The ensuing battle was so one-sided that one could easily describe it as utterly overwhelming.
Two-thirds of the Parasite horde that entered the ravine were either crushed or gravely wounded by the rock fall. As for the remaining creatures at the rear of the horde, not only were they trapped in a net, they couldn"t even put up a proper resistance at the a.s.sault coming in from ten different directions and were systematically ma.s.sacred.
Originally, Seol Ji-Hu thought that his plan would be a success if he managed to drag about half of the invading army"s numbers. However, he ended up luring nearly 80% of the total horde, instead.
Once the Medusa determined that the grave injury it suffered was not something to be ignored, it ordered the majority of its army to pursue him while leaving behind only the bare minimum number necessary to conquer the fortress.
Of course, some of the blame for that decision lay with its enraged state stopping the creature from properly deciphering the situation, but also, Seol Ji-Hu pretending to shoot the damaging arrow had worked wonders as well. Not to mention, him slipping through their encirclement like a d*mn eel also played a big part, too.
All thanks to that, every single c.o.c.kroach was now dead. As for the remaining horde, only Bugs managed to survive, but that didn"t last for long, either.
Sensing that this was the perfect heaven-gifted opportunity, Teresa Hussey led the army from the front and immediately rushed to the fortress. The commanding Medusa suffered tremendously under Dylan"s precise sniping, as well as the continued barrage of ranged attacks from the Archers, before falling to Ian"s magic.
The confused, lost Bugs became nothing more than tasty treats the moment their ‘mother" died.
And so, the battle of the Arden Fortress had ended, with the human coalition emerging as clear victors.
Waaaaaaaaahhhh!!
A loud cheer resounded out in the valley.
Teresa raised her longsword high up in the air to meet their cheers. She even forgot about her station momentarily to cutely cry out "Kyyaaahhk!!"
Just how long had it been since she tasted a victory this sweet and this refres.h.i.+ng? She had been thirsting for a victory so much that she celebrated with all of her might. Not as a princess of a nation, but as a fellow dweller of the Paradise. It was still a bit excessive for her station, though.
In the end, she still failed to completely vent out her happiness and so, with a flushed face, she began searching for the hero of this operation.
However, for some reason, Seol Ji-Hu flinched grandly when their eyes met. He then covered his mouth and hurriedly ran away.
Teresa broke out in a fit of giggles and chased after him. Seol Ji-Hu doggedly ran away from her, and eventually, sought shelter behind Cho Hong. Such joyous events happened here and there, but in any case, the fact that they were able to win without too much sacrifice from their side did not change.
Later that day, Teresa Hussey conveyed the results to the Haramark royal family with two simple communiques.
[Parasites, annihilated. Defence of Arden Fortress, successful.] [Casualties from the reinforcement army: nil.] A message of victory had been sent out for what felt like the first time in ages.
Even though the battle was over, the reinforcement army didn"t leave the Arden Fortress right away. They still had to take care of the aftermaths.
The battle may have been won, but it was only the reinforcement that suffered no casualties. The situation of the Arden Fortress was truly dire.
The structure that was supposed to be ‘nearly finished" was now half in ruins, and as for the forces that resided here, not even 200 managed to survive. It was pretty much a total annihilation.
While Priests hurriedly went around here and there to perform their roles, Teresa was making requests for various supplies to be sent over via a communication crystal. From the construction materials that would be used to rebuild the fortress to skilled labourers, carriages that would transport the injured back to the city, as well as relief and medical supplies, etc., etc.
Seol Ji-Hu wasn"t lounging around either. He spent his time either getting rid of the Parasite corpses or helped out with the initial preparation to get the fortress"s reconstruction started.
Also, not only he stood as a lookout in his spare time, he went on patrols with Dylan every now and then. Although the odds were low, they still had to consider the follow-up attack from the Parasites.
Perhaps preparing for this and that took more time than expected, the requested supplies only arrived eight days later. Earthlings got ready for the return trip back to Haramark only then.
Before he left, Seol Ji-Hu took one last look at the Arden Fortress with his ‘Nine Eyes" active. And it was still glowing in the same golden colour.
‘You gotta pay me back in the future, okay?"
He grinned slightly, and just as he was about to climb into the carriage along with the rest of Carpe Diem, his steps came to a halt.
From the open door of the carriage right at the front, a certain someone"s hand was slowly beckoning at him, as if to order him to come closer. The owner of the hand peeking her head out of the doorway was none other than the grinning Teresa Hussey.
On their way back to Haramark.
As soon as leaving the valley, the road became comparatively smooth.
There wasn"t anything worth mentioning about the princess"s carriage. Well, Ian was riding in it too, but that was about it.
