Chapter: 601
Tap tap—! Tap tap—!
I can hear the sound of sparks crackling.
Something that was once human was burning.
Its form had long been lost.
Ashes. Just something devoid of any value.
I lifted my body and looked at it.
Drop…
Drop…
Blood flowed down my fingertips.
Naturally, it’s not my blood. It was merely the aftereffects of the torture.
Two corpses, long dead, were engulfed in flames.
Yet my gaze, in contrast, sank into a chilling cold as I looked at it.
Surprisingly cold.
That’s exactly how I felt right now.
I turned my head.
At the end of it was Yuri.
She looked at me with trembling eyes, unable to say a word.
Her pupils were filled with deep fear and shallow bewilderment.
Thud—!
I waved my hand, shaking off the blood.
At the same time, I burned away the debris that had accumulated on the floor.
The smell of char filled the air in an instant.
In the suffocating silence, I turned to Yuri and asked,
“I’ll ask again.”
“…Yes…?”
“Is there anyone suspicious?”
“…”
There were various meanings to my words.
“Do you still think it’s different?”
I tried to hold back a smile.
Fortunately, I managed to crack a smile.
I could obtain quite a bit of information through torture.
As expected, he was a guy who had lots of regrets about life.
Such people tend to become infinitely weak when facing death.
Endurance too.
Courage too.
Even the loyalty that barely hangs on.
“Or is it because I need to confirm further?”
“…No.”
Yuri bit her lip and shook her head at my words.
“It’s still hard to completely believe it… but I know I can’t deny it.”
“Alright, that’s all I needed to hear.”
Nodding after hearing her answer, I meant to suggest something else now.
The information gleaned was roughly as follows.
The rebellion was said to have originated from a place among the four great tribes of the North Sea called the ‘Blue Wolves’.
The orders the man had received were to remain here and lure Yuri to her destination when she arrived.
‘So far, so good.’
Just as I had thought earlier.
It seemed they were trying to bait us.
Thus, at the destination they planned to take us to, those who were lying in wait intended to ambush us.
If there were any questions, they would be:
‘How did they know when we would arrive here?’
Just calculating the distance from the Central Plains to the North Sea simply by riding that smart guy, would bring us this far.
Had it not been that way, we would have arrived much later.
Surely, they didn’t expect us to fly in the sky.
But the fact they had prepared for such a response indicated:
‘They knew how we would arrive.’
When we reached the North Sea.
At that moment, they had either prepared for it.
Or.
‘They had simply anticipated and prepared for every possible route.’
It’s more likely to be the latter.
Moreover.
‘It must be that way.’
It was a situation where it had to be the latter.
If it were the former, it would mean we were in a real mess.
What followed was even worse.
The man said the reason why the bloodstorm had begun to blow in the Ice Palace was that higher up in the rebellion,
‘The bloodline of the Ice Palace is involved.’
Apparently, the direct blood relatives of the princess were included.
This contradicted what Yuri had said, that blood relatives cannot betray each other.
‘I wonder if that’s a lie after all.’
What the man said was indeed true.
Assuming Seongyul didn’t lie.
So, did Yuri fabricate her words?
‘Probably not.’
Objectively speaking, the chances of Yuri doing that are quite low.
Of course, it’s only ‘quite’ low.
That doesn’t mean it’s certain.
It simply means she is excluded from the priority list of suspicion.
I glanced back at Yuri.
“What’s the plan?”
At my question, Yuri swallowed hard.
Her expression was dark, as if she couldn’t quite believe the situation.
It seemed she struggled to believe the tale about the blood relatives being involved.
-What should I do?
This wasn’t a question directed at Yuri.
Rather, this was a question for myself.
‘It’s right to view that all the routes Yuri mentioned earlier are blocked.’
If even the first hideout, in which I had the most confidence, turned out like this.
Every path to the Ice Palace is likely blocked.
So what now?
Swish.
I raked my hand through my hair, pushing it back.
My cold eyes drifted into the void.
The answer had already been decided when the torture ended.
“When the safe route ends…”
Then we just go another way.
