Chapter 86
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 86
Chapter Title: Retrieving Hamin
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Kang Seol's declaration that he was going to retrieve Hamin left everyone in the conference room speechless.
Oh Yeon-hee asked in wide-eyed shock.
"Th-that means..."
"I'm going after them."
"It's too late. It's already been over a week since Nobira was raided."
"They've already crossed the border by now."
Kang Seol told them plainly.
"Doesn't matter."
"Y-you're planning to cross the border? Why?"
"Just like you protect your Kongori, I need to protect what's mine. What's the point of guarding it after it's stolen?"
Swish.
Kang Seol pulled his hood back on. Karen, standing beside him, did the same and walked out with him.
"I've got to take it back."
Creak.
Thud.
With no one to hold the door, Kang Seol made his exit with a heavy slam.
The room fell into a hush, as if a storm had swept through.
"That guy's insane. Thinks he's hot stuff or something."
"Why? I thought he was pretty cool."
"You think you'll say that if he comes back a corpse? We'll see."
"Peeling tangerines in your cozy bedroom while trash-talking someone heading to the front lines—must look cool to you, huh?"
"...What'd you say?"
"Huh? You heard me?"
"You just..."
Bang-!
Oh Yeon-hee slammed the table.
The impact cracked the table's ornate edge.
"Haha... Was I too loud?"
"Watch it."
Oh Yeon-hee steadied herself and turned to Han Ye-myeong.
"This was rude to you, Miss Ye-myeong."
"......"
"Looks like bringing in the Snowman was a lost cause. Blame my rash call."
"...It's fine. No-eul, let's go."
"Y-yeah..."
Han Ye-myeong took Han No-eul's hand and hurried out of the conference room.
"Oppa, that hurts..."
"Sorry. Want to head back to the inn first?"
"Yeah, I'll do that."
Han Ye-myeong realized he'd been gripping Han No-eul's hand tightly without noticing and let go.
Then he dashed off down the path Kang Seol might have taken.
"Han Ye-myeong?"
"Isn't that Han Ye-myeong?"
More and more people in Kongori were starting to recognize him.
Was it thanks to Kang Seol's advice? Or the power hidden in his Black Hand?
Either way, his growth outpaced other pioneers by leaps and bounds. Even the Federation folks admitted Han Ye-myeong operated on a whole different plane.
He'd become something of a symbol for Kongori overnight.
Did that make him arrogant?
Not at all.
He was simply glad his sister could secure her survival in a safer spot.
Han Ye-myeong chased him down a deserted alley and finally caught sight of Kang Seol.
"Huff... huff... Hyung!"
"You chased me all the way here?"
"Yes! Exactly! Hold on! Just stop for a second!"
For Han Ye-myeong, it all boiled down to one thing: protecting Han No-eul.
That was it.
So why was he trying to stop Kang Seol? Especially when everything he wanted was right here in Kongori.
Kang Seol stared straight at Han Ye-myeong's face.
'He's changed a lot.'
The green kid who'd come begging for help back then was gone.
He'd pushed through some serious adventures—his gear was top-tier now, and his presence sharp as a blade.
"Why?"
"About today... I'm sorry. My bad. I knew you hated that sort of thing, but..."
"It happens. Still, I didn't walk away empty-handed. You cleared up my next move for me."
"Ah! You mean going after that Hamin guy?"
"Yeah. That's the plan."
Han Ye-myeong met Kang Seol's eyes dead-on.
"Let me help. You saved my life."
"Pardon?"
"Let me tag along and help. You saved me."
Kang Seol got it.
But he couldn't say yes.
"Mr. Han, you can't help me."
"I... I've gotten stronger. I'm not who I used to be."
Kang Seol shot a glance at Karen.
She caught on and stepped up.
"Look, I see you're full of confidence and all, but Master's right. You can't help him."
"Test me if you want."
"Fine. Let's see what you've got."
Flash-!
Karen's form blurred, reappearing behind Han Ye-myeong.
"Hup!"
Shing-!
Han Ye-myeong whipped out his Black Hand for a lightning draw.
"Hm?"
Karen flinched at the freakish speed but drew her own blade to parry.
Clang-!
"Neat trick with that hand."
"Don't underestimate me—here goes!"
"Bring it!"
Clang-!
Clang!
Clang!
In a blink, Han Ye-myeong hammered Karen with a flurry, driving her back. Swordsmen sparring—no killing intent, so no skills deployed.
'Without skills, I've got this!'
Han Ye-myeong brimmed with certainty.
His possessed Black Hand gave him the edge over any fellow swordsman, several moves ahead.
Clang-!
But as he kept pressing, Han Ye-myeong's expression darkened relentlessly.
Karen, blocking his assaults, looked more at ease.
'Why? Why...'
Han Ye-myeong swung wildly, reason be damned.
If he could just graze her clothes with the tip, it'd prove he'd changed.
But.
Thud-!
"Urk..."
Karen's foot nailed his chest through an opening.
"Sorry—sting much?"
"I'm good. Again! Hah!"
Whirr-
Clang!
But no matter how many times, same result.
His blade never touched Karen.
