Chapter 312
Extra 1. After the Great War (6)
The air surrounding Kim Seon-Hyeok cooled in an instant.
Koooooo.
A wind as sharp and ferocious as the winter’s wind began buffeting him.
“A puppet…”
Surprisingly, his voice didn’t contain any feelings, but his anger couldn’t be hidden.
“Surely you didn’t think that all the proxies would be as good as you?”
Despite his fierce anger, the Blue Wolf remained calm.
“Seriously? You really thought that?”
Instead, she was blatantly ridiculing his anger.
“They don’t know when another opportunity would come if they didn’t cross the border this time. There would be nothing stupider than to wait for incompetent proxies to take care of it themselves. After all, it would be troublesome if they were to be slaughtered again before they were all grown again.”
He knew it. Right now, they may be called proxies and have become superhumans who looked down on the other foreigners, but when they first fell onto this world, they hadn’t been particularly special.
Even Kim Seon-Hyeok himself had been thrown to the outskirts and suffered all kinds of ridicule and contempt after awakening as the Dragon Rider.
There, he had almost suffered to death and survived countless times when he had been at the brink of death.
Every day was like being on a sheet of thin ice and each day was a series of stunts as if walking on a cliff. It had been a harsh time where it wouldn’t have been strange at all if he died the next day.
If Edda hadn’t given him the formidable power of the Wind attribute at the time, then forget a cla.s.s change, he would have been engulfed in war before he could have even developed his abilities and leave his name behind.
Things wouldn’t have been different for the other proxies.
In this d.a.m.ned world where the boundaries between life and death were blurry, they were also nothing more than insignificant beings that wouldn’t be too odd if they died the next day.
“On top of that, too many proxies have died because of the war that d.a.m.ned Fragments of Chaos caused. It’s no wonder that the impatient Transcendentals got anxious.”
“So that’s why…”
“That’s right. They forcibly awakened their proxies. And since they gave those proxies who hadn’t even fully grown into themselves, well, the result is obvious, isn’t it?”
At the Blue Wolf’s words, Kim Seon-Hyeok thought of the Warrior Park Joon-Min.
The pitiful Warrior had repeated death and rebirth until without even realizing it, his soul had gradually been destroyed. Eventually, even his body had been robbed by the Holy Sword.
The other proxies were most likely not much different from him.
“What truly disgusting b.a.s.t.a.r.ds.”
Stomach churning from what the Transcendental Beings were doing, Kim Seon-Kyeok spoke coldly.
“From their point of view, you and the Dragon Lord are most likely the disgusting ones.”
At his words, the Blue Wolf grinned as she taunted him.
“Just as it seemed like they would be able to cross the border and return to the world… how frustrating and upsetting it must have been to see the Dragon and her contractor trying to stop them from returning.”
Since he had never outright expressed his intention to prevent the Transcendentals from returning, Kim Seon-Hyeok pretended not to know what she was saying.
“Don’t feign innocence.”
But the Blue Wolf seemed to know everything already.
“The Clown, does he know that you and the Dragon were thrown out?”
By Clown, she was talking about the Lord of Divinity who had tried to return to the world through the Warrior. He was also a Transcendental Being who had completely lost the possibility of returning because of Kim Seon-Hyeok.
“On that day, when the borders between the Demonic Realm was broken, you were the only one out of three who were there to come back.
In order to avoid any possible trouble, Kim Seon-Hyeok had stayed completely silent about what happened that day. But when the Blue Wolf spoke confidently, he forgot what he had been about to say.
“Well, if you’re going to deny it, then do it. No matter what you say, that’s what the others will think.”
She didn’t question him further about what happened that day. She merely spoke as if something like that was a good, and informed him about the other Transcendentals’ movements.
“Anyway, they decided to join forces to overcome the wall known as the Dragon. They’ll most likely reveal themselves one way or another soon, so be prepared.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
The Blue Wolf smiled at his question. It was a polite smile.
“It’s always more satisfying to eat meat alone than to share it with others. If that’s not possible, then wouldn’t it be more filling to share it with the fewest people possible?”