The information the man provided also pinpointed the locations where ambushes were attempted.
So the answer was straightforward.
I asked Yuri directly.
“Do you know the location I mentioned earlier?”
“If you say location….”
“It’s that place he mentioned. It was called ‘Seorak Valley’.”
“…!”
At my words, Yuri’s eyes widened like lanterns.
“That… is where they said the enemies were lying in wait, right?”
“Exactly.”
Yuri seemed perplexed, unsure of my intentions.
Seeing that, I spoke casually.
“He’s been waiting for me. I need to go find him. If you know where it is, lead the way.”
“What do you mean…!”
Yuri, hearing my words, raised her voice unconsciously.
“You want to go directly into the enemy’s territory?”
“Because that’s the fastest route.”
“Wouldn’t it be better to go straight to the Ice Palace…? It would be safer to ride that monster from earlier!”
“I can’t ride it.”
“Pardon…?”
“That guy is at his limit right now.”
Why hadn’t I thought of this sooner?
Obviously, that was the first thing that came to mind.
“I can’t fly right now.”
There was a reason I sent that clever beast to take a break.
That fellow was too worn out to fly.
‘I’ve been flying for days while carrying this weight.’
The selection was based on what would serve well for the garden.
Surpassing that, it had burned through the debris.
Even in that state, it flew at full throttle.
I had let him rest every few days, yet he managed to bring us here with that effort.
It was all thanks to that smart creature pushing through its limits.
Adding to that.
“I’m not certain the Ice Palace is safe either.”
“…!”
“It’s already a mess here. Do you think your home is secure?”
With the rebellion ongoing, enemy forces had infiltrated the hideouts you had prepared.
Is the Ice Palace truly a safe haven?
What if the princess had already succumbed to capture?
There were countless dilemmas surfacing with every choice.
‘There is no best solution.’
Not a preferable method.
Now is the time to choose the least bad option.
“So guide me.”
“But…”
Yuri seemed hesitant about my suggestion, seeking to object to my plans.
Seeing that, I sighed and said,
“As I mentioned earlier.”
This time she just kept misunderstanding.
“Does this seem like a favor to you?”
A chilly tone laced with a twinge of murderous intent wrapped around my words.
Cringe.
Yuri flinched slightly at my statement.
She had already reached her limit.
While I had been holding on, I was at my breaking point too.
I wanted to incinerate everything right now.
That feeling of restraint had hit its peak.
Burning so fiercely made the act of holding back feel cold.
That’s exactly how things were for me right now.
So.
“Lead me now.”
Before I burn ‘something’.
I needed to find ‘something’ to cool me off.
Fwwwhh—!
The pouring snow made it hard to see even an inch ahead.
A vicious blizzard descended upon us.
The path to the canyon wasn’t particularly steep, but it was still somewhat arduous.
As Yuri climbed the path, she showed her alertness with her whole body.
The biting cold was not an issue.
For Yuri, the cold was something she was more accustomed to than anything else.
But for Yuri, beyond that…
The pounding in her heart and the rising tide of anxiety were her only concerns.
As she ascended, she constantly nibbled on her trembling lips.
‘What the…?’
I couldn’t gather my senses as I assessed the scenario.
The fact that there were enemies at the hideout we had pre-planned.
That her blood relatives were implicated in the bloody disaster in the Ice Palace.
Just those two pieces of information should have left Yuri in a state of despair.
‘How could this…?’
It was unbelievable.
Those cursed with ice don’t betray one another.
That had been a longstanding foundation for the bloodline of the Ice Palace.
The information gained from torturing the enemy was shocking enough for Yuri not to be able to just disregard it.
Torture.
As memories of the moments recently flashed through my mind, nausea welled up inside me.
Yuri fought to suppress it.
It was such a distressing sight.
Crunch!
A human body gets pierced, bones snapping.
[Kreeeee!]
Fwooosh!
Screams filled the air as blood splattered.
It was the first time I had ever smelled burning flesh.
The stench of charred human skin was excruciatingly bitter.
