1266 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

The hideout in the west managed by Tae Ho An. This was the topic Mi Hyo Ran spoke about. Upon hearing her words, I had to manage my expression. 'Is this really happening?' The situation was progressing favorably. Coincidentally, what she mentioned was exactly what I had intended to bring up. 'I was planning to ask about other hideout locations.' I suspected there might be something of interest there, so I was planning to visit anyway. However. 'To think she'd bring it up like that.' It gave me a reason. It wasn't bad. In fact, it seemed quite fortuitous. "......Moving to the hideout, you say. Is there a reason?" "It's related to a matter with the Apostle. They requested assistance." "Assistance?" "Yes. They said the attacks continue... but since it's an Apostle's attack, we couldn't intervene lightly." Hearing this, I squinted my eyes. There was something odd about her explanation. "I understand it's an attack, but do we really need to get involved?" "......What are you saying?" Mi Hyo Ran frowned at my question. "I mean, managing this hideout alone is already overwhelming. Given that other Apostles have appeared around here, do we really have the time to concern ourselves with another hideout? Especially," I added, looking directly at her. "You." "......" Mi Hyo Ran fell silent at my words. I meant to imply, is it really like you to worry about such things? Though my tone was sharp, it wasn't more direct than that. No matter how I looked at it, something seemed off. 'Mi Hyo Ran is not a villain.' Her actions, both in the past and present, never portrayed her as a villain. It's ambiguous to call her a saint. It's more accurate to see her as an extremely rational person. Not concerned with right or wrong. 'Profit or loss.' She scrutinizes these aspects to an extreme degree. There might be a hint of emotion involved, but the critical point is that she meticulously weighs the benefits. 'In this situation, you want to go where Tae Ho An is? Bringing me along?' It was peculiar. Utterly perplexing. What profit could she gain from this, I wondered. I saw none. So, then. 'Is she acting on emotion?' It's possible, considering her youth. 'No.' That didn't seem to be the case either. Reflecting on what I'd heard from Dok Bong, and upon observing the current Mi Hyo Ran, it didn't feel that way. If that's the case. 'There's only one thing left.' That place. There is a particular purpose at Tae Ho An’s hideout. “What’s there?” “……” Mi Hyo Ran didn't compose her expression. She wore the face of someone whose hidden motives had been uncovered. Seeing her look like that, I couldn't help but chuckle. “To be honest, it doesn't really matter to me.” Whether there's something there or what Mi Hyo Ran’s intent is, at this point, it isn't significantly important to me. What mattered was. “What exactly am I supposed to do once I'm there?” Even if I followed her there, I needed to know what she expected me to do. If she was willing to ask me to accompany her, there must be a reason. And that reason likely correlates with her reaction. “......Baek Gong Ja.” “Yes.” Mi Hyo Ran initiated the conversation with me. “Do you know how to catch the Apostle?” “As I previously mentioned, there isn't much of a method.” I shrugged as I spoke. “You just have to overpower and capture them.” “……” It was a slightly arrogant and annoying way to put it. It was simply the easiest way to express it. The reason being, I was strong. There's no other method. “But what's peculiar is that the Apostle doesn’t seem as formidable as I've heard.” I’d laid some groundwork. Suggesting there's more to it than just my strength. Watching Mi Hyo Ran’s reaction after saying this. Sure enough, she wore an expression deep in contemplation. “......I see.” I continued to watch her face, waiting for further reactions. “......So, would Master Baek Gong Ja be willing to accompany us?” “Well.” That part was different. “I haven’t been told what I’m supposed to do once I'm there.” “……” I needed to clearly hear what was expected of me before making any moves. This was my stance. “Phew.” Mi Hyo Ran let out a sigh. The subsequent words seemed like she was about to provide the answer I was waiting for. “What I would ask of you is simple.” It seemed she was preparing for a request. “......Capture the Apostle.” “The Apostle?” To a certain extent, I had anticipated this part. Hearing the talk about the Apostle led me to believe it would revolve around that. However. “Capturing the Apostle, you mean the one attacking the hideout?” “Yes.” “Hmm.” I frowned at her mention of capturing the Apostle. Something strange stuck out. “Mi So Jo.” “Yes.” “Are you referring to hunting or capturing?” “......” She hesitated. Seeing this, I calmly revealed my deduction. “Capturing, isn't it?” It wasn’t hunting, but capturing. A suggestion to capture and restrain. “Capture the Apostle, huh? Is that really the objective?” “......Is it not possible?” “Possible or not, I don’t see the reason. Why capture them?” I asked for the reason. Why go through the trouble of capturing instead of hunting? Even acknowledging the difficulty in killing them, capturing seems even more challenging. “I cannot disclose the reason.” “Hmm?” I frowned at Mi Hyo Ran's response. She said she couldn’t tell me? “What’s that supposed to mean?” “If possible, I’d really appreciate your help. The reason... if successful, I'll explain later.” “You’re being rather unreasonable. It doesn't suit you at all.” “......” “......Hmm.” Asking for help without explaining the reason? Such a request was uncharacteristic of Mi Hyo Ran. 