Chapter: 655
The night passed, and it was noon.
It was time for me to say I would go to the Central Plains.
I opened my eyes in the prepared chamber, feeling that the time had come.
Hooooooo…
As I exhaled the breath I had been holding, energy streamed out with it.
The energy that had been continuously circulating began to settle, seeping into my heart.
Hmm.
It felt strange.
It felt similar to a bet, but somehow different.
If it felt bad, it wouldn’t fit, so it seemed correct to say it was awkward.
‘It’s subtle.’
It really is subtle.
The power to use the magic that I obtained a few hours ago while heading underground with the princess.
She referred to it as a ‘ring’, and I thought that name suited it well.
There was indeed a ring tied around my heart.
Unlike the bets that had gathered inside earlier, this ring was loosely tied outside the heart and was slowly rotating.
I had created the rings using the energy manipulation methods I learned underground, and as I delved deeper, surprisingly, the number of rings had also increased.
What was once a single ring had now become two.
‘What’s the difference?’
How did it suddenly become two overnight?
I had merely been breathing steadily.
‘I don’t get it at all.’
I tilted my head and sat up.
At the same time, I grabbed the book lying beside me.
This was the book about sorcery that the princess had gifted me.
Oh, to be precise, it wasn’t the initial training method I received, but rather a book that came afterward.
Initially, she had firmly refused to give it to me, but upon seeing that I had filled one of the links, she gave it to me as a gift.
‘What did she say when she gave it to me?’
Perhaps she said something about it being an investment in bright talent.
It was indeed a rather cringe-worthy statement.
‘Bright talent, my foot.’
I chuckled at that absurd remark.
‘What good is having talent?’
Considering the princess’s reaction, it seems like she has some talent in sorcery, if not in martial arts.
Even if there is talent, it seems utterly useless. I had enough on my plate just learning martial arts, leaving no time to dabble in sorcery.
‘I just learned it because I thought it could be useful down the line.’
I hadn’t thought about how to actually use it afterward.
It felt slightly annoying, as I didn’t think it would help increase my level even if I mastered it deeply.
‘It’s not that difficult, so I guess I’ll try to get the hang of it.’
But it didn’t seem like something I would focus on.
I had neither the time nor the patience for that.
‘It’s also a problem who I learn from.’
Martial arts are fine, since I’m being trained by my father and occasionally by Master Pae.
But sorcery was a whole other ambiguous matter.
If I had stayed in the Ice Palace a bit longer, things might have been different, but now it was time to head back to the Central Plains.
‘Then, should I ask the gods?’
If I had to ask someone, that was the only option at the moment.
Among all the people I knew, she was the only one who discussed sorcery.
With that thought in mind, I got up.
‘To do that, first…’
I guess I’ll have to head back.
As I pondered this, I left the chamber.
As I slowly walked, I arrived at an open area behind the palace.
Hooooo!
The wind blew, ruffling my hair.
Though the outside air was still cold, there was a faint fragrance lingering in the air.
The princess called it hope, to which I inwardly scoffed.
It sounded like some emotional mumbo jumbo, but, as always, it just didn’t resonate with me.
The only thing I could gather from those words was:
‘The cold is gradually diminishing.’
Since I was used to warmth, the change stood out vividly.
The cold wave in the North Sea was dissipating little by little.
Due to regional characteristics, the cold was unavoidable, but now that the cursed cold wave was gone, I might see the seasons changing here soon.
Looking at the trees that had perished from the cold, I mused,
‘Are the autumn leaves falling?’
Strangely, every time I thought about the season, that sort of thought came to me.
Did I like autumn?
I didn’t think that was the case.
I found myself frequently reminiscing about autumn lately.
“Your Majesty!”
As I continued walking, a familiar voice reached my ears.
In the distance, Dang So-yeol was enthusiastically waving her hands.
Seeing that made my pace quicken involuntarily.
By the time I arrived, most of the people I expected had gathered.
“How come you’re not late this time?”
As soon as he saw me, Master Pae admonished me.
Upon hearing that, I chuckled and replied,
“If anyone overheard, they’d think I’m late every day.”
I didn’t know about anything else, but I was usually punctual, never one to dawdle.
Wasn’t I?
“Hmm.”
I gave a vague response, and Master Pae scrutinized me.
He then nodded, saying,
“Something has definitely changed again.”
“…”
“I thought you had passed the age of growing, yet I wonder why you keep changing.”
He was incredibly perceptive.
‘Is it obvious that I’ve filled the ring?’
The old man who said that casually moved his gaze away as if it didn’t concern him.
Three days ago, after my tussle with a level hundred monster, I’d confessed a certain fact to Master Pae.
It was concerning the Magic Devouring technique.
While remaining silent about my return or the Celestial Steeded Horse, I mentioned that I could absorb energy from items like magic stones, which caused rapid changes.
