〈 Episode 598 〉 The North Sea.
A day had passed, and dawn was just breaking.
Yuri had left her quarters and was walking.
Because she had received a message from Red Feather.
Telling her to come to his quarters immediately.
‘No way.’
Her steps gradually quickened.
He had said he would think about it for roughly a day; could he already be finished?
‘I was trying to find some way to entice him.’
It was news that reached her while she was looking for other methods,worried she might be refused.
Yuri had to somehow calm her trembling breath.
She must not show an impatient attitude.
Though she had already been found out on everything there was to be found out, she had to preserve at least this much.
How long had she walked like that?
Perhaps because of her hurried steps, she had already arrived at the quarters.
The moment she entered, she saw people gathered in the courtyard.
Yuri approached them.
“You’re here.”
The young man, Red Feather, who had confirmed Yuri approaching, turned his gaze to her.
“I thought you’d be late, but you came quickly.”
“How could I dare be late?”
“You don’t have to butter me up. It’s not like anything falls off if you do.”
His tone was still insolent.
She wanted to knock him on the head, but it was not a situation where she could.
‘Hm?’
While forcibly managing her expression and looking at him.
She felt something strange.
‘Somehow, his face looks tired.’
That was Red Feather’s condition.
His eyes looked especially tired.
Had something happened in the middle of the night?
A question arose, but she did not bother asking.
Because that was not the important matter.
As Yuri looked at him with a strange gaze, Red Feather spoke to her.
“What did I say yesterday?”
“Yes?”
“I asked what I had to do when I went to the North Sea.”
“…Ah…!”
Hearing the question, Yuri’s eyes widened.
“Say it accurately. Make it easy to understand.”
“…I ask that you go to the North Sea and lift the curse afflicting the Palace Lord.”
“And other than that, nothing?”
“…Yes.”
Having heard the answer, Red Feather stroked his chin as if in thought.
Shortly after, he spoke to Yuri.
“If even the slightest problem arises with safety, cancel the commission and return.”
At the resolute words, Yuri’s lips pressed tightly shut.
“Furthermore, if you meet the Palace Lord and attempt treatment, but I judge it impossible, immediately return.”
“…”
“My command is absolute, and until the moment the commission ends, I am the leader of the party. Will you accept this?”
If a problem breaks out, he will abandon them and leave.
If he sees the Palace Lord, he will try treating, but if it does not work, he will just leave.
Until the moment the request ends, he is the dominant party, and they must unconditionally follow his orders.
Simply put, that was what he meant.
At a glance, it was utterly inappropriate to call it a commission journey.
She also knew that the phrase about absolute obedience to orders was dangerous.
But.
“…I… accept.”
Yuri had no other particular choice.
Right now, only the fact that he said he would accept the commission was important.
“Including this, you must also fulfill the conditions posted with the merchant company.”
“…I accept that as well.”
There was no such option as refusal from the start.
Since Yuri had chosen to go to the Central Plains, this was only natural.
“Hm.”
Having heard Yuri’s answer, Red Feather nodded briefly.
“Good. Then I accept the commission.”
“…!”
Only then did the answer Yuri had so desperately wanted reach her ears.
Yuri tried to make a bright expression upon hearing this.
“The matter will be concluded within two months. I don’t have that much time.”
“Thank yo… yes?”
She paused briefly at the words.
“Just now… what did you say?”
“What?”
“The time. By when did you say you would finish the commission and return?”
“Two months.”
Red Feather answered indifferently to Yuri’s question.
Hearing that, Yuri let out a short sigh.
“I thought I misheard… You mean it will take two months just to get there? Then it will be a bit tight…”
“What are you talking about?”
Red Feather’s brows furrowed at Yuri’s words.
“I’m saying I’ll finish everything within two months. What do you mean, two months just to get there. Are you crazy?”
“No…!”
As Red Feather spoke with annoyance, Yuri’s face, which had been holding back, twisted completely.
“You are the one… what on earth are you saying? If you don’t want to go, just say you don’t want to go.”
It would take more than two months just to get to the North Sea from here.
Since it was a situation where one couldn’t freely come and go from the Central Plains to the North Sea, they had to use a special path to go secretly.
For that, they had to spend more time than the normal route.
It would already take several months just to get there, and this would obviously take even more time.
In such a situation, finish everything and return within two months?
Nonsense.
To Yuri, it was no different than mocking her.
“No matter what, to treat a person like this…”
“Sorry.”
