Chapter 601: North Sea.

Tak-! Tak-!

The sound of embers flaring up could be heard.

Something that was originally human was burning.

Its form had long since been lost.

Ash. Something with no value beyond that.

Staring at it, I pushed myself up.

Ttuk….

Ttuk….

Blood flowed from my fingertips.

Naturally, it wasn’t my blood. It was solely the aftermath of torture.

Two corpses, long dead, were engulfed in flames.

My gaze, conversely, was chillingly calm.

It was cold enough to surprise even myself.

That was exactly how my emotional state was right now.

I turned my head.

At the end of it was Yuri.

She stared at me with trembling eyes, unable to utter a word.

Her pupils were filled with deep fear and shallow bewilderment.

Tuduk-!

I flicked my hand, shaking off the blood.

At the same time, I burned away the residue piled on the floor.

The smell of burning instantly filled the space.

In the silence-filled place, I looked at Yuri and asked,

“I’ll ask again.”

“…Yes…?”

“Anyone you suspect?”

“…”

There were many meanings behind my words.

“Still don’t think so?”

I forced a smile.

Fortunately, it seemed to work.

I had gained quite a bit of information from the torture.

As expected, the guy had a lot of attachment to life.

Such a person inevitably becomes endlessly weak in the face of death.

Grit, too.

Courage, too.

Even loyalty, which they barely possessed.

“Or perhaps, you need more confirmation.”

“…No.”

Yuri bit her lip at my words and shook her head.

“I still… find it hard to fully believe… but I know this isn’t a situation where I can deny it.”

“That’s all I need to know.”

Hearing her answer, I nodded.

It meant it was time for her to say something else.

The information I’d obtained was roughly this:

The rebellion originated from one of the four great tribes of the North Sea, called the ‘Blue Wolves’, and the man had received orders to wait here and lure Yuri to the destination upon her arrival.

‘Just as I expected.’

Just as I thought earlier.

It seemed they intended to lure us.

The plan was for those lying in ambush to attack at the destination they were taking us to.

If there was a question.

‘How did they know when we’d arrive here?’

Even simply calculating the distance from the Central Plains to the North Sea, it took us riding that smarty-pants fellow to get here this quickly.

Otherwise, we would have been much later.

They surely couldn’t have expected us to fly here.

But the fact that they had such a response meant…

‘They had a way of knowing the moment we arrived.’

The very moment we arrived in the North Sea.

They prepared then, or…

Or perhaps.

‘They had simply anticipated and prepared for all possible routes.’

That would be it.

Simply put, the latter is the more probable scenario.

Furthermore.

‘It has to be.’

It’s a situation where it must be the latter.

Because if it were the former, the situation would become incredibly screwed up.

What followed only made things worse.

The man said:

The reason for the bloodbath that had begun in the Ice Palace was linked to the higher-ups of the rebellion.

‘An Ice Palace blood relative was involved.’

Specifically, the Palace Lord’s direct blood relative.

This contradicted what Yuri had said about blood relatives being unable to betray each other.

‘Could that possibly be a lie?’

The man’s words were the truth.

Assuming Seong-yul didn’t lie, that is.

Then did Yuri lie?

‘That’s unlikely too.’

Objectively speaking, the chances of Yuri lying were significantly low.

Of course, only ‘significantly’ low.

That didn’t mean it was impossible.

It just meant I could exclude her from the priority list of suspicion.

I looked at Yuri again.

“What should we do?”

Yuri swallowed dryly at my question.

She seemed unable to truly believe this situation either, her expression clouded.

Even trying to believe the story about a blood relative being involved was proving difficult.

-What should we do?

This wasn’t a question directed at Yuri.

Rather, it was something I said to myself.

‘It’s safe to assume all the routes Yuri mentioned are blocked.’

If even the first hideout she was most confident about ended up like this…

Then all subsequent routes to the Ice Palace must be blocked too.

So, what now?

Seureuk.

I swept my hair back from my forehead with my hand.

My coldly cooled gaze swept through the air.

I had already decided on the answer the moment the torture ended.

“If the safe paths are gone…”

Then we just take the paths that aren’t safe.

