Chapter 1266: Scorched World

The western hideout that Tae Hoan manages. A story about that place came from Mi Hyo Ran’s mouth.

After hearing those words, I had to manage my expression.

‘Well, look at this?’

The situation is flowing favorably. It’s because what I was about to say was exactly that.

‘I was going to ask for the location of other hideouts.’

I thought there might be something to see if I went, so I was just about to try going.

But then.

‘Since she’s telling me like that.’

It gives me justification. It wasn’t bad. No, it was perfectly fine to consider it a rather good state.

“……Moving to the hideout, you say. Is there a reason?”

“It’s related to the Apostles. They requested help from that side.”

“Help?”

“Yes. They said the attacks are ongoing…… but since it’s an Apostle’s attack, we couldn’t rashly step in.”

Hearing that, I narrowed my eyes. Because there was something strange in her words.

“I understand there’s an attack, but do you really have to step in?”

“……What did you say?”

At my words, Mi Hyo Ran frowned.

“What do you mean-.”

“No, it’s already overwhelming just managing this hideout. They said other Apostles appeared around here too, so do you have time to worry about other hideouts? That, too.”

I added, staring intently at Mi Hyo Ran.

“You.”

“…….”

At my words, Mi Hyo Ran shut her mouth. My words implied whether you, of all people, were the type to worry about such things. Though I put thorns in my tone, there’s no more direct way to put it.

Because it seemed strange no matter how I looked at it.

‘Mi Hyo Ran isn’t evil.’

Her past actions. Recalling my past and present lives, Mi Hyo Ran was definitely not evil. If I called her a good person, it would be ambiguous. It was correct to see her as an extremely rational human.

Not right or wrong.

‘Gain or loss.’

A person who extremely calculates this. A little emotion might be mixed in there, but even so, the important thing was calculating the gain.

‘In this situation, I have to go where Tae Hoan is? Taking me along?’

It was strange.

It’s incredibly subtle. What gain could there be in those words? As far as I can see, there isn’t any. If so.

‘Is she acting emotionally?’

It could be because it’s Mi Hyo Ran in her youth, but.

‘No.’

That doesn’t feel right either. Recalling what Poison Phoenix told me, and the Mi Hyo Ran I saw upon arriving here, it didn’t seem like that.

If that’s the case.

‘Only one thing remains.’

That place.

There is a purpose at Tae Hoan’s hideout.

“What is there?”

“…….”

Mi Hyo Ran’s expression didn’t return. Her face looked like she’d been hit right in the core. Seeing the face of such a woman, I chuckled.

“Actually, it doesn’t really matter what it is.”

Whatever business there might be there. Whatever Mi Hyo Ran’s objective might be. It’s not a big deal to me right now.

What’s important is.

“What am I supposed to do when I go?”

Even if I end up going there following Mi Hyo Ran. What I need to do. If she’s asking me to go along, there must be some reason. And that reason is probably related to why Mi Hyo Ran is reacting like that.

“……Young Master Baek.”

“Yes.”

Mi Hyo Ran starts speaking to me.

“Do you know a way to capture an Apostle?”

“As I mentioned earlier, there’s nothing really like a ‘method’.”

I said, shrugging my shoulders.

“It’s enough to just crush and capture them.”

“…….”

I said it in a slightly arrogant and annoying way. Because this way of expressing it is the most comfortable. That it’s because I was strong. As if there’s any other method.

“But if there’s something strange, it’s that the Apostle feels weaker than what I heard.”

I laid some groundwork. That it’s not just because I’m strong, but that there’s something else. Saying that, I observed Mi Hyo Ran’s reaction. As expected, her face was lost in thought.

“……I see.”

Staring intently at her face, I waited for more reaction.

“……Then, Young Master Baek, do you have the intention to come with us?”

“Well.”

That part is different.

“I haven’t heard what I need to do when I get there yet, have I?”

“…….”

What I need to do when I get there, I needed to hear that properly. Seeing my reaction that I wouldn’t move until I heard the answer.

“Hmph.”

Mi Hyo Ran lets out a sigh.

“What I need to ask isn’t anything else.”

Following that, she spoke as if she would give the answer I wanted.

“……You just need to capture the Apostle.”

“An Apostle?”

It was something I had somewhat expected. Since it came up along with talk of the Apostle, I naturally expected it would be that. However.

“When you say capture the Apostle, are you referring to the Apostle who attacked that hideout?”

“That’s right.”

“Hmm.”

At the words telling me to capture the Apostle, I scrunched up my face. I felt something strange.

“Miss Mi.”

“Yes.”

“What you mean, Miss… is it hunting, or capture?”

“…….”

She hesitates. Seeing that, I said with my eyes calming down.

“It’s capture, isn’t it?”

