Chapter 1499. Extinction (9)

‘You never really know how things will turn out.’

The matter about Priest Marian and Hound Lee Joo-Hyuk was surprising, sure, but it was still within the realm of comprehension. The sight of First Life Cheon Kwan-Wi and First Life Yu Ran acting all affectionate threw me off more than I had expected.

I didn’t meet them often, but I distinctly remembered them being something close to sworn enemies. If I had to describe their relationship, they were the kind of people who worked together

only

because their synergy was good.

They maintained a strictly business relationship, and they seemed to dislike each other, so the sight felt even stranger to me. After all, as far as I could remember, Sniper Yu Ran had a pretty fiery personality. She showed flashes of charisma every now and then, but there was no way someone like that would naturally gravitate toward a cautious, perpetually calculating Cheon Kwan-Wi.

Of course, the reverse was just as unlikely.

‘Were they secretly interested in each other all along and were just pretending to hate each other so no one would notice?’

Then again, those quarreling with each other every day could end up developing feelings for each other, so this was not exactly a bizarre sight. It made even more sense in the first life, where they had to have spent far more time together than in the second life.

I felt like they got drunk, and one thing led to another. It was mildly interesting, sure, but it was not something I’d pay much attention to. If it hadn't been for the small child standing beside Cheon Kwan-Wi, I would have dismissed it as just another curious twist of fate.

A miniature version of the two of them caught my eye. He was a kid holding a bow far larger than his own body.

‘Inherited trait, Mist Arrow?’

“...”

‘Inherited trait, Mist Enhancement?’

“...”

‘Magic and Agility growth limit that’s at least Legendary rank?’

It was basically a jackpot. It was common knowledge that children of high-ranking adventurers could inherit portions of their parents’ traits, but even I had never seen a case where someone had inherited such monstrous talent and attributes.

There were studies conducted in the past, of course, but I shut that down before it could go too far. I didn’t want adventurers turning reproduction into some absurd min-maxing scheme.

In any case, the tentative conclusion was that compatibility between partners mattered a lot. Who could have guessed that the combination of the Mist Summoner and the Long-Range Sniper would produce something like this?

In the first life, the inheritance probability wasn't really tampered with. It was rude to put it this way, but they basically overcame the absurdly low odds and drew a five-star child.

‘What the hell?’

Just looking at him, the answer was obvious. He did not even look old enough to be in middle school, yet they had brought him to the battlefield. Of course, this probably meant the situation was so bad that they needed even hands

that

small, but those weren't exactly small hands anymore. He looked like a full-fledged adventurer.

He lacked the raw strength to draw the bowstring on his own and had to rely on items for it, but the way he fired arrows without the slightest hesitation wasn't just impressive, it was actually stupefying.

“Ease up a little.”

“Yes, Mother.”

He could even read the room. His temperament looked solid, too.

‘Those two should honestly be bound together for the sake of the continent and the nation.’

It wasn’t just Cheon Kwan-Wi, Yu Ran, and their child.

‘Lady Marilyn.’

Lady Marilyn surprised me as well. In the second life, she was just a naive young lady, but after Count Castlerock's death, she inherited his will. Now, she was the Countess of Castle Rock. She was surrounded by many people, and she appeared to be trusted by them all.

Even Cheon Kwan-Wi and Yu Ran treated her with noticeable respect. Seeing none of those Small Stone thugs around, it was likely that, after Song Jung-Wook’s death, she personally took care of Castle Rock’s black market as well.

Lady Marilyn looked so different that it was hard to even remember the girl who used to chatter endlessly at tea parties. The new Countess of Castle Rock seemed in no way inferior to the previous one.

As she tended to the refugees and routed soldiers and directs the march back to Castle Rock, there wasn't even a hint of awkwardness in her demeanor. People also seemed to follow her naturally.

“What is the current situation?” Marilyn asked.

“We believe the enemy has fully withdrawn, Count Castlerock,” Cheon Kwan-Wi answered.

“That is a relief. I was concerned the battle might drag on, but it seems the return journey will be at least somewhat easier,” she said.

“We hardly know how to thank you for coming all this way...” Yu Ran said.

“It’s only natural. Of course, the Republic and Castlerock have been bound by ill blood for a long time, but at a time like this, digging up the past would be the height of foolishness. I believe my late father, who fell during the Continental War, would be pleased as well. Besides...” She paused.

“...”

“It’s not only you who needs help. Castle Rock also requires your help. To be frank...” She paused again.

“You’re saying you lack soldiers who can still fight,” he said.

“Yes, but please do not think of it as being for Castle Rock alone. I hope that you, the Republic, will stand with us until the very end, not for our sake, but for humanity's sake,” she said.

“...”

“...”

“To be honest, it isn’t particularly surprising,” Cheon Kwan-Wi said.

“...”

“The Republic is already tilting toward collapse, so I’m not sure we even have another choice. Still, I appreciate your candor. Naturally, all of us will stand and fight alongside the Count of Castle Rock until the very end,” he continued.