Red Feather cut off Yuri as she tried to speak in anger.
“I don’t have enough time to spend several months there.”
He understood why she was angry.
Given the situation, of course she could be like that.
“If I’m going to do it, I’ll do it. Stop muttering noisily.”
Right now, he didn’t even have time to make her understand this.
It would take a while to explain.
No, it was obvious she wouldn’t understand even after a long time.
So, he just had to show her.
Afterward, Red Feather quietly raised one hand and spoke.
“Come down.”
“What on earth are you—!”
Yuri tried to continue speaking after seeing that.
Shiiiiiiik—!!
Kuuuuung—!!!
Something fell before Yuri’s eyes.
The ground rang loudly and wind pressure burst forth.
“My lady—!”
In the sudden situation, Ubeom and Useok blocked Yuri as if to protect her, and at the moment they tried to enter a guarded stance.
Huuk—!
Wind blew for an instant and began to sweep away all the dust.
Thick dust soared into the air.
In an instant, the surroundings became clean and the view cleared.
Yuri, who had been calming her surprised heart at this.
“…Hup…!!”
She had to gasp at the scene unfolding before her.
The ground hollowed from the impact.
Something was writhing atop the floor that had become a mess.
Grrrrrr….
Something with a house-sized frame and blue scales.
A monster with a fiercely contorted face and blue eyes was there.
Yes, a monster.
A vicious monster she was seeing for the first time in her life.
It was a being far more overwhelming than any demonic beast she had seen until now.
“What is that….”
As Yuri held her trembling shoulders and looked at it with wide eyes.
“Ah, fuck.”
A curse was heard from somewhere. It was Red Feather.
He looked around here and there.
Paaak—!
Grrr—!!
He suddenly swung his hand and struck the monster’s head hard.
The monster’s head snapped aside from the impact and let out a cry.
“You, I told you to come down gently. Look at this mess again.”
Grrr… grr….
“What, you think you did well? Are you going to clean it up? I said are you going to clean it up?”
Grrr….
“Excuses, my ass. Your hands are no bigger than rat droppings compared to your body, what’re you gonna clean!”
Thud—! Thump—!
The sight of him continually delivering noogies as if displeased.
Seeing the monster whimpering weakly as it took the hits.
“…”
For some reason, Yuri lost the words she was about to say.
******************
He had to let out a sigh seeing Ttolttoli spewing all sorts of excuses.
“You, do you think I don’t know you did that because you wanted to show off?”
He had clearly told it to come down quietly.
This bastard subtly enjoyed attention.
‘No wonder my qi had been leaking out more than usual earlier.’
Apparently it had grown its size too.
Who did it take after, not listening like this?
“Did I raise you like that? Huh?”
Grrrr….
“You agree? You bastard, really….”
It must really be puberty; it didn’t listen to a damn thing.
He was about to raise his hand thinking he should hit it a bit more.
“…That… um… that… uh….”
A stammering sound was heard from behind.
Yuri was looking this way with her mouth and eyes wide open.
Her surprised expression was a sight to behold. She must have been quite shocked.
“What on earth… is that?”
Having barely come to her senses, Yuri pointed at Ttolttoli with her hand and spoke.
What was it?
He answered upon hearing the question.
“A mount.”
“Yes?”
“I said a mount.”
Faster than a carriage by far.
A mount that would take me to the North Sea quickly without obstacles hindering.
That was this guy.
‘There’s no other way.’
To take care of everything within two months, he had to secure fast means of transportation first.
Fortunately, he had a means of transportation faster than anything else.
Thanks to that, he had to retrieve the one that had been in the Hubei area with Cheoljiseon.
‘Didn’t he say Jiseon got tied up in Hubei?’
It was an unavoidable sacrifice.
That guy would survive on his own.
Right now, he was the one in more of a hurry.
‘With this guy.’
He didn’t know how far it was to the North Sea, but if he rode this one, it wouldn’t take that long.
It ate like a pig and didn’t listen to a damn thing.
Literally, it was a great one in value as a mount.
The problem was.
“…R-ride this?”
The fact that the surrounding reactions were somewhat unusual at the words that he would ride this one.
Yuri’s reaction, of course.
Those around watching were the same.
Dang Soyeol and Moyong Huia also had surprised expressions.
It was probably because he had never shown this one to those two either.
By the way, Lady Mi had not come.
Because he had requested the night before that she not come.
‘Besides that, I was so tired from running around here and there.’