It only took a few minutes for the man’s desperate pleas for life to morph into shouts begging for death.
‘Terrifying.’
Just recalling it sent shivers down my spine.
That was the moment Yuri realized something was utterly wrong.
Even against those cries, the torturer’s eyes exhibited indifference.
No sign of caring about the screams at all.
The blood spilling, the flesh burning.
The only thing he focused on was the desperate words coming from the man’s mouth.
This ludicrous and cruel scene left Yuri on the edge of breathlessness.
‘What on earth did I bring?’
Was it right to bring him to the North Sea?
That thought suddenly crossed my mind.
Fear and horror clasped around my throat.
Shuffle.
As I moved forward with this emotional weight…
What puzzled me most was:
Despite accumulating countless negative feelings, Yuri ultimately followed his directives.
Was it out of fear of threats?
Maybe so.
But I had no certainty either way.
The crucial point was that she was following instructions.
Just look at the current situation.
Hadn’t she just marched boldly toward a potential ambush?
Given that the Ice Palace might face a dire situation, of course.
Even though he mentioned rational and logical options.
Ultimately, it was Yuri who made that choice.
Thus, responsibility falls on her shoulders.
Huff… huff…
Knowing all that, Yuri didn’t stop her advance.
Seorak Valley.
The slope wasn’t too steep, but the deep path is treacherous, with cliffs lining it—a dangerous terrain.
Originally, it was one of the routes to the Ice Palace, but it was avoided due to the danger.
The road leading to the Ice Palace.
He mentioned luring us toward an ambush.
If safety were truly an issue and they decided to take the Seorak Valley route, Yuri would have conceded.
This place was so remote that almost no one frequented it.
‘…Could it really be as he said?’
I hated to admit it, but I had to acknowledge it.
That my expectations and thoughts had been misguided.
Whooooosh.
The wind howled continuously.
Visibility dropped to zero due to the raging blizzard.
Should we go on like this?
I had heard there was an ambush.
Yuri turned back to look.
The companions were following Yuri closely, obediently.
The cold did not seem to faze them.
How could they withstand this bitter chill?
Seeing that, Yuri recalled something.
‘I’ve heard of this.’
Among warriors, it is often said that the exceptionally skilled are unaffected by the cold.
Could they feel the same way?
It was an unnecessary thought to have at that moment.
Yuri subtly shook her head and spoke to her companions.
“The situation is dire.”
It was already nighttime.
The storm was a problem all on its own.
Even the superior warriors from the Ice Palace, accustomed to harsh conditions, would stop moving in a situation like this.
No matter how capable those from the Central Plains are, they would likely find it hard to continue under such conditions.
After making this judgment, Yuri voiced her concerns.
Goyangcheon, who was leading, glanced around tentatively.
Was it an illusion?
For a split second, Goyangcheon’s eyes shone with a blue glimmer.
“Alright, maybe we don’t need to go any further.”
“Exactly….”
This time, it seemed his words were accurate.
Oddly enough, assurance washed over me at that moment.
“Given the risk of ambush, let’s stay around for a bit…”
“No, that’s not what I meant.”
“Huh?”
Wasn’t the implication for us to await daylight since the enemies could show up anytime?
The moment Yuri questioned, her doubts were met with—
Fwoosh!
Suddenly, Goyangcheon began to gather flames in his hands.
Immediately, Yuri felt the air around her grow warmer.
It was comforting.
Amidst this biting cold.
Hooosh-!
The warmth collected around him like a small sun.
As Yuri’s eyes widened at the spectacle—
Whoooosh-!
Goyangcheon tossed a sparkly jade ball into the air.
And then—
Flash-!
The floating orb erupted with light, illuminating the surroundings.
The storm ceased within its radius.
As darkness lifted, the light shone brightly, revealing the landscape around them.
“Huh…!”
Yuri swallowed hard at the realization of her now-bright surroundings.
“What is this…? What is this…?”
Something became visible across the snowfield.
Partially concealed under the snow, hardly visible amidst the continuous snowfall.
Yuri vaguely sensed what it might be.
Thud!
