Chapter 179
Chapter 179
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 179
Chapter Title: The Red-Haired Wanderer
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The basics of hunting are with a bow. A weapon capable of taking down beasts from a distance.
But we didn't really need anything like that. Tossing stones infused with internal energy was more than enough.
And throwing something was...
The form of action most familiar to 'Suryeon' among us when it came to training.
"Hunting is something we're used to. The disciples of the Killing Sect are trained in everything needed for long-term missions. Catching beasts isn't hard. The real question is whether the 'beast we need to catch' is around here."
True to Suryeon's words, there were hardly any mountain beasts in sight. Part of it was the cleared forest around the outpost, but even beyond that, in the deeper woods, there wasn't a single sign of life.
It felt like most of the large animals had fled due to the long war.
"Daddy."
"Yeah?"
"I don't need that hide. Unlike before, my body's tough now. I can sleep fine without it."
"Really?"
"Yeah!"
"I think differently."
"...?"
Sua blinked. I checked the unusually cold wind once more.
Heuk Daan-hwa was right. The climate itself was exceptionally chilly. What was going on? Was there some reason unique to this area?
...Something felt off.
Anyway, the important thing was that the weather had turned cold. And honestly, Sua had seen all sorts of awful things following me around...
So whenever there was a brief respite like this, I wanted to look after her. In my own way.
"What's different?"
"It's just... a father wanting to do something small for his daughter..."
I bundled up Sua's coat tightly around her.
"That's what parents do, right?"
"...!"
Sua's eyes welled up with tears.
"Daaaaddy... I think I get what Sister Daan-hwa meant now."
"Huh?"
"You hit me right in the heart sometimes. It hurts here."
"Your chest hurts...? Internal injury?"
"It stopped hurting all of a sudden."
Sua clung to me.
"If we're catching something anyway, let's go big!"
"Alright. Let's catch something big."
"House-sized!"
"Isn't that too big...?"
We ventured into the forest. It seemed important to put some distance from the outpost first, so we kept heading deeper into the pathless woods.
The human presence had completely vanished. We pushed through the dense forest without hesitation. Suryeon, who had been scouting ahead, turned back to me.
"Seems like only small animals up front. How about we camp here?"
"Good idea."
We only had about three days anyway, so time wasn't an issue. We settled in a suitable spot and lit a fire.
Heuk Daan-hwa lightly wrote characters in the air with magical power. She clasped her hands as if in prayer and whispered in an unintelligible language.
Sua's eyes sparkled.
"It's the Demon Illusion Formation. Judging by the formation's layout... it seems designed to lure beasts."
"You've already learned that much?"
"I want to be a jack-of-all-trades for Daddy!"
"That's my girl. Live for yourself."
"Then I have to live for you even more."
"...?"
Small animals crawled out from under the trees, entranced. A stone infused with internal energy shot from Suryeon's hand with a pop---.
Dinner was rabbit meat. I skinned and set aside the hides separately. Untreated hides rot quickly, but...
The weather grew colder the deeper we went into the forest, so it probably wouldn't matter much. The group's eyes had changed.
"This isn't normal cold. Something's inside."
"...Brother. Remember that cave?"
"The ice cave?"
The cave where the North Sea Ice Palace's martial arts lay dormant.
Baek Mae tilted her head.
"Doesn't it feel similar to that cave's chill? Maybe... the North Sea Ice Lord left relics in multiple places...?"
"Who knows..."
I glanced up at the sky. Clouds were gathering from the horizon.
I quickly chopped some trees. With Joo Ryeong-ryeong's help-she'd built structures before-we swiftly erected a temporary shelter.
"Reminds me of old times..."
"Ryeong-ryeong. If something falls from the ceiling, it'll leak through."
"I'll use the surrounding leaves. See? Pile up big ones like this on top, and it becomes a makeshift roof. Why? Think it's gonna rain?"
"It's not rain I'm worried about. It's snow."
"...Snow? It's not the season for that."