Although her answer was nonsensical, it wasn’t too difficult to understand what she meant.
In the end, she was saying that even if she suffered a bit of loss, it would be more beneficial if the Dragon and the Wolf shared this world.
“And what if someone said that they would take the meat all by themselves?”
“Then I’ll fight until my fangs are dull.”
Her aura changed. Before it had still felt somewhat human but now, it was different - like a beast, it was a fierce and ferocious aura that felt like it would bare its teeth and attack at any moment.
But it was only for a second. The aura that was so fierce that it raised gooseb.u.mps disappeared as if it had never existed in the first place.
“However, I don’t think that that someone is hungry enough to be greedy for a piece of rotten meat that they can’t even eat.”
It was exactly as she said.
Even though the Warrior had purified it, the Western part of the continent had become so polluted and ruined during the war against the Demon King that it was now the land of monsters. Personally, Kim Seon-Hyeok didn’t intend to be greedy and desire dominance over the barren West.
“If the other person is satisfied with a piece of rotten meat, then there’s no need to kick him out of the table.”
At his answer, the Blue Wolf bared her teeth again and grinned. It was a harsh smile, but it was one that was satisfying to see.
***
Even after the Blue Wolf left, the discussion continued for some time over the Great Migration of the Northern nomads. However, since no one wanted a war against the fierce cavalry of the North, the answer was already decided.
“This is a matter of one nation moving their entire stronghold. We will have to gather intelligence and be fully prepared for what will happen next.”
Under Ophelia’s leaders.h.i.+p, the Imperial n.o.bles carefully a.n.a.lyzed how the situation on the continent would change after the nomads migrated. They also a.n.a.lyzed what might happen if the nomads’ migration were to be blocked.
While they were arguing like that, Kim Seon-Hyeok used Edda to contact Geheimnis.
[Since all of their whereabouts are vague, it is clear that they are plotting something just as the Blue Wolf had said.]
The foreigners who had managed to avoid the Imperial Capital with the excuse of being ill had disappeared. That meant that as he expected, they were all proxies.
“For now, tell her to continue the investigation.”
Separate from the missing foreigners, Kim Seon-Hyeok ordered Geheimnis to continue investigating the others.
In the meantime, the meeting continued until finally, a decision was made.
The Empire decided not to block the nomads’ migration, and the Grand Dukes of the va.s.sal states that were directly in the path of the nomads’ migration also sent a message saying they would follow the will of the Empire.
“Seems like they’re very anxious.”
Separate from following the will of the Empire, the Grand Dukes were terrified by the fact that the terrifying cavalry that had crushed two kingdoms in the last war would be pa.s.sing through their territories.
‘I will have the Indomitable Grand Duke observe the Northern nomads.’
The reaction was immediate.
The Grand Dukes, who had been trembling in fear that the ferocious cavalry might turn their horses towards them, dispelled their anxiety completely. It seemed like they believed that the Indomitable Grand Duke, who had successfully ended several disasters, would be able to protect them even in the worst-case scenario.
“Then, I’ll be leaving.”
“I hope you will return as soon as the mission is over this time.”
With Ophelia’s rather sharp and p.r.i.c.kly farewell, Kim Seon-Hyeok left the capital. Soon after, he reached the borders of the Empire.
“That’s a lot.”
He was slightly impressed after seeing the endless procession of the nomads.
Despite so many of the cavalry dying in the last war, it was an endless procession beyond the border. Of course, not all of them were all cavalrymen of the plains. About half of those traveling on horseback were children and women.
“The rumor that the Northern nomads are born on horseback and die on horseback wasn’t entirely a lie.”
It was truly amazing to see children who were so young they should just begin to walk as well as women treating horses as if they were an extension of their bodies.
[The Blue Wolf is over there.]
Just as he was thinking that he couldn’t see the giant wolf, he saw that the Blue Wolf was moving in human form with the nomads. The only difference between her and the others was that she was the only one not on horseback amidst the great procession.
“Hm?”
The Blue Wolf had been running, but when she saw Kim Seon-Hyeok, she waved her hand.
