Chapter 39: Seolrang (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 39: Seolrang (1)
Balam, an A-rank fighter.
Among the fighters ranked from F to A, he was considered to be in the upper echelon in terms of pure martial prowess. Since he didn't have a duel scheduled, he had been enjoying a typical, mundane day, nursing a drink at the pub he frequented.
That was, until a certain noble caught his eye.
The noble was walking down the street without even bothering to hide his wealthy attire, looking for all the world like he had just arrived in the city. Predictably, he was intercepted by Adigo’s gang.
Specifically, by Adigo himself—an A-rank fighter who stood a level above the rest.
In truth, even that felt like a normal part of daily life.
Balam had seen Adigo extort money and goods from merchants and nobles who entered the Colony many times before.
“Look at those vintage clothes. We’ve hit the jackpot.”
“He’s going to make a killing.”
The fighters sitting near Balam made idle comments as they watched the noble being surrounded by Adigo’s crew.
Among the fighters in the pub and the surrounding shops, not a single soul thought of helping the noble.
Even though there was another A-rank fighter present, they simply watched with lazy eyes as Adigo prepared to plunder the noble’s belongings. No one lifted a finger.
It was only natural.
There was absolutely nothing for a fighter to gain by helping that noble.
Even if the noble realized the situation and offered to pay them on the spot, no one would step forward.
After all, no fighter was stupid enough to make an enemy of Adigo’s gang—or more accurately, the Babayaga who backed them, Malliam—just for a bit of coin.
Knowing that Adigo was acting so boldly because he relied on the Monstrosity Malliam, the fighters simply used the scene as a side dish for their beer, staying firmly in their seats.
The moment Adigo reached out and tapped the noble’s head...
Boom—!
The anomaly occurred.
“Start talking.”
Suddenly, one of the only four Babayagas currently in the Colony appeared.
“Hey.”
The Golden Flash, Seolrang, had arrived.
Crackle—!
The electric current that was her trademark sparked across her body.
“Which son of a... bitch...?”
Adigo, who had been slammed into a wall, stood up with bravado, only to freeze with a look of utter bewilderment when he saw Seolrang.
“S-Seolrang?”
He muttered her name as if he couldn't comprehend the situation, yet his eyes clearly recognized the entity before him.
However.
“I asked you what you think you’re doing to my mentor.”
At her following words, the confusion in Adigo’s eyes turned into pure terror.
“Gah—!?”
In a flash, Seolrang appeared before him and slammed his head into the ground.
Crunch—!
A sickening sound echoed in the ears of the watching fighters.
But she wasn't finished. With an indifferent expression, Seolrang grabbed Adigo by the leg and hurled him away.
With a thunderous crash, Adigo smashed into the pub. He scrambled to get up, trying to open his mouth.
“W-Wait, I didn’t know! I didn’t—”
Slam—!
Seolrang grabbed his head again and smashed it into the counter.
“Seriously—!”
Again.
“Aaaargh!”
Again.
“I-If you do this to me, my boss won’t—”
Again.
“P-Please, spare—”
Again.
Drip. Drip.
Every fighter fell silent, staring into the wrecked pub.
The owner, who should have been furious about his shop being destroyed, was trembling in fear, holding his breath.
A customer whose table had been smashed to pieces sat frozen, clutching a heavy beer mug without moving an inch.
And then.
Thud—
Seolrang released Adigo’s blood-covered head with a look of total boredom. Every fighter present felt a fresh wave of shivers run down their spines.
The sight of her wielding an A-rank fighter like a common thug at a speed the eye could barely follow was more than enough to command their awe.
Without even letting the others catch their breath, Seolrang glanced at the lackeys standing around Alon.
Bang—! Crash—!
In the brief moment Alon blinked, she had sent the entire gang flying.
They were pinned against walls and windows, twitching before going limp.
The fighters shuddered once more as they watched the Golden Flash—the one who had become a Babayaga by ruthlessly crushing every opponent in the Colosseum without a shred of mercy or emotion.
“Mentor! You’re here?! You should’ve told me you were coming~!”
““?””
Everyone’s thoughts came to a screeching halt as they saw Seolrang suddenly wagging her golden tail with a beaming smile, clinging to Alon’s arm.
“I’ve been waiting sooooo long for you! I’ve prepared all sorts of things, so let’s go, quick!”
Regardless of the fighters’ frozen brains, Seolrang continued to smile brightly, her tail swishing back and forth as she pulled Alon away.
As they watched the noble disappear into the distance with Seolrang, a bewildered question rose in the fighters' minds.
‘Who on earth is that man...? Who is he that the Mad Dog would...’
They wondered about the identity of the noble Seolrang called her "mentor."
However, Alon, who was currently being dragged along by Seolrang’s blood-stained hand, was feeling something similar.
‘Is he dead...?’
Though he felt gratitude and a strange sense of pride, he was just as bewildered as the fighters.
* * *
Since Alon had arrived at the Colony late in the afternoon, the sun was already beginning to set by the time they reached the building Seolrang led them to.
“It’s here!”
Following Seolrang as she entered the building with her ears perking up, Alon noted his impressions.
‘It’s big.’
As Alon stared blankly at the building, which stood over nine stories tall—a rarity compared to the surrounding structures—he heard Evan’s impressed voice beside him.
“Whoa—it’s huge.”
The building itself didn't feel as sprawling as Deus’s mansion, but in this city, high-rise buildings were almost non-existent. The contrast made it feel much more imposing.
Marveling at the sight with Evan, Alon followed her inside and headed for the top floor.
“Ah, welcome back, Boss.”
“Boss!”
As they ascended, they encountered several Beastkin.
They were Beastkin with golden hair just like Seolrang’s, bowing their heads with the rigid discipline of those serving a leader.
“Boss, you’ve returned.”
Upon reaching the top floor, another Beastkin was waiting in front of the door as if expecting them.
This one also had golden hair, but with a long scar running across one side of his face.
“Yeah. Anything happen?”
“Nothing, Boss.”
Seolrang replied with a vibrant smile and opened the door to go inside.
Alon and Evan followed her in.
“...?”
In the process, Alon felt the Beastkin at the door staring at him and tried to turn his gaze away.
“She’s a bit different from the rumors, isn’t she?”
“Rumors?”
Alon couldn't help but look puzzled at Evan’s remark.
Evan spoke while looking at her back as she walked ahead.
“Yes. Actually, I heard the rumors about Seolrang weren't very good.”
“In what way?”
“There were rumors that she’s incredibly cruel. I think they called her the ‘Mad Dog’? I did hear she’s a bit more approachable with her own kind, though.”
“...Seolrang?”
Alon looked at her.
“Mentor! You can sit here!”
Whatever was making her so happy, her tail was wagging furiously. She sat cross-legged on a mysterious raised platform prepared in the office and patted the seat of honor next to her.
‘...Her behavior earlier was a bit chilling, though.’
Alon briefly recalled the scene from earlier, but seeing her bright, innocent smile, he simply shrugged and took his seat. With that, their conversation officially began.
* * *
To be honest, Alon had been worried about how to steer the conversation with Seolrang.
Things had ended well with Deus, but he hadn't been sure how Seolrang would react.
However, compared to Alon’s worries—
“Okay!”
“...Huh?”
“I’ll do it!”
—talking to Seolrang was, in a sense, even easier than talking to Deus, leaving Alon with a look of confusion.
“Did... did you actually listen to everything I said?”
“I did! And Mentor, you don’t have to speak formally to me!”
Seolrang spoke energetically.
As if she couldn't stay still even for a moment, she leaned forward from her cross-legged position, put her hands on the floor, and suddenly started doing a handstand.
Staring blankly at the sight, Alon spoke.
“...Still, aren't there things you need to consider? I heard you’re running a guild.”
Alon asked because, during their brief chat, he had learned that besides becoming a Babayaga in the Colony, Seolrang had gathered her kin to form a guild.
“Hmm—”
She began to ponder while maintaining her bizarre handstand.
“It’s fine!”
“...Is it?”
“Yep! Even if we’re not family, you’re my Up—no, my Mentor!”
At Seolrang’s energetic reply, Alon nodded somewhat hesitantly, yet deep down, he felt the same sense of pride he had felt with Deus.
After all, Alon knew he hadn't properly contacted her or sent letters, so he hadn't expected her to be this proactive in helping him.
‘Honestly, I didn’t expect her to go this far.’
Since it wasn't a bad thing for him as the one needing help, Alon felt a fatherly warmth welling up in his heart as they continued to talk.
Most of the conversation was nothing special.
Alon asked Seolrang about Deus and how she had been faring until now.
Seolrang, in turn, told Alon about life in the Colony.
Then, as if remembering something, Seolrang spoke with a soft exclamation.
“Thanks to you, Mentor, I was able to gather our scattered tribe!”
“...Thanks to me?”
“Yeah, this!”
Seolrang gave a bright smile and showed him the glove on her right hand. Alon easily recognized it as the Essence of the Golden Mane Tribe.
“I see.”
‘...They said it would unlock its true power upon meeting the Golden Mane Tribe. I guess there really was something to it.’
Alon felt like he understood why she was being so favorable toward him.
“Come to think of it, the desert really is dangerous.”
“Huh? Why?”
Seolrang tilted her head at Evan’s comment.
“We were ambushed.”
“...? Ambushed?”
“Yes.”
At the word "ambushed," Seolrang’s bubbly smile momentarily stiffened, but Alon nodded in agreement.
“We were attacked by the Blood Sand Bandits. Even though we were moving during the day when bandits usually aren't active.”
“Really? They’re bad people...?”
“Honestly, they aren't the type I’d want to meet again.”
Alon shrugged at the memory and looked at Seolrang. As if her stiff expression had been a lie, she quickly returned to her cheerful smile and continued the conversation for a bit longer.
“Ah, anyway, you should rest for today! It must’ve been hard traveling all the way here.”
With those words, she gave Alon and Evan each a room on the floor just below the top level.
After providing them with rooms, Seolrang returned to the top floor, a smile still on her face.
“Ralga.”
“Yes.”
At her call, the Beastkin with the scar on his face appeared instantly.
“The bad guys. Where?”
“...The Blood Sand Bandits are stationed to the northeast, but there is one more thing I should mention.”
“What?”
“From what I know, the Blood Sand Bandits have a backroom deal with Kalman, one of the other three Babayagas.”
Ralga’s voice was tinged with concern.
“Really? But even so—”
However, Seolrang simply gave her still tail a single, sharp flick.
“—they shouldn't have touched my mentor.”
She replied as if Ralga’s information wouldn't change her course of action in the slightest.
“If he finds out, I’ll definitely get in trouble.”
She muttered so softly that even Ralga couldn't hear, her eyes fixed on the northeast.
“Anyway, just wait.”
Her face was now completely expressionless, a stark contrast to her bubbly self, and her golden eyes glowed with a terrifying light.
“—I’ll be back after I’ve killed them all.”
She vanished from the spot.
Leaving only a crackling flash of golden light behind.