"True, but things aren't going as expected. Can't we make a wooden roof?"
"Of course we can."
I worked with Joo Ryeong-ryeong to shave logs and place them on the roof. With so many experts assisting, the job was done in a flash.
We reinforced the interior and lit a fire inside, completing a fine shelter. Right on cue, white flakes began drifting down from the sky.
"...It's really snowing?"
An abnormal climate that shouldn't happen in autumn.
I looked up at the distant mountains slowly turning white.
Eun Seol-ran stood beside me.
"That area's getting especially heavy snow."
"Something must be there."
"You planning to go?"
"What do you think, Senior?"
"It's not artificial climate change. It's natural. And if this natural phenomenon stems from some creature... then it's simple, right?"
Eun Seol-ran grinned.
"Must be a spirit beast. Probably awakened recently. It's somewhere in those mountains. Spirit beasts are dangerous-common sense says avoid them-but we're different, aren't we?"
"Exactly."
"If it can cause climate shifts like this, its inner core must be impressive too. Let's feed it to Sua!"
"...To Sua?"
"Yep. Obviously. What, you want it?"
"Didn't expect you to say that first, Senior."
"What're you talking about? The guy who'd split a single bean with me."
Eun Seol-ran poked my side.
"Your daughter's basically mine soon. Of course I'd look after her. Plus, I like Sua. She's my proud disciple."
"...Senior, you're still looking out for me like always, past and present."
"What, suddenly touched?"
"Naturally."
I met Eun Seol-ran's gaze.
"I'm always grateful. And respectful."
"...Hmm."
Eun Seol-ran reached out and gently pinched my cheek.
“Cute.”
“……?”
“When this is all over, you should become my bodyguard. Don’t you think?”
“I’ll consider it.”
“Oh my.”
We skewered the prepared meat. There was more than enough, and we had brought plenty of other food as well. Including the assassins from the Killing Sect, our group numbered around twenty, yet everyone ate their fill.
It was still a bit early, but moving again felt awkward, so we decided to wake up early the next morning and rest for the night. The members of the Killing Sect, clearly used to this, tried to slip outside, but I stopped them.
“I think it would be better if we rested together.”
“……”
“……”
Without answering, everyone looked toward Suryeon. Under their expectant gazes, she nodded.
They sat with their backs against the wall and attempted to sleep. I leaned closer and whispered to Suryeon.
“Can’t you tell them to lie down properly?”
“This is more comfortable for us. You saw it before, didn’t you? That girl sleeping under the bed.”
“There’s no need to do that now.”
“It really is more comfortable. We’ve spent our lives sleeping while standing or sitting. Compared to that, this feels natural.”
The way of assassins.
I cleared a spot and lay down. After removing the stones, my back didn’t hurt, but a chill crept up from the ground.
I spread out my sleeping bag, but it wasn’t enough to completely block the cold.
Fortunately, I had a treasure-like cloak. It repaired itself and functioned as a divine artifact, providing coolness in heat and warmth in cold.
I laid it beneath me and called out to Sua. She trotted over and lay down beside me as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
“It’s been a while since I slept next to Daddy.”
“I’ll lie a little farther away—”
“If you’re not here, I won’t lie down either.”
“…Alright.”
We lay side by side. As she chatted softly, I offered her my arm as a pillow.
The crackling of burning firewood echoed nearby. Along with Sua’s voice, I could hear the quiet laughter and murmurs of the others.
Pleasant sounds. Perhaps they felt warm simply because they came from people I cared about.
“…And then…”
Sleepiness slowly crept in. Considering the journey ahead, it was best to rest now.
It had been a long time since I’d experienced a moment like this—surrounded by people dear to me, without tension hanging in the air.
Perhaps it was because of our decisive victory in the previous battle.
…Come to think of it, Heavenly Ghost Dong Bang-hyang should have reached the Heavenly Dragon Society’s headquarters by now.
