STM 76

Of course, I did not care. Because I was a Korean who valued efficiency. The urgent task was to find the key, not to clear the false accusation of being mistaken for a pervert. So, as I stepped out of the cabin, I asked Tairok.

“Are we going to the Crystal Lake?”

It was dark, so I could not see his face clearly as he looked back at me, but I could tell that he was dumbfounded.

“It takes more than half a day to reach the Crystal Lake.”

What, it was that far? If we left now… shit, the sky was already dark, so we could only walk for an hour or two.

“Let’s hurry and go.”

When I took the lead, a baffled laugh came from behind me.

“Do you have any way to find the key?”

“I do.”

It was very simple. I only had to call it ‘key’. The problem was that it reacted only when it was in contact with my body. When I explained that, he immediately asked.

“What object do you think the key is?”

“There are many. Branches, stones.”

A short silence ensued. I knew it. The thought of searching for it made even me sigh.

“If we find it within a year, we’ll be lucky.”

“No, we’ll find it within a week. Absolutely.”

Because you had to attend the hunting tournament. So, I could not waste even a second.

“Come on, let’s go, quickly.”

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Clack, clack.

The carriage shook violently every time the wheels turned. Haas had already vomited several times.

It had already been two days of forced travel. They had reached the border of the Borhumi lands in an instant through the portal, but after that, they could not use any magic.

The Borhumi side had permitted only one carriage, and that too, one pulled by horses. How poor the carriage was!

Clack!

“Ugh!”

The carriage jumped unusually high this time, perhaps over a rock, and Haas screamed. Then he immediately looked at the others. Enya, who was sitting with them inside, had kept her mouth shut since the journey began, and Solongo’s expression did not change no matter how much the carriage shook.

“Black Bear seems to be driving the carriage rather roughly.”

Unable to endure anymore, Haas spoke up, and Solongo slightly raised her eyes. Then she opened the small window toward the driver’s seat and informed her.

“You can go faster.”

Clack!

Now the carriage ran like a mad horse. After Haas threw up once more, he pleaded with Solongo.

“Just, just go a little slower.”

“We are in a hurry.”

“Ugh, maybe there’s still some time. If it were that urgent, the Grand Duke would have somehow sent another signal…”

“Are you sure?”

“Well, not really…”

“Let’s speed up more.”

“Ah, I’m sure! If the Grand Duke desperately needed our help, he would have sent another signal by any means.”

Solongo looked at Haas for a moment and shook her head.

“That only means it’s not the worst case yet. We can’t know what danger the two of them are facing right now.”

Then she spoke again to Black Bear.

“Please go at maximum speed.”

At the same time, Haas shouted in frustration.

“Being with that nuisance Adeye Lu itself is danger for our Grand Duke! Ugh!”

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It was a good thing to have no trouble communicating with a companion, but when that companion was someone I had once considered an enemy, it felt a bit strange. I had felt it when escaping Borhumi Castle too, but somehow, I unusually got along well with Tairok.

“There are two paths. The fast one over the mountain. The long one around it but easier.”

“Where’s the mountain?”

“It’s right in front of you.”

“That hill?”

“…Let’s cross the mountain.”

“Yes.”

And as soon as we crossed the hill in two hours, the sun went down.

“Let’s not light a campfire.”

“Why?”

“Why do you ask when you already know? Because we can’t risk being seen.”

“You know well.”

“Of course, I’m not stupid.”

“…..”

“You thought I was stupid?”

“Your academy grades were famous enough.”

“I…I almost died…”

“Right, you came back from near death and got a smarter mind.”

“You know me well.”

“Of course.”

“…..”

“But even though you came back from death, there’s still something you can’t do.”

“What is it?”

“Kiss.”

“Ha! I’m a hundred times better than the Grand Duke. You only pushes with strength without any technique. You’re not in a position to preach to me.”

“If I used technique too, you’d have melted.”

“Hahaha~ That’ll never happen, but if I did melt, the Grand Duke would lose his mind from seeing that and go crazier than me. You have no idea how much I make people’s hearts flutter when I get excited…”

“…..”

“…No, I don’t mean I’m melting right now.”

“I know.”

“Yes, but why do your eyes look a bit… never mind.”

“……”

“Shall we sleep now?”

“…Yes.”

After catching a short nap in the open field, we started moving again as soon as dawn came.

The sky had turned bluish, but the dense forest path was still dark. Fortunately, I had Mo, who could help me see even in the dark. And I also had a guide even more capable than Mo.

“Watch your left foot.”

Tairok walked through the pitch-black forest without hesitation as if it were broad daylight.

He had walked all day yesterday, had stayed up all night standing guard, and had even come back alive after going into the Forest of the Crimson Tide, yet his stamina was still that good.

Was this man a traitor? Had he implanted ten nano robots?

I could not stop doubting him. Because his senses were so keen that he immediately noticed when I hesitated and turned back.

“Tired?”

I only envied your eyesight. Instead of saying that, I lifted my head and looked up at the morning sky.

“No. Ha, ha, I’m fine.”

“……”

“I mean it, ha, ha.”

“……”

“It’s because I came back from near death.”

“What is?”

“I think you’re doubting my stamina.”

I argued with him as he stood still. He continued staring at me with suspicious eyes but soon turned his head away.

“Well, seeing how you met so many men without end, your stamina can’t be that bad.”

At this point, I wondered if Lu had met about a hundred men.

[Far more than that.]

Mo needlessly corrected.

“Yes, that’s right. But now I hate men so much that I get hives just seeing one, so I’ll use that extra stamina to keep up.”

Tairok, who had been walking a few steps ahead, seemed to pause and then replied without backing down.

“You looked fine when you kissed me.”

Bringing that up was foul play. The mood had gotten so awkward back when we talked about kissing while camping. I ignored the topic and changed the subject.

“But you do know where we’re going, right?”

“No.”

What?!

“Because walking on a path that’s plainly right in front of me is too hard.”

Judging by the sarcasm, his mood must have soured again… huh? Plainly visible?

I was about to get angry but then suddenly stopped walking. He turned around, confused.

“What’s wrong?”

“Don’t you see the fog?”

He looked at me for a moment, then slowly glanced around.

“Not at all.”

Not at all? I looked left and right in disbelief. The fog was clearly there no matter where I looked.

“It’s not thick, but it started to form a while ago. Then can’t you smell this too?”

“What smell?”

“The subtle smell that’s been there for a while. Of something rotting.”

The moment I said it, I realized my mistake. It would be hard for him to believe me…

Shing.

Tairok drew his sword from his back. He only held the sword, but the pressure from it was immense. Then he asked in his usual calm tone.

“Are you okay?”

“What do you mean?”

“The smell.”

Ah, do you mean if it’s nauseating? I was used to it, so not really. But a noble young lord couldn’t just say that.

“I can bear it. But do you believe me? I don’t even know why I can see the fog.”

He didn’t answer my question and instead looked around again.

“What else do you see?”

“The forest. But the trees don’t look good. Most of them are dried, only bare branches left…”

Ah, I see. When I looked into Tairok’s eyes, I realized he saw something different too.

“How does it look to you?”

“A lush green forest.”

No, this was a dying forest. Then why did it look different only to me?

“Could it be the divine beast…”

“If it were the divine beast’s power, I would feel it. But it’s not. It’s not any non-human being either.”

“Why not a non-human being?”

“Because only humans use magic to deceive their five senses to hide filth.”

“That can’t be right. Lu… I can only see non-human beings. Detecting magic isn’t my ability.”

“Right, it’s not your ability. What color do my eyes look to you?”

“Black… ah.”

Right. Tairok had changed his eye color with magic. Then that meant I couldn’t see through all magic. At that moment, Tairok murmured quietly.

“So you can detect black magic.”

“Black magic?”

“The shield that imprisoned Borhumi’s divine beast. Haven’t you wondered why you could see it?”

Well….Only then did I realize something was strange.