Chapter 310
“Oh, there you are.”
The person who opened the door and poked his head in was Ringug, who had helped guide Yu-hyun to this place.
Seeing Bella along with Yu-hyun, Ringug waved cheerfully with a bright smile.
“It’s been a while, Aunt Bella!”
“Ringug. Don’t tell me it was you who came?”
“Yes. Brother Lean told me to come.”
“Why is Lean ‘brother’ and I’m ‘aunt’! Have you ever seen an aunt this lively?!”
Bella shouted in annoyance, but Ringug just brushed off her anger with a silly grin. It wasn’t the first time this had happened.
With Ringug here, Yu-hyun stood up from his seat.
“Oh? Are you leaving already?”
“Aren’t you here to guide me? It’s better to move now than to waste time loitering here. Aunt Bella, I’ll be back.”
“…Alright. Be careful.”
Yu-hyun left the inn with Ringug and headed deeper into the city.
Ringug, seemingly happy to have someone to chat with again, didn’t stop talking.
“Wow. I never thought I’d see you again like this. By the way, you’re quite impressive, aren’t you?”
“Sis…ter?”
“Oh. Did you say you were a man inside? Should I call you brother then? But you look like a sister. This is really awkward. And you can’t tell me your real name either.”
“…Just call me whatever’s comfortable. I’ll speak casually too.”
“Then I’ll call you sister.”
For the first time in his life, he had a younger brother calling him sister.
Yu-hyun didn’t feel like correcting it. What did it matter if he was called sister or brother? The title wasn’t important.
“Where are you taking me?”
“Oh, you said you’re joining the Explorers, right? Then we need to go to the headquarters to get you equipped. The headquarters is at that spire you saw when you first came in.”
“You’re not trying to stop me? Isn’t it strange that I want to join the Explorers?”
“Of course it’s strange. You punched the Frechen Emperor. That’s more than enough qualification.”
Ringug mentioned the incident where Yu-hyun had struck Frechen in the jaw.
It was odd to be highly rated just for landing a good punch on someone, but it showed how significant Frechen’s reputation was even here.
Even if his personality and actions were problematic, most people acknowledged his skills.
Having struck such a skilled individual, most people now saw Yu-hyun as someone entirely different.
“Huh?”
“Yeah.”
While walking, Ringug suddenly stopped when he made eye contact with someone coming from the opposite direction. The other person did the same.
“Hender? What are you doing here?”
The person they ran into was Hender, who had tried to drive Yu-hyun away when Ringug first brought him. Upon seeing Ringug and Yu-hyun together, Hender’s face immediately soured.
“Why? Can’t I walk around?”
“No, it’s not that.”
“Forget it. I’m busy.”
Hender left with those words, hands in his pockets, walking away nonchalantly.
“Do you know him?”
“Oh, Hender? Yeah, you could say that. We’re the same age. We used to hang out when we were kids. There aren’t many kids our age around here.”
“Were you close?”
“Back then, maybe.”
Not anymore.
Ringug smiled, knowing it was impossible now.
“I’m an Explorer traveling around, but Hender isn’t. He’s a coward, leading kids who think like him and playing the neighborhood boss in places like this.”
“I could tell from the first time I met him.”
“So, Hender probably finds me very uncomfortable.”
“Jealousy…?”
“Yeah, that’s right. We used to play together, but now I’m an Explorer and somewhat of a hero, while Hender isn’t. He’s also sensitive to how others see him, which makes him act more hostile towards me.”
It was more like their relationship fell apart because Hender was pitiful, but Ringug found it unfortunate.
“Still, I don’t hate him. Sometimes I get angry and scold him, but…”
“It’s surprising you don’t hate him. You seem quite forgiving.”
“Haha. Maybe it’s because there’s no one else my age here. He was my friend.”
“By the way, how old are you again?”
“I’m 22 this year.”
That meant Ringug was born ten years after the Curse of the Frozen Land began.
Considering Hender was his only peer, it suggested there weren’t many births.
‘But Explorers can die if they’re not careful.’
Moreover, Explorers were considered high-value personnel even in Gard, the city of survivors.
With the population slowly dwindling, it seemed inevitable that Gardian would eventually perish, even if the magic circle kept running indefinitely.
Ringug glanced in the direction Hender had disappeared.
“Hender’s parents were both in the Explorers but died. That’s why he overreacted when he saw you. His parents died because they followed excessive demands from your predecessor.”
“…I see.”
Even though he thought he had heard enough, the world was more incomplete than he imagined.
This frozen world was like a castle built on thin ice, ready to collapse at any moment.
And the cracks on the surface were still spreading in real-time.
The world would likely end sooner than the 68 years left for the magic circle’s operation.
“By the way, how is Lean?”
“Brother Lean? What about him?”
“He seems like a leader here. Am I wrong?”
“You’re not wrong. Without Brother Lean, we wouldn’t have survived. There’s an emperor in this city but no king. But in a way, Brother Lean is like a king. Though he wouldn’t like being called that.”
“That’s what it seemed. He didn’t appear to have any such ambition.”
“You have no idea how surprised I was when Brother Lean told me to bring you into the Explorers. I already felt you were different when you thanked me at our first meeting, but this was unexpected.”
“That surprising?”
“Yes. I’ve never seen him act like that. But you should still be careful. While I’m open-minded, most Explorers aren’t.”
Yu-hyun had already prepared himself for that.
The two eventually arrived at the heart of the city, at the towering spire.
Yu-hyun noticed the expansive fields and animal pens around the spire, holding animals not seen on Earth.
‘So, they were growing crops and raising animals in the deepest part of the magic circle.’
The fields were larger than expected, suggesting no immediate food shortages.