Having moved around here and there and finished things to take care of at night, his body was soaked in fatigue.
The matter of Pilduma had ended with the guy accepting his words.
But the result was somewhat unsettling.
‘Why did the talk of the Paejon suddenly come up there?’
He couldn’t understand the situation.
When he affirmed it, Pilduma said he would carry out the task without further words.
He didn’t place a prohibition on this.
Because he had judged that placing a prohibition wouldn’t fit the situation.
But he couldn’t just leave it be, so he had asked Nahi to give orders regarding matters related to Pilduma.
If something unexpected happened to the guy.
‘Kill him.’
He had left orders like that.
If he couldn’t be used, he had to be disposed of. For now, he had to at least do this much.
Now what remained was.
‘Only going to the North Sea and checking Namgung Bia’s condition.’
From the start, whether it’s the Ice Palace Lord or whatever wasn’t important.
His purpose was solely that.
Going to the North Sea was merely a pretext.
Ice Palace Lord? Future of the Ice Palace? What did he care.
Whether they died or not was none of his business.
While organizing his plans with that in mind.
“Young master… what on earth is this….”
Moyong Huia approached him with an expression similar to Yuri’s and asked.
So he roughly explained.
“It’s something I picked up and raised.”
“Picked up…?”
Moyong Huia’s expression grew subtle upon hearing the answer.
“No matter how you look at it, it’s a demonic beast…?”
“Right.”
“You picked up and raised a demonic beast?”
It was an expression saying she couldn’t understand no matter how much she thought about it.
For a long time, the very thing the Order had never succeeded at even once was taming demonic beasts.
It was natural that she would be bewildered since he suddenly showed her this.
“Everything listens if you beat it.”
He said so with a smile.
Since now was not the time for a long explanation, he decided to gloss over it roughly.
If there was a reason he called Moyong Huia when he wasn’t even going to explain like this.
‘Since I was planning to show her anyway in the near future, it meant to take a look beforehand.’
Be mentally prepared.
That was what he meant.
Fortunately, Moyong Huia seemed to understand this.
“Haah….”
Her figure sighing deeply as she realized the situation was proof of that.
Then.
“Wait… ride it?”
Yuri spoke to him with a trembling voice.
“If you say ride… surely you don’t mean we are riding this monster?”
“Monster? Watch your mouth. Ttolttoli will get hurt.”
“Ttolttoli…?”
Yuri paused upon hearing the name.
Her ears turned a bit red in the meantime… why were her ears turning red?
“No, anyway… that… are you saying we’ll go to the North Sea riding that?”
“Of course.”
“It’s ridiculous. How could we ride that…”
“I already said.”
He cut off Yuri’s words as they grew longer.
Annoying.
The situation of exchanging this kind of conversation one by one.
“If you don’t like it, get lost.”
“…!”
“If you won’t listen to me, get lost.”
It was what he had said from the start.
If she was going to nitpick his words, it was breaking the commission.
He didn’t have the leisure to spend time on this conversation.
As he spoke with power in his voice, Yuri bit her lip.
“…I’m sorry. I… forgot my place for a moment.”
Yuri’s choice was quick.
She would know herself that there were no more methods.
Step.
Yuri slowly walked over.
“Should I get on right now?”
Her choice, and her acceptance, were quick.
The way she had slapped her own cheek yesterday was like that too. These were parts he couldn’t help but think highly of.
As Yuri spoke and tried to approach Ttolttoli.
“My lady—! Danger…!”
As Yuri’s guards tried to come this way, he immediately released pressure.
Huuuuuk—!!
“Kuk…!”
“Kek…!!”
The guards staggered, crushed by the pressure.
He looked at them and spoke.
“You lot end here.”
“Wh-what are you saying….”
“It’s over capacity.”
Weight was an issue too, but he had no intention of taking along more dead weight.
“Nonsense…! So you’re saying you’ll send only my lady like this!?”
“Right. That’s what I’m saying.”
“How can we accept that…!”
“Haah….”
Right. It would be hard to accept.
But.
“What are you going to do if you can’t accept it.”
“…!!”
“Don’t annoy me. Should I just kill you so you can’t ride at all?”
This wasn’t a warning.
If they clung on just once more here, he would really kill them and go.
As he spoke while cracking his fingers, Yuri sent words to the guards from behind.
“…Ubeom, Useok. I’ll be fine.”
“B-but. My lady…!”
“I heard the conditions of the commission. I accepted them. His words now are no different from my will.”
