Chapter 149

“Charis.”

“What?”

‘Honestly, her attitude is just…’

Still, her attitude is as if she’s swallowed a bowl of rice.

It’s probably because I haven’t been forceful with her yet, but honestly, this level of attitude is something I can just smile and let slide.

‘As long as she answers properly when asked, it’s fine.’

This level of cute tantrum is just the cost of having her around, a profitable deal.

“Follow me for a moment. I have something personal to ask.”

I started walking without waiting for Charis’s reply, and she followed me, grumbling but still coming along.

The matter I wanted to discuss wasn’t something to be talked about in front of others, so we needed to move to a more private place.

“Charis, you know Ha Yu-ri, right?”

“Of course, who in this continent doesn’t know Ha Yu-ri?”

“Damn it, that’s not what I meant. I’m asking if you knew her personally, back when you were part of the Dark Sorcerer group.”

It was a personal hope, but I really wished Charis had no connection to Ha Yu-ri’s sister.

“What are you talking about?”

Charis looked utterly confused.

‘…So no connection?’

Or maybe she just doesn’t remember Ha Yu-ri from before she made a name for herself.

“Less than two years after Ha Yu-ri entered this continent, while she was active in a party, everyone except her was either killed or kidnapped by the group you were part of. Including Ha Yu-ri’s sister.”

“…What? Ha Yu-ri had a sister?”

‘Damn, she really doesn’t seem to know.’

Not knowing is actually a good outcome for me.

No matter how heartless I am, I’m not crazy enough to walk around with one of the kidnappers of Ha Yu-ri’s sister in front of her.

Even though I lack a conscience, I’m not that kind of lunatic.

“Yes, she had a sister. That old man you called ‘Old Fogey,’ he took Ha Yu-ri’s sister as an experimental subject for dark magic. Essentially, she was killed.”

“Ah…?”

Upon hearing this, Charis seemed to recall something.

‘Damn, you…’

“…Don’t tell me you’re involved in this too?”

“Wait a minute…”

“Damn it, answer quickly. Are you directly involved?”

“No, I just… heard about it.”

‘Heard about it?’

“What did you hear?”

“Just because we were in the same group doesn’t mean we all stuck together.”

“…What do you mean?”

“I mean, I was doing my own thing when I heard Rekalux, that old fogey, talking. I don’t know if it’s related to Ha Yu-ri’s sister, but…”

“Tell me in detail.”

“He said he got something to use as an experimental subject. He killed the rest and got a girl with hidden magical talent, said he’d use her for experiments.”

“……”

“Of course, there’s no guarantee that the girl Rekalux mentioned is Ha Yu-ri’s sister. But I clearly heard him say he missed one that time.”

If Charis is to be believed, there’s a high probability that the experimental subject mentioned by Rekalux, the leader of the dark sorcerers, was Ha Yu-ri’s sister.

‘It’s quite possible. No, it’s highly likely.’

Given the circumstances, the one who escaped was probably Ha Yu-ri.

“…So, did that girl end up dead?”

“I don’t know. Rekalux didn’t mention it after that, and most likely, she’s dead. Humans used as experimental subjects usually die.”

“Sigh…”

I had hoped, but it seems better to abandon the assumption that Ha Yu-ri’s sister is still alive.

‘Well, considering the experiments that bastard Bahan was conducting in his hideout, thinking she’s alive is just wishful thinking.’

Even if she were alive, she’d probably be in a terrible state.

‘It might be better if she’s just dead rather than living like that.’

I asked the most important question.

“Are you involved in this, Charis?”

“……”

Charis remained silent for a while before answering with a complicated expression.

“…I’m not sure.”

“What do you mean? Either you’re involved or you’re not. Saying you’re not sure…”

“Of course, I wasn’t directly involved. But the fact remains that I was part of that group, and I stood by while my comrades committed atrocities against others.”

“…….”

“That’s why I said I’m not sure. Depending on how you look at it, one might say I’m involved.”

Even though Charis didn’t directly harm Ha Yu-ri’s sister, the fact that she was part of that group makes it hard to definitively say whether she’s responsible or not.

“Sigh… I understand.”

At least Charis wasn’t directly involved, which is a relief, but it’s still a headache.

******

Originally, the corpses of legendary grade monsters are quite valuable resources.

They can be used as materials for crafting weapons or as catalysts, among other uses, making them quite valuable.

However, given the size of the White Devourer’s corpse, it’s practically impossible to carry it away.

So, the expedition team decided to abandon the corpse.

And the same goes for the 3rd region’s assault team that took down the Black Devourer.

Now, all expedition teams from the three regions have gathered, and the important figures are back in a meeting.

The Veritas Clan Master, Ahn Yeon-ho, opened the discussion.

“So, only the 1st region remains?”

“It seems so. Is the Myth Clan Master… alright?”

Everyone knows that Yoon Yeon lost her vision and was injured during the battle with the legendary grade monster.

Yoon Yeon answered Ha Yu-ri’s question as if it were nothing.