Not hunting, but capture. It means they need to be caught and restrained.

“Capturing an Apostle? Is that really the objective?”

“……Is it impossible?”

“Impossible or not. I don’t know the reason. Why are you trying to capture it?”

I asked for the reason. Why capture, not just hunt? I wondered if it made sense to attempt capture when even killing it is difficult.

“I cannot tell you the reason.”

“Hmm?”

At Mi Hyo Ran’s words, I distorted my expression.

“What the hell.”

“If possible, I’d appreciate your help. The reason… I’ll tell you later if we succeed.”

“That’s a bit unreasonable. Doesn’t suit you.”

“…….”

“……Hmm.”

Asking for help without explaining the reason? It was unlike Mi Hyo Ran, but.

‘If she’s going this far.’

It means capturing the Apostle is that important. What could possibly be there? I was curious. And I had to go anyway.

“Alright then.”

I clench my fist. I had stored up enough strength. Even if I met my father now, I didn’t think I would lose.

---

After finishing the talk about going to Tae Hoan’s hideout, we formed the team. It seemed Mi Hyo Ran should have stayed put, but she said she’d move herself, and the Commander of the Iron Dragon Unit would take her place. The assembled members were Mi Hyo Ran and me. Am Wang and…

“……Miss Dang, are you going too?”

“Yes.”

“You too…?”

“Is there a problem?”

It was the Poison Phoenix and Dok Ryong siblings.

“Why are these two involved…?”

I asked, genuinely curious. Mi Hyo Ran frowned at my question.

“……It just happened that way.”

“……What?”

What just happened that way? What just ‘happened that way’? Just as I was wondering about Poison Phoenix suddenly joining. I felt Mi Hyo Ran’s gaze towards Poison Phoenix. What is it? Poison Phoenix smirked at that gaze.

This.

‘It seems like the two of them talked about something.’

It’s a reaction as if they exchanged words. What could they have said? There must have been something, so of course they’d react like that.

‘Hmm.’

But I felt like they wouldn’t say anything even if I asked. The atmosphere suggested so.

“……Ah, right. Shall we go for now?”

Let’s go first. That seems right.

“Going there……”

I look at Am Wang behind me. I wondered if he would help, but it seemed unlikely. ‘Because Miss Tang and Tang Cheon Gi wouldn’t know.’ Since I couldn’t reveal Am Wang’s identity, I figured we’d probably travel on foot.

“……Let’s go.”

As if proving my point, Mi Hyo Ran walks ahead. Including her, we were carrying a considerable amount of luggage on our backs. Since there were no carriages or anything, we were likely carrying our own provisions.

“How long will it take?”

Mi Hyo Ran answers my question.

“If it’s short, about four days… if it’s long, about two months.”

“……What?”

The gap seemed quite strange.

“What kind of timeframe is that?”

“You’ll know when we get there.”

Mi Hyo Ran said with a weary look and started walking ahead.

---

We leave the hideout and walk. After walking like that for exactly three days. We left the place referred to as a territory and entered a specific region.

‘So this works too.’

Leaving the territory. Something the search party always paid attention to. Mi Hyo Ran calmly left the area and headed somewhere.

‘……Is it thanks to Am Wang?’

Am Wang following beside me. It seemed like he might be doing something.

“No wonder monsters aren’t appearing much.”

Poison Phoenix quietly spoke to me. I hadn’t seen any monsters for two days. It was something I was also wondering about.

‘This safe travel is possible, no matter how I look at it, thanks to Am Wang.’

Checking with my clairvoyant eyes, I saw he was doing something. At first, I thought it was a divine power, but.

‘No.’

That is…

‘If you classify it, it’s in the realm of sorcery.’

Thin threads emanating from his body. They were surrounding us. Seeing that, it seemed like he was using a specific sorcery…

‘The effect seems to be for concealing presence.’

Not just concealing with aura, but concealing more precisely through sorcery.

‘If it were before, I wouldn’t have known.’

Now that I check, I can see it clearly. As I was interestingly observing Am Wang’s sorcery.

“Halt.”

At Mi Hyo Ran’s words, everyone stopped.

“……We’ve arrived.”

“Already?”

We’re still in the middle of the forest, and she says we’ve arrived? No matter how I looked, I couldn’t see anything like a hideout here.

“Arrived where….”

“I mean we’ve arrived at the passage, not the hideout.”

“The passage?”

“Yes.”

Mi Hyo Ran points with her hand. It was a space covered by large vines ahead.

“……We are going into that place from now on. Follow me carefully. If we mess up here, we’ll have to stay for two months.”

“…….”

From four days to two months. It seemed the reason she said that was located there. But then.

‘……Wait.’

Looking at the vines, my eyes widened.

Those vines.

‘They look like vines I know.’

They seemed to be vines from my memory.