"I can only apologise to you, my man." (Ian)
"N-no, it"s fine." (Seol Ji-Hu)
Ian"s voice conveyed how apologetic he was, prompting Seol Ji-Hu to quickly wave his hands about.
"Even then, I don"t feel good knowing that it was I who first made the suggestion, only to back out on you like this." (Ian)
After a lengthy period of re-think, Ian decided to remain as the royal family"s sorcerer for a little while longer. There were a few reasons for this decision, but the biggest one had to do with the royal family making more concessions. Also, Teresa begged him too, so there was that as well.
On top of that, the royal family also promised to wholeheartedly support him, so it"d become a step easier for Ian to break into the upper ranks now. He said that, once they had returned to Haramark, he"d sign the revamped contract with them.
"Well, it wasn"t as if we made a definite promise or anything. And I too delayed giving you a definite answer, as well. So, Master Ian, please don"t mind it." (Seol Ji-Hu)
"Thank you for saying that. That certainly eases a load off my shoulders." (Ian)
Ian slowly stroked his beard and formed a relaxed smile.
"Please wait a while longer. You see, there is a substantial difference between an upper-level Sorcerer and a regular one." (Ian)
"Pardon?" (Seol Ji-Hu)
"The royal family has made some concessions. They promised not to interfere with my external activities. Such as going on expeditions or explorations." (Ian)
Ian winked playfully.
"Although things worked out this way because this old man couldn"t forsake the loyalty and bonds I"ve formed with them throughout the years, I was being honest when I said I"d like to form a team with you. I"ve learned a few things from this exped… Ahem, I mean, our mission this time, as well as the battles we fought together." (Ian)
"….Still trying to pretty up a swine, aren"t you?" (Teresa) (TL note at the end)
Teresa took a look at the two men with a dumbfounded expression.
"Loyalty? Bonds? Let"s be real. You only said yes ‘unwillingly" because we promised to raise your research budget, as well as to let you roam around freely whenever you feel like." (Teresa)
"Oh, my. Looks like she saw right through me." (Ian)
Ian stopped smiling like a wizened old man and formed a playful expression of someone pretending to not know anything. Teresa shook her head helplessly, before going Oops, after seeing Seol Ji-Hu"s face.
"I"m sorry. From the way I hear it, I guess you two were about to form a partners.h.i.+p." (Teresa)
Indeed, Seol Ji-Hu did feel a bit rueful. There was still a ton of things he didn"t know, so if an experienced, street-smart veteran Sorcerer accompanied him, that would certainly give him a lot of confidence.
However, it wasn"t as if they had agreed to the partners.h.i.+p in the first place, and he was in no position to demand one, either. So, Seol Ji-Hu decided to be satisfied with getting acquainted with these people only.
"No, it"s fine, your highness. I gather that Master Ian is a really important person from the royal family"s perspective." (Seol Ji-Hu)
"It"s true, yes. Also, he"s essential if I want to make my dream come true, too." (Teresa)
"Your dream, miss?" (Seol Ji-Hu)
"Yup." (Teresa)
Teresa"s eyes gleamed brightly.
"The Arden Fortress is only the first step in my dream becoming a reality." (Teresa)
"May I hear about this dream, your highness?" (Seol Ji-Hu)
"Of course. It"s pretty simple, actually. The Arden Valley is an imposing mountain range, and it also serves as the border region that"s holding back the Parasites. Not to forget, it"s also the shortest route to Haramark for them, too." (Teresa)
Seol Ji-Hu also knew that much already.
"So, I plan to turn the entirety of the Arden Valley into a fortress. One large and impregnable enough to make the Parasite Queen voluntarily give up on the notion of invading us." (Teresa)
Seol Ji-Hu tilted his head slightly.
‘Wait, it feels like I can… remember something here…." (Seol Ji-Hu)
A considerable time had pa.s.sed since he had that dream, but, if some part of it still remained in a blurry, indistinct form like this, then it must"ve been an incredibly shocking incident.
‘The Arden Valley…. Haramark…." (Seol Ji-Hu)
"….Not just a small portion, but fortifying the entire range. All I can hear is your naked desire to overwork this old man to death, your majesty." (Ian)
While Seol Ji-Hu was thinking to himself, Ian grumbled softly under his breath.
"The royal family will always reward you accordingly." (Teresa)
"I am happy with the rewards, but this old man would like to hear a generous helping of your encouragements every now and then, as well." (Ian)
"Well, it won"t be hard doing that for you, but…. You just want me to say things like ‘Kuu! Kill me, instead!" Or ‘That will not make me submit to you!" How does that qualify as encouragement?" (Teresa)
"Your majesty, those are the perfect encouragements for this old man"s body." (Ian)
"….I don"t want to. I don"t know why, but whenever I say those words, I feel strange." (Teresa)
Hearing Teresa"s refusal, Ian could only tut in disappointment.
Seol Ji-Hu did his best to suppress his laughter. Still, he quietly gazed at Teresa with curiosity. Things have worked out well in the end, but his personal questions hadn"t been addressed yet.
Why did he feel such a powerful attraction the first time he met this woman? He gave it a lot of thought, but couldn"t figure it out at all.
‘Hold on." (Seol Ji-Hu)
Feeling way too curious now, Seol Ji-Hu activated his ‘Nine Eyes" again. Teresa remained colourless, but he wasn"t looking for that.
‘Green is the General Observation, right?"
[Teresa Hussey"s Status Window]
[1. General Information]
Summoned date: N/A
Mark"s Grade: N/A
s.e.x/Age: Female/24
Height/Weight: 168.5 CM/54.6 Kg
Current Condition: Good
Job: LV. 5 (Princess Knight)
Nationality: Haramark
Affiliation: The Haramark royal family
Alias: Haramark"s princess
[2. Personality]
Temperament:
– Stout. (Both her mindset and actions are sharp and substantial.)
– Responsible (Places importance on the duties or obligations she"s been tasked with.)
– Heroic (Possesses vigorous spirit and does not hesitate to do minor matters if it needs to be.)
Apt.i.tude:
– Sagacious (Has a gift in quickly judging the situation correctly and to respond accordingly.)
– Breaking through (Regardless of the difficulty of the situation, she will search for a way to survive and overcome the current adversity.)
[3. Physical Level]
Strength: Medium - High +1
Endurance: Medium – Low
Agility: Medium – High
Stamina: Medium – Medium
Magic: Medium - Medium +1
Luck: Low – High
Remaining Ability points: 0
[4. Abilities.]
Innate abilities (1)
Job-related abilities (6)
Other abilities (4)
[5. Level of Cognition]
Hard to please (Tenacious and persistent)/Curious/Melancholic (Feels hopeless and is frustrated in her heart)
Now that was the stranger"s Status Window, something he hadn"t seen in a long, long while. He actually found it weird that he could also see the Stats of a Paradiser.
However, did he stare at her too much? He didn"t get to read past the first couple of lines before Teresa suddenly swivelled her head towards him. She must"ve sensed his gaze.
As soon as their eyes met, Seol Ji-Hu flinched and hurriedly turned his head away, pretending to not notice anything.
‘Was I found out?" (Seol Ji-Hu)
Just like a little kid who was busted for doing something naughty, Seol Ji-Hu was inwardly feeling nervous.
"Excuse me." (Teresa)
He pretended to not hear her.
"Ex~cu~se~me~~." (Teresa)
When he didn"t reply, Teresa just got up from her spot and sat back down right next to him. Even then, he showed no response, so she brought herself even closer; close enough for their b.u.t.ts to touch. Seol Ji-Hu flinched again and looked at her. A satisfied smile then formed on her face.
"Well, there is this thing. I"m curious about it, so can you help me understand it better?" (Teresa)
"Pardon me?" (Seol Ji-Hu)
"Back when we first met? Why were you staring at me so~ hard like that? Even just now, too." (Teresa)
So, finally, it was here. Seol Ji-Hu fixed his expression and opened his mouth.
"If you were offended, I"d like to apologise." (Seol Ji-Hu)
"Not really? I wasn"t offended or anything like that." (Teresa)
Teresa raised her hands.
"Well, let"s be honest, I know I"m not too bad-looking." (Teresa)
She shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly.
"Oh, so, you were staring at me because I"m so~ pretty? Was that it?" (Teresa)
Her absolutely forthright att.i.tude left Seol Ji-Hu utterly lost for words. It took some effort on his part to say something.
"Ah, that…. Both your eyes" colour and your hair are quite beautiful, yes. From where I come from, pink colour is very rare, you see." (Seol Ji-Hu)
Seol Ji-Hu smiled awkwardly all the while subconsciously trying to distance himself from her. He didn"t feel like letting her steal his lips again any time soon.
"Oh, really? But, I don"t feel much of anything, though." (Teresa)
"I-is that so, your highness?" (Seol Ji-Hu)
"Yes. I don"t particularly feel anything about them since I grew up with them." (Teresa)
As the conversation unfolded, Seol Ji-Hu managed to create a bit of a gap between them. Teresa tilted her head, but then, when she saw him covering his lips with his hand…
"….Ah." (Teresa)
She let off a soft gasp.
"H~ng." (Teresa)
She then let out a strange moan as a clear-as-day playfulness filled up her expression.
"Well, I mean, you know." (Teresa)
Her subtle but dangerous smile reminded Seol Ji-Hu of a carnivorous predator taking aim at a herbivore.
"I"ve got these pinks eyes and pink hair since birth…." (Teresa)
She suddenly lowered her gaze and scanned her body for a second, and then…
"And, also…." (Teresa)
She grinned brightly and leaned closer to Seol Ji-Hu"s ear - and whispered.
"I"m pink in the other place, too." (Teresa)
After whispering, Teresa winked at him.
Seol Ji-Hu hurriedly and rather painfully coughed and wheezed.
The travelling army arrived at Haramark on the fourth morning.
Time spent away was one thing, but perhaps because so many incidents had happened since the initial departure from the city, Seol Ji-Hu couldn"t help but welcome the sight of civilisation.
Both Teresa and Ian were busy people. As a departing gesture, she requested for a firm handshake. She also told him to wait a little bit for his promised rewards. Ian bade goodbye with these meaningful words, "Let us meet again soon."
After saying goodbyes to those two, Seol Ji-Hu climbed out of their carriage all the while reorganising his thoughts. He needed to receive the rewards and had to stop by a temple, too. He also had to worry about selling off his share of the loot, as well. He thought that, for a little while, he"d be kept somewhat busy.
‘Even still….."
In the end, nothing much had changed.
Ian decided to remain as the royal family"s Sorcerer. Once the splitting of loot was done, he"d have to go his separate way from Carpe Diem, too. Sure, they had gone through a lot together, so some amount of friends.h.i.+p and trust had been built between them, but it"d still be hard to go on another a.s.signment with them again out of sheer coincidence like this time.
‘….Also, it"d be nice if my level goes up." (Seol Ji-Hu)
Although being in another expedition would be tough, wouldn"t he still be able to weasel himself into an exploration party if he was a level 2, at the least?
‘If it doesn"t work out, I"ll just have to tough it out as a porter for a little while longer." (Seol Ji-Hu)
"Hey." (Cho Hong)
While Seol Ji-Hu stood there moistening his lower lip, a familiar voice suddenly p.r.i.c.ked him in the ears. The trio of Dylan, Cho Hong, and Hugo were waiting for him by the city"s gate.
"Sorry about that. Were you guys waiting for me for long?" (Seol Ji-Hu)
"….Nope, not really." (Cho Hong)
Cho Hong sneakily averted her gaze. Seol Ji-Hu wondered if something was up, because Hugo was grinning brightly like a fool, and Dylan was quietly observing the situation with his arms firmly across his chest.
"H-hmm." (Cho Hong)
Cho Hong coughed to clear her throat and quietly spoke up.
"So, like, uh, what"ll you do now?" (Cho Hong)
"About what?" (Seol Ji-Hu)
His rather nonchalant reply prompted Cho Hong to roughly scratch her head. As if she couldn"t figure out what to say or how to say it, her lips restlessly parted and closed.
"Argh, dang it. So, you know, like…" (Cho Hong)
"…Okay?" (Seol Ji-Hu)
"….Wanna come?" (Cho Hong)
She said something that had neither the beginning nor the end. Seeing Seol Ji-Hu"s confused expression, Hugo began clapping his hands as huge laughter exploded out of his mouth. Cho Hong loudly yelled out, "So why did you ask me to do it in the first place?!"
After the commotion died down, Dylan opened his mouth.
"Seol, are you planning to stay put in Haramark?" (Dylan)
"Yes, I am." (Seol Ji-Hu)
Dylan advised him to leave Haramark, but Seol Ji-Hu wasn"t planning on doing that. Him being right or wrong was beside the point; he just wanted to remain in this city for just a little while longer.
"So, that was your plan…. Okay, in that case." (Dylan)
Dylan uncrossed his arms and placed his hands on the heads of Cho Hong and Hugo.
"Listen. I am supposedly the leader of Carpe Diem. But even I find it pretty rough trying to control these two idiots." (Dylan)
Seol Ji-Hu was about to agree with that, but after seeing the scary glare shot from Cho Hong"s eyes, he stopped right away.
"That is why, would you like to lend me an aid doing that?" (Dylan)
Seol Ji-Hu blinked his eyes.
"As your compensation, I"ll let you use a training facility that"s not too shabby from now on, free of charge." (Dylan)
Only then did the youth realise the meaning of those words, and his jaw dropped slightly.
"D-Dylan." (Seol Ji-Hu)
Dylan grinned, baring his teeth.
"Well, how about has.h.i.+ng out the small details while we eat, drink, and make merry?" (Dylan)
Seol Ji-Hu also smiled brightly.
"Sounds good to me." (Seol Ji-Hu)
< 64.="" job="" renewal=""> Fin
(TL: Originally, I was going to use the idiom "lipstick on a pig", but after thinking for a bit, I decided to change it. I thought that you wouldn"t necessarily find a modern lipstick in another world like the Lost Paradise, so an OG resident saying that phrase didn"t seem right to me. If you disagree, voice them in the comment section below. Thanks.)