The White Bear Caravan's Arrival
The caravan leaders passed through the slums under the protection of Logan and the Awakeners, entering Neo Seoul.
Rumors of their arrival quickly spread throughout the entire city.
"A caravan?"
"Yes."
Yohan's eyes darted sharply at Kim Jae-kyung's report.
Neo Seoul was buzzing with festival-like excitement at the news of a caravan making contact after years.
It wasn't just Neo Seoul—the slum dwellers felt the same.
Caravans carried goods unique to their regions on trading expeditions. Their wagons were surely packed with items impossible to find in Neo Seoul.
"How much value do you think their goods hold?"
"We haven't assessed that yet. The mammoths refused to enter Neo Seoul, so they stopped..."
"Anti-magic resistance, huh."
"Even so, those massive mammoths managed to get this close. If they were smaller breeds, they'd have halted dozens of kilometers away."
"Hmph! True enough."
Yohan pushed up his glasses, which had slid down to the tip of his nose, and gazed out the window.
Beyond the towering walls, City Hall loomed into view.
"They've probably already entered City Hall by now."
"Yes!"
"A meeting after decades. An ordinary caravan wouldn't have made it here. They must be loaded with precious cargo."
A chilling glint flashed in Yohan's eyes behind his glasses.
No matter what the caravan carried, none of it would trickle into the slums.
Even if it did, it would be much later.
Yohan wanted to inspect their goods right now. If possible, claim them for himself.
"Find a way to make contact with the caravan."
"Understood."
"If possible, brainwash one of the leaders."
"Yes!"
Kim Jae-kyung nodded.
Yohan muttered to himself.
"An unexpected variable at the worst possible moment."
Yohan preferred complete control.
He despised unforeseen variables like this.
"The other humans will be scrambling too."
This was a meeting with another colony after decades.
Not just Mayor Jin Geum-ho—the overlords of Neo Seoul's districts would all be mobilizing busily.
The caravan's goods were valuable, but so was their route, the desert conditions, monster distributions—every scrap of information was power.
That power could upend Neo Seoul's entire power structure.
No overlord inside Neo Seoul would let this opportunity slip.
'Fall behind here, and I'll never catch up. To advance into Neo Seoul, I must seize the caravan.'
The White Bear Caravan members who entered Neo Seoul numbered just seven.
They all wore deep hoods attached to their robes, obscuring their faces.
Logan stole glances to study them but gleaned nothing.
Logan led the White Bear Caravan members into City Hall.
He'd carried out missions in Neo Seoul for years, but this was his first time entering City Hall.
His face was frozen like ice.
Having received word of the caravan, they passed through the main gate without procedure.
It happened when they reached the first-floor lobby.
"You must be the White Bear Caravan from the Akutsuk Colony. Welcome. I'm Seo Tae-ran, the mayor's secretary."
A beautiful woman in form-fitting red attire greeted them.
Her blonde hair was impeccably swept back, not a strand out of place. Her striking features—noble nose, eyes evoking a ancient Nordic goddess—radiated beauty and strength.
The woman was Seo Tae-ran, a martial-type Awakener and Mayor Jin Geum-ho's secretary.
She was polite, yet exuded an air of unyielding confidence and cool detachment.
Gulp!
Logan swallowed dryly the moment he saw her.
As a fellow Awakener, he sensed her overwhelming power.
He couldn't pinpoint her exact rank, but she was undoubtedly stronger than him.
The goosebumps crawling up his back and neck confirmed it.
Then, a particularly burly man stepped forward from the caravan group and removed his hood, revealing his face.
Bald from the crown down, but his rugged features and piercing eyes weren't comical. Sunken sockets gave a ferocious, grizzly bear glare, and his firmly set lips bespoke iron will.
He introduced himself.
"Pleased to meet you. I'm Aleksandr Purzenko, leader of the White Bear Caravan."
"Leader Purzenko. We sincerely welcome you to Neo Seoul."
"Call me Aleksandr. Thank you for the warm welcome."
"It's the least we can do for visitors after so many years. Could you introduce the others?"
"Ah, these are our escort Awakeners. Remove your hoods and greet them."
"Yes!"
With their response, the Awakeners doffed their hoods.
They matched Aleksandr's tough aura.
Seo Tae-ran's gaze lingered on the last man.
He stood out from the rest.
The others resembled white bears—massive builds, rugged faces. But this one was slender, with refined, handsome features.
Less a manly warrior, more a pretty boy—almost ethereal.
Seo Tae-ran showed curiosity.
"Is this one an Awakener too?"