It was like she was a mirage, her sword alone fending him off.
No contact? No different from a phantom.
Thud-!
A dull thump flipped his world.
"Ngh..."
Clatter...
Karen had swept his legs out lightly, toppling him.
"That's it?"
"...I lost."
"Speed's solid. Everything else? Not so much. No real sword training, huh?"
"...No."
"Moves are obvious, strikes too light. Speed alone without power? Easy block."
No formal swordsmanship. Low strength.
In game terms, that was it.
"Guess it's true... I can't help."
"Didn't you say you'd protect your sister? Why follow me then?"
"Dunno. Just... uneasy."
"Scared of lagging behind?"
"Yeah. Probably."
His inverted gaze framed a clear sky... and Kang Seol.
"Spot on. You are falling behind."
"Huh?"
"Suppose I said right now I'd kill your little sister. What then?"
"That..."
He couldn't stop it.
Han No-eul murdered by Kang Seol, right before his eyes.
"That's the fear gnawing at you. Federation? Safe houses? Useless. Unless you get stronger."
"How...? What do I do?"
"Staying here's no good for you. Try heading somewhere far from here."
"But that leaves my sister alone."
"Can't help you there. Later."
As Kang Seol turned to go, Han Ye-myeong scrambled up and pulled a small statue from his pocket, offering it.
"What's this?"
"Lets us track each other, hyung. Figure I won't stick around Kongori forever."
Kang Seol pocketed it with a casual hand wave.
"See you. Stay alive till I track you down."
"Yes! Count on it!"
Parting ways with Han Ye-myeong, Kang Seol immediately picked out two sturdy horses and bought them.
"Huh? You ride too? No lessons needed?"
"Turns out I've got a knack for it."
"Where to?"
"Dunno yet..."
Heading straight to Nobira now would just mean picking through a sacked city's ruins.
'To track those bastards, best route...?'
Kang Seol mulled it over, then set their course.
"Gulia Fortress."
"That fort near the raided Wigltung Village?"
"You remember."
"Keybo mentioned it. Bread was so good it shocked me. Shocking stuff sticks."
Jamad piped up from the shadows.
"Sounds like a mnemonic my idiot brothers would use."
"Only 'cause you haven't tasted it. Oh, trolls don't do bread?"
"Trolls eat like humans. Just add 'other races' to the menu."
"Eww... Gross."
"Not a fan of that side of trollkind myself."
No wagons ran from Kongori to Gulia, so Karen and Kang Seol saddled up.
Good thing the roads were well-maintained—fewer mishaps likely.
They rode north at an easy pace.
"So, why the interest in that Han whatever?"
"He'll come in handy down the line."
"That weakling? Hand's quirky, sure."
"That's the hand I'm talking about."
"Aha... Makes sense. Kept yapping about his sister otherwise—kinda lame."
Jamad chimed in again.
"Mirror image of someone else obsessed with Karuna."
"Totally different! We're twins!"
"Doesn't look it."
"Anyway, Master. Got a plan for Gulia?"
"Closest troll outpost. Can scout if they're getting involved too... That sorta thing."
"And if not?"
"What else? Solo run."
"Kahahat! Nuts!"
Then came Jamad's hesitant cough, like he was working up to it.
"Ahem... Got something to say."
"Shoot."
"This whole mess."
"Nobira?"
"Yeah. Nobira. Think I know why it went down. Even their spot now."
"...Explain."
Jamad dredged up old memories.
"Rock Fang Tribe used to be in the Tribal Federation. Split over disagreements midway."
"And?"
"Federation's continent-wide. Distant tribes? Barely talk. What's the point of far-flung meetups?"
Kang Seol perked up—troll spilling troll tea was gold.
"Enter the Great Tribal Councils."
"Great Tribal Councils?"
"Local big tribes hashing it out with neighbors. Like regional powwows."
Sounds just like some neighborhood ladies' association meeting lol
Next up: Balcony smoking crackdown in the complex...
Association prez Jamad lololol
Kang Seol asked.
"Great tribe near Nebania—Sulfur Skull Tribe?"
"Huh? You knew?"
"Famous, yeah."
"Right. Their power's absolute over local tribes. Point is, way back at one council, this exact plot leaked out."
"What?"
"Some cocky Sulfur Skull heir cooked it up. Got shot down, obviously."
Why spill now?!
Fuzzy memory sans tasty bread?
Ah, fair enough then.
"Unroll the map."
Rustle.
Kang Seol spread it out as Jamad directed. Jamad eyed it and kept going.
"They're probably... right here now."
"Yognatun Volcano?"
A volcano not far past the border.
Yognatun was still raging strong—the reason Nebania's border stayed uncivilized.
"Isn't this Prurga's turf?"
"Yep. One of the primitive god Prurga's haunts."
Primitive god Prurga.
Sulfur deity, said to look like a massive fire ape.
Its ancient might was pure catastrophe.
No one dared piss off Prurga, so Yognatun smoldered on, untouched.
Jamad spoke to Kang Seol with total conviction.
"Sulfur Skull's gonna sacrifice the captives to harness Prurga."