong Hoon."

"Mom!"

"Kyaa!"

"W-who is that?!"

A voice rang out so suddenly that the entire party jumped.

We all turned toward the sound.

The moment I saw him, I regretted looking. The visual was that bad.

He was tall, at least. His clothes were immaculate butler's attire, as if he really were a steward. Judging by the build of his body, he looked like a sturdy man.

But... the face was grotesque.

It wasn't a matter of being ugly or handsome or even non-human. There was... noise over the face. Like an unpleasant mosaic mask had been laid over it. From the neck up, you couldn't make out a single facial feature.

Taking in our startled stares with his whole body, the steward spoke again.

"Welcome to your lordship of the castle, Your Excellency Jeong Hoon."