Ch.34Investigation Mission

‘Eat in a quiet place where you can concentrate.’

That was what Karnok had told Seo-rin on their way back from the imperial city. When consuming the medicinal pill made from dragon’s breath, external distractions were to be avoided.

Seo-rin placed the bluish pill on the table and stared at it for a while. The Blue Wing training schedule was over, and no one would be visiting. With a “Do Not Disturb” sign hanging outside the door, there should be nothing to interrupt her.

The night had deepened. Seo-rin glanced out the window and put the blue pill in her mouth. Her face immediately contorted.

It was bitter. Yet refreshing. It felt like a breeze was blowing inside her mouth—a strange sensation she had never experienced before.

After rolling it around with her tongue, Seo-rin eventually chewed the pill. It was said to greatly increase the mana of whoever consumed it. That claim was true.

She felt an enormous energy flowing down her throat. Docile yet hazy. The mana that flowed into her body naturally mixed with her existing mana.

The incantation of the White Dragon Heart Sutra came to mind naturally. She had reached the point where she could operate the sutra without conscious effort. The mana, carrying a chilling coldness, merged with the pill’s energy and raced through Seo-rin’s body.

It felt like sinking beneath the surface of water. Seo-rin felt her consciousness descending into the depths. Like when she had smoked the tobacco recommended by the tribe’s shamans in the past, all her senses grew dim.

Yet her mind remained clear.

The tribal shamans used to describe this phenomenon as escaping the constraints of the physical body and entering the spirit realm. She had thought they were just babbling nonsense while high on hallucinogenic drugs.

But that wasn’t the case. The moment she became self-aware, Seo-rin found herself facing the massive form of a wolf on a snow-white plain.

‘The Wolf God.’

The Wolf God of the snowy plains, said to protect the White Frost Tribe. Seo-rin shouted at the Wolf God. Why didn’t you protect us that day? Why didn’t you save our tribespeople from the reincarnators?

But no voice came out.

The next moment, a harsh wind blew in. It was incredibly fierce and brought with it pure white snow. The Wolf God’s form grew blurry. Beyond it, Seo-rin could make out the familiar figure of a girl.

‘Sei-ran…?’

A girl with snow-white hair. The girl who possessed the world’s greatest beauty was undoubtedly her younger sister.

‘Sei-ran!’

Seo-rin reached out her hand. Toward her sister. Crying out pitifully. But no voice came out, and her body wouldn’t move either.

All Seo-rin could do was stare blankly at her sister’s fading figure.

Then, from beyond the snow-white blizzard, a faint voice was heard.

-Brother.

The moment she recognized her sister’s voice, Seo-rin felt all her bodily sensations returning. She could feel her arms and legs. She could feel the air brushing against her skin. Like waking from a deep sleep, her bodily sensations returned sequentially.

Immediately after, Seo-rin’s consciousness flew at tremendous speed. Like falling from the high sky, her rapidly descending consciousness settled back into her body.

“Hah…!”

She exhaled roughly while bracing herself against the floor. Blinking, Seo-rin slowly looked around. This wasn’t the snow-white plain. It was her quarters within the Blue Wing headquarters.

Everything she had just seen was as hazy as a dream. The Wolf God’s form, her sister’s voice from beyond, the snow-white plain—everything had gone to a place beyond her reach.

Was it a hallucination, or was it real? There was no one here to answer Seo-rin’s questions. If the tribal shamans were here, they would have made a fuss.

Seo-rin steadied her breathing and got up. Her total mana had increased. Not just that. Even with the same amount, its quality had changed. It had become more robust and resilient. She could now exert more power with less mana.

Swish-

The White Dragon Sword was quietly drawn, and the form of a snow-white dragon raced across its blade. The sword, responding to the faint mana, emitted a chilling cold.

The girl’s body moved smoothly as she began a sword dance. The dance, created on the snowy mountain where the snow-white dragon was said to have descended, now unfolded here across dimensions.

‘I’ll believe it’s real.’

Whether it was a hallucination or not, Seo-rin decided to believe what she had seen was real. Her sister was with her. She was sharing everything Seo-rin saw and touched in this body.

‘Sei-ran…’

Whoosh-!

As she began to fully utilize her mana, a fierce wind erupted around Seo-rin. Her uniform fluttered, scattering snow-white cold.

Like softly drifting snow, frost settled wherever Seo-rin’s feet touched.

***

Day broke. Though she hadn’t slept, her mental and physical state was better than ever. It was thanks to the effects of the pill she had absorbed last night.

Not just that. She had clearly recognized her sister’s presence. She knew that her sister was alive within this body alongside her. It was like walking on clouds. A smile formed on her face without her even realizing it.

Seo-rin was in the best mood she had ever been in.

“Your smiling face looks good, Sei-ran.”

