Ch.48Fairy Forest

The intermediate members of Cheongik are usually sent on long-term missions. Sometimes they form teams, and other times they act individually. However, it was extremely rare for two intermediate members to form a team together.

‘Still not back today.’

Several days had passed since she returned from her solo mission. Seo Erin had to shift her gaze away from her friend’s room, which showed no signs of life.

Flora had also become an intermediate member. Not long after Seo Erin’s return, Flora too had departed on a solo mission.

The same was true for Theo, who had joined at the same time as them. Cheongik never rested.

Today was a weekend with no scheduled training. Weekends at Cheongik were quiet. Members exhausted from their grueling routines slept in late on weekends.

Most did, except for a small number of people, including Seo Erin.

Walking across the silent training grounds, she pursued the faint, dispersed energy that seemed just within reach. This was a power that should not have been accessible to her.

‘Sorcery…’

Only a select few born with the gift could commune with spirits and walk the path of a sorcerer. The fact that she could now faintly sense the presence of spirits was entirely thanks to her younger sibling.

For a brief moment, her body had contained sorcerous power. It was inevitable that her soul, connected to her physical form, would be affected. The sorcerers of the White Frost Tribe often said of people like Seo Erin, who could sense spirits through acquired means, that their “souls had awakened.”

Weekends were Seo Erin’s time to reward herself. She paused her training to catch her breath. While pursuing revenge was important, she also maintained her body for her sibling who would return someday.

“Seiran, today we’ll go eat some delicious bread. Is there anything specific you’d like?”

She talked to herself as she walked alone. Everyone else was asleep. With no need to be mindful of others, there was no reason to lower her voice.

That’s when it happened. As the small girl headed toward the entrance, she noticed people busily moving about. They were taking items from a storage room filled with miscellaneous things and moving them somewhere else.

Her curiosity piqued, Seo Erin turned and approached them. The ones moving the items were junior members.

“Oh, Miss Seo Erin!”

“Good day to you!”

As Seo Erin drew near, they immediately stopped what they were doing to greet her. Their faces were familiar. Just a month ago, they had been training together as junior members.

Seo Erin gave a light wave.

“What are you doing?”

“Ah, we’re moving these items for the upcoming knight order entrance exam.”

“Entrance exam?”

Seo Erin carefully examined the items they were moving. Indeed, she recognized several things from memory. Barriers for controlling access and large tables were being brought out in succession.

“Is it that time already?”

Seo Erin suddenly felt how quickly time had passed. The fact that the annual entrance exam date was approaching meant that it had already been a year since she left her hometown.

“Aren’t you excited? We’ll be getting juniors.”

“Excited? Not really…”

Seo Erin closed her eyes. No one joined Cheongik without reason. Everyone had at least one painful story. The new members who would be joining would be no different.

‘…’

The gentle breeze that blew seemed to carry a faint warmth.

***

With just days remaining until the knight order entrance exam, Seo Erin had to depart on another solo mission. It would be a lie to say she wasn’t disappointed.

The empire’s major events, which happened only a few times a year, offered many sights to see. Seo Erin regretted not being able to show her sibling the festivities.

Swoosh—

Rain poured down on her departure date. The heavy raindrops showed no sign of stopping, as if a hole had opened in the sky.

‘I heard rainwater is bad for the skin…’

Seo Erin recalled this information she had picked up somewhere as she mounted her horse.

Although she wore a raincoat meant to block the rain, the fierce downpour thoroughly soaked the small girl’s body. The raincoat had become practically meaningless.

As she left the capital city of the Karma Empire, Seo Erin took off her raincoat and threw it away. The sagging raincoat had become cumbersome. It was better to accept nature as it was.

Swoosh—!

The place Seo Erin arrived at was a region straddling the border between Karma Empire territory and the domain of the Magic Tower. The Magic Tower was a massive structure built by gathered magicians. This closed community had grown in power over the years.

Now it was said to be a group that even the empire couldn’t easily interfere with. It was both part of the empire and an independent entity that had broken away.

‘I don’t understand what that means…’

Such complicated circumstances were not her concern. She only needed to complete her mission as a member of Cheongik. Capturing and killing transmigrators—that was Seo Erin’s mission.