Heuk Daan-hwa had personally placed restrictions on him and the others we captured, ensuring they would forget the martial arts they witnessed from us.
There was no risk of our identities being exposed. Since the situation never required us to go all out, I’d heard that Eun Seol-ran and the others hadn’t even revealed their true techniques.
In other words, there was nothing to worry about.
Maybe that was why I could rest so peacefully now.
…I should pray that things continue this smoothly.
I quietly closed my eyes. With the night watch set, I should have been able to sleep soundly.
But I couldn’t.
—Thump.
I instinctively sat up. The others did the same. Sensing an unfamiliar presence, everyone straightened.
The Killing Sect members on guard rose silently. Suryeon glanced briefly in my direction. Understanding the signal, I grabbed my sword and moved.
Someone stood outside the shelter we had built.
Red hair.
Beneath a snow-dusted bamboo hat, an indifferent expression flickered.
He wasn’t particularly large, yet a sharp aura flowed through his entire body—a blade hidden beneath indifference. The sword at his waist looked exceedingly expensive.
And his appearance—
Handsome. His stern features were refined, and despite his masculine build, his complexion was clear.
A warrior who stood out at first glance.
He spoke while looking in my direction.
“Are you the owner of this place?”
“…I am.”
“If it’s not too much trouble, may I stay here for one night?”
“Excuse me?”
“I need to conserve my strength. I haven’t eaten in days, and I haven’t slept properly either. I was hoping to rest here.”
His hand rested on the hilt of his sword.
“I’m sorry, but this is all I have right now.”
…Was he implying he’d cut us down if I refused?
“If you don’t want to, I’ll leave.”
“What?”
“I lost all the money I had. But I can’t offer my sword—my very life—as collateral. So I have no choice but to rely on human kindness. I’d appreciate your mercy. I can’t promise I’ll repay you, and if we part ways here, we may never meet again.”
His blunt honesty eased my tension.
He was clearly a master, yet his speech and demeanor were oddly clumsy.
“Daddy. We have lots of food.”
At Sua’s words, I nodded and stepped aside.
“Please, come in.”
“You will be blessed.”
The red-haired warrior entered the shelter.
. . .
“I cannot reveal my name.”
He spoke calmly while tearing into the rabbit meat and bread we offered.
“That’s because I’m not officially active. I hope you understand.”
“If you can’t say, I won’t press you.”
“You’re surprisingly understanding. I like that.”
“Then may I ask where you’re headed?”
“I don’t have a destination. I’m wandering aimlessly, searching for something. I believe it’s somewhere nearby.”
“And that something is…?”
“I can’t tell you that either. Please understand.”
“Understood.”
The man blinked.
“…You’re really not going to ask?”
“If there’s a reason you can’t answer, it would be rude to insist. You only asked for kindness, so that’s all I intend to give. Please, have some more.”
“…I have nothing to give you in return.”
“It’s fine. We have plenty. Eat well and rest before you leave.”
“…Hmm.”
He stared at me blankly.
“You are a good person.”
“…Excuse me?”
“I won’t forget this kindness, even if I never get the chance to repay it.”
I examined him more closely. Ironically, he carried nothing but his sword and the clothes on his back.
His garments were worn and dirty, and his hair was tangled as if it hadn’t been washed in a long time.
“You seem to be traveling… do you not carry any luggage?”
“I used to. I lost everything.”
“Lost?”
“I lose things easily. I woke up one day, and it was all gone. Since then, I’ve wandered with nothing. I hunt animals or gather berries when I’m hungry. Sleeping on bare ground doesn’t bother me.”
Something about him felt oddly careless.
It clashed sharply with his imposing presence.
Eun Seol-ran asked, incredulous.
“Isn’t that a bit too reckless?”
“The only thing that matters to me is my lord. Everything else is meaningless.”
“Such extreme loyalty…”
The red-haired warrior puffed out his chest proudly.
“I hear that a lot.”
Sua whispered into my ear.
“He’s a strange uncle.”
“Shh.”