I thought that mentioning this would quell Master Pae’s curiosity.
Thankfully, it seemed to have worked.
Upon hearing this, Master Pae didn’t even wonder where I’d acquired such knowledge.
You know what his first response was when I told him?
[At least you won’t be struggling due to lack of energy.]
And his next question was:
[So, what’s the principle behind it?]
‘Crazy dude…’
It wouldn’t hurt to ask where I got it from at least once.
It was genuinely absurd that he jumped straight to asking about the principle with sparkling eyes.
While it was a bit shocking, I ended up feeling like he understood my sudden changes based on this.
“Your Majesty, what about dinner?”
Dang So-yeol, who had hurriedly come up to me, asked.
“Every time you see me, you start with food?”
“That’s because you never take care of your meals! Have you eaten?”
“…”
I hadn’t eaten.
So, there was nothing more to say.
“Look at that.”
“…I was planning to eat later.”
“You’re avoiding eye contact again. Are you lying?”
“…”
Ugh.
That was some tricky nagging.
I needed to escape. I turned my gaze to Namgung Bi-ah, who was standing dazed.
Maybe she hadn’t slept well, as she was yawning widely.
It was a comforting sight.
Namgung Bi-ah met my gaze while yawning and waved at me.
Though it was a familiar scene, it somehow brought me reassurance.
With a sigh, I scanned the surroundings.
I thought everyone had gathered, but there were still some notable absentees.
Just then,
‘Here they come.’
Just as I thought that, I sensed a lot of footsteps behind me.
Turning my head, I saw several individuals approaching from the entrance.
Among them was the princess.
And…
I noticed a guy being dragged along by the warriors.
“Take a look at that mess.”
No matter how many times I looked, it was still unsettling.
“In the meantime, the spots where I struck him have healed without a trace.”
Despite delivering a solid hit, not only his face but his entire body appeared unscathed.
That was what bothered me the most.
He should’ve at least been limping or something to make me feel better about the situation.
Tch.
I clicked my tongue softly and straightened my posture.
Still, I had to show some decorum.
“Your Majesty, I am honored to see you.”
I slightly bowed as the princess stepped closer.
Unlike my earlier encounters at night, her expression appeared far from clear.
“Yes, I hope you had a restful long night.”
“It would be a bit odd to ask that after being together through the night, wouldn’t it?”
“… Don’t you think the answer you just provided is far stranger?”
Is that so? Upon reflection, it indeed felt odd.
Surely, no one would misunderstand, so it shouldn’t matter, right?
“…What about the night?”
“Night…?”
I hurriedly waved my hand, trying to cut off the gossip of two women whispering behind me.
“Haha. I mean, you helped me during training.”
The princess stole a glance behind me, noticing my urgency.
“I suppose you’re more perceptive than I initially thought.”
“What do you mean by perceptive? When did I ever notice such things?”
“Hmm. Interesting.”
The princess nodded in reply.
Apparently, contrary to her expression, she seemed utterly oblivious.
– By the way…
Suddenly, a voice rang in my mind. It was from the princess.
– About the book I gave you, if possible, it would be better to read it when you have two or more rings.
My eyes widened as her words continued with explanations. The princess, noticing my expression, nodded in understanding and added.
– You will be surprised. It must have been unexpected that the number of rings increased. If you keep practicing, the number of rings will eventually grow from one to two. Given your talent, I believe it will happen within half a year at most…
– I just made it two before arriving, so are you saying there’s no problem in looking at them from now on?
– Tch.
– Excuse me?
Huh?
– Your Majesty…? What did you just say…?
– It’s nothing. I just yawned unintentionally.
No way, that didn’t sound like a yawn at all. It felt more like she just cursed…?
‘…Did I mishear?’
Surely the princess wouldn’t curse.
Yeah, I must have misheard.
It had to be that way.
‘Something felt off while reading, but was it related to the difference in rings?’
I pondered why such a condition would be necessary to read one line, but for now, believing the princess’s words was probably best.
– Thank you for your guidance. I will certainly put it to good use.
– …I sincerely hope you do…
As the discussion progressed, the princess’s expression seemed to sour further, but I chose to ignore it.
After all, the already ailing gentleman had seemingly been out all day, so it wasn’t surprising.
The princess gestured towards the back with a solemn expression, prompting the warriors to guide the man they had captured forward.
Before me stood Woohyuk, with his limbs tied in handcuffs.
Our eyes met as he approached.
“…”
“…”
We didn’t exchange many words. It was awkward, given that we had just exchanged blows recently.
I turned my gaze back to the handcuffs.
It was blatantly a performative restraint.
It hadn’t even been secured tightly, and I could tell Woohyuk would easily be able to slip free with a little force.
Moreover, there was no restriction on gambling, so it seemed they had only kept him around as a show.