After dismounting, Seo Erin entered the border region. Beyond the vast plain, clouds hung over the ridge of a towering mountain. The Magic Tower could be seen beyond the tall mountain.

“It’s enormous…”

It could be considered more a massive castle than a tower. Even at a glance, it appeared larger than the imperial palace. Seo Erin understood why—it was a space where thousands of magicians lived.

That’s when it happened. The transparent space rippled as a middle-aged man and a young woman approached. Seo Erin wasn’t surprised. She had been aware of their presence since arriving.

Magic was said to be a mysterious discipline. It felt similar yet different from sorcery. Even the sorcerers of the White Frost Tribe could conceal their presence to some degree.

“Are you the knight from Cheongik?”

“She’s so young! Are you underestimating us?”

The attitudes of the two people were starkly different. The middle-aged man was extremely courteous. It meant he had gained wisdom with his years. In contrast, the young woman was arrogant.

‘She seems lacking in education.’

Seo Erin didn’t show any discomfort. She silently performed a knight’s courtesy and stated her affiliation.

“I am Seo Erin of the Cheongik Knight Order of the Karma Empire.”

This mission was a collaborative effort with the Magic Tower’s magicians. She had heard that to operate in the Magic Tower’s domain, she needed to work with the magicians. There was no need to create unnecessary friction.

“Sheibne of the Mystic rank.”

“Envy of the Serendipity rank.”

Magicians, like knights, had their own ranks. Since the Mystic rank was similar to an intermediate knight, Serendipity must be lower.

Seo Erin withdrew her attention from Envy. It was easier to talk with the superior than to deal with an irritating woman.

“I’ve confirmed the general information. A transmigrator has hidden in the Fairy Forest…”

“That’s exactly right. We would have handled it with the Magic Tower’s power if the fellow hadn’t hidden in the Fairy Forest. That’s why we requested help from Cheongik.”

“Is the transmigrator still in that forest?”

“Of course. As soon as he hid in the forest, we set up barriers around it. He won’t be able to escape by ordinary means.”

“What do you take our Magic Tower’s magic for? Of course we’ve made sure he can’t escape!”

Seo Erin looked at Envy, who spoke so confidently. Despite being unable to handle it themselves and requesting help, she was all talk.

Touching her neck, Seo Erin tilted her head from side to side. With a creaking sound, her snow-white hair swayed.

“Then let’s move. To this Fairy Forest.”

The Fairy Forest wasn’t far away. The entrance to the forest they arrived at was glowing darkly despite it being daytime. Like fireflies emitting a soft light.

It wasn’t actually a forest where fairies lived. It was called the Fairy Forest because of the faint lights created by the distorted flow of mana.

“What a strange place.”

Even at the edge of the forest, she could feel it. The flow of mana was different from ordinary regions. The wind direction changed constantly, and there was a unique fragrance unlike that of a normal forest.

“Can you sense the mana?”

Seo Erin nodded at Sheibne’s question. Then Sheibne said:

“Perhaps you had more talent for being a magician than a knight. Let’s start entering.”

Seo Erin looked around. Magicians stood at regular intervals, raising their hands toward the forest with their eyes closed. She could sense the faint movement of mana.

That must be the barrier the magicians had prepared.

Step—

The three of them entered the forest. The moment they entered, everything changed as if they had moved to a different region. The oxygen concentration, smell, and gravity pressing down on their bodies changed, and the bright sunlight was completely blocked.

However, light hadn’t disappeared entirely. The soft glow created by the distorted mana flow illuminated various parts of the forest.

It looked as if light had grown on the trees instead of fruit.

“Hey. You.”

It was Envy calling. Seo Erin turned her head slightly and opened her mouth.

“Speak.”

“How do you take care of your skin?”

She had only recently started taking care of her skin. Before that, she hadn’t paid special attention to it. Seo Erin briefly considered whether to tell the truth, then answered:

“I don’t pay special attention to it.”

“That’s a lie…”

“It’s the truth. Rather than spending time on my appearance, I swung my sword one more time.”

Half true, half false. But she didn’t want to tell the whole truth. Just… just because. Seo Erin felt a strange satisfaction as she looked up at Envy’s distorted face.

She felt a sense of superiority. Seo Erin smiled slightly and lightly brushed her hair.