The information the man provided included…

…the location where they attempted the ambush.

So the answer was simple.

I asked Yuri directly.

“The location you mentioned earlier. Do you know where it is?”

“Location, you say….”

“You know, the place that guy mentioned. ‘Seorak Gorge’, wasn’t it?”

“…!”

Yuri’s eyes widened like saucers at my words.

“Th-that’s… the place you said the enemy was ambushing!”

“That’s right.”

Yuri looked flustured, unsure of my intentions, but I casually said,

“Since they’re waiting for us so diligently, we should go pay them a visit. If you know the way, lead the way.”

“What do you mean…!”

Hearing me, Yuri unintentionally raised her voice.

“You want to go straight into enemy territory?”

“Because it’s the fastest way.”

“Wouldn’t it be better to head straight for the Ice Palace…? We could ride that monster from earlier safely…!”

“Can’t.”

“Huh…?”

“That guy’s at his limit right now.”

Why didn’t I think of that?

It was the first thought that occurred to me, naturally.

“It can’t fly right now.”

There was a reason I specifically sent that smarty-pants fellow to rest.

That guy was too exhausted to fly.

‘How many days did he fly carrying this weight?’

He was chosen with Jeong-won in mind.

Exceeding that, he carried the Heavenly Venerate, and flew at full speed even in that state.

Although I let him rest once every few days, what made him arrive at this time, even including those rests, was…

…thanks to that smarty-pants fellow pushing through his limits.

Besides that.

“We don’t even have confirmation that the Ice Palace is safe.”

“…!”

“Things have already gone to hell this far. You think your home is safe?”

There’s a rebellion, and the enemy has occupied the place designated as a hideout.

Could the Ice Palace really be safe?

What if the Palace Lord has already been dealt with and the Ice Palace occupied?

There were all sorts of problems intertwined in making a choice.

‘There’s no best option.’

Not a better option, but…

It’s time to choose the lesser evil.

“So, lead the way.”

“But….”

Yuri seemed unconvinced by my opinion and tried to add something.

Seeing that, I sighed and said,

“I told you last time too.”

She seemed to keep misunderstanding.

“Does this look like a request?”

My chilling tone was slightly tinged with the killing intent I’d been holding back.

Hmph.

Yuri flinched slightly at my words.

I was already at my limit.

I kept holding back, but I was already at my limit.

I wanted to burn everything to ashes right now.

Holding that back had already reached its limit.

It burned so intensely that it felt cold instead.

That was exactly my situation right now.

So.

“Lead the way, now.”

Before I burn ‘something’.

I needed to find ‘something’ to cool me down.

---

Ssaaaa-!

The falling snow made it impossible to see even an inch ahead.

That’s how harsh the blizzard was.

The path towards the gorge wasn’t steep, but it was somewhat arduous.

As Yuri climbed that path, she radiated wariness.

The raging cold wasn’t the issue.

After all, Yuri was more accustomed to the cold than anything else.

What troubled Yuri now, more than that, was…

…her pounding heart and her growing anxiety.

As she climbed, Yuri repeatedly bit her trembling lips.

‘What… is this situation…’

Seeing how things had unfolded, she couldn’t properly collect her thoughts.

The fact that enemy soldiers were at the planned hideout,

and that her own blood relative was involved in the massacre at the Ice Palace.

Just those two facts alone were enough to leave Yuri feeling devastated.

‘How could this possibly….’

It was unbelievable.

Those bearing the Curse of the Ice Spirit cannot betray each other.

That was the pact that had bound the Ice Palace’s blood relatives for ages, yet…

The information extracted through torturing the enemy was undeniably shocking, even for Yuri.

Torture.

Recalling the events just before, she felt nausea rise within her.

Yuri forced herself to suppress it.

It was that shocking a sight.

Uddeuk.

A person’s body was pierced, joints snapped.

[Kkeuh-ah-eu-ah-ah-ah-ah!!!]

Pusyuk-!

Screams echoed as blood splattered.

It was the first time she had smelled burning flesh.

The scent of burning human flesh was incredibly acrid.

It took mere minutes for the man’s desperate pleas for life to turn into desperate pleas for death.