Seeing this, I discreetly glanced at the princess.
‘Did you hope he’d attempt to escape?’
I contemplated if that might be the case.
Did the princess want Woohyuk to run away?
Rather than attempting to rescue, letting him leave might give more justification to take him down.
‘It would generate justifiable reasons for a kill.’
So perhaps that was her unspoken intention.
‘If it were me, I’d think the same way.’
If there was someone worthy of a kill, I’d fabricate a reason if none existed.
I figured I’d likely employ that method.
And considering how chilling her gaze was toward Woohyuk, it quite possibly made sense.
“… I accept the conditions you mentioned and will hand over the criminal according to the contract.”
As the princess spoke, the warriors began unfastening Woohyuk’s handcuffs.
Clank! Bang!
It hadn’t been tied so tightly, and it only took a few seconds to release him.
I focused on the princess’s words as I observed this.
‘Contract.’
The princess underscored her words by referencing the conversation we had as a contract.
Woohyuk described himself as a criminal, agreeing to turn me over.
‘Justification through necessity.’
Woohyuk’s roots lay in the North Sea, but he had lived in the Central Plains.
They planned to transport him there, collecting criminals in the process.
That must have been the meaning embedded in her words.
I wasn’t sure whether this was to clarify things for the palace’s senior warriors known as generals or if it was for the princess to reconcile with her own rationale. For me, nodding would suffice.
“Thank you.”
Objective achieved.
It felt easier not to dwell on other matters.
As the conversation continued, Woohyuk kept his head lowered, avoiding my gaze.
He seemed to possess an utterly pitiable sight, yet it was just something he had to bear.
“Now, I hope you will also fulfill the conditions that the princess mentioned.”
With the princess’s words, someone stepped forward.
She, too, had a less than pleasant expression, much like Woohyuk.
It was Yuri, who became the Ice Palace’s First Princess after Yuseon’s death.
Yuri approached me slowly, respecting her established etiquette.
“… It’s a pleasure to see you, benefactor.”
Though she spoke, her expression was far from cheerful.
She was nominally going to study abroad in the Central Plains, but surely, she knew it was more about evacuating her frail daughter to escape the war’s aftermath.
‘At least she’s a trustworthy relative.’
It seemed like a reasonable choice for the princess.
‘But you know…’
Amid Yuri’s somber expression, I sensed a peculiar undertone.
Was it excitement? For some reason, there seemed to be something bright in Yuri’s demeanor.
‘…What’s this?’
Why do I get the unsettling feeling that she seems to be secretly happy?
As I searched for an explanation, my gaze naturally shifted to Woohyuk.
‘No way?’
After all, she’s going with that guy, so could that be the reason she appears pleased?
That shouldn’t be the case.
If so, it would imply a complete failure in the family lineage stake!
I didn’t think she would view favorably someone who almost ruined her entire clan.
‘Isn’t that pushing it a bit too far?’
Still, it left me wondering.
‘Could it be his looks? Surely, it must be due to his looks.’
As I observed Woohyuk’s good looks, an irritating feeling welled up.
I found myself involuntarily thinking that it was somehow justified.
I suppressed a breath, stifling the want to complain.
‘Anyway… he seems to be behaving, so it seems like he’s getting through it.’
After all the beating he received, he still refused to leave and stood silently when I threatened him using Yuri.
So, while there were plenty of things I could say, I decided to suppress them for now.
‘Alright then. Let’s go and ponder it later.’
It looked like everyone had begun to gather, and I contemplated if we should proceed.
“But, Prince Gu.”
The princess drew my attention with her question.
“Yes?”
“Are we in a situation where we can depart with those people?”
“What… Ah.”
I was puzzled by her inquiry but quickly understood upon glancing back.
There were far too many injured individuals.
Namgung Bi-ah still hadn’t fully recovered, nor had Goeseon.
“If you wish, we can stay longer for treatment.”
“That’s alright.”
I declined the princess’s offer.
As she mentioned, I was concerned about Namgung Bi-ah, but…
‘It would be better to seek a remedy in the Central Plains. Moreover…’
I stole a glance at Woohyuk.
‘There’s something to test.’
I had things I needed to confirm, so this was probably the best route.
Upon hearing my response, the princess nodded in agreement.
“Alright… then, I suppose we’ll prepare the carriage first…”
“That’s unnecessary.”
A carriage? I simply couldn’t bear to ride something that sluggish anymore.
I lifted my head to gaze at the sky.
“Descend now.”
At that very moment, I spoke those words.
Hwaaaaaaaaaah—-!!!
Suddenly, a powerful vibration shook the air, and the sky darkened in an instant.
Something obscured the sun, casting a vast shadow over the ground.
Looking at it, I laughed, almost incredulously.
‘That trickster is at it again.’
The visible display was absurdly humorous.
One.
“What the…?”