It was a heartwarming scene. The sight of the two leaders shaking hands was unexpectedly great. It almost made me wonder why Kim Hyun-Sung had never treated Marilyn as an important figure.

From his perspective, she probably looked like nothing more than a mascot. She wasn’t an exceptional commander, nor was she a powerful warrior.

He had to have believed that Castle Rock survived because of the heroes who fought there, not because of her abilities.

However, war could not be decided by tactics or individual strength alone. She was Castle Rock’s symbol. The soldiers of Castle Rock would fight for her and die for her. People gathered around her and drew strength from her presence.

Kim Hyun-Sung struggled to understand that, but her role likely played no small part in how Castle Rock managed to endure for so long.

‘You can tell just by looking at her now.’

She was already speaking with the Republic’s key figures and pulling them to her side.

“We need to make sure the refugees are following the designated route.”

“I know you’re exhausted, but please hold out until we reach the forward camp.”

She uttered simple sentences, but she knew exactly what mattered the most in this situation. Capable adjutants stood behind her offered advice, but the one who listened, gathered the advice, and made the final decision was the Countess of Castle Rock.

The routed soldiers and the refugees were moving together, yet no chaos had yet to break out. It was partly because everyone had to move quietly, but of course, it was also because the Republic forces and Castle Rock troops had blended together smoothly.

Thinking that we’d likely reach Castle Rock without any issues, I closed my eyes for a moment. I felt Mikael pulling me a little closer, holding me tighter, but I still didn't have the time to respond to his concerns. I heard him murmur that there was a camp ahead, and I’d be able to rest soon. He even brushed divine power across my head, but it was obvious that he was feeling frustrated.

He could not ask others for help, so all he could do was stew in silence.

‘Yes, suffer a little.’

I raised the Telescope again and scanned the surroundings. I had already swept across the continent once, but there were people I needed to find, so I had to keep sweeping my gaze across the continent.

‘Kim Hyun-Sung.’

“...”

‘Jin Cheong.’

“...”

‘Park Deok-Gu.’

It felt like searching for a needle in the desert, but since we had decided to remain at this point in time for a while, the information I gathered, the better things would become for me.

Where were the pigeons going to retreat? Where were the others besides Seraphim? Where was First Life Lee Ki-Young at this moment? I could not afford to rest my eyes.

When I knew that Park Deok-Gu and Kasugano Yuno were here, he became even more of a concern.

‘There’s no way that pig came here alone.’

I had no idea how they crossed the hexagram, but Rafael’s party had reached this place without me once before, so it was possible for Kasugano and the pig to be here, too. The real question was this—why were they here?

‘I can never quite tell what Kasugano is thinking.’

Even though something like a master-servant contract was binding us, I still found myself doubting her intentions. She knew too much to simply ignore, and the fact that she remembered First Ki-Young bothers me. At this point, I’m not even sure whether the one she truly follows is First Ki-Young or me.

‘Damn it, if I keep doubting everything, there’s no end to it.’

Honestly, suspecting her was almost ridiculous. She had always been a woman of few words, but in the end, everything Kasugano Yuno had done so far benefited me. There was also a chance that her actions were all building up for this exact moment, so...

‘I’ll trust her for now.’

Now that I thought about it, I remembered her saying that she had something she absolutely needed to tell me before these hexagram gates began to erupt. I would not completely dismiss the possibility that she was an enemy, but I could afford to place sixty percent of my trust in her.

I had to believe that everyone scattered across this place was doing what they were meant to do in their respective positions.

I wondered when I became the kind of person who could trust others

this

easily, but the crows that had been following us so far told me that...

‘They’re trustworthy enough.’

At least one team seemed to be handling its role properly.

“...”

“...”

‘Commander Jin.’

The crow staring at me unmistakably had violet eyes.

‘Out of all the birds in the world, he had to pick something that looks like him.’

It wasn't a familiar. It was more like he briefly seized control of its body. The other crows in sight also had violet eyes. He had to have been searching for us and rushed over the moment he found us.

‘Is the Goddess’s Hand Mirror broken? Or just unusable? How many years has he spent here? Did he use the gate with their help?’

Actually...

‘Did they reattach Chang Ryeol’s arm?’

I had many questions, but I couldn't expect answers right away. Commander Jin dared not make the crows approach us.

I was not even sure if he could communicate through them directly, but the senses of the adventurers nearby were exceedingly sharp, so I was sure he didn't want to risk losing the crows, as he would have to search for us all over again.

Just then, a crow perched on a branch began clacking its beak. I immediately recognized that it was a message meant for me. I briefly wonder if he’d waste time with pleasantries, but as expected of him, he delivered only what mattered.

I expected it was something about Kim Hyun-Sung’s location, or perhaps a rendezvous point, but...

‘Sa...’

“...”

‘Ge...’

“...”

‘Sage’s...’

“...”

A word I had never expected was formed.

‘The Sage’s Stone?’