Ringug led Yu-hyun through a large path between the fields. The spire was tall, but the space corresponding to the first and second floors was much wider than the spire’s actual size.
Yu-hyun realized then that the spire wasn’t used as a building.
‘The spire maintains the core of the magic circle.’
Only the first and second floors served as the functional building, the Explorers’ headquarters.
Inside, he saw several people dusting off snow, Explorers returning from their duties.
Noticing Ringug entering, they waved but froze when they saw Yu-hyun standing next to him.
“Ringug, is that…”
“It’s on Brother Lean’s orders.”
Before they could ask anything, Ringug preempted them.
At the mention of Lean’s name, the Explorers, who were about to question Ringug and Yu-hyun, fell silent.
“If Brother Lean said so…”
“He must have his reasons.”
Though not entirely convinced, considering how much distrust they held towards Yu-hyun’s prosthetic, it was surprising they didn’t react more harshly.
Lean’s name held significant weight among the Explorers.
Few hadn’t received his help at some point.
‘They still don’t fully trust me.’
Though no one acted openly hostile, some Explorers still looked at Yu-hyun with suspicion or even animosity.
“Everyone, enough. If you’ve returned, go home and rest. The next duty is in two days.”
“Captain.”
‘Captain?’
The one who diffused the tense atmosphere was a man with long hair, seemingly in his mid-thirties, with sharp eyes and a serious demeanor.
His single word silenced the surrounding Explorers.
Once his subordinates left, he gave a slight nod to Yu-hyun and exited the headquarters.
‘So, he’s the one leading the Explorers.’
As Yu-hyun watched him closely, Ringug quietly whispered to him.
‘That’s Rayon. He leads the team and has known Brother Lean for a long time. He’s practically Brother Lean’s right-hand man. He’s very capable, both strategically and in swordsmanship, and is considered the third most powerful in Gardian.’
‘Why are you whispering?’
‘Rayon has sharp hearing. He wouldn’t say anything even if he overheard, but it’s still awkward, right?’
‘He does look intense.’
‘Yes. But he cares deeply for his team and respects Brother Lean immensely. They knew each other before the Curse of the Frozen Land began. Given their ages, it makes sense.’
‘Then why is Lean a brother, and he an uncle?’
‘Brother Lean looks younger.’
It wasn’t wrong, so Yu-hyun couldn’t argue.
“Alright. Let’s get your equipment.”
“There’s equipment?”
“Explorers need gear to protect themselves. There’s an old wizard who makes useful equipment.”
Explorers needed not just strength but also tools to survive the harsh environment outside.
Special boots to avoid slipping, outerwear to block the cold, pouches for food, and weapons resistant to the Frost Giants.
There were many necessary items.
“Do you have enough resources to make all that?”
“No. But we have a lot of items left from previous users.”
“Ah.”
Creating valuable artifacts wasn’t easy, but the number of users decreased faster than the limited supply.
There were surplus items.
“Using gear from deceased people?”
“In Gard, it’s not considered unfortunate. We believe the spirits of great warriors reside in their items, helping the living win glorious victories and reach the Land of Salvation.”
“The Land of Salvation?”
Ringug took the opportunity to explain Gardian beliefs.
“The Land of Salvation is where we go after death.”
“Like an afterlife. So they fight to die?”
“Not everyone, but most Gardians don’t avoid battle. They believe that the more they win, the more likely they’ll reach the Land of Glory after death. If they lose, their spirits remain in their items, but if someone else wins using those items, they ascend together.”
“I see.”
“Using an ancestor’s gear is not ominous but a sign of respect. It’s also a way to save suffering spirits, fighting to release their grudges.”
“And if the next person dies?”
“Then the next one continues.”
It was both irresponsible and resolute.
“Will continues. Our spirits continue. Although it’s rare since the Curse of the Frozen Land, I still believe. When this hellish blizzard ends, we will all reach the Land of Salvation.”
The Land of Salvation.
A place beyond the northern sea, full of abundance and joy, free from pain and hunger.
Ringug’s eyes shone with genuine belief in its existence.
“That’s why I joined the Explorers. Hiding and running away isn’t honorable. You can’t fight or win that way.”
Exploring the outside, risking danger.
It likely meant death. There might be no glorious victory.
But still.
Someone would continue his will, even if he died.
Will was unending. It would continue and eventually reach the desired path.
Ringug believed this without doubt. Hence, he admired Lean and the Explorers, and joined them.
“You…”
Yu-hyun realized that even in such despair, there were people who didn’t lose hope.
Indeed, how could he not know?
Even in the dreadful hell he came from, the flame of hope never extinguished.
“Haha. I’ve explained too much. Let’s get your gear.”
“We’re going to the wizard?”
“Yes. He also repairs old equipment. We need to hurry before he goes home. He’s a good person but very picky.”
“Alright.”
Yu-hyun arrived at the wizard’s workshop.
Ringug knocked lightly on the door, and a hysterical old man’s voice came from inside.
“Who is it!”
“Grandpa, it’s me. Ringug.”
The door was roughly opened before Ringug finished speaking.
“Ringug. What time do you think it is, bothering me now? Didn’t I tell you not to come after hours?”
The old man was far from kind. His long, unkempt white beard and hair made him look like a homeless person.
He wore a simple outfit made of animal fur, and his sharp eyes and large nose suggested a strict personality.
‘Talking to him seems exhausting.’
Indeed, the old man frowned at Ringug, telling him to come back tomorrow.
“Grandpa. But we have a new guest.”
“A guest? What guest! Who dares disturb my rest! Let me see your face!”
With no choice, Yu-hyun stepped forward from behind Ringug.
At that moment, the old man gasped and took a deep breath.
“Gasp! M-Master?”