‘Scary.’

Just recalling it sent shivers of fear down her spine.

It was the moment Yuri became certain that something was terribly wrong.

Even in the face of such screams, the torturer’s eyes were indifferent.

He paid no mind to the screams.

The blood flowing from him, the burning flesh.

His sole focus was the words spilling from the man’s mouth.

Yuri couldn’t even breathe at the sight of such brutality.

What had she brought here?

Was it right to bring him to the North Sea?

Such thoughts belatedly crossed her mind.

Fear and dread tightened their grip around her throat.

Sabak.

She moved forward, carrying those emotions.

What was puzzling amidst all this was…

…that despite harboring so many negative emotions, Yuri was ultimately following his orders.

Was it because she couldn’t resist the threats and fear?

Perhaps.

She wasn’t sure of anything.

What mattered was that she was following his orders in the end.

Look at the present moment.

Wasn’t she here, ostensibly guiding the way to a place where the enemy might be ambushing?

Even though the Ice Palace’s fate was uncertain right now.

Even if he had suggested a rational and logical path,

the choice to take it was ultimately Yuri’s.

She was the one who had to bear the responsibility for that choice.

“Hoo… hoo….”

Knowing that, Yuri didn’t stop walking.

Seorak Gorge.

It was a terrain with no steep slopes but deep paths, surrounded by slippery, deep cliffs, making it dangerous.

Originally, it was one of the paths leading to the Ice Palace, but it was rarely used due to its danger.

‘A path leading to the Ice Palace.’

He said he’d lure them towards the ambush site, but…

If he had suggested taking Seorak Gorge for safety reasons, Yuri would have agreed.

Because it was a place rarely frequented by people.

‘…Is it really as he said?’

She had to admit it, even though she didn’t want to.

That her predictions and thoughts were wrong.

Saaaa.

The wind kept blowing.

With the blizzard obscuring everything, she couldn’t see an inch ahead.

Should I keep going like this?

I heard there was an ambush.

Yuri looked back.

Her companions were quietly following her.

The cold didn’t seem to be an issue for them.

How could they be unaffected by such cold?

Seeing that, Yuri recalled something.

‘I’ve heard of it.’

They say that warriors who are particularly exceptional become unfazed by the cold.

Could they be like that too?

It was a pointless thought to consider now.

Yuri shook her head slightly and spoke to her companions,

“…The situation isn’t good.”

It was already nighttime.

The raging blizzard was also a problem.

Even the exceptional warriors of the Ice Palace, accustomed to such conditions, would normally halt their steps by now.

No matter how skilled the warriors from the Central Plains are, moving in this situation would be difficult.

Judging so, Yuri spoke,

and Gu Yangcheon, who was in front, glanced around.

Was it my imagination?

For a moment, Gu Yangcheon’s eyes seemed to glow blue.

“Yes, we don’t need to go any further.”

“As expected….”

It seemed her words were correct this time.

Ironically, a sense of relief washed over her.

“Since there’s the risk of an ambush, perhaps we should rest here for a moment….”

“No, that’s not what I meant.”

“Huh?”

Didn’t he mean they should wait until dawn because enemies might appear?

The moment Yuri questioned this,

Hwa-reureu-reuk.

Gu Yangcheon suddenly began gathering flames onto his palm.

Yuri immediately felt the surrounding temperature change.

It was warm.

In the midst of this blade-like cold.

Hu-uk-!

The warmth that spread around gathered into a handful.

The sight was reminiscent of a small sun.

As Yuri was captivated by the mystical sight,

Hwik-!

Gu Yangcheon tossed a shimmering jade bead into the air.

Then,

Beonjjeok-!

The rising bead emitted light, illuminating the surroundings.

The blizzard stopped, centered around the bead.

The darkness receded as the emitted light cleared her vision,

and the surrounding scene came into view.

“Hoo…!”

Upon seeing the illuminated surroundings, Yuri gasped.

“What… What is this…?”

Something was visible on the snowfield.

It was almost buried by the continuous snowfall, but

Yuri had a vague idea of what they were.

Hudu-deuk-!

