Ch.89Heimdall Rona

The young girl’s small hand grips the quill pen, moving confidently across the pristine white paper. Seo-erin’s handwriting had changed significantly from when she first began. Unlike in the past, when she wrote carefully to avoid mistakes, now there was no hesitation in her progress.

As her writing speed increased, her distinctive penmanship became more pronounced. The spacing between sentences was wide, and the ends of each stroke pointed outward. The swift, decisive strokes characteristic of the Taebaek Snow Dragon Sword technique had seeped into her handwriting.

“Confrontation with a reincarnator who appeared on the Floating Island, brief battle followed by the opponent’s escape. Currently using the body of a former blood relative of our order. Also suspected to have deep connections with Hayato, whom we failed to subjugate previously. The special power used during escape gave the same feeling as Hayato’s.

Request for additional subjugation team formation. This judgment was primarily influenced by personal emotions.

Junior Knight Seo-erin.

Mission failed.”

Having returned, she had completed her first priority task. Seo-erin rose from her seat, holding the report with still-wet ink in her hand.

***

Members of the Blue Wing Order who return from missions are typically granted a lengthy rest period, regardless of whether the mission was successful or not. Consecutive mission assignments were considered unusual.

Seo-erin now faced such an unusual circumstance.

“Another mission right away?”

It was Kanok who came to Seo-erin with the mission. He always did this. Whenever they met, he brought missions at least seven times out of ten.

“I’m sorry. Even I couldn’t do anything about it.”

Seo-erin shifted her gaze to examine the stack of documents. She immediately understood Kanok’s words. Unlike previous assignments, these papers bore the Emperor’s seal, glowing distinctly. It was a direct order from the Emperor himself.

Normally, she would have immediately checked the contents of the documents. But this time, she didn’t. There was something else she needed to confirm first.

Seo-erin pushed the documents aside and asked Kanok:

“What happened to the subjugation team formation I requested?”

“It’s under review. Seems difficult to arrange immediately due to personnel shortages.”

It was the answer she had expected. Seo-erin nodded and asked her next question.

“What about my vacation request? I haven’t received any response yet.”

“That was also under review. If this mission hadn’t come down, it would have been approved without any issues…”

Seo-erin frowned and crossed her arms. As if showing her displeasure, her small cheeks puffed out slightly. She had exercised her basic right as a junior member by requesting vacation time.

The reincarnator she had encountered was using her former body. This meant that the hastily made graves of her tribespeople had been desecrated. Seo-erin remembered what the shamans had said long ago: spirits whose graves disappear are bound to become malevolent.

She had planned to tend to her tribespeople’s graves during her vacation.

“Can I refuse the mission?”

“Refuse?”

Kanok looked bewildered at Seo-erin’s response. She was usually the one who eagerly took on others’ missions as well. For her to express a desire to refuse was highly unusual.

But this was a direct order from the Emperor. Even the personnel assignment had been personally selected by the Emperor. There was no way she could refuse.

‘If the Emperor has intervened, it means the threads of fate have become entangled…’

So she had to go. It also meant that somehow, Seo-erin needed to be made to undertake this mission. Kanok swallowed dryly before speaking.

“Could you perhaps tell me why you want to refuse?”

Seo-erin nodded. As the story flowed from the girl’s lips, Kanok listened silently with his arms crossed.

“So… that’s the reason for your vacation request? You don’t just want to rest.”

“Technically, yes.”

“Then I’ll go in your place.”

“…Pardon?”

It was a somewhat unexpected statement. He would go in her place? Seo-erin’s expression twisted slightly.

“I’ll recover your tribespeople’s remains and make proper graves for them. I need to head in that direction for my mission anyway.”

“Huh…”

It wasn’t a lie. Seo-erin, sensitive to others’ emotional changes, realized he wasn’t making false promises. However, concern outweighed gratitude. Would he really be able to properly recover the remains?

But she couldn’t refuse to trust him either. She knew she couldn’t reject the Emperor’s mission. If she couldn’t go herself, she needed someone else to do it for her.

“Well then…”

Seo-erin immediately pulled out a map. It was an item provided for each mission, and she didn’t hesitate to mark it. Since it was a consumable item anyway, she could use it freely.

Like wielding her swift sword, Seo-erin’s hand danced with the quill pen. A thick line stretched like an animal’s tail, crossing over snow-covered mountains to reach the wilderness.