'But if she's asking like this.' It implies that capturing the Apostle is significantly important. What could it be to prompt such insistence? I was curious. And after all, I was going regardless. “Alright.” I clenched my fist. I had conserved enough strength. At this point, meeting my father wouldn’t result in a defeat. * * * Following the conversation about heading to Tae Ho An’s hideout, we prepared a team. Mi Hyo Ran had initially seemed like someone who would need to stay put, but instead, she decided to move in person, with Cheolryong Captain stepping in to take her place. Thus, the group that gathered comprised Mi Hyo Ran, myself, Am Wang, and... "......Miss, are you coming along too?" "Yes." "You as well...?" "Is there a problem?" It was Dok Bong and her sibling, Dok Ryong. [TLN: "Dok" meaning "Poison", and "Bong" and "Ryong" meaning "Phoenix" and Dragon"] "Why are the two of you tagging along...?" I genuinely asked out of curiosity. Mi Hyo Ran frowned at my question. "......That's how it turned out." "......What?" What exactly turned out that way? What simply ended up like that? Just as I was puzzled by Dok Bong's sudden inclusion, I noticed the glance Mi Hyo Ran gave her. What was that about? Dok Bong was grinning in response to her look. This was. 'They must have discussed something.' Their reactions suggested they had shared words. Perhaps they discussed something important. There must have been something, hence their reactions. 'Hmm.' Yet, it didn’t seem like an issue they would disclose just because I asked. The atmosphere suggested as much. "......Ah, alright. Let's just head out then?" For now, let's get going. That seemed like the best course of action. "The journey... " I looked at Am Wang standing behind us. I wondered if he was going to lend a hand, but it didn't seem likely. [TLN: "Am Wang" here refers to the Shadow King] 'Since Miss Dang and Dang Cheon wouldn't know.' [TLN: Refers to the Tang siblings, Tang and Dang are more or less interchangeable] Since it seemed we couldn’t reveal Am Wang’s true nature, we would likely have to travel on foot. "......Let's go." As if to confirm my thoughts, Mi Hyo Ran took the lead, walking ahead. She, along with the rest of us, was carrying a substantial amount of supplies on our backs. Since there were no carriages available, we each had to bring our own provisions. "How long will it take?" Mi Hyo Ran answered my question. "If we're quick, four days... if slow, it could be around two months." "......What?" The time frame was oddly broad. "How does such a period come about?" "You'll understand when we get there." Mi Hyo Ran responded with an expression of weariness and started walking ahead. * * * We walked out of the hideout and embarked on our journey. Three days passed as we walked. We left what was known as the Dominion and entered a specific region. 'So this works too.' Leaving the Dominion. A place always guarded by patrols. Mi Hyo Ran nonchalantly led us out without hesitation, heading somewhere. '......Is it thanks to Am Wang?' Walking beside us, Am Wang appeared to be doing something. "Strange, there haven't been any monsters appearing." Dok Bong whispered to me. We hadn’t encountered any monsters for two days. It puzzled me too. 'A safe journey like this must be thanks to Am Wang no matter how you see it.' With my keen sense, I noticed he was doing something. Initially, I thought it might be a form of authority. 'No, that's not it.' This was... 'If I have to classify it, it’s in the realm of sorcery.' From his body emanated thin threads that enveloped us. Seeing that, I noted he seemed to be using a particular sorcery... 'Its effect appears to be concealing our presence.' Not just using energy to hide but to more precisely obscure our presence through sorcery. ‘Something I wouldn’t have noticed before.’ Now that I observed, it was clearly visible. Watching Am Wang’s sorcery with interest, I was fixed on it when— "Stop." Everyone halted at Mi Hyo Ran's command. "......We're here." "Already?" In the middle of the forest, we’re here? There was no visible hideout to be seen. "What exactly have we arrived at...?" "We've reached the entry point, not the hideout." "The entry point?" "Yes." Mi Hyo Ran pointed ahead. It was a space obscured by thick vines. "......We're about to enter there. Keep close. If you falter, it could take up to two months." "......" The time range from four days to two months. It seemed to be due to whatever lay beyond those vines. But... ‘......Wait.’ As I studied the vines, I widened my eyes. Those vines. ‘They look familiar.’ They seemed similar to vines lodged somewhere in my memory.