“…”
At Yuri’s resolute words, the guards shut their mouths.
“I’m sorry. I’m leaving you two in this foreign place.”
“Our worries….”
“Stop filming a melodrama and get on quickly.”
As she dragged on, he grabbed Yuri and flung her.
“Kyaaah—!”
Yuri let out a scream and floated into the air.
Fortunately, she didn’t fall and landed well on Ttolttoli’s back.
“The personnel are her, you, and you. And only me.”
He pointed in order at Yuri, Dang Soyeol, and Seongyul.
That was the smallest possible number of people.
He had to take Seongyul because there were things to check here and there, and his level wasn’t bad either.
Dang Soyeol might not have been in the past, but now he was at a level where he could come along.
The North Sea guards had their expressions showing they were dissatisfied with this decision, but.
‘Those guys are dead weight.’
One had reached the Hwagyeong realm but was in a state of internal injury.
The other didn’t need to be taken along at all.
So exactly four people.
Any more was unnecessary personnel.
He was organizing it like this and was about to go.
“Then what am I supposed to do?”
Moyong Huia asked him.
“Hm?”
“The most you do after calling me is show me this giant snake?”
She seemed quite displeased that he called her from early morning but wasn’t taking her along.
“…Um.”
Right?
He had called her to show her beforehand.
Should he not have called her if he wasn’t going to take her in the end?
‘I was tired so I didn’t think that far.’
He thought he had slightly made a mistake.
“Right, why did I do that?”
“…Are you kidding me now…!”
“Did I just want to see you a bit?”
“…”
Moyong Huia, who had been about to get angry, tightly shut her mouth upon hearing his words.
“It’s been a while since we met, and I guess I called you because I felt like I didn’t see you enough. Sorry.”
He smiled awkwardly.
This was indeed his mistake. To call her just because he wanted to see her.
At those words, Moyong Huia swept her forehead with a sigh.
“…So annoying….”
Looking at her expression, he cautiously asked.
“Want to hit me?”
At the words asking if she wanted to vent her anger, Moyong Huia’s eyes turned fierce.
“Do you think I’m the young master? Going around beating everyone up if things don’t go my way?”
“…When did I go around beating everyone up….”
“Really, I’m crazy, I’m crazy. How did I get entangled with someone like that….”
“No….”
The moment he tried to say something as if wronged.
Moyong Huia threw something toward him.
When he caught it, it was some kind of bead.
It was a small red bead.
“The Branch Lord sent it.”
“Lady Mi?”
“Yes.”
Lady Mi had sent this.
What is it?
While looking it over here and there wondering what it was, Moyong Huia added an explanation.
“She said to use it if you’re ever in danger.”
“…Hm.”
Going by those words, did she mean it was a precious artifact?
Hearing that, he felt somehow uneasy for no reason.
‘I already have many precious items on me.’
To add more to that.
Though he felt dissatisfied, he didn’t particularly speak out.
He had already accepted it, and the one who gave it was who she was.
He roughly pushed the bead inside his clothes.
“And, was there anything else she wanted to say?”
“Hm.”
At his question asking if Lady Mi had any message, Moyong Huia thought for a moment.
“Come back safely. If you get hurt, you’ll really be scolded.”
She conveyed such words.
“…?”
Hearing those words, he tilted his head.
Because it wasn’t Lady Mi’s way of speaking at all.
But….
“What. Does it sound like a lie?”
“No…. Hm… no.”
He had nothing more to say as Moyong Huia glared at him fiercely.
He decided to just go with it.
Afterward, scratching the back of his head, he climbed onto Ttolttoli’s back.
As he settled into position, something gripped his waist tightly.
It was Yuri.
“What are you….”
Wondering why, he checked and saw Yuri holding him with trembling hands.
By her condition, she didn’t look good at all.
He decided to ignore it.
He faced forward again and spoke.
“Hold on tight. Because if you fall, you die.”
“Ye… yes? Die…?”
“Yep.”
“Understood.”
“Good, let’s go.”
“We’re going now… huh?”
The moment he was about to tell Ttolttoli to move.
A strange answer was wedged in.
With a strange feeling, he turned his head back again.
Only then could he realize.
There should have been three people behind him.
He could faintly see one more person squeezed in at the far end.
Someone was sitting behind the expressionless Seongyul.
‘What?’
While staring quietly there.
A head popped out to face him.
“Why do you not depart?”
“…”
“I am tired of waiting. Let us go quickly.”
It was the Paejon.