“Yes.”





Thanks to the Veritas Clan taking down the Black Devourer in Sector 3, our vision has been restored. And thanks to a member of Eternity, the poison has been treated, and there are no lingering side effects.

…Yoon Yeon glanced at me and winked. Probably her way of saying thanks.

“…That’s a relief.”

“Right. Now, all that’s left is Sector 1, which I’ve been handling. It’d be a problem if we kept losing vision.”

“Hmm, but Clan Master of Veritas. Is it true that your injuries were healed because of a member of Eternity?”

I was caught off guard. While I was quietly observing the meeting next to Yoo Ju, Ahn Yeon-ho suddenly brought me up.

“That’s correct. I owe my life to Lee Yun-seong of Eternity.”

Yoon Yeon locked eyes with me, her lips curling into a smile as she continued.

“Well, technically, Lee Yun-seong is my lifesaver.”

At Yoon Yeon’s words, most of the people in the room glanced at me.

By emphasizing that she’s been saved by me twice in such a formal setting, she was essentially signaling one thing to everyone here.

‘…She’s basically publicly declaring her protection over me.’

Of course, those in the know were already aware of the connection between Yoon Yeon and me.

However, Yoo Ju, standing next to me, didn’t say a word, but her expression clearly showed she was uncomfortable.

A man cautiously spoke up.

“Uh, there’s something I need to say.”

All eyes turned to him.

“It’s about the condition of the Plum Blossom Clan Master.”

The room fell silent at his words.

‘Well, I was wondering why this hadn’t come up yet.’

Seo Mi-kyung was treated immediately after being rescued, but she’s now suffering from some permanent damage to her leg.

It’s not as bad as Yoo Ju warned—she’s not completely crippled—but I’ve heard she’s dealing with some lasting discomfort.

“From what I understand, the Master of Eternity attacked the Plum Blossom Clan Master, stabbing her leg with a spear…”

The question was, why would someone from the same expedition attack a fellow member?

Yoo Ju’s eyebrow twitched at the man’s words.

“She did something that warranted the attack.”

“…Master of Eternity. The Plum Blossom Clan Master has suffered permanent damage to her leg. No matter what…”

“Sorry, but let’s get one thing straight. Seo Mi-kyung swung her sword at my clan member, Lee Yun-seong, first. I attacked her to protect my clan member.”

The room buzzed. It seemed most people hadn’t heard the full story.

“Is… that so?”

The man who brought it up also looked flustered. It seemed Seo Mi-kyung had conveniently left out the part where she attacked first.

“Honestly, she got off easy. I think I was quite merciful.”

Yoo Ju wasn’t wrong. On this continent, those who attack first are usually killed without mercy.

“Frankly, I find it irritating that her attitude hasn’t improved. She conveniently left out the part where she attacked first, didn’t she?”

“…But if what the Master of Eternity says is true, why did the Plum Blossom Clan Master attack Lee Yun-seong in the first place?”

I answered that question.

“Seo Mi-kyung wasn’t in her right mind. She blamed me for the annihilation of her clan.”

“…Excuse me?”

“My escort, Wi Ho-yeon, and Kim Seok-ho, the Master of Brother Clan, tried to calm her down multiple times, but she ended up attacking me. Thankfully, Ho-yeon was there, so I was unharmed. Otherwise, I would’ve been unjustly killed by Seo Mi-kyung.”

“…Sword Monarch and Kim Seok-ho. Is everything Lee Yun-seong said true?”

“…It is.”

“Correct.”

“Hmm… Then it seems the Plum Blossom Clan Master brought this upon herself.”

The reactions of others weren’t much different. Essentially, Eternity bears no responsibility for Seo Mi-kyung’s situation.

In fact, if anything, Seo Mi-kyung should be held accountable.

But both Yoo Ju and I decided to let it go, considering she’d lost her entire clan.

Honestly, I had planned to inflict some minor damage on the Plum Blossom Clan due to Seo Mi-kyung’s hostility.

But I never expected it to lead to their complete annihilation.

It’s just absurd that the White Devourer happened to crush the area where the Plum Blossom Clan members were.

‘Honestly, I never intended for it to go this far. Who could’ve predicted this?’

Seo Mi-kyung was just unlucky.

Yoon Yeon, who had been quietly listening, spoke up in a cold tone.

“The Plum Blossom Clan Master dug her own grave. Let’s move on and discuss what to do next.”

Yoon Yeon didn’t look pleased ever since she heard about Seo Mi-kyung attacking me.

“But is there really anything to discuss? We should just proceed further into Sector 1…”

The man was mid-sentence when—

*Rumble—*

The ground began to shake, accompanied by a sound as if the heavens and earth were splitting apart.

“What… what’s going on?”

“What is this…?”

While most were panicking at the sudden tremor, a select few had a different reaction.

‘What’s happening? What’s going on?’

Most were just bewildered, but the stronger individuals had a more serious expression.

Something was happening… though I had no idea what.