Gu Yangcheon walked over and picked up something from the ground.

What was buried in the snow finally revealed itself.

Surprisingly, it was a human corpse.

Gu Yangcheon casually lifted the corpse and examined it from side to side.

“It hasn’t been long since it died.”

Although its condition made it difficult to see clearly,

that’s how it appeared.

At the longest, yesterday. At the earliest, today.

That was the state of the corpse.

And it wasn’t just this one.

‘There are many around.’

Corpses buried in the snow were visible here and there.

By a rough count, there seemed to be over twenty.

“Are these the ones who were ambushing here?”

If so, why were they all dead?

Perhaps they could be Ice Palace personnel.

It would be strange for the ambushers to be found dead here.

Just then.

“Wait a moment…!”

Yuri approached, looking startled, as she saw the corpse Gu Yangcheon was holding.

“…General…?”

Seeing her reaction, Gu Yangcheon asked,

“Do you know them?”

“Ah….”

Yuri frowned and replied,

“He was a Great General from the Blue Wolf clan….”

“The Blue Wolves, you say.”

That was the name of one of the four great clans, or tribes, involved in the rebellion, mentioned by the man during the torture.

Which means…

‘He was one of the ambushers.’

Moreover, he was said to be a recognized powerhouse in the North Sea, holding the title of Great General.

‘So they were definitely planning to capture him.’

And they intended to lure and capture him here.

The problem was…

‘Why are they all dead?’

Why were all those people dead?

“Hmm….”

It was an inexplicable situation.

Especially since there was no sign of anyone else around.

Did they perhaps engage in a battle with personnel from the Palace Lord’s side who noticed the ambush?

Just as I thought I needed to investigate this further,

Meomchit-!

Gu Yangcheon turned his head and looked west.

Everyone except Yuri did the same.

“They’re coming.”

“Yes.”

Gu Yangcheon nodded at the Heavenly Venerate’s words.

Presence was felt from the west.

Approximately thirty individuals.

They would arrive within half an hour at the latest.

‘Is it because of this?’

I raised my gaze.

The small, compressed Fire Wheel Star; it seemed those who saw it were approaching this way.

“Young Master, what should we do?”

“Let’s hide for now. We need to see what kind of people they are.”

Are they friend or foe?

Confirming that was the priority.

With that thought, Gu Yangcheon extinguished the Fire Wheel Star.

The light quickly faded, and darkness returned.

The blizzard also began to rage once more.

“Let’s just suppress our presence and assess the situation.”

As I planned that and was about to move,

Banjjak.

An anomaly caught Gu Yangcheon’s eye.

Something glittered in one part of the snowfield.

Normally, I would have dismissed it as just discarded weaponry, but

“…”

“Young Master? Where are you going–.”

For some reason, Gu Yangcheon headed there.

It felt like I just had to see it.

The steps that usually left no trace sank deep into the snow.

This meant the bindings around my feet were gone.

I walked.

No, I ran. Why the haste? I couldn’t understand it even as I ran.

When I finally reached the destination, the light was strangely gone.

It had been shining from afar, but there was nothing upon arrival.

Only white snow remained.

Into that snow,

Puk-!

Gu Yangcheon thrust his hand straight in.

A cold sensation brushed against the back of his hand.

Ignoring it, he pushed deeper, and his fingertips brushed against something.

It definitely wasn’t the feel of the ground.

He grasped it and pulled his hand back.

The moment he confirmed the retrieved object with his eyes,

“…”

“…”

Gu Yangcheon’s entire body froze stiff.

It was an object familiar to his eyes.

Something a certain woman carried incessantly, and something he had bought for her.

It was a cheap item, bought in a hurry.

It just caught my eye as we passed by.

So I bought it.

I remember telling her it looked a bit rusty and offering to buy her a new one, but she refused to replace it, no matter what.

The crescent-shaped accessory I chose because it seemed to resemble her.

That item.

Was found in a place it should never have been.

The moment he confirmed that,

Ttuk-!

Something snapped inside Gu Yangcheon.

Hwa-reureu-reuk—!!!

Starting from his feet, heat radiated outwards in all directions.