1254 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

After the conversation with Mi Hyoran, it was morning. It was the point at which the night had passed after a brief chat at dawn. “Are you awake?” The Poison Phoenix welcomed me as he saw me. I stepped outside to find him washing his face. “You're up early.” “Haha... I had trouble sleeping because the bed was different.” Is that so? Though I thought otherwise, I didn’t bother to press the matter. “Did you sleep well, young master?” “Yes, I slept alright, more or less.” Honestly, I didn’t. Saying I could sleep would’ve been a lie. How could anyone sleep after hearing such news? “Young Master Gu has become an apostle.” My father had become an apostle. I had to sit in a daze for quite some time after hearing that. Should I have been relieved that he wasn’t dead? Relief, my foot. How could that be any consolation? “Ridiculous.” It would’ve been better if Mi Hyoran had been lying, but strangely, that didn’t seem to be the case. When she said Father wasn’t dead, I instinctively felt it wasn’t false. “Not now.” Maybe it was instinct. I seemed to know that Mi Hyoran was not lying. Which meant... “Is it true he really became an apostle?” It meant that what she said about my father becoming an apostle was true. “Why?” I couldn’t comprehend it. “Why would he make such a choice?” If it was Father, the one I thought I knew, he wouldn’t have made such a choice. Why did he make that choice? “I don’t know.” I couldn’t understand it. Yet, there was one thing I realized. “I still don’t know my father well.” Not being able to understand his choice and the lack of certainty that he wouldn’t have done it... It was proof that I didn’t really know Gu Cheolun, my father, well. While holding back a sigh and being lost in thought, There was a presence. As I turned my head, the Iron Dragon Deputy Lord, whom I met yesterday, approached us again. “The young lord is looking for you.” Hearing these words, the Poison Phoenix furrowed his brow. * * * “Welcome.” It was my second visit to her quarters. Mi Hyoran sat in the same position as the previous day. “Did you sleep well?” I didn’t sleep a wink. “Yes. Thank you for your consideration.” “No need to mention it.” The conversation between the Poison Phoenix and Mi Hyoran was filled with a subtle tension. “I gave you a day's rest, but I think it’s time we had a proper talk among ourselves.” At Mi Hyoran’s words, the Poison Phoenix slightly parted his lips. “...What talk are you referring to?” “If you came here because there was a problem with your hideout, then you intend to join our group, correct?” “...” The Poison Phoenix didn’t easily answer, but it wasn’t hard to read the intent behind his gaze. “If someone who left wants to return, it is only right to prepare something equivalent in return.” “...So what is it you want?” “The conditions aren’t difficult. You just need to participate in the reconnaissance team. We wouldn’t ask for anything else since having more people is beneficial for us too.” “Are you saying just handle the reconnaissance?” “For now, yes. At the very least, wouldn’t you be able to handle this much?” “...” The Poison Phoenix clenched his teeth. Was there something in the reconnaissance team? “Alright...” After a long silence, the Poison Phoenix finally agreed. “However, please exclude the young master, Baek, from participating in the reconnaissance team.” “Huh?” At his words, I looked at her, and Mi Hyoran’s eyebrows twitched significantly. “That's a preposterous request.” “Why is that? Baek wasn’t part of our group to begin with. We can manage on our own.” “Regardless of whether he was part of it or not, he is part of the group now, and excluding Baek alone is just selfish and sentimental.” “...But.” “Hold on. Just a moment.” As a bizarre argument began to unfold, I intervened to prevent further escalation. “Miss Tang.” “Young master, don't worry about this. This matter is—” “No. It’s not that.” They seemed to have misunderstood something. “I’m willing to join the reconnaissance team, whatever it may be.” “What?” “I mean, it doesn't matter whether I do it or not. I have no intention of avoiding it.” “Young master... Do you know what being part of the reconnaissance team entails?” “Isn’t it just about going outside, scouting, and searching for an escape route?” “...That’s—” “I don’t think excluding me would be beneficial.” I had no reason to be excluded. ‘It’s convenient for me to find out too.’ Going outside, I could gather information which was indeed beneficial. “Fortunately, Baek seems to have a different opinion. Do we need any more discussion?” “...Ugh...” “We won’t deploy all of your companions in the reconnaissance team. Just four. Only four will participate, and there happens to be a schedule today. Go out and synchronize your efforts.” Mi Hyoran spoke as she stood up. “Please guide them.” “Yes, I understand.” Upon hearing the Iron Dragon Deputy Lord’s response, Mi Hyoran completely disappeared. “Hmm.” Watching her back as she left, I nodded slightly. There was something that had subtly bothered me from earlier. “Not yet.” It didn’t seem like the right time to acknowledge it. “Let’s go.” The Iron Dragon Deputy Lord took a step, and seeing this, the Poison Phoenix looked at me. I nodded, indicating everything was fine, and followed along. * * * The explanation for the reconnaissance team was not extensive. It seemed there wasn’t much need for explanation, to begin with. “Internal activity for reconnaissance team assembly.” “All right.” The gatekeeper nodded in response to the Iron Dragon Deputy Lord's words. “How long is the duration?” “Two shijins.” “I will convey this to the tacticians.” Creeeeeeak. The door opened. Beyond the open door, the outside scenery was visible. Following the one who exited first, I stepped out as well. Thud-! When I turned back at the sound of the door closing behind us, ‘Oh.’ The same landscape was spread before me. The huge wall that should have been there was gone. “It does seem like an illusion.” Sssss. Finding it fascinating, I activated my inner vision. Thinking it might be a form of sorcery, I realized it was indeed an illusion. And quite a solidly built one at that. Disabling it would require... "It seems it might take some time." The point where it begins is further away. I’ll need to find and destroy that point. “It seems they’ve hidden that point too.” I could tell they’ve set it up to delay anyone searching for it. “If I were to destroy it by force, that would be possible, but…” It seemed like my current strength wasn’t enough. That spoke to how well-crafted the formation was. “—Hmm.” Was the formation of the Wind Dragon unit always this impressive? I pondered as I examined the formation. “We’re heading out.” The Iron Dragon Deputy Lord announced the departure. With that, the ten members of the reconnaissance team, including the four of us, began to move. The members included Poison Phoenix, Tang Cheongi, myself, and another man who came with us. I believe his name was Bang Cheonyu. “There isn’t much to the reconnaissance process. It’s about checking for monsters in the vicinity, identifying areas with high concentrations, and understanding reasons if their numbers increase where they used to be low.” In other words, it was about assessing and documenting the number of monsters in the area. “Also, do not go beyond a certain point.” I asked at those words. “What do you mean by a certain point?” “It’s marked on the map.” I chuckled a bit at his informal tone. He seemed to speak respectfully to others, but not to me. It appeared he wasn’t fond of me for some reason. It didn’t bother me, so I glanced at the map. Though it was drawn on fabric and hard to read, I could roughly gauge locations. “Why shouldn’t we go beyond that point?” “Because the number of monsters is overwhelmingly high, and if you go further—” “Is it possible you’ll get caught by an apostle?” “……” The Iron Dragon Deputy Lord's eyes widened. I had guessed it right. His expression seemed to ask how I knew. How wouldn’t I know? ‘The range is consistent.’ Partly guessed, and partly because the range was uniformly circular from the hideout's center. This meant... ‘Going further out causes problems.’ In this world, the only likely problem would be... ‘Apostles.’ Those bizarre beings mixed with monsters. The only trouble would be encountering them. “Anyway. So you’re saying the reconnaissance ends within this boundary?” “...That’s right.” “But in that case... doesn’t that mean we’re just maintaining the status quo and not progressing?” I mused that one couldn’t simply stand idle if escaping was the goal, so it was odd they conducted only such basic reconnaissance. I asked, recalling those thoughts. “That’s for others to do.” “Hmm.” The task of exploring further was not for the reconnaissance team, it seemed. So, it wasn’t exactly a dangerous task for us? Yet still, what was bothering Poison Phoenix? As I was piecing together these peculiar situations, “...... Let’s proceed.” The team departed for reconnaissance. At that moment. In the sky, a flash of grey light briefly twinkled. So brief, even I nearly missed it. * * * Whishhh—. On the crimson sky, a small grey flame popped with a crack!. As the fairly large burst of flame erupted, someone emerged from within. A figure clad in dark clothes with cold eyes. His grey eyes gleamed as he looked down at the ground. “......” Nothing could be seen. The ground was littered with dilapidated zones and withered trees, yet... Despite the desolate scene, the young man was searching for something in it. This place was the location the First Apostle, whom he called the Sword Queen, had mentioned. Swoosh—. In an instant, he descended, landing on the ground. The first thing that caught his eyes was the disheveled state of the area. “......” Nothing remained, and the blackened land and surroundings resembled a site that had suffered a massive explosion. As he quietly observed the ground, the young man knelt and grasped a handful of the scorched earth. Strange. There was a peculiar familiarity in the energy imbibed in the ground. Embers. Heat. A fire much like his own, yet subtly different, was perceivable here. Upon feeling this, the young man looked far into the distance. Whoosh—!! Again, the grey flames wrapped around the young man’s body. Then, swiftly becoming a streak of light, he pierced through the air. Towards where the fire, akin to what lay on this ground, could be felt. To that place, the young man— Gu Cheolun propelled himself.