Seo-erin marked the territory of the White Frost Tribe. She didn’t know the exact location herself. They hadn’t used maps in her homeland. Everything there was done by eye. Everything was estimated.

“It’s around here.”

Kanok received the map from Seo-erin. This was about recovering the remains of his junior’s family and homeland. It couldn’t be taken lightly. He carefully folded the map and tucked it safely inside his garment.

And so.

Having dealt with all important matters, Seo-erin’s gaze finally turned to the mission documents. Only now did she think to check them. Her small hand lifted the thick envelope.

***

Swoosh—

Ominously, rain poured down on the day Seo-erin set out on her mission. She stood before a large carriage, looking up at the sky. The heavens were covered with dark clouds. The sun was nowhere to be seen.

The mission destination was in a foreign country. Seo-erin boarded the carriage, recalling the mission details. Since it was a solo mission, no one else joined her in the carriage.

‘A reincarnator will be born… Does that mean they can know in advance?’

The mission documents contained incomprehensible information. She couldn’t ask questions to resolve her doubts. The Emperor wasn’t someone you could meet anytime. Seo-erin had to embark on her mission with significant questions unanswered.

She thought about the identity she would assume for this mission.

‘A collateral descendant of the fallen kingdom of Riversheim. Heim Del Rona. Age 11…’

The place where the reincarnator’s appearance was predicted was the elementary division of a knight training school in a foreign country. Since Seo-erin was the only one who could infiltrate such a place, a solo mission was decided.

Once there, she would have to pretend to be a child. Could she pull it off well?

Seo-erin looked down at her hands. Her younger sister’s body had developed more slowly than other children her age. Enough to be believable as an 11-year-old. The problem was her mind.

‘This will be difficult…’

Acting as a young girl with the mind of an adult male wasn’t easy. The younger the age, the harder it became. Seo-erin had realized this through her few acting experiences.

She needed to establish the character she would portray. The longer the conversations, the higher the chance of arousing suspicion. So she needed to be brief in speech. After all, wasn’t she supposed to be of noble blood from a fallen kingdom?

Seo-erin began to combine various memories to create an appropriate persona.

‘I should be arrogant and cold. Pushing away those who approach and being highly suspicious. But such children, once they become close to someone…’

Gradually, a distinct character took shape. And so, the carriage carrying Seo-erin sped through the rain.

***

Kingdom of Baikrom.

In front of the Elementary Division of the Knight Training School.

It was nearing the end of lunch hour. As afternoon classes would soon begin, many boys and girls were hurrying back to the training school. A girl named Handel was among them. She was clutching bread to eat secretly during class as she hurried toward the entrance of the school.

That’s when it happened. Not far away, a large carriage approached at a slow pace. The carriage’s appearance was so luxurious that it drew everyone’s attention.

“That’s an unfamiliar crest…”

“It’s coming to our training school.”

“Must be the new student they mentioned yesterday?”

“A noble?”

As everyone had expected, the carriage stopped at the entrance to the training school. Handel also stopped walking to look at the carriage. The firmly closed door opened at that moment.

As soon as the door opened, everyone held their breath. The girl who appeared from inside the carriage was breathtakingly beautiful. Her slowly cascading red hair resembled flowing rubies. Would molten precious stones look like that if they flowed?

Her face seemed to radiate light, defying all attempts at description. The scar that ran from her forehead, across her eye, and down to below her cheek was no blemish. Rather, the large facial scar made her seem more human.

The girl Handel realized for the first time what adults meant when they talked about hearts fluttering.

The newcomer’s gaze as she surveyed her surroundings was extremely cold. When her slightly lowered eyelids moved slowly, time seemed to slow down.

The unnamed red-haired girl stepped down from the carriage onto the ground. At that moment, a small breeze blew, spreading out in a circle. Her presence was overwhelming.

Most of the elementary division students at the knight training school became aware of the red-haired girl, Heim Del Rona, in that moment.

‘It’s hot…’

Seo-erin calmly received the gazes from all directions as she brushed back her hair. Just then, she felt an especially intense stare. Turning her head slightly, she saw a girl clutching bread to her chest, staring at her in a daze.

The bread looked delicious. When Seo-erin licked her lips lightly while savoring the thought, the girl clutched her chest and sank to the ground.