“What’s going on—!?”
Evidently, this kind of trickery caused a sudden panic among the others.
At that moment.
Hooooooooooooooo—-!!!!
Boom—!!!!
A titanic form crashed down from the sky.
I could see several people being pushed back due to the force of the wind.
I immediately had to rotate my energy to dispel the dust around me.
‘You’ve got to be kidding, just land quietly for once!’
I had warned him before, but now that he was even bigger, he seemed to listen even less.
I fixed my glare on the culprit who had created this embarrassing mess.
Growl…
The creature, having grown twice its prior size, let out an ear-piercing roar.
“Eek…!”
“A, a monster—!?”
This creature was significantly larger than the red monster from before, prompting the warriors to hastily draw their weapons.
Seeing this, I swung my hand and struck the creature atop its head.
Bam!
When laced with energy, the sound was magnified, echoing loudly.
Growrrrrr–!!!
The large head shook from the impact.
“I told you to show up quietly. Did you mean to embarrass me to death?”
Growl…
“You thought it was cool, didn’t you? Do you really plan to get yourself killed?”
Who do I keep resembling that I keep facing such absurdity?
What exactly about this was cool?
With a size like that, even the slightest movement felt like it would drain my energy in an instant.
‘This is just unfair; why is my energy depleting because this guy won’t behave?’
He was eating fine while blatantly ignoring me, yet here I was losing my energy.
‘At this rate, I might as well just drop him.’
Grrrr…
I groaned in frustration, and the creature obediently bowed its head, as though it had read my thoughts.
This one was surprisingly quick to catch on, unlike the other frustrating instances.
“Heh…”
The princess chuckled as she watched Ttol-Ttol, taken by mild surprise.
“It appears you’re raising a monster.”
That was about the best response I could muster under the circumstances.
“I’m not raising him. He just stuck to me.”
Growl.
“Just sit still. What are you sulking about this time?”
Grr…
Ttol-Ttol’s expression seemed to hang low, as if he felt punished.
Seeing this, Dang So-yeol gently reached out to stroke Ttol-Ttol, while Goeseon examined him with keen interest.
“They mentioned there was no need to leave early… But look what happened.”
In the midst of the commotion, Yuri also seemed taken aback, her wide eyes fixed on Ttol-Ttol, and she turned to me.
“… Isn’t he bigger than last time?”
“He’s in his growth phase.”
“That’s… but isn’t that too big?”
Yuri opened her mouth to say something else but ultimately fell silent.
It seemed she realized it was futile to even ask.
I got the feeling that remaining here any longer would be draining.
I waved my hands, my expression overtly fatigued.
“… Get on, everyone. It’s time to head home.”
Ttol-Ttol lowered his body for everyone to mount.
With a hint of hesitation, everyone began to climb onto its back.
While more people had gathered, Ttol-Ttol appeared more than capable of carrying them.
-Old Confucius.
At that moment, the princess suddenly halted me as I was about to be the last one on.
I stopped and turned to her.
– Thank you for rescuing the North Sea. I feel remorseful as there is little I can do in return.
The princess spoke earnestly to me.
Listening to that, I felt an awkward chuckle escape my lips.
The very word ‘rescue’ felt quite uncomfortable.
‘It’s not like I intended to rescue anyone.’
In the end, I didn’t feel as though I’d achieved that, and it seems I ended up gaining quite a deal instead.
Throughout that process, I had used threats to bring Woohyuk along, leaving me with guilt rather than satisfaction.
There was no way the princess wouldn’t recognize that.
Using a clear gaze, she simply added.
– I wish you a safe journey.
– …Thank you.
– Also, please take good care of my daughter.
Perhaps those last words were both the conclusion and her genuine intent.
– Yes. I will do my best.
I thought this might have been better expressed verbally rather than through thought transmission; adults were frankly puzzling in their nuances.
‘Can’t you just say it?’
If she spoke out loud, I doubt Yuri would have felt any resentment.
Yet, as I reflected, I also acknowledged I wasn’t all that different.
Feeling that discomfort and hiding away the unease, I faced ahead again and said.
“…Now, let’s go.”
Hooo…
As energy drained from my heart, Ttol-Ttol’s form began to rise gradually.
Now, it felt like I was ready to head back.
I couldn’t fully grasp it until I reached this moment.
At that point, Ttol-Ttol inquired.
Growl…
“How fast do you want to go?”
Growl…
Look at this little guy?
He exuded confidence, almost like he was puffing himself up now that he was a bit bigger.
I smirked as I decided to humor him.
“Go as fast as you can. Let’s see just how fast you can manage…!”
Whoosh—!!!
No sooner had I finished speaking than a rush of wind whooshed past, transforming my view drastically.
That remark had been playful, but Ttol-Ttol’s speed was beyond my expectations.
In just a few days, I was back in Hanam.
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