“Somehow, she is very different from the image I had of the Transcendentals.”
He shook his head at her behavior that was more like a feral mountain woman than a Transcendental Being.
[Looks like that person over there is her proxy.]
While Kim Seon-Hyeok’s eyes had been on the Blue Wolf, Edda searched out the Blue Wolf’s proxy.
The proxy, who had black hair that was like a lion’s man, galloping hard in front of the countless horses had such an impressively strong physique that it was difficult to believe she was a woman.
“Her charisma is no joke.”
The charisma of the woman who rode her horse and led the wild and savage cavalry like they were her own limbs was admirable.
“It’s only natural that Darun lost. At the very least, she’s like Joon-Min in his prime; it won’t be easy if we fought.”
Kim Seon-Hyeok instinctively gauged the woman’s strength and clicked his tongue. He seemed to have understood why Darun, someone who was called the strongest in the North, had handed over the position of war chief and stepped down.
“They look very close to each other?”
The Blue Wolf and the woman seemed surprisingly friendly. Every time her fierce eyes turned towards the Blue Wolf, it prettily curved. As if looking at her young sister, it was a gaze full of affection.
Even more surprising was that the Blue Wolf seemed to take her att.i.tude for granted. No, she seemed rather pleased by it.
[Seeing how her soul isn’t distorted a single bit, they must have achieved all qualifications and completed their contract to its fullest.]
Apparently, her proxy wasn’t among the puppets the Blue Wolf spoke of.
The nomads rode fiercely as if they would never stop, but once it became night, they stopped and prepared to camp for the night.
Kim Seon-Hyeok circled the sky above the campsite for a while before landing in the middle of them.
“Ohh! We get to see each other like this again!”
“Your future looks brighter!”
The men who had fought on the same battlefield together with him welcomed him with friendly faces. It was as if they had completely forgotten the confrontations they had on the plains before.
He had dealt with the unrestrained Northern men to the point of getting sick of them that he didn’t find their att.i.tudes right now strange at all.
“Make way for the War Chief!”
The nomads who had been babbling around him all shut their mouths and stepped aside. When a clear path was created, a large woman approached him.
“Hm.”
The woman was even more intimidating up close. She was a head taller than most men and her hair was as free as a lion’s mane. She also had a long cut across her face, and her features were broad and big considering that she was a woman. She didn’t lose her sense of presence even in the midst of the harsh Northern men.
“Are you the one Cino was talking about? The one who pledged himself to the Dragon?”
Her voice was as gruff as she looked.
“Cino?”
“Voltecino, my contractor.”
It was a nickname that didn’t fit the Blue Wolf. Kim Seon-Hyeok controlled his facial expression with much effort.
“You look weaker than what I heard of you.”
The woman stared at him for a long time before clicking her tongue. As if he didn’t live up to her expectations, she looked disappointed.
“Sorry. I haven’t heard anything about you at all.”
Kim Seon-Hyeok bared his teeth in a smile at the woman’s blatant provocation.
“Shall I tell start you about myself then?”
“But I’m not interested?”
The att.i.tude of the woman was too much for this to be simply a battle of wills. Bit by bit, his expression turned colder.
“Enough!”
If the Blue Wolf hadn’t intervened, he wouldn’t have put up with it any longer. He hadn’t come intending to fight, but that didn’t mean he was going to avoid a fight when it was coming for him.
“You got lucky.”
“Shall we see who’s luckier?”
The Blue Wolf shouted once more when the atmosphere got tense as if a fight would break out at any moment.
“Ko Eun-Bi!”
She still looked displeased, but it seemed as if she had no intentions of continuing to go against the Blue Wolf’s will because she made a show of stepping back.
Seeing her retreat like that, Kim Seon-Hyeok looked perplexed as he spoke to her.
“Your name is Ko Eun-Bi?”
It was such a pretty and soft name that was completely didn’t match her charismatic appearance that he asked without thinking.
At that moment, the woman, Ko Eun-Bi’s expression suddenly changed as if she had been hit somewhere unpleasant.