Chapter: 612
This memory.
It concerns a promise made some time ago.
A tale from a time when things were less than they are now.
We were both young.
It’s a memory of a time when I knew nothing and didn’t hate the snow that fell.
[The princess saw this in a book this time.]
[Oh, right.]
Even if I tried to talk to him daily and got only annoyed responses in return, the girl still excitedly approached the boy.
[They say the people of the Central Plains are really something.]
[Suddenly?]
The mention of the Central Plains prompted an unexpected reaction from the boy.
The girl knew.
This response was due to his inability to endure the annoyance.
But it was alright.
Even just conversing like this made her happy.
[It was written in the book.]
[What book did you read this time?]
[Meeting the most beautiful woman of the Central Plains, the Prince of the Ice Palace.]
[…]
It was the title of a book that the maids secretly enjoyed.
It was also a recent obsession for the girl.
Upon revealing this, the boy frowned as if he had heard something wrong.
[Isn’t that a prohibited item?]
In the North Sea, any goods related to the Central Plains were strictly forbidden.
So she asked, isn’t this situation the same?
[Oh my!]
The girl shouted angrily at the boy.
[This was written right here in the North Sea! It’s not from the Central Plains!]
[Oh, right.]
Just as he thought to brush it aside, the boy voiced his frustration, as if he couldn’t hold it back any longer.
[… So, why do you speak like that…?]
[Hmm? Is it strange?]
[Absolutely.]
[But the book said it exactly like this…]
She tried to mimic the phrases used by characters from the book.
But it seemed odd after all.
[Where on earth do they even use such language?]
[That’s what the Prince from the book said!]
A warm story about a cold-hearted prince who meets a woman from the Central Plains, changing in the process.
That was how the main character’s personality was portrayed.
The girl spoke with a serious expression as a thought crossed her mind.
[You are the first woman to treat this prince like this.]
There was a line that stated that.
And after that, it surely continued:
[Will you marry me?]
That seemed to be written there, too.
[…]
The boy paused for a moment, looking at the girl as if he was dumbfounded.
Then he seemed like he had something to say, but—
[Ah! It’s snowing.]
The boy couldn’t say the words he had been holding back.
The girl became enthusiastic again with the snowfall from the sky.
[Look, Cheong-ah! It’s snowing!]
[… Yeah, it’s snow.]
The boy could only smile bitterly at her enchanting words.
[Seems like you didn’t even wait for an answer. Then why the question?]
[Huh? What did you say?]
[Never mind.]
Let’s brush it off with laughter.
He’s not someone that someone like me can dare to look down on.
The boy thought that again.
[The snow looks especially pretty today, huh?]
[Yes, it does.]
The girl looked at the snowfall.
[It is beautiful.]
The boy was gazing at the girl who resembled the falling snow.
Indeed.
This was a memory from a time when I didn’t despise the falling snow.
Step by step, pushing through the snowstorm.
How long have I been walking?
It was about an hour, give or take.
I kept walking on the snow.
Naturally, no footprints were left behind.
Vroom—!
Turn my gaze at the vibrations felt in my heart.
The speed wasn’t particularly fast.
‘It’s tough to move while feeling this vibration.’
I felt an urgency in my heart, yet controlling it proved complicated.
It was my first time writing like this.
That vibrating source somewhere far away must be the Thunder Fang of Namgung Bi-ah.
I had to keep sensing those vibrations.
Subtle yet clear.
A contradictory sensation, but that perfectly explained it.
This was an ability I had realized over the past years since my shelling phase.
I could tap into the spirit of the cursed items.
To be precise,
‘Only the cursed items I’ve used.’
I could feel everything I directly experienced about those cursed items.
How did I find this out, you ask?
‘… I discovered it while searching for something lost.’
I had once misplaced the mask given by the Dark King, and in the course of stress trying to find it, I stumbled upon this ability.
When I asked the Dark King, what did he say?
‘It might be a characteristic of dragons.’
I didn’t really understand. What exactly do dragons do?
So this is a characteristic, and they live their lives like that?
When considering the reason behind it,
‘It’s because cursed items were initially obtained from dragons.’
All rank-hundred monsters were referred to as dragons.
And all the early cursed items were things they spat out.
Perhaps that explains why I could do this.
I could only speculate.
Well, suppose I met another dragon.
‘Oh, I have met one.’
Like the Dark King who has been cursed into becoming a dragon.
Or just before, the shape of the princess I encountered resembled that.
If not them, a figure with red eyes flickered in my mind.
‘Blood Demon.’
Three encounters with the Blood Demon.
During those encounters, he hinted at being a dragon.
Moreover, I still remembered the furious words he spoke.
‘I think he referred to himself as the Dragon Sovereign.’
What could that mean?
Is that simply the leader of dragons? Or is there more to it?
And does it mean he’s the scenario for the Blood Horse?
‘The blood taken from the Blood Demon suggests he might be correct.’
Does that imply the Blood Horse is the dragon leader?
‘That’s something I need to clarify too.’
Of course, this wasn’t a moment to contemplate such matters.
As I slowly moved forward following the vibrations,
“The non-military forces wouldn’t do that.”
A voice emerged from behind. It was the voice that had been murmuring for a while.
Upon hearing this, I exhaled a slight sigh.
“… the non-commissioned officer.”
“I’ve uttered that over ten times. Be quiet. It’s become annoying.”
“…”
Only then did the noise diminish a bit.
I needed to focus, yet the incessant murmuring disrupted my concentration.
My head felt like it was about to bow down under pressure.
A flood of melancholy surged within me.
“You begged so desperately for me to bring you along that I finally did. Why this miserable display?”
The one I was carrying was none other than Yuri, the Little Princess of the North Sea.
Right after our brief meeting at the cave entrance.
We were neither companions nor foes, but still surprisingly, tag-teaming it together.
“You claimed you wouldn’t be a burden, yet if this isn’t a burden, then what is?”
“Ha, but…! The prince told me to climb on!…”
“I told you to do that because you can’t even walk correctly. If you could manage, would I have asked you to climb on?”
“…”
The control of one’s center of gravity ensures that there aren’t any hassles during movement, no matter the situation.
It takes considerable skill and stamina to tread on surfaces like wet or snowy ground.
Yuri, being a first-class princess, obviously couldn’t pull it off.
Thus, I had to carry her and proceed.
‘Normally, I would’ve just left her at the entrance.’
The conversation overheard at the entrance posed a dilemma.
Yuri sobbed about a broken promise and swore that no way the prince would do that, which prompted me to pay a visit.
Woohyuk seemed to have some connection here, which piqued my intrigue. Ah, it has become a bit of a tangled mess.
I turned my gaze to Yuri as I spoke.
“I tell you again, I’m not on my way to find that guy you’re so keen on.”
I never got an answer when I asked Yuri what promise she made with the outside forces.
Instead, she looked at me.
[Please, take me with you. I beg you…]
Where on earth did she think we were going for her to plead so earnestly?
“…I’m aware.”
“But why did you insist on coming along?”
I asked while changing direction.
I deliberately hadn’t mentioned going to meet Woohyuk.
I definitely stated I was just stepping out.
If Yuri noticed I seemed headed somewhere, she even grabbed hold of my pant leg.
“If so, how did you get taken along?”
“Hmm.”
Why did I bring her with me?
I gave it a moment’s thought.
The answer surfaced quickly.
“I have no clue.”
“Pardon?”
“Upon reflection, there wasn’t any real necessity to bring you.”
To say it plainly, it was a worthless companionship.
Whether I was stealthily moving or traversing significant distances, the mere presence of Yuri was only a hindrance.
Despite knowing this, I still brought along Yuri who was earnestly pleading.
For the sake of a reason,
“It just seemed like you looked incredibly desperate.”
It’s an oddly simplistic explanation.
The urgency in her voice didn’t belong to anyone other than Woohyuk, as if it was a plea brimming with hope.
So I brought her along.
“…And that was the sole reason?”
“What’s wrong with having poor friends?”
I said while chuckling.
Having a friend like this doesn’t even fill one hand; it was a pitiful situation.
It truly was a burden brought about by someone I could barely call a friend.
“So, what promise did you make with him?”
“…”
“Not going to say it, huh?”
I’ve asked this at least three times, including now.
What promise made her think Woohyuk wouldn’t pull something so low?
While I was curious about that,
“…”
Yuri remained silent once more. That was her way of flat-out refusing to answer.
I remarked upon seeing this.
“If you stay quiet, I’m leaving you behind. Want to still keep your mouth shut?”
“…”
As I threatened her, I could see Yuri shiver.
What would happen if I simply tossed her aside here? It wouldn’t be a bright scenario.
Yuri knew that too.
Clench.
Yuri only tightened her fists but remained stubbornly mute.
‘She’s really keeping quiet.’
Is she counting on me not to abandon her?
Curiosity surged within me and tempted me to toss her away, but for now, I let it slide.
“Well then, just tell me what kind of relationship you have with that guy. Surely, that much isn’t a tall order to request.”
What possible connection could Woohyuk and Yuri have that would prompt these lofty cries?
“Well, maybe…”
“He’s a close friend. A very old one.”
“I see.”
Just a friend.
And a rather old one at that…
‘The princess is friends with Woohyuk.’
If it’s ancient history, just how long ago are we talking about?
I’d heard Woohyuk hailed from the North Sea. I never expected he’d be a childhood friend of a princess.
‘Oh, come to think of it.’
Wording from Woohyuk crossed my mind.
“By the way, do you know who his fiancée is?”
“…Huh?”
This was something Woohyuk mentioned at one point.
He claimed to have a fiancée.
‘At that time, I thought, “What business do Taoists have with a fiancée?”’
Even if he had one, I expected it to be a character from the Central Plains, but given present events,
‘Could it be she’s from the North Sea instead?’
That thought crossed my mind as well.
Of course, it didn’t matter much.
‘What good is a fiancée now?’
This was merely curiosity surrounding something I overheard.
But then,
“That… what does that mean?”
“Hmm?”
“Fiancée?”
Yuri’s tone changed as she heard those words.
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