"Yes. He's my nephew, privately."
"I see. May I have his name?"
"I'm Demian."
The pointed-out Awakener introduced himself.
His voice was as pleasant as his face.
Seo Tae-ran smiled.
"Then I'll call you Demian."
"Demian is fine."
"Demian! We sincerely welcome you to Neo Seoul. Now, let's go meet the mayor. He's waiting."
Seo Tae-ran ushered Aleksandr's group into the elevator.
Vrrr!
It whisked them to City Hall's top floor in seconds.
Leader Aleksandr exclaimed in admiration.
"Incredible! Neo Seoul surpasses pre-cataclysm tech. Truly impressive."
"All thanks to the mayor's efforts."
"A remarkable man."
"Yes! Without him, Neo Seoul wouldn't exist today."
"Our Akutsuk Colony struggles just to fend off monsters—we can only dream of such advanced civilization. I can't wait to meet the mayor and learn his secrets."
"Soon. Just through this door."
The elevator opened to the mayor's office door.
Seo Tae-ran knocked lightly with her fist.
"I've brought the White Bear Caravan leader."
"Send him in."
"Yes!"
At Jin Geum-ho's permission, Seo Tae-ran opened the door.
Jin Geum-ho stood silhouetted against floor-to-ceiling windows flooding the room with light.
Seo Tae-ran said to Aleksandr,
"Please enter."
"Thank you."
Aleksandr nodded and stepped inside.
As the escort Awakeners moved to follow, Seo Tae-ran blocked them.
"Only Leader Aleksandr may enter the mayor's office. The rest wait here."
"We can't allow that."
"We're the leader's guards. We won't leave his side."
The Awakeners bristled, raising their voices.
They looked like raging bears.
Undaunted, Seo Tae-ran kept her smiling composure.
"It's the rule. Only one faces the mayor at a time. Since you're in Neo Seoul, please respect our customs."
"How can we trust Neo Seoul to leave our leader alone?"
"Then turn back."
"What?"
The Awakeners flared up at Seo Tae-ran's words.
They seemed ready to shove past her into the office.
Then the slender pretty boy, Demian, spoke.
"Brothers!"
Like magic, the Awakeners halted their aggression.
Demian continued.
"Would Neo Seoul's mayor harm our leader? We'll wait here for him."
"Hmph."
"Fine. Let's do that."
Seo Tae-ran watched the ferocious Awakeners turn meek as lambs.
'So Demian, that boy, is their true center? No wonder he stood out.'
The White Bear Caravan had set up camp in the desert far from Neo Seoul.
The wagons pulled by mammoths from Akutsuk were made of special lightweight yet sturdy materials, towering high.
Arranged in a circle and stacked five high, they formed a fortress.
This was one of the caravan's survival secrets in the desert.
The wagon fortress protected personnel from desert monster attacks.
So massive and tall, outsiders couldn't peer inside.
Thus, their numbers, Awakener count, and cargo remained shrouded in mystery.
Briel, who had been staring at the camp intently, asked Zeon,
"Have you ever been to Akutsuk, Zeon?"
"No."
Zeon shook his head.
Over the past seven years, he'd visited many colonies, mostly south and east of Neo Seoul.
He'd lacked time for the west, and the north was too distant.
He'd only learned of Akutsuk Colony today.
Akutsuk, once the capital of Russia's Far East Sakha Republic, boasted winters dropping to minus fifty degrees.
Harsh for humans, yet paradoxically allowing survival and colony-building.
Russia and Akutsuk had desertified too, but farther north meant cooler temperatures than Neo Seoul.
This let more survive and pool strength for a colony.
'Must've had a solid leader. Even if conditions beat Neo Seoul's, building a colony isn't easy.'
Zeon briefly wondered who led Akutsuk but soon dismissed it.
Experience taught him deep ties with other colonies never ended well.
Distance brought peace.
"Let's head back."
"Already?"
Briel pouted at Zeon's words. He chuckled.
"Curious? Stay and watch longer."
"Really?"
"Don't get close. They look tame, but mammoths are vicious monsters. If one rampages, the slums get razed."
"Got it!"
Briel nodded vigorously.
Zeon glanced at her fondly before turning away.
The streets teemed with slum dwellers come to gawk at the caravan.
The rare spectacle stirred their curiosity.
Staring at the distant "little fortress," their eyes brimmed with desires.
Zeon clicked his tongue softly.
'Briel's not the problem.'
Desire drove people.
Good desire spurred growth; twisted desire destroyed self and others.
Zeon had seen it countless times.
He hoped it wouldn't happen this time.