She spoke to the girl in the mirror. No answer came, but somehow it felt like she had heard a voice.

“I learned makeup for you. Flora taught me… She said since the original is pretty, there’s no need for excessive decoration.”

Seo-rin, who had intended to apply makeup for her sister, shook her head and sighed. The Blue Wing training schedule would soon begin. Applying makeup when she would soon be sweating and covered in dust would only ruin her pretty face.

“I’ll show you next time.”

So she promised for the future. Seo-rin pushed the drawer closed and left her quarters.

Time passed, and just as they were about to begin their training routine after finishing breakfast, a senior member approached the trio. He held a document envelope in his hand.

“Seo-rin, Flora, Theo. A mission.”

The trio immediately checked the contents of the envelope.

Basic Information

Name: Silverhill Rowen

Age: 15

Origin: Silverhill Territory

Reincarnation-Related Information

Reincarnator Status: Suspected

Previous Life Origin: Unknown

Memory Recovery Point: Approximately 5 months ago

Physical and Weapon-Related Information

Physical Condition: Recovered from illness and focusing on physical training

Main Weapon: Sword

Additional Information: Sword skills have improved dramatically

Conclusion

Silverhill Rowen has suddenly recovered his health and his sword skills have improved dramatically. Additionally, he has developed innovative farming methods that greatly benefit the territory’s management. As he is showing similar patterns to past reincarnators, we request additional personnel for a more thorough investigation.

Additional Notes:

As the Silverhill family is likely maintaining a cooperative relationship with the reincarnator, requesting cooperation from the territory seems impossible. Since Silverhill Rowen appears to be weak against women, using female agents for information gathering is deemed effective.

“This is…”

“Silverhill?”

“Finally a proper mission…?”

The senior member spoke to the trio as they reviewed the documents.

“Since it’s still in the investigation stage, you’ll need to move carefully. If it’s confirmed that he’s not a reincarnator, you must immediately stop the investigation and return, so don’t reveal your identities.”

Then Theo, who was examining the documents, asked a question. His finger was pointing at the snow-white paper.

“By the way, isn’t this date wrong? The mission start date is today…?”

“It’s not wrong. Don’t participate in today’s routine and prepare to leave immediately. If you need additional supplies, go to the supply warehouse and request them. They’ll distribute whatever supplies you need without any additional procedures. If anyone wants to refuse the mission, speak now.”

Blue Wing members have the right to refuse their assigned mission once a month. However, none of the trio declined this mission.

All three were desperate for achievements. Their individual reasons might differ slightly, but they all wanted promotion to intermediate members.

The trio immediately went to their quarters to pack. After preparation, they needed to complete paperwork to leave the headquarters. Previously, a senior member would have accompanied them, but not this time.

The only ones traveling to the mission location were Seo-rin, Flora, and Theo—just the trio. They would meet up with their senior at the mission location.

And so, the three left the Blue Wing headquarters.

***

After leaving the Blue Wing headquarters, it took the trio about three weeks to reach their destination, Silverhill Territory. They met up with their senior in a forest near the territory.

Their senior was Andrew, an intermediate member of Blue Wing. He wasn’t wearing the Blue Wing uniform. Instead, he was dressed in shabby farmer’s clothes that could be seen anywhere.

Upon meeting the trio, Andrew said:

“We need to hide our identities, so you can’t wear the knight order uniforms. Also, since we shouldn’t attract attention when entering the territory, it’s better to go in one by one with time intervals.”

Seo-rin would be the first to enter the territory. Andrew handed her a bag of clothes and said:

“From now on, your name is Seri. You’re studying herbology and have come to research local herbs at your master’s request… that’s your background setting. You can decide the details yourself. If your identity starts to be questioned, leave the territory promptly.”

“What about us? You said we should enter the territory with time intervals, but how much time should we wait?”

That was Theo’s question. Andrew answered:

“At least a week. Until then, you’ll live in this forest.”

Seo-rin was about to take out the clothes from the bag but stopped. In the past, she wouldn’t have minded changing clothes right there.

But now she was aware that her sister was with her in this body. Seo-rin cleared her throat a couple of times and took the bag into the bushes.

The clothes from the bag were designed for ease of movement. There were leather shorts and a belt to tie around the waist, with various colorful potions hanging from it, along with a quality shirt and a light leather jacket.

There was also hair dye to change her hair color. Seo-rin drank the dye and checked the change.

After some time, her snow-white hair turned golden blonde.

Looking at herself in the mirror that came with the bag, Seo-rin tied her long blonde hair back. Her exposed nape glistened in the sunlight.

“Not bad…”

When the original is good, any styling looks great. Seo-rin looked at herself in the mirror and smiled with satisfaction. She was indeed the most beautiful in the world.