Goyangcheon walked over and picked something up from the ground.
What had been hidden in the snow finally came to light.
To her surprise, it turned out to be a human corpse.
Nonchalantly lifting the body, Goyangcheon examined it from every angle.
“He died not long ago.”
Although the condition was less than ideal, making it hard to see clearly, it seemed apparent.
At most, it was yesterday.
The condition of the body made it seem probable the death was recent.
And not just that one body.
‘There are many around.’
More corpses began emerging from beneath the snow.
Even a rough tally would point to at least twenty dead.
“Are these the ambushers who were lying in wait here?”
Then why were they all dead?
Perhaps they were members of the Ice Palace?
It was startling how strange it was for these ambushers to have perished here.
At that moment—
“Wait a moment…!”
Yuri rushed over, surprised by the corpse Goyangcheon was holding.
“…General…?”
Observing her reaction, Goyangcheon asked.
“Do you know him?”
“Ah….”
Yuri scrunched her face, answering.
“He’s a general from the Blue Wolf Clan…”
“If it’s the Blue Wolves…”
That was the name of the clan that had been involved in the rebellion that the torturer mentioned earlier.
In other words:
‘So he was one of the ambushers.’
Moreover, the title of General was associated with formidable power across the North Sea.
‘So my assumption to catch them here was right.’
Thus, my inference to lure them in and trap them here seemed to hold water.
The question marks, however, remained.
‘Why are they dead?’
Why were all of them lying lifeless?
“Hmm…”
This was a confounding situation.
The absence of any signs of life in the vicinity only exacerbated it.
Had there been a conflict with the palace staff who discovered the ambush?
As I contemplated investigating further—
Stop!
Goyangcheon elegantly turned his head westward.
Everyone else except Yuri followed suit.
“They’re approaching.”
“Yes.”
Goyangcheon nodded at Paejon’s words.
A presence lurked to the west.
A group of about thirty.
They would arrive in about half an hour at the latest.
‘Is this the cause?’
I lifted my gaze.
A compressed fire wheel twinkled, suggestive of those who had spotted it approaching.
“Confucian, what shall we do?”
“First, let’s hide. We need to see what they’re up to.”
Are they foes or allies?
Confirming that was our priority.
With that thought in mind, Goyangcheon quickly dispelled the fire wheel.
The light faded, allowing darkness to wrap around us once more.
The blizzard resumed its bitter assault.
“Let’s erase our presence and gauge the situation.”
That was the plan as I prepared to move immediately.
Glint.
A flicker of disparity caught Goyangcheon’s eyes.
Something sparkled within the snow.
Under usual circumstances, I would have simply assumed it to be another abandoned weapon and kept moving.
“…”
“Confucian? Where are you going—?”
For some unknown reason, Goyangcheon moved toward it.
He felt an inexplicable urge to investigate.
His footsteps left no trace, plunging deep into the snowy surface.
It signified something tied to his foot had vanished.
He walked.
No, he ran. Why my heart raced, I had no clue even while in pursuit.
When he reached his destination, conspicuously, there was no light present.
From a distance, I could tell there’d been a glow, yet arriving revealed an absence of any illumination.
Just pure white snow remained.
Into that snow—
Thud!
Goyangcheon immediately thrust his hand into it.
A chill brushed past the back of his hand.
Ignoring it, he shoved deeper and felt something catch on his fingers.
It was assuredly not the texture of the ground.
He seized it, drawing back his hand.
As soon as he recognized the object he pulled out—
“…”
Goyangcheon’s entire body froze.
It was a familiar item.
Something a woman had carried around until she grew tired of it.
It was also something he had gifted her.
A cheap, hastily bought item.
Purchased simply because he happened upon it.
And he remembered offering to buy her a new one when it began to rust, but she had adamantly refused to replace it.
A crescent-shaped accessory he had chosen for her, thinking it resembled her charm.
That very object.
Had been found in a location where it should never exist.
The moment he registered it—
Clunk!
Something snapped inside Goyangcheon.
Fwooosh—!!
Heat exploded